A Demon's Confession, Part II
The Hero asked the demon in a calm voice.
"How did this happen to you?"
The demon's voice was trembling.
"I remember arriving safely back where I used to live. Some people were shocked to see me, while others smiled and welcomed me back."
The demon's gaze fell to her palms. Sometime during the conversation, her limbs had completely regenerated.
"I don't know what happened after that."
The demon paused before continuing.
"My mind suddenly went pitch black. Something dark filled me completely. I was consumed by nothing but the urge to kill. I couldn't see anything else."
"..."
"It didn't matter what it was. All that mattered was that there was something alive right in front of me."
The Hero slowly closed his eyes.
"Did you lose your reason to demonic instinct?"
"...Yes. Completely."
The corners of the demon's mouth twisted. Her expression was a bizarre mix of a laugh and a sob.
"When I came to, everyone was dead. There was blood all over my hands."
The demon's eyes stared blankly into space once more.
"I know I did it. But I don't know how I killed them."
Her voice sank.
"I can't remember anything..."
Silence fell over the reception room. The Hero opened his eyes again and spoke.
"Those words are not a lie. I will believe you."
"Th-thank you..."
The Hero chose his words carefully for a moment before speaking again.
"By the way, I understand that wolf beastkin usually share the surname of the pack they were born into."
"That's right."
"Was the name of your birth pack Sarandal?"
The demon hesitated.
"...No. Actually, Sarandal is the name of the bandit group I grew up in. It was just what those bastards called themselves."
"I see."
"To me, those people were my pack and my family."
Her voice shook slightly.
"Using the name of the very people I slaughtered might seem hypocritical, but... I felt like I had to remember them somehow..."
The Hero bowed his head slightly, then asked again.
"What do you plan to do now?"
"I just need to kill the Magic Tower Master."
The demon answered without a shred of hesitation.
"As long as I can kill that bastard who turned me into this, I don't care if I die."
Her desire was clear. It was as if her thirst for vengeance had entirely supplanted her demonic urge to slaughter living things. The Hero seemed to recognize that desire as well.
"Are you confident you won't be dragged away by your instincts?"
"I'm not confident."
The demon answered honestly.
"But I won't let it happen. I'd rather commit suicide than go through that again."
The Hero slowly nodded. Then, he looked toward me.
"General Berhart."
"What is it?"
"I agree to making use of this demon."
The Hero added a moment later.
"However, there is a condition. The moment she succumbs to her instincts, even once, she must be disposed of immediately. To ensure that, you and I must always accompany her."
"..."
"Therefore, I will join you on the journey to capture the Magic Tower Master."
For the Hero, the great champion of the Holy Kingdom, to make use of a demon...
This was by no means a light decision, whether from a religious or political standpoint. Yet, the Hero declared his intention to utilize the demon anyway.
"I will contact the Holy Kingdom directly to obtain permission. Even if we are using a demon, having the endorsement of the Pope and the Saintess will help minimize any misunderstandings."
This was a highly beneficial proposal for me as well.
"Very well."
I agreed immediately. The Hero was essential for hunting down the Magic Tower Master anyway. However, there was one more thing that needed to be done.
"Hero."
"Yes, General?"
"Do you happen to have a divine seal that would work on this demon?"
The Hero pondered for a moment before replying.
"Indeed, leaving her as she is would be rather dangerous. Come to think of it, I know of a good seal."
"Can it seal her entire demonic energy?"
"Yes. However, her Authority would be sealed along with it."
"...That is a problem. Her tracking Authority to locate the Magic Tower Master must remain active."
"I can temporarily release it whenever necessary and seal it again. I am capable of that much."
I nodded.
"Good. We will proceed with that method, then."
The Hero immediately locked eyes with the demon.
"Will you accept this? This seal requires your own consent. If you harbor even the slightest subconscious desire to maintain your demonic form, the seal will fail."
The demon could not answer for a long time.
Accepting the seal was tantamount to handing over the power of life and death over herself.
"..."
The demon stared down at her palms for a moment. Then, she slowly opened her mouth.
"...I'll accept it."
It was a firm resolution.
"I have neither the power nor the right to refuse."
The Hero nodded.
"Understood."
The Hero slowly approached the demon. He gathered divine power at the tips of his fingers. Then, he carved glowing white sigils onto her forehead and both of her palms in turn.
The moment the white light was embedded in those three spots, it flared brilliantly. The demon's body flinched violently.
"...Ugh."
The demon let out a short groan. The white light completely permeated through her black blood, leaving faint sigils in its place.
"It is finished."
The demon's pitch-black eyes returned to their original state. The foul, oppressive energy vanished. All that remained now was the appearance of an ordinary female wolf beastkin.
She stared at the sigils engraved on her palms for a long time.
"This is nice..."
She seemed to like the seal.
"It feels like I've gone back to the past. Back when I was normal."
Hailyn's eyes welled with tears of emotion. Still, this wouldn't be enough.
I stepped outside for a moment and summoned Adjutant Raylin.
"You called, General?"
Raylin didn't even bat an eye at the sight of a suspicious, blood-drenched beastkin woman weeping inside.
"Yes. Can you procure a set of special restraints? Something that works on at least the Fourth Circle."
"Understood."
Receiving the order, Raylin immediately headed down the hallway. Before long, she returned with a set of specially crafted restraints.
Five pieces in total, for her limbs and neck.
Carrying the restraints, I walked back into the guest room. Hailyn flinched when she saw the iron implements in my hands.
"Do... do I have to wear those too?"
What an obvious question.
"Would you rather travel with your limbs severed instead?"
I immediately drew my sword. Well, cutting off her limbs, preventing her regeneration, and carrying her around in a box while only utilizing her Authority wouldn't be a bad option. In fact, that might actually be more convenient.
"No! No, no, no! I'll wear them! I'll be good!"
"Hmph..."
I smacked my lips in disappointment and sheathed my sword.
What a shame.
Perlin opened her eyes on a rough fur blanket.
The first thing she saw upon regaining consciousness was the ceiling.
A high, vaulted ceiling. Traces of an ancient magic circle were engraved on its surface. Though more than half of it had worn away, a faint dark energy still seeped from the remaining portions.
Her last memory was of Ronin grabbing her and leaping during the imperial council meeting. Her vision had distorted as she was swept up in a black light, and she had blacked out immediately after.
"..."
Perlin slowly pushed herself up. Her body felt heavy. She had no way of knowing exactly how much time had passed.
"Where am I...?"
After standing up, Perlin slowly scanned the room. There was a single door that looked like an exit, a small desk, and a glass canister sitting in a corner of the room.
The glass canister was filled with a black liquid, and something was submerged inside it. A slowly pulsating, amorphous mass.
Perlin realized what it was.
The Demon King's Fragment.
Perlin knew that when the ancient Demon King died, his body had shattered and scattered as fragments. However, she had heard that most of those fragments had dissolved over the long passage of time.
"You're awake, Perlin."
A familiar voice drifted from the doorway. Perlin slowly turned her head. Ronin was standing there.
His eyes were completely black, lacking any whites, just as she had seen in the council chamber. Yet, his expression was incredibly calm.
"Did you sleep well?"
Ronin slowly approached. Perlin instinctively took a step back.
"...Ronin."
"What's wrong? Don't be afraid."
"..."
"Would I ever hurt you?"
Ronin's voice was as gentle as ever. But it was precisely that gentleness that made the situation all the more terrifying.
"Where is this...?"
Perlin barely managed to ask, suppressing her fear.
"It's our home."
Ronin replied with a bright smile.
"An ancient magic tower inside the Demon Realm. The place where I will stay with you."
A chill ran down Perlin's spine. A place where demons spawned endlessly. A place where no human dared to set foot.
The Demon Realm.
This was indeed that very place.
"Why... why on earth did you bring me here?"
"What do you mean, why?"
Ronin took another step forward. Perlin backed away further, but her back soon hit the wall.
"To be with you, of course."
Perlin's breath hitched. Ronin continued, as if confessing his love.
"To be honest, magic was all I ever knew."
He knelt down, bringing his eyes level with Perlin's.
"Growing up in the Magic Tower, magic was the only thing I looked at. It was my entire world."
His voice was calm, as if lost in reminiscence.
"But on the day you saved me, you entered my world too."
Perlin recalled the past.
Years ago, she had happened to save a young mage boy. That was their first meeting. Honestly, she hadn't thought much of it at the time. It was simply saving a boy's life.
She had been a bit surprised when that same boy became the Magic Tower Master years later. It was a development that had never occurred in the original story.
"I intend to transcend through magic. I will reach the end of magic, and go beyond."
Ronin's eyes swept up and down her body.
"But I couldn't leave you behind in that process of transcendence. Transcendence without you is meaningless."
"What... what does that...?"
"So I am taking you with me. Together."
Perlin's mind went blank for a second upon hearing those words. Then, in the next instant, a curse burst from her lips.
"Fuck! What kind of bullshit is that?!"
Startled by her own outburst, Perlin quickly glanced at Ronin to gauge his reaction. But since she had already crossed the line, she didn't stop.
"Together? Does that make any sense? You became a demon, and I'm a human! Is that 'together'? How can we possibly be together?!"
"..."
"This is just... just your own madness."
Ronin listened quietly to her shouting. There was no anger, sadness, or bewilderment on his face. Only a gentle smile.
"It's alright."
Ronin replied calmly.
"I know you don't understand right now. But it's fine."
"What do you mean, it's fine?!"
"Because once you become a demon too, you will understand me."
At Ronin's placid words, Perlin's body froze.
"What? Me... becoming a demon?"
"Yes."
"What are you talking about?"
"That's the only way to keep you by my side. You must accept a Demon King's Fragment as well."
Perlin's mind raced.
Demonization. The process of absorbing a Demon King's Fragment. Recalling her memories of the original novel, only a tiny fraction of people survived that process.
"Wait."
Perlin barely managed to squeeze out a response.
"During the process of becoming a demon... only a tiny minority survive. I heard most people die during it."
"That's true."
"...I don't want that. I don't want to die such a meaningless death."
Perlin's voice trembled, but she couldn't stop now.
"If I die... you'll just end up alone anyway."
Her final words were laced with desperation. If Perlin died, Ronin's plans would end as well. Perhaps this fact would make him hesitate.
However, Ronin merely chuckled softly, as if it were of no concern at all.
"You won't die."
"Huh?"
"You will absolutely survive, even if you accept the fragment. I am certain of it."
Perlin was left speechless by his absolute certainty.
Countless people had died failing to demonize. Yet Ronin claimed she would survive without fail.
On what basis?
"...How can you be so sure?"
At Perlin's question, Ronin's smile deepened even further.
"The reason people fail to demonize is simple."
He calmly continued his explanation.
"It's because their souls are too small. The trace of transcendence within the Demon King's Fragment is too massive, so the fragment shatters the soul and leaks out. That's why they all die."
"..."
"But you are different. Your soul is sufficiently large and resilient."
Perlin's heart skipped a heavy beat.
"Me? How do you know that?"
Ronin took another step closer to Perlin.
"Because..."
Ronin gently stroked her hair as he spoke.
"You are an entity that swallowed another soul."