CH 9

Upon returning to the Devil’s Castle, I found Deran and Derakal, who were injured and walking inside.

“Whoa… you guys. I better hear a good excuse if you know how to speak.”

[Hey, I didn’t mean to.]

[Right! I didn’t do it on purpose!]

They protested grumpily. I stood with my arms folded and stared at the two, and eventually approached them with a sigh.

“So why take it out on the warrior? I told you not to, because now you’re hurt.”

I reached out to touch their wounds. The black scent that flowed from my fingertips quickly healed their injuries.

[I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t come to my senses as if I was possessed by something. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in battle with that man.]

[Yeah, I only came back to my senses after getting beaten up pretty bad.]

“You’re just proud of yourself, really.”

[Oh, we could’ve won if we stayed a little longer!]

“… A little more beating will bring you back to your senses.”

As soon as Derakal recovered a little, he started running around me.

After helping those two heal, I sat down on the fluffy sofa while tilting my stiff neck back and forth.

[Are you going to sleep?]

“No. I’m meditating.”

[… Just go to your bed and sleep.]

“I’m not sleeping. It’s meditation, something I always do.”

I closed my eyes and relaxed myself. My breathing gradually calmed down. I heard Derakal say something, but soon there was only a humming sound. At the same time, my body felt limp, and my consciousness was blackened.

Slowly and deeply like sinking into water, I feel into my consciousness. It feels like a dream. However, the feeling of blackness penetrating my ears and the coldness felt on my skin showed that it wasn’t a dream. I arrived in a space before I knew it.

Four small red lights floated in front of my eyes. At first glance, it looked like fireballs.

– Hey guys, I’m seeing you again.

I reached out and touched one of them hoping it won’t run away like before. Fortunately, the light only fluttered slightly and stayed there.

– Come here.

The light slowly approached my hand and settled in my palm. I gently clenched my fist. The small light was absorbed without strain as if it had been part of me from the beginning. However, the problem was what happened afterwards.

The hot heat began to spread from the palms where the light was absorbed. My blood boiled like lava. It went from my hands to my heart to my whole body, as if I would melt.

‘Ugh…’

I bit my lips without realizing. It was even more painful than the first light I absorbed. It hurts, it really hurts. I squeeze the edge of my heart. My fingers trembled. I wanted to let my hand go. I began to think ‘will I fail again this time?’.

The five powers of the Devil. If you compare them to the games, they were nothing more than the main skills. After the owner changed, they were sealed deep inside the Devil’s body, and they couldn’t help me easily. No matter how much you possess the enormous magical power of the Devil, if you cannot wield it, you won’t be recognized by the monsters.

Not only that, in order to get rid of the power of ‘massacre’ that the former Devil initiated, I needed to be able to deal with the five powers. I’ve known that for ten years, but only the first power ‘fantasy’ was gained through a decade of hard work.

‘This can’t be done.’

At this rate, whether the human world is destroyed or if I die to the warrior, one of the two will happen first. I clenched my fist again, which almost came loose. It was a big improvement when I think about the time where I couldn’t even absorb any energy properly and only wandered around.

Dizziness started overtaking me and hot heat was rushing up from my insides, but I swallowed it. I was really being pushed to the limit. Just as I was about to lose consciousness, I saw something gently over my sight.

{The seal of the second power ‘pain’ has been lifted.}

***

“Ah…”

“Are you awake?”

When I opened my eyes again, Tina was cooling the sweat off my forehead with a fan. I turned my head slightly and I was lying on her lap.

“Did I sleep long?”

“I heard you were meditating, not sleeping.”

“… How long has it been?”

“He-he. It hasn’t been that long. About one or two hours?”

I lifted myself up with a disheveled appearance. Contrary to Tina’s words that I should lie down more, I didn’t want to because my head was stuffy.

“What about them?”

“What? Oh, if you’re talking about the puppies, they’re running around the garden. Is that okay?”

Tina smiled brightly. Puppies… yeah well, they are kind of like two excited dogs, but bigger. (Uh, they’re black jaguars btw.) I snuck up towards the window and glanced outside. Deran and Derakal were seen playing excitedly, ruining the flowers in the garden. I felt proud for a moment as if my wounds were completely healed.

“…I’m the one who’s going to have to repair the garden if they mess it up like that. Those bastards.”

As I looked down at them with half-annoyance, Tina crept up on me.

“The weather is nice today. Shall we have tea time in the garden?”

“… Outside? Even after seeing the garden?”

“What’s wrong? Those flowers looked eerie even when they were still growing and they were called the flower of hell. But I think it’s better now.”

“That’s right.”

“Then I’ll go get the tea ready right away.”

Tina said and went downstairs. I was following her slowly towards the garden and suddenly looked at my hand. There is now a second small pattern engraved on the back. It didn’t hurt when I swept across it, and I didn’t feel any special sense.

‘Did it say my second power name was pain?’

I couldn’t get the hang of it properly when I first heard it. Pain… I can’t imagine what will happen when I use it.

‘I want to try something out.’

Arriving at the garden, I looked around. Tina, who had come down before I knew it, was sitting at the table in the middle of the garden, smiling and waving at me. Nevertheless, I can never test it on her. Even if it’s a slight pain, it’s my first time, so I might not control it right. That would be the last thing I ever do.

“…Ha. I can’t even test it out.”

In one corner of the garden, Deran and Derakal huddled together and talked among themselves.

[…Therefore… you’re saying he’s dead?!]

[Um…if… I would be in big trouble if that’s the case.]

It may seem like they’re whispering, but the sentences were stuck in my ears. In addition, there were some quite disturbing words I heard. Eventually, I stepped towards them.

“What’s going on?”

[Oh, oh come on, Devil. Oh, nothing happened.]

[Oh! The Devil! It… it’s nothing important.]

The two of them rushed in front of me. It’s nothing. It’s not important. Then why are you shaking so much? Your words don’t match your actions, and I can see the black thing shining between them.

“Get out of my way.”

[…]

[…]

“Now.”

It was only then that they slowly stepped away from where they were. When they stepped aside, a demon I knew well in the shape of a crow was lying with wounds all over.

[Is… the Devil here…?]

The monster looked up with all its might and slowly looked at me, then dropped it’s little head again. He then spat out words with all his strength.

[Cough! That, that, that’s the Devil! Deran! Derakal! You…! You have no pride, do you!]

“Did you come right before you die like this because of your pride?”

[Shut up! You’re pretending to be the devil…! You can’t fool me just because your skin is the same!!]

“Oh, I thought you were about to die, but you’re still energetic. My eardrums are going to hurt.”

I pretended to be relaxed and said so, but in fact, the moment I saw Sagna, my heart became a little impatient. Sagna’s condition was even worse than Deran and Derakal’s during the day. He still had a lot of energy, but he was wearing blood all over his body to the extent that it won’t be strange if he stopped breathing. I hurriedly reached for Sagna.

[Let go of me!]

“The little ones are very spicy, I see.”

Sagna had been poking my hand with his beak. I was holding back trying not to throw it away and triggered the black scent. I also did not completely understand his mind.

[I’d rather die than be treated by you! Let me go!]

Sagna’s turmoil gradually increased. I couldn’t use any other magic while activating the black scent, so the wound on my hand increased one by one. I could see Deran and Derakal, who were wandering around me restlessly, not knowing what to do.

“Sorry, but I don’t want a black crow to die in my castle because it’s too ominous. At least recover first and then go far away from my sight and die.”

[Yes, yes! No, oh!]

I grabbed Sagna, who resisted till the end, and forced him to heal. While his body was recovering, the scar he inflicted on my hand grew bigger. By the time Sagna’s treatment was over, my hand was full of scars.

[You, this, why…]

“What. Don’t you have something to say? A thank you?”

[…I won’t be happy until the end.]

Sagna carefully looked at his black wings. His suspicious eyes were as if he was thinking ‘Is this really the right treatment?’.

“So, what’s going on? Why are you so hurt?”

[Oh, yes! I have no idea what I’m thinking, fake Devil, this is not the time! I’m in trouble!]

“What’s the big deal?”

Sagna shouted urgently, flapping his big wings loudly.

[The warrior broke through the barrier in the land of the monsters! There’s still a lot of young men armed in the enchanted area!]

“…What?”

[Massacre! Massacre! Almost a hundred dead already! There are a lot of monsters on this side who don’t have the power to attack!]