I Am Kang Han-gil
Ring-ring-ring. Ring-ring-ring.
I had been lost in a deep, sweet, dreamless slumber, but an irritatingly familiar noise dragged my consciousness toward the surface, making my brow furrow hard.
"Ugh, what the hell..."
Conditioned by years of modern life, my hand reflexively groped around the pillow, searching for that familiar palm-sized weight and the blunt, rectangular contour of a smartphone. After pawing at the empty air for a good while, clarity finally pierced through the fog in my mind, and a dry laugh slipped past my lips.
"...Ha."
How utterly ridiculous. It had been quite some time since I transmigrated into this world, yet here I was, still hunting for my smartphone like an idiot. Habit really was a terrifying thing. Or was this just lingering smartphone withdrawal?
Ring-ring-ring! Ring-ring-ring!
"...Wait."
If that was the case, what was this incessant ringing tone chiming in my ears?
Shaking off the last dregs of sleep, I pulled myself together and surveyed my surroundings.
Within the smoothly gliding carriage, wrapped in the cool shadows of drawn blinds, my companions were sound asleep, their soft, steady breathing filling the cabin. I lingered on the sight for a moment, gently brushing my fingers across the peaceful faces of Muriel and Rebecca, who were nestled flush against my side.
Ring-ring-ring! Ring-ring-ring!
"...Ah."
Hearing the vibration rattle inside my skull once more, the truth finally clicked. I unraveled the Silk of Atonement bound around my left arm and looked down at the grotesque limb beneath. The second the thought of answering crossed my mind, an eye, a nose, and a pair of lips sprouted straight from the flesh.
"—You're rather slow to answer. Pick up faster next time."
"...You've got to be kidding me." I let out a soft snort, staring dead into the glistening eye on my forearm. "Do you really feel like chatting with someone you fought to the death with less than a day ago?"
"—Hm? I haven't the slightest idea what you mean. Is it so odd for lovers who enjoyed a delightful 'date' to share a morning call?"
"...Good grief. Why do I even bother? So, how's your body holding up?"
"—Oho? Don't tell me you're actually worried about me?"
"Hardly. I'm checking for lingering side effects. If your recovery is crawling or you ended up crippled, you'll be my top priority target."
"—Haha! Truly, that is my Han-gil. But there is no need for such concern! This body has already mended the vast majority of its wounds!"
"...Seriously?"
It had not been just any attack. She had taken a direct blast of God's Miracle, channeled through a legendary church relic and fueled by authentic divine authority. To think she had already healed from that seemed impossible, and I couldn't help pressing the point.
"—Fufu. What an amusing face you're making. To be frank, I lied. I have only recovered about half. Purging the sacred power burrowing through my flesh is proving quite arduous."
"Hmm. Think it'll take you long to fully recover?"
"—Who can say? Even I cannot gauge it with certainty. But it likely will not take overly long."
"...Is that so? What a shame."
Ideally, I would have preferred her bedridden for as long as possible... but I supposed expecting that much was asking for miracles.
"Next time, I'll definitely kill you."
"—I shall be eagerly anticipating it, husband."
"Who the hell is your husband? Having Tsarkhella scream that at me is more than enough..."
"—Kuku. Shouldn't you consider it an immense honor? The supreme monarch of all demons and ruler of spacetime is deigning to offer herself to you."
"Then betray the Evil God. Do that, and maybe I'll find a spot for you in my harem."
I tipped a flask of liquor back, letting the potent spirit flood my mouth, savoring its sharp bite before swallowing it down. "Phaa..."
"—You drink with such exquisite relish."
"Hm? What, you want some? Care for a sip?"
"—If offered, I shall gladly partake."
"...I was joking. Can you actually drink like that?"
"—Of course. Are you truly looking down upon the 'blessing' I personally engraved into your flesh?"
"Blessing, my ass... Fine, whatever. You can drink, right?"
Tilting the flask toward the mouth on my forearm, the strangely sensuous lips parted slightly. But as the rim hovered above them, I hesitated.
"Wait a second. Are you sure this won't cause any problems? It feels bizarre."
Mouth or not, objectively speaking, it was just a fleshy hole in my arm. Pouring strong liquor into it felt uncomfortably close to injecting alcohol straight into my bloodstream. Was she trying to assassinate me via acute alcohol poisoning?
"—Worry not. It shall bring no harm to your vessel."
"Really? Well, if you say so..."
Then again, it wasn't like she would resort to such a petty, underhanded scheme at this point. If anything, she was terrified of my death. Nodding lightly, I tipped the flask and poured a steady stream into the parted lips.
"—Gulp! Whew... Delicious. Perhaps because I am sharing it with you, the flavor is all the more exceptional."
"Glad you like it."
"—Oho? I expected you to scoff, yet you seem surprisingly amenable."
"Good liquor isn't at fault. If you're going to drink, you might as well enjoy every drop, right?"
Shrugging, I took another swig from the flask, then reached down and wiped away the stray drop of alcohol glistening over Rubias's lips.
"—Ngh... Are you seducing me, my love?"
"...Stop talking nonsense. Now, spit it out. Why did you call? You have actual business, don't you?"
"—Must I have an explicit purpose to seek your voice?"
"What are you, some clingy, obsessive girlfriend?"
Though I scowled, a fleeting memory of the girlfriend I had dated in my previous life flashed through my mind. I had promised to marry her... yet somehow, I had ended up in this deranged fantasy world, building an absurd harem of lethal women. A twinge of guilt pricked at my conscience.
"......"
What had actually happened to my original body back on Earth? Was I dead after all?
"—Your expression has darkened. What thoughts could possibly breed such a somber face?"
"Nothing. It's nothing... Just get to the point. Quickly."
"—Hmph... I wished to savor this quiet moment a while longer, but..."
"...I'm cutting the connection."
"—Wait, stay your hand! So utterly impatient. Very well, very well."
A soft cough echoed as she cleared her throat, her voice adopting a far more solemn, weighty cadence.
"—Kang Han-gil. When shall our next date be?"
"...Did you seriously contact me just for that? I'm hanging up."
"—I-It was a jest! My true reason lies elsewhere!"
"Haa... Then spit it out already."
Resisting the urge to gouge the obnoxious eyeball fluttering in my flesh, I tipped the flask again and dumped liquor straight into her mouth.
"—Mmph, gulp! Phaa! Do not pour so abruptly! You startled me!"
"Talk."
"—Understood, understood... Ahem. It appears Annus and Otiliv have taken an extraordinary interest in you."
"...I know."
"—You know? Then do you also know that those wretched wenches are preparing to orchestrate something foul?"
"What? Explain in detail."
My eyes sharpened, locking dead onto the crimson pupil staring out from my forearm.
"—Ahn... To meet my gaze so intensely. I can feel your ardent affection, making the heat pool deep within my—"
"Shut up. Can you please, for once, just get straight to the damn point?"
"—Kh-khem. My apologies. Regardless... Otiliv seems fascinated by the fact that you caught my eye, received my blessing, and obliterated her flesh avatar. There is likely a trace of petty vengeance mixed in as well... In any case, do you know what that gloomy woman's favorite pastime is?"
"Toying with a human who catches her eye before slaughtering them? To be precise, she gets off on reducing them to a state where they despair of their very existence while forcing them to remain alive."
"—...You know it remarkably well. How?"
A flash of jealous fury flickered within the demonic eye. I smirked, curling the corner of my lips.
"Well, I've shared plenty of life-and-death bonds with the other Demon Kings, too, haven't I?"
"......"
The eye narrowed into a sullen slit before letting out an exasperated sigh.
"—Haa... I am worried already. My husband is such an incorrigible philanderer. How on earth am I to discipline you later?"
"So, Otiliv is plotting to make me her new plaything?"
"—...Indeed. Alongside Annus. Do you know of Annus's inclinations as well?"
"A voyeur. He pulls strings from the dark to torment a target, then sits back and derives sick pleasure from watching their agonized reactions. A creepy, suffocating stalker."
"—Precisely. In that regard, Otiliv and Annus share an abhorrently harmonious synergy."
"So two miserable creeps decided to join forces?"
"—Yes. Before long, a crisis will likely befall you, or those around you. You must exercise extreme caution."
"Hmm..."
I rubbed my chin, scowling in thought. Being targeted by high demons was one thing, but two full-fledged Demon Kings turning their sights on me at once was an entirely different headache. Nothing like this had ever occurred in the original game storyline. How was I supposed to navigate this?
"—...Should you desire it, I could assist you."
"What? You can do that? Aren't you fellow Demon Kings?"
Rubias scoffed dismissively.
"—Though we bear the shared mantle of Demon King, there is neither fellowship nor kinship among us. If anything, our relations are venomous... calling them targets of bitter hatred would be more accurate."
"Ho... Well, if you're offering help, I've got no reason to decline."
"—My price is a date."
"Don't you ever get tired of that?"
"—However, this time, I desire an ordinary date—one devoid of bloodshed, strife, or dying."
"...Hey, think about this for a second." I tapped her lips with a sly grin. "If you can't stand the thought of watching me die, don't you have to help me regardless?"
Rubias had no idea that I possessed the ability to regress through death. To her, my death was permanent, meaning she was terrified of losing me. She was trapped; she had no choice but to keep me alive.
"—To exploit a maiden's pure love in such a manner... You truly are the worst."
"I use whatever tools are on the table."
"—Utterly relentless. Yet, as you say, this body cannot idly watch you perish. Should you die, the abyss of loss would shatter my mind. However... what of the deaths of those around you? Their demises mean nothing to me... but would your heart not bleed for them?"
"......"
Silence fell over the cabin as I glared down at the arm. Rubias met my gaze with unyielding, relaxed amusement.
"...Tsk. Fine. You win. I accept the terms."
"—A splendid choice. I am already dizzy with anticipation. I shall inform you of the date and venue at a later time."
"Yeah, yeah... So how exactly do you plan to help?"
"—I shall personally keep Annus and Otiliv under surveillance, relaying their movements to you in real-time. Furthermore, I shall grant you access to my authority."
"Through my left arm? That sounds sketchy."
"—Worry not. Whatever subtle corruption I originally intended will no longer work against you, now that your spiritual stature has ascended."
"...So you really were planning to screw with me from the start?"
My lingering suspicions were officially confirmed.
"—Fufufu. Indeed. It is truly a pity. Had you indulged in drawing upon my authority through your left arm more frequently, your soul would have been tainted by now, and you would have fallen helplessly, madly in love with me."
"Haa..."
This woman was a walking landmine. Lowering my guard around her for even a second was out of the question.
"...Just shut up and drink."
"—Gladly. I shall savor every drop."
And with that, an unholy pact known to no one else in the world was quietly forged.
The carriage rolled steadily forward, finally crossing the grand threshold into Terabaon, the ducal seat of House Stanasila.
Yet rather than rejoicing over our safe return, the party members sat in tense, heavy silence, their expressions taut and pale.
To be fair, my face wasn't looking much better.
"Waaaah~! Is that castle Hangil-nim's house? It's so ginormous!"
"As expected of Hangil-nim. Such grandeur is only natural."
"......"
Of course, there were exceptions—namely Pashtra, who was totally oblivious to the suffocating mood and marveling with pure, airheaded awe, and Latipi, whose absolute reverence and fanatic devotion kept her entirely unbothered by worldly concerns.
The carriage came to a halt in the lush gardens of the Duke's Castle. As we stepped down onto the manicured grounds, an unfamiliar butler and a flock of servants came rushing out, bowing in unison with practiced haste.
"Lady Weller Stanasila! Lord Alzen Stanasila! Lady Vivian Stanasila! Welcome ba...!?"
Mid-greeting, the head butler faltered, staring up at me with an utterly baffled expression.
"U-Um... Lord Alzen... is that you?"
Between the mounting tension and the sour churn in my gut, I brought a hand-rolled cigarette to my lips, struck a flame, and dragged in a deep, burning breath of smoke. Letting the gray plume spill slowly past my teeth, I answered flatly.
"...No."
"I am Kang Han-gil."
At my cold declaration, the butler could only stare back in absolute, helpless confusion.