Revenge (5)

To use oneself as bait to lure the Demon Sovereign may sound like an insane act, and it was indeed a reckless deed worthy of a head-butt.

Luring tactics have been occasionally employed, from the chessboard to the battlefield, but few are suicidal enough to want to become the sacrificial pawn themselves.

Originally, this is an extreme method only used in life-or-death situations, like how a rabbit suffering from liver enlargement boldly lured the Aztec human-sacrificing dragon and turtle.

But I trusted Freugne.

I had faith that she would not recklessly do this without reason, and it did prove effective in the end.

Admittedly, things were proceeding more smoothly than I had initially envisioned.

We had quickly obtained clues against an enemy whose face we did not even know.

“Could that be the Demon Sovereign?”

“We’ll have to go find out now.”

It might not be the Demon Sovereign himself, but merely a subordinate.

Still, the fact that he was tampering with people’s minds confirmed he was a Demon at the very least.

And upon closer observation, it seemed more plausible that he was a powerful Demon recently arrived from outside, rather than an individual Demon spy who had been hiding in Londinium, where the Demon presence had been eradicated.

“Such a level of magic means he’s no ordinary low-ranking Demon we’ve encountered so far.”

“No, he has actually surpassed that level. He cast the spell without even direct contact.”

None of the so-called Demon spies we had apprehended so far possessed magical abilities potent enough to subjugate minds so instantaneously.

They had always relied on charms or physical contact to cast their spells, resorting to some form of trick.

As I saw Freugne hastening her steps with slightly more rigid movements than before, someone was also seen following behind her.

Sif followed my gaze and quickly nodded in realization of who it was.

“Let’s tail them.”

“Yes.”

After Freugne abruptly entered a narrow alley, the elderly man in the tattered, oversized hat followed behind.

We lingered at the entrance for a moment, keeping a suitable distance to avoid detection while still keeping his back in sight.

I gradually advanced from the bustling center of Londinium, enlivened by the festival, towards the outskirts.

The further we went, the fewer people there were, and the laughter and chatter grew softer. The music that had drifted from afar was no longer audible.

Freugne’s steps halted around noon.

“He’s entering a building. Should we intervene now?”

“No, not yet. We should wait for him to let his guard down further. And check if there are any other enemies nearby.”

The elderly man, whether the Demon Sovereign or not, was still on high alert, scanning his surroundings.

Across an empty lot overgrown with knee-high grass stood a dilapidated factory.

The windows were all shattered, and the chimneys that must have once reached for the sky lay crumbled and scattered around.

For a long while, no other signs of life could be detected besides the two of them.

“Judging from the fact that no one else has shown up… it seems he’s alone?”

“Yes.”

It appeared to have been at least 10 years since any human touch had last graced this place, apart from the occasional homeless vagrant.

And seemingly convinced that no one would come here, the elderly man finally scanned the area one last time before retrieving a chair from the nearby debris to sit down.

“Come here.”

“……”

At his beckoning gesture, Freugne approached with a dazed expression and stood before him.

At the same moment, I was crouched outside the window.

Reaching into my chest, my hand gripped the cool metal handle.

It was a gun I had modified to reduce noise and increase power. My masterpiece, perfected through repeated firings and feedback against Demons.

Hopefully, this would be the last time I would have to rely on it.

After confirming the bullets were properly loaded, I muttered softly:

“What should I do now……”

“Hmm……”

“Should I aim for the head?”

“Then should I use magic too? It would be better to finish him off for sure.”

“Would it be possible to snipe him from a distance?”

“Yes. The surroundings might light up a bit, but by the time he turns around, the magic will have struck directly. In my experience, that’s how it’s always been with other Demons……”

As an experienced Demon hunter, she knew what magic to use and where to attack to elicit agonizing screams.

But… this was the Demon Sovereign, was it not? There was a chance it was not him, but it was treated as a given.

And considering his reputation, while he had been helplessly tracked this far, he likely had some hidden trump card up his sleeve.

‘I need to incapacitate him in one blow.’

With his body tightly wrapped in clothing and a hat, only part of his face and bony hands were visible, but that wrinkled visage provided a minimum estimate.

Fortunately, his outward appearance looked quite aged. Even Demons were not immortal beings, so it was only natural for their bodies to weaken with age, in accordance with the laws of nature.

While his magical abilities were unknown, his physical specs could be assumed to be below those of the Demons who had invaded the city previously.

Nod.

I signaled her and placed my finger on the trigger. Sif also raised her hand slightly.

Taking care not to accidentally hit Freugne by aiming away from her trajectory, I checked one last time to ensure we had not been detected.

And three, two.

“One.”

“Here we go.”

Fwoosh, as flames burst from Sif’s fingertips, the Demon turned his head.

My reflection appeared in those crimson eyes, the emotion within shifting from puzzlement to shock.

And it seemed he was trying to conjure something at his fingertips, forming a small glow, but.

-Ping!

-Kwaaaaaah!!

There’s a reason why the ambush, cowardly as it may be, has long been a beloved tactic.

Losing his balance from the first bullet that struck his thigh, the Demon staggered before being instantly engulfed in flames, with no chance to evade or retaliate.

There was no scream. Only the sound of rolling pebbles and a slight breeze remained within the factory.

The last I saw, the distance between the Demon and Freugne was considerable, and since I did not feel much heat, Freugne should be safe as well.

I held my breath for a moment, observing for any changes.

“That should be the end of it… It was easier than I thought.”

“Hm?”

“Then let’s quickly take Freugne and return!”

Sif rose, brushing the grass off her clothes. With a slight stretch, she reached out her hand toward me, as if to help me up.

And at that moment.

“…Sif?”

“Yes.”

A chilling sensation crawled up my spine.

I immediately realized the source of that unsettling feeling.

“No way.”

“Ahah.”

One, an experienced hunter like her should not have let her guard down until confirming the mission was complete.

Two, contrary to her usually timid yet thorough personality, she was now grinning cheerfully like Freugne.

And lastly, despite the dust having not even settled yet, she was declaring the situation over as if fully aware of what lay beyond.

“You are…”

“You know, don’t you?”

The consciousness of someone inexperienced in such battles was overlapping with hers.

Even before my reason could logically list out the evidence, my instincts had already sounded the alarm.

---

The position of Demon Sovereign was not obtained through mere gambling.

It was a position imbued with decades, even centuries of buildup, underhanded dealings, and all sorts of sordid know-how.

‘I will take Freugne’s body.’

He had arrived at this conclusion not because he secretly harbored some lewd desire or had a sexual fantasy for TS erotica, but for more pragmatic reasons.

Freugne was still young.

Unless she lived a depraved life of daily binge drinking and drug abuse, she could live at least another half century.

Perhaps even longer, like those of the mage folk, potentially reaching a full hundred years.

Either way, it was too long a time. By then, he doubted any of the Demon race he knew would still remain.

And within that lengthy span, there was a chance they might clash again at some point, and she might once more disrupt his plans. No, judging from her track record, it was practically guaranteed.

Edan had also been a candidate for a new body, but he had formed too many social connections.

Not only was he a central figure in Matap, but he even held a position in the government, did he not? While he would be ideal for exerting influence in the open, experiencing human society for the first time meant he was likely to stumble eventually.

In that sense, Freugne lacked such drawbacks.

She had almost no social ties, yet wielded virtually unlimited influence, directly and indirectly through her organization. Passing her over would have been more problematic.

And there was little risk of others catching on.

He had once inhabited the body of a maiden living in a remote village. He had also lived as an ordinary blacksmith working in the city.

Through countless such lives, he had naturally learned to blend into unfamiliar environments.

The reason he could seamlessly transition between completely unrelated professions and environments without issue was one:

Unlike the cliché amnesiac trope commonly seen in body swap stories, where one had to feign ignorance of their surroundings, he could simply read memories instead of needing to play-act.

But there were some people who could not be fooled by such an act.

Lifelong friends.

And the closest of family members.

There was a barrier between high-ranking organization members and other subordinates. Even if his personality changed slightly, they would not pay much heed.

But Sif, who had been a friend before a subordinate, and Edan, whom he intended to make family, were different.

These two had to die, and an opportune moment was needed.

He was no fool who saw the world as a bed of roses, so he had naturally considered the possibility of his plan unraveling from the start.

As he opened his eyes, the true form of Edan, whom he had only heard of and seen in documents and photographs, entered his vision.