Chapter 3 - Clear

Last Warning: Spoilers.

Zeno needed time between each teleportation to recharge his energy. Dufort, therefore, had ample opportunity to abuse his new place in their power dynamic.

"I suspect Clear will not hesitate to target human partners," Dufort stated. "If I ever say the word 'me', you are to cover me with your mantle. If I say the word 'you', cover your own body with your mantle. If I say one of your individual body parts, cover that part with your mantle. We have fifteen minutes before our next jump; you will be practicing this until then."

What followed was a grueling session of mantle-manipulation. The clothing he wore was an extension of his own body – he could move the white dress like a rubbery limb. It was durable enough to withstand low-level spells and unpowered attacks. If damaged, he could rebuild it by sending demon energy into the blue brooch that served as its core.

Dufort had not failed to notice this, even though Zeno had never explained it to him. Though come to think of it, Dufort probably worked out just how durable it was when Ashron compared it to his red scales. But that shouldn't have been enough for Dufort to inherently understand the mantle's length and speed limitations, and it was quickly becoming apparent that he did understand. Thoroughly. Dufort was now training Zeno more exactly than his mentors had trained him back at the palace. Zeno's only reprieve came when they made another jump, at which point Dufort moved on to a new subject.

Training in between teleports. He had been doing this for a while.

"You will stay within mantle range of myself at all times unless you are making an attack," Dufort said just before they jumped, as if to bring the mantle training to an end. When they reappeared at their new destination, he said, "Our first priority will be testing Clear's barrier around his human. You will cast a fully powered Zakerga-" the strongest of Zeno's unlocked spells, "-at the barrier around his human, using your own best judgement for a good striking opportunity. Afterwards, we will be casting Zagurzem at the barrier."

The spell Zagurzem was an electricity amplifier. Any object struck with the spell would empower lightning attacks that passed through said object. It could also fortify Rashield. This meant that if the barrier around Clear's human was struck with Zagurzem, it would take more damage from Zakerga afterwards.

"Why not Zagurzem first?" Zeno asked.

"Our goal is to test the strength of the barrier, not break it. Even with my ability, Ashron's description of the barrier was too vague for anything beyond rough guessing. Still, I doubt a Zagurzem-enhanced Zakerga would come close to breaking it. Clear won't let us freely cast multiple Zagurzem on the barrier or on himself. Zagurzem is slow-moving and easily dodged. Clear might assume it's a damaging move the first time and use his skin to block it, or he might not, but once he sees that it's not a normal attack, he'll get suspicious and avoid future Zagurzem."

"Then why even cast it at all-" Zeno argued "-if we aren't going to follow up?"

"I primarily want to see if he is capable of dropping and reforming the barrier at any time, which he might do if he suspects the barrier is vulnerable to attack, or if it sustains damage. If he possesses this capability, then we will retreat immediately."

"Why?"

"If he can bypass Zagurzem's threat to his barrier, then we will have to disregard any strategies that involve burning his book and defeat Clear Note himself. Our current spells are not sufficient for that task, just like they weren't against Ashron, so retreat is the only option. You are faster than him and you can teleport. If I say 'retreat', wrap me in your cloak and take us as far away as you can as quickly as you can without leaving us vulnerable to pursuit or a final attack. Now repeat the orders relevant to you, not including the ones from our previous sessions."

"I cast a fully-charged Zakerga at his human's barrier," Zeno said, ignoring his annoyance in favor of applying his memory, "using my judgement for when and where to strike. Next I cast a Zagurzem on his barrier. If Zagurzem doesn't work, we retreat. If you say to retreat, we retreat."

"Good. If he is unable to bypass Zagurzem, I might have us cast more. If so, I'll say 'more', in which case you make physical contact with the barrier so that the next Zagurzem hits instantly. Also, our opening Zakerga will be a complete surprise attack if possible, and I want you to get him talking after that. I need a better working model of his psychology. And now that you're ready for another jump, I want you to take us to a nearby human town. We need to take care of Ashron's book."

In the interlude that followed, Dufort somehow arranged for a message to be sent to Ashron's human three days hence – a message which Dufort could deliberately stop if he was alive and well. A 'dead man's switch', he called it. Included in the message were numerical values of "longitude" and "latitude" (human systems allowing them to locate pinpoint locations anywhere on their planet), as well as instructions on how to locate the book based purely on landmarks.

Zeno had little time to appreciate the convenience of human technology or measurement systems, as he had to perform another jump as soon as Dufort was done. This took them into the range that would allow Zeno to subtly jump one last time, straight to Clear himself.

"I want you to repeat all the orders I've given you for this encounter," Dufort began before the final jump. "We will not be facing Clear until I am satisfied that you're ready, so the time between now and our next jump will depend entirely on how quickly you can learn, remember, and ingrain new instructions into your battle style."

This turned out to be easier said than done. Zeno was used to following his own intuition. Following the orders of others was counterintuitive, and incompatible with his habits.

It took well over three hours before Dufort was satisfied with Zeno's progress, though he did claim he had been expecting it to take longer. He said Zeno should be proud that he had exceeded the most optimistic 'answer' to the question of 'how long will Zeno's preparation take?', but right now the Thunder Emperor was only feeling anticipatory.

They could finally put all this effort to the test, and Zeno would finally be able to decide if his human deserved to die for putting him through all this, or if his human's caution was justified.

"After we make this final jump," Dufort said at last, "I will remain silent, save for the simple words I've already arranged. Ideally, you will be able to do as I've instructed without verbal command. If my ability informs me otherwise, only then will I instruct you out loud. Clear must not learn of the threat I pose to him. It must look like you are the one in charge."

Zeno had been trained to have an air of confidence and leadership about him at all times, especially in front of other demons, so that would be an easy task. Zeno ignored the impulse to snidely remark that he was in charge, and simply nodded.

"Let's go."

They made the jump, and-

"Zakerga."

Zeno almost didn't have enough time to get his body in range and his hand in place, aiming at what could only be a Mamodo ability: a round, transparent ball containing a crib which floated in midair. The powerful spear of lightning fizzled harmlessly against the ball, sending sparks in every direction. His attack had left no dent or crack on the seamless container.

A lanky, white-haired Mamodo appeared in between him and the barrier in an instant. Minus the mass of hair, he looked like a normal human pre-teen, wearing jeans, sneakers, a white t-shirt, and a dispassionate expression. "It is rude to attack human partners," the lanky kid chastised, though his expression was not disapproving.

Zeno hopped back into mantle-range of Dufort, giving a grin that he didn't quite feel at the moment. "That's a strong barrier," he complemented.

"Me," came the voice of Dufort, and upon the instant Zeno shot his mantle backwards, wrapping it around his human partner.

His eyes tracked the movements, but his body was unable to respond in time as the fist of Clear Note collided with cloth and came to a stop. Zeno then teleported in between his human and his opponent and delivered a kick that was blocked, but whose momentum had not been absorbed.

"And that's a strong mantle," the white-haired Mamodo replied when his backwards skid came to a stop, arms still crossed in front of him.

Zeno's fake grin widened. "Naturally. What's your name?"

"Asking for the name of your opponent without first offering your own is even ruder than attacking human partners."

That should be the other way around, Zeno thought. Attacking human partners is ruder. Even I know that, and I HATE humans. It is the greatest insult of all to cheat your way to victory by going for the easy win.

"I knew your human was in no danger from my attack," Zeno said, mostly honestly. Give the illusion of control. Let him think your mantle countered his attack just as easily as his barrier countered yours. "Just as you knew my human was in no danger from your attack," he lied. He knew Clear had meant to deal a killing blow just then, and it would have connected if not for his mantle and his partner's precaution.

"Hm," the kid shrugged.

Let him know you are strong. "As for my name, does my reputation not precede me?" the Thunder Emperor sneered smugly. "Royalty need not introduce themselves. I have offered no insult by refusing to name myself."

"You are... 'Bell of Lightning'," Clear observed. "Very well. I am Clear Note." The Mamodo nodded slightly, but respectfully. "It is a pleasure to make the acquaintance of such a... powerful competitor. What brings you here?"

Zeno almost hesitated at the question. He did not want to reveal that Ashron had sent him, so he needed a plausible reason for appearing and a plausible reason for continuing the conversation. Dufort said the more they talked the better, and Zeno was still bound to follow his commands for this battle. Thankfully, Clear's history gave him an easy opening gambit.

"I sensed a demon in this direction, and thought I'd investigate," Zeno said, not even technically lying. "And now that you've introduced yourself, a new thought has occurred to me. Before we get to the battle proper, why not turn this into a friendly visit between cousins?"

For the first time since his arrival, Zeno noticed a trace of emotion cross Clear's face. It was neither positive or negative, just simple puzzlement, and it was gone as soon as it had come. "Ah, yes. Cousins. I didn't realize. It's a strange thought. To suddenly remember I'm nephew to the current King of the Demon World, after having forgotten for so long..."

"Forgotten?" Zeno asked, continuing the conversation. "That doesn't seem like the sort of thing one would easily forget."

Clear shrugged, his hands still in his jean pockets. "I've received nothing useful from my family, so I rarely thought about it. Once the situation with my parents came to a clear end, I thought about it even less. I prefer to set my sights on the future, rather than the past."

"Oh? And what are your plans for the future?"

If he didn't want Clear to suspect Ashron's involvement, he needed to prompt Clear into revealing his plans for the King's Privilege. Not to mention he needed to hear it from Clear's own mouth, to be absolutely sure.

"To become King," Clear said simply.

"And then?"

"Do as I will."

Zeno frowned. Any more pressing would make Clear suspicious.

"Shall we begin?" asked Clear. He raised his hand in front of himself.

"You," came the voice of Dufort, and Zeno instantly covered himself with his mantle even as he realized what it meant: Clear could cast spells.

The bubbly, high-pitched voice of a child shouted "Radeese!"

Zeno felt a good chunk of his mantle get eaten away by the first-level attack, which was not at all a good thing. There shouldn't be a single beginner spell capable of piercing the white cloth, but it seemed that annihilation was the exception to that rule. It also seemed like Ashron had lied to him. Clear's human wasn't vocally handicapped.

"Rauzaruk."

The moment the lightning struck Zeno's body, he formulated a plan. Punch Clear out of range of Dufort, Zagurzem the barrier. Rauzaruk would make him stronger than Clear, and he was already faster-

"Ria Uruk!"

Clear's body became encased in a white glow. "I, too, have a body-enhancing spell," his opponent said out loud. "And it seems the saying is true: human see, human do."

"Forehead," came the voice of Dufort, and Zeno's mantle intercepted the punch of a blindingly fast fist, wrapping around it like his fingers might have if the fist had been caught by his palm. Curiously, Clear seemed no stronger than before, meaning that the spell must only enhance his speed.

Zeno saw Clear's eyes flicker to Dufort, so he focused on the strength and speed aspects of Rauzaruk to deliver a punch that sent Clear flying into the air. Zeno then put all of the spell's remaining energy – Dufort hadn't given it much heart power – into boosting his speed and closing the distance between himself and Clear's barrier.

Just as he raised his hand, Rauzaruk faded and Dufort said, "Zagurzem."

The moment the spell left his hand, Zeno instantly teleported back to Dufort's side, just in case Clear tried to exploit his vulnerable human.

But it seemed that Clear was still sailing through the air, though he was almost back on the ground again. When he landed, he used the last of his own body enhancement spell to flicker to his own human's side.

He inspected the glowing, sparking barrier without expression. "Interesting," he said. Then he raised a hand and pointed it at the barrier. "Vino, say 'Superifo'."

"Superibo!"

"No, 'Superifo'."

"Superido!"

"Superifo."

The child named Vino giggled, then shouted, "Superifo!"

A wave of something that wasn't annihilation hit the barrier, and the glow of Zagurzem disappeared, though the barrier remained in place.

Without needing to be told to 'retreat', Zeno instantly wrapped Dufort in his mantle and teleported as far away as he possibly could in a single jump. The moment he reappeared, he suppressed his aura and began preparing for another jump.

"Do you think he'll follow?" Zeno asked his human.

"He can't teleport," Dufort said mildly. "With his speed spell, he could get here in about a minute, but his human wouldn't come with him."

Zeno sighed in relief.

Then the anger set in.

"Ashron lied," he spat, his fists clenched. "Ashron said he couldn't cast spells!"

"Clear is probably instructing his human on how to pronounce them," Dufort said. "I doubt he'll make any moves until Vino can cast spells reliably. Ashron didn't lie, he just didn't know Clear's human would become able to speak so quickly since their first encounter. He was telling the truth as he knew it. He was misinformed."

Anybody who didn't know the Thunder Emperor might be surprised just how quickly Zeno could update his state of mind so that it accurately reflected reality. "Ashron was... telling the truth..." Zeno repeated, his eyes going distant.

So it's true, he thought. It's all true. I may not have heard it directly from the Demon's mouth, but all the other details provided by Ashron have matched. And just to be sure...

"What do you think, Dufort?" he asked his human who, Zeno was beginning to realize, might not be full of it. "Does Clear intend to destroy the world?"

"Oh, absolutely," Dufort said instantly. Then, he amended, "Well, the demon world. The human world... he needs to keep Vino alive in order to win, and he can't survive in outer space. But if the opportunity to erase Earth from existence presents itself to Clear consequence-free at, say, the end of the 100-Mamodo battle, he would not hesitate."

Now, Zeno wasn't exactly what most would call a 'good person'; in fact, many would call him downright evil, and Zeno himself was well aware of this fact. But even he wasn't that evil. If Zeno ever formed a similar intention to destroy a world, it would be out of malice, spite, or expediency, not a whim. Zeno might hate his world, and certain demons therein, but at least he cared about it enough to hate it.

The Thunder Emperor shuddered at the idea of erasing an entire world on a whim. Annihilating a world without cause would require something beyond evil. It would take complete and utter... nothingness.

"The only thing he respects is power," Dufort added, "even if it's not his own. He refrained from attacking me after he figured out your identity because he actually respects you. We should be able to use that to our advantage." Then, he asked casually, "By the way, how did his parents die?"

Zeno paused, searching his memory. But even after he found the answer, he realized something. "I never said they died."

"You did not," Dufort agreed with a slight grin. "Nor did Clear. Was it mysterious circumstances?"

Zeno froze. It had been mysterious circumstances. Nobody knew how his uncle or the Gravity mistress had died. They just... had. "How did you know that?"

"Because it's obvious to my 'answer talker' that Clear killed them, or arranged for them to die. If your world is anything like ours, he had to avoid recriminations somehow. Thus, mysterious circumstances. He even subtly bragged about doing it."

Zeno searched his memory again.

"-once the situation with my parents came to a CLEAR end."

A shiver went down Zeno's spine, and he knew then that Clear had to be stopped. This was a monster without any potential whatsoever for redemption.

"He's rather proud of himself for pulling it off," Dufort remarked.

"What would it take to stop him?"

"Help," Dufort answered simply.

"Excuse me?" Zeno said, not quite in a sassing manner. "Did you just say we would need 'help' to defeat him?"

In a very flat voice, Dufort said, "Yes." Then, in a lecturing tone, "He is already vastly stronger than you. You felt the strength of his weakest spell as it devoured part of your mantle. His defensive spell 'Superifo' does not block attacks, it nullifies them – even non-damaging ones. Like you, he knows the names of his spells before the book allows them to be unlocked. Like I, he knows the effects of his spells before he uses them. If not for the handicap of his human's age, he would be well on his way to victory this very moment. If we want to defeat him, we need strong allies."

Once again, he felt like cursing his human. Zeno Bell was the Thunder Emperor, curse it! He was trained from birth to win this competition! His body has been strengthened to its maximum potential. His spells were more powerful than any other competitor's spells should have been. His mind had been sharpened to have perfect recall and excellent learning speed.

And none of it seemed to matter against Clear Note.

The worst part of it all was that he knew his human was right, he just didn't want to admit it.

"You've already removed 'baou' from the equation," continued Dufort. "Based on what you told me of the spell, we might have been able to beat Clear without aid if you had it." Once again, Zeno cursed his worthless brother for being born. "Given that you don't have it, we'll be needing allies."

"You expect me to go around begging my enemies for help?"

"No. I expect you to go around explaining the threat of Clear Note and burning the books of those who refuse to join you, or who don't believe you, or who otherwise annoy you."

Zeno hadn't even thought of that course of action yet. His mind was still rejecting the thought of forming any sort of truce in this competition. But the moment Dufort said it, Zeno realized it sounded exactly like something he would do, if he was open to the idea. And now, Zeno was trying to think of something else he would do, just to spite his human and prove him wrong.

"No," Zeno said at last. "I wouldn't burn their books. I'd steal them and hide them away, then let the worthless trash die at Clear's hands when he starts using his sensing abilities to hunt down the competition. That sounds like more fun."

"And more effort," Dufort said with a shrug. "But the end result is mostly the same. So?"

Zeno spent a long moment in silence.

"Fine," he said finally. Then, as if the words themselves were torture, he gritted out, "We'll... get... help."

"But first," Dufort said, "we'll get something to eat."

...

He was getting hungry.

Zeno hated his partner.