Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: Interrogation (2)
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“You...”
The first to react was Gray.
She growled as she placed her hand on the hilt of the Holy Sword.
The way her fingers tapped on the pommel made her irritation and anger plain to see.
“You keep saying things that make no sense. Are you plotting something, talking like that on purpose?”
“Hmm? How is this hard to understand? I’m saying I’m interested in Oppa.”
“⋯⋯.”
Gray and Felix both had thick veins bulging on their faces at the sight of her smiling brightly as she said that.
“⋯⋯You wanna die right now?”
The writhing intensity and clarity of her rage made Felix look like a gentle puppy by comparison⋯⋯
[⋯⋯What are you even critiquing here.]
‘⋯⋯It just happened.’
The atmosphere was definitely on the verge of exploding.
But Asmodeus’s face, with Gray right in front of her, remained utterly calm.
“Hmm, you’ll kill me?”
“You think you can?”
“Give it a try.”
“⋯⋯.”
Gray’s face twisted at the flat response.
Asmodeus smiled brightly as she spoke, facing her.
“Right now, I can’t use my full power in the Material Realm either. You’d probably win. But I could manage to take you down with me.”
“⋯⋯.”
“If you die, how’s the rest of humanity supposed to stop the Archdemons? Unlike me, the ones who manifest through proper rituals—you can’t beat those.”
“⋯⋯.”
Carlyle rubbed his face.
⋯⋯A valid point.
If Gray, who hadn’t finished growing yet, died or suffered irreparable damage, taking on the Archdemons waiting in the wings would be next to impossible.
That’s why she could sit here acting so bold. She had absolute confidence in her own power.
Even in her incomplete state, she could match the Hero as she was now. Something like that.
“Lady. Could you hold off for a moment?”
“-Hey, what are you agreeing with her for?”
Gray whipped her head toward Carlyle, her face flushed with anger.
“Lady.”
Carlyle smiled faintly and nodded to Gray.
“I’m begging you.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Let me handle this.”
Gray’s face slowly hardened as she saw that expression.
Well, of course.
It was an expression she rarely—if ever—saw on Carlyle, who always took her side unconditionally.
What to call it?
⋯⋯Wary, weary.
He was tense, as if worried she might lose her temper and ruin everything.
As if he’d been through that experience countless times.
“⋯⋯.”
While Gray froze at the unfamiliar face.
Asmodeus, who had been watching with interest, opened her mouth.
“She listens so well. How’d you tame her?”
“⋯⋯Even so, could you refrain from rude remarks?”
“No, that’s just it. I thought Heroes isolated themselves if you just left them alone. Did Oppa rebuild her from the ground up?”
“⋯⋯.”
“No wonder she didn’t fall for my obvious advances. You two must have some special bond?”
“What are you trying to—”
Carlyle’s words cut off abruptly.
He’d instantly noticed the surroundings changing drastically.
-Everything was frozen.
The entire environment around him stood still, like a paused photograph.
And within it, the only one who could move was Carlyle himself.
He’d seen the Hero in the Holy Sword pull something similar, but this felt far more alien by comparison.
To begin with.
‘⋯⋯Hero?’
He called out.
No response.
⋯⋯His connection to the Holy Sword was severed.
In this frozen world, Carlyle was utterly alone.
“Hmm, yeah, it still works this much. Worth gathering all those followers.”
⋯⋯No.
Asmodeus across from him was included.
The silver-haired, red-eyed demon rose from her seat with a bright smile and walked toward Carlyle.
She leaned in close, thrusting her upper body forward to bring her face near his.
“Ah—don’t worry, I haven’t actually stopped time. I’ve just connected your mind to mine. Your senses are left intact as is.”
“⋯⋯Isn’t that the prep work you do to brainwash someone?”
The smile on Asmodeus’s face deepened.
“You know so much, Oppa. Who told you all that?”
Carlyle sighed and continued.
“⋯⋯What’s the point of this?”
“Just to have a little private chat.”
“⋯⋯.”
“I told you. The only one I’m interested in is Oppa.”
“⋯⋯.”
As Carlyle stared at her quietly, she stroked his face with her finger and spoke.
“Not that I asked it myself.”
She stuck out her tongue a bit, her red demon eyes gleaming bewitchingly.
“Oppa, do you know anything about the future?”
⋯⋯It was the question she’d heard from Rachel, the puppet she controlled.
“There’s no such thing as seers or prophets. You’ve tried scamming with that yourself, so you know.”
“Yeah, and that’s why I’m even more sure since I’ve tried it.”
Asmodeus slowly lowered her hand and gently wrapped it around Carlyle’s neck.
“Nothing you’ve done so far makes sense unless you know the real future.”
“⋯⋯.”
“There’s no such thing in this world. But if there were, it’d have to be you.”
Taming a Hero the demons had left to self-destruct.
Building bonds with her side.
Preemptively finding and claiming humans with talents to protect humanity.
Knowing intimate details about demons who never showed themselves.
⋯⋯Even seeing through the plans they were plotting.
“So, tell me?”
With both hands gripping his neck, she smiled innocently.
A gesture implying he’d better answer well.
“Oppa, between demons and humanity, who wins in the end?”
“⋯⋯.”
⋯⋯She asked about a war deciding the world’s fate like it was which favorite sports team would win.
Carlyle answered flatly.
“Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell a lowlife like you.”
“Why not—?!”
“I told you. I don’t like you.”
“That’s too much— what do you even know about me?”
“Aren’t you a bat?”
Carlyle snorted at Asmodeus, who pouted as she spoke.
“Ehhh—?”
“Demon or human, whoever wins is on my side. Something like that, if I remember right.”
In a way, she deserved to be called a true demon.
Unlike other Archdemons whose survival hinged on devouring humanity and expanding their domain, Asmodeus’s principle was purely ‘herself.’
As Carlyle had clung to Gray and shone at the end of that regression, Asmodeus had openly approached him countless times.
In the whole world, she believed only herself mattered most.
⋯⋯The reason Carlyle despised her so intensely.
Capricious, egocentric, cruel, willing to sell out yesterday’s allies to get what she wanted.
He’d seen that side of her enough to be sick of it through the cycles.
But even at his reaction, Asmodeus didn’t care and yanked his neck closer to her face.
The exquisitely beautiful woman’s face drew near. Then, Asmodeus hugged him tight and let out a squeal.
“You do know roughly, don’t you?”
“⋯⋯.”
“See? My eye for men never fails. I’ve wanted you before, but now I want you even more!”
“⋯⋯I’ll never be yours.”
“Oppa.”
As he curtly retorted.
“You hate the Hero, right?”
Suddenly.
Poison seeped into his ear.
“-”
For a moment, all expression vanished from Carlyle’s face.
“⋯⋯If you’re sowing discord, there are better lines you could use.”
“I said earlier, this is just our minds connected, right?”
Asmodeus, still hugging him, slowly turned her body.
“So, I can vaguely sense what Oppa ‘feels’ right now.”
Positioning so Carlyle’s gaze would lock onto Gray.
“⋯⋯Whatever you say, it doesn’t really hit home. I just want the Lady to be happy.”
“No, no, not that self-brainwashing nonsense.”
The poison seeped stronger into his ear.
“No one else can hear what we say in here. Just you and me, minds linked.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Oppa, how much suffering has the Hero caused you?”
“⋯⋯.”
“Not just some bullying.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Lies won’t work. I can feel it even now.”
Asmodeus stuck out her tongue and slowly traced the outer edge of his ear.
“Every time you look at that girl, you get scared sometimes, right? Afraid of going through something horrific again.”
“⋯⋯.”
“People precious to you died because of the Hero?”
“⋯⋯.”
“Not just them—you’ve died yourself? No, many times. I don’t know how that’s possible.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Don’t you hate it? No matter how much you suppress it.”
-The one who piled endless agony on Oppa.
“⋯⋯.”
⋯⋯It felt like his lungs were being crushed.
Playful, teasing, disgustingly frivolous tone.
But the content pierced at the core he’d never even told the Holy Sword.
“⋯⋯Can you really stick with her to the end?”
“⋯⋯.”
Carlyle sighed.
She sure was persistent.
He knew exactly what nuance this conversation carried.
“⋯⋯Are you tempting me with promises of treating me well?”
“Hmm, well~? If Oppa wants, we could talk details~?”
“⋯⋯.”
“I almost never humble my pride like this. I’m an Archdemon, you know? An Archdemon.”
This demon seemed genuinely not joking about wanting him.
And.
Carlyle knew the perfect way to deal with clingers like her.
“Asmodeus.”
“Yeah?”
“Do this crap one more time, and I’ll kill myself.”
“⋯⋯.”
For the first time.
The demon’s face went blank.
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