Reveal Thy Name!
Have you ever seen an exorcism in a TV show or movie? You know, tying down someone possessed by an evil spirit, with a priest splashing holy water in a pseudo-demon-banishing ritual. Usually, the first question the priest asks is to name the demon. Knowing the name defines its existence and gives you powerful dominance.
My situation was exactly that.
"Speak! What is thy name!"
"Ughhh…!!"
I gritted my teeth with all my might, scraping together every last drop of mana pooled at the bottom of my heart to boost my resistance. Absolutely not. I couldn't open my mouth. If I said my name here, who knew how things would spiral.
"To hold out so stubbornly! Miss, it seems this demon needs more baptism by light!"
At Heinrich's gesture, the ropes of light binding me tightened even more. It wasn't that painful. Just a bit hard to breathe. But Dusty was the problem.
─Kraaaah!!
─Save me, saaaave meee!!
The eyes floating everywhere swelled, shedding bloody tears even more furiously. The darkness filling the warehouse writhed in convulsive agony. It really looked like a demon screaming as its flesh melted from holy water—at least on the surface.
"Didst thou think thy paltry darkness could block the power of light!"
With Heinrich's shout, Cassandra stepped further inside. Her lips moved once more.
"Foul dregs of the wicked abyss. In the name of light, I command thee—spew forth the blasphemous word by which thou art called!"
"Ugh! Uhhh!"
A pressure on a whole different level from before. My tongue twisted on its own, throat muscles spasming. It felt like my mouth would open any second and my name would burst out.
"My… my name is…! I… Iiieeeek!"
"Still resisting, eh!"
My vision flashed white. Just as my lips trembled and forced themselves apart, I barely clung to my senses and scolded Dusty inwardly.
Hey! Stop blubbering and do something!
Vrrr—!
Was it my desperate command? Or just lashing out in pain? Sluuurp—!
Dusty's chains converged in one spot and started rampaging. Like a blind man swinging a whip wildly, black lines lashed out indiscriminately into the air.
Bam!Crash!
They smashed into the warehouse ceiling and pillars.
"……!"
"Miss!"
The roof groaned and caved in. Chunks of shattered stone and brick rained down like hail.
"Light's grace!"
Heinrich hurriedly stepped in front of Cassandra, erecting a thick barrier of light. Thud, boom! The falling debris hammered the barrier, thick dust billowing up. Naturally, focusing on the barrier loosened his control over the mana binding me.
Pluck, snap.
The light ropes around my limbs broke limply. At the same time, the coercive force of Cassandra's incantation weakened.
Now!
I kicked off the floor without hesitation and launched toward the window. Right before leaping from the sill into the thick darkness outside, I shouted back through the smoke-like dust cloud.
"You'll pay for this! I won't forget today!"
Half serious. What a hassle because of them.
"Thou foul demon! Where dost thou think you're fleeing!"
Spears of light pierced through the dust behind me. But I was already out. I ran without looking back.
How far did I run? Until the warehouse collapse sounds faded and only quiet night air brushed my cheeks. I stopped in a deserted back alley.
"Hoo."
Rewards Obtained: Cassandra and Heinrich's hatred
Potential Rewards:bounty and identity exposure risk
"………."
But what was this? This sense of satisfaction. People these days get addicted to short-form content and stimuli because of dopamine—I get it now. This was totally a medieval fantasy hidden camera prank. Except getting caught means death. Straight to hell.
But not getting caught? Pure thrill. That dopamine rush from narrowly escaping identity exposure in a life-or-death moment.
"You did great, Dusty!"
Good thing Dusty was free from the incantation's bind. Makes sense, thinking about it. Cassandra's word bound my actions as the entity. It couldn't reach Dusty, a distinctly separate ego.
High on adrenaline, I rolled up my sleeve and praised my left arm. Dusty, as if it had never suffered, formed smiling crescent eyes and rejoiced. It even sprouted tiny shadow tendrils on either side, wiggling them in a dance.
So it wasn't just me having fun. We all were.
"Aigoo, my poor bones."
As the excitement faded, suppressed fatigue crashed in. My jaw throbbed from resisting the incantation, body aching all over. Dopamine flushing out, my head cooled rationally like a lie. Thinking circuits back online.
Failed to even glimpse the ledger. Mission gloriously botched. Marked by the fanatic duo, possibly wanted posters tomorrow.
"Haa…."
A deep sigh escaped despite myself. Mission failed meant no money, and even the original goal of feeding Dusty flopped. I burned everything from earlier in the fight. Perfect deficit. How did it come to this? All for what….
Wait. Come to think of it.
I eyed the tiny dancing shadow on my forearm.
Wasn't the whole reason I was doing this nonsense to feed it?
"Hey."
I glared at my left arm with axe eyes.
"Thinking about it, this was all because of you from start to finish."
The dancing shadow froze. Anyway, this thing seemed unusually lively. Wait. Hooold on.
Isn't this weird? It smashed the ceiling earlier with that massive chain mass. Before that, it was suffering, shedding bloody tears. Normally, it should've digested everything eaten and collapsed exhausted. Yet here it was dancing on my arm, even getting hyped on dopamine with me?
Dusty's red eyes met mine in midair.
"You……."
My voice dropped an octave; the wiggly tiny shadow stiffened. Its red eyes rolled side to side, sweating bullets.
"You lying about being hungry and whining?"
─Vrr….
Dusty's eyes flinched at my interrogation. Hypothesis confirmed.
Acting like it'd be a big deal if not fed ASAP. Turns out it just wanted a snack and faked it?
"………."
Anger bubbled up. All my midnight hassle in this stuffy mask because it played pretend.
"Dusty."
I gripped my left arm hard. Startled by my menace, Dusty squeezed its eyes shut and tried burrowing into my skin.
"Where you going? Come out."
Anger at its peak turns calm. In a cold voice, I dragged Dusty back out. This couldn't slide.
The contract when we split egos: mutual consideration without harm. Verbal, but前提.
"But if you pull this, I can't trust you anymore, Dusty. Might as well cut off the arm and burn it for peace of mind."
My indifferent gaze swept my left arm slowly. Dusty's red eyes went white.
"Think I can't? Plenty live fine with one arm missing, Dusty."
Not empty threat. No matter how useful, if it escapes control and risks my daily life fatally, cut it decisively. Even if it costs my left arm.
─V-vrrr…! Vrr!
My intent transmitted; Dusty froze solid. I stated clearly.
"Don't forget. Who your master is."
We just accommodate each other. I am the主体. Forget that, and you're discarded.
─Vrr! Rrr!
Dusty trembled violently, then raised two thin shadow strands like hands, rubbing them together pleadingly.
─V-vrrr…!
Half-lidded red eyes poured clear tears profusely. More than the bloody tears in the warehouse. Like a child sobbing pitifully to parents.
Then, a sudden doubt hit.
Wait. How old is this thing?
Almost five years since naming formed its ego. Max five years old. Human toddler learning dances in kindergarten.
"………."
So right now, I was the adult glaring murder at a five-year-old faking "Mommy, I'm hungry, feed meee~" at midnight.
"Tsk…."
Even Teacher Oh would tsk at this. Calming slowly, I recalled. How Zepeto raised me. Never so forceful.
I looked at the formula on my right hand. Neat, warm embrace of all.
Anger fully subsided, I spoke softly to Dusty.
"…Stop."
Tears halted at my curt word. Dusty peeked, hiccuping silently—but felt like it.
"No more next time, got it?"
Dusty's eyes rolled up-down nodding fast. I sighed softly, fixing my outfit.
"…Guess I should head back to the client."
Kid caused trouble, parent's responsibility.
What if they demand penalty fee?
I trudged toward the tavern.
###
Fwoosh—.
The woman put the pipe to her lips. Smoke drawn deep into her chest billowed out onto the table.
"So, what'd they say?"
"Failed."
The woman eyed the grotesque wooden mask. Her gaze slowly scanned up and down: left arm, right hand, chest. Three Heart Images rippling across her body.
She pierced the largest, blazing blue at her chest center.
"No matter how I think, that wasn't a difficulty you'd fail."
"Two Heart Image mages interfered."
"Yeah. Still… hmm…."
Her slender fingers tapped the table. At her implicit urging, the mask explained defensively.
"…Uh, well. Not enough eyes and screams. I want more screams."
The woman removed her pipe, chuckling softly.
"Huhu. Yeah? I figured other reasons, but… I'll let this slide once. I like you quite a bit. But come take my next job too. Got it?"
"Got it. I'll come again. Then."
The mask exhaled in relief, rising hurriedly to leave.
The woman watched silently.
Whatever, no big deal.
Weighing the ledger against the masked woman, interest tilted heavily her way. So she could overlook this.
As she tapped ash from her pipe, lost in thought, the mask at the door paused, glancing back slyly.
"Hey."
"…What?"
"You won't charge penalty later, right?"
"……."
The woman paused her pipe hand. Brow furrowed faintly.
"…No. I don't pull petty stunts like that. Just go."
"Ah. Right. Then really off."
Creeak, thud.
The mask left with light steps, relieved.
"…What even is that."
The woman relit her pipe deeply.