Chapter 75 - From the Beginning (10)

「This is a breach of contract.」

A breach of contract? What is?

「Stop messing around!」

Don't shout so loudly. A dog that barks too loudly will instead...

* * *

"What did you say? Waking a Great Demon—"

"Speak in detail!"

Deathbringer couldn't even click his tongue as he watched the person push past him to confront the man directly. The stubborn blockhead's face, which even normally wasn't as soft as a petulant child's, was frighteningly stiff.

And he knew exactly when that expression appeared. That Heresy Inquisitor would make that face whenever she heard talk of demons, especially extremely dangerous ones.

"I don't know the details either. I only overheard it."

"Then tell us whatever you do know. This is an extremely important matter."

The man looked a bit displeased at being abruptly pressured by someone who suddenly cut in.

But perhaps because he had the goal of surviving, he didn't stop his tongue and lips, even if he was a little flustered.

"All I heard was that if this succeeds, a Great Demon who left home will return... and that they'll be able to steal the hero's sword."

The hero's sword. There was no need to see what that word meant. To a hero who wielded a mace, there was only one existence that could be called a sword.

Even if that sword had such a nasty temper that it wielded the hero itself, rather than listening to him.

"... The Demon Knight is in danger."

"We have to find him right now."

Deathbringer experienced a rare moment of agreement with the Inquisitor. It wasn't a particularly good thing.

This was an incident that could go beyond the failure of their plan and become an even greater misfortune.

"Hey, what are you talking about?"

"Did the plan go wrong?"

Was it because the two, who had been completely calm even when they saw the Demon Knight rampaging in the castle, now had serious expressions on their faces? The Thieves, who had finished disguising themselves, stealthily gathered around.

As expected of those who made a living off their wits, they already gave the impression of being infected by Deathbringer's anxiety.

Moreover, that wasn't good news either. A drop in morale was a factor that could cause even a potentially successful operation to fail. He had to revive their momentum somehow.

But how? How on earth was he supposed to persuade them? When right now, even he was having a hard time composing himself from the shock?

He tightly bit his parched lips.

He had known just how dangerous a gamble this was ever since the Demon Knight proposed the plan.

However, because the one leading them was the Demon Knight, and because that highly skilled knight would be with them, he hadn't viewed the risk as significant.

It was because he truly couldn't imagine, even for a second, that the man would lose.

But was that really the case? Was there truly no possibility of that knight being defeated?

"We need to get out of here right now."

Deathbringer lowered his gaze as he watched the person he had considered worse at this sort of thing than him firmly give orders.

Instead of relying on the Demon Knight's martial prowess, he should have remembered how weak the Demon Knight was against prepared enemies.

Instead of the image of him hunting a dragon alone and walking proudly through a city teeming with demons, he should have recalled the image of him lying on white bedsheets with a pale face in Tatara.

By doing so, he should have fulfilled the worth that allowed him to join this party despite his lacking combat power...

"The enemy already knew that the Demon Knight would come here! Our location might have been exposed as well! We must move right now! Hurry!"

"What?"

"Fuck..."

"And you, I will ask for your cooperation as we go. Please come out."

But he had failed to do so. Because he hadn't grasped the situation more closely, because he hadn't handled the information properly.

Because of that, the Demon Knight was vividly exposed to the hostility aiming for him. He was sent alone, without any preparation, into a hostility so blatant that even just hearing fragments of it was enough to tell.

"And, you."

What do I do now? What should I do if the Demon Knight really was defeated? If that knight was ultimately devoured by a demon and turned into an enemy...

How on earth was he, how were they, supposed to find a way through this?

"Hey, hey! Hey, Thief!"

He didn't know. Nothing came to mind. It wasn't as if they were safe right now either; he had to come up with an alternative so that they could at least preserve their own lives.

The opportunity blown away by negligence, and the person who might have fallen into decisive danger because of it, flickered before his eyes.

"Snap, out of it!"

Then, a tremendous pressure hit his cheek. It wasn't enough to break his teeth, but it was plenty of force to burst his lip.

"You fool! This is the middle of enemy territory! No matter what variables erupt or what adversity strikes, do not lose your mind! Understood!"

Following that, he was grabbed by the collar. Vivid green eyes, far brighter and more spirited than his, reflected him clearly from the front.

"If you've snapped out of it, tell us what to do next! I'm not good at infiltration, and this sort of thing is your specialty, is it not!"

The reflection of himself there looked truly stupid, even to his own eyes.

"... Who lost their mind! I was just thinking?!"

"Then speak up quickly, don't just keep it in your head!"

"A-Alright, I got it. Let's talk while we move."

Deathbringer calmly steadied his mind and body through the conversation that flowed as usual. As he broke free from his panic, he finally began to see the things he needed to see.

"First, Mr. Body Double shouldn't go in."

How did the enemy know the Demon Knight was coming? There were two main possibilities.

They had been preparing since the moment the Demon Knight landed on the island. Second, a spy at the secret harbor informed them that they might be coming here.

"Hey, mister. When did preparations for the incantation to awaken the Great Demon begin?"

"That... I think it was from the day before yesterday."

The day before yesterday. Two days ago. It was similar to the time they left the secret harbor. In that case, it was highly likely that the bastards occupying Ayu Hin hurriedly prepared after hearing the report from the spy at the secret harbor.

"Then they probably know about us too..."

Whether there was a traitor among the strategy meeting participants, or someone had eavesdropped or reported seeing them leave the harbor, they would have also informed them of the fact that the Demon Knight and they were leaving together.

It was safe to say that the existence of intruders other than the Demon Knight had already been revealed.

"Did you overhear anything about preparations against intruders or something like that?"

"Not really..."

"Just anything similar to that."

"I don't think so... Ah, but I did hear those sons of bitches saying that even if some rats managed to sneak in, they'd just become zombie food."

Bingo. They really did know. However, the reason they let them come here despite knowing was...

"Was the discipline of the guards good?"

"Hah, they're guys who were pirates right up until recently. Do you think there'd be any such thing as discipline among them?"

It would either be a trap or the result of lax security. For instance, they didn't know their movement route, so they ordered strict security instead, but the underlings just went 'Ah, whatever' and ignored it.

"Good."

And to him, it seemed like the latter. The fact that they fell for their acting without much suspicion, and the attitudes of the guys standing guard earlier weren't very good either.

Of course, it could have been a trap intended to lure them here. But if it really was a trap, why hadn't anything happened since they arrived?

In other words, no matter how he looked at it, this was the price of loose discipline. And they were the lucky ones who had seized that ridiculous coincidence.

"Hey, Ms. Blockhead. There isn't anything placed on this guy, right? Like a curse or magic."

"There is nothing. I can be sure of it."

"Good."

He had also reduced the possibility that the man serving as their final guide was a pawn of the demon worshipers or had unknowingly become a tail.

Deathbringer lifted the padlock and locked the cage again. The people inside screamed, thinking they had been abandoned, but this was no time to accommodate them.

"We're moving before people wake up."

"Are we going through the secret passage?"

"We're not taking the way we came."

"Then?"

It wasn't a confirmed fact that the enemy didn't know their route. Therefore, he quickly ruled out the way they came.

"Sorry, but I didn't share all my information with you guys."

Instead, he recalled the locations of hideouts that only he had been told about just in case. He could only pray that the Minister of Finance and the Captain of the Guard who had told him about those hideouts weren't the traitors.

"Are you sure we'll be okay?"

"Think I've only pulled a job once or twice? Secure as many escape routes as possible. It must be something you run into often while doing this kind of work."

"Damn it, I've probably experienced it more than you have."

"Then shut up and follow me."

Deathbringer sharply cut off the others' opinions and grabbed the man's arm, forcing him to match his pace. The man, who looked like he hadn't eaten even a bowl of gruel, seemed to struggle to keep up with his walking speed, but every second counted.

"We'll head to a safe place first and formulate our next plan."

Would the Demon Knight hold out until then? His unspeakable anxiety was swallowed back down his throat.

* * *

Lukkwan opened her eyes with a dull ache. Chaa-rrk. The sound of thin chains echoed in her ears.

"...!"

At the same time, her senses snapped awake. The events right before her consciousness faded were rapidly lining up in her head.

She had definitely left the Demon Knight and retreated, and while trying to search something like an office while avoiding the guards...

"Are you finally awake, kitty?"

She gritted her teeth at the derogatory term that degraded a person to a mere beast. There was no need to look at the situation. Of course, right in front of her was a face that any five-year-old child in Yabad would know!

"Pirate King...!"

The tanned skin typical of a seafarer and a severed left ear. The hair completely shaved off on the side due to a scar carved into her left scalp.

Her identity was obvious. She was the demon bastard whom her mother would have immediately aborted and boiled had she realized she was pregnant just a little sooner, Bipurit.

"I didn't expect you to wake up first, but it doesn't matter, I suppose."

Had she finally been caught by the abominable traitor? That didn't matter.

She had joined this path fully prepared to die anyway. What mattered was whether or not she could tear up that bastard's sails.

And there was only one person who could tear up that damn demon's sails.

"You look as if you're looking for your knight."

The Demon Knight, that noble monster who had torn apart the sea monster and sunk several ships—where did he go now? Could it be that he had also failed?

"The knight you're looking for is over there."

As she gestured, someone approached and grabbed her face. It seemed they were trying to forcibly turn her head, but she was of the Shaggy race.

The Shaggy race, who possessed the most superior physical capabilities among the human races.

CRUNCH!

So she roughly shook off the grip and bit hard into her opponent's hand instead. They must not have been wearing a gauntlet or anything of the sort, as she could feel her teeth piercing through skin and muscle.

"Aaaaargh!"

A scream burst out. Bipurit's expression, which had been smiling disgustingly as if she were full of benevolence this whole time, turned cold.

"Clean this up."

At her single word, there was the sound of something swinging. SMASH! The sound of a skull shattering, a stream of blood, and the sudden spread of the scent of blood were followed by no more screaming.

THUD.

The corpse of a young man who must have once been handsome sprawled out at Lukkwan's feet.

"Grab her."

There was no time to even be surprised by it. A hand, even rougher and more forceful than before, grabbed her head. This time, she couldn't resist. The difference in strength was too great.

"Now, watch closely. He's the knight who's going to eat you up."

She ultimately had her head forcefully turned. Although she had expected it, a truly horrifying ritual was taking place on the side of the room she was forced to look at.

"You octopus-fucking bastard...!"

Corpses piled up around, the blood flowing from those lumps of meat, and a magic circle continuously emitting an ominous light as it drank that blood.

Moreover, at the center of that magic circle was a face she had grown quite familiar with over the past day. It was the Demon Knight, whom she had so deeply trusted.

"What are you doing!"

"I am returning him to where he originally belonged. A vessel is just a vessel; what's important is the contents, isn't it? A vessel should never become the master."

Contents? Vessel? Even though she had a rough idea, it was hard to fully understand. Knowledge of magic was the exclusive property of the Magic Tower and was rarely passed down to civilians.

However, she could be absolutely certain that it was nothing good. CLANG! Lukkwan's body thrashed wildly. But even her nearly 190-centimeter height couldn't overcome the shackles and iron chains.

"Don't worry. You don't need to know much. Once the true owner of that body awakens, you just have to die as his entertainment."

Damn it, who would sit still after hearing that? Lukkwan increased the intensity of her resistance. But the handcuffs and the hand gripping her head didn't allow any rebellion to succeed.

"More than that, it's a real shame. If he weren't a vessel for a Great Demon, his would be a really nice face to keep by my side..."

"It must be nice to lust after young men when you're so damn old."

Her atrocity of capturing all the pretty and handsome men and dragging them into her bedroom was already widespread across this land. As was the fact that they ended up dead if they made even the slightest mistake.

Lukkwan spat with contempt. Though it didn't reach the damn demon bastard's face, her spit splattered onto her hem.

"How dare you..."

RUSTLE.

Right before Bipurit's eyes rolled completely back in rage, a thin, crumbling presence stirred.

It was the very next moment that the hair, previously divided into gray and black, was dyed entirely pitch black.

In sync with the upper body rising up, from the roots to the tips of the hair. Like an ink drop spreading in water, the deep black devoured all the colors that had straddled the boundary between white and black.

"Ah, finally."

As if the demon had possessed him.

"One of the 72 Knights, Focalor, seeks an audience with 'Wrath'."

Lukkwan thought she shouldn't have used black hair dye. She had chosen that color because black was the most common hair color in this land, but to think the coloring would finish at this exact timing.

"... But was it really the coloring? The time when the hair dye should have started to take effect had long passed. Even with a constitution highly resistant to magic, the color should have changed long ago."

But for his hair color to change exactly matching the timing of his awakening, was it really the aftermath of that?

"Ah."

At that moment, the awakened one finally let out his first sound. It was as helpless as a newborn child's and as short as the death rattle of someone dying.

Then, an arm encased in iron armor rose and grabbed his head. It was an action one usually did when they had a headache. The vague gaze staring into space and the furrowed brows added a bit to that assumption.

"Does your head hurt? It might be the aftereffect of being forcibly awakened, so I will examine you."

Someone popped out from a wall that Lukkwan hadn't been paying attention to. It had been standing like a shadow, and its attire made it obvious to anyone that it was a demon worshiper.

"First, take my hand and stand—!"

STAB!

"Guh!"

Had the demon worshiper reached out their hand to the Demon Knight to try and support him?

The moment he grabbed it and stood up, something pierced through the demon worshiper's back and stuck out. It was a bloodstained blade.

Everyone in the room stiffened up.

"You know."

And the one who easily took the initiative amidst that finally opened his mouth.

"I really don't like others touching my body."

Amusingly, it was a truly soft and gentle voice.

"So please be careful from now on."

It had only been a day, but it was a soft and gentle voice that made her swear the Demon Knight would never speak like that.

"Hmm."

As the blade was pulled out, the demon worshiper's body collapsed to the floor. So did Lukkwan's hopes.

She didn't know what those demon bastards had done, but the Demon Knight was no longer on their side. There would be no path left for them to move forward.

"G-Great Demon, why..."

Just as the dead demon worshiper had been standing dead-still in front of the wall right up until a moment ago, someone who had been waiting similarly opened their mouth.

At that, the Demon Knight's... no, the thing occupying his body tilted its head.

"Did you just ask me a question?"

Amidst all this, his voice was really nice. Resigned, she searched for a lighthearted joke. It wasn't an empty remark.

Until now, because the sizzling emotions and sharply honed murderous intent contained in his voice came across first, she had never properly perceived the voice itself, but...

"How entertaining."

With all of that completely cleared away, the voice was indeed quite an affectionate, gentle, and beautiful one. The kind that could win over people's favor with the voice alone.

Looking back, the face, stripped of the wrinkles etched by irritability and the shadows embedded by an unknown rage, gave off a similar impression.

With an incredibly clear and radiant smile lingering on pale cheeks, only a truly youthful and handsome young man remained in that spot.

Had it not been for the blood that splattered on his cheek when he stabbed the demon worshiper to death, she might have appraised it as an idyllic face.

"P-Please forgive me."

"I'm generous, so, alright. I'll accept it."

"Ah...! Thank you, thank yo—!"

However, such things were ultimately nothing more than an outer shell.

STAB!

"Of course I'll accept it."

"Guh!"

The one who had stabbed yet another person to death looked around, his soft smile steeped in blood. The dagger in his hand came away smeared with thin pieces of red flesh.

It was an incredibly horrifying sight because of the contradiction. Physiological fear began to sprout up in droves.

"So, hmm. What did you say your name was... Portugal?"

"... It is Focalor."

"Right, Focalor. Are you mad by any chance?"

"How could I be? Everything in this castle, in this city, is a sacrifice prepared for Gretchen."

"Right, right..."

Meanwhile, the mass of malice smiled even more prettily, as if satisfied.

"Then this too?"

And finally, his gaze reached her.

"Of course."

She felt that death had truly arrived right before her nose.

"Hmm, a cat?"

The one who approached lightly brushed her right cheek with the back of his left hand.

If she wanted to, she could have chewed on his hand like earlier, but Lukkwan couldn't bring herself to do so. She felt as if an intangible energy was suppressing her body.

There was nothing she could do but stay still. Fear flowed through her veins and completely took over her body.

"You said this castle is for me too, right?"

"Yes, indeed."

"Right, is that so..."

Bipurit and that thing conversed. As for what he was thinking, well. It was a face she would meet if she just lifted her head, but she couldn't dare to muster the courage to look at it.

"I like cats... so let her go."

Then, an abrupt order dropped. Her heart, which had been waiting for death, beat with a different rhythm.

"Pardon? Y-You're letting her go?"

"... Did you just ask me a question?"

"Release her at once."

Clink, a key was urgently inserted into the shackles. Along with that came a fragile hope named 'perhaps'.

Lukkwan hurriedly looked up at the Demon Knight's face.

"It's a game of tag, kitty."

Her expectations immediately plummeted.

"If you don't get as far away as possible while I wait for thirty seconds... I will kill you."

There was only a demon clad in dark and ominous energy there from the very beginning.