< Episode 439 > Regret (5)
Silence passes as I meet the Demon Emperor’s gaze.
His unusually shining purple pupils and the demonic energy floating in the air felt heavy.
The Demon Emperor’s gaze leaves me and turns to the Demon Sword Marquis.
“Vice Commander.”
“…Yeah…”
“Explain.”
His tone is so fucking arrogant, this crazy bastard.
I almost frowned without realizing it, but barely suppressed it with tremendous patience.
He already looks like a fucking dick, so why does he have to talk like that too?
Perhaps I was the only one voicing such doubts, as the surroundings remained utterly quiet.
Though brief, the meaning was sufficient. Upon hearing this, the Demon Sword Marquis looked at me and spat out a word.
“…New recruit.”
“New recruit?”
“Yeah…. Our new recruit….”
The Demon Emperor’s gaze turned to me once more.
Interest settled in his purple pupils.
Creak.
Then the bastard sitting on the throne slowly rose.
The demonic energy spread throughout the hall surged once more.
‘…Uh oh.’
Instinctively, I couldn’t help but sense what was coming.
That stupid, dog-like bastard—there’s only one thing he would do in this situation.
“A new recruit, you say….”
The Demon Emperor’s body, which had been looking down at me.
Swish—
Disappeared before my eyes.
I tensed my body and prepared.
I had lost sight of him, but I knew exactly where he would appear.
Right in front of my nose.
The Demon Emperor appeared before me and.
“Kuk…!”
Grabbed my throat and lifted me straight up.
As expected, considering this dog bastard’s temper, it was obvious.
“Who sent you?”
“Heuk….”
The killing intent in his voice pricked my entire body.
The Demon Sword Marquis didn’t seem concerned and simply watched.
‘Ah…. This damned bastard, really….’
So this is what spitting in my own face feels like.
The more I looked at him, the more I could only curse.
“You are clearly a demonic human…. but your realm is unusual.”
Squeeze.
“Kuk…!”
The pressure on my throat intensified. Feeling that, I realized.
This stupid bastard. He must have realized I was a genius, and his inferiority complex kicked in on its own.
“I ask again. Who sent you?”
Heat could be felt at my captured throat.
If my answer was even slightly delayed, he would obviously burn me alive.
I endured the pressure and barely spat out words.
“The Cult… Leader… sent… me….”
“The Cult Leader?”
Upon hearing that, the strength in his hand loosened slightly.
Since I said the Heavenly Demon sent me, the doubt in his eyes lessened while questions arose.
Shortly after, the Demon Emperor swung his arm and casually threw me toward the wall.
Boom—! Crash—!
“Kurk…!”
While flying, I smashed through a pillar and, as if that wasn’t enough, was embedded into the wall.
My body trembled from the impact.
Even though I had activated my protective qi, I couldn’t defend properly.
Barely composing myself and opening my eyes slightly, I saw the Demon Emperor already approaching, looking down at me.
“The Cult Leader…. sent you… to me….”
Tap.
He extended his toes and lifted my chin.
“You?”
It felt incredibly shitty.
“…Yes… The Cult Leader… ordered me to join the Black Flame Corps and obey the Great Commander’s orders….”
“State your name.”
“...”
I couldn’t help but flinch at the Demon Emperor’s question for a moment.
Ah. Right, fuck.
I hadn’t set a name.
Cold sweat trickled down.
What should I say?
There was no time to think. If I hesitated, it would be instant death.
Of course, this psycho bastard would definitely kill me if he felt suspicious, regardless of whether the Cult Leader had sent me or not.
Crazy bastard, treating life like this. Anyway, his personality is rotten.
“Your answer is slow….”
“Pa… Pal Jeollyeop.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and blurted it out.
It was because I felt I had to say something.
‘Ah…. Fuck. Even so, what the hell is Pal Jeollyeop, Pal Jeollyeop.’
In my haste, I felt I had misspoken.
I was about to say Gujeollyeop, but the surname Gu didn’t seem like it would work, so I hastily changed it as the words came out.
What popped out as a result was Pal Jeollyeop.
And.
‘…Damn.’
This was clearly a mistake.
Setting my name like this? No, that wasn’t the mistake.
The gaps I had shown in this fleeting moment.
Plus the slight hesitations. And the expressions I had revealed in front of him.
All those things I showed because I was too immersed in peace and couldn’t control myself properly.
They would have become seeds of doubt for the bastard in front of me.
Because he was me, I knew it all too well.
Crackle.
His fingertips moved slightly.
This was truly a situation where if I messed up, I would die right there.
Before he ignited flames.
I continued speaking to the Demon Emperor.
“The Cult Leader…. in case the Great Commander might not believe me, told me to convey these words.”
Stop.
The bastard’s body, which had been about to move, paused briefly.
Perhaps because I had mentioned the Heavenly Demon, no answer came. But I could feel it from the Demon Emperor’s expression.
Those eyes meant “Say it.”
Seeing that, I swallowed slightly and spat out.
“…‘Only two promises remain.’… He said saying that would be enough….”
“...”
Rumble.
‘Damn it.’
Upon hearing my words, mad killing intent erupted from the Demon Emperor’s back.
To think he lived spewing out this much killing intent with a single action.
No wonder he won’t live out his natural lifespan, stupid bastard.
A temper that filthy. I truly wondered what kind of upbringing he had received.
But that was all.
He wouldn’t be able to attack me.
With those words just now, he would know that the Heavenly Demon values me to some degree.
Only the Heavenly Demon and the Demon Emperor know about the promise.
Since I had appeared knowing about it so boldly, his suspicion would deepen, but for now, he would have no choice.
After issuing the standby order, the Heavenly Demon did not seek out the Demon Emperor until the Demon Sword Marquis died.
Conversely, there was no way the Demon Emperor would seek out the Heavenly Demon first.
This would serve as a plausible excuse.
Though he was furious enough to want to kill me, the Demon Emperor would not kill me.
Quietly holding eye contact with the Demon Emperor, a moment of silence passed.
Whoosh.
The Demon Emperor turned his back on me first.
‘Whew.’
It was as expected.
The killing intent hadn’t subsided, but at least it felt like I had gotten past this for now.
Cough.
Blood mixed with the short cough I spat out.
It seemed my insides had been overturned by that attack.
‘That fucking bastard….’
Who treats people like this?
As I was hacking up the remaining blood, the Demon Emperor left words while looking at the Demon Sword Marquis.
“Vice Commander, come to the Great Commander’s chamber later to report.”
“…Got it….”
After confirming the Demon Sword Marquis’s answer, the Demon Emperor left the main hall. Watching that, I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth.
That bastard. He had left because he couldn’t control his temper and was afraid he would kill everyone.
‘Stupid bastard.’
Every single one of his actions was displeasing.
Ptooey.
I spat out saliva mixed with blood onto the floor and raised my throbbing body.
My joints screamed.
Crack. Just as I was circulating my internal energy to calm my insides, someone approached before me.
A man with brown hair and black eyes—an exotic-looking man. He was someone I knew well.
‘Silent Fist.’
Silent Fist Hwangbo Seon.
A figure of the Hwangbo family and someone who had been under my command.
Seeing him like this, I felt a bit glad.
Silent Fist, who had appeared suddenly, looked me up and down.
“Follow me.”
He said flatly and started walking.
‘...’
What a strange feeling, being treated rudely by him.
Right after the Demon Emperor disappeared, those in the main hall exhaled the breath they had been holding and finally began to rise one by one.
I thought about what to do, but since there was no other way, I followed Silent Fist for now.
At that moment, I didn’t know.
Until I passed the collapsed debris and exited the main hall.
That for some reason, the Demon Sword Marquis had been staring holes into me.
******************
The place I arrived at following Silent Fist was where the quarters were clustered.
This was also a place I knew well.
It was only natural, as it was none other than where the Black Flame Corps resided.
‘...’
Black Flame Corps… what a shitty name.
I had blurted it out without realizing it, and for a moment I felt an illusion of familiarity, but.