Cruelty
“I am overjoyed to see someone like yourself respond so positively to a contract with me.”
The Gold Taeyang members gulped. A Demon King of the 2nd Purgatory. Furthermore, if it was Josa, the ‘Granter of Death,’ that was a Demon King of immense fame.
Regardless of their rank, Demon Kings are powerful entities that exist on a completely different plane from humans.
A Demon King of the 2nd Purgatory can fight off an entire nation’s military single-handedly, and a Demon King of the 1st Purgatory possesses enough power to repel armies and bring a nation to ruin. This assumes the opposing force is comprised of elites who have mastered countless energies—Ki, Aura, Mana, Spirit Arts, and Ryunar—not just ordinary soldiers. That is the level of might these creatures possess.
And Josa was powerful even among such Demon Kings. He was originally a Demon King of the 1st Purgatory, demoted only after losing to an emerging Demon King of the 2nd Purgatory.
Yet, no one dared to mock that fact. To do so would be foolish; Josa was simply too strong. As a direct subordinate to one of the Four Great Demon Kings, the ‘Demon King of Death,’ and a demon possessing immense innate abilities, there were few among his peers who dared to belittle him.
That was why they were bewildered. Every existence, no matter how powerful, consumes a massive price to descend into this world. The Gold Taeyang members were beyond confused—they were terrified. What method could have possibly been used to make a Demon King, not just a high-ranking demon, respond to a summoning and manifest, even going so far as to use the polite honorific ‘you’?
At the same time, it made a twisted kind of sense. If a Demon King was willing to bow his head and sign a contract with this human, then that human must be just as vicious and powerful.
“……”
Josa glanced at the Gold Taeyang members, and wherever his gaze landed, they knelt and bowed their heads, crushed by the difference in their status. Even for users who had committed all sorts of atrocities against ordinary people and built up their own strength, this was a gap in hierarchy they could not resist. As ‘Murderers’ who had lost the protection of the gods, they felt the pressure even more acutely.
However, they remained certain of one thing: whether it was Josa or Drae, as long as ‘that person’ was here, there would be no problems. In their minds, they pictured the Demon King of the Gold Heart clan, Inris—the one who punished them for submitting to Drae and betraying their own clan members. The Demon King at the very top of the food chain.
And Drae, who trampled over them all...
…?
It was strange. Why were such absurd images surfacing in their minds? The eyes of the Gold Taeyang members wavered.
Drae grumbled.
“You’re putting on a hell of a show, aren’t you?”
“Haha. My apologies.”
Drae frowned, seemingly finding the polite tone sarcastic.
“So. Are you going to sign the contract now?”
“I have clearly indicated my intentions by coming here… however.”
“…However?”
The nuance was off. The Demon King Josa was tilting his head as if in a difficult position.
“I never imagined that that person, Lord Inris, would have descended. And to have offered such a high-quality sacrifice… you are nearly at full power, aren’t you?”
“……”
Drae went silent for a moment before asking.
“So, you’re not going to sign?”
“Ah. It is difficult to give up on the contract, too. A contractor like you would be truly, truly attractive and rare.”
Drae stared at him with an expression that asked what he was supposed to do then, and Josa smiled brightly.
“We both want something from each other. So, may I make a proposal?”
Silence. It was as good as permission.
“I swear on my name that I will not stand on any side in this battlefield. If you cancel the manifestation of that person and send them back…”
“I’ll sign the contract?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
Not participating in the battle meant there was no risk of Josa stabbing him in the back, but it ultimately meant he would only do what suited him. Perhaps reading Drae’s sour reaction, Josa continued immediately.
“But I know you must feel I am being opportunistic. If you emerge victorious, I swear on the two names of the Demon King of the Spirit Management, the Granter of Death, Josa, that I will sign a contract entirely favorable to you.”
“Hmm.”
Drae didn’t answer, merely tilting his head slightly. After thinking for a long time, he finally spoke.
“You. Are you weak?”
I know well enough that he isn’t weak. The demon—or whatever he is—in front of me is one of the most powerful beings I have ever seen.
But still.
From my perspective, having known monsters like Kaits or Prostia, and creatures as bloodthirsty as Almiraj—who makes even the hair on my arms stand up—he seems somewhat lacking. His tendency to play it safe also looks petty.
Josa didn’t seem particularly offended by my words.
“Objectively speaking, I believe I am strong, but you are likely asking in comparison to that person, aren’t you?”
He was referring to the owner of that sticky energy who was calling out to me, the one who hadn’t changed his attitude even after noticing Josa’s arrival. Inris, or whatever his name was.
“That’s right.”
“Hahaha. Indeed, I was wondering how you could be so calm.”
“?”
“You must be at ease because you do not know the extent of that person’s strength.”
“……”
It’s honestly annoying when someone uses polite language to be sarcastic. I thought about biting back with the same tone, but whatever. I’m the one who needs something right now. I need the ability of this guy—or girl, I don’t know. If Josa keeps scratching at my temper, I’ll just kill him later, but for now, let me ask one thing.
“Just answer the question. If you and that bastard fought, who would win?”
“…That is a question that hurts my pride a little.”
“So? You pissed off?”
I spoke with a smirk, but Josa answered in a flat tone without any change in expression.
“If we are talking strictly about combat power, I am not even a match.”
I blinked.
“..Ho.”
Even if I’ve been looking down on him, it’s certain that this Josa is a terrifyingly powerful existence. He likely has the power to turn a decent-sized city into a ruin in mere minutes. And yet, he says he isn’t even a match for that guy.
“My power and that person’s power belong to different fields—Death and Color-Dreams—so it is difficult to compare, but in terms of the scale of power, there is no need to explain the gap between us.”
Scale, huh. Yeah, I get that it’s no joke. Even now, an ominous energy, as if submerged in blood, is wrapping around my body. As if telling me to come, as if waiting for me. In fact, he probably is waiting for me. Because he’s emitting an unknown power on a insane scale, as if to tell me not to run away. It’s to the point where his energy hasn’t just occupied this hideout—an underground facility the size of a skyscraper—but has pierced through to the surface and is even reaching into the Yang district of the capital, Sers.
It’s as if he’s saying everyone here is a hostage. Honestly, what happens to most of the people on the surface doesn’t have much to do with me. But I felt a spark of interest and curiosity about a Demon King who could project such majesty with just a warning.
“Fine. I’ll accept those conditions.”
“…Ho.”
A glint appeared in Josa’s eyes.
“Well, if you use your special ability, even that person would have no choice but to be chased away. Hahaha.”
“Ability?”
“The power to sever everything. A scene where a member of the True Purgatory is chased away… this is a picture I look forward to.”
What is this guy talking about? True Purgatory? Does this game-like world just throw new settings at me every day?
“What is the True Purgatory? Does it refer to the high-ranking Demon Kings among the 1st Purgatory?”
“Similar. To be precise, it refers to those who are the most powerful among all Demon Kings, focusing solely on strength.”
“Huh. And you?”
“I was of the 1st Purgatory.”
So he isn’t anymore.
“Then is the gentleman over there, who is pumping out weird energy because he’s interested in me, one of the strong ones in that True Purgatory?”
“Personally, I believe Lord Inris should be considered among the top tier of the True Purgatory.”
A massive big shot, then. I’d wondered how a sloppy place like the Gold Taeyang clan had survived until now. If they only targeted the weak, maybe, but looking at this case, they didn’t know their place because they thought they were strong. Well, if a guy like that is their backer, it makes sense. It’s to the point where it reminds me of Prostia in her Dragon Mode.
“Fine. You want me to chase that guy away, right?”
“That is correct. I do not wish to bear the burden of making an enemy of a Demon King of the True Purgatory.”
“…You’re greedy.”
“Pardon?”
I know. I don’t need to keep acting like an idiot; I know human emotions well. Whether it’s a demon or whatever, if it’s something that thinks, it’s a person. So, I can roughly tell the emotions of this arrogant bastard in front of me.
“Are you in a pretty desperate situation?”
“……”
“Contracting with me must be a pretty big deal.”
Josa didn’t answer, and at a glance, he seemed fine. But I know. Even if his exterior is composed, his wavering eyes, his trembling lips, and his countless gestures are telling me everything. That facade of composure is exactly what proves I’ve hit the nail on the head.
“I need your ability too, Josa. I need your power, so I’ll go along with you for now. So… don’t get any greedier here. If you do… I’ll kill you, okay?”
“……”
Did I prick the pride of a Demon King? Unlike before, he couldn’t answer immediately. But, as much as I need you, you need me too. If you want to attack because your pride is hurt, that’s fine too. I’ll fight you as a warm-up.
I waited for his choice for a few seconds. Josa’s choice was to bow his waist once again.
“I sincerely wish for your victory.”
I walked slowly toward the hall without rushing. The closer I got to the hall, the more it felt like my body was sinking into sticky blood. To think it was this much even at this distance. Just how strong could he be?
The moment I entered the hall, the smell that hit me was incense. It had been filled with the stench of the Gold Taeyang members’ blood earlier, but the fact that the smell I’d created seemed to have been erased was incredibly unpleasant. The sticky energy that I’d felt clearly even from afar had become even thicker, as if testing me, as if telling me to be afraid.
I entered with even faster strides without hesitation. What caught my eye were a dozen Gold Taeyang members floating in the air. Wrapped in dark purple Ryunar, their energy, mana, or even parts of their bodies were being sucked away. Their bodies were riddled with holes, and the damage was still spreading.
“K-kuhuhuhu…!”
Standing next to them, a guy looked at me and laughed. Takashi. Is that bastard also from the Shinjinpa faction? I beat him up so much, yet he’s still grinning. I looked at Takashi with a sense of admiration. When he met my eyes, he flinched but tried to smile.
“You, really. This is the end…!”
“What did you do?”
“We offered a sacrifice.”
Rikka answered.
“I can see that. But you guys seem to have been bled dry—did those bastards even accept it?”
I asked, looking at the Gold Taeyang members who were being ‘offered’ in real-time. As far as I knew, sacrifices made under duress usually had less value.
“It’s better to be offered as a sacrifice than to be tortured by you. Besides, the supervision is ours…”
“That’s enough.”
A relaxed, yet powerful voice. Rikka hurriedly bowed her head, and Takashi even knelt and bowed his head. The look of genuine submission and respect in his eyes.
He was sitting cross-legged. He was said to be royalty of the Succubus race, but I didn’t see any wings or horns—maybe he’d tucked them away for now.
His biggest feature? He was handsome. He was masculine.
He wasn’t the type like Kaits, who looked so pretty and divine that you’d wonder if he was a woman; he was the type with a proper sense of masculinity. In any case, he was handsome. He was so handsome that he could be compared to the aforementioned Kaits. That made me even more rebellious. Every handsome bastard is my enemy.
I looked at him closely. His blonde hair, usually hard to pull off, and his tanned, dark skin only emphasized his masculine charm. He was wearing monk-like robes, as if he were practicing some kind of asceticism. It was a one-shoulder style, and because of that, his muscular chest was exposed, which was incredibly burdensome.
…Wait, do I have to keep describing a man’s appearance? Disgusting.
I smirked and waved my hand.
“Hi.”
“Yes. How are you?”
He replied in a soft, pleasant voice. A polite bastard, then. At that moment, Takashi jumped up and pointed at me.
“You, you bastard! Do you have any idea who this person is…!”
“Takashi.”
“Yes?”
“If you open your mouth without my permission one more time, I’ll rip your tongue out.”
“……!”
Takashi hurriedly bowed his head. He must be scared.
But this style… I’ve seen it somewhere before. Someone who was feared even by his own side, someone with a strange charisma… who was it?
“We meet for the second time, Irregular.”
“Irregular?”
“How could I not call you that? Your actions, your power. They are fitting for an Irregular.”
“I think you’re the only one who calls me that?”
“Most of us demons… the Demon Kings below the 2nd Purgatory all call you that. You’re quite famous.”
“Huh. Am I a pop star?”
“Indeed. Among humans in the Demon Realm, you’re probably 2nd on the list of people they want to kill most?”
“……”
That hurts my pride.
“Then who’s 1st?”
“Hahahaha. Are you curious? Why, it’s the Hero.”
The Hero. Kaits. Come to think of it, that bastard Kaits. He must be deep into watching the memories of my past right now.
…Hm? Memories? …Ah! Thinking of past memories reminded me. This bastard. He looks like that guy. That… that… what was his name? The father of the Shinjinpa. It was only one letter different from Shinjinpa.
“My introduction was late. I am Inris, the ‘Demon King of Color-Dreams.’ The end of the True Purgatory and royalty of the Succubus race.”
“Oh, is that so? I’m Drae, and wait a second.”
“I will wait as long as you like. So, answer me one thing.”
“Yeah?”
“Will you become my contractor?”
This line. I’d heard something similar from that guy too. Someone who was so arrogant and full of himself because he had absolute confidence in his power, acting as if he would never be refused. Acting as if his proposal was a favor.
Aha. I finally remembered the name. The charismatic bastard who even his own son was afraid of!
Shin Jin-seung!!
“He’s a crazy bastard that leaves you speechless…”
It had only been a few dozen minutes since he’d made that assessment, and now he had to revise it. Looking up at the burning auditorium, Shin Jin-seung let out a deep breath. Even Kang Gu-jin, who rarely got surprised by anything, was letting out a dry laugh that was half-exhaustion, half-admiration.
‘They say there’s no such thing as a worthless son of a great father, but this is exactly that.’
This seemed even worse than his father.
“What shall we do? Assemblyman. The dogs have been waiting anxiously for your orders—shall I tell them to start the cleanup?”
“Wait.”
Shin Jin-seung put his hand to his chin and fell into deep thought. He knew the guy was crazy and reckless, but he hadn’t expected it to be to this extent. He was acting as if he had a hundred lives.
The troublesome part wasn’t just that he was a crazy bastard, but that he was a very competent crazy bastard. While his actions seemed like impulsive behavior driven by emotions without a thought for the future, he also showed a meticulous side, such as accurately timing when they would arrive.
There was only one reason Shin Jin-seung had been lured to this place late.
Clean up the school I messed up.
The intention was clear.
If he didn’t clean it up, this incident would become known to the world and cause chaos, and the state would move to catch the guy who’d committed such a massacre. As the faction trying to catch Drae, Shin Jin-seung had no choice but to clean up the mess, even if it made his blood boil.
‘Arrogant bastard.’
He wasn’t even angry, because the guy was so arrogant it was almost impressive. He kept giving him new sensations, to the point where he even felt a sense of familiarity.
“So, Jin-pae. What did he say?”
“……”
Shin Jin-pae, being carried on a stretcher, struggled to turn his head at Shin Jin-seung’s words. Even moving his lips seemed like a struggle, but he tried his best to speak. It was out of fear. Fear of Shin Jin-seung? No.
“…”
Shin Jin-seung realized there was no fear of him in his son’s eyes.
“He told… me to clean up well so the police wouldn’t find out… and he knows about the existence of our hospital. Su-ryeon is in danger.”
Even his tone had changed, though he might not have realized it himself. He used to tremble and stutter in front of Shin Jin-seung, but now he was acting so composed. That didn’t sit well with him.
‘He’s more afraid of that guy than me…’
He wanted to instill fear in him again right now, but he was so badly injured he might die if he pushed him. He would re-educate Shin Jin-pae later.
“Nothing else to say?”
“…Attacking his acquaintances seems useless.”
“Hm?”
“That guy… he only follows his own moods. He’s not moving out of a desire for revenge. That… that’s… dangerous, Father.”
“Hmm. I see.”
Shin Jin-seung answered without much emotion and gestured with his chin. The stretcher moved again, and Shin Jin-pae closed his eyes tightly, as if trying to forget a nightmare.
“What will you do?”
At Kang Gu-jin’s question, Shin Jin-seung felt annoyed by Drae. Therefore, he intended to clean up the mess just as he wanted.
‘I am the Emperor.’
The commoners didn’t matter. The lower-class people who acted like they were powerful because they guessed at his existence—it was incredibly annoying that the perception would spread that Shin Jin-seung had been dealt this much damage by a mere high schooler. The work of an Emperor had to be perfect.
What did it matter if a few hundred people died? It was nothing. It had to be nothing. This wasn’t something he was doing because Drae wanted it, but for the dignity of an Emperor.
“Make sure no noise leaks out. Disguise it as a gas explosion.”
“That is…”
Kang Gu-jin trailed off. Manipulating the cause of death was easy, but that only worked when there were few casualties; there were too many dead now. Even if they hid it for now, could they cover it up until the end? Besides, Drae might do something else.
“For now, those people. Try to appease them, and if that doesn’t work, deal with them.”
Shin Jin-seung, who had shown indifferent murderous intent while looking at the survivors sitting blankly in the corner, added:
“And call the ‘Manipulator.’”
The Manipulator. Someone with a special power like Su-ryeon, who had hidden Shin Jin-seung’s atrocities alongside the power of authority until now.
“Are you going that far?”
“Of course.”
Kang Gu-jin knew well of Shin Jin-seung’s strangely high pride, so he didn’t ask anymore. He relayed the order via radio as Shin Jin-seung had commanded.
And immediately after that.
“It’s b-burning well.”
Shin Jin-seung frowned at the voice he really didn’t want to hear. But he soon managed his expression and turned his head with a smiling face. This was a woman for whom he, as an Emperor, needed to go through the trouble of acting.
“Oh my. Who is this? Isn’t it the pride of Korea, Rachel Han?”
“Hello. Assemblyman Shin.”
She, a red-haired woman wearing clothes that looked like a suit but were easy to move in, looked up at the burning auditorium.
‘Right. This woman was here.’
Perhaps she was helping Drae from behind. This woman had powerful connections not just in Korea but all over the world, and she herself possessed immense combat power and influence. She was someone even he, an Emperor, found hard to touch. If it were her, she could have given Drae various advice or supported him with weapons and hideouts…
‘No, that’s not it.’
At the very least, Rachel wouldn’t break the law to catch him. The woman in front of him didn’t hesitate to break the law when catching criminals, but she didn’t sacrifice other people, ordinary people. She was by no means a villain who didn’t care if hundreds of people died. There was no possibility that she was helping Drae.
In other words, she had come here after catching a scent with her own information. The two stared at each other as if probing, and Rachel spoke first.
“I just got here. What’s going on again?”
As expected, she didn’t know people had died in the auditorium. This could be a lie, but Rachel wasn’t the type of woman to stay still if she knew hundreds of people had been murdered.
“Well. Why did you come here?”
Shin Jin-seung noticed Rachel looking intently at the survivors. They had already been marked. If she was here, he couldn’t take the survivors. Rachel smirked at Shin Jin-seung, who was clicking his tongue in annoyance.
“You seem to be in a bit of a bind, Assemblyman Shin.”
“Indeed, I am.”
The moment he made a fuss, Shin Jin-seung’s phone rang. It was his secretary. He had given an order before coming here. It was to incite violent organizations like the Yakuza and the Triads who had come to Korea for business.
‘I’m a little uneasy with just the masked men.’
It was a fact he didn’t want to admit, but that brat was quite strong. The masked men needed to stay alive for future entertainment. Shin Jin-seung didn’t want any more of his limited personnel to die.
‘Drae must be exhausted.’
Even an iron man needs to rest eventually. He had to strike now.
Even if he was exhausted, he didn’t let his guard down; Shin Jin-seung was cautious. Poison against poison. To Shin Jin-seung, the two organizations were tools to be used, but they had been getting arrogant lately. They were perfect for this kind of work.
He had long ago planted bait that the two organizations would bite—information about an organization targeting them, or a person they needed to catch. Seeing that his secretary had contacted him, it seemed they had bitten the bait.
Now, only one thing remained. Lure Drae into contact with them and watch the fight. Even if they realized later that they had been lured, he could just crush any protests from the two organizations later.
Shin Jin-seung was certain Drae would be caught soon.
‘Can you treat Korean gangsters who only held knives the same as murderers who treat shooting guns as the basics?’
He laughed to himself imagining what would happen to Drae if he messed with them. Of course, he wouldn’t just let him die. Once information came in that the two organizations had caught or surrounded Drae, he would move his private soldiers to save him just before the end and bring him before himself.
And…
“Kuh…!”
Shin Jin-seung felt his crotch throbbing. He was already looking forward to Drae’s mouth and his submission.
Beep.
Shin Jin-seung, who pressed the call button and smiled at Rachel, said:
“Come to think of it, do you remember ‘ ’?”
“…I don’t know why that name is coming out of your filthy mouth.”
At the harsh words, Kang Gu-jin crumpled his face and stepped forward, and Rachel smirked and walked even further forward, saying, “What the fuck?”
“Move. I need to check what’s happened inside.”
“I’ve already called the police. Outsiders, get out.”
“Oh my. A gangster calling the police? The state of this country is going well.”
Watching the two bicker, Shin Jin-seung held the phone he had neglected for a long time to his face.
“Yes. What is it?”
[…A-Assemblyman.]
The secretary’s voice was trembling, and Shin Jin-seung got a bad feeling. And that premonition became reality.
[The target… attacked the fish and the earthworms.]
“……”
Fish and earthworms. Slang Shin Jin-seung had decided on according to his mood so that no one would know even if they overheard. Fish meant the Yakuza. Earthworms meant the Triads. They were groups that had entered the country on a significant scale, each with dozens of members—and he attacked them?
“What happened?”
His words were relaxed, but the secretary, knowing Shin Jin-seung was angry, said while trembling:
[B-both of them suffered catastrophic damage…]
What kind of bullshit was this? They, criminal organizations, were defeated by just one person? Shin Jin-seung suppressed his boiling rage and said:
“So, are they seeking revenge?”
Revenge.
At the ominous words, both Kang Gu-jin and Rachel looked at him. Kang Gu-jin was puzzled that he wasn’t being careful with his words even with Rachel in front of him, and Rachel sensed that something had truly exploded. No… even now, the smell faintly felt in the auditorium was…
‘The smell of burning meat… corpses? Are there corpses?’
He didn’t understand. No matter what kind of reckless bastard Shin Jin-seung was, he didn’t do things without thinking. He was a bastard who would slaughter everyone on a city bus along with his target just to kill the target using masked men, but he only did that in situations where he would never be caught.
Unable to even feel Rachel’s puzzled gaze, Shin Jin-seung urged for an answer with silence. The secretary quickly said:
[No. They say they will retreat.]
That couldn’t be. They were so persistent.
[All the surviving organization members were trembling in fear. It has been confirmed that some even said they would never come to Korea again.]
“……”
Shin Jin-seung didn’t listen to anything more the secretary had to say and took the phone away from his face. Then he looked at Rachel and asked:
“That guy’s son. What kind of guy is he?”
Just when does that bastard rest? Faced with an enemy that far exceeded his expectations, Shin Jin-seung tasted a very unfamiliar emotion. He didn’t realize what it was, but it was clearly…
Fear.