Volume 2 Chapter 22 (1/2)

A Demon’s Temptations — Part 2

It felt like I was thrown into the ht I had was taken away froht I was forced to realize that I never had anything to begin with It'd all just been an illusion, a hallucination I happened to be able to touch And today, I'd finally learned the truth Co to understand my own circumstances had already made today the worst day of my life But the day had yet to end And neither hadI'd thought I had—was only a turning point His words, my supposed saviour's words, only tortured me all the more

”It's a pity, but still the truth At this rate, you won't be able to do a thing, not to the demon, nor to Yu you even the slightest bit of involvement I could care less about how you feel, or what she's done to you There's no reason forto you,” Kaito sneered

I leapt at hi my body had si through my veins had forced me to action, to attack

But I was powerless

He evaded e, knockeda foot on my back

”Hurts, doesn't it? How about this, I'll lift eance” He spoke in an overbearing, know-it-all like tone as he pointed out allI'd tried to avert ive up on her I really do feel sorry for you, so I'll even give you some cash You can find a place for yourself out in the countryside and live the rest of your life out in peace”

The combination of his smirk and the preposterous words he spoke ht out of a fairytale But the offer hethat, as far as I was concerned, held no value whatsoever

The life I used to live was one I could no longer go back to It'd already been shattered, destroyed, spirited away to a place beyondout the rest of ht ientler tone as he re up, I noticed that his face was now decorated with an ever so slight s air that'd surrounded him just a moment prior had vanished And only then did I finally realize that he wasn't a spirit—but I didn't care

He would stealto stop hieance on, would be taken away from me That alone, I couldn't permit I would much rather die than yield

And for that reason, I assaulted hi

I kneas going to fail He was once again going to dodge my miserable excuse of an attack and step onto kill iven I rejected his aid and met his kindness with hostility There was no reason for him not to kill me with the way I'd turned down his offer

He'd completely overwhelmed a demon There was no way someone like ht Yet, I still chose to attack him

Because I had no other choice

Because I e was all I had left

I'd already given up once I'd accepted my death as an inevitability But the moment that'd happened, I realized I didn't want to die And for that reason, I decided I wanted revenge, and I would atteardless of how likely or unlikely I was to succeed

”Why… aren't you fighting back?” I asked

I didn't think it'd be possible for ed him At first, I'd seriously tried to bite into his flesh and tear it apart But soon, an to slacken I realized that, for reasons unknown, Kaito had decided not to avoid or resist me in any which way

”Because I deserved it It was just for confir bullshi+t at you, and I know it” He responded in way that leftfrom the shock, I looked hihtless His pupils seemed to contain a sort of endless darkness, much like that of a bottoaze of his that prompted me to look at him, not just as someone out to poach my prey, but as a person; his eyes caused otten the first thing I said? I'm here to recruit you, Shuria,” he said with a smile

”Re…cruit…?” I questioned

”Exactly,” he replied His one word response had been accoe of emotions that it almost seemed to reverberate its way into my head It seemed to sneak its way into every last nook and cranny of ested his words But before I could, he added even eance And so, Shuria, I have an offer for you”

”Would you like to be reborn, here and now?” Kaito smiled deeance's path?”

His hand looked exceedingly hu it was no different fro as would be a forbidden fruit

”Join… you…?” I repeated his words underthat I felt like taking his hand would cause e into the darkness of the abyss

”Would you rather be an observer? Or join me as an accomplice? Make your choice, here and now If you take ive you the power you need to exact the vengeance you desire, but accepting that poill take you beyond the point of no return You’ll be forced to continue your quest for vengeance and shoulder all the grudges I bear, even after Yumis’ death The contract you’ll make with me runs deeper than blood, no joke If you die, then I'll die And if I die, then you'll die,” Kaito elaborated His words almost seeether and extremely difficult to make out

I was convinced that the person before me was a true demon, the kind that tempted people and led them astray in fairytales

But as far as I was concerned, that was perfectly okay

”I don’t care about all that extraneous detail There’s only one thing I want to know Will taking your hand allow me to see her suffer? Will I be able to see her expression twist in indignation and resente I didn’t care whether I had to do it alone or if I had to ith an accomplice All that mattered was that I would be able to carry it out And that hy the only thing I wanted to knohether or not taking his hand would allow oal

”Did I notyou a chance to become one of my accomplices Therefore, the question shouldn’t be 'will I see her,' but 'can I make her?' I’ve pretty much said this already, but, you decide,” Kaito paused for a”Pick your own future Choose your own fate I won’t uarantees, nor will I only only show you the conveniences that co with nantly ”You’re enticing uarantee of success You’re basically not doing anything for me at all”

”Well, I’m sure you already know all about just howentirely in so h his expression see a sh he wasn’t doingat all, the hand he had extended sy I could ever want I was sure that taking his hand would turn me into a demon, just like him

So I accepted ”Fine I’ll offer you my body, heart, and soul if you make me into a de as accepting will take e”

☆

”Fine I’ll offer you my body, heart, and soul if you make me into a de as accepting will take e” The hand I had extended was gripped by a sed my offer

Wait, did she just tell me to make her a dehost, then a spirit, and now a derinned as I pulled Shuria to her feet I let go of her hand as soon as she got up and sueance used to establish its contracts

”A regular hu wouldn’t be able to make take on a forma dagger that o but mana,” she retorted

”Well, this sword’ll probably be able to answer about half your questions I’ll answer the other half later, e have ht that burned hts the eance, a clear sign that she was ht’s cold, hot, dark, and bright at the same time,” Shuria relow as she stared at the blade she’d been given Black sparks radiated off its blade, as if it was both giving a cynical blessing to the girl holding it and urging her to set out on vengeance’s path She brought the sword to her chest as she would a so she treasured—and drilled it into her body But despite that, there wasn’t even the slightest trace of a wound

”Grggghhhh…” I groaned Second hand knowledge began flowing into me, just as it’d done when Minnalis and I had made our contract; I felt another person’s passion and hatred enterthe sensation, but it felt strange and foreign regardless I couldn’t hold back the sheer ah my mind no matter of how hard I tried; it eventually e By the ti altogether, Shuria’s thirst for vengeance had becoh, that really is way different fro with them,” I complained

”Wow I really didn’t think I’d run into anyone with circumstances similar to my own so quickly,” Shuria mused as she nation ”That was a really strange sensation… but it looks like I’ve obtained an incredible ability”

She clenched and unclenched her fists several tihted expression appeared on her face a few mo I need to make it work,” she said “He’ll be just perfect for co irl slowly trudged her way over to a stuffed cat She crouched as she reached it and picked it up by placing her hands around its stoan to chant

Mr Cat, Mr Cat, where are you?

The clock breaks in the country full of kindness

The ice cracks in the country full of cold

Right this way, Mr Cat I know you’re lost

You’ll find a tasty snack right over there

Thread Spinner Dance — Puppet’s Spiritual Possession

Glowing particles dyed in red, yellow, and black began to rise off the ground and illu to activate a peculiar sort of spell Her y, and as the amount reached its apex, the particles that'd appeared around her did as her mana had and suit and entered the stuffed toy

”Nnn… I feel really unsteady I hed as she spoke to the stuffed toy, ”now, get right up!”

The cat reacted to Shuria’s voice It twitched several tiot to its feet

”Huh, that’s a pretty interesting ability you ended up getting,” I said

”It’s only going to get even led

The smile on Shuria's face was a happy one, but the rest of her expression seemed to indicate that she'd fallen into delirium Even so, the cat she'd eave her a refine bow Seeing that, Shuiria sain and issued it a command ”Okay! Here’s your first order Go consuood taste of him while you’re at it”

The cat's lips curved up into a smile ”Nishi+shi+ Nishi+shi+shi+shi+shi+!” It responded her instructions by both laughing and nodding siainst the floor over and over as it walked its way over to the dehout the contractual process

I’d originally intended on killing it ht it’d be too unrefined of me to cut in now of all times, so I took a step back and decided to play the role of an observer instead

”S-shi+t! What the fuck are you people!?” The deenerate about half its body, but it was out of ti its density so it could complete its form It tried its best to escape, and it would have, had the stuffed aniinal pace

Shuria's puppet kicked off the ground and leapt towards its prey the moment it attempted to run

”Stay away! I refuse to let you takeits arms to swat the stuffed animal out of the air

But to no avail

”Nishi+shi+!” The stuffed anirew several tier

”W-What!?” The deed knife cleaved its arhed in relief as it realized that its assailant's blade lacked the Heart Flame Ghost Blade's ability ”Hah… hahaha… Whew It doesn’t look like it’s the saenerate immediately if all it does is cut me”

But his respite was brief

”You do know I told it to eat, right?” Shuria set the chance to finish processing her words before the stuffed cat executed its orders

”Nishi+shi+shi+!” Again, it laughed as it stuck its fork into the demon’s disembodied arm and cut a piece of it off with the knife, which had returned to its regular size And with the most natural motion, it raised its fork to its face and consumed the demon's flesh

”Huh…?” The unholy spirit stared, dumbfounded Its mental facilities lacked the ability to allow it to react before the stuffed cat consuht…? That thing just ate… ? You’ve got a really funny look on your face” Shuriawith its es, the cat turned towards the deainst one another twice instead of answering its question The sound that came from it was the usual ”Nishi+shi+”

”fuck!! fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck! What the hell!? You have to be fucking kiddingmade entirely out of mana, and now a stuffed animal that can consume me!? This is just plain unfair! What the fuck!?” The de the situation it was stuck in

”Pffft” I couldn't help but laugh ”Did a de unfair?” I’d originally been intending on totally staying out of this, but the de a remark

”I’her for to me! No! No no no no no no no no!” The deainst the stuffed aninificant resistance It was completely outmatched

The demon lacked proficiency in close quarters coenerate either, and so, it panicked It lacked the composure it needed to cast any co out weaker ones But again, to no avail All its attacks were either dodged or intercepted by the stuffed anih the demon was immune to pain, it did still feel fear For that reason, it simply sat there as it was eaten, paralyzed by its own lack of mental fortitude

Its body was consumed from the extremities, and soon, all that was left of the deet done in by that sort of inferior life form? It’s not even sure whether it’s a hu its eventual demise, the demon moaned resentfully There was so little of its mana left that it was already beyond repair It wouldn't have been able to heal itself even it took in all theto die

“How boring…” Shuria sighed “Why did you have to lose so easily? I wanted you to strugglemy neers for the first ti”

”Well, Yumis is next, so you can just think of this whole event as a so on for too long” I shrugged

”I guess you're right… In that cause, I’ll should probably end it now” Shuria squat herself down right in front of the demon and kindly smiled as she issued her stuffed cat one last order ”I’ll watch every lastin, Mr Cat”

”Fuuuuuck yooooooouuuuuuuuuuuu!” The deirl that proclaimed she would enjoy its death, its voice filled with hatred and rage

”Kyahahahahahaha!”

”Nishi+shi+!”