Purgatory (5)

‘…Stop.’

Stop.

It felt like I was going to collapse. And it was just imagination. My whole body felt like it was melting and flowing away, and a sensation like a hand squeezing my heart rose up my chest.

But my thoughts didn’t stop. Even if I forcibly changed the subject, it would still remain in my subconscious and gnaw at my body. And if it gnawed enough to touch an important part, it would suddenly come to mind.

‘Can I endure it?’

Things I don’t want to think about.

‘Even if I lose it, I can endure it.’

A terrible future.

‘It just won’t be forever.’

The anxiety that time brings.

“….”

…….

…Was it called a Lich?

‘Shibal. What was I thinking?’

Damn it. This is why I shouldn’t let idle thoughts drag on. I shook my rotten brain this way and that and changed the subject again.

“Prukaise.”

“Just call me Liel. Why?”

“You said all Demons have epithets, right?”

“That’s right. We have to ‘acknowledge’ them so their desires can move forward properly. That way, it’s easier to deal with them.”

Giving an epithet to fix their desires. Is that because humans are the main target? When I think about it, there were more Demons than I thought who took pride in the honor they were praised for with fear.

“Okay. But….”

“Yeah.”

“If all Demons have epithets… does the Demon King also have an epithet?”

Prukaise rolled his eyes around. Rolling his eyes with only his head left didn’t look very cool, but the fact that he put up a soundproof barrier in the meantime made it seem like he was quite nervous.

“There are many eyes watching.”

“Why are you so nervous? I’m just saying the epithet.”

Liel Prukaise pondered for a long time, then clicked his tongue after seeing my somewhat gloomy eyes.

“Things related to the Demon King are bound by geum-eon, so an epithet is nothing, but if I slip up, my mouth will rot.”

“Like Voldemor… um. Never mind. So?”

“And that in itself is the worst vice, so the inquisitors around here will try to smash my head. The fact that I’m an agent is a very trivial fact to them.”

As expected, the Demon King is the Demon King. Even uttering information is forbidden.

‘Demon King… Demon King….’

Suddenly, that memory popped into my head. An unidentified Demon who fearlessly invaded my consciousness. Probably Amon-though not certain-a suspicious Demon.

Even reverse-tracing didn’t show anything. It was just endless darkness. There were flickering lights like when I closed my eyes, but no matter how much I reached out, I couldn’t touch anything. The Demon, who only said it was ‘enough’, disappeared as if he had never existed.

No, was it even a Demon in the first place? Even though it overlapped with the attack by chance, I wondered if a Demon with the epithets of disease and corruption would bother invading my consciousness.

I turned back to Prukaise, who had returned to his rotten expression, and said.

“Okay. If it’s that dangerous, you don’t have to say it.”

“Good. There’s no point in knowing about a dead guy anyway.”

“Instead.”

Prukaise’s eyes narrowed.

“I’ll take that risk for you.”

In the way I’m best at.

“How?”

“I’ll connect our minds. You can speak through my body.”

“I’m not done detoxifying yet. If we connect, you’ll get addicted to magic.”

“It doesn’t matter. You know from fighting me, right? Even my body can’t stop me.”

Because my mind is strong.

“Why do you want to know so badly?”

“That’s…. Um. It’s complicated.”

Should I call this pure curiosity? The way I felt, this emotion was more complicated than that. There are various causes, but if I had to pick the main one, it would be unpleasantness.

The feeling I felt at the World Tree… yeah. The feeling of being manipulated. Like when the World Tree induced my actions. In fact, that’s the only reason to invade my consciousness.

In fact, even at this moment, there was a slight sense of unease mixed in. I wasn’t sure if my actions were entirely my own will.

“…If you want to know that badly. My body is like this, so please make the soundproof barrier more secure.”

“Okay.”

“Ah, one last request.”

Prukaise said as I was finishing the mental link and setting up the soundproof barrier and perception-blocking spell.

“Can you burst my eardrums?”

“If necessary.”

• Ttak!

Prukaise winced as I flicked my finger. As requested, bursting his eardrums brought a bit of pain.

“Haa…….”

And then a long sigh followed. His breath was exhaled through me. My mouth would move as he thought, and it would spit out the will he wanted to speak.

“The Demon King’s epithet is……”

I moved my mouth following his thoughts. Soon, my ears began to rot and fall off, and I began to see hallucinations.

‘It’s just a hallucination.’

I saw countless deaths. Shuriel’s death, Aileen’s death. Unfulfilled promises. Things I had only imagined came to me like reality and stabbed me. However, when I realized it was an illusion, it didn’t ‘hurt’ as much as I thought.

“Pain.”

Soon, I finally found out the Demon King’s epithet.

“…The Demon King’s epithet is Pain.”

The Demon of Pain.

‘Demon King.’

I thought of the Demon I wanted to meet as I withdrew the mental link.

“Ha――”

Prukaise, who had recovered his eardrums, let out a long breath. Even though he had relieved the burden through me, it must have been quite a burden. He said to me, standing there blankly.

“Any side effects?”

“I saw some… hallucinations.”

“They wouldn’t be good hallucinations.”

“It was terrible. Enough to be eaten up.”

“I’m glad you weren’t eaten up. So, is your curiosity satisfied?”

My curiosity was satisfied, but there was something unexpected.

“Why Pain of all things? Of course, it’s a fitting name, but there would have been stronger words. Like Death, for example.”

“Death, huh. It was on the list of candidates, but another Demon ended up taking it. By the way, that Demon died according to his name. The Demon of Death is still vacant.”

“Then?”

Prukaise said as if it were obvious.

“Death is too merciful. It’s not a word that suits the Demon King.”

Because death takes you away. There was a place in this world where you could return after death.

“…I see.”

“What more do you want??”

I stared intently into Prukaise’s eyes. To the question of what more I wanted, suddenly. Something I wanted to know came up.

“Oh shibal. No. That’s a no-go.”

Prukaise said, crumpling his face.

“How do you know what I’m going to say?”

“The name is a no-go. You could die if you say it.”

“Then how did you hear it?”

“I finish the pilgrimage and perform a ritual at the Holy See. Then I can instinctively know. Our main enemy.”

“Then it’ll be okay.”

Prukaise said irritably.

“That’s what God engraves on you. Do you think it’s the same as a human saying it with a human’s mouth?”

“But you’re easily spilling that information. It must be top secret.”

I chuckled. At that laugh, Prukaise gritted his teeth and said.

“Release the mental link right now, you shibal――”

• Ttak.

I lightly flicked my finger. The soundproof barrier was further strengthened, and the divine power that had escaped from Prukaise’s body formed a thick barrier. Of course, it was Prukaise’s own will. Since my will would soon become his will.

“….”

Prukaise looked at me with resentful eyes. His mouth didn’t move as if it had been gagged.

“I’m sorry. I’m curious. And… after hearing the epithet, I can’t stand it anymore.”

How could I pass by when he had the epithet that I loved and feared so much?

“I’m sorry.”

I’m sorry. Sincerely. I swear this will never happen again. I said, removing my smile.

“…Say it. The name.”

It was a voice so low that even I was surprised.

“…A-geuk.”

Prukaise opened his mouth as the order was given. He seemed to be struggling to close his mouth again, but resistance was impossible as long as his will was being controlled.

“Haa……”

He took a long breath as he had when he said the epithet and prepared the geum-eon.

Soon, the Demon King’s name, which only God could utter, began to be conveyed through the mouth of a human.

“Rahab….”

• Du-geun.

Revealing a secret of heaven. The price for learning the secrets of the sky was not small. It felt like the world was trying to kill me. My heart kept trying to stop, and it burst my eardrums so I couldn’t hear. But if my heart stopped, I just had to make it beat again. If my ears rotted, I just had to make them again.

“……Napierius…”

As I forcibly prolonged my life, I suddenly felt presences from all directions. All of them were aiming their weapons at me. Staffs, maces, greatswords. At the same time, murderous intent poured out towards me.

But the Demon King’s name was not short. I ignored them and continued to recite the name.

“……Sarcatanas…”

They rush in. I was stabbed by an invisible sword and dripped with cold sweat from the traceless pain.

And when I had heard all of the Demon King’s name.

“…Satanachia.”

Rahab Napierius Sarcatanas Satanachia. The Demon King always casts a shadow at the end, so he is Satanachia. The existence beyond the heavens that all Demons feared. His name, which was given the name of the Demon King because he was too revered to be called just a Demon, is Satanachia.

“――Satanachia.”

I, who uttered his name once more.

• Chwaak!

Pulled out my tongue as it was.

“A-euk, Kak, Heuk….”

• Kwajik, Jjeo-jeok…

The five-layered barrier I had set up shattered like glass. I knelt down, spitting blood from my mouth.

• De-gu-reu-reu…

As I collapsed, Prukaise’s head, which was held in my arms, also rolled off. As the barrier broke, the link was also shattered, so his mouth was free.

“Inquisitor――!!!”

Prukaise shouted with a serious face. I didn’t know if it was because he was trying to punish me for breaking the taboo, or if it was because my condition was strange. Because right now, I felt like I was going to die from the burning pain.

It was truly pure pain. Pain without the fear of death or physical damage. A single pain gnawed at me.

“Ha, Heu… Hi-heu….”

I chuckled softly and curled up like a caterpillar. And I realized. This is the Demon King’s power.

• Kkwaak!

The one who picked me up was the inquisitor Prukaise had called. As he grabbed my shoulders and lifted me up, my body drooped down. I lowered my head and only dripped blood from my mouth.

“Ah….”

As the pain gradually subsided, I regained my senses. I struggled to lift my blood-soaked hair and looked ahead.

“….”

The inquisitors’ expressions were nothing short of fierce. From those who were wary of me to those who revealed hostility and murderous intent. I couldn’t help but be puzzled by their appearance.

They don’t know that I recited the Demon King’s name. The barrier was shattered only after the revelation of the secret of heaven was over. So the reason they’re wary of me is…

• Seu-euk.

One of the inquisitors held up a mirror.

“…Ah.”

I stared blankly at my appearance in the mirror.

‘My eyes….’

My left eye was dyed black.