EP.40 - Pillow Beating for the Ignorant Demon
As I hung my head with a wronged expression after getting smacked with a pillow out of sheer ignorance, a sharp voice rang out from above.
"Demons who can control magic beasts aren't exactly common, are they...? Tell me straight. You're definitely connected to the Demon King somehow, right?"
The hero hopped down from the bed and stormed over with heavy, angry footsteps, grabbing my collar and yanking me up in one swift motion. My body lost contact with the floor in an instant, dangling helplessly in the air.
"W-Wait a sec... Ugh!"
I barely had time to groan before the cloak, which hadn't been fastened tightly anyway, slipped off into the hero's hand—and I tumbled butt-first onto the floor, stark naked. I scrunched up my face, eyes welling with tears from the impact.
The only demon I'd ever seen with my own eyes was Kudbeka. So I'd never thought what he did was all that unusual. Everything I'd witnessed was just... Oh, so that's how the Demon Realm is. That's how demons are. That's how magic beasts are. I'd accepted it all without question. That's why the hero's grilling left me feeling so indignant and frustrated.
But the hero had no interest in my inner turmoil. He tossed my stolen cloak aside and snatched up the pillow that had fallen nearby.
"You got anything else you're hiding? Spill everything you know."
The atmosphere shifted, as if I were concealing some massive secret. It almost made me wonder if I was the one in the wrong here. But no. This wasn't my fault.
Still, if I snapped back at him to prove my innocence, I might end up abandoned in Bellante—a city even touchier than Luplettas right now. Swallowing my boiling frustration, I forced my mouth open.
"I-I-I..."
But now that he was demanding I speak, I had no idea what to say. My brows furrowed naturally in confusion.
Right then, the pillow whacked me square in the head. It stung more than it should have, throwing me off balance, and before I knew it, I snapped my head up to glare at the hero.
He didn't care, though—just growled low with irritation.
"You've been saying you know nothing this whole time, and that's why you ended up a sex slave. So why open your mouth now? Got some info even more valuable than that prized hole of yours hidden away?!"
"N-No, that's not—!"
Thwack! Thwack! The pillow battered my head relentlessly. The hero, veins bulging on his forehead and neck, swung it with such fury that it hurt way more than it should. Why did this fluffy thing feel like a weapon in his hands? My skull throbbed.
Dazed by the impacts, I couldn't focus—until he got fed up with the pillow, hurled it toward the bed, and grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head up.
Why does it always end up like this?
Tears pricked my eyes the moment I thought that, and his growl rumbled again.
"Unless you want that other horn snapped off too, start talking. You think I'm here for a picnic? You trying to get me ambushed and killed in the Demon Realm by keeping your mouth shut?"
Snapping off a horn? How could he even say something so vile? Humans had never had horns, so they probably couldn't imagine the agony of one breaking.
"Hurry up and speak!"
Honestly, if he just said, "Tell me about demons," I could've confidently answered that I had no clue where to start. The questions were too vague. What was I supposed to say—how the Demon Realm worked, what demons ate, shat, or slept? He'd know most of it already; he'd just get bored. Shouldn't he ask more specifically?
Of course, even then, no guarantee I'd answer. But I'd only blurted that out because I was terrified of getting raped again. I never imagined it'd lead to this. The hero's rage caught me off guard, and now I was even more scared.
Maybe that's why my body went limp. Deep down, I knew I couldn't beat this hero—not with strength, not with magic. That's why I couldn't even muster the will to fight back.
Finally suppressing my surging emotions, I forced the corners of my mouth up in a strained smile—a silent plea for him to stop. Begging him to release the hand gripping my hair.
"M-Master... It h-hurts... I'll r-remember s-soon..."
Somehow squeezing out the words, the hero finally exhaled and let go. My scalp felt like it was ripping off with my hair, but gravity tugged the tangled strands back down. My head lolled into a comfortable position at last.
"Hic."
Swallowing a sob, I looked up to find him glaring daggers. Those brilliant blue eyes looked ready to devour me whole. Scary.
"U-Um... G-Give me t-time to th-think... Aaaagh!"
I tried to buy time, but it backfired. The moment my mouth opened, he seized one of my short, pointed ears and hoisted me up by it. Back in school, whenever my homeroom teacher grabbed it like this, tears came automatically—but this was on another level. That teacher had been gentle by comparison.
"You got a lot of time on your hands? You're such a brazen bitch. I can't figure out why you're bringing this up now."
Screaming from the tearing pain in my ear, I heard him tsk in disgust.
"If you don't talk, I die—and you die too. Got it? This is your home turf, but I'm deep in enemy territory. Figure something out quick, or no dinner tonight. Understand?"
He released my ear and loomed over me, eyes bulging in threat. Fair enough—I felt the same way about human lands being enemy territory. He'd think the same in the Demon Realm. But holding food hostage felt a bit much.
Still, we'd scraped by on dried rations yesterday, so maybe one day wouldn't kill me...
"Try starving for three days and see if that wakes you up."
"A-Ah."
That was harsh. Three days? With these nails I could barely grow, no way I could endure it. Why won't these damn things grow?
Snapping out of it, I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head furiously side to side. No time for distractions or worrying about cleanup later. Better to avoid the mess altogether.
"Ah!"
"Thought of something?"
"The magic beast... it looked like a wolf..."
"Fuck..."
I figured that counted as info, but apparently not. His face twisted into something feral in an instant. The curse that slipped out was just icing.
Cowed, I rushed to apologize.
"S-Sorry! I'll think of s-something else qui—Eek!"
But it must've looked like I was mocking him, because he backhanded my cheek in irritation. The burning sting brought tears as I bobbed my head frantically, pleading.
"S-Sorry... I'll r-remember s-soon..."
As I trembled and begged, I overheard him muttering.
"Fucking hell, only the Demon King or his inner circle ride magic beasts, right...? Even among regular demons, I never saw any handling them up close."
Oh. That's why this shitstorm again—the fact that I'd ridden one said it all about me. Realizing that, I bowed my head deeper, swallowing my resentment.
Regret gnawed at me. I thought it was normal. Guess not. Why were only the Demon King and his cronies the ones riding magic beasts...?
I'd crossed an irreversible river. This beating was the price of my ignorance. Desperate to salvage things, I racked my brain. Sorry, Kudbeka, but I'd sell whatever I could remember him saying—just nothing too personal like his background or the truth about Lobelia.
"C-Can I... s-say it...?"
"Yeah. Spit it out."
Cold permission granted. I nodded, gulping hard.
"I-It came from... a place with black trees."
His brows furrowed.
"Rotten trees? Or just black ones?"
"Just... black trees..."
His vague reaction left me unsure if this was safe to share. But he wasn't lunging at me yelling "You're the Demon King!" so maybe I was barely in the clear. Peeking at him timidly, he just jerked his chin for me to continue.
I wracked my aching head again and opened my mouth to share the next thing that surfaced.
But it clamped shut.
'This has to be the humans' doing! I must unleash Sirius and wipe them out...!'
Kudbeka's voice from some past moment echoed in my head. Sirius. The name hit me, and I couldn't speak.
Did magic beasts even get names? No, and "exterminate humans" meant it wasn't ordinary...
"I can hear those gears turning. Why'd you shut up all of a sudden?"
His chilling tone made me look up—just as a fist filled my vision.
"Aaaagh! Aaaah!"
Pain exploded across my face—had my nose broken? Clutching it and thrashing, I felt warm liquid on my hands. Nosebleed. Shit!
Now that he knew I was close to the Demon King, this was the result—straight-up getting pummeled. Was my mouth too loose? Regret hit hard.
The hero was hyper-focused on my every move, every word, sniffing out lies or secrets. That's why the fists flew so fast.
Moaning in agony, his voice cut through.
"Spit out what you were hiding. We leave tomorrow."
He clenched his fist again. One hit had wiped any other thoughts from my mind. I wanted to recall something else from my talks with Kudbeka, but my head was blank.
Then he started counting.
"One."
Sorry, Kudbeka. Guess I spill secrets under torture. Those independence fighters belting out the anthem while clamped shut? Cool as hell. But not me. I'm too weak. Sorry.
"Two."
"S-Sirius..."
I said it. What a piece of trash I was. Some Demon King. Fucking idiot. Fine, call me that. Despise me. How could you not, when I'm blabbing this to save my skin?
Tears flowed anyway. Joy that his count stopped. Joy that no more hits were coming. Blood I'd failed to block trickled over my philtrum, filling my mouth with a faint metallic tang.
"Sirius?"
"Y-Yes... S-Sirius."
"What's that?"
"A... magic beast's name."
His expression turned grave. I squeezed my eyes shut, biting my lip. Was sharing this okay? No idea.
"A magic beast with a name...?"
Rubbing his jaw, he groaned and muttered something.
"What kind is it?"
"W-Well..."
"Speak!"
His hand rose above my head; I shrank back in terror.
"Eek! I-It... exterminates humans...!"
Blabbing in panic, I realized my mouth really was the enemy. Sure, pain sucked, but if this was a clan secret, wasn't it like a president selling state intel? Self-loathing surged.
Whining, I met his stare.
"You're useful after all. But why hold out so long? Trying to get me killed?"
"N-Not that..."
A smile curved his lips, but it was too creepy to return. I wanted to laugh it off, but...
Groaning miserably, he placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Still, you talked, so you get a reward. Plus punishment for being late."
"Huh?"
My naked body shoved backward. I flailed, but couldn't resist his strength. His pants dropped simultaneously.
Realizing what was happening, I stared blankly. But instead of answering, he gripped his flaccid member and hardened it.
"Lie down. On your favorite floor."
"Wha...? Why is this a rewa—"
I gaped at him in disbelief, but he closed in without pause.
"Why is this a reward?! Aaaaaaaagh!"
And my scream? The sharpest I'd ever heard from myself.