Chapter 41 - Petty Spirit

The Great Saint's eyes won favor with humans, but hatred from Demons. That sacred relic had been transplanted into Yohan's left eye. Any Demon who faced him was bound to be overwhelmed by hatred—seized by blind hostility, just like the boy before him.

"... I shall pluck it out cleanly. Please wait but a moment."

The boy reached his demonic hand toward Yohan's left eye. Just as it was about to touch him, a heavy crack rang out.

THWACK!

Yohan drove a hard kick into the boy's face.

"G-ghah!"

The boy toppled backward, slamming his back against the floor. Yohan sprang to his feet, intending to shout for the villagers.

"G-great End! Please, wait!"

The creature immediately righted himself and prostrated himself again.

'... What is this thing?'

Bewildered though he was, Yohan thought as quickly as he could. From the circumstances, the boy before him was possessed by a Demon. It called Yohan the great End and maintained an attitude of utmost deference. It was being so submissive because it knew who he was.

It had shown aggression, but Yohan knew perfectly well that the Great Saint's eye was responsible.

After a moment's thought, Yohan spoke.

"What are you?"

For now, he would play the arrogant Apostle as he had with Kaiaze, until he understood the circumstances and the creature's purpose.

"This wicked creature has no name. I was merely born as an embodiment of these slash-and-burn farmers' wishes."

In other words, a petty spirit of the lowest order. Such beings were born spontaneously from human emotions—resentment, desire, yearning, and the like—and most perished before surviving their time as imps. They were lowly creatures from birth.

"An insignificant petty spirit, then. Did you approach me hoping for scraps?"

"S-scraps? You are too harsh. I did save you, after all..."

"Calling it saving me is a stretch, but I suppose you did bring me to this village. That boy could never have managed it alone."

"Indeed. I drew on all my demonic energy to haul you here."

"How pitiful must you be to expend all your strength merely moving me? I am most curious to see your true form."

Looking aggrieved by the continued insults, the boy raised his head slightly. The instant his eyes met Yohan's, he buried his face against the floor again. He was deliberately avoiding Yohan's gaze to escape the hatred seething within him.

The Demon spoke.

"This wicked creature is but an imp as yet, but by joining in your great evil deeds, I shall become a cataclysmic inferno that burns heaven and earth."

"I believe I understand why you approached me."

"... I wish to serve the great End. Please bestow a name upon this wicked creature."

Petty spirits were generally obsessed with names. A name bestowed by a higher Demon, or an epithet earned through evil deeds, made them distinct beings. For petty spirits, born without purpose only to perish in vain, nothing mattered more than establishing an identity of their own.

Yohan spoke.

"You keep calling me the End. Why?"

"I happened to see your true form around dawn yesterday. I was beside you when you suddenly turned into a human. It was a truly flawless disguise."

The creature stole a glance at Yohan, then bowed his head again.

"Even now, it is utterly convincing!"

"What an amusing creature you are."

As expected, the creature had already seen Yohan as a Demon. All that talk of disguises suggested ignorance of his true nature, but one thing was certain: it regarded the human Yohan and the Demon Yohan as the same being.

"Keep me by your side, and you shall have much to laugh about!"

"I need a capable subordinate, not a jester."

"O-one day, I shall become the cataclysmic inferno of the Abyss..."

Yohan chuckled and cut him off.

"Enough. Stop this nonsense and give me a straight answer. Why, in the end, do you believe I am the End?"

Merely having seen Yohan as a Demon was hardly grounds for linking him to an Apostle of the End.

"I heard the rumors that the Thirteenth Apostle of the End had been born. A few days before that, a young Demon with a white horn disgraced Lord Beris, the Apostle. Up to that point, it was difficult to find a connection between the two, but yesterday changed that. An exalted being of the underworld manifested upon this land to seek an audience with someone, and you, with your white horn, were there. Taking everything together, you are the Thirteenth Apostle of the End."

The creature's 'exalted being of the underworld' meant Kaiaze, Scribe of the Book of Doom. Yohan considered the account without replying. Silence lingered for a while before the Demon spoke again.

"Please accept this wicked creature. I shall contribute to your evil deeds."

Yohan looked down at him, expressionless.

"I find you quite intriguing. For a petty spirit, you can actually think, and you have a fair amount of initiative."

The creature had reasoned his way to the conclusion that Yohan was an Apostle of the End. Nor had he stopped at that judgment. He had acted to obtain what he wanted.

Among the stupid petty spirits in the original novel, he would have been a fairly fine specimen. In fact, some who showed promise like this went on to become Archdemons. That was how it worked in the original novel, at least.

The boy's body gave a sudden shudder at the unexpected praise. He was delighted. Yohan continued.

"But that is all. You inspire nothing beyond interest. What could a petty spirit like you possibly do for me? I would be lucky if you did not become a burden."

"I would not even dare hope for a contract of subjugation! Just give me a chance! I shall serve by your side and prove my worth!"

Yohan considered it briefly. If he accepted the creature, it would be purely out of interest. Not once since possessing this body had mere interest figured into his decisions. Practical benefit and efficiency alone had governed his choices. The petty spirit before him met neither criterion.

In truth, there was little point even considering it. He did not even know whether his Demon self was alive, which made it difficult to decide what to do with the petty spirit. If his Demon self was dead, then as he was now, he could not take the creature in even if he wanted to.

Yohan spoke.

"Your worth remains to be seen. Let me ask one final question."

"A-ask anything you wish."

"What condition is my true body in?"

"By condition, what exactly do you..."

"As you know, I suffered a mortal wound. It would be no surprise if I perished this very moment. I must devote myself to healing for the time being, but I have yet to see the wound with my own eyes and cannot assess it accurately. You, however, have seen it. Tell me what you saw."

The Demon searched his memory before speaking.

"A massive spear was embedded in your shoulder. Holy power poured from it without cease, but it could not burn away your magnificent flesh, thanks to your constantly regenerating skin and the demonic energy devouring that holy power. I sensed immeasurable vitality within you. A mere weapon of God will never bring the great End to an end."

Yohan was puzzled. His body had never possessed such regenerative ability. Even in the original novel, the ability to restore one's body was classified as a 'power.' If he possessed such an ability, surely he would know.

As he puzzled over it, something from yesterday suddenly flashed through his mind.

'... Could it be?'

When he absorbed the Book of Doom into his body, red words had appeared before his eyes. It was the very same phenomenon he had experienced when he evolved after offering Betra as a sacrifice.

The awakening of new powers. He had been too pressed for time to examine them properly, but surely one of the powers that had awakened was related to regeneration.

'So all that trouble was worth something after all.'

He was no longer an Apostle in name alone; he had gained some measure of strength. Looked at simply, it was something to be pleased about. In this world, strength meant survival.

Yet Yohan could not be entirely happy. Too much still troubled him. If everything the petty spirit said was true, his Demon self should be alive—so why was he still human at night?

By all rights, he should have turned into a Demon and been forced to bear the consequences. Whether to leave witnesses alive or not. He had escaped that crossroads this time, but a similar dilemma could arise at any moment. What should he choose then? He still had no answer.

A suffocating frustration washed over him. Sensing his mood, the petty spirit fell silent. A brief stillness followed.

The clamor of hoofbeats shattered the silence. A sudden commotion arose outside the door.

"Everyone, come outside!"

"Gather in the center! Every last one of you!"

The petty spirit began trembling with fear, alarm spreading across his face.

"I believe it is the Church!"

Yohan nodded.

"It was about time they came. They are later than I expected."

The village lay inside the holy sealing array. Naturally, it could not escape the Church's search. With the net drawn this tight, an ordinary Demon would already be as good as dead. Yet Yohan remained calm.

Somewhat bewildered, the petty spirit spoke.

"S-should you not seek shelter?"

"There is no need."

The creature's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Will your great evil deeds begin here?! Will you slaughter every last one of those loathsome vermin and usher in the End?!"

"What a noisy creature you are. Stop babbling and concern yourself with your own survival. For the record, I have no intention of helping you."

"B-but...!"

The creature looked deeply hurt. Yohan spoke.

"Their arrival was inevitable. If you failed to anticipate it, that is unfortunate. Your life ends here."

Unless he had prepared countermeasures in advance, a mere petty spirit would be hard-pressed to survive this situation.

The creature immediately began feeling around the hut floor.

"Foolish though this wicked creature may be, I have prepared a way out."

He dug through a pile of straw and uncovered a small board. Yohan watched with interest.

"I shall return to see you soon. Please keep yourself safe."

The creature pushed the board aside, revealing a tiny crawl hole. It was only a little larger than a grown man's fist.

Yohan was puzzled. Small as the boy was, he was not small enough to fit through that hole. Even a newborn would not be able to pass through it.

His confusion was soon dispelled. Something tiny popped out of the boy's body. It was a very small imp.

Its eyes, nose, and mouth were all set into its small, oval body, with no head or neck to be seen. Its arms and legs were comparatively long. Each strand of dark-red fur covering its body resembled a tiny ember. Befitting a Demon born from the wishes of slash-and-burn farmers, it was inherently aligned with fire.

Yohan burst out laughing.

"You look far more insignificant than I expected."

"O-one day, I shall become the cataclysmic inferno of the Abyss..."

"But you have been thorough. In that form, you can fit through the hole."

The petty spirit would be able to leave the village through that crawl hole. He had indeed secured his survival. Outside, the situation remained urgent, but Yohan was simply intrigued.

"Everyone, get out here!"

"Disobey our orders, and you will be executed in the name of the Grand Temple Knights!"

The imp ran over with a waddling gait and stopped before the hole.

"I shall have grown a little stronger when next we meet! Please do not forget this wicked creature!"

Just as the creature was about to throw himself into the crawl hole, Yohan spoke.

"You wish to become my thrall?"

The imp whipped around toward Yohan, though he still avoided his gaze.

"I-it is my life's greatest wish!"

Yohan chuckled.

"Very well. I shall give you a chance. Survive this as well, and I will accept you as my thrall."

"Survive? What do you..."

Before he could finish, Yohan seized his tiny body in a tight grip. The imp merely blinked, utterly confused.

Yohan immediately flung the hut door open. Countless gazes turned toward him at once. The banners of the Grand Temple Knights fluttered amid waves of pure white holy power.

"S-surely not!"

"Yes, exactly that. Show me your worth."

Yohan casually tossed the imp into their midst.

"I will keep my promise."

The imp's expression twisted into utter horror.