Book 8: Chapter 14

「Gheorghia…?」

Lumon got up as he compared the Lulugal in front of him and the Lulugal on top of the tree with a puzzled expression.

Upon looking at the Lulugal in front of him again, a bead of sweat began forming on Lumon’s forehead.

「Um… is that the real one?」

「If you’re comparing me to the one on top of the tree, I’m the real one.」

「Huh? But…」

「Hey!」

Perhaps because she was annoyed over getting ignored, the Lulugal on the tree began shouting.

「Gheorghia… You dare insult me?!」

「Okay… So basically, the one in the tree is someone that fused with a Mazoku corpse. So that means… Hmm…」

「I see. If they’ve fused with a Mazoku corpse, then it makes sense why I’m standing here right now.」

「I suppose so. Plus, I heard that you died.」

Upon hearing Lumon’s explanation, she made an understanding nod.

「Very well. The logic is sound. Perhaps my unique ability is the cause of this… Regardless, that doesn’t matter right now.」

Lulugal spat on the ground while looking at the Lulugal on the tree.

「It feels really disgusting having another me running around. It practically makes me want to throw up! I want to rip you to shreds for having the same look at me! But you have the same face, the same voice, and even the same damn body as me! Ahh, ahh! Ahhh?! How many pieces do I have to rip you apart in until I’ll be satisfied?! I’ll have to crush the same eyes as mine, and cut open the throat that lets out the same voice as mine! Oh jeez, just thinking about this is way too troublesome! You’re causing me so much stress! Are you even sane?!」

「W-What are you saying?! You’re the insane one!」

「No, you’re the one being out of hand! You just had to show up in front of me looking exactly like me… Ahh…. Ahhhh!」

The tree’s branches moved like tentacles and wrapped around the Lulugal on the tree.

「Gah, guah?! T-This can’t be… These should be under my control!」

「You are truly repulsive! Are you saying that even your【Magic Eyes of Greenery】are the same as mine?! How dare you… How dare you! How much will you have to make me suffer until you’re satisfied?! Do you understand?! That guy just said there were two Lulugals! Even though I was an important individual to “that person”! I was special because there was only one of me! Are you truly trying to make me on the same level as trash?! Ahh, this is horrible!」

The Lulugal that was bound by the branches was then thrown against the trunk of the tree, which also started curling around and began squeezing her body.

「Gih… Goah… Gueh…!」

Upon hearing that suffering voice, an ecstatic smile crept on Lulugal’s face as she began breathing heavily while blood rushed to her head.

「Fufu… Ufufu, fufufufu! Does that hurt? I’m sure it does! That is your punishment! But guess what? That’s not all you’ll be getting! Yes, you will suffer even more!」

Branches from all directions began stabbing the bound Lulugal with incredible force.

The spectacle that was taking place was so ridiculous that it felt unrealistic, but it induced a dreadful sensation at the same time.

「Fufu… Aha… Ahahahaha! Now then, farewell!」

Squish. Rip.

Terrible sounds could be heard as Lulugal looked up at the cocoon of wood while laughing.

Eventually, black clouds began to seep through the gaps, to which Lulugal’s smile changed to a suspicious expression.

「…Oh? Did the corpse… disappear?」

「That’s how people like him die… Goodness… There was so much I wanted to ask him, what a waste.」

Upon seeing Lumon’s sigh, Lulugal responded with an unsatisfied tone.

「What are you saying? The only words that would come out of trash like that would be nothing but trash. No matter how much trash you gather, all you’ll get is a river of trash, you know?」

「…You really haven’t changed.」

「More importantly! That magic you did earlier! Where did you learn that?!」

Lulugal had begun shaking both of Lumon’s shoulders as she screamed.

「That doesn’t matter, does it? I’d much rather figure out what’s going on with you. Weren’t you defeated by the Hero?」

「Huh? Me? I was cut straight in two. But something like that wouldn’t kill a Majuu.」

「That’s strange,」 thought Lumon.

Her opponent was the Hero wielding the Holy Sword. Be it against a Majuu or a Golem, it held destructive power that would take down anything in its way.

So Lulugal must have died. In that case, why was this person in front of him claiming to be the real Lulugal?

「…Oh, I see. Were you one of Lulugal’s seeds? The time you took to sleep could have been the time needed for you to grow into a new Lulugal.」

All Majuus were originally trees, after all.

For example, if a Ringil tree were to turn into a Majuu, any Ringil fruit would become a part of that Majuu and become a place for excess magical energy to be stored.

The fruit and seeds can have various functions depending on the Majuu, but in Lulugal’s case, the seeds served as a sort of backup for herself.

「…Yeah, that’s about right.」

After Lulugal made that reply, she began looking at Lumon from top to bottom.

「What’s the matter?」

「…What is your name, if I might ask?」

「Lumon. Didn’t I already introduce myself to you?」

As Lumon responded to her question while shrugging his shoulders, Lulugal stared straight into his eyes.

「Now that I’ve calmed down and thought about it, you seem to talk as if you’re an acquaintance of mine. However, I don’t know anyone like you. There’s no way I would. But considering that you know that magic, it’s not likely that you’re lying.」

「……」

Lulugal showed no signs of giving the silent Lumon a break.

「At first I thought you might have been “that person”, but that’s not right, either. I don’t hold any of that fervent loyalty I had to “that person” to you. That means you aren’t “that person”.」

Lulugal tapped the ground with the staff in her hand.

Her eyes no longer had the insanity that was once there. Those eyes that were now shining with clear intelligence felt as if they were looking right through Lumon.

「We’ve met each other in the past. But I have no memory of that. A contradiction is lying somewhere, but I do not hold the means to solve it.」

「I see. So?」

「I have an assumption.」

Lulugal stood in front of Lumon as she responded.

「It is likely that you know me better than anyone else. But for some reason, you have taken this appearance, or perhaps you have lost your power. With that assumption in mind, I can understand the situation to a certain degree.」

Lumon chuckled upon hearing Lulugal’s words.

It was a ridiculous assumption.

Lulugal herself probably realizes how much of a stretch she’s making.

「I see, I see. So you understand now, huh?」

「Yes. Now I just need to obtain proof.」

「I don’t think that’ll be possible. I’m just Lumon the Majin.」

「…Is that so?」

「Yes, it is…」

Lumon responded with his usual smile.

After letting out a small sigh, Lulugal suddenly took Lumon’s hand while making a warm smile.

「In that case, until you tell me who you are from your own lips, I have no obligation to follow your orders.」

「I don’t quite follow.」

Lulugal’s hands which were rubbing Lumon’s hands as if massaging them began to move up to his arms and shoulders.

「When I think of you as “that person”, I can’t help but find this delicate body of yours, that suspicious smile and attitude of yours, and everything about you to be so precious to me for some reason. Oh, I see. This must be love.」

「Your love is too heavy, so I’d like to pass on it.」

Lulugal’s expression grew even warmer upon hearing Lumon’s reply. She tightly embraced Lumon and began nuzzling her face against his.

「You’ve said those same words to me that other time as well. But I won’t give up this time. That’s right, I won’t give up. This time that annoying Beldia won’t be in the way.」

「…Right.」

Beldia had died. Most likely before my eyes.

She had died protecting me as I had grown insane from the lust for power.

Beldia was that kind of girl.

「……」

Lumon’s true identity was the Alva Gheorghia. Supplying himself as the core for Lumon’s deceased Life Seed, the current Lumon was born.

But there was something before that, as well.

The Demon King Gramfia.

The Demon King that was once summoned to the Dark Continent in the past.

Gheorghia held those memories ever since he was born. He knew that he was Gramfia.

That’s why he was able to go against the orders of the Alva Queen who assumed the title of Demon King.

From the outside, he made it appear as if he was loyal to her, but he had always been looking for the opportunity to revolt against her rule.

It was only recently that he decided to begin living as Lumon. Until that point, he had yet to discard his self known as the Demon King Gramfia.

Believing that there was meaning to him being born with those memories, the Alva Gheorghia hid them and waited for his chance to come.

After fusing with Lumon, he wondered if he now had the opportunity to take advantage of the Demon King Vermudol.

But what he saw was the reality of a reign that was far greater than anything he himself had established.

The Mazoku that had simply 「obeyed」 him were now swearing true loyalty.

The sight of the Mazoku filled with smiles and hope for the future was joyful.

Upon seeing that, he realized how small-minded his goal of reaching the top was, and gave up.

He decided that he would live on as Lumon, and he obtained a place in society for him to do that.

It was a small but warm paradise.

Abandoning his past selves known as Gramfia and Gheorghia, he would live on in this paradise as Lumon.

「I am Lumon. Lumon the Majin.」

「I see… Lumon…」

After abandoning almost everything he had to obtain this paradise, it almost seemed like an illusion.

It felt as if it was a dream that would end up disappearing if even the slightest distortion occurred.

Because this warmth was so dear to him, he did not want to let it go.

Suppressing his greed, Lumon looked up to the cloudy sky.

The eternal cloudy sky that hadn’t changed for the past hundred years.

It was as if it was expressing the past Lumon’s heart.