Have You Ever Heard of Demon Slayer?

The Demon Realm—what exactly is Helheim? It is the land of darkness ruled by Hel, Loki’s daughter, and the world where the dead go. Fenrir and Jormungandr had vanished without a trace, leaving Hel to manage her domain alone. At first glance it might seem like nothing more than an illusory space, but in reality the Demon Realm was a tangible land. A place wrapped in shadows, governed by Hel—who embraced darkness and was known as the Demon King. It was the realm managed by her, who had deliberately corrupted herself so she could one day take revenge on Odin for casting her into Niflheim.

The void creatures of Hel’s land, Helheim, would launch assaults on Midgard under the banner of the Void Festival. The Banaheim Kingdom, the nation closest to the Demon Realm, suffered constant attacks. Even though it was a sacred kingdom blessed by the Vanir gods, the fact that it was still targeted showed just how deep Hel’s hatred ran.

Now that same dark soil from the Demon Realm—from Helheim—had begun to encroach on Midgard. It wasn’t confirmed. It could have been nothing more than traces left when the kingdom’s knight order returned after subjugating monsters. But if it had been a small amount, I never would have bothered moving out here. The dark soil encircling an entire forest was so thick it made me question whether the ground I stood on was still Midgard or had already become Helheim.

The deeper we went, the stronger the void energy grew. If it was enough to make my senses tingle this sharply, I could only imagine how much worse it was for Isabel. The woman who had started out prickly was now clinging to my arm with a death grip. She walked glued against my side. It was reassuring. A little suffocating, sure, but this way she was safer.

“Ugh.”

“Is it very hard?”

“I-I can endure it.”

“I’m sorry. For dragging you all the way out here.”

“...Hmph.”

Her reaction never changed. We had already been walking for thirty minutes. That same exact response left me completely at a loss. After all, I had no idea what I had done wrong. It felt strangely heated, too. Hellhounds don’t have poison, so what could be the problem? A cold? While I was looking around with those thoughts in mind—

Something registered on my Detection. Not weak, but not overwhelmingly strong either. The ambiguous sensation made my arm prickle. I knew exactly what it was. Better than anyone. Beings the world refused to acknowledge. Void creatures. Children of the Demon Realm. Hel’s subordinates. We had decided to call them this.

Demons.

“Isabel, stay quietly behind me.”

“Is something coming?”

“It’s coming.”

A demon.

“Kshaaaat!”

“Kyaaah!”

“...Chaos Goblin?”

Along with Isabel’s scream, a Chaos Goblin burst out. Its size was on a completely different level from the others. In appearance it didn’t even resemble a goblin, but the speed that didn’t match its bulk made its danger obvious. To me, however, it didn’t matter.

I quickly scanned them. My sharpened senses caught even their slightest movements—breathing, gaze, action, emotion. The void creatures radiated purple energy and glared with hideous eyes. Isabel hid herself, burying her face against my back so she wouldn’t have to meet their gazes. The faster I ended this, the better. There had to be a reason these things had set foot here. I couldn’t waste time if I wanted to find that reason.

It was obvious, but I was strong. I wasn’t going to get scared just because some Chaos Goblins had shown up. Three of them charged at once, swinging their massive arms. I ducked my head and slipped through the gap. A direct strike—drawing a trajectory and bursting with radiance. Odin’s light lent me power. The light carved along the path formed a crescent moon. Where the crescent passed, the dark Chaos Goblins’ blood spurted wildly. The arms sliced in half became nothing but purple chunks of meat.

Because of that, the Chaos Goblin’s cry summoned even more of its kind.

“Don’t you guys have any pride at all?”

“Kshishi…”

“Group attacks are lame. Even if you’re demons, shouldn’t you have at least that much common sense?”

“Kshaaaat!”

“You shameless bastards.”

What’s the difference between you and street thugs? They all rushed forward at once.

An earthen wall rose in a perfect circle around Isabel and me. I watched them ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠try to smash it with their stone clubs. I was grateful. Next—

Riiip. I tore the magic scroll. Learning fusion magic had been such a pain in the ass ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that I’d given up on it. The theory was difficult from the very beginning, so I threw it away. No, think about it. I had studied like a madman on Earth just to get into a big company, and now this other world was telling me to study again—from the basics of theory! What about my twenty years? From elementary school, retaking entrance exams, all the way to university! They wanted me to repeat that entire process. Would any Korean person willingly do that shit again? If I could just pay money and use a scroll instead, then of course I would. In the end, money really is king in this world. Whether it’s this world or Earth, it’s all the same. I felt it in my bones that places where people live aren’t any different.

“So—”

“Ksha—!”

“Instead of wasting time on this, you guys should study a little. Stop fucking around all day. Got it?”

Sharp thorns erupted from the earthen wall and pierced their necks. The thick, hard, and massive “thing” reached deep inside them. Don’t misunderstand. It was a thorn. What the hell were you imagining?

“I won.”

I had beaten the goblins. Mine was bigger and more massive! My magic had been larger than theirs! Let’s take comfort in that at least. Otherwise this would feel way too pathetic. The moment that thought crossed my mind, the magic’s duration ended. I looked around.

“What the hell. These bastards.”

Their numbers had grown. Double? No, it had nearly tripled—enough that I could tell with the naked eye. Isabel trembled. Her usual cold, haughty expression was gone; she had been a little softer since this morning. So she was the type to get shy around strangers after all? Well, it seemed she had started relying on me a bit, so I counted that as a win.

While I was thinking that, Isabel looked straight into my eyes and asked,

“H-Hero. Isn’t this dangerous?”

She suddenly came in close. When a beauty looks up at you from below like that, a solo like me feels his heart in mortal danger. Isabel, please don’t do that. I might actually fall for you. I calmed my pounding heart. Then a rather pleasant thought occurred to me.

“Isabel.”

“Yes?”

“We’re fucked.”

“Hik…”

The reaction was adorable. This was exactly the reaction I wanted! Heh, a frightened beautiful-girl maid. I couldn’t hold back on this one. Of course it was just a joke. Anyway, what should I do with these guys? Wiping them out all at once was clearly the answer.

“I wish you hadn’t touched me.”

That way I could finish this more comfortably. Bam!

“...What the.”

One of the bastards surrounding me had smashed a stone club down on my head. Huh, look at this son of a bitch? I told you not to touch me and you immediately do it anyway. Just because your body is big doesn’t mean you stop being a goblin. You never listen. You really shouldn’t have touched me.

No blood came out. Obviously a hero blessed by the gods wasn’t going to get hurt by a mere rock. It did hurt, though. Honestly, it hurt like hell. That dog-like sensation vibrating from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. Maybe because it was a goblin with a huge build, its muscle mass was enormous. Add one spoonful of bad mood to that. Exactly that kind of feeling.

“Stand still.”

My name is Taesik. I think you already know that. A line from a movie I once saw came to mind.

“Did you really have to hit my head like that… to feel refreshed inside!”

“Kshaaaaa!”

“Kikikit.”

No, these bastards are laughing even harder? And as a group? I don’t like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it. That’s a sin. An unforgivable crime of insult. How dare you mock an innocent lamb? Oh, Lord.

“They say if a person commits a sin, they receive punishment. That’s the way of the world.”

Hoo…

“Did you understand…? From now on I’ll be the one giving the punishment, so take it nicely.”

You pour a rock on someone’s head while they’re talking? I pulled Isabel into my arms. The slash I was about to unleash was dangerous. I planned to cut the entire surrounding area in half, after all.

“H-Hero?!”

“It’s dangerous, so stay in my arms.”

“...Yes.”

The moment I finished speaking I used the Holy Sword to draw a wide circle on the ground. Sword marks remained on the black soil. Runes flickered above them and then vanished.

“Kshat?”

To the goblins it must have looked like I had suddenly stabbed the ground and started spinning in circles. They probably found it hilarious. Attacking the ground instead of them. In their heads they were probably thinking, With this many enemies in front of him, this idiot is drawing circles on the ground with his sword. Thanks to that idiot Ragner, I’ve fought every kind of goblin there is, so I’m sure of it. They were laughing. But they only thought that way because they were idiots.

The Holy Sword’s radiance was not as weak as they believed. And who cares if the motion looks funny? As long as the finish is cool, that’s all that matters. Laughing, they charged. Thud thud thud! You fucking bastards, what the hell did you eat to make the ground shake like that? Their huge stone clubs came down fiercely. Purple bellies jiggled. Ugh, my eyes.

I held my body steady and gently swung the Holy Sword. Calm and soft single annihilation. It was a technique from a popular anime a coworker had recommended. …Have you ever heard of Demon Slayer? There was no breathing involved, but that was fine. As long as the appearance was similar. They say the mother of creation is imitation.

“Hoo…”

X’s breathing. Eleventh form. Calm waves. In that instant—

Slice!

The bodies of the bastards that had leaped into the air fell with wet thuds. At the same time their upper and lower halves separated. A technique that receives any form of attack, deflects it, and flows it away to defend. The principle was completely different, but the appearance was similar. If knowing the principle let you perfectly replicate a manga technique, everyone would have been doing it. It had been insanely popular, after all. Anyway, this was what they called an homage.

…Whatever. Starting from the circular cut on the ground, invisible sword energy continued to flow, and the goblins had thrown themselves into the trap on their own. Total annihilation. Thank you, Tomioka Xyu-sensei. Thanks to you I got to look cool. You are a true master. When I return to Earth I’ll do plenty of otaku stuff in your honor.

“Kigik…”

With one light motion everyone was cut down, unable to even draw breath before meeting death. The souls of the void’s children would return to Hel’s side. Poor bastards who could never reach Valhalla. Not using their heads despite having such huge bodies—they were just like Ragner. Pathetic. Sons of bitches. Does having a big dick mean everything? Ptui. It absolutely cannot be said that there was any personal grudge involved. …Absolutely. How badly did they want to die that they committed suicide like that? What a waste of life. Of course they had jumped into the invisible wave of sword energy themselves, but still. It was all the same in the end. The fact that they had killed themselves didn’t change.

If there had been a goblin shaman I would have been more careful, but without one they were no different from Ragner.

“Ugh, it’s all sticky.”

“Hold on a little longer. There’s a pond just ahead.”

Isabel stared at me blankly, then her face suddenly flushed bright red. She whirled around. What now?

“...You can’t peek, okay?”

“I’m not that kind of trash.”

Well, back in front of the Ludrick Kingdom… I did think I was acting like trash then, but what could I do? I hadn’t wanted to be the only one left homeless!

Thud! Isabel saw the corpses still falling from the air and turned pale with horror. Just how many had jumped in? I covered her eyes. Still, staying with me would be safer than being alone. I hadn’t wanted to show her this kind of scene, but if she was going to travel with me she would have to get at least a little used to it.

Purple void energy flickered. I stabbed a dagger into the heart of a Chaos Goblin. Pshht! Black blood spurted out. Since having it touch my skin felt disgusting, I stepped back as far as possible for a moment. Once the blood stopped and the creature’s volume began to shrink, it was only natural. As the blood mixed with void energy drained away, the power that had been amplifying it diminished. I lightly tore open its flesh. It was a cruel, gory sight, but I had grown far too used to it since coming to this world.

A purple crystal was visible. A void crystal—magic stone. Adventurers gathered these and sold them to the guild to make a living. The fact that one had appeared meant this place was truly being tainted by the Demon Realm. What had been mere suspicion now became certainty with solid evidence. Helheim’s shadow was gradually invading Midgard. Something was definitely about to begin. I had no idea what that “something” was, which only made it more frustrating… I picked them up and stuffed them into my pocket. Money is precious. They say every little bit adds up. Let’s embrace the spirit of frugality.

“...Should we still report this to the kingdom?”

I’ll have to report to the young lady as well. …Report? Come to think of it, what exactly should I report? That he was a very considerate person? That sometimes when I see his serious side my heart races and my cheeks flush…? Tsk tsk. Isabel patted both her cheeks. She thumped her pounding chest, trying to calm down.

Stop those impure thoughts, Isabel. This was a betrayal of the young lady. But if I reported a lie to her… maybe I could feel this emotion just a little longer?

...Ugh.

I continued thinking about Isabel’s question and finally made my decision.

“Mm… Let’s put it off for now.”

“Isn’t this a serious situation?”

“It would be more efficient to investigate further, gather more evidence, and then report.”

Isabel looked slightly relieved. Why? It was an action I couldn’t understand. Well, it didn’t matter. I’ve never been good at understanding a woman’s heart. I hate complicated things. Since I’ve finally come to another world, I want to live a little more easily. Even if I didn’t report it, any passing knight order or adventurer who saw this would naturally spread the rumor. Above all, I couldn’t return to Banaheim right now. Even if I did file a report, it would be useless unless I killed the Demon King—unless I killed Hel.

I had never seen Hel with my own eyes. But I had fought her subordinates, her legion commanders, and her Four Heavenly Kings. There were still many enemies left. That’s why I’m saying this. There is no way to stop this right now. Even if I blocked these dark shadows heading for Midgard, I couldn’t stop the Void Festival itself.

Maybe that was why the face of Odin I had seen in the booklet suddenly came to mind. Damn it, Odin. What the hell did you do? Why did you throw away Loki’s child Hel and create this situation? I really can’t understand the way gods think. The Holy Sword imbued with Odin’s blessing sparkled. Son of a bitch. Are you mocking me?

I kept a smile on my face. And inside I gave him a simple message.

“Trip and break your ankle while walking. Ptui.”

Oops. I thought I was only thinking it, but it came out of my mouth?