The Great Heavenly Demon

"What the hell did you do?"

"...Damn, the Heavenly Demon's strong as hell."

"I said, what the hell did you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do?"

Scratch, scratch. Taebaek scratched his head and looked away. Watching him do it, Vlack felt his insides curdle with frustration. Why did we bother patching this idiot up again? We should have just let him die.

"Wasn't she always that strong?"

"I told you. Keep your head down and stay quiet."

"What? Hey, I was staying quiet. They came looking for me — doesn't that mean they came prepared for a fight?"

"Prepared, my ass."

THWACK!

Vlack's hand cracked across Taebaek's bandage-wrapped head.

"Ow!"

"What am I supposed to do with you? No, seriously — you knew the stream was running, and you still pulled that crap?"

"I didn't do it to Lily."

"Congratulations, you absolute clown."

Vlack let out a long sigh. Taebaek had already been a walking controversy, and this incident had sent his reputation plummeting to rock bottom. No — it wasn't just his reputation. Black Moon's own name was dangling over the abyss now. And this time, he'd made physical contact on top of everything else...

"Moya. Stop treating him. Just leave him be — he can die or live, whatever."

"Should I, now?"

"No! I'll lose EXP!"

"Are you out of your mind."

Moya, the guild's healer, gave the last remaining vitality bandage one final vicious YANK, then dusted off her hands.

"Then I'll stop here~"

"Ah, ah! Gently! Your skill's pain-sympathy scaling is huge!"

"Dunno. Don't get hurt, then."

"What? Hey, is that any way to talk to your vice guildmaster—"

"Do you even know what you've done? Every single community is on fire again. People were already watching us like hawks since the Heavenly Demon came back."

Moya shared a window with him. Posts of insults and condemnation filled most of the board. Worse, the current incident had dragged all his past controversies back into the spotlight with it.

"It's not like the Lily incident. Back then it blew over after a quick skim and people gave you the benefit of the doubt. This time you actually laid hands on her."

"This time I can't cover for you either."

"But I was close with the Heavenly Demon. Can't you manage even that much?"

"The Heavenly Demon doesn't seem to think so."

If they were so close, would she have smashed her way through the entire Black Moon fortress trying to kill him? Vlack's sigh-laden question made Taebaek wiggle his bandaged hand.

"She's changed. She used to love it when people played along with her old-man speech. I used to visit the fallen Heavenly Demon Sect all the time."

"So that made you think her shoulder was fair game?"

"I didn't say that."

"Right, moron."

......

"The vice guildmaster seat. Give it up."

"...Fine. I'll lay low again. What, you gave me two weeks last time, so three this time?"

"No."

Shing. CRASH!

Vlack's beloved blade, Black Destroyer, embedded itself in the floor right in front of Taebaek. Taebaek gulped at the murderous aura pouring off him and braced for his sentence — but the next words were something he could never, ever accept.

"Give it all up. Your shares too — keep only what an executive gets, hand over the rest."

"What? No — hey, that's not happening."

"No, it is. I've looked the other way at your daily nonsense, but this time I can't cover for you. Covering for you is going to kill us all."

"You're throwing me away?"

"I won't tell you to give up everything, so give up what you have to. I'm already bending over backwards for you. Any ordinary guild member would've been expelled and posted on the public record by now."

"Expelled? Public record? Do you have any idea how much I've done for this guild?"

RIIIP!

Taebaek tore off his bandages and sprang up from his seat. The moment the healing weakened, the Heavenly Demon qi still lingering in his body began devouring his stamina at an alarming rate.

"Uh, if you take that off the healing won't—"

"Look at this. After everything I've done, this is how I get repaid?"

"You're the one repaying me like this. How long am I supposed to keep looking the other way for you?"

"I can just self-reflect again, can't I? If four weeks isn't enough, I'll do three whole months. A flute? I'll throw that in too if you want it."

"Don't need it."

"But the shares, no."

Guild shares. Those shares granted more than mere influence over the guild — they conferred rights to a slice of the guild's revenue and to the use of its equipment and items. On top of that, the votes at the monthly guild meeting were allocated according to share ratio. And among the many matters decided at those meetings, one in particular...

"If my shares vanish, the kids will go for my throat first. You're telling me to just hand them over?"

...was the 'expulsion' of guild personnel.

"That wouldn't happen if your conduct weren't so execrable."

"Don't talk shit. Sure, I touched her, but it was nothing. Honestly, I just put an arm around her — she came swinging way harder than that. Doesn't that make her the worse one?"

"If you hadn't draped your arm there, you wouldn't have been hit. Does Lily go around smacking people for fun?"

"What about the Heavenly Demon, then?"

"Don't play word games. She came with Lily. That means both of them felt the same way."

Shing. Black Destroyer rose from the floor once more. WHOOOM! Vlack shouldered the greatsword, rose to his feet, and walked straight out of the treatment room. The door hissed shut ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠behind him...

"I'm going to clean up this mess with your shares. I won't tolerate the guild taking ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠any more damage because of you. If you'd rather not be expelled, start mending your reputation from this very moment."

"Hey... no way, right? That's messed up."

"Messed up indeed. Keeping you around is worse. Moya, hang in there."

"You too, guildmaster~"

"Hey! No, hold on, that's not—"

THUD!

Clatter. Clatter.

"Aigoo, these bandages. Such a waste, throwing them around like..."

"...You son of a—!"

"Oh, you startled me. Please don't shout like that."

"What? What did you just say to me? The absolute gall of—"

Click. Taebaek's mouth snapped shut. A single window materialized before his eyes.

"You do remember I'm an executive too, don't you? My 2.7% share gives me two votes."

"......"

"You'll be keeping quiet now, won't you?"

"...Yeah."

"I've kept you waiting a long while."

"You must be busy, in more ways than one."

The reception room of the newly repaired Black Moon fortress. There, the Heavenly Demon and I sat waiting over tea and sweets. The owner of the bracelet in question was none other than Vlack, guildmaster of Black Moon, so I had decided to come to Black Moon myself and meet him in person. He and I had been on the same team in the Mock Siege Battle, after all, and I'd taught at the academy on his invitation more than once.

With that history between us, the people of Black Moon naturally welcomed us warmly and ushered us here. And yet...

'Oh, it's Lily!' 'Heavenly Demon? Ooh~ it's been ages, hasn't it?'

The one person in all of Black Moon I couldn't stand, Taebaek, sidled up and started making eyes at us. We were guests, and we hadn't come to pick a fight, so as I was still weighing what to do, the moment he crossed the line, the Heavenly Demon moved first.

"Thinking on it again, it is beyond absurd. To think the second-in-command of the pack would comport himself with such discourtesy."

"He seemed to recognize you, Heavenly Demon."

"I met him once in the past, alongside Vlack. There was no bond of consequence."

"Hard to say. Perhaps he's someone precious to them within the guild."

Keeping someone mired in this many controversies around meant either that he gained something worth the risk, or that he was in a debt too deep to shake free of.

Though even that has its limits, surely.

CLUNK! The reception room door opened and Vlack stepped inside. He looked about ten years older than he had earlier.

"I'm sorry for the delay. I had some matters to deal with."

"Not at all. We're the ones who came to you."

"First, let me offer my apologies. I should have put him through disciplinary training long ago, but things have grown so hectic lately—"

"Then thou shouldst have reined him in long ago."

"......"

Pfft, pfft.

"Nay, I jest. Thou art no nursemaid — how couldst thou manage each and every member?"

"No, you're right. When a guild member errs, the fault lies with the guildmaster."

"Then the fault is thine, plain and simple."

"......"

"Hoho. It has been so long that even this trifling exchange delights me."

"I heard the gist of it. You've come because of the bracelet."

Vlack produced a bracelet and set it down on the table. The very same violet band that the Heavenly Demon and I carried. A smooth, featureless bracelet, unquestionably powerless for now.

"We obtained it from a dungeon high up in the mountains... I never dreamed it would come into play during the Great Cataclysm."

"How much do you know?"

"That this bracelet is part of the seal on the 'Kraken'? I also heard that five of them are currently spread among users."

"Then there is no need for explanations."

He'd apparently watched the stream and had his members report on it, so all I needed was his cooperation.

"...First, we have stripped Taebaek of his vice guildmaster position and reclaimed the guild shares he held. We will, of course, also be compensating you, Heavenly Demon, for the unpleasantness you were made to endure."

"Compensation, hm... And what dost thou intend to give?"

"Within the limits of what Black Moon can afford, we will grant whatever you desire. Naturally, we will cooperate with the World Boss subjugation as well."

"Hmm..."

After a moment of deliberation, the Heavenly Demon turned to look at me.

"Dost thou desire aught?"

"Me?"

Why me, all of a sudden?

"I have no reason to take anything, though? I wasn't harmed."

"Didst thou not find it displeasing?"

"Being annoyed a little is no big deal."

As long as no one gets too blatant ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about it, that level of leering pestering is something I've weathered more times than I can count. There was no need to suddenly get prickly about it now, after all this time.

The Heavenly Demon broke into a grin and shook her head.

"Whatever the reason, art thou not the one aiding me? That we came upon Vlack with such ease is thanks to thy virtue — so take this compensation for thyself. It suits thee well enough."

Giving away compensation just like that. I don't care for handouts with no strings attached, but as she said, I am indeed running myself ragged from place to place for the World Boss subjugation. For the Heavenly Demon, who needs to clear her quest, having me around must be a considerable comfort.

Above all, the one who'd have to pay the price was 'Vlack'.

"...If you insist, I'll accept with gratitude."

"L-Lily will be receiving it in my stead?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"No, there's nothing wrong with it, per se... though Lily was the one who suffered harm before, so..."

Vlack muttered, a flicker of unease crossing his face. He already had a pretty good idea of what I wanted. But it was too late now.

The one last thing I'd never managed to obtain.

"I need the Black Destroyer."