Chapter 84

Just when I thought I was truly going to die, the unexpected happened.

Lerwon, who I thought had lost consciousness, raised himself.

I was relieved. After all, Lerwon was someone who could buy a decent amount of time, even against a demon.

I thought I could just hold on with Lerwon’s help until Ferdiel returned. I’d allowed myself such a complacent thought.

But a few seconds were more than enough to realize something was wrong.

“Sunbae?”

From the nape of his neck down to his right hand, his skin was covered in scales.

His pupils were horrifyingly slit like a snake’s, giving off a sense of pressure.

I knew what that appearance meant.

“Sunbae.”

Ouroboros, the snake that bites its own tail.

The monster of ruin that swallows the world.

This was exactly how Lerwon-sunbae looked right before he transformed into it.

My skin tingled from the oppressive aura. At the same time, a thought occurred to me.

Somehow, Lucian managed to hold out against something like this.

A natural, instinctual part of me screamed.

Telling me to run away this instant. Ignoring that whispering instinct was a truly tear-inducingly difficult task.

《…!!》

The monster that had swallowed Sunbae moved.

Ah, I really want to run away.

But my damn body couldn’t move.

Goosebumps rose all over my body with every step it took.

So this is why Albedo said it was dangerous.

I belatedly realized just how reckless and stupid I had been that day.

I didn’t close my eyes.

The monster that had slowly walked toward us approached the demon and ripped out its throat.

Kwa-jik!

With the sound of something breaking, the demon’s body scattered without even leaving a shape behind.

What in the world just happened?

It was hard to follow the situation.

As the body of the demon, which had suffered a near-fatal wound, began to disperse, the monster that had swallowed Sunbae’s body tossed it aside as if it couldn’t care less.

And then, the monster that had spotted me grinned.

There’s one still alive? Its lips parted and closed.

I needed to think of a way to win, but my mind was blank.

There was no way I could survive against something like that.

“Sunb—”

I tried to call him again, but it was pointless.

Before I could even finish the word, my breath caught in my throat.

“Ugh.”

A bizarre hand, so familiar yet so foreign.

Sunbae’s hand wrapped around my neck. It was a movement neither gentle nor rough.

The strength in its will-less fingers tightened, and the monster smiled brightly.

“Kkeueueuk.”

The monster smiled brightly, as if amused by the insect squirming beneath it.

My body grew hotter and hotter. My vision swam.

My breath rose to the tip of my chin, and my head tilted back.

My heart pounded erratically, and only the muffled sound of my own pulse echoed in my ears.

Sunbae— I managed to say, but my voice couldn’t be heard.

I could only faintly sense that I was speaking, just by feeling.

Because even if I die like this, I want to convey at least these words to Sunbae.

“It’s not your fault, Sunbae—”

I felt like a more plausible comfort was needed, but my hands were going numb and my vision began to blur.

My consciousness was awake, but it felt like my body was shutting down.

The fortunate thing was that it wasn’t that painful. It felt like my body was quietly cooling from the inside.

But, it was at that moment.

Kwaang!!

The sound of a forceful push. It was followed by the short sound of bodies colliding.

And… air entered my lungs.

“Keoheok!”

Sharp, painful air scratched my throat as it roughly forced its way into my lungs.

A fit of coughing erupted. A mixture of what could be tears or sweat dirtied my face.

The one breath I took in pressed heavily on my chest. My throat was still raw, and even a wisp of wind felt like a blade.

But that pain, oddly enough, gave me a sense of reality.

The sensation of being alive, the sensation of being able to breathe again.

“Theo, are you alright?”

I never thought I’d feel so happy to hear this voice.

“Fel.”

You’re back.

It was only natural, since the demon controlling the worshippers was finished.

And—

“You have committed a taboo.”

…I was found out.

The very secret I wanted to hide the most.

Ferdiel would sentence Lerwon to death without hesitation.

If I didn’t want to become an accomplice, I just had to not stand in Ferdiel’s way. I could just close my eyes, whether Lerwon was executed or not.

‘But—’

If I just stepped over him and moved on, I wouldn’t be tied with Lerwon as a heretic and my reputation wouldn’t be at risk.

No matter how much it wasn’t of his own will, there was no way Fel would show mercy to Lerwon, who had turned into a monster and tried to kill me.

‘I know, I know it all too well!’

「The golden chains bind Fel」

In the end, I went and did it.

“…Young Master?”

Fel’s gaze landed on me, as if he couldn’t understand.

“Sunbae didn’t kill me.”

If it had been Sunbae’s original strength, my neck would have been completely broken and I would have died.

There was no mercy in the hand that choked me.

However, in the hand of the monster that was choking me, there was a thread of hesitation, the presence of reason.

“Keuheub!!”

Perhaps because I used a skill while my body was a wreck, even if not from a demon, I felt like all the circulation in my body was twisting.

I really feel like I’m going to die.

A terrible pain that makes me think death would be more comfortable rips my body to shreds.

“Young Master, stop playing around and undo this. Do you even know what ‘that thing’ is to be protecting it?”

“I’m sorry, Fel. But, I can’t let you have ‘Sunbae’.”

Now that it has come to this, it seems I absolutely must see Sunbae become happy.

Because I desperately wish for just one thing, to see the human-again Lerwon smiling without a single worry.

Even though I know full well that my actions could get me executed alongside him as a heretic, I have no choice but to do this.

“I can’t let you.”

My body is so tattered that it’s a miracle I’ve held on this long.

This is really the end now.

The chains are slowly scattering, and I no longer have the strength to lift a single finger.

But, I somehow manage to crawl and grab onto Fel’s leg.

“No.”

The world won’t understand.

If Lerwon is executed like this, they will never know how he had no choice but to become a monster and curse the world.

There’s no way they’d understand. Because Lerwon is a sinner to the world. Even if he had his reasons, Lerwon is a sinner who wished for ruin.

“That’s just too unfair.”

That’s not fair.

“That is the most hideous monster in the world.”

“I know, Sunbae is probably a villain.”

“Then why?”

“Because Sunbae didn’t start as evil .”

Above all else.

“Because Sunbae… needs a chance!”

Because I know all of that, I have no choice but to move.

「Lerwon returns to his human form」

With the single-minded resolve that I don’t mind dying, I write.

Even if it’s just for a fleeting moment.

I will protect Lerwon.

Because if I do, I’m sure someone will appear to protect Lerwon after me.

* * *

“Stop, Your Eminence the Cardinal.”

A sword was aimed at Ferdiel’s neck, and the intense magic, ready to be fired, was sharp enough to kill Ferdiel at any moment.

“…Hah.”

Was this his aim? Ferdiel let out a sigh. The irritation of being thoroughly had shot to the top of his head.

“Count Lisitoel. You will regret it if you stop me.”

Ferdiel lowered his sword and raised both hands.

Unless he was thoroughly prepared, it would be impossible for even Fel to face three professors alone. Furthermore, among them—

“The regret will be mine to bear, so while I’m asking nicely.”

If Evan Lisitoel was included, it was even more impossible.

“You’d better get away from my son.”

He was a real monster, capable of facing both the Sword of Doctrine and a Heretic Inquisitor all by himself.

“…I am the one who will have much to question the Academy, and you people, about.”

* * *

“Hahahaha!!!”

The demon who had ‘died’ once forgot even the pain of death and burst into mad laughter.

How amusing and delightful this was!

The ancient beast, the snake that bites its own tail, which once swallowed the entire world and disappeared, cursed by God.

How could it not be delightful to see it!!

“This is going to be very interesting.”

A demon with greed instinctively desires amusement.

And a demon’s amusement was human corruption and suffering.

That was why Kardros was certain.

The human world was about to become very interesting.

As soon as I return to the Demon Realm, I must recover my strength quickly. And then, I must return to the human world, one way or another.

Tormenting them, driving them to despair, and corrupting them would be a truly delightful process.

A question suddenly occurred to him.

The existence of a demon’s soul in the Demon Realm was the First Principle established by Lucius.

The soul of a demon whose body has met death once must depart the human world and return to the Demon Realm.

Not even the King of Demons can defy the principle that forms the foundation of the world.

“Hardly what I’d call the Demon Realm.”

No matter how much the Demon Realm mutated from moment to moment, it didn’t look like this.

“Even if I haven’t been managing things, the young ones these days.”

A clear and transparent tone was heard from somewhere. But a subtle, discordant tremor within it quietly scraped down his spine.

It sounded like the most beautiful song, but within it resided an inexplicable coldness, anger, and contempt.

Who could it be?

Kardros frantically whipped his head around several times, but he couldn’t see anything.

He wandered as if consumed by an endless shadow, as if trapped in eternal darkness.

“It seems some etiquette lessons are in order.”

An immense pressure was felt in an instant.

A presence that could easily be compared to the beast that had briefly shown itself; an overwhelmingly eerie presence, unbound by any restrictions because this wasn’t reality.

“Keoheok.”

His arm was torn off. Blood shouldn’t flow from a demon, yet blood poured from his flesh, screaming in agony.

“M-mercy. Your Majesty! Please, have mercy!”

Now that the presence had been revealed, there was no way he wouldn’t realize who the absolute being before him was.

The ancient demon. The one who reigned on the throne of the king. The Primeval Demon, Baal, before whom one should willingly pay homage and bow their head.

He was sure that Baal had gone off to kill the Hero, then suddenly returned, passed the king’s throne to a suitable demon, and then disappeared!

“Don’t you think that even asking for mercy is overstepping your bounds?”

“!!!”

The arm that had still been intact was torn off again.

“Kuaaaaaaaak!!!!”

“Even your screams are loud.”

His mouth was forcibly sealed.

Demons do not need to breathe. And yet, the pain of being unable to breathe shook his very soul.

Kardros squirmed and struggled like an insect.

Watching him, Baal felt a terrible weariness, along with another surge of anger.

To think my contractor suffered because of a mere bug like this.

“A mere demon who has just received a name, how dare you touch my precious contractor.”

A silent scream echoed through the space.

“The price for touching what is mine is your very existence.”

Baal simply flicked a finger.

With that, the insect was crushed. There were no more screams, no more pain.

“How boring.”

It seemed there was nothing as amusing as watching his current contractor after all.

The former king of demons, who had been staring at the demon of which not even a trace remained with indifferent eyes, closed his eyes.

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