Shlen Canyon (6)

You could say that demons have hardly any actions other than venting their desires. If they do anything else, it’s just struggling to survive. That’s how free and hard to control demons are.

And it’s not just the relationship between demons and humans. This rule was not only applied among demons but was also working excessively. They bite, kill, dominate, and betray each other at every chance…

Because of this, it’s rare for a demon to pledge allegiance to another. Of course, love and cooperation happen often, but… allegiance is a different story. Master and knight. A relationship with a perfect hierarchy.

No, I should say there’s only one case like that.

“You guys… no, the two on either side are dead, so. You.”

• Twitch.

“You came all the way here because of this?”

I turn my head. Holy iron that looks like it’s about to burst out. Demonic energy constantly flows from the gaps.

The demon in front of me bowed his head without answering. Even though half of his face was buried in the ground, he was digging like a mole, wondering if he could go in further.

“Okay. If you want to stay like that, keep at it.”

I didn’t particularly want to move either.

“It’s good timing since I don’t have anyone to talk to.”

Demon.

The main enemy of humans. A race hostile to all living things. But to me, they’re toys for amusement. It doesn’t matter if they run wild. That’s why I didn’t take any special measures even with a demon in front of me. Isn’t he just staying still?

I just thought it was fortunate that I had someone to listen to my story.

“…Shuriel-nim can probably do well on his own, even changing the world.”

The monologue that came out naturally contained a desire for someone to listen.

“Because I gave him so much so that he could be with me. So, Aileen-yang, please forgive me for not keeping my promise.”

Except that the listener is a demon.

“Actually, I didn’t intend to give this much.”

But please listen.

“But when I was loved for the first time, I was so sad I wanted to die. The human in front of me… will die in less than a hundred years.”

The story of an incomplete human.

“Shuriel cannot transcend. The soul in the flesh chosen by God must return to heaven. I don’t know if that day will come, but someday it will. He probably wants that too. Because there is a God in this world.”

Another story of hating God.

“So I gave, gave, and gave again. I wanted to give every last piece of my flesh without leaving anything behind.”

A story so desperate that I hate God.

“Even that’s not easy.”

A ridiculously absurd story at the end.

“He became a hero, and I became a demon. It won’t be easy to show this form to anyone…”

How funny.

“Funny.”

How funny.

“Funny.”

I laughed. I laughed for a long time because it was so funny. The laughter that burst out from the oxygen-deprived summit became a deflated shriek, but I couldn’t help but laugh. Because my situation was so funny.

“…”

And silence. I tilted my head back with a hazy feeling. I can see the hot sun. It was sunlight so strong it would burn my eyeballs.

“…U-um, excuse me.”

Then the demon who was bowing his head raised his head. His face was full of fear, but he moved his trembling lips, perhaps a little less afraid.

“D-dare I. A-ask your honored name?”

An extremely polite question. He even lowered his gaze by kneeling. How commendable. He combined seemingly high-sounding words to speak to me.

I took a deep breath of the insufficient air.

“Hajin.”

And I spit it out.

“Yu Hajin.”

I had forgotten for a while. A name that only remains in memory, now that I’ve become a completely different person. Even though I abandoned the name because I couldn’t find meaning in it.

I got up from my seat with a somewhat relieved face. I also neatly restored my wounded body with reconstruction. I left the torn and tattered dress as it was. I felt more comfortable leaving a few traces of injury.

“Okay, demon.”

“Y-yes.”

“What’s your name?”

The demon, who was very nervous at my sudden question, said.

“It’s Dire, Ize.”

“Direize?”

Direize.

I stiffened my face for a moment and recalled past memories.

“That demon Rakner-ssi was talking about?”

Direize’s face widened greatly.

“So you were the ringleader of the rebels Raknar-ssi was talking about.”

Direize turned to ice again and trembled. His already dark face turned blue, making him look like a corpse.

“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you.”

What would I do killing a guy who’s not even worth killing? A demon who’s afraid of me loses his usefulness. Rather, a demon who trampled on my head without fear would be more useful.

“More importantly, where did you put your subordinates?”

“…I killed them because they were useless.”

“You’re ruthless. You’re just as useless.”

I snorted and sat down.

“What do humans call you?”

“…The Demon of Wrath.”

“Wrath?”

My interest is piqued. The demon closest to wrath was Artania. But her epithet wasn’t wrath, but sloth.

“Come here.”

Intrigued, I called Direize. Direize, who came crawling like a well-behaved puppy, knelt in front of me and bowed his head like a sinner.

• Ttak.

I flick my finger and summon a metal blade above my finger. As soon as it lightly touched my cheek, a drop of blood popped out, pushuk. It was a fingernail with extreme sharpness that would tear the skin just by touching it.

“Shall we shake hands?”

Then I held out my hand to Direize. Direize looked at my right hand full of blades and swallowed hard.

“Aren’t you going to grab it?”

I lowered the corners of my mouth and snapped, and a hand stretched out.

• Kwak…

“Ugh, keuk…”

Direize’s hand was torn into five pieces. Blood poured out like a waterfall, and the torn muscles stretched out like paper. I asked her, who was only groaning.

“Are you angry?”

“…I’m not angry.”

For a Demon of Wrath, he had strong patience.

• Ttak.

I flick my finger again. Then the blade disappeared. But on the right hand where the blade disappeared, hard metal clumped together and formed something. What was created after removing the blade was a gauntlet. A gauntlet for killing, with thorns sticking out.

• Hwoong!

I swung my fist without hesitation.

• Kwajik!

“――Keuek!”

Direize, who was hit in the head head-on, collapsed with a painful face and gasped. This was because I intentionally swung it towards the horns. Of course, I didn’t put enough force to break the horns, but the horns are a vital spot for demons.

“Keok, keuk, heuk…”

He must feel like he was hit in the solar plexus with all his might.

“Are you angry?”

I crouched down near Direize, who was foaming at the mouth and gurgling.

“Don’t you ever want to hit me with all your might or something?”

“Hak, heuk, keuek…”

“Answer me.”

“A-a, I, I’m not. I, I dare not. Keuk…”

Direize answered while wetting himself with tears, snot, saliva, and urine. No, it was hard to even call it an answer. It was a plea. It was a sound of begging to be saved.

“…”

My interest waned, and I wondered if I should kill him and throw him far away, but unfortunately, the demon in front of me was my only conversational partner.

“Get up.”

“Keuk, keuek…”

He’s still foaming at the mouth and convulsing. I stared at the sight with a pathetic look, and since I couldn’t think of any other way, I put my hand on my left eye.

I hold the demonic energy that flowed out from the gap in my hand. The demonic energy, which becomes thicker and stickier the more unstable the mind is… was still the same. On the outside, I’m acting cheerfully, but on the inside, I’m still burning.

“Now, get up.”

I hand the demonic energy to the fallen Direize. Rather than handing it over, I forced it into his mouth.

I can’t use human mana to reconstruct. Unless I reconstruct the body itself like Sophia…

“Keu, heup――?!”

Even though it’s the Demon King’s thought, it must be an excessively strong demonic energy for a mere demon. Direize started convulsing as soon as he absorbed the demonic energy.

Muscles expanding and contracting, flesh growing excessively, and both eyes with burst capillaries flowing with blood.

“Heum.”

Direize’s body, which looked like it was about to explode like a balloon, surprisingly regained stability after a few minutes.

“Kahheuk, hak――heuk?!”

Soon after, he started throwing up. Vomit mixed with blood and intestines. Excessively regenerated intestines were pouring out.

“Are you feeling a little better?”

“W-what, what did you, do to me.”

“I shared some demonic energy. Should I give you more if you’re short?”

This kind of thing is useless even if you have it.

“――Ah, no!”

Direize immediately stood up and straightened his back.

“No matter how I look at it, you don’t seem to be wrathful.”

Even a puppy wouldn’t be this loyal.

“How’s your body?”

“…Th-thank you for healing me.”

Unfortunately, the demon in front of me didn’t seem to understand what I was saying.

“I asked how you were. If you do that one more time, I’ll tear you apart and throw you into the mist. Now, I’ll ask again. How is your body right now?”

“――I-I’m fine.”

When I spoke directly, the correct answer finally came back. I asked Direize in a trembling voice.

“Do you think you can absorb more?”

Direize hesitated. And he looked at my left eye. That eye… I’ve seen it a lot. Even in the very beginning, in the distant past. It was an eye I saw a lot in Western adventurers.

Greed.

Demons or people. It’s the same when their eyes roll.

“So, what’s your answer?”

“……I, I think I can.”

After hearing Direize’s answer, I pondered for a long time. Honestly, I didn’t think a demon like that could handle the demonic energy. Maybe I’m just looking for an excuse.

But. But…

…….

…This is just an experiment.

No. Shut up.

What are you worried about? You can just plug it back in.

No.

If there’s a possibility?

“……”

What’s the problem?

What.

What…….

“…Okay. You can absorb more?”

What.

Could be the problem.

• Kwajik.

I grab the holy iron that protruded from the gap in my left eye. I feel a repulsive force so strong that my head is about to explode. It wasn’t a metaphor. It really might explode.

Even so.

• Kwadeudeudeuk….

I give it strength.

“Ageuk… keuek… eugeueueuk――!!!”

Kwadeudeudeuk! The holy iron had already become part of my body. Tearing it off was like pulling out my entire eyeball. No, even more than that. Pain that felt like my body was collapsing consumed me.

I think I know why all those who called the Demon King’s name died, and why they couldn’t endure it. If I had to live with this for the rest of my life, I think I would have killed myself.

I smiled unpleasantly after pulling the holy iron from my eye.

“Ha, haeu, heu. Heue……”

A sense of liberation.

But the remaining reason prevents the erosion.

“Direize.”

I command before my reason flies away.

“Put your hand in here. Now.”