Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Descent Ritual #2
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It was a fucking bizarre atmosphere. Grotesque. That was the only impression I could feel. Honestly, it was downright terrifying. But maybe because of all the Demonic Power filling the space. I surrendered my body to it as smoothly as flowing water, like I was under hypnosis.
—Squish.
—Squish.
My naked body.
Hands emerging from the darkness. Those hands were coated in something like black paint, and they touched my body. Like they were giving me some kind of body painting.
I had no idea where I was walking. It was dark. My memories were hazy. I walked through the darkness like that, and hands kept emerging endlessly to smear paint on my body.
Soon, I had become a completely black existence.
The surroundings were pitch black, to the point where it felt like I had assimilated into the darkness itself. Strangely enough, once it happened, a part of me felt strangely reassured.
But then.
—Thud. Thud.
—Thud. Thud.
—Thud. Thud.
I wasn't the only one in this space. In my hazy vision... I vaguely saw other demons walking just like me. Were they the other demons participating in the Descent Ritual?
I didn't know for sure, but none of them looked as peculiar as I did. My comrades... nah, I couldn't call them that. We'd all be ejected to different places anyway. We probably wouldn't ever meet.
—Drip.
How much time had passed?
The hands that had been touching my body vanished.
And something started to become visible ahead.
"Kuh!"
Suddenly, a burst of light erupted behind it... I couldn't see its face. Because of the intense light, all I could make out was a pitch-black silhouette. It felt like I'd finally found the exit to a dark cave without a single point of light, and someone was standing right in front of that brilliant entrance.
The thing was a demon holding an ornate staff.
—...
As it raised the staff, it muttered something incomprehensible and cast Black Magic. Before I knew it, I was on my knees... Right. I remembered. We were supposed to pray to the Demon God.
Was this something like that?
I had no clue what kind of ritual it was. All I knew was that an unreal sensation dominated my body.
My consciousness was fading.
My vision was dyed in darkness.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hoo!"
The unreal baptism ritual was over.
Fuck, while the other demons were treating this Descent Festival like a party, what the hell was that creepy-ass baptism I just went through!
The Demon God's baptism? Blessing?
I didn't feel a goddamn thing! No idea what it even was. The body paint had vanished at some point, and by the time I realized the baptism was over, some demons came in, dragged me out, and brought me to this room.
"..."
A small, tidy room about two pyeong in size.
They said I'd wait here until the actual Descent Ritual began. The only furnishings were a bed and a dresser. Felt like a damn capsule hotel.
"At least my clothes are all here."
I'd been naked for the baptism, so I was wondering where my stuff went, but all my clothes were neatly in the room.
The tools and books I'd stashed in my coat were intact too. If they'd disappeared, I would've thrown a real fit and demanded them back—no bullshit.
A wave of relief washed over me.
—...
I felt strangely floaty.
Now I was truly alone.
No Kartiya.
I had to head down to the Middle Realm by myself.
Me, with only the basics of being a demon, had to survive down there. Dominate monsters? I'd never done that shit before. I was scared to death. This moment was my last time in the Demon Realm.
"I can't waste time like this."
Guess I should study first.
I considered lying on the bed and sleeping, but time was of the essence. The moment I pulled out the Basic Black Magic book and opened it...
—Fwoosh.
Something anomalous happened.
In an instant.
It was over in a flash.
"Huh."
Darkness seeped into the room. A ghost! No way, a ghost?! I'm a demon, but ghosts would still scare the shit out of me! As that thought crossed my mind, I looked ahead!
—Flash!
Like a beast's!
Glowing yellow eyes!
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
"Oh dear, sorry. Did Mama startle you?"
A familiar voice... Mama?
"Huh?"
Duchess Kerasis.
She had descended into the darkened space. She stood there amid the blackness. Her beauty was enough to shake one's heart. Her allure was so overwhelming it made me dizzy. And as expected, she had a voluptuous figure to match.
The room was filled with the Duchess's fragrance. An intoxicating scent that made my eyes want to close... And then.
—Fwoom.
The fragrance grew even thicker.
"There, there. Calm down, no need to be scared."
At the same time, something soft and warm touched my face... This was it. Yeah. It was her breast. The flesh of her bursting bosom gently enveloping my face.
"Mama...?"
The Duchess Kerasis was hugging me.
"Yes, it's Mama?"
My nose was buried in her cleavage.
—Zing. Zing.
A prickling sensation pierced through the center of my body and spread everywhere. My body heated up. My heart raced. Her scent enveloped my entire being. Flashes of milky light flickered rapidly in my mind. I couldn't think straight. The Duchess was about my height. If I stayed like this... just a bit longer in her breasts...
"No, wait!"
—Fwoosh!
I shoved the Duchess away and escaped her embrace!
This crazy bitch! Showing up out of nowhere! I never wanted to see this horrific woman again! Psycho psychopath cunt!
"Oh my... Are you rejecting Mama?"
The Duchess stroked her cheek with her right hand, her face looking incredibly sad as she spoke.
"How heartless, Qlus. Mama is sad."
"No! That's not it! You're the one doing the rejecting! If anyone's sad, it's me!"
Why the hell are you the one who's sad!
I'm the one who just got pushed away!
"Son. You're mistaken. Mama has never rejected Qlus. Look, even now? Mama came to see you, didn't she? No mother comes back for a child she's abandoned."
That was the weird part.
Why pretend to care like this? She wouldn't give any real help, just this fake concern.
"Anyway, why did you come! Go away! I have to study!"
"Study?"
"I need to cram as much as possible before I go! Don't interfere, just leave already!"
"Hee hee hee, how admirable. You've got quite the thirst for knowledge, Qlus."
The Duchess smiled, looking pleased.
"But how did you end up mute..."
"Let's not talk about that."
It tore at my heart.
"So why did you come? To give this poor son some proper help at the last minute?"
"Qlus. You're all grown up now, so you can't rely on Mama too much. You're an adult."
"Rely? I'm just asking for some help! Stop teasing me!"
"Teasing?"
"You're the one who threw your own kid into the jaws of death, and now you're here just mocking me! How could you do something so cruel...!"
At those words, the expression vanished from the Duchess's face.
Blank.
"Hm?"
She suddenly changed her expression, and it got a little scary. No, really scary. The Duchess, with her terrifyingly beautiful features... was staring at me with those emotionless eyes.
Immense.
Something truly immense loomed before me.
"H-H-Honey."
My body started trembling.
"Qlus."
"Y-Yes?"
"You're truly ignorant."
"Yes?"
"It's all the same anyway."
—Haa.
The Duchess sighed.
Only then did her expression return... But what was the same?
"It's of course regrettable that Qlus was selected for this Descent Ritual, from which you might not return alive. But."
Her voice was like teaching and soothing a child.
"Even without the ritual, the Demon Realm is full of battlefields. Right now, countless siblings of yours are dying on those fields. At the hands of angels. At the hands of other demons. Or at the hands of demonic beasts. Truly tragic."
Ah.
"You're not particularly unfortunate, Qlus. If you were born in the Demon Realm. If you're a demon. Struggle is inevitable. The weak are culled. The strong survive. That's what demons are."
A gentle tone.
—Click. Click.
The Duchess approached with the sound of her high heels, placed her hand on my head.
—Stroke. Stroke.
And slowly petted me.
"Even if Qlus had greater ability and wasn't chosen for the ritual, it would be the same. Mama would have sent you to the battlefield. That's what you'd be useful for."
"..."
As she petted my head, her bursting breasts swayed right in front of my eyes... I tried not to notice, but my gaze kept getting stolen. Her revealing clothes barely covered her body; one wrong move and I'd see everything.
"Even if you're my child, I don't coddle you specially. You can't live comfortably forever, Qlus. Once you're an adult. You have to do what's expected of you."
Right now.
I was getting scolded by the Duchess.
"Qlus... couldn't learn to speak properly. That's why you still don't understand reality."
Getting scolded like this almost made her feel like my real mom. But I couldn't accept that.
"That's why you're still so childish..."
"Enough. Stop treating me like a kid."
—Smack.
I shook off her hand from my head.
"Qlus?"
"From what I've figured out, I'm not even your kid."
"Uh, um?"
"Different species and all. We don't look alike."
This isn't my mom...!
"Qlus. Where did you hear that? It hurts Mama's feelings. You shouldn't say things like that."
—Fwoosh!
Her hand shot out in an instant and grabbed both sides of my face! The movement was too fast to dodge! I was completely caught!
"To dare say such things before this mother. No such being should exist... How strange... Truly. I don't sense the loyalty that should naturally be there in my child. I've never had a kid go this astray..."
And she muttered to herself!
"A-Ah, Mama! I'm sorry! I misspoke!!!"
Scared shitless, I immediately begged her forgiveness!
"Uh, um?"
"Please forgive me! I beg you! I was just angry! It wasn't sincere!"
"Uh... okay."
The flustered Duchess!
—Stroke.
The grip on my face loosened!
I immediately bowed my head and apologized!
"Hoo... Sorry, Mama. I was just frustrated..."
"..."
I sneaked a glance at her.
"..."
The Duchess looked a bit surprised, her right hand on her chest as she stared at me.
"Then I'll get back to studying. Thanks for coming, Mama."
"Qlus."
"Yes?"
"You promised Mama, right? That you'd achieve results."
"Uh... yes. I did."
"If you do... I'll sneak you out. Work hard, okay?"
—Stroke.
With those words, the Duchess turned away. Wait. Something felt different now... from when we were talking earlier.
"Still, Qlus is Mama's son. I came to talk one last time. If I hurt your feelings, I'm sorry? Will you forgive me?"
"O-Of course."
"Hee hee hee, good. Thank you. Then come closer to Mama, Qlus?"
"Pardon?"
I approached as told.
—Mwah.
The Duchess kissed my forehead.
And that was it.
The Duchess was gone.
Like smoke.
I was left alone in the empty room.
"...Can't pin her down at all."
Warmth lingered on my forehead.
Why the fuck did I feel sorry? More than that... her fragrance still filled the room. My body was hot. Embarrassingly, I couldn't focus. Blood was rushing elsewhere. Intensely.
"...Let's read the book."
I immediately opened the Black Magic book.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Ladies and gentlemen! And demonic beasts! At last! The moment we've all been waiting for! The Descent Ritual begins!"
—Waaaaah!
—Waaaaah!
—Ooooooh!
It felt like I was a gladiator entering the Colosseum. It probably was similar. Unless you were goddamn Maximus, anyone would be as terrified as me.
—Waaaaah!
—Waaaaah!
—Ooooooh!
Fervent cheers. And those gazes fixed on us. I wasn't alone now. I stood with the ragtag demons drafted from various families.
Their expressions were all uniformly gloomy.
In contrast, the demons cheering from the stands looked so thrilled. Wow. It was a total clusterfuck. Demons of every race packed the spectator seats in a circle—hell didn't have a hell like this.
"Now!! Descendant of the Great Demon King! Duke Ozvalka's speech!!!"
A horned demon climbed onto the podium in the floating stands. He started droning on with his speech, but I couldn't give less of a fuck. It didn't even register. All I felt was tension, like my heart was about to explode.
How much time passed?
"At last!!! Our demon children!!! To reclaim the glory of the past!!! Depart for the Middle Realm!!! Behold! May the Demon Gods' blessings be with the children!!!"
Is, is this the climax?!
Already the climax, you fuck!
—Flash!
Suddenly, beams of dark light shot out and enveloped where I stood! And then! —Splash! The other demons standing with me got sucked into the beams!
It had begun!
The ejection to the Middle Realm!!!
—Whoooosh!
One by one, they were vanishing!
"...!"
Yeah! That's it! Even if I go, I'd leave these words behind, I swore! Before my turn came!!!!
This feeling!!!
"You fucking!!!! You goddamn demons!!!!!!!!!"
I explode it!!!!
"You motherfucking bastards!!!!!!!!!!!!"
—Whoooosh!
"Uwooooooooh!!!!!!!!!!!"
Getting sucked in fuuuuuuuuuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!