23
Chapter 23
The Saint spoke.
"I do not presume to pray for a life of ease, provided by the Lord. I only ask for the strength of will to overcome the hardships and trials that come my way."
"What kind of nonsense is that? Everyone wants the former. They pray for wealth and health. That's all humans ever beg from God."
"Is not a life spent overcoming adversity and seeking inner growth the only way to truly live a healthy life?"
"...I just don't get it."
I want an easy life. I also want a joyful life. It's fair to say I'm the polar opposite of the Saint.
Yet, I like her. I adore her; I love her. Because of her existence—or rather, the future in which she will exist—I become complete.
Saint. That short word is my awe, my respect, my ideal, and my goal. When I see someone like her, a maddening desire to stain her with evil, just as I am, runs wild. At the same time, I find myself losing to the desire to be stained by her.
That is why the Saint makes me complete.
In the past—no, in the future—there was once a being similar to her. A Hero of Justice like no other in this world. That hero nearly made me complete, but in the end, she succumbed.
In my previous life, it took me over a decade, but I finally succeeded in corrupting her, feeling a peerless ecstasy followed by an endless void and total exhaustion.
I wonder if I can corrupt the Saint of this life as I did that hero, or if I will be the one reformed, as she boasts. I suppose I'll find out once I go to Eden Academy, where she told me to meet her.
Five hundred years. I can't wait. I look forward to the establishment of Eden Academy and finally getting to have some dirty fun with the daughter of God.
Until the day I reunite with the Saint, I will simply build my playground. A playground called the Continent where we can run and play. And while I'm at it, I'll throw in a bit of personal revenge.
Scribble—
Masters who have reached a certain realm, regardless of race, gender, age, or dimension.
Monsters whose footsteps make the earth tremble, whose swords split the seas, and whose magic twists space itself.
Transcendents born as mere mortals who stepped into the realm of gods.
The world calls such beings 'Absolute Strong Ones'.
Creatures that rank among the Absolute Strong Ones are rare across all dimensions. Perhaps the Five Kings residing in the Demon Beast Forest, Archangels, Great Demons, and the Saint who met her end alongside me in my previous life?
Of course, besides the monsters I've listed, many hidden Absolute Strong Ones exist in the world. Such as the Demon King or the Four Great Dukes of the Demon Realm. Godslayer Theseus, who escorted me from the Babel Tower to the guillotine in my previous life, was also an Absolute Strong One.
Each Absolute Strong One is a monster comparable to an entire nation. Some are capable of waging war against the 'world' single-handedly.
This isn't some delusional rambling. In ancient times, there was one such being. An Absolute Strong One who appeared and disappeared throughout the world, carrying out guerrilla terror attacks until he brought about the end of a civilization alone.
And the identity I intend to impersonate now is precisely that of an Absolute Strong One.
Not now, but in the distant future. I'm currently impersonating Lilith, who will become the Western Grand Duke of the Demon Realm. That clumsy devil who, in my previous life, visited Tartarus and grew distressed upon hearing the Saint had died.
Scribble—
I write in black ink with a fine fountain pen. I'm not writing in one swift stroke. I'm taking my time and carefully crafting each letter to mimic a young girl's handwriting.
I love all things beautiful. Naturally, I appreciate the artistic. I prefer my handwriting to be elegant. But since art is inherently subjective, others rarely understand my taste.
I think it looks plenty pretty. Fools, blinded by the narrow perspectives society has imposed upon them.
The recipient of this letter is my eldest brother, Retavis. I plan to write another to my second brother, Leonard, later.
"To the esteemed Grand Duke's Son of the Northern Duke Family, Retavis Lucifer..."
Unlike my usual self, I infuse every single stroke with a sense of fragility. I need Retavis and Leonard to mistake this for a fresh, young succubus from the Western Duke Family.
At this point in time, Lilith is not yet an adult demon. She, the Demon King, and I are all around the same age. However, as a descendant of the elite Western Duke Family Clanaein, Lilith was a known figure in the Demon Realm from a young age.
"I, Lilith Clanaein... have long... secretly admired you after hearing rumors of your renown... Therefore..."
Scribble—
High-ranking families in the Demon Realm enjoy marrying among their own status. Not for some un-demonlike reason like alliances, of course, but because it increases the probability of producing a stronger offspring.
Two noble sons of the North and a beautiful daughter of the West—Lilith is renowned for her talent as the strongest succubus in history, and I for a beauty that could knock a wyvern out of the sky. This single page will shake the hearts of two hot-blooded young demons.
Thinking of my brothers getting excited, completely unaware that their youngest sibling is the one behind the letter, already makes me thrill. I can't wait to shatter their expectations.
"I hope... that we might cultivate a relationship and strive for harmony... If you are willing to accept my heart... I ask that you come alone to Endros' Cliff tonight..."
The letter is finished. I'm not fond of how neat and precise the handwriting looks, but from the perspective of mimicking Lilith, it's a perfectly forged letter.
Tap, tap-tap—
I sealed the letter's crest with glue. Then, I manually copied the exact same letter, word for word. The sender remains the same, only the recipient changes.
This is a book of life and death for two, written by me. A letter that will signal the finale for two demons. A death sentence for Joker, whom no one remembers.
It's a crude set of tools finished in mere minutes, but it's enough. To hunt a jackal, a jackal trap is all you need.
Some might think it's too flimsy since I'm targeting the eldest and second sons of the most powerful family in the Demon Realm. But from another perspective, being a child of a high-ranking family is like being a hothouse flower.
Retavis is twenty, and Leonard is ten. Lower-class demons of that age are already thrust into the fight for survival, engaging in bloody battles with Beasts of Slumber to secure food. Even then, they're often plundered by stronger demons.
In contrast, Retavis and Leonard are combat novices who have never experienced a real fight. They might have sparred with siblings or retainers within the family, but a life-and-death struggle for survival is nonexistent in their vocabulary.
Of course, high-ranking demons naturally grow stronger with age. The talent granted by bloodline, mana accumulated through lavish support, and ancestral techniques ensure they aren't weak. My eldest sister, Adela, is the culmination of that plus experience.
But not yet. Retavis and Leonard are merely gentle lambs who have been pampered within the shield of the Northern Grand Duke's Residence. In my previous life, they actually left for training in the Demon Beast Forest about five weeks from now, only to meet their end side by side.
This is why I'm rushing things immediately after hearing the news from King. I don't want to linger and let someone else beat me to it. In this life, no matter what happens, I will personally snuff out the lives of Retavis and Leonard.
As for the trip to the Demon Beast Forest afterward... this time, I'd rather go in their place, hehe.
"Now, little pigeon. Go. Tell my big brother and second brother what I intend."
I securely tied the letters for Retavis and Leonard to the legs of the messenger pigeons.
With a sharp smack to their backsides, the two messenger pigeons soared energetically, disappearing into the crimson sky of the Demon Realm.
The skies of the Demon Realm are home to monsters that dominate the heavens. Most are prideful enough to act like kings on the Continent; even creatures like Black Wyverns are nothing more than small fry here.
Yet, those fragile messenger pigeons somehow pierce through that terrifying sky, possessing an oddly extraordinary kind of luck.
It's truly fascinating. Since there's no formal agreement, I wonder why most monsters simply let the messenger pigeons pass without hostility. Well, that's likely why pigeons, out of all the birds, became messengers.
Watching the pigeons fly freely into the distance, I took out Horus's Egg that I had received from Adela. A semi-circular orb emitting a brilliant radiance revealed its majesty to the world.
Who is Horus? One of the Five Kings, the strongest beasts ruling the Demon Beast Forest, and the protagonist of the legendary tale of slicing the Demon God's eye, forcing him to weep tears of blood.
The absolute ruler of the skies, reigning supreme in the Demon Realm, a height no other beast dare approach. That is Horus, the Eagle King.
And right before me is an egg containing the offspring of such a monster. Of course! To me right now, it's just a handful of fried food! Hehehe!
Roughly... ten hours left? Until nightfall?
Considering the travel time to Endros' Cliff—which will become Retavis and Leonard's graves—I have about eight hours remaining.
Within that time, I must fully absorb Horus's Egg and cleanse my Qi Meridians. There are a few other preparations to make as well.
It would have been much easier if I had a gun; what a shame.
While I'm personally happy that using a blade feels better in the hand, I'm still a demon brat under ten years old. I dislike anything that isn't a sure thing.
"Still, the thrill of the risk is the best part."
Comforting myself with a bit of mental gymnastics, I slipped out of my room toward the kitchen. To cook Horus's Egg and prepare the 'stage' for tonight.
I didn't forget to slide the Saint's Rosary into my pocket with my gloved hand.
*****
"Oscar...! You miserable piece of trash...!"
Leonard, the second son of the Northern Duke's Residence, ground his teeth, unable to contain his surging rage.
Grate—
Throb—
Leonard covered his gums with his palm, wincing at the pain in his teeth. It was because his teeth had cracked during a one-sided beating delivered by his younger sibling, Oscar Lucifer, just yesterday.
For a demon with a life force so potent it was almost repulsive, such an injury wasn't a major issue, but it was more than enough to aggravate him.
"A lowly piece of filth from birth...! A mere insect, how dare he...!"
What truly bothered Leonard was the fact that he couldn't even offer a single proper resistance before being pummeled. No, beyond being bothered, it was an utter humiliation.
Though he was only ten years old, he was destined to eventually devour even the adult Retavis and become the Northern Grand Duke. To be beaten by a younger brother who was barely nine was a disgrace he hated to even recall.
'What on earth did he do...? Until the day before yesterday, he was just a brat who took my hits helplessly...!'
Rage paralyzes reason, replacing it with an explosion of raw emotion. That was exactly Leonard's state right now.
An uncontrollable murderous intent surged within him. Humiliation from being trampled by someone he looked down upon, shame from wanting to erase that memory, and a pathetic desire for revenge born from a twisted hierarchy.
All of it stained Leonard's reason with violence.
'He must have used some cowardly trick...! Isn't he a failure who can't even use mana because he's poisoned with Scattered Demon Poison...!'
The memories of the previous day consumed him. He recalled the fierce clubs raining down upon him. They weren't strikes carrying immense power or blinding speed. Yet, Leonard hadn't been able to block a single hit.
Every move he made was read; aside from one lucky strike to the crown of the head, he was beaten senseless. It was as if he were a Cerberus being tenderized before being thrown into a pot. Of course, the prideful Leonard refused to admit this.
Instead, he believed Oscar's victory was mere luck. This was the conclusion reached by a mind clouded by paralyzed reason.
"That little shit...! I was planning to kill him slowly once I became an adult, but he's just rushing his own demise...!"
A throbbing pain hit Leonard every time his tooth shifted. His bloodlust grew larger, like a rolling snowball.
In the Demon Realm, killing young demons is strictly forbidden. Because demons are a race with intense competitiveness and long lifespans, adult demons used to frequently kill the young in the past. They feared that once these children grew, they would threaten their own security.
Naturally, the demon population dwindled, and the race faced a crisis of extinction brought upon themselves. Eventually, the Demon God imposed a strict rule: demons in their infancy or adolescence must be protected at all costs.
They couldn't control deaths by starvation or disease. However, intentional murder was absolutely banned, and a decree was issued stating that violators would be sentenced to life imprisonment.
For demons with naturally belligerent temperaments, rotting in a cell for thousands of years was a fate far worse than death.
Of course, this also applied to killings between young demons. Otherwise, some talented demon might kill every peer in the Demon Realm to eliminate rivals. This law was exactly what allowed Oscar, who had no backing, to survive until now.
Of course, there is one immutable law for all laws in the world. That is, they have no effect as long as you don't get caught.
"I'll just make it look like an accident soon... Poisoning him and disguising it as food poisoning would be good... Whatever it takes, I'll cut his throat soon...!"
A perfect crime is effectively innocence. Leonard was planning to use this classic, famous rule to dispose of Oscar.
Tap, tap, tap—
It was at that exact moment that he heard the sound of something blunt and hard knocking on the window.