The Beginning of Destruction 9
After subduing the girl who had tried to stop them, the villagers headed into the house. Her desperate attempt to block their way had planted deep suspicion in their minds. An orphan living alone after losing her parents—what if she had done something reckless? In ordinary times they might have overlooked it, but with the demons laying waste to the entire region, their nerves were already raw.
“No… please, don’t!”
Ignoring the girl’s cries, the villagers stormed inside. Convinced something suspicious was hidden within, they began ransacking the house without restraint. Yet…
“…What the hell?”
“There’s nothing here.”
“…Huh?”
Contrary to their expectations, the house was completely empty. Though the space was small to begin with, they had searched it thoroughly, and still found nothing.
“…She acted like there was something important in here. What was that about?”
“Tch. She just caused a pointless scene.”
Leaving behind nothing but confusion over the girl’s frantic behavior, the villagers departed. Watching them go, the girl sank to the floor in a daze.
“How… did this happen?”
Still puzzled, she slowly rose and stepped inside. Just as the adults had said, the house was utterly bare. The sight made everything that had just occurred feel like a dream. She stood in silence, staring at the spot where the demon had lain.
At that moment—
“Over here.”
“!”
A voice suddenly called from the side. The girl whipped her head around. Standing there was the very demon in question. Her wounds had nearly healed, and she stood upright. Relief washed over the girl, and she rushed forward to cling tightly to the demon’s embrace.
“…Hic… hic…”
The warmth she felt was something she had not known since her parents died. Tears spilled down her cheeks before she could stop them. The demon simply stood there, watching the sobbing child with an unusually complicated expression.
*
“…So your parents were killed by demons?”
“…Yes.”
The girl nodded heavily at Fenrir’s question. Fenrir’s face remained filled with disbelief.
“…Then why? If that’s true, demons should be your enemies. Why did you save me, someone of the same race?”
“...”
“…Haa. Fine. If it’s hard to say, you don’t have to.”
The girl fell silent again. Fenrir let out a deep sigh, thinking the child was truly frustrating.
“Then I’ll be going. The next time I come, at least I’ll spare you. So don’t worry.”
Fenrir stood up. The villagers had begun to suspect her, and her body had mostly recovered—there was no reason to stay any longer. As she prepared to leave, offering both a farewell and a hint of her intent to erase the village, the girl spoke.
“You… looked like you were in pain…”
“…What?”
Fenrir stopped dead in her tracks. The girl kept her head lowered, her voice quiet.
“You looked like you were hurting so much… so I helped you. You looked like you would die if I left you alone… just like my mom, who died without anyone’s help…”
“!...”
The words were painfully simple, yet they struck Fenrir like a blow. For the past few days she had been indebted to this human girl, but she had always drawn a line in her heart: This child is different from me. No matter how much help she received, the girl was human and Fenrir was a demon—two beings destined to destroy one another. Yet the girl had looked at a demon and felt her pain. It was as if she were mocking Fenrir’s own rigid boundaries. Even if it was only the innocent thought of a child, the fact that such empathy was possible made Fenrir’s view of humans—creatures she had seen as nothing more than vermin—shift ever so slightly.
“…I see. That’s how it was…”
Fenrir approached the girl slowly. The strange pressure radiating from her made the child’s face fill with both confusion and a trace of fear she could not quite hide. Then—
“!...”
Fenrir gently stroked the girl’s hair. Surprise lit up the child’s face. Looking down at her, Fenrir smiled brightly for the first time.
“Thank you. For taking care of me until now. I’ll repay this debt when I return.”
“!…”
Fenrir spoke in a bright, friendly tone, as if chatting with a friend. Sensing the lively, pleasant feeling behind her words, the girl smiled back.
“Okay! Have a safe trip!”
*
“—Mmm…”
A group of undead had gathered in the forest. At their center, Zik leaned against the scythe planted in the ground, deep in thought. It had already been five days. During that time, Zik and the undead had scoured the river downstream and the surrounding area, yet there was still no sign of Fenrir. Zik was beginning to wonder if he needed to make a decision.
—‘Should I report this to the Demon King first…? No, even so, I can’t keep relying on my lord’s help forever. It would be better to capture Canna Castle first and report afterward…’
Neither option was easy. Since they could not keep searching for Fenrir indefinitely, Zik was leaning toward the more stable choice. Just then—
“Hey, did you miss me?”
—“How could I possibly be fine in a situation like this…?”
A familiar voice rang out. Zik belatedly snapped his jaw open and turned his head.
—“!! L-Lady Fenrir!”
“Sorry I’m late. Honestly, I could have come sooner, but finding this place wasn’t exactly easy.”
—“N-No, it’s fine. I’m just relieved you’re safe.”
Zik spoke with deep relief. After a brief but weighty reunion, Fenrir immediately began checking the troops.
“Hmm… Good, the numbers haven’t dropped at all.”
—“Yes. Aside from searching for you, we avoided combat as much as possible. We didn’t have much leeway to clash with humans, after all.”
“Well done. Now that I’m back, we’ll advance immediately. We’ve already wasted too much time, so we should hurry.”
—“Understood. We await your orders, Lady Fenrir.”
Fenrir began moving with the undead in tow. However, instead of heading straight for Canna Castle, she turned toward another destination first.
—“I see. So there’s a human village there?”
“Yes. It’s small enough that it doesn’t even appear on most maps, but we should secure it anyway.”
—“Understood. I’ll deploy the undead right away.”
“No. Before fighting, we’ll offer them a chance to surrender.”
—“Pardon? What do you mean…”
“Just do as I say. Our target is Canna Castle. Even if we plan to wipe them out later, we need to conserve our strength for now.”
Fenrir’s reasoning sounded plausible on the surface, yet it was contradictory. Zik considered pointing it out, but decided against it. Skilled at reading the mood, he sensed—though he did not understand why—that Fenrir was reluctant to attack the village.
—“Understood. We will follow your orders.”
Following Fenrir’s instructions, they decided to demand surrender and approached the village. The villagers had already noticed their arrival; barricades had been erected at the entrance, and poorly armed soldiers stood along the low outer wall. At their center were a group of holy knights dispatched from Canna Castle. Though they were no match for the undead in terms of strength, they still displayed fighting spirit. Zik turned to Fenrir once more.
—“What shall we do? Shall we offer them surrender?”
“…Attack.”
“…Pardon?”
In that instant, Fenrir began radiating an enormous killing intent. The previously warm atmosphere turned to blazing hatred, and the calm composure was replaced by violent rage. The sudden, incomprehensible change left Zik filled with confusion and bewilderment. Fenrir’s voice, tinged with madness, rang out.
“Kill… kill them all… Those disgusting humans… Leave not a single one alive!”
Fenrir unleashed her mana, saturated with murderous intent. In that moment, her eyes were fixed on the sight at the village entrance: a signboard with the word “demon” nailed to the chest of a young girl’s corpse hanging there.