Rainy Night Strategy
Rain was falling. The night Kang Jinwoo returned home after "betraying" Emerald. In the dark room, only the occasional patter of rain against the window broke the silence. His mind was a tangled mess of threads.
Emerald. Shin Sea. He couldn't forget the look in her eyes. The glare that called him a traitor and cursed him at the abandoned factory. But deep within those eyes lurked an emptiness. Like the vacant stare of a hollow doll.
'Makkokji.' He called out to the demon inwardly.
'You said you smelled Berial on Emerald, right? The demon. So... if she's been brainwashed by Berial's hypnosis, shouldn't we undo it with hypnosis too?'
"High chance of that," Makkokji's voice echoed in his mind. Gone was the usual playful tone. The demon seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation.
"And on the demon system, her Mental Corruption Level would show as 0%. Probably not even registered. That sneaky bastard Berial... If it's hypnosis-induced corruption, it won't even ping the system. Emerald herself wouldn't even know she's a demon's puppet. The other demons wouldn't know either. But a rank 0 like me can at least sniff it out, sniff sniff."
'Mental Corruption Level 0...' That meant she looked like a normal magical girl on the outside, but inside, she was a puppet dancing to Berial's commands. Without even realizing it herself.
'But can you do hypnosis?' When he asked, Makkokji snorted derisively.
"Course I can."
But the response lacked conviction.
'Not as good as Berial, huh?'
"Hey, you punk! Have some respect for the former demon king, rank 0! You'll know when you see it! Back in the day, I had succubi lined up dancing for me!"
Makkokji bellowed, but his bluster rang hollow, without true confidence. Even he wasn't sure. Whether he could unravel the spells of Berial, the demon of deception and illusion. If he botched it and Emerald's mind shattered? The risk was too high.
'Gotta find another way.' Direct confrontation wasn't viable right now. He needed a detour.
The next morning, the air on the way to work felt unusually cold. Puddles dotted the asphalt from the overnight rain. He pulled his collar tight and passed through the gates of the Correction Facility. Guard captain Grur called out at the entrance.
"Hey, mid-level trainer. Head to the director's office later. She's asking for you."
The corridor outside the director's office was silent.
"Come in."
Camilla's voice drifted out. He opened the door, and she flashed a sly smile.
"Well, damn, you're really something."
A smile played on her lips, but her eyes were sharp.
"That magical girl bitch called Emerald. She's getting dragged in soon. And Lady Katriana said something like, 'That human's surprisingly useful.'"
"All thanks to you, Director Camilla!" He bowed deeply.
"Nah, not me. It's thanks to Lady Katriana throwing her full support and troops behind it."
Camilla waved him off and perched on the desk, crossing her legs. Smooth curves gleamed through her black stockings.
"Conveniently, you're a mid-level trainer now, so your management access is up. Take charge of both Emerald and Magical Pure as their trainer. They're both starting at Mental Corruption Level 0, so I'll give you plenty of time."
"Thank you! Loyalty! Long live the Demon King!" He saluted vigorously.
Camilla nodded in satisfaction. Her fingers tapped the desk rhythmically.
"I have high expectations. Don't disappoint me this time."
"Yes, ma'am."
He left the office and exhaled deeply in the hallway. Two magical girls. One a pure girl shielded by the goddess's blessing, the other a puppet ensnared by the enemy's hypnosis. He had to handle both at once. Under the demons' watchful eyes.
'Magical Pure.' He murmured inwardly.
'What about her?' Makkokji asked.
'Use Emerald as leverage to target her first.'
'How?'
'I think Emerald betrayed Magical Pure. From what I know, the demons ambushed Pure because they got her movement intel. Feels like Emerald leaked it.'
Makkokji fell silent, mulling over the deduction.
'But I won't tell Pure that. Instead, I'll hold Emerald hostage to break Pure. And I won't tell the demons about Berial's scent on Emerald either. Every hidden card like this—we turn it to our advantage.'
"Whoa, you bastard. You sure you're not a demon?" Makkokji said, incredulous.
"Using your ally to train one side, then using that to screw over the demons too? The devil himself would cry."
'......' He clenched his fist.
'To survive, and to save them, I have to get tougher. Right now, I have to play the villain.'
A cowardly excuse. But it was the only choice he had. Revealing the truth and charging head-on would get them all killed. Better to dive into the swamp of lies and deception to save them.
He quickened his pace and pressed the elevator button for B5 Floor. Watching the numbers change, he steeled himself.
Through the iron bars, Lee Sua came into view. She was still on her knees. But the atmosphere was different from yesterday. A profound despair emanated from her motionless, head-bowed form.
'Whoa, check out those tits. Wait... mana tanks.' Makkokji spouted nonsense.
'......'
He unlocked the door with his key. The creak shattered the silence. She lifted her head. Haggard face. Bloodshot eyes.
"Sleep well?" He asked in a deliberately cheery tone.
She didn't respond. Just glared daggers.
"Got good news and bad news for you. Which first?"
He crouched in front of her. Pure stayed silent. Probably thought he was just toying with her.
"Good news first. Your friend's here. Emerald, right? Not here to rescue you, obviously."
Her eyes wavered. Emerald. Her most trusted comrade.
"Liar," she whispered faintly.
"Think it's a lie? I'll show you soon enough. She's gonna be in quite the state."
Her breathing grew ragged. He stood with a grin.
"Bad news... I'm training both of you."
"No! You bastard! Liar!"
"Look forward to it. Your reunion's gonna be touching."
He turned and left the room.
"Liar!"
She screamed. Rage, sorrow, anxiety—all tangled in her voice.
He fingered the mana stone in his pocket as he walked the corridor. Today, he had to become the devil again.
"Let's go, partner. Showtime." Makkokji cackled.
"Yeah. Let's go."
He stepped into the darkness.
Crack! The cup shattered. A heavy silence blanketed Berial's office. Shards of glass scattered like stars over the virgin blood it had held. He irritably shook off the fragments clinging to his hand. That sound alone pierced the quiet.
"Damn it! What nonsense is this!"
His voice was low and gravelly. He leaned back in his chair, breathing heavily. The spy before him stood frozen, head bowed.
"Get out!"
He dismissed the spy.
"One day. Just one day."
Berial ground his teeth. Emerald, Shin Sea. She was his masterpiece. A perfect puppet forged by twisting and warping human free will. And just one day after contacting that human, Kang Jinwoo, she was captured. By Katriana's forces, no less.
"That human snitched to Katriana in just one day? Does that even make sense?"
He couldn't comprehend it. A normal human—even one with half a brain—would hedge bets between both sides. If the resistance made contact, they'd tremble in fear or at least weigh options for personal gain before reporting to the demons. This defied Berial's logic.
"Gotta go see Katriana."
He rose. His steps were heavy. Emerald was his possession. But officially, she didn't exist. Unregistered in the demon system, she was his private weapon. If she fell into Katriana's hands and was interrogated? If his hypnosis broke and she spilled the truth? If Katriana or other demons caught on?
'Treason.'
The word choked him. Privately owning a magical girl without the Demon King's permission, unregistered in the system. Why own her? His rivals would smear it as building a private army. A traitor among traitors, ignoring the goddess's fall. His status, even his life, would be forfeit.
He teleported via magic circle to Katriana's residence. The Rose Palace, Katriana's lair, was the pinnacle of opulence. Ascending stairs carpeted in red velvet, Berial took a deep breath. Laughter from demons and moans of pleasure grated on his nerves everywhere.
The grand doors to the audience chamber swung open. Katriana appeared in her red dress, lounging on a high throne with legs crossed.
"What's up, Berial?"
Honorific in title, casual in speech. Even among top demons, she asserted her slight rank advantage.
'This bitch...'
Katriana's voice was languid and sweet. She sipped her wine, eyeing him up and down.
"What's the matter? Berial. You coming to me on your own two feet? Sun rising in the west?"
"Just dropping by to say hi."
Berial forced a smile and bowed.
"Heard you got a fun new toy, so thought I'd take a peek."
"Oh, that Emerald bitch? News travels fast?"
Katriana chuckled. Her eyes sparkled mischievously.
"One human trainer pulled it off. Real go-getter. But what, you wanna sightsee?"
Berial's heart sank.
"Just curious what she's like."
He played it cool, but cold sweat beaded his palms. Her gaze pierced him.
"Something special about her? For the great Berial to care that much?"
"No, just heard she's from the resistance. piqued my interest."
He backpedaled hastily. Showing more interest would only breed suspicion. He bit his lip and retreated.
"Fine, whatever. Scram. I'm busy."
Katriana waved him off. Dismissed without a scrap of info.
Berial bowed again and turned. But her voice snagged his ankle from behind.
"Oh, and if anything happens to our training staff, I'll assume it's you, Berial. So don't even dream it, 'kay?"
The playfulness was gone. A chilling warning.
As he stormed down the corridor, Berial twisted his lips. Humiliation and rage flushed his face.
'Katriana, you bitch... And that human trainer...'
He gnashed his teeth. Not only had his toy been stolen, but he'd been warned by Katriana. All because of that human.
Berial recalled the hypnosis code embedded in Emerald. She hadn't fully slipped his grasp. Deep in her subconscious, his commands still breathed.
His footsteps vanished into the corridor's silence.