Demon Seed (4)
I stepped between Varam and Ria, blocking his path.
"I'll say it one more time. Get lost, Varam."
My voice was as cold and unyielding as a sheet of ice.
Varam's torn mouth stretched wide, nearly to his ears, emitting a grotesque laugh.
"Kekeke... Come to think of it, who are you? I gave my name, but you haven't told me yours."
"I am the captain of the Jin Gang Regiment."
In that instant, Varam's laughter stopped.
"Ah... AHAHAHA! So you're that guy. The Haven captain that bastard Jagan wouldn't shut up about!"
Varam threw his head back and laughed maniacally.
Black saliva sprayed everywhere, scorching the ground.
"Haven's quite the topic in the demon realm too. Humans daring to stand against demons... and even a king who rules them as subordinates."
His voice mingled mockery, awe, and an inexplicable excitement in a strange brew.
His laughter slowly subsided.
Black smoke leaked from between his torn lips, and his voice dropped low and menacing, like an echo from the depths of the underworld.
"But that doesn't give you the right to speak to me so casually."
Varam's voice grew even lower.
A dissonant cacophony filled the space, as if thousands of souls were wailing in unison.
"I am the Archduke of Terror. How dare a worm like you—"
I snorted.
It was a genuine laugh of ridicule, dripping with contempt.
"You know it already, don't you? I'm not afraid of you."
I took one more step toward him.
The summoning circle's red glow barely illuminated the tips of my boots.
"Because..."
I stared straight into his bloodshot eyes and spoke.
My voice was calm, as if stating an obvious fact.
"No fool fears someone weaker than themselves."
Crack—
Varam's claws lashed out like lightning, raking the summoning circle.
The red barrier clashed with the black talons, producing a chilling friction sound.
Sparks flew, and the air filled with the stench of burning.
Yet the summoning circle held firm, unyielding.
"..."
Varam slowly withdrew his hand.
Hiss—
Black smoke rose from his claws.
Silence fell.
The wind stilled, and all surrounding sounds vanished.
A tension gripped the space, as if time itself had frozen.
And then—
"UHAHAHAHAHA!!"
Varam erupted into explosive laughter.
The ground trembled with his mirth, and the summoning circle's light flickered wildly.
"You're fun! Truly, the first human this entertaining in centuries!"
Varam stopped laughing and fixed his gaze on me.
"Looks like my time's almost up, but as thanks for the entertainment, I'll give you a gift."
He raised his hand, and black smoke gathered, forming a small shape.
"This bear is a low-grade demon. Use it to awaken the Demon Eye. To be honest..."
The corner of Varam's mouth curled up.
"The demon realm's too boring. Won't it get fun once the Demon Eye shows up?"
Varam's gaze swept over Ria behind me.
She shuddered under that look. Then his eyes slowly shifted to Lihen beside her.
"But I'm a little pissed off."
Varam's voice turned icy cold in an instant.
At that moment, clouds covered the sun.
In that fleeting moment of darkness—
"Gahk!"
Dark red blood gushed from Lihen's mouth like a fountain.
A massive hand of black smoke had pierced through his gut.
Moments later, black flames engulfed his entire body.
"Aaaah! Save... save me!"
"My son!"
Killrail screamed and lunged forward, but the black flames repelled him like an invisible wall.
"Oppa!"
Ria collapsed to her knees with a shriek.
Pearl-like tears streamed from her purple eyes.
Lihen crumpled to the ground amid agonized screams.
The black flames devoured his flesh slowly, mercilessly spreading.
The stench of burning meat choked the air.
"Kekeke... So you imagined burning to death. What an amusing end. You got careless—"
Varam froze mid-sentence.
My face, watching the horrific scene...
wore a satisfied smile, as if savoring a long-awaited fine performance.
"..."
Varam's expression twisted into genuine bewilderment for the first time.
"You human..."
"Demonic? Yeah, that's right."
I shrugged.
"To use demons, you have to be more demonic than they are."
Varam let out a low chuckle. It was no longer mockery, but genuine admiration.
"Fun. Truly... you're the first human like this."
His form began to fade. The summoning time was ending.
"Next time we meet... it'll be even more fun."
"Looking forward to it."
Varam vanished completely, leaving only a small bear in his place.
The low-grade demon he had mentioned.
I turned slowly.
Lihen was already dead. Only black ashes marked where he had been.
"My son... my son!"
Killrail clutched the ashes and wailed.
Ria sat dazed in shock, having witnessed it all.
Her purple eyes were darkening further.
Perfect.
The reason I brought Lihen to the demon summoning site. The reason I let him live until the end.
It was all for the second awakening condition of the Demon Eye.
[Witness a precious person die at a demon's hands]
And the third condition—
[Harbor extreme hatred and thirst for vengeance against demons]
The tears stopped flowing from Ria's eyes.
The final drop trailed down her cheek, and all sorrow vanished from her pupils.
In its place, cold rage began to fill them.
An emotion colder than ice, sharper than a blade.
"Captain..."
She slowly lifted her head to look up at me.
Her voice still trembled, but it wasn't from grief anymore.
Uncontainable murderous intent and vengeance dominated her small frame.
"I... I want to get stronger."
She clenched her fists tight.
"Strong enough to kill demons... no, to wipe every last demon from this world..."
Her purple eyes deepened further.
Now nearly black.
The Demon Eye was awakening.
"Yes. Your eyes might make that possible."
I shifted my gaze to the low-grade demon in the shape of a small bear.
It instinctively sensed danger and backed away.
"Kill that demon, and you'll gain the power you want."
I drew a silver dagger from my robes and handed it to Ria.
The cold metal touched her trembling hand.
Ria rose slowly, gripping the dagger.
"Keeek!"
The low-grade demon shrieked and tried to flee, but it was too late. Ria's dagger pierced its heart precisely.
Black blood sprayed, and the demon dissolved into smoke.
In that instant—
Boom!
Dark purple light exploded from Ria's eyes.
"Aaaah!"
The Demon Eye had fully awakened.
I watched the scene in silence.
...Harsh.
If I had just arrived in this world, I might have chosen a different path.
But...
I already understood.
The laws of this world. The essence of an organization like Haven.
Good people can't survive.
Future enemies flashed through my mind.
Ancient monsters that would destroy the world. Top-grade demons and the game's final boss, the Lord of Despair. Even the necromancer Neras, whom I had raised myself.
To face them, I had to be more ruthless than they were. More calculating. Colder.
Good intentions alone can't protect anything.
Ria's screams faded.
Her eyes were now fully dark purple.
The innocent girl was gone.
Owner of the Demon Eye. A being born to kill demons. Another weapon I had forged.
Sorry, Ria.
But the apology never left my lips.
Emotions were a luxury. Pity was a weakness.
Instead, I declared coldly.
"Congratulations. You're now a member of the Jin Gang Regiment."
* * *
"I'll see you in three days, Captain."
Killrail bowed, his face paler than anyone's.
I couldn't fathom a father's grief at losing his son.
I'd never married, never had a real family.
But despite his extreme pallor, he showed no overt sorrow—because he believed this was the punishment I had decreed.
He probably thought:
The captain couldn't have failed to stop a demon's attack.
His son's crime. Death as payment for that sin. And the father's punishment to endure it.
My demeanor after the son's death had convinced him.
"Your son, who was rude to me, is dead."
At those words, Killrail's shoulders—unbefitting a lord and warrior—shook violently.
"And your daughter will become a core force of the Jin Gang Regiment. Your sin will be atoned by her loyalty. With this, your family's debt is cleared."
"Th-thank you, Captain."
Killrail bowed even deeper.
His voice was laced only with grief.
I looked at him, still desperately hiding his sorrow, and said,
"Killrail, attend the lords' meeting in three days, no matter what. I won't forgive further insolence."
At my cold warning, Killrail bowed lower.
"Yes, I will attend without fail, no matter what."
After answering, Killrail hesitated, then cautiously glanced down at his daughter.
Ria, with her dark purple eyes, was no longer the daughter he knew.
"Captain, may I... have a final farewell with my daughter?"
The word "final" carried heavy weight.
He knew. From this day, Ria was no longer his daughter, but the Jin Gang Regiment's weapon.
"Do as you like. Take your time."
I turned and walked away from them.
I couldn't hear their conversation, but Killrail's trembling shoulders and Ria's expressionless face said it all.
With me holding his daughter, he'll never dream of betrayal.
Hostage. That was Ria's other role.