CH 93

Chapter 93 : Negative Chain

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I was already battered even before we got into the topic… But thankfully, finally we got the real conversation going.

“Killatur. Let’s talk about our precursor. Why do you think humans and demons fight each other?”

“Precursor…? Isn’t it already a fact that if demons and Maou exist, a hero has to defeat them?”

“Why?”

“Because… Demons harm humans.”

Killatur seemed to have cooled down and his perverted side was laying dormant too. I currently couldn’t hear the voice of his heart.

“For thousands of years… For generations to come… Humans and demons have continued to fight. There were times when the Hero was defeated and Maou overran the world. However, humans have not given up on hope and have been standing against the demons for many years to come. I can say the same regarding the heroic magic I can use. The magic has been studied and enhanced over generations with the sole intention of countering you guys.”

Killa told me about the battles that had been repeated countless times with confidence.

“For countless years… The same conflict has been repeated in this world for so many times and yet you never questioned it?”

“Question..? What is there to question about?”

“Hey, Killatur, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Oh, okay.”

This is the crucial part. Just a drop is enough to create a ripple in his heart.

“Why do demons harm humans?”

If the precursor was because demons harmed humans then why did demons harm humans in the first place?

“That’s… It’s… Something that I can’t possibly understand…”

“Give it some more thought, Killa. While it is true there are some few races that feed on humans, there are far more races who don’t. However… I’ve heard it over and over again from the surviving demons. Humans are enemies. Humans should be killed.”

“Humans are enemies… Just like we’ve always been told that demons are our… Enemy…”

“The demon that said he hates humans…That he hates Hero… His precious brother was killed right in front of him by you. They were chased by the humans. Their own kind were killed by the humans and while those two siblings were on the run, the older one sacrificed himself as a decoy so the younger one could run away.”

All this time, Lexus the werewolf had been silently staring at the Hero. His killing intent was leaking from his gaze. Because Lexus was ordered to not touch the Hero, he just stood there quietly while gripping his hands so hard he started to bleed. He held his hatred down, in order to obey my order, his Maou.

“……..”

“Their fellow brethren were killed. The unborn eggs were destroyed. As the sole survivor, he had to stay hidden just so he could avenge his brethren later on. In order to stay alive, he had to feed on the carcass of his brethren.”

Viper the wyvern had been holding himself back from jumping and biting the Hero.

“Some of them were experimented on while they were still alive. Some, had their wings torn apart, leaving no chance for them to soar through the sky ever again. Some were literally born from the hatred toward humans and wished for their own demise. As for me, I can’t tell them to stop hating the humans. I can’t tell them to stop hating the Hero.”

“………….”

“I have one more question for you, Killatur.”

With his head looking down toward the floor, Killatur’s eyes were quivering. He was being confronted with questions he had never thought about before.

“Are humans good?”

Killatur jerked his eyes open at me, as if he got a whiplash.

“Hey, Killatur. Explain this to me. If demons are inherently evil, does that mean humans are inherently good? As for me, I often find the things humans do are far more repulsive than those of the demons you guys hate so much.”

“That’s…”

“Humans can bring their fellow humans down. Or even slaughter them.”

“…….. Indeed… That’s true but…”

“Humans wage war against each other or continue to have ongoing conflict just because they’re from different countries.”

“…………….”

“Are humans good?”

The Hero endured the pain he was feeling so he could answer my question.

“But… Some humans… They could also love and have compassion with each other… Protect each other… Although I can’t say that all humans are good…”

“That’s right. Some of them are good. Like the people who were worried about a young boy who was a stranger to them. They would go out of their way to try to protect that boy.”

Most of the people I’ve met in the city would call for my name, Mao, with kindness laced in their words. 

“I think it depends on the individual. There are good people, bad people and people who are both good and evil. You just can’t lump all of them together into one category, neither as good nor as evil.”

“Two sides of the coin…”

“The same can be said for demons. Some are cruel, some love every living being without any exception. Some love their children and family.”

“……”

“It’s the same, Killa. You can’t put all demons in one category. This kind of thing is not simple enough to be judged arbitrary. Even if someone were to kill another person, the family of that person might hate that someone but that someone might have family members who consider that someone as precious.”

“……….”

“Hey, Killa. I will ask you one more time. Why do humans and demons fight with each other?”

“……. Because demons harm humans and…. Humans… Also harm demons the same way as demons do…”

Seemed that one stone I threw had accurately created a ripple and that ripple was spreading inside his heart. 

“It’s like a negative chain of effect. That’s why I told you, we need to have a conversation together. You need to know your opponent first before you can break the chain.”

“Know… Your opponent…”

These words were not only for Killa but also for my fellow demons. All of them seemed to be silently listening to my conversation with Killa.

“I’m not asking my fellow demons to forget about their hatred toward humans nor their hatred towards the Hero. Killa, just like what you’ve said. The demons had taken so many things from the humans. We can’t just throw those negative feelings away. But… I want to change this negative chain in my generation. I don’t want any families to be torn apart anymore. I don’t want the hatred to grow even more.”

Since Killa’s concept of 「human and demon」had been shaken, it was time to drop the final words. 

“Killatur, won’t you stop the negative chain with me?”