40
Chapter 40
Sizzling-!
"Kieeeek...!"
"Hmm, you really knew how to make an entrance, but that's about it. All style, no substance."
"Kkeueeeugh...!"
"Both of you. Hehe. Idiots. Who told you to let your guard down?"
Watching the two demons being purified by the holy cross in my hand, I flashed a sinister smile.
The fight was over in an instant. I let them hit me a few times and fell to my knees, and then, the moment they grew careless, I taught them a lesson with a Cross Thrust.
If they had maintained their vigilance until the end, I would have lost. I didn't feed them any poison to suppress their magic.
As someone without magic, I still have no way to beat a properly trained adult demon in a long-range fight. Unless, of course, I set the stage and prepared in advance.
"Hahaha, goodbye. When you get to the afterlife, give my regards to my two elder brothers."
"Kieeeek...!"
"Ah, you want to know who I am? I wonder if you'll recognize me as the youngest of the Lucifer Family of the Northern Duke Family."
"...!"
The pathetic breaths of the two demons were cut short. This was because I seared their throats with the cross, which was like molten lava to demons.
What would I have done without the Saint's cross? Seriously, the Saint is just so helpful.
"You're back...?"
When I returned to where Aru was after the battle, Aru was staring at me with a blank expression.
"What's wrong, Aru?"
"Woof woof woof! You're back! Woof woof!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm back. But why are you barking?"
"Woof woof woof! Young Demon! You're alive!"
"Did you actually hope I'd die? Ugh, you ill-mannered wolf. You don't even know how to be grateful for being saved."
Bonk-!
"Yelp! Yelp! Why'd you hit me! It hurts!"
"I hit you because it pissed me off that you just stood far back and watched while the Captain was fighting. Why?"
"Grrr...! I, I was trapped! It's not that I didn't go! I couldn't!"
"You make it sound like you would've come if you could've?"
"Woof woof! It's true! The Young Demon mustn't die!"
"What have you been talking about this whole time? You were the one making a fuss about killing me. And kid, I only used my fist because I knew these iron bars were here. If not, I would've—!"
Threateningly parting my lips, I pulled out my magic wand. Aru, who had a trauma engraved by my magic wand, began to shiver and tuck her tail the moment she saw it.
"Whimper... whimper...."
Hehe, this foolish and inferior beast. You're completely intimidated by a mere magic wand.
"Be grateful it ended with a flick to the forehead, you cheeky brat."
"Whimper... I'll kill you... I'll definitely kill you...."
"That again? Do you really want to kill me that badly?"
"Evil demon... someday I'll kill you... whimper...."
"Hmm, is that your desire?"
Aru tucked her head between her bent knees and muttered fervently. I whispered softly while twirling my magic wand gleefully.
"Then, kill me!"
"Woof...?"
"But only if you can!"
"Grrr...?"
"I'll allow it! You can kill me! But I won't just die quietly! Try it when you're sure you can kill me!"
"I-Is that okay? Woof woof?"
"Of course! I don't block desire! However!"
Swish-!
I sent a silent pressure by waving the magic wand, implying: You know what happens if you fail, right? Understanding my intent, Aru flinched for a moment and then swallowed hard, as if making a firm resolve.
Yes, that's how it should be.
"You just have to take the responsibility that comes with that desire."
That's the best part.
It's fine to harbor a desire you can't handle. However, the moment you express that desire and put it into action.
Karma returns. A karma that leads life toward ruin. I love that. When people lose their minds and stop thinking.
I looked up. I could see the deep blue night sky of the Demon Realm. Occasionally, flying monsters caught the edge of my vision.
Within that, there was a bright moon. The moonlight had filled up to some extent, but it wasn't a full moon yet.
About three days left, maybe.
On the night the full moon rises, I am preparing the show I will put on.
*****
Epomis nigricans.
Also known as the Large Yellow-banded Ground Beetle, this is a truly peculiar insect.
Generally, insects are powerless before amphibians like frogs. Frogs are the natural predators of insects.
But this insect called Epomis nigricans conversely hunts and eats frogs. A beetle with a body only 2cm long hunts a frog dozens of times its size.
The hunting method is simple. It lures the frog by shaking its antennae and then clings tightly to it. Then, it slowly eats away at it, bit by bit.
There is nothing the frog can do. It cannot shake it off or resist. Even if it swallows the Epomis nigricans before it attaches, the beetle eats its way through the inside, forcing the frog to vomit it back up. Then, the Epomis nigricans attaches itself to the frog again. And eats.
It is an extremely rare case where the natural food chain is reversed. The predator becomes the prey, and the prey becomes the predator.
We might have a question here.
'Why didn't frogs evolve to avoid Epomis nigricans? It is a natural law to flee or hide upon seeing a natural enemy, so why are frogs unable to do so?'
The answer is surprisingly simple yet astounding.
The hunting success rate of Epomis nigricans is 98%.
In other words, ninety-eight out of a hundred frogs caught by Epomis nigricans all die. They would need to survive to some extent to recognize that 'Ah, that bug is harmful' and evolve to flee, but with a success rate of 98%, evolution itself is impossible.
Every frog that encountered Epomis nigricans simply became nature's meal.
The same goes for me right now.
Sizzling-!
"Kieeeek!"
"Wow, as expected from fellow demons, your screams are all pretty much the same. Perhaps we all came from the same root? Oh right, we had the Demon God, didn't we?"
The demons who tracked me down are all meeting the same end. They let their guard down, get ambushed, and die helplessly. There's no other way. They are ignorant and aren't on my side.
I kill everyone who knows I possess a cross that is lethal to demons. Except for one: Aru. But Aru is on my side now.
"Woof woof! Woof woof woof woof! Smell of blood!"
After killing another demon that chased me,
"Can you smell the blood on me? I shouldn't have any blood scent if I want to keep the others off guard... Hmm, this is a headache."
"Woof? You hate the smell of blood?"
"I like the smell of blood, but it's problematic in the current situation. Because of this, the next enemies will be incredibly cautious... Ah!"
"Woof woof! Your expression is scary! You thought of something weird again!"
A great idea occurred to me. A very clever and rational idea to erase this blood scent. The corners of my mouth curled up so far they almost reached my ears.
"Aru! This is an order! Lick all the blood off my body!"
"Woof? No! That's gross!"
"Oh, I forgot to mention, but if you get hit now, it'll hurt more than usual. I'm not very good at controlling my strength right now."
"Woof woof! Mean! You're a mean demon!"
"If you know that, then just start licking, you brat."
As I gave the forceful order and pressed my body against the bars, Aru reluctantly peeked her head out.
"Whimper... truly a mean demon... making a king do something like this...."
Aru opened her mouth and extended her tongue to lick the blood on my arm. Since there were no lakes or rivers nearby, I wondered what to do, and I'm proud of my outstanding brain for coming up with this method.
"Hah... hah... my jaw hurts...."
"It's okay. Aru can handle it!"
"Haa... I'll definitely kill you...."
"Yes! Aru can definitely kill me!"
"Young Demon... you're crazy...."
As Aru crouched before the bars cleaning my left arm, a mischievous curiosity suddenly struck me. Without pulling away my left arm, I reached my right arm through the bars and stroked Aru's forehead.
Rub rub-.
She really is something. Her messy, shaggy hair is so fluffy that it makes me feel relaxed every time I touch it. I should make a habit of this.
"Grrr... stop it...."
Though it doesn't seem that way for Aru, the one being touched.
"So what!"
I'm her Captain, the Captain. Can't a Captain pat his subordinate's head?
"Grrrrr...!"
Wait, hold on. This growling sounds unusual.
Chomp-!
"Aaaagh!"
"Grrr! Grrrr! I told you! Not to touch me!"
I felt a terrible pain as if a piece of flesh was being torn from my left arm.
Suddenly, Aru turned volatile and violently bit the arm she had been licking. Sharp teeth dug into my fragile skin that had been touched by a soft tongue just a moment ago.
"A-Aru! It hurts! It hurts! Okay! I won't touch it! Let go of your teeth!"
"No! Grrr! I'll have my revenge!"
Crunch-!
"Ack! Dammit...! This brat's teeth are monstrous...!"
"Grrrr! You feel the pain too! Feel the exact same pain!"
"Aru! Stop it! This is an order! Aaaagh!"
At the mention of the word 'order,' Aru paused for a moment. She must have remembered the magic wand.
You're dead the moment I get free, you damn wolf. You dare bite your owner? And your jaw hurting was a lie?
"Grrr...! You can't use it anyway!"
Oh, she's right. The magic wand is a bit far away.
Unless I give up my left arm, I can't grab the magic wand. In short, I'm screwed.
"A-Aru? C-can't we settle this through conversation? I'm willing to never touch your head again if you truly hate it...."
"I don't believe you! I was in a lot of pain! Woof woof woof!"
"Kugh...! Aru, you really...!"
Snap-!
To think she was hiding such powerful jaw strength. Bright red blood flows steadily from my poor left arm.
It can't be helped.
I was saving my magic for the show on the night of the full moon.
I reached my right hand toward the direction where the magic wand lay. From my outstretched fingertips, droplets of magic bloomed like bubbles. A pitch-black aura gathered around the tips of my fingers.
Using that meager amount of power, I pull the magic wand from several meters away. An invisible force of control touches the wand. Though nothing is visible to the eye, the magic wand twitches on its own.
Telekinesis.
The supernatural power that had prevented Saint Maria's face from scorching against the oven-like floor when I was with her in Tartarus.
I operate this magic, which is like my specialty, using mana as the catalyst.
Woooong-.
Whoosh-!
"Woof!? The stick is weird!"
"Hah, you animal. Even when I give you a chance, you don't take it...!"
The mana I gained from eating Horus's Egg is tiny, but I can still cast a light telekinesis like this. Even if it's a bit of a strain.
Clack-!
I caught the flying magic wand in my hand. Then, with lightning speed, I struck Aru on the forehead.
Crack-!
"Yelp! Yelp!"
Aru immediately let go of my left arm and scrambled backward. Naturally, I have no intention of letting her off easy.
Suppressing the searing pain, I reached out with my tattered left arm. Aru, whose scruff was now gripped by me, struggled violently.
Of course, I have no intention of simply letting go.
Crack-!
"Yelp! Yelp! It hurts! It hurts!"
"This is punishment for disobeying an order!"
Crack-!
"It hurts! Yelp! Yelp! I said it hurts!"
"This is for daring to bite your owner—no, your Captain!"
Crack-!
"Yelp! Whimper! Whimper, whimper! I won't do it! I won't bite!"
"This is for mistaking my love for mere violence!"
After that, I continued to strike Aru's forehead for a long while. Aru kept leaping around, but having been caught by the scruff, she had no way to resist.
So, the long beating that lasted for about thirty minutes finally ended.
"Whimper... whimper... it hurts...."
Aru had now completely tucked her tail. Lying curled up in the corner of the cell, the sound of Aru licking her own body echoed quietly through the prison.
Beside her, I am wrapping a bandage around my left arm. It was a pyrrhic victory, a fight where I was the only one who lost. I didn't expect her to have a seizure just because I stroked her forehead a bit.
"Sigh... what a mess. Even I'm exhausted."
"Whimper... you could've just not hit me...."
"Aru bit me first."
"I told you to stop... whimper...."
"...That's true. But isn't it a bit too much to bite without mercy just for a little petting?"
"Whimper... whimper... whimper... I'm a king...."
Sigh, what fault could this young wolf possibly have? Now that I've beaten her plenty, I feel like a sage. I actually feel sorry for her. What sin did she commit to be beaten by me like this?
Gurgle-.
A hungry sound came from Aru's thin stomach. Glancing over, Aru was clutching her belly and whimpering.
It would be strange not to be hungry after using all that energy. I doubt a wolf's stomach can endure hunger better than a demon's.
I rummaged through Arachne's Bag and pulled out some meat. A chunk of meat suddenly dropped in front of Aru, who had been licking her paw.
"Eat up, brat."
"Whimper, I... I didn't follow orders."
"I know."
"B-but why are you giving me this...?"
How should I answer?
Saying I'm giving it to her because I feel bad would be a bit awkward.
Ah.
"Because I love you."
"Whimper...?"
"That's what love is. The person I love most told me so. Giving without needing a reason. Even if you didn't follow orders, I love you. That's why I'm giving this to you."
I wonder if the Saint felt this way when she looked at me.
I don't know. I'll be sure to ask her when we meet.
"Doesn't suit you. Woof."
"You little...!"
"Munch munch...."
Despite saying her jaw was exhausted, Aru chewed and swallowed the meat with great enthusiasm.
Suddenly, the desire to stroke that forehead again welled up, but I folded it away. I didn't want to injure my bandaged arm again.
Instead, I leaned my head against the cold iron bars. Somehow, Aru and I ended up back-to-back, separated by the bars. The sounds of meat being torn, chewed, and swallowed blended with the sounds of insects in the forest, layering like background music.
This is when I should be smoking a fine cigar, but unfortunately, I didn't bring any when I left the Duke's family.
"Is it good?"
"Gulp."
"Aren't you going to answer?"
"...It's good. Don't hit me. I'll be good."
"Hehe, I don't even have the energy to hit you."
I gaze at the moon, which has not yet reached its full phase. Maybe two days left. I hope the telekinesis I used today recovers before then.
Perhaps it's because of the lingering afterimage of the night air, or simply because I'm exhausted from sweating so much.
Intoxicated by the atmosphere of the blue moonlight, I asked a question while remaining back-to-back with Aru.
"Hey, Aru."
"Woof woof. What."
"How did you end up like this?"
"Woof...."
"Tell me the story. Usually, after a big fight, you have a glass of wine and tell stories like that. Spice it up a bit to make it interesting."
Aru began to speak while eating the meat.
"I, gulp, was destined to become the king."
"I know."
"My father was proud of me. He said I was the first king of the clan born in hundreds of years. So, everyone adored me. My uncles, my aunts. Munch munch...."
"Must've been nice."
"I ran around everywhere. I even went to a vast field. We encountered large beasts, but my mom, dad, uncles, and aunts all killed them. I always ate meat like this."
"You must've been full."
"But, a few days ago, a demon came to find us."
A demon?
"What did he look like? A demon capable of slaughtering the wolf clan alone wouldn't be an ordinary one."
"He was a male demon. Then there was the smell of iron, and everyone disappeared. No, they died."
"No, no, what did he look like?"
"Appearance? Whimper... I don't remember well...."
A king can't remember the enemy of his clan? I guess even if they look human, a wolf's brain is still a wolf's brain.
"Ah, woof woof. I remember."
"What was he like?"
"A mustache, grrr. He was a demon with a seagull-shaped mustache."
Hmm?
Wait.
A seagull-shaped mustache... that demon who sat next to me at the auction house... aha.
So that's how it was.
A single picture forms in my complex mind.
The villain for the show has been decided.
*****
It hurts.
It hurts so much.
I got hit a lot.
I don't want to be hit.
It's delicious.
It's so delicious.
As delicious as the meat I used to eat with my mom.
It hurts.
But it's comfortable.
It's cold.
But it's cozy.
The Young Demon loves me.
But he hits me.
It's because he's a mean demon.
He keeps touching my head even when I tell him not to.
It feels good yet bad.
I feel bad because it feels like my memories with my mom and dad are being stained.
But when my head is touched, it's comforting.
I felt like I was falling for it, so I snapped for a moment. That's why I got hit a lot.
It still hurts.
He told me I could kill him.
I still can't understand that.
When the full moon rises, I'll kill him just as he wants. But until then, I have to endure.
Arrogant demon.
Cunning demon.
He even laughs while hitting me.
He's a demon who is evil to his core.
I am the king, the King of Wolves.
I won't lose.
For now, I endure by eating the meat given by the Young Demon in humiliation.
But soon, once the full moon rises.
Once the full moon rises....