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Chapter 42: Taming the Wolf King
Cold sweat trickled down the neck of Suuba, a demon realm hunter famous for his seagull-shaped mustache.
His instincts screamed. Run.
But Suuba's legs refused to obey, as if fighting against his brain. They simply trembled, like legs buckling under the weight of a heavy barbell.
He was overwhelmed by the terrifying sight before him. Or perhaps, the blow he just received had been far too powerful.
Who could possibly blame his legs?
The fault lay in Suuba's own weakness. The only sin a prey commits when facing a predator in the wild is being 'weak'—not offending them, nor being careless.
But Suuba could not bring himself to accept that weakness.
"Grrrr...."
"G-gah...! Don't come any closer! I said get back!"
In the wild where he spent his life, Suuba had been the undisputed strong. He was a seasoned hunter of the Demon Beast Forest, and his spear never missed its mark unless he intended it to.
"Grrrrr...!"
Until the moment he began slaughtering the wolf clan alone, Suuba hadn't given it much thought. His simple initial goal was merely to make a living by selling their pelts.
The process was easy. Whether it was leaving poisoned rabbit meat in the wolves' paths or dosing the fat cows of the farms they frequent, the wolves died off on their own. Everything went smoothly.
It was then that Suuba encountered the unexpected. One of the pups he had captured carried the legendary Bloodline of the Wolf King.
From that point on, Suuba plotted to make a fortune. He would go to the Western Demon Realm and sell the pup at an auction for a massive sum. Then, once it was sold, he'd hunt the buyer, steal the pup back, and sell it again. He'd repeat this cycle several times.
It was a perfectly viable plan. Suuba was confident he could defeat most demons, and the auction house had no reason to refuse as they would double their profits. He was brimming with confidence.
That is, until Lilith Clanaein, the sole heir of the Western Grand Duke's family, appeared at the auction to join the race for the Wolf King.
In the vast Demon Realm, the Western Grand Duke was one of the five most powerful figures. A common demon like Suuba wouldn't dare lay a finger on the daughter of such a person.
And so, while Suuba was floundering in the depths of despair...
"Ta-da!"
A boy appeared.
The boy who was now grinning from ear to ear behind Suuba and the adult wolf beastman.
"Hehehe, Mr. Swaalin's Spearman. How do you like the gift I prepared? Amazing, isn't it?"
"Y-you brat...! Don't tell me all of this was...!"
"I wanted to sweep up both you and the clueless fellow following you in one go, but to think you were the same person. My, there's really nothing certain in this world, is there?"
"...! Just when... when did you start planning this...!"
"Planning? Clowns don't make plans."
As he spoke, the boy raised a trembling finger and tapped his head.
"I just use my head a bit. If I couldn't even manage this, how would I survive in this harsh Demon Realm?"
That was it.
That round head his slender finger was pointing to was the source of everything.
He had been lured in by the boy's schemes. It was humiliating, yet Suuba didn't even feel the shame.
That was because it was an overwhelmingly complete defeat; he hadn't even suspected it. From the moment he followed the boy after seeing that 500,001 gold at the auction. His only thought was how 'absurd' it all was.
"The 500,001 gold I spent at the auction wasn't to buy the Wolf King."
"Gah...."
"It was the price to tame her. Without such a massive sum, demons like you wouldn't have been lured in, and I wouldn't have been able to divert the target of the berserk Aru away from myself, would I?"
The youth, Oscar, chatted mockingly. He was panting heavily, sounding as if his breath might stop at any moment.
"KRAAAAAAA!!"
And Aru, seemingly indifferent to Oscar, prowled toward Suuba. Sharp claws and talons faintly reflected the moonlight.
An overwhelming howl shook the forest. Trees swayed, the mist retreated, and a violent gale whipped through the air.
In the center of all that crushing pressure stood Suuba.
Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!
Then, in the next moment.
Aru's hard, rough fist slammed into Suuba's face for the second time.
It was the moment Suuba's face caved in with a crashing sound.
*****
Thwack-! Thwack-! Thwack-! Thwack-! Thwack-! Thwack-!
The exhilarating sound of flesh being crushed and bones shattering pierced the ears.
A surge of blood poured from his mouth. It was because of the spearhead that had pierced deep into his internal organs. Ow, that really stings.
My head is dizzy, perhaps from anemia, but I must not lose consciousness. I can't miss this spectacle.
Thwack-! Thwack-! Thwack-! Thwack-! Thwack-! Thwack-!
Perhaps overwhelmed by the grief of losing the boundary that was her family, Aru relentlessly pummeled Swaalin's Spearman, who had stopped reacting long ago.
Red liquid poured from blue eyes. The face, once spherical, was gradually flattened like a piece of paper. Aru's fists were relentless.
It's a beautiful sight. A classic scene where a weak victim gains power and takes revenge—one of my favorite tropes.
Revenge, revenge, revenge! The madness of slaughter consumes the mind. Aru, whose wild nature had intensified with the appearance of the full moon, could not contain the overflowing bloodlust.
Thwack-! Thwack-! Thwack-! Thwack-! Thwack-! Thwack-!
A rain of fists descends, shredding Swaalin's Spearman, who has already drawn his last breath. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the sight, as enchanting as an angel's wing and as sweet as honey.
"KRAAAAAAK! KRAAAK! Die! DIE!!"
Aru! Don't stop! Don't hesitate! There's no need to hold back!
Nothing in this world can stop you right now! Release every bit of the resentment in your heart! Until not a single drop remains!
Ah, what should I do? If I stay like this, I'll die soon, and I won't be able to put the finishing touch on my plan to tame Aru.
I'm far too excited. The sight of blood spraying and flesh tearing is just too alluring. I have no desire to stop Aru, who is sinking deeper into the swamp of murderous intent...
"Gasp!"
Oh, she stepped out of it on her own.
Aru, having turned Swaalin's Spearman into a mangled corpse, withdrew her fists and stood up. She tilted her head from side to side, scanning the surroundings, before rushing toward me in a panic.
My, I must have woken her. To think she thinks of me with such a devoted heart. I'm touched.
Tramp, tramp, tramp—her steps are fast and urgent. Aru's gaze is locked straight onto me. Her blue eyes shake as if an earthquake is hitting them.
It is a look entirely different from the one filled with murderous intent from before. It is as if she is desperately worried about something....
"Hah, in the end, she makes me return to the original purpose."
Under the lingering moonlight, Aru stood before me. Before me, lying pathetically with a spear embedded in my abdomen.
From here on, I must use my words carefully. I swallowed a mouthful of blood.
They say dogs and wolves share the same origin. However, these two species evolved in different directions over time and through repeated development.
The wolf, living in the wild.
The dog, living alongside humans.
In that process, dogs learned to conform, obey, and follow. They carved it into their bones: hunt when humans tell them to hunt, run when told to run, and sit when told to sit.
As a result, the dog became the most luxurious of all speechless beasts.
The noble wolf did not take that path. They chose a life of freedom in the wild, learning to hunt alone, ignore commands, and carve through hardships on their own.
There were times when beings like the Wolf King appeared to unite wolves, but nonetheless, wolves rejected coexistence with humans.
As a result, wolves grew larger brains, massive bodies, and sharper teeth than dogs.
Of course, for every gain, there is a loss.
The wolf species became incapable of being tamed by any other species, and while they might occasionally submit to a being like the Wolf King, they could never truly look up to another species.
But I will tame her.
I will make the impossible possible.
I will turn what everyone views pessimistically and mocks into reality.
That is what a magician does.
And that is what a Joker does.
Haven't I prepared everything up until now just for that one trick?
Now it is time to put the finishing touch.
"...Why?"
Aru throws a question my way.
"Why... why did you throw yourself in front of me...?"
I do not answer.
"Just why... you, young demon, you don't even look at me with sincerity...."
I must make her anxious.
"You hit me... you hit me so much...."
I must let her suffer.
"You... you look at me as if I'm just a lowly beast...."
I must plunge her into confusion.
I am the one who slips through the cracks of chaos.
The more the mind breaks down, the more gaps there are for me to slide into.
"Just why...! Why did you take the spear to protect me!"
Aru shuts her eyes tight and lets out a scream.
Hmm, perhaps I should add a little flavor here.
"Cough! Cough!"
"Demon! Young demon!"
"Ugh... it hurts. It hurts so much. Haa, haa...."
I let out plenty of groans and coughs, acting as if it wouldn't be strange if my breath were cut off right now. Of course, there is no real strength behind any of these actions.
I am completely exhausted. This is perfect for instilling sympathy in Aru's heart.
"Why, why are you doing this.... Just why...."
Before I knew it, Aru had knelt before me. Her two sharp blue eyes are brimming with glistening tears.
"You... you're not this kind of demon, young demon...."
"You've always been such an arrogant demon...."
"Always such a cheerful demon...."
"A demon who's always grinning... slippery... mocking... wicked... a cold-hearted demon who hits me with a club if I don't listen...."
Is that how I look from Aru's perspective? It's surprisingly accurate.
"Then why... why are you lying there so pitifully...! You're not this kind of demon, young demon...!!"
Biting her lip, Aru asks. No, it's closer to a threat. Or perhaps it's a plea.
A demand for me to please answer, to open my heavy lips and speak, so she can hear the answer clearly with her own ears.
A request. Or a plea? Or a threat? Or a question?
It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I must open my mouth now.
"Why, you ask...."
"De-demon? Are you okay? Are you alive?"
"I told you... that I love you...."
"Demon! Demon! Young demon!! Don't close your eyes! Open them!"
Be agitated.
Strange emotions are born within a fractured mind.
"Woof woof woof woof woof! Wake up! Woof woof woof woof!"
Feel it.
In front of a dying demon who threw his body away for you, feel a desperate love.
"Aru! Aru— Aruuu—."
Howl.
Gather a sorrowful cry from the depths of your abyss and howl loudly.
"Awooooo— Don't die—! You can't die—!"
I close my eyes.
To me, this is nothing more than a single, tiny blink.
But to this wolf girl howling over me, it is the heavy descent of life's final chapter.
A violent ripple forms in Aru's eyes. Like an aspen trembling in winter. Like lightning striking the center of a blue lake.
"You... you told me to follow the young demon! Woof woof!"
"...."
"I'll follow you! So don't die! From now on, the young demon is my captain! The only captain of the Wolf King!"
Follow me.
Just as I follow the Saint.
You shall follow me.
"Woof woof! You said... you loved me!"
"...."
"I'll love you! I'll love you sincerely! No, I love you! I love you truly!"
Love me.
Just as I love the Saint.
You shall love me.
"That thing about killing me! I take it back! I won't kill you!"
"...."
"So...! Open your eyes already! Don't die! I-I'll lick your blood away!"
Revere me.
Just as I revere the Saint.
You shall revere me.
Aru knew. The moment the spear in my abdomen was pulled out, my faint breath would cease.
Bending low and moving her head beside the spear, Aru stuck out her long tongue and began to lick the blood soaking my abdomen. Her posture was utterly desperate and mournful.
"Mph...! Hmph...! Hang in there... just hold on a bit... I'll do something...."
"...."
"Please...! Just open your eyes...!! Sob, ugh, huhuhu...."
Hot tears stream down from Aru's eyes. Her blue eyes are bloodshot. My consciousness is fading because I've lost too much blood, but it's not time yet.
Hah, this is so enjoyable. The fact that I am manipulating the Wolf King while my life hangs in the balance brings a thrill of pleasure that sends shivers down my spine.
"Huuu... hmph...! Awoo—uwoo— awoooo—."
Sobbing, licking, and letting out a howl toward the night sky.
Aru cried sorrowfully.
It was because the pain Aru felt from losing her family had been triggered once again.
Though it had only been a few days, and though the relationship was stained with painful violence, she had felt warm love through the occasional, gracious Lord's Blessings—namely, [meat].
Aru's only family. That is me. Oscar Lucifer.
However, I will not remain a mere family member. I will be Aru's master—the psychological leader and the one and only milestone that will guide her.
"Y-you liked this, right...? You did...! You loved it when you patted my head...!"
Kneeling with her waist bent low, Aru fumbles for my limp arm. Slowly, she makes her way toward the end of it.
"Young demon... you liked it when you patted my head...! A-actually, I liked it too...! I thought I shouldn't get used to it, so I refused... b-but it's okay now! It doesn't matter! I'll let you touch it as much as you want!"
Finally, Aru reaches that soft thing with five horns at the end. I don't even have to think deeply to know what action will follow.
Rub- rub-.
Against my palm, Aru rubs her own forehead. From a place where she cannot see, I slyly open my eyes to observe the view.
Rub- rub- rub-.
The fluffy fur tickles my fingertips. Perhaps because her mane has grown quite a bit, it feels coarse rather than soft.
"W-whenever you want! You can touch it anytime! Because the young demon likes it...! So...!!"
"Please...! Please just don't die...! Sob...."
It is a posture far too humiliating to be considered fitting for the Wolf King, but that is precisely why Aru's desperation is so palpable.
She has been tamed.
The Wolf King, by a spectral demon like me.
The power to make the impossible possible.
I learned this from Saint Maria.
"Hehehe."
"...? Young demon...?"
"The romance fantasy of a wolf girl, which I thought would end as a beautiful and sorrowful tragedy."
"Young demon? A-are you awake? Don't talk! F-first, we have to... you need to rest...! I-I have to find medicinal herbs too...!"
"Has had its ending changed by a very, very special and most noble power in the world."
"Demon...? W-what are you talking about...?"
"And that power is called love."
Swoosh-.
I pull my hand from beneath Aru's head and extend my arm toward a bag lying some distance away.
Aru gazes at me with misty eyes. It is the look of an audience member, endlessly surprised while watching a magician perform a miracle.
Hum-.
Mana rises from my fingertips and touches the inside of the bag. Soon, a small medicine bottle floats up and slowly flies toward me.
Aru watched it with a blank expression.
While rattling the medicine bottle in front of her eyes...
Swallowing the surging pain inside my body...
I lowered the curtain for the show's curtain call.
"Ta-da!"
"...!"
"Surprise!"
Large drops of relief fell from Aru's eyes like a waterfall.
Today's trick was transformation magic.
Magic that transforms a girl's heart.
*****
How audacious.
How mean.
He played me again.
He toyed with me once more.
But it feels good.
I'm glad.
I'm so glad.
That this was a prank again.
That the young demon didn't die.
I am the King, the King of Wolves.
The absolute King who leads every wolf.
And the young demon.
The young demon who pulls my strings.
The wicked, despicable, and mean young demon.
Captain.
My one and only captain.