episode_0012

＊

“We’ve arrived.”

After a few days, having fully recovered, I once again boarded a ship and left the island.

Navigating the rippling waves in a small boat wasn’t easy, but it was much smoother than last time.

That’s because Lucia was the one holding the oars.

“Heung, it’s… not that far after all. We arrived much earlier than… I expected.”

Lucia said, letting go of the oars.

I shook my head and said,

“It is far. Your rowing speed isn’t normal.”

“Hehe, I’m glad I could help…”

Lucia blushed and smiled.

To be honest, her rowing skills were hard to call good, even as a compliment.

She’d been trapped on the island her entire life, so there’s no way anyone could have taught her how to row. That was only natural.

However, despite her clumsy rowing, the boat moved almost as fast as a galloping horse thanks to her immense strength.

“Good job.”

Lucia was no longer the frail girl she used to be.

A demon who moved by instinct rather than strategy.

With the power of the Ebony Wolf inside her, she had not only recovered from her sickly state but had also gained superhuman strength and agility that easily surpassed common sense.

Of course, the Ebony Wolf was constantly trying to take over her and seize control of her body, but I suppressed it every time.

“How about it? Isn’t she useful, just as I said?”

The cat, who had been sitting quietly in a corner of the boat, opened his mouth.

“I told you to shut up until we get off the boat.”

“Aww, haven’t we arrived already?”

Kunat said with a sly grin, climbing onto my lap and acting cute.

After spending a few days as a cat, he seemed to think he was one now.

I made a disgusted face and pushed Kunat off my lap, causing him to fall.

“Do you want another beating?”

“Billy, if you forget the animosity between us for a moment, I don’t dislike being subjected to violence by a rough man.”

“You sure say some nasty things.”

“Insults too.”

“Stop talking such crap…”

“Hooh, even though you like insults, you keep using harsh words. Ah, could it be? Just as I enjoy suffering, do you enjoy inflicting pain? How wonderful.”

“… Hah,”

I sighed.

The purpose of this outing was to confirm whether Lucia’s demonic power was truly effective against the monsters.

In the first place, Kunat’s proposal wasn’t to heal Lucia’s body, but to hunt monsters using her demonic power.

No matter how healthy Lucia had become, it would be pointless if she couldn’t defeat the monsters. It was a problem we had to address.

Kunat jumped onto Lucia’s shoulder.

“Does Lucia also like rough men?”

“Ye… Y-yes?”

“Hehehe, then how about Billy?”

“Billy… are you talking about Father Theodore…?”

Lucia’s face turned slightly red.

I opened my mouth in a firm tone.

“Lucia, don’t talk to demons.”

“Aww, what does it matter? She’s already part of Hell…”

“Shut up.”

“… Hmmm,”

Damn Kunat.

Just having to be with a demon was stressful enough, and to make matters worse, this bastard never shut his mouth.

I had brought Anna and Solana along with me, as they might be swayed by his cunning tongue while I was away. But honestly, it was almost unbearable.

I opened my mouth in a low voice, as if giving a warning.

“Don’t say anything unless I ask you a question.”

“I wasn’t planning to anyway. Aren’t we about to go up to the land teeming with monsters? We don’t want to attract attention.”

“Lucia, you too, try to keep quiet. The monsters might hear you.”

“A… Okay, I understand.”

I slowly took a deep breath and stood up from the boat.

“Let’s go.”

＊

We quickly moved our feet and entered the village.

Fortunately, there were no signs of monsters anywhere.

Lucia kept looking around the empty village with an anxious expression.

I asked in as small a voice as possible.

“Lucia, what’s wrong?”

Lucia startled and shook her head.

“Ah, it’s nothing… Just…”

“…”

“I’m just excited to be out after so long…”

“You don’t look very bright for someone who’s excited.”

“Well… I’m also amazed by the changed appearance of the village, and I’m a little surprised that there are so many things I don’t know…”

Lucia paused for a moment, hiding her anxious gaze, and slowly continued.

“The empty village is a little… scary…”

Lucia said, grabbing my sleeve slightly.

Certainly, as Lucia said, the scenery of the deserted village was eerie.

The unpleasant stench of rotting food filled the air, and the farming tools that had been prepared for immediate use were covered in dust.

It wasn’t just a simple ruin, but a place where traces of human hands remained everywhere, yet the humans had disappeared, making it feel even more bizarre.

Meanwhile, the weather was too clear as I had chosen a day with calm waves, which felt very ironic.

I didn’t have anything to say to Lucia.

I was scared too.

That’s when it happened.

“Billy. It’s coming.”

Kunat opened his mouth in a tense voice.

“…!”

I startled and looked around.

But nowhere in the empty village could I see the pale monster.

Kunat shouted.

“Behind you!”

Behind me?

Behind me was just the wall of an empty house?

I felt doubtful at Kunat’s words, but I immediately pulled Lucia and turned around.

“Good heavens…!”

As Kunat warned, the monster’s head was approaching.

There was a monster where there should have been a wall.

No, to be precise, the monster was emerging from the wall.

As if a person were appearing through fog, it emerged through the wall.

The monster passes through walls.

That means ordinary humans can’t hide from monsters.

“Click… Click…”

The sound of teeth clashing could be heard from within the monster’s hideous mouth, which was full of tumors.

I was horrified and reached out my arm to hide Lucia behind me.

“Be careful! Luc…”

But before I could finish my sentence, something quickly passed in front of me.

I felt my hair flutter wildly, and at the same time, I heard a squelching roar from all directions.

It was the sound of an explosion, as if a basket full of fruit had been dropped from a high place.

The monster’s head that had been emerging from the wall disappeared.

And the wall where it had been crawling out was covered in white liquid.

“…”

I slowly turned my head in the direction my hair had fluttered.

There stood Lucia, her eyes red, with her hands stained black and covered in a white, slimy liquid.

“Huh…”

“…”

“Father… something’s… strange…”

“… What… do you mean?”

Lucia shook the monster’s white fluid from her hands onto the ground, then shyly hesitated and slowly opened her mouth, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Um… that, it’s much… more…”

“…”

“Weak… er… than what… you said…?”

As Lucia carefully finished her sentence, I looked at her with bewildered eyes.

I clearly remember.

The hard skin of that monster, like the trunk of a sturdy tree, and the abnormal strength that even my relatively healthy body couldn’t handle.

But Lucia, in a single moment, had burst the monster’s head as if crushing a soft peach.

“Do you understand now?”

Kunat said.

“Demons have no way to ascend to Earth without using humans.”

“…”

Clearly, a demon can’t bring its body completely to Earth.

They may be summoned temporarily through the rituals of evil heretics, but most of them use the method of possessing human bodies.

That’s why demons encourage the corruption of humans.

“But, demons can kill monsters. As you just saw.”

“…”

“Do you understand now? My proposal is not a vile trick or a cunning scheme. Father Theodore.”

Kunat, who had come to my stiff feet, opened his mouth in a serious voice.

“The proposal I have made is merely an alliance… no, a collaboration. Until we defeat our common enemy, let humans and demons join hands and defeat the guests from the outside world.”

“…”

Seeing it with my own eyes like this, I have no choice but to believe it.

Of course, I still don’t trust the demon Kunat at his word.

The concept of pure goodwill doesn’t exist for a demon in the first place.

But, at least, it seemed clear that the power of demons could easily defeat monsters.

Kunat continued to speak to me, who had closed my mouth.

“Although you have been rude to me, as I said before, I don’t dislike being subjected to violence by a man like you, so I’ll let it go.”

“… Crap.”

“I’ll say it again. Let’s subjugate the monsters with the power of demons. Let’s save the world together, that’s what I’m saying.”

I looked at Lucia for a moment.

Her hands, stained black to her elbows, her crimson red eyes. And her hair, gradually turning black from the ends.

It was the same appearance as the last time I had seen her.

But, unlike last time, it didn’t seem like her consciousness had been taken over by the Ebony Wolf.

Judging by the fact that she was rubbing the remaining bodily fluids on the wall and making a tearful face, it was clear that Lucia had control of her body.

Realizing that I was looking at her, she made a slightly awkward smile after our eyes met.

“But, it still looks… as disgusting as… ugh… as Father told me…”

There was no possibility that the Ebony Wolf was acting.

In the first place, that demon was closer to a beast.

Overwhelmed by the thoughts swirling complexly in my head, I just stared blankly at Lucia.

“… Lucia.”

“Yes.”

Lucia replied with a bright face like the morning sun.

The sight was very strange.

An angelic, pure face, disturbingly red eyes, a clean and neat nun’s habit, and arms overflowing with the ominous energy of a demon.

Her indescribably strange appearance was, surprisingly,

A little beautiful.