The Guardian Chef

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***(Atia's POV)***

The situation has taken a strange and unexpected turn.

Now, let’s recap what happened: I came back from Camrac's academy after not seeing my family for three years, I also met my big sister Bassilla who was very ill until recently, during the evening a despicable individual who had annoyed me, Cordelia and Bassilla turned into a monster, the hero and his wives attacked him, we fled to here where we were completely paralyzed by the pollen released by a Tranceplant and were at the mercy of a demon intent on taking away both me and my sisters when thundered a furious voice, a bolt of lightning fell on the Tranceplant charred it, the pollen was swept away by the cold wind that followed and a dark-haired boy with golden eyes, intervened forcing the demon to retreat. After a brief conversation between the two, a portal opened and a beautiful woman emerged whose blonde hair became white as snow and horns appeared on her head, proving she too was a demon...

Aaaargh! I don't understand anything anymore! Who is that?! How is it that another demon has been added?! The Demon Queen? Are those two married?! I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING A BLASTED THING!

"It can not be!" my father intervened attracting everyone's attention “The Demon Queen?! Your wife?!"

The way my dad addresses that guy is incredibly polite!

“Ara! That’s right! I didn’t introduce myself properly last time."

That said, the female demon moved slightly away from the boy who did not take his eyes off the other demon... What was it called? Ah yes... Arzined. Taking the edges of her skirt, she made an elegant bow

"Nice to meet you. I am Lilith Stilno, ex-Demon Queen defeated by your hero Jack Lingxin and wife of Graeval."

"""""""............"""""""

"Hm? I said someth-"

"""""""HUUUUUUUUUUUH?!!""""""" we all exclaimed in chorus, including Arzined... I think.

Along with that exclamation, that heavy and serious atmosphere seemed to have lightened

"I-I don't believe it..."

"The Demon Lor- no, the Demon Queen is still alive?!"

"And what's more she is married to Graeval?!"

"...This must be a dream..."

“Bassilla...?! Buck up!"

“WHAT’S ALL THIS MESS?! WHAT IS HAPPENING?! I DO NOT UNDERSTAND ANYTHING ANYMORE!!" I yelled desperately and attracting everyone's attention "CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS NOT HERE?!"

"Ara ara ufufufu!" Lilith exclaimed amused "It seems that the reaction is a little more exaggerated than that of Jack and his wives."

"What do you expect Lilith." sighed the man... Graeval "It's certainly not something that happens every day."

"Fufufu... you are not wrong."

In all the stories the religious have told me, the entity known as the Demon Lord was always described as the representation of evil and the incarnation of destruction, a monstrous being with numerous horns, a wild face, bat wings, and claws; an entity that needed to be defeated at all costs so that the inhabitants of this world could live a life free from fear.

The Demon Queen Lilith Stilno, who had been recognized by the demon Arzined however, was very different from those descriptions: a little taller than average women, she seemed to be between twenty and thirty years old with long white hair, slightly pointed ears, red eyes, and delicate features. Her body is so well proportioned that it can be defined as perfect, and her movements are extremely elegant... no, it seemed the representation of elegance... I don't know what to believe anymore...

"I understand your confusion..." she said turning to return to her husband’s side "but the questions will be asked after we settle the bill with my former subordinate. All right?" she asked winking

With that simple action I did not feel in the mood to ask her any questions indeed... strangely I found it cute when she winked.

“Ha… haha… hahaha! HAHAHAHA!"

"What’s funny, Arzined?" asked Lilith

“This... hahah! What the Demon Qu- hahaha! The wife of a human being?! Of a flea?! Hahahaha! This is a story! Hahaha!"

"Arzined~... how did you just define my husband?"

The atmosphere had become heavy again... no, if the room had an instrument to measure the temperature, I’m sure that at this time would be many tens of degrees below zero.

The proof of this was that after that question, Arzined could no longer laugh, on the contrary, it seemed to me that sweat had started running down his face.

"My lady... a joke is funny when it doesn't last long..."

"I'm very serious..." Lilith stated "My beloved Graeval and I have been married for over a year now."

“Oh dear me. It looks like I'm going to have to seriously retrain you little Li-!"

*Kaboom*

"Gah!!"

"What the fuck are you going to do to my wife?!"

But how...?! I haven't seen it. Just a moment ago he was right next to the garden table and in the blink of an eye, he had covered the distance that separated him from the demon hitting him in the stomach, generating enough wind to bend the young shrubs behind him.

Without giving him time to touch the ground, he took Arzined to his shoulder and hit him with a right punch so powerful that I’m sure I saw blood and teeth coming out of the demon’s mouth, making him crawl to the ground for at least another meter.

I don't know how, but Arzined was still conscious and when he sat up, he touched his cheek deformed by Graeval's fist. In addition to the grimace of pain, his eyes, already wide with surprise, were fixed on a spot where there was a stain of his blood.

“Ah… AHH! AHH! MY BEAUTIFUL FACE!! MY PERFECT TEETH!"

"And this wanker was one of your suitors, Lilith?"

"...The mere fact that you remind me of it not only embarrasses me, but I even feel insulted."

"...Sorry."

"Do not worry. Yours was a legitimate comment."

As they made that trade, Arzined was desperately drinking another soothing potion so he could heal. Smoke appeared on his face and his cheek was restored to the way it was before he was hit.

His expression was furious but suddenly changed to terror: Graeval was in front of him and was approaching again very calmly, releasing the same suffocating murderous aura as when he had just arrived.

"Don’t believe for a second that this is over." he said, cracking his fingers

“Hiii! H-help! Help me!" he backed away in terror

"I'm really curious to know who-?!"

"GRAAA!!"

"Kuh?!!"

From the shadows, a huge clawed paw appeared that with a sweep hit Graeval making him fly to the side and ending up against a group of vases that was a few meters away creating a cloud of dust.

"GRAEVAL!" Bassilla yelled desperately

From behind the shadows, an enormous humanoid-looking creature 3 mt. high came forward. The body had a skeletal structure, so much so that on the chest you could see perfectly the ribs, on which developed a protective superficial bone structure. All the paws end with robust claws and the back was covered by fur similar to the tentacles that continuously twirl as if they had their own life. The face looked like that of a grotesque wolf surmounted by two huge stages reminiscent of those of the deer. But the most impressive thing is the huge left arm, almost as big as its entire body; this is completely covered by the same tentacles present on the back and the claws are even bigger than those present on the other limbs. His roar looks like the desperate scream of an animal being slit

"Fuu! I didn't think I should have used even my strongest puppy." Arzined said, composing himself "Anyway, to be your husband, you don't seem so worried about him~."

“…Do you think, that something like that is enough to kill him? Isn't it true... my love?"

*Cling* *Clang*

"Of course not. But I admit I feel it. Kuh!"

Graeval stepped out of that shattered place while holding his right arm which was pointing in a completely different direction than it should normally be. As he approached, I saw him grind his teeth as he put his arm back in the correct position

“Ah! GAAAH!! Ha~ ha~” he exhaled breathlessly

"Graeval!" Bassilla called him again

"I'm fine. Ha~ ha~...” he replied in a voice that hid notes of pain “This beast took me by surprise. Well... it won't happen a second time."

"GRAAAA-!!" *BAAM* "CAI~!" "

As it seemed to be making an intimidating roar, Graeval was already one step away from the beast and struck him with a left that pierced that exoskeleton. The blood of the beast seemed to run all along the man’s arm and then settle on his wounded arm but suddenly, that horrible wound healed immediately.

The magical beast tried to crush him as is usually done with mosquitoes, but Graeval blocked the action by protecting himself with both forearms and generating a thunderous clang.

"Burn asshole!"

“GRAAAAA~!"

Graeval had taken a deep breath and when he exhaled, the beast was flooded with flames. The magic beast wounded and frightened because of the fire rolled back to the ground trying to extinguish that fire and when it finally died, the beast had burns on the whole body and the smell of burnt flesh was very strong.

"Tsk. Looks like the asshole will be a tough nut to crack."

Not understanding what he meant, I shifted my gaze again to the magical beast. The burns are healing?!

"It is no coincidence that I said he is my strongest puppy~"

"That's a Mornfiend, Graeval." Lilith began keeping an eye on Arzined “A magical beast from the island of Bexita. Its rapid regeneration is a very annoying feature. I too would have problems against it."

"I see." he stated

Graeval moved to Lilith's side and whispered something in her ear that made her smile... a scary smile.

***(Lilith's POV)***

"Hurt him from me too." he whispered in my ear and then kissed me on the cheek

"I won't hold back~"

Receiving my answer, he smiled softly, pulled up his hood, and put on the mask. Why hasn't he done it before? Well, the royal family knows his true identity so it wasn't a problem, even if I only now notice one more girl... oh well if she's here it means she's a royal too. Anyway, the reason he's hiding his face now... is because he's taking the Mornfiend for a... 'walk'.

"Now..." he began creaking his neck and turning to the Mornfiend now completely recovered from his wounds "I have a lot of pent-up anger... make sure you don't die too quickly."

Disappearing again because of the high speed of his movement, I felt the magic beast roar again with pain followed by the sound of a destroyed window and a few seconds after the sound of a collapsing wall.

Now, my focus is all on this disgusting demonic garbage

"I admit the flea has guts~" Arzined said staring at the spot where my husband disappeared "Are you sure it's wise to leave him alone with my puppy, little Lilith~?"

“Are you sure you have time to worry about my husband? [Hellfire]"

Without waiting for his response, I immediately cast a spell and dark red almost black flames appeared in front of me, flooding everything in front of me.

“?! [Flood Bane]"

Arzined replied with a water spell that colliding with my flames it evaporated, generating a mist that temporarily blocked my view

"[Hedgehog]" I said

The earth shook and the fog immediately shifted, leaving room for a forest of stalagmites that covered a vast area. However, Arzined was not there. I looked around, but when I did not see him I turned to the place where the royal family as if he had used the opportunity to complete what he had come to do and leave. But I was wrong.

I heard a hiss from my left and instinct told me to move. When I did, I saw a whip hit where I was.

"[Air Cannon]"

A projectile of air as big as me hit in the direction from which the whip came and Arzined appeared while he was intent on dodging the blow. I think that’s enough heating warm-up.

"[Dark Chain]"

The earth shook slightly around the spot where Arzined landed and black chains appeared locking him in place.

"[Wind Scythe] [Fire Lance] [Water Blade]"

“Kuh! [Earth Wall]"

Without giving him time to recover, I cast some low-level elemental spells. But he seems to have recovered rather quickly and so he too responded with a simple low-level spell to protect himself from those attacks.

“Tch! These chains are annoying." Arzined struggled angrily

[Dark Chain] is a medium-level dark spell that prevents the opponent from moving. He forgot that to get rid of it, all he has to do is emanate a greater amount of mana than the one used to cast the spell... And to say that I didn’t put too much mana into it. Even a low-level magician could break them... he should know this simple method to get rid of the spell... right?

I sighed and as Arzined struggled to free himself from the spell, I approached one of the royal guards who were paralyzed on the ground.

"Can I borrow it?" I asked him smiling

I showed the soldier the sword he held by his side still in its sheath. At first, he looked worried but then he nodded.

"Thank you~" I turned again to Arzined but I saw that he was still there chained

“Kuh! Why can't I free myself?!"

"Good heavens, if you don’t get it, then you’re a hopeless case." After all, it’s the basics that every well-respected demon is taught... oh, it’s true. He’s not a respectable demon.

Sighing again, I approached Arzined calmly and tied the hilt to the scabbard so that it could not be unsheathed. When I was in front of him I waved a little to make sure that the knot was well done and noticing that the sword remained secure inside the scabbard, I smiled pleased. When I turned my gaze on him, I saw that his eyes were hiding doubt and fear.

"Wh-what did you-" *Thud!* *Crack!* "Gah!"

I didn’t give him time to finish, that I struck him on the face with the sword. Umu, umu... what a satisfying sound. I thought when I heard the sound of Arzined’s bones breaking because of the blow. From that thought, I resumed hitting him repeatedly and always on the face. He’d howl like a whipped dog and though he begged me to stop hitting him, I’d just keep on while humming. If I knew it was that satisfying, I would have done it a long time ago.

When his face no longer looked like a face from the moment I hit him, I searched his pockets and took another of his soothing potions, throwing it in his face. With white smoke, the bruises began to regenerate, but at a rather slow pace. I wanted to get back to hitting him in the face as soon as possible, but even the soothing potion has some trouble healing him quickly given how long it's taking. Shrugging, I walked over to the garden table, where the royal family was still sitting due to the paralysis caused by the Tranceplant.

Hm? how did I figure it out? Well, among the various potions that Arzined carried with him, there was a particular yellow one and since it is a subject that I studied when I was still Mistress of the Demons, I know very well that that particular potion is a very powerful and expensive anti-paralysis, usually used on those who have suffered the effects of that magical beast.

Opening the bottle, I approached King Edward

"I’m sorry to keep you waiting so long, but if you drink this now, you’ll get a chance to move again."

"Huh?"

"Excuse me."

I took him by the cheeks and forced him to open his lips and poured a small part of the contents of the bottle, but it seems that a bit went sideways since shortly after he began to cough.

“Cough cough! Couldn't you have been a little nicer?"

“Ara! I beg your pardon, but it seems that I am still the prey of my personal feelings~."

"...... *Sigh* I apologize." the King said with a sigh

I know I shouldn't be angry with him directly.

Before the start of the hostilities, King Edward tried a diplomatic approach with my kingdom also because Thirus, despite being a human kingdom, is very tolerant towards other races and even before the foundation of Deshatia its inhabitants, albeit rare, were very open to us demons. At first, I believed that we could ally with them also because no man or woman does not know our strength, while with trade agreements would have brought particular raw materials peculiar of the peninsula on which my kingdom stood, and we could have counted on the import of food goods given the confirmation of our territory that does not give much space to agriculture.

In the end, the war has broken out and I can't blame him if he preferred the survival of his kingdom and loved ones. After all, if he had sided with us or not sided at all, I doubt the anti-demon alliance would have stopped only with our destruction.

I sighed and once closed the bottle, I leaned it in front of him

"This is the only bottle I found on him and it’s considered a single dose. It’s going to take a while before you can move again. When you succeed, give the anti-paralysis to others as well. You will most likely be able to treat four other people with this dose."

"...Thanks."

"You're welcome."

I turned and started to go back in front of Arzined to resume the beating since his face was now completely healed.

"Lady Stilno!" Cordelia called me

"Tell me... Lady Cordelia."

"Why do you do it...?"

"Why don’t I collect the blood tribute you owe me, and I’m helping you instead?" I bet that’s the question she wants to ask me.

“As I said before, when I'm done with him you can ask me anything you want. Be patient until then."

Suddenly, I heard a series of thunder and explosions coming from outside this greenhouse. When I turned in the direction of the explosions, I saw that the clouds that Graeval had gathered had concentrated in a particular spot and a shower of lightning was falling. Graeval has decided to stop playing~

"Looks like your Mornfiend forced my husband to get serious~"

"Why did you do that Lilith?!" Arzined began looking at me angrily "WHY DO YOU TAKE THE SIDE OF THESE WORMS THAT HAVE ASSAULTED OUR KINGDOM?! HOW CAN YOU TURN YOUR FANGS AGAINST YOUR KIN?!"

.........What did he just say?!

"Hmm~ I think you misunderstood something." I began by placing my hand on my cheek “I did not take sides with humans. I’m simply handing out severe punishment to an idiot who has ruined my long-awaited honeymoon."

"WHA-?!"

"Also..." I interrupted him by grabbing him by the throat "Who the fuck said that I consider you as a member of the demonic line?!"

"GAH!"

Releasing all my murderous intent, I hit him again on the cheek with the pommel of my sword, and soon after I felt the jawbones break, his face kissed the ground. He started to raise his face, but I forced him to stay down by putting my foot on his head

“To hear you say such a thing I find it despicable… no, I feel like you have insulted and defiled our race by considering yourself even for a moment a demon. A disgusting coward like you I can't even consider him a living being... I can’t even tell you that you’re excrement because I’m sure even they’d be offended."

Taking the foot off his head, he lifted his face and seemed intent on saying something but I hit him in the chin with a kick which, due to the blow, ended up biting his tongue cutting a piece, and making him take a flight, and then ended with his back to the ground.

"I didn't give you permission to speak." I said, punching him in the stomach and creating a small crater in the pavement

"KHEEEEH!" he exhaled in pain

I felt something warm touch my cheek. When I touched that spot with my hand and looked at it, I saw that it was a mixture of saliva and blood. Son of...! Turning my gaze back to Arzined, I felt my facial muscles twitch with the growing anger inside me. Abandoning myself to it, I resumed hitting him in the face, both with the sword in the sheath and with my fists.

I hit him,  and hit him, and kept hitting him until his face was no longer a face for the second time. Throwing the sword to the side, I took him by the dark chains that bound him and raised him to my eye level

"You are a delusion as a demon." I said, ruminating in his pockets again

He was conscious and his eyes looked at me terrified and at the same time resentful. From his pocket, I took a handkerchief and what looks like his last soothing potion. Uncorking it, I made him swallow some and the rest I threw it in his face, which again began to emanate that white smoke. I pushed him away from me by hitting him with another punch that made him fly a few meters.

In addition to that mixed-blood saliva from before, now there was also more blood deposited due to the last punch. I felt disgusted and the mere knowledge that it was his blood, gave me the impression of having put my hand in the sewage of some sewer. I wipe my hand with that handkerchief I took

"How disgusting. [Fire Ball]" I said, burning the handkerchief I had just wiped with "Just touching you makes me feel violated by how disgusting you make me feel."

"Hi- hiiii!!!" Arzined yelled as he retreated in fear "D-don't get close!!"

"Why not?" I asked picking up again the sword now smeared with his blood “We are only at the preliminaries of your punishment. I assure you that I will inflict tortures on you, far worse than those you inflicted on other women and above all... on your sister!"

Perhaps out of desperation, Arzined released more mana around his body by breaking the dark chains. And immediately he tried to run away in the opposite direction to mine

"[Golem's Hand]"

As I chanted that spell, a giant hand made of earth materialized in front of Arzined, and hit him making him fly towards me. Grasping the sword with both hands, I swung it horizontally hitting my opponent in the back and sending him flying in front of me again. I'm sure I heard a loud crack coming from his back.

“M-MY LEGS! I DON'T FEEL MY LEGS!!"

"Do you know how much I fucking care? [Ice Rain]"

Many small ice darts formed over that worm and penetrated its flesh all along its back

"GYAAAA!!"

Then, I hit him with all sorts of spells and also hit him with the sword I borrowed, over and over again. The more I hit him, the more it felt like it wasn't painful enough. I went on and gave up on my anger, my frustration, my resentment... all my negative feelings were poured out on that monster with joy.

I don't know how long it had passed, but there was nothing left in front of me but the deformed body of the demon called Arzined Voxnar. Nothing was left of his beautiful facial features as his face was covered in burns, open wounds, and bruises, not to add the fact that he had only four teeth left. His body was bent burned and blackened by fire, burned and purple for the ice, with his arms pointing in directions they shouldn't have been, his legs were perhaps the only thing in better shape since, as he said, he didn't felt them anymore.

"Enouf... I bef you... enouf... not... you..."

"Won’t you look for me anymore? Won’t you cause any more problems?" I asked him, looking at him with disgust, "I don’t believe it. Besides, why should I feel sorry for you?"

*Bonk!* *Crack!*

"GYAAAAA!"

Putting all my weight into it, I mercilessly crushed the most delicate and important part of a man, and judging by what I felt through the sole, I realized that I had blown them up while his half-closed eyes burst open and out of his mouth came white frothy foam mixed with blood.

"Enough... I’m sick of it." I said throwing the sword whose case was now covered with blood, skin, and who knows what other part of the body of this living dead "Combined spell [Brazen Bull]"

As soon as I invoked the spell, Arzined was enveloped in what appear to be metallic shapes from the ground that slowly took on the shape of a bull.

"If there is a world after death, I hope they inflict far worse torture upon you."

Slowly from the dark metallic color that it was, the bull began to become redder and redder until it became incandescent. It seemed like the bull was mooing and each time that sound just got louder, but I knew it was just Arzined’s screams of pain.

*****

Flashback

"Graeval..." I called him getting up and wiping my tears "I have a request for you..."

"Huh? Tell me?"

"I want to be the one to punish and kill Arzined."

When I made that request, at first his face showed some surprise but soon after, my husband nodded and smiled.

*****

Alright. Arzined Voxnar will no longer bother us. I turned to where I could hear the explosions caused by the fight between my husband and the Mornfiend. Take all the time you want, my love. I will wait for you here.

After that, though I turned around leaving behind the metal bull that no longer generated any sound and I approached the garden table where the members of the royal family had 'accommodated'. I noticed that the King was following my instructions as he was giving his grandson the last drop of anti-paralysis.

When I approached them, in their expressions there was a mixture of fear and joy. Fear because they probably believe that I will do something to them and joy because I put an end to the life of that disgusting abomination. Instead, the little Acrisio looked at me with eyes full of admiration and with red cheeks. Fufufufu. How cute.

I took a chair and sat at the table with them

"Alright." I started sitting down and smiling "Since that nuisance is dead and I have to wait for my husband to finish with the Mornfiend, how about spending some time chatting?"