Chapter 76 (2/2)

Shuria, the girl the demon had been torturing up until just a few moments prior, wrapped her arms around me in a desperate attempt to prevent me from executing it. My first instinct was to assume that she’d been charmed, but I knew that wasn’t right. I’d been constantly keeping tabs on her status in order to make sure I wasn’t caught off guard by that exact thing.

「Don’t kill it, Kaito.」

Shame filled me the moment I saw her hate-filled eyes. I couldn’t believe myself for overlooking what I had.

「I won’t let you kill it! I want to be the one that kills it!」

「Right… Good point. I should’ve known you wouldn’t want me to poach your prey.」

I would’ve felt the same if I were in her boat. I’d also be mad if some random smug looking douchebag that knew nothing of my suffering came out of nowhere and killed the person I wanted to take vengeance on before I could get to them. Mad enough to kill, at that.

I wouldn’t mind if other people joined in my vengeance, even if their reasons for seeking it differed from my own, but there was no way I could tolerate being unable to participate. Just watching was the same as getting cucked. It was, in and of itself, a form of torture. I’d rather sit on a chair made out of molten lava than idle around and watch as someone else got revenge on whatever it was I wanted to personally end.

（…It does seem like it could work. The demon will need a fair amount of time to recover.）

I glanced at the demon and confirmed that it was trying to take in magical energy from its surroundings despite being taken aback. It seemed to have either assumed that I wouldn’t notice, or figured that it had no choice but to attempt it even if I did.

Either way, it looked like I had enough time to finish what I’d come to do before it healed.

「Shuria, I’m here today because I wanted to hand you a sort of offer.」

I absorbed the magical energy I poured into the【Heart Flame Ghost Blade,]forced her off of me, and then turned to face her.

She ended up falling onto her hands and knees as I pushed her away.

「I’ve got a good idea of what that bitch did to you and I think I know exactly how you’re feeling right now. You hate her. You want vengeance. You can’t help but want to tear her apart with your own two hands, right?」

An expression of displeasure found its way onto her face the moment the words left my mouth. She glared at me, a murderous glint in her eyes, one I recognized and knew very well.

She was pissed, pissed that someone who knew nothing about her and her pains was acting like he understood her, pissed that someone was attempting to empathize with her even though they clearly couldn’t.

「And I’m sure you feel the way about that demon over there. You want to be a part of its fall, its demise.」

I hit the nail on the head. She and I had a lot in common, but we weren’t accomplices, nor were we partners in crime. Although our backstories were near identical, we were incapable of truly feeling each other’s pain.

And that would remain true regardless of how many conversations we had.

「But as you are now, you’re powerless. You can’t do anything to it regardless of how injured it is.」

「I-I know, but I still—」

I interrupted her by sending a wave of magic-laced bloodlust in her direction, one powerful enough to attack her instincts and force her down with brute physical force.

「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 Yumis. I’ll murder her in cold blood without allowing 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 for me to yield anything to you.」

「Graaaaghhhh!」

Shuria leapt at me. She pushed herself to attack me even though I’d sent enough bloodlust her way to repel her.

The attack wasn’t one she’d thought through or planned. She simply lunged at me because she’d come to recognize me as a foe, someone that’d get in her way. To be frank, it was meaningless. There was no way she’d hit. I dodged her with ease, grabbed her by the back of her collar, dropped her to the ground, and pressed one of my feet against her back to restrain her.

「Rgghh… Get off of me…!」

「Do you know why you lost everything, Shuria? It’s because you lacked knowledge. You didn’t know what would happen because you were too naive to think far enough ahead, too green.」

「…」

「You were too lacking, both in strength and willpower. The world you live in is a horrible place. You can’t get by believing in it or its people’s kindness. What you need is doubt, a blanket of doubt that covers every last fibre of your being.」

「…ow already.」

「You tried too hard to believe in the people around you. You clung too hard to the concept of trust. And look at you now, look what it’s done. They played you for a fool, and only because you let them. You washed your own suspicions away and tricked yourself into thinking everything was fine, all because you wanted to think could “trust” her. And that, that’s why you’re here right now. That’s why your life has become a living hell. You weren’t a bad person; you didn’t anything you shouldn’t have. But it was still your fault. Here you are, at rock bottom, because you neglected your responsibilities, because you wanted to trust her.」

「I know! I know that already, and I don’t need you telling it to me!」

Her eyes blazed with a dark, fiery passion.

A pitch black conflagration had lit itself within her, one she had no idea how to expel.

「Hurts, doesn’t it? How about this, I’ll lift my foot if you swear that you’ll give up on exacting vengeance.」

「Fuck… off!! Yumis, that two faced whore, is my prey!」

「I’ll get you out of here if you give 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.」

「Screw off! How’s that any different from being dead!?」

Madness filled her voice as she continued.

「I’m going to kill her. I’m going to fucking murder her! I’d much rather die than forget about all the pain she’s caused!」

Shuria loosed an almost bestial shout, a proclamation that she’d much rather die than be deprived a chance to take her vengeance.

All reason had left her.

Her scream hadn’t contained even the slightest bit of rationality.

Her tantrum was almost like that of a newborn’s. Within it was the unshakeable will to live, to truly live.

No, it wasn’t like a newborn’s.

It was a newborn’s.

Her cry had signified the birth of an insurgent, a renegade with naught but her own desires at heart.

「I see.」

She rolled to the side, bared her fangs, and bit at my leg without even the slightest shred of hesitation the moment I lifted if off her back.

There was no more fear in her, only strength.

「You sure are a reckless one, huh?」

「Why… aren’t you fighting back?」

At first, she was suspicious of my complete lack of resistance, but her jaws eventually began to slacken.

「Because I deserved it. It was just for confirmation sake, but still. I spouted a bunch of annoying bullshit at you, and I know it.」

「…」

She continued to stare at me in an attempt to figure out my intentions, her eyes filled with suspicion.

「Have you already forgotten the first thing I said? I’m here to recruit you, Shuria.」

「Re…cruit…?」

「Exactly.」

I squatted down in front of her now that she’d finally stopped struggling, and looked her straight in the eyes.

「You said you would rather die than forget your vengeance. And so, Shuria, I have an offer for you.」

I extended a hand towards her.

「Would you like to be reborn, here and now?」

I paused for a moment before elaborating.

「Won’t you join me down vengeance’s path?」