Cruelty

"...Inris. My lord?"

"Lord Inris?"

"Uh... what is that?"

"Lord Inris...?"

"Lord Inris...!"

"Lord Inris?!"

"Inris...! Inriiiiiiis!"

"Hey."

The noisy Gold Taeyang Clan members stared at the head of Inris that had rolled to the ground. For a split second, I was overwhelmed by the impulse to kill them all. But it would be a waste to kill them just yet.

I suppressed the urge and said,

"Shut up."

The surroundings went quiet. However, one existence was an exception.

"This cannot be..."

"...?"

A voice leaked from the severed head.

"It cannot... be... this is..."

What is this? Is it alive? Well, he’s not just any demon; he’s a Demon King. It’s not strange for a severed head to speak or for the neck to reattach itself. But the overwhelming aura that felt like it would cover the world—the power likely called Demonic Energy—was no longer felt. He must have exhausted it all using the Simgye Seonpo.

"Are you a god who came out for amusement...? No. That can't be. Not in this world. Such a thing..."

Look at him, making his own conclusions. I walked toward him, step by step. I wondered if his body, lying a bit away from his head, would pick it up and reattach it, but there was no sign of that. The fact that he didn't notice me immediately as I approached meant he was quite mentally shattered.

When I stared down at him, Inris, who finally discovered me, asked,

"What are you?"

What a damn stupid question. I was so dumbfounded I replied,

"Drae."

"Don't play games. A mere human couldn't possibly do such a thing. Unless you harbor something powerful inside. It's impossible. You are not human. You cannot be human. That mental fortitude is not normal, ugh...!"

"You're damn noisy."

He was getting on my nerves, so I clamped his mouth shut. Even at this close range, he showed no signs of doing anything. It seemed he had truly run out of power. Even in this situation, his eyes didn't lose their edge; he was every bit a Demon King.

His eyes were filled with confusion. I, too, had a question. How did I endure it? In those near-infinite deaths, how was I still sane? ...I suppose, somewhere along the way, I just stopped caring. I accepted it, thinking, Ah, so this is how it is, and simply walked out.

I started speaking, whatever came to mind.

"...You see, I have memories from a long time ago that really won't fade. They're very vivid."

"...?"

"So, other than those memories, whatever happens to me just feels... like nothing."

For example, that time. In the sunset-lit dojo, my father lying in front of me... his expression telling me to live a good life—. ...Recalling it made me feel sick. So, I hacked the succubus's body into pieces.

Shukakakak!

Inris watched as his own flesh was shredded, unable to even scream.

Hoo.

Refreshing. Being tortured for hundreds of years leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I also remembered what that bastard said. Yeodre, how would you feel if you were on the receiving end? Having experienced it, it turns out you stay surprisingly sane.

I looked at Inris with a triumphant gaze. I also sent a sneer that said, You went through all that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠trouble and couldn't do a thing, right? But he didn't seem to care much even as his body was being minced.

"...You are strange. Your way of thinking, your existence. That body is not of an Outsider, and it has been processed strangely. Everything about you is an Irregular."

"So? Are you saying you want to form a contract even more?"

If he said yes, I was going to tell him that I had no use for a cripple who was nothing but a head, but he denied it.

"...I don't need it. It's disgusting. Someone like you... someone like..."

Inris couldn't finish his sentence. It was a hurtful thing to say, but I understood his true feelings.

"You're scared of me, aren't you?"

His face stiffened noticeably.

"...! Don't make me laugh! I am Inris, the Demon King of Lust! If I had destroyed your mind with my specialty, the Lust Dream...!"

"Ah, that. I was tortured by it for hundreds of years in that Illusion Nightmare or whatever. It was a damn NTR fest."

"......"

"It was so damn disgusting even in my imagination. So I NTR'd everything back from the start. I took everything from the NTR ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠guy... and then it just broke."

It was a rambling explanation, but since he was the one who cast the technique, he must have understood.

"Don't make me laugh."

"In the first place, you were pissed at me. If you thought you could win by using that Lust Dream, you would have used it, wouldn't you? Am I wrong?"

"......"

"You lost and now you're pathetic. Mr. Incubus King."

"Y-y-you...!"

Yeah. Nothing to say, right? You loser.

"Well, you were strong. Truly. If you hadn't wasted your Demonic Energy on illusions and had just hammered me with pure power, I might have been turned into mush."

"......"

"Anyway, it was fun. A fight without compatibility issues in a long time..."

"No compatibility...?"

"Yeah?"

"For someone specialized in the mind like you, your very existence is the compatibility, beyond just fighting styles."

Seeing him hold a grudge until the end was a sight to behold. What? Human compatibility? What an idiot. I sighed.

"So what? That doesn't change the fact that you lost, does it?"

"...Hehehehe."

Why is he laughing? It's creepy.

"Alright. Now, you're going to get tortured as much as I did, you son of a bitch..."

"Arvedia!!!"

Arvedia. That must be the name of the demon he was contacting earlier. Is another powerhouse on the level of Inris appearing here? That would be dangerous. Just as I prepared my Severing Sword with a mix of tension and excitement, Inris shouted,

"I will give you 90% of what I gain! Help me!"

"Oh my."

"...!"

"Are you sure, Inris? It sounds like it's going to cost a fortune."

A woman appeared before I could even perceive it. She was beautiful. A beauty that didn't seem of this world. Especially her sex appeal. Even just looking at her appearance, she was on par with the women of the Ten Families or Asita, but her unique allure was no joke. I was involuntarily aroused; I felt the urge to pin her down and thrust my hips at her.

She looked at me and smiled with her eyes.

"Hello? You're Yeodre, right? Ahaha. Don't worry. I pushed myself to get here, so I can't attack you..."

I cut off the summoning with my Severing Sword.

"Oh my?"

Her summoning was canceled. I'd probably lose if I fought her, and I'm too lazy to fight anyway. I want to hurry up and torment those Gold Taeyang bastards. Who cares about sexual desire?

"...Reeally. You're a unique one. You can resist my allure?"

"......"

I had nothing to say, so I remained silent, and she said,

"You. I've got my eye on you."

"What?"

Arvedia pointed at something with her finger. I hurriedly mixed my Severing Sword, Space Sword, and Void Shield to create a new application. The Severing Shield of the Void. The defensive barrier of slashes created in front of me was shattered in an instant.

"......"

The Demonic Energy that pierced through the corner beside me hit Inris, erupting in black smoke. I frowned. That’s like a safe. And the treasure inside the safe is Inris. Damn it.

Irritation surged, and when I turned my head, the woman called Arvedia had already dissolved into black particles and vanished. But she had already finished her role. That safe could not be breached, not by my current exhausted self, nor even if I were at full strength.

Thud. Thud.

I heard the sound of the men around me kneeling. Looking closely, the lower bodies of the Gold Taeyangs were swollen as if they would burst, and on top of that, psshhh. They ejaculated. Ugh, disgusting. They must have been bewitched by Arvedia's allure.

"...Just now. What was..."

"Th-that woman. D-don't tell me...! Illusion..."

Whew.

When I whistled, the attention of the murmuring Gold Taeyangs focused on me. I counted them, and not a single one had run away. Well, they probably never thought he would lose, and they didn't want to be on the bad side of the executives or Inris by running away for no reason.

I smiled brightly.

"Guys. You've waited a long time, right?"

"......"

"Shall we begin the story with Lord Yeodre!"

"H-hiiiik!"

I followed a line I saw in a comic, and the Gold Taeyangs made pathetic sounds. I cut the legs of the Gold Taeyangs who were trying to run in every direction. Then, I approached the bastards who had all fallen at once and said gloomily,

"You dare try to run? You guys get special, extra-effort torture."

"H-huaa..."

"N-nooo...!"

Now, truly, no one dared to harbor thoughts of resistance. They couldn't resist before, but now they were in total despair. It seemed what happened to Inris was a massive shock.

I subdued the broken bastards and brought over the people who had been in the 'Room'. To summarize, they were men who had been NTR'd by the Gold Taeyangs and the women who had participated in it. Everyone looked around with anxious faces.

"Hello, everyone. First of all, let me say this. You are now free."

"Fr-free?"

One man looked around anxiously, then flinched when he saw a certain Gold Taeyang. Hmm. So you were the one who got hit by that guy. I dragged that guy in front of him for all to see.

The anxious-looking Gold Taeyang was startled when I raised my fist.

"Wh-why...!"

And then, a beating. A merciless beating. I dislocated his shoulders, broke his arms, pulled out all his teeth, and beat him until his internal organs were mush. In just a few minutes, he was begging for his life.

"How is it?"

"......"

"Are you still afraid of this cripple?"

"...Ah... ugh..."

At the word 'cripple', the Gold Taeyang couldn't even argue and tried to grab my ankle, begging for his life. When I stomped on his hand, the face of the frightened man changed. Witnessing that change, I shouted at the top of my lungs,

"Everyone! Look! These bastards can't even touch me! So, feel free to unleash all the resentment you've built up from now on!"

Even after seeing this scene, most had faces of disbelief. That's understandable. They had been conditioned. Helplessness and despair had been learned. So, I had to show them something radical. I used Super Regeneration to restore the Gold Taeyang I had broken. Perhaps because the gap between me and this trash was so large, it cost almost no mana.

"Here."

"......"

I placed an axe in the hand of the victim standing before me and said,

"Torment him to your heart's content."

"......"

Hesitation. His hand trembled. I personally took his hand and swung it down on the Gold Taeyang. Then, at some point, the axe moved on its own without my strength. The man hacked away at the Gold Taeyang without mercy.

"You son of a bitch! You bastard! How dare you touch my Blau!"

"Kuh-huck! Ke-heck!"

"Die! Die! Is having a big dick all that matters? Damn it! Fuck!"

The Gold Taeyang was minced once again. Whenever he couldn't stand the pain and tried to resist, I helped beat him up too.

The surroundings fell into silence as they watched the trash, now even more of a pulp than before.

"Alright! Everyone! There are plenty of weapons!"

I smiled from ear to ear and handed weapons to the victims one by one.

"Feel free to beat to death those you hold a grudge against! I give you my permission!"

However, they still hesitated, looking around as if something was missing. It's okay. There's still plenty of time. Patience is important for things like this.

Just then, a few Gold Taeyangs glared at the victims. As if to say, Do you want to die? Those bastards, asking for death. I immediately severed the limbs of the ones who had glared at them insolently.

"Kuaaack!"

"Kuaaaaack!"

I burned their faces with flames, minced their whole bodies, and repeated the process of regenerating them. After doing that a few times, they were trembling and begging as if they had never glared at anyone.

"St-stop... please..."

"I... was... wrong."

Perhaps awakened by that cowardly apology, the victims erupted in anger, and one of them showed a remarkable reaction.

"To me..."

"Y-yeah?"

"You never apologized to me once, you bastard!"

Crunch!

A refreshing kick as he ran up and stomped on the Gold Taeyang's crotch. Oh my.

"Kuaaaaa!"

I patted the shoulder of the courageous citizen who had kicked the head of the Gold Taeyang, who had fainted foaming at the mouth, and stomped on the filthy thing.

"Good! You're a very brave person! This is how you take revenge!"

Perhaps thanks to the courage of someone in the same situation and my praise, the male victims began to act proactively.

For quite a long time, blood and screams boiled over.

An hour passed. By the end, I was surprised by the torture methods they used that I hadn't even thought of.

But. This is annoying. To keep torturing them, I have to repair their bodies, but trying to Super Regenerate them one by one is... well. There's a limit to my stamina, not to mention mana. I looked at Rikka. Her flinching was somewhat cute.

"Rikka."

"......"

"Hey."

"Ah, augh..."

"..."

I need her spell, but she looks like a total wreck. But if I yell and beat her like the Gold Taeyangs, it might only make things worse. Let's leave her education for later.

I looked around. Now that the Gold Taeyangs were sprawled out and the men had vented their emotions in their own way, one important event remained. I watched the men and women hugging and rejoicing.

The most noticeable among them was the couple that had visited me before. Het and Haina.

"Het... I, I... I have to apologize to you...!"

"Haina. No. It's all because of that bastard Bold's vicious scheme."

Starting with them, men and women hugged each other, shedding tears. It was truly moving. And truly disgusting.

Clap, clap.

I clapped my hands to gather their attention. The men looked at me with gazes filled with fear and gratitude. I smiled at them and said,

"It's only just begun, so why are you sharing your joy already? I'm going to torture these guys for days."

"...Oh."

"Th-that."

What about that? Did they think they were satisfied after just a few slashes? After going through all that? What do I mean by that? Close your eyes and imagine. All the erotic content you've seen. Whether it's manga, porn, or real experience, imagine the most disgusting content among them.

That's exactly it.

The bastards trembling like lambs right now are the ones who have done those things tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of times. Things that are disgusting even in manga, they did in reality. Even if those idiots felt guilty after doing those things, they ignored the guilt and continued to do it.

That's the bastards of the Gold Taeyang Clan. There is no need to sympathize with them at all.

While watching manga, any normal human being must have imagined this at least once.

Ah, fuck. The protagonist is so frustrating. That bitch of a heroine. Fuck, I want to crack the heads of those damn villains. How can they get hit by something like that? Ah, you morons.

The Gold Taeyang Clan used their skills to actually perform the idiotic things that are only possible in manga. I'll say it again. They did things that are disgusting even in manga in reality. But you're going to forgive them after ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠experiencing it yourself? First, let me tell you one thing. It's to remind those male victims that the Gold Taeyangs are not the only enemies, the only targets of revenge.

I narrowed the distance to Het.

"Het. I'm glad you're safe."

"...Yes. Mr. Yeodre. Thank you for saving us."

Haina, held in his arms. Het's expression was bright, yet... somehow bitter. What is this? He realizes it too. I smiled and grabbed the hair of the damn slut held in Het's arms.

"Oh, augh?!"

"W-wait...! Mr. Dre?!"

Het reached out in confusion. It's a bit burdensome since she's naked, hey. I didn't show my burden and said,

"Mr. Het."

"Uh..."

Het flinched at my call. I spoke to him in a flat tone.

"You haven't tortured Bold yet, have you? Aren't you being too kind?"

Het looked bewildered and protested,

"Wait...! What does that have to do with treating Haina roughly..."

"It has everything to do with it."

"......"

"Mr. Het. Aren't you even angry?"

"Y-yes?"

"That's understandable. Because this fucking bitch betrayed you and hooked up with that piece-of-shit punk, didn't she?"

At my words, everyone focused on me. Men, women. Especially the women had expressions as if their hidden shame had been exposed. Haina's face turned pale, and seeing that face, Het defended her.

"Th-that's because of the threats! She couldn't help it because of drugs or skills..."

"How do you know that?"

"Th-that's obvious if you look at the circumstantial evidence, isn't it?"

Circumstantial evidence? How laughable.

"I have an amazing grasp of the movement of Demonic Energy. Through my eyes, there are no skills currently on this woman or those other bitches."

"......"

"You might not know how it was at first, but later on, they hooked up with those Gold Taeyangs voluntarily."

One could say they lost to pleasure in extreme situations, but I know. These women just chose the easier path, pretending to be victims themselves. They truly betrayed the lover they would have loved by succumbing to violence. Without any resistance.

I know. I know of a girl who threw herself off a building after walking a difficult, honest, and righteous path. Because I saw such a girl, in my eyes, those women looked like accomplices. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Mr. Het."

"......"

"Aren't you actually very angry?"

At the bitch who betrayed him. At the traitor who betrayed his love. Het, glancing at the trembling Haina, gritted his teeth and said,

"I... am angry. But as I said before, it couldn't be helped..."

"Really?"

At my whisper, Het froze.

"Really couldn't be helped? Is this whore, who voluntarily got on top of Bold, shook her hips, rejoiced, criticized you, and enjoyed the pleasure, really precious to you? Mr. Het?"

I wasn't just looking at Het anymore. I looked at the faces of the men around me, and they stared into my eyes as if bewitched. I nodded at them, telling them their thoughts were correct.

"Those bitches are accomplices."

At my words, murmurs arose, and then protests erupted.

"...N-no!"

"That's right. We couldn't help it... ugh."

The bitch who was talking was cut by a slash I sent and knelt. Screams erupted, but I don't care.

"I will give you a choice."

I looked around at the men again.

"Get out of here right now and return to your lives. Don't worry, I won't leave any trace that you were here. However, you can't take the women."

"......"

"......"

It was a tyrannical act, but no one could argue with my words, as I had saved their lives and pulled them out of the abyss. Perhaps they were afraid of me, or... perhaps their true intention was that they wanted revenge.

I said, expecting their thirst for revenge,

"The other option is revenge."

Thump.

The heartbeat that had stopped after the fight with Inris pulsed again. Ah. Just imagining it is fun.

"Revenge. Yes. Revenge. Shouldn't you pay it back? Good for good, evil for evil! The good of cider for the good of me saving you! The evil called the hammer of justice for the evil of the wicked women who betrayed you! Even if you don't pay it back twofold, shouldn't you at least pay it back exactly as it was?"

Before I knew it, the men had pulled away from the women. They knew it too, in fact. They must have been in despair.

Seeing the precious connection they had, now underneath or on top of another man, they must have thought it was irreversible. That what I cherished was nothing but that. They just kept their mouths shut, suppressed by the situation where their minds were broken by debuffs close to brainwashing by skills, and there was no sharp way to solve the situation.

Everyone knows. They were just hiding their true feelings tightly. I just need to give them a little push. Like a certain clown in a movie said. Madness begins when you give it a push.

Yeah. It's really nothing special.

"Hey. Mui?"

"Raiku... why, why are you like this."

"Say something... Zepar..."

Silence. But their expressions were changing every moment. Despair. Sadness. And anger.

"I will give you exactly 1 minute. Those who remain will be considered to have automatically participated in the event I am holding. From then on, I will also give orders forcibly. If you want to leave, now is the time."

At my declaration, everyone focused on me.

"...I will count the time. 60. 59..."

1 minute passed. No one left.

The women looked at the men with eyes that said they couldn't be trusted. Those slut-like bitches, not knowing their place.

Watching the men avoiding my gaze, I decided to remind them that they were victims and rightful avengers. Just like I had awakened their anger toward the Gold Taeyangs, I performed a few simple acts.

For example, by making the now-frozen Gold Taeyangs use skills and threats on the women they had trained, turning them back into bitches. Is it because pleasure was learned? At first, the women knew they shouldn't act like bitches even in this situation and resisted the pleasure. But that was only for a moment. They inevitably started to moan uglily.

It was my doing, but it was very effective. After seeing that sight, the male victims stepped forward without me even asking.

Pow! Pow!

They started punching, and a merciless beating began. It was violence equal to, or even greater than, beating up the Gold Taeyang men.

"Eek! Eeeeeek!"

"You fucking bitch! I trusted you! I trusted youuuu!"

"I'm going to smash your head!"

"You slutty bitch!"

"It hurts! It huuuurts!"

"Die! Die!"

Clang! Clang!

"You bastards! You come here too!"

"Where are you trying to act tough again, you punk!"

"Aaaack!"

"I, I was wrong!!"

A feast of blood began, with the Gold Taeyangs mixed in.

Hmm. Good. Now ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it feels like something is finally starting.

Watching the scene with satisfaction, a good idea popped into my head. If it pops up, I have to execute it immediately. I won against these guys, against the entire Gold Taeyang Clan. I will take the spoils, the pleasure.

But why is this? Is it because I showed favor to the men? The words that person from before, Shin Suyeon, said to me came to mind.

Yeah, Suyeon. It's different from what you said. Everything you talked about is just a delusion.

10th Floor.

Suyeon's hospital room was beyond the wall. When I gently pushed the wall, it groaned and slid in, revealing a metal door and a recognition device. Dre used the eyeball he had extracted from Shin Jin-pae; the recognition device disengaged, and the door opened. The room inside was empty. The blankets and pillows were disheveled, as if someone had just gotten up.

"Hide and seek. I like it."

Dre muttered, humming a tune. Raeband, the scholar, and Kaits watched him silently and followed. It was finally the catastrophe. After dealing with Suyeon, what would be left for Dre?

...Arrest?

No. According to Kaits' information, he had been playing a game before coming to this world. And the scholar had confirmed that it was true. For an immense amount of time. He only played games. Why on earth? With what thoughts?

"......"

What is the conclusion of this memory? But I felt I knew one thing. This guy is absolutely not a hero. Raeband thought he wasn't even a good person.

As they exited the hospital entrance, corpses that hadn't been visible in the night were strewn about. Dre looked toward the flowerbed.

Kang Gu-han. His whole body had burst, a gruesome corpse, but his face was relatively intact. Shin Jin-pae was gone.

"...Hmm."

"A guy with strong bad luck."

Dre moved on, tilting his head as if he couldn't understand. Then, Ah, right. He clapped his hands and pulled something like a long stick from his inner pocket. He pressed the switch on the stick, and...

Kukwaaaaaaaa!

The hospital was engulfed in an explosion and began to burn. Since the surroundings were full of rock walls, there didn't seem to be any worry about the fire spreading to the forest.

"Fire is good, after all."

Is narration even necessary at this point? Raeband felt puzzled.

And Dre moved forward, then frowned. Foreigners in plain clothes that didn't fit this place. Beside them, foaming at the mouth and holding guns, lay numerous corpses. Judging by their white coats or black suits, they must have been hospital staff. The corpses of the hospital staff were full of gunshot wounds, but the foreigners Dre had summoned showed no particular wounds.

"Ha. Doing all sorts of things."

Dre continued to move forward. Then, he suddenly turned to the side. Looking closely, footprints remained on the floor. Was it a trap?

"No way."

Dre laughed happily and continued to move forward. What appeared was an open cliff and a monument. Something was written on it. Dre checked the monument up close. Names were written, but the handwriting was quite crude. As if it wasn't written by an expert, but learned over someone's shoulder—.

Tata-ta.

Someone rushed at Dre, and Dre easily dodged it just by twisting his torso.

"Ugh..."

Unable to overcome her own momentum, she fell to the floor; she was a girl of small stature with bandages wrapped all over her face. I knew she was a girl because of the frail moan she let out. She held a syringe in her hand.

"Whoa. I thought your brother had hidden you away. I guess he couldn't have been that fast."

"Haa... haa... Brother? Jin-pae did?"

Compared to her appearance, which looked like she would collapse at any moment, her voice was fine. But she couldn't hide the trembling of her legs and body.

"Nice to see you. Suyeon. It's been a while."

The origin of this memory revealed itself. It seemed the final act was finally drawing near. The wind blew, whipping their hair.

A moment of silence. Suyeon opened her mouth first.

"...If you punish me. What will you do next?"

"I haven't thought about it yet."

"Are you going to kill me?"

"No? Why just kill you? Obviously, I'm going to torture you and then kill you."

"...Ahaha."

The same laughter as always. Suyeon, who was laughing with a hiccup, wondering what was so funny, raised her face. Her eyes were full of laughter.

"If this is revenge, and punishing the villain, then after you kill me, you should kill yourself."

"? Why me?"

"Why, you ask."

Suyeon pointed at Dre with her finger.

"You. You knew."

"......"

"That I was suspicious. That I would soon start harming your friends at the dojo. You knew every single detail."

"So?"

"But. You just stood by. No, to be precise, you used them to create an excuse for you to go on a rampage."

Suyeon laughed.

"I know."

"What."

"You pushed Seo Ye-rin off the roof of that dojo."

"......"

The two who were there. The three who were watching. Everyone, unable to open their mouths.

A catastrophe approaches the memory. A catastrophe where no one knows what will happen.