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Normally, one would expect an Empire that is more of a farming village to be weak and its ruler just as much. In most cases, one would be correct.
Smallholding is not one of those cases, apparently.
He'd started out with the usual tactics in his arsenal, trying to get a reaction out of the ruler with jumpscares and threats, but when that didn't work he'd resorted to casting negative effect spells, teleporting her, and even summoned monsters of various threat levels. Literally nothing seemed to be invoking fear. Panic maybe, when he got vexes involved, but not fear.
The girl simply flew around on artificial wings when in the air, grinned as she countered disadvantages, and giggled as she slew monster after monster. It was confusing and borderline frustrating to see a mortal act so nonchalant in his presence; even the idiot king of Mythland and the disturbingly-flirtatious parrot hybrid had shown fear in some way or another at first.
"You are an interesting one." he began, his voice emotionless "Most of the other mortals are scared of me...yet you stand here, defiant and unafraid."
Pearl simply laughed, a sly grin crossing her face "Well, your first mistake was assuming I was mortal."
A flash of bright light filled the area, blinding Xornoth briefly and causing him to let out a pained hiss from the blinding white. When it faded, he was no longer looking at a mere ruler with an affinity for farming.
The illusion of such an individual was gone. Pearl now wore regalia of white, magenta, and purple; actual wings were nestled on her back instead of elytra and her eyes now hidden by a polished endstone mask with a peculiar symbol in the center.
Instinctively, Xornoth used a holding spell on her, only for Pearl to dispel it with a flick of her wrist, a luminescent sword appearing in her other hand as she took to the air and dove at him in retaliation, the blade tearing a gash in his arm as it made contact, spilling ink black blood to the floor.
"What is this?!" he demanded, casting a blindness spell in hopes to disorient his opponent enough to avoid another strike from her.
Pain erupted from his back as once more the sword sliced through his corporeal form, sending him to the ground to try and recover, "How?!" he snarled in question.
"You aren't the only one that can see all. I can too, even in darkness."
A wave of magic sent him flying, Xornoth hitting the side of a hill. Pearl charged him again and he barely managed to teleport away before her weapon hit the place he'd been just moments ago.
The demon put a shield up around himself to guard against her next strike. It was successful, but Xornoth could feel himself tiring. The sound of shattering was not ignored as his protective barrier broke, but he was too late to try and escape the blade that sliced across his chest, staining the dirt with even more ebony liquid as he fell to his knees.
"Xornoth, Xornoth, Xornoth." Pearl chided as she landed before him, "You honestly thought that a demon is more powerful than a Watcher?"
She met his gaze, the grin on her face only widening, "I could kill you now and we could be done with all of your nonsense, but my orders are to watch and protect this world. Your death is not to be by my hand, but you already know that bit, don't you?"
Xornoth's eyes narrowed, he had not been expecting interference from the Gods, that was why he corrupted the giant flowers in the Overgrown that radiated with powerful magic only wielded by those borne of the Void itself, to keep their gaze away while he did as he pleased, while he fulfilled a prophecy.
"Take this defeat as a warning, Xornoth. You have no power here; now begone."
With a menacing hiss the demon teleported away, the skies above becoming bright as the storm he'd brought with him died down. Once the sun was visible again, Pearl put her illusion back up, once more the carefree ruler of Smallholding...
...not the Watcher demigod that even demons feared.