Annan opened his eyes. The twisted, fiery red had given way to a blue sky and concerned faces.
"I'm fine..."
Annan let out a breath and sat up. He was still in the street.
Besides the Skeleton King and Commander Big Litt, Lilith and Mr. Swaro had rushed over too.
When Mr. Swaro saw Annan looking at him, he snorted and flicked his Mage Robe. Then he collapsed like a patch of Black Mist and vanished.
Annan broke into a grin that looked a little silly to everyone else.
Lilith glanced at the Visitor Badge in Annan's hand. It was the culprit.
"I'll go find him."
"No need. It isn't Girardi's fault," Annan said, stopping her.
Girardi might not even know what had happened.
The Demon Lord had used Demon Blood to influence Girardi and lure Annan into a trap.
Demon Blood...
Annan realized his neighbor had been a hidden threat all along.
He could hide himself with the Otherworld Tree, but Girardi next door could not. Girardi would remain in the Demon Lord's sights, and neither his descendants nor their descendants would escape.
Through Girardi, the Demon Lord could reach into the Main Plane at any time and attack Annan again.
Annan regretted showing off at the end. If he had left the Magic Stone behind and said a few flattering words, maybe there would still have been room to talk next time they met...
Annan returned to the Mage Tower with Lilith, then went to the Embassy for a thorough examination. He had no intention of letting the Reeves end up like the Montablin Rock Family.
Fortunately, everyone had arrived in time. Or perhaps dragging Annan into a nightmare was the most the Demon Lord could do. Either way, Annan showed no trace of contact with a Demon.