Ch.116116. Blue Devil (2)

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It’s been quite a while since I entered the inner world of consciousness.

My previous experience was when I was drawn into my own inner world by the holy power of the Fallen Angel.

In terms of karma, I was completely neutral, so I remember it being a desolate landscape with absolutely nothing.

“…”

And now, the atmosphere here is a bit different from back then.

That’s probably because this is Riru’s inner world, not mine.

‘…It’s brutal.’

Just looking at the surroundings makes that clear.

A person’s mental space wouldn’t be this… ‘barren’ unless it belonged to that person.

Withered earth. Blood-red sky. Harsh, raging snowstorm.

The snow is piled so deep that my feet sink with each step I take.

Cold and painful.

I don’t have any specialized knowledge of psychology, but if someone’s mental state were depicted as an image like this, I can tell it’s definitely not a positive condition.

However.

If you look around more carefully, you can notice this isn’t all there is.

I walk forward and arrive at a “flower bed.”

Compared to the snow covering the withered earth that fills this space, it’s just a small patch.

But it’s a green land covered with lush vegetation.

“Isn’t it warm?”

I turn my head at those words.

Someone is lying comfortably on that green patch.

Though the gentle voice didn’t match the place or time at all, I could immediately recognize who it belonged to precisely because of that contrast.

“For someone who’s always inside here, it’s better to have something like this than just constant cold. You have no idea how comfortable it is.”

A person who gives off a “blue” impression from head to toe.

Though the skin is snow-white, blue particles stream from the entire body, creating that impression.

It’s Riru. Completely naked.

Or more precisely, it’s the Blue Demon taking that form.

Fragments of demons usually reside in the mental world of their hosts.

“You don’t seem very surprised? Most people would be shocked to see Riru like this.”

The Blue Demon said with a slight smile.

Indeed, as it said.

The atmosphere is relaxed and languid. With a gentle, drawling voice and drooping eyes, lying sprawled on the grass as if taking a nap during an outing.

It’s incredibly awkward compared to the person who always showed a rigid or strong appearance like the stereotype of a “female warrior.”

“…I had formed a hypothesis.”

I say, plopping down in front of the Blue Demon.

“Every demon fragment I’ve met has had a completely different atmosphere from their ‘original owner.'”

Elnore’s fragment, who always suppresses her emotions, is innocent and gentle like a child.

Yuria’s fragment, who always suppresses her own violence and tries to erase her presence, is dogmatic, persistent, and radical.

“…I thought that demons fused with Vessels might express the emotions that the host has been ‘suppressing.'”

This means that the parts Riru has been suppressing have been integrated into the Blue Demon’s fragment.

Sloth. Laziness. Peace.

“…”

And that is completely different from the “demons” I knew in the game.

I didn’t have many opportunities to directly face demons in the first place. In the game, it was impossible for demons to “interact” with Vessels like this.

In other words.

In this world I’ve been transported to.

The very existence of “demons” might be somewhat different from the “final bosses” shown in Sera, though their abilities and characteristics are similar.

Not just beings seething with “evil” solely focused on world destruction.

Something much more.

Like beings closer to “humans.”

“…An interesting hypothesis.”

The Blue Demon only responded with those words and a slight smile instead of giving a direct answer.

‘Well, that’s something to look into in detail later.’

Right now, the fact that the Blue Demon’s fragment has this kind of disposition has a significant impact on our “negotiation.”

If it had been like the White Demon’s fragment, charging at me without listening to anything, such a calm “conversation” wouldn’t have been possible.

I knew that, which is why I provoked Riru to face this one.

“You said you had an offer I couldn’t refuse?”

The Blue Demon said, slightly raising its body.

“I’m personally curious about what you’ll offer as a ‘price.'”

“…”

At those words, I take a deep breath to calm myself.

Although we’re having a calm conversation now, my opponent’s essence is still a demon.

A transcendent being in this world who could easily erase someone like me with just a pinky finger.

“I’m not interested in anything mediocre.”

The Blue Demon said with a slightly faded smile.

“…This space, you know. It hasn’t been here long.”

The Blue Demon said, touching the grass spread around.

“It means Riru, who has been driving herself like she’s being chased, is genuinely moved by memories of being with someone. Enough to consider it warm and precious.”

It says with a broad smile as it looks at me.

“Probably your influence.”

Riru Garda.

A human whose entire psyche was stained with struggle, fighting, and violence.

It wasn’t this bad until recently.

Kasa lost her limbs, all the clan members died. Expelled from the Empire.

With no one to trust, far away from home.

She ended up in this state after pushing herself to complete a revenge with no guarantee of success.

“…”

Life must not have felt like living.

No one to trust, carrying the burden of the clan’s children and Kasa who she needed to protect, and an enemy so powerful she couldn’t even gauge if she could face them. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t afraid.

But.

Pushing all those emotions aside, training, training, and more training from morning till night.

Because that’s all she could do.

Humans aren’t machines. Living like that can only break you. Riru must have been pushed to her limits.

And in the midst of that.

I appeared.

Someone who understood her, cared for her, helped her achieve her goals, and even said things like liking her.

“But.”

The Blue Demon continued.

Its expression was still gentle, but there was no trace of the smile it had been wearing in its eyes and around its mouth.

“Even if it was for a purpose, you played with Riru’s feelings as you pleased.”

“…”

That’s right.

I can only acknowledge it.

“I can’t just let this slide. I’d rather give more power to Riru who’s rampaging ‘outside’ right now.”

“…”

This is unexpected.

Listening to the Blue Demon’s words, it sounds like it’s “taking Riru’s side.”

This adds another piece of evidence to the hypothesis I was thinking about earlier.

That demons have a much “closer” relationship with their Vessels than the demons I knew in “Sera.”

And if that’s true.

There’s one condition they can’t refuse.

“I offer myself to you.”

“…What?”

“For one day. I offer ‘myself’ to you. You can have me exclusively. Within that time, you can do whatever you want with me, except for posing a serious threat to me and those around me.”

The Blue Demon’s expression went blank.

It seems it didn’t expect me to offer something like this.

“…I hate to say this, but I’m quite a popular commodity among demons.”

This one already calls me “husband” and such.

As Atalante said, my soul must smell irresistibly “fragrant” to demons.

So much that just looking at it makes them want to make it “theirs” forever.

“But none of them have succeeded in having me exclusively.”

I continue with a trembling voice.

What I’m trying to touch now is the Blue Demon’s sore spot.

Demons are the rulers of Pandemonium.

And if they all hold such positions, a hierarchy based on power will inevitably form among them, whether they like it or not.

And the Blue Demon, with its characteristic of popping out whenever its Vessel gets a little angry, is easy to encounter but its “power” isn’t at the hopeless level of the Grey Demon.

In demon terms, it would be in the lower ranks.

Actually, facing this one right now.

I haven’t even triggered the lowest level of mortal danger.

The Grey Demon triggered EX level just by making eye contact.

‘…So.’

To such a being.

“You, who have only been pushed around by other demons, can exclusively have what everyone else covets, before anyone else.”

Such “bait” is.

Effective enough to be called fatal.

The Blue Demon’s eyes widened.

“…”

After staying in that state for a while after hearing my words.

Then.

“Ha.”

It bursts into laughter.

“Ah, ahaha. Ahahahaha-!”

A clear, crisp laughing sound rings out. After laughing for a while, the Blue Demon wipes its eyes, which have even formed tears, and catches its breath.

“…You seem to know quite a bit about the circumstances of Pandemonium, Darwood Campbell.”

The Blue Demon, finally regulating its breathing, said.

“I didn’t expect you to set such a condition.”

“…I thought this would satisfy both Riru and you.”

“Oh, certainly. I don’t remember the last time I laughed like this. It’s the first time in months.”

“…In months?”

Not before?

“After, Darwood Campbell.”

The Blue Demon said with a grin.

“The time axis of demons runs a bit differently from others.”

“…”

“You wouldn’t understand yet.”

Huh.

I really don’t understand.

What is it talking about?

“Anyway.”

The Blue Demon got up and hopped toward me.

Then it flipped open my shirt.

“…”

I don’t want to talk about propriety between men and women, but this is a bit too open.

But before I could voice that thought, the Blue Demon’s hand traced up my chest.

To the place where the Grey Demon had previously engraved the “Seal of Fallen Heaven.”

“…Heh. As expected. It’s just like that one. Left quite a large stamp.”

“Stamp?”

“This is a declaration. This is mine. Don’t touch it. That’s what it means. The White one hasn’t seen this yet, right?”

“It… hasn’t.”

There wasn’t time for that then, as we just exchanged our business and the meeting ended.

“I thought so. If the White one had seen this, it would have gone to fight ¾̸̧̥̬͈͇̹̘͕̠̮̩̙̎ð̸̞͖̋¾̶͕̻́̊̇î̸̙̪͎̥͎͍̲͔̔̈́̀̃͗́̚̚͠͠͝͠ ̷̨̨̣̭̭͓̱̼͚̮̼̭̟̱̾̄͑̈́̋͝¼̸̢̛̞̟͓̗̙͗͊̆̓̈͘͜͠ right away.”

The Blue Demon said, pouting its lips.

“It was the same before. We could all share, but everyone is so stubborn, always claiming things as their own. Saying they won’t give it to other demons, all of them. So full of greed…”

“…”

“I’ve never had anything to call my own. It’s like I’m expected to always give way.”

It sounds like children fighting over toys.

But this is about the conflicts of demons playing at the transcendent level.

“So.”

The Blue Demon said with a grin.

“This time, I’ll be a bit greedy too. Since I received such an offer.”

Then, its hand rests on the Seal of Fallen Heaven. Blue energy surges around it.

< System Message >

[ The presence of the ‘Blue Demon’ is added to the ‘Seal of Fallen Heaven’! ]

[ The process of changing your attribute from ‘Human’ to ‘·̶̛͈̪͚̹̺͖͉̪̇̎̃̏̃̎̚͡ͅ ̷̥͉̞͎̯̥̫̳̻͆͊̉̀̾͘͞·̴̵̢̢̥̱̝̘̟͎̯̥̟͖̞͊͐͌̿̎̋̔̈́̃̕̚͘͜͟͝͞͞·̶̛͈̪͚̹̺͖͉̪̇̎̃̏̃̎̚͡ͅ ̷̥͉̞͎̯̥̫̳̻͆͊̉̀̾͘͞·̴̵̢̢̥̱̝̘̟͎̯̥̟͖̞͊͐͌̿̎̋̔̈́̃̕̚͘͜͟͝͞͞’ is accelerating. ]

[ Mutation will occur soon! ]

“With this, the ‘promise’ is complete. I’ve left my stamp, so to speak.”

The Blue Demon chuckled.

“It feels close to a contract, but for one day, you are ‘subordinate’ to me. You must do whatever I ask.”

“…I look forward to working with you.”

I answer, sweating profusely.

“Good. Now, tell me what you want.”

“…I’d like you to calm down the rampaging Riru.”

“A Vessel’s rampage manifests separately from the fragment. You probably know that?”

Yes, I do know.

If not, Elnore wouldn’t have tried to kill me directly before.

And considering the Grey Demon’s personality, it wouldn’t have allowed that.

But.

“You can do it, can’t you?”

Other demons can’t, but this one uniquely can.

The Demon of Wrath. The easiest demon to face in the scenario, but also the easiest to subdue.

While the rampage trigger has a very low threshold, the conditions to calm it down are also much more lenient compared to other demons.

“Right now, I just need you to calm Riru down for a moment.”

It’s a paradoxical request to ask the demon known as the Demon of Wrath to calm someone’s anger.

But to calm Riru, who’s on the verge of going berserk, there’s no solution except intervention at the demon level. This is the only one I can ask.

“I’ll handle the rest myself.”

“…Is that all? Compared to what you’re giving, what I have to do seems minimal.”

“Well, I do have one more request.”

It’s not about dealing with the Apostle of the Inverted Tide outside right now.

But something needed immediately after that.

After I explained the content, the Blue Demon nodded with a smirk.

“That’s not difficult either. Alright.”

“Thank you.”

After saying that, I silently look at it for a moment.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“…I’d appreciate it if you could refrain from doing anything too extreme.”

If I leave “myself” to it for a day, well.

I can roughly guess what it might do.

At my words, the Blue Demon smirked.

“I am looking forward to it.”

The Blue Demon said with a chuckle.

“The White one is the most obsessive, but most demons hate having their possessions taken. ¾̸̧̥̬͈͇̹̘͕̠̮̩̙̎ð̸̞͖̋¾̶͕̻́̊̇î̸̙̪͎̥͎͍̲͔̔̈́̀̃͗́̚̚͠͠͝͠ ̷̨̨̣̭̭͓̱̼͚̮̼̭̟̱̾̄͑̈́̋͝¼̸̢̛̞̟͓̗̙͗͊̆̓̈͘͜͠ has always been on a different power level, so it’s never had anything taken by other demons. But.”

Malice.

“This time, I. I who have never coveted others’ possessions.”

Like a snake’s tongue extended long.

It crept into my ear.

“I’m going to dye its possession with ‘my color.'”

Then, I feel warmth near my ear.

This time, the Blue Demon was really sticking out its tongue and slowly licking near my ear.

“Stay healthy, husband.”

Warm and hot.

A tickling voice, carrying a shallow laugh, hammers into the inside of my head.

“Soon, I’ll come to devour you.”

“…”

Right.

I understand it has no intention of going easy on me.

With a wink, those were the last words my opponent uttered.

My consciousness was rapidly pulled outside.

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