Fight Against Oneself
A demon resembling Han Seorin crawled out from the screen of the black television, whip in hand.
It had clearly been a C-Rank devil. And yet, after a notification that their souls had resonated, it had somehow transformed into a B-Rank devil.
Then she locked eyes with Han Seorin. A black aura bloomed around her body, and her pupils began to flood with crimson — exactly as if Han Seorin herself had unleashed her demonic power.
Sensing that things had taken a dangerous turn, I shouted toward Han Seorin.
"Han Seorin, just hold on a little longer! I'll send another contractor your way!"
"...Another contractor?"
Han Seorin's eyes wavered at my words. And her clone, seizing that instant of distraction, lashed her whip toward her.
"...!"
Before the whip could touch her, Han Seorin threw herself to the ground. The television beside her shattered with a crash, spraying shards of glass.
She realized that even a glancing brush from that whip would be a fatal wound. Forgetting even the blood streaming from her arm, she boldly swung her own whip to counterattack.
"No...!"
The instant Han Seorin blinked, her clone was already right in front of her, hands closing around her throat. Han Seorin's feet left the floor, and her face rapidly drained of color.
With her free hand, the clone rummaged at her waist and drew something out — a military dagger with a razor-sharp blade. She drove it down into the existing wound on Han Seorin's arm.
"Aaaagh...!"
The blade piercing her arm, Han Seorin dropped the whip she'd been holding. The clone hurled her to the floor and snatched it up.
"...Lady Asmode. I won. This is my victory."
Then the clone's lips peeled back into a grotesque grin as she stared into Han Seorin's eyes.
I had no idea how that thing knew I existed — but saving Han Seorin came first.
"Han Seorin...! Run! Surviving is what matters right now!"
"...Kh!"
The moment Han Seorin planted her hands on the floor to push herself up, the clone rained down whip strikes, targeting her joints. In an instant she was a bloodied wreck, her pitch-black eyes growing duller and duller, losing focus.
"Han Seoriiiin...!"
"I told you, Lady Asmode! I can control this power! You said it was too much for me to handle?! You were wrong! I can protect people with this power too!"
"Shut up! Don't you dare run your mouth, you fake Han Seorin!"
"...Fake? Me? Lady Asmode. What are you talking about?"
The clone kicked the Han Seorin lying on the floor. As she let out a faint moan, her body trembling, the clone ground her heel into the crown of her head and went on.
"There's no way a weakling like this could be the real one. She could never protect my little siblings with that pathetic power! I... I have to be the real one."
"..."
"Lady Asmode, form a contract with me. I can control demonic power however I want. I'm already a devil, after all. Heh... Bwahahahaha...!"
"...Han Seorin, are you hesitating? Because I told you not to use demonic power?"
"..."
"I'm sorry. For putting you through this. I didn't want you to end up like me. I suffered because of demonic power too."
"...Lee Minjeong. Now!"
The instant Han Seorin's remaining survival time dropped to a single second, a green-glowing arrow came streaking in from the staircase on the opposite side — fired by Lee Minjeong, who had arrived just in time.
The arrow struck true, burying itself in the shoulder of the clone looking down at Han Seorin.
"Gaaah...! You miserable little—!"
"...Thank you, Lady Asmode."
As the clone staggered, clutching her shoulder, Han Seorin picked up her whip from the ground. She unfurled it — dark with blood — and rose to her feet.
A black aura even denser than before poured from her body, and her eyes flooded with blood-red light.
"These things dare...! Things that don't even reach my toes, thrashing around like this...!"
The clone shifted the whip to her other hand, intending to target Han Seorin and Lee Minjeong at once. The instant her murderous gaze swept across them—
Han Seorin swung her whip at a speed the eye couldn't follow, severing the clone's arm. The force of the swing was enough to send thick cracks spidering through the ground around her.
"...That's impossible."
Han Seorin's whip was already lashing toward the stunned clone's neck.
The clone's head was severed cleanly, spraying jets of black blood. The headless body crumpled lifelessly to the floor and moved no more.
As the black aura wrapping the clone's body faded, and her severed red eyes returned to their original color, Han Seorin collapsed as if her legs had given out, staring up at the cracked ceiling.
"I did it. I... a B-Rank devil..."
"Hey, hey! Forget 'I did it'! Get to a hospital, now! You're going to die if you stay like that!"
"...Lady Asmode. I can't feel my legs."
I shouted at her in a panic, and she slowly turned her gaze toward Lee Minjeong. Meeting those crimson eyes, Lee Minjeong flinched in shock, then rushed over to her.
"A-are you okay?! H-huh, there's a dagger in your arm...!"
"...I'm sorry, but could you get me to a hospital? My vision is going blurry."
"Of course! I mean, that's the least I can do! Come on, get up! I'll carry you!"
"...I'll be in your debt."
Lee Minjeong hoisted Han Seorin onto her back and immediately took off toward the hospital at a dead sprint.
So this was how my contractors would meet each other. Their meeting felt awkward, but I still let out a sigh of relief, feeling as though I'd managed to resolve one crisis.
Han Seorin's Soul Erosion Rate has risen to 56%
A short while later, at the Devil Hunter Association Headquarters hospital.
Once again admitted to a private room, Han Seorin looked up at the woman with emerald-green curly bobbed hair standing beside her and spoke.
"Come to think of it, your name is..."
"Ah, I'm Lee Minjeong. An F-Rank Devil Hunter. I was with Scout Department, Division 3."
"...Lee Minjeong. That's a pretty name."
"...Thank you."
"..."
"..."
After exchanging those few short words, they lapsed into a long silence.
What was this? The situation was so awkward it was downright suffocating.
Come to think of it, neither of these two had any social skills.
Han Seorin was taciturn and introverted, while Lee Minjeong was passive and timid. Maybe they were both waiting for the other to start the conversation.
Then Lee Minjeong mustered her courage and spoke up.
"Um, do you know Feather Man...?"
"Pardon?"
"Feather Man. The comic..."
"Ah, that... I think I know it. My little siblings seem to like it."
"...Ah, aha. I really love it too. Like, a lot. It's a kids' comic, but the protagonist is just so cool."
"I... see."
And just like that, silence fell once more. Watching this unfold, I was about to burst from sheer secondhand embarrassment.
"Hey, you two. What are you even doing? You're both my contractors! Talk about that! Why are you suddenly talking about Feather Man?!"
"...Ms. Lee Minjeong. She says so."
"Ah, right. We... we're both Lady Asmode's contractors, aren't we...?"
Lee Minjeong fidgeted with her fingers as she said this shyly, and Han Seorin cleared her throat before answering.
"...Yes. This is overdue, but thank you for saving my life."
"Ah, no! I just did what I was supposed to do! And I only rushed over because Lady Asmode told me to. Lady Asmode is the one who saved you, Ms. Han Seorin!"
"Come to think of it, how did you end up contracting with Lady Asmode? I formed my contract while I was being attacked by demons..."
"Huh? Me too! Wow, what a coincidence is that? When I was about to die, Lady Asmode spoke to me first!"
"...Doesn't Lady Asmode seem kind, for a devil?"
"Riiight~? I thought so too~?"
As they talked about me, they gradually started opening up to each other. About how I was their savior. About how they'd overcome their trauma thanks to me.
...Somehow, the corners of my mouth were curling up in satisfaction.
Then Lee Minjeong scratched her cheek, a flush coloring her face as she spoke carefully.
"I wish Lady Asmode could be here with us right now..."
"You've never seen Lady Asmode in person, have you?"
"No. Lady Asmode said... she can never manifest in the real world."
"...I see. That's a shame."
Why did they want to be with a devil? Rationally, I thought they were being strange — but a part of me wanted to be by their side too.
I quickly shook my head and abandoned the thought.
...Forget it. I'm already dead anyway.
Wasn't the present more important than the past? Right now, I had something more urgent than joining their conversation.
I immediately opened the Soul Shop in my status window and scrolled down.
Even if it's just to save Han Seorin and Lee Minjeong, I need to find a new contractor.
Having made up my mind, I purchased another Low-Grade Contractor Lottery Ticket.
...I wondered what kind of contractor I'd meet this time. I should have been used to this by now — but my heart still raced with nervous anticipation.