824 True demon (1/2)

Koutarou saw light amongst the darkness.

He slowly opened his eyes, only to see an unfamiliar ceiling.

He then looked around, and instantly saw a beautiful woman who wore extravagant bright red clothing.

She was currently sitting on the floor. Her long and silken soft black hair reached all the way to the ground. Her appearance was breathtakingly beautiful, to the point where the coal seller lacked words to adequately describe it.

When she noticed his attention on her, her cold and clear gaze met Koutarou's, causing him to hold his breath without realizing it.

”You're awake,” she spoke in a gentle tone. ”How do you feel?”

Koutarou returned to his senses and was able to breathe again. He reflexively looked downward, avoiding looking at her face—this was because he instinctively felt that someone as lowborn as himself looking upon such a beauty would be a type of desecration.

”Good… very good…”

Koutarou forced himself to somehow reply. He then immediately remembered what just happened as he shouted his sister's name. ”Fuyumi…!”

”She's over there,” the beautiful woman told him.

Koutarou looked over in the direction she pointed to. He saw that there was a gigantic and mystical complex spell formation inside a large room. Strange dark red mist was gathered within this spell formation, and his sister Fuyumi was lying silently in the middle of this spell formation!

”Fuyumi!!” Koutarou shouted as he crawled up.

”She's stopped just barely short of transforming into a complete demon,” the beautiful woman said to him. ”To use an analogy, it's as if she's hanging onto the edge of a cliff. She'll fall down the cliff with even the slightest push. It's already a miracle that she can still maintain her human form.”

Her gentle words seemed to contain an irresistible convincingness. The coal seller instantly despaired upon hearing this.

”Just what should I do…”

”Transforming into a demon is a catastrophe that the people living here cannot avoid. However, this catastrophe shouldn't have befallen your younger sister,” the beautiful woman continued explaining. ”This happened to your younger sister because a true demon has come among us.”

”A true demon?” Koutarou muttered.

”Yes. This evil demon is completely different from us. He comes from another world. Although he appears similar to us, and his words and actions are also similar to ours to the point where he even knows how to speak our language, he's actually something completely different.” The beautiful woman looked directly at him. ”Did you meet such an existence?”

An existence that seemed human but was actually something different… Koutarou instantly thought about that strange person he'd met earlier.

”That's the evil demon,” the beautiful woman said with conviction. ”He's the one who caused your younger sister to turn into a demon.”

Koutarou had a stunned expression as if he had just been struck by thunder.

”That… how… could that be…” Koutarou was unwilling to believe it. Although that person was rather strange, he had been so friendly. That person was actually an evil demon!?

That person had caused Fuyumi to transform into a demon!?

That person had caused Koutarou's mother and younger brother to die!?

”Although it's difficult to believe, it's still a fact. This evil demon may look similar to us, but he's completely different inside,” the beautiful woman stated calmly. ”He is an existence from the outside world, an existence that isn't permitted here. He will only bring calamity and destruction. Unless he is killed, everybody in the town will die.”

Koutarou dazedly stared at his sister, who was enveloped in that strange mist. He found it difficult to think right now.

”…If that evil demon is slain, can Fuyumi be saved?”

”Maybe… but there's only a tiny sliver of hope,” the beautiful woman spoke in a gentle tone. ”The evil demon is incredibly strong, strong to the point where it's likely that all the samurais in the town combined will be unable to slay him. Only the same type of demonic power will be able to slay him. If you are willing to slay the evil demon, I can help you to obtain such power. But, no matter if you succeed in slaying him or not, the end result will be that you will die.”