Chapter 39: Two Faces (3)

Shhhhk──

Smoke billowed up.

「Marin(?)」, who had been completely ‘cooked’ by the direct hits from the 「Lightning Bolts」, crumpled to the ground on the spot.

However, it wasn't an instant death.

Even though half of him was melted, and the other half was scorched.

“…….”

The man's breath was still barely hanging on.

Usually, bosses like this, who might play an important role in the story, often remained alive even after their HP was reduced to 0.

“It's talk time, shapeshifter.”

Because, we had to ‘talk’.

In game terms, it meant there was a ‘cutscene’ remaining.

That was why he still maintained about half of Marin's form.

If he had completely reverted to a shapeshifter, he wouldn't be able to speak human words properly.

“Let's spill everything.”

His suggestion had already been broken long ago.

If I hadn't broken the suggestion and had just depleted all his blood, I wouldn't have been given this opportunity for a conversation.

He would have remained 「Marin」 to the end, and we would have become the ones who killed the Marin of Stout.

Without knowing a single thing about why he had betrayed us and Stout.

“……Don’t try anything funny.”

But now, he was just a shapeshifter who had realized his true identity.

One from whom the truth could be extracted.

“You won't get anything out of me.”

And so, hearing these words, I couldn't help but let out a laugh.

“I know, you won't say anything.”

He is loyal.

And he has been trained for situations like this.

Whether it was interrogation or torture, he was a guy it wouldn't work on.

“That's why I'm going to kill you.”

“…What?”

That's why I took off my gloves and held out the ring on my finger towards him.

“I'm going to kill you, and ask your soul.”

The 「Medium's Ring」.

“The dead can't lie.”

“Wha…!”

“Farewell.”

“You son of a bi──”

The moment he mustered his last strength and became enraged.

──Hwareureuk!

「Hellfire」 ignited again.

But, this time, it wasn't from him.

If it had been, he wouldn't have been so surprised.

“Ugh, kuaaaargh──!!”

Nor would he have let out a pained scream.

“W-What?!”

The black fire that rose from his left hand quickly spread and began to burn his entire body.

And then──

“──That curiosity,”

A voice was heard from somewhere.

Hwareuk!

Along with the hellish flames that rose from the empty air.

“I shall resolve it for you.”

The one who thus appeared before us was a cheerfully smiling handsome young man.

But now, with.

“It would be a shame to trouble you, after all.”

Fashionable horns and wings.

Perfectly── in the form of a ‘devil’.

“As the master of that thing.”

It was the moment the mastermind finally appeared.

The one who had killed the real Marin, and cast a suggestion on a shapeshifter to make him act as 「Marin」.

And

“──Ha.”

The one who had awakened me, the ‘Malevolent Star’, from a long slumber.

“You'll resolve my curiosity?”

“That's right.”

“And not that you hastily popped out while eavesdropping, worried that this guy might spill everything he's not supposed to?”

At my jeer, the devil, instead of denying it, raised the corners of his mouth.

“You don't seem very surprised to see me.”

“Well, I was just thinking it was about your turn to show up.”

In the first place, when I said I was going to kill that shapeshifter, it wasn't a threat to him.

“A shapeshifter that handles hellfire isn't exactly common enough to run into in the bushes on the side of the road, is it?”

I was telling this guy to come out quickly.

That I knew he was listening.

“And, no matter how much he borrowed a devil's power, there's no way the real Marin would have been taken down by a mere shapeshifter.”

“──Keuk.”

Suddenly, the devil let out a laugh.

Then, covering his mouth with his fist, he laughed a few more times, and then.

“You've found me out.”

He raised both hands as if he had been caught and played it off coolly.

“Wow, I was planning on surprising you, but you've surprised me instead. This is a complete failure as a devil.”

Then he looked over my companions one by one, who, unlike me, were showing ‘the kind of reaction one would normally show when a real devil suddenly appears in front of them’.

That is, reactions like Miki's, cowering and wary, or Ibi's, tense and glaring.

Finally, he glanced at the still-expressionless Rine in this situation, and then.

“You have a very interesting group of friends.”

He gave a meaningful smile and then began to walk slowly, the sound of his dress shoes clicking.

As he approached me, he suddenly reached out and snatched my chin.

“──!”

Seeing this, the surprised Rine and Miki reacted by raising their staff and shield, but I quickly raised an arm to stop them.

“…Ibi, you too.”

And although I wasn't looking directly at her, I also spoke to Ibi, who must have still been hiding a dagger behind her back.

Ibi had the sharpest instincts among us.

So she must have noticed it long ago.

“If he wanted to, he could kill us with a single flick of his finger.”

“…Tch.”

That I was right.

That's why she eventually lowered her arm without a word.

Normally, she would have grumbled about something, but now, there was no sign of it.

“Your companions are very obedient.”

The devil, who could see them directly, unlike me who was wearing a mask and whose chin was being held, immediately gave a gentle smile.

“You seem to be quite trusted.”

As he gently lifted my chin.

“They all seem to like you.”

He then examined my face from every angle, as if to check for any injuries.

“Did you perhaps enchant them with this pretty face.”

Although his breath tickled my skin every time he exhaled, he didn't seem to care at all.

It was an attitude as if he were handling a doll rather than a person.

In fact, to him, I probably looked like nothing more than a walking, talking doll.

“Hmm? Is that it?”

One that he could play with to his heart's content, and easily break when he got tired of it.

The pupils of his cheerfully smiling eyes were not clearly visible.

But one thing was certain, at least they were not tinged with a faint pink.

He is not charmed.

“Why?”

Just like Rine, this guy had ‘Charm Immunity’.

“Want me to enchant you too?”

Sure enough, when I raised the corners of my mouth and gave a slight provocation, he immediately laughed as if he found it amusing.

“If you can?”

Then, gently releasing my chin, the devil playfully spread his hands as if to say, ‘go ahead and try’.

After that, he looked over my companions behind me and said.

“But I have no intention of taking this person away from you right now, so you don't have to be so wary.”

Of course, I have no intention of harming you either.

He immediately added with a playful banter.

“As this person said, if I had wanted to, you would have already turned to ash like your friend over there.”

While maintaining a cheerful smile.

“…F*ck, so what the hell are you?”

Just then, Ibi, unable to hold it in any longer, asked in a very annoyed tone.

“Oh dear, it seems my introduction was late.”

At that, the devil, as if he had been waiting for those words.

“──It is an honor to meet you.”

Immediately gave a polite greeting.

“I am Luce, the 7th Corps Commander of the Demon King's army.”

“──!?”

Just like that, to enjoy the reaction of those who were astonished the moment he revealed his identity.

“C-C-Corps Commander……?”

Looking at Miki, who was completely frozen and stuttering, Luce replied with a very satisfied, “Yes, Corps Commander,” and played it cool.

What did it mean to be a Corps Commander of the Demon King's army?

Excluding the Demon King, wasn't it a being counted among the seven strongest among the demon race?

And the devil in front of our eyes was one of them.

“Shiiiiit…….”

At the appearance of an unexpectedly big shot, Ibi let out a long string of curses along with a deep sigh.

If before she had just instinctively known that he was a dangerous guy, now it was a reaction of knowing that she was truly f*cked.

As much as their reactions were like that, from Luce's perspective, it might have felt that much more interesting.

“Ah, a Corps Commander. A pretty big shot has come.”

Seeing me, who was still not very surprised and reacted calmly, and.

“──Hah.”

Rine, who had a consistently expressionless face.

In fact, to Rine, even if he was a Corps Commander of the Demon King's army, she probably had no idea what kind of, or how great a being that was.

Well, even if she did, there would have been no significant change.

She would probably have maintained her current expression, which seemed to say, ‘so what’.

“So, do you have any questions?”

“Why did you kill Sir Marin?”

“He figured out what I was trying to do in Stout too early. If he had figured it out a little later, I might not have had to kill him.”

He was a capable knight.

Luce continued.

“The battle with him was certainly not easy.”

“That’s…”

Did he want to say, ‘don’t talk nonsense’?

But Miki ultimately couldn't open his mouth any further.

Because he had seen too much evidence to deny Marin's death now.

“What was it you were trying to do?”

“Well, I was waiting for you to come.”

“Has my beauty already spread beyond the Wall?”

“A malevolent star will rise in the sky, and the Wall will fall.”

Luce recited and pointed a finger at the still-bright sky.

“A being has appeared who can finally bring down the Wall that has stood firm and blocked our demon race for so long.”

Then, that finger, which was gradually coming down.

“Wouldn't we naturally want to meet you?”

Soon pointed at me.

“Isn't that right, ‘Malevolent Star’?”

At that moment, the three surprised people gasped.

That's right, three people.

This time, even Rine was included.

And yet, I was the only one who was not surprised.

“…Hmm.”

Rather, it was Luce who seemed a little more surprised to see my reaction.

“Seeing as there's no big reaction this time either, it seems you had a hunch.”

It wasn't just a hunch, but you could say that.

“Did some of your memories return when you came into contact with the holy relic…?”

Luce's smile faded slightly as he muttered to himself, but it was only for a moment.

“Actually, I had no intention of interfering with your journey so early on.”

He continued to speak with a cheerful smile.

“I wanted to watch you quietly from a little further away, but you have exceeded my expectations in many ways.”

A reward for making progress so quickly, he said.

“A child who has exceeded expectations deserves a reward.”

“If you're going to give me something, I'd prefer money.”

“I'll tell you one important fact.”

Luce ignored my banter and said.

“You must, no matter what, come to the Demon King's Castle.”

“Are you inviting me?”

“Something like that.”

“Are you throwing a party?”

“If you don't, then as all the ‘prophecies’ of the 12 cities, including the one of Stout that I just recited, consistently say, your world will be destroyed.”

“Bullsh*t, f*ck.”

At those words, Luce, turning to look at Ibi who had immediately retorted as if to say, ‘don't talk nonsense,’ chuckled under his breath.

“Is that so?”

As if to say, ‘it's your loss if you don't believe me’.

“I understand it's hard to believe. But, I have come all this way to help you.”

“Ha, I'm sure.”

“I am, to put it simply, what you might call a moderate among the demon race. I am a pacifist who does not desire a meaningless war.”

The moment Luce snapped his fingers.

“Balance.”

Hwareureuk!

Suddenly, a black hellfire shot up.

“I believe that the relationship between you and us is most appropriate at this level of checking each other with a high wall between us.”

Like a wall.

“The balance of one side collapsing is not a good thing in the long run.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“It doesn't matter whether you believe me or not. It won't change my beliefs anyway.”

Then, with another snap of his fingers, the blazing wall of 「Hellfire」 subsided in an instant, as if it had never been there.

However, the scorched mark remained as a dark line.

“So, before the seeds of that destruction sprout in your world, come to the Demon King's Castle first and let's prevent such a tragedy together.”

“If you want me so much, why don't you just take me with you right now.”

At my confident attitude, Luce, as if unable to hold it in, quickly covered his mouth and began to choke on his laughter.

Then, he quickly stopped laughing and cleared his throat a few times.

“Of course, if I had my way, I would kidnap you right now.”

Though his smiling expression remained.

“But, unfortunately, that's impossible.”

“Because it proves that everything you've said from the beginning is nonsense?”

“You are… not yet ripe, shall we say.”

“Am I a fruit or something?”

“Something much more delicious.”

Luce said as he took another step towards me.

“For now, I'll just say this much.”

However, he did not cross the ‘line’.

His approaching feet stopped exactly in front of the line on the ground.

“Likewise, your balance should not be easily broken either.”

Balance, huh.

Sorry, but it's already been broken long ago.

So things will definitely not go according to your grand plan.

Of course, I couldn't say that out loud, so all I could do was just smile quietly.

I don't know how he took my smile, but Luce also raised the corners of his mouth, following my lead.

And then.

“──Well then.”

His eyes, which had been only cheerfully smiling until now, he gently opened them.

‘The eyes of a devil’, literally blazing with fire.

“I look forward to the day we meet again.”

Hwareuk!

With this last word, Luce ignited a black flame, just as he had when he first appeared here.

And when the flame died down, Luce had disappeared without a trace.

As if, no one had been there from the beginning.