Lara’s voice from beyond the receiver had a strange echo. It was like a droplet falling on still waters. It shook his soul in a round shape, disappearing without a trace when he tried to find it.
“Lara.”
Demian lowered his gaze. This time, he looked away from the receiver and turned to his empty hand. Whenever he reached his hand out, Lara’s pretty fingers naturally approaching and interlocking with his long fingers together. It remained like an afterimage in his mind.
『Demian, God gave me something weird. You remember, right? He said he’d give me a fire to burn the demon.』
“I remember.”
『I have no idea how to use it. I’m not even a sorcerer and I can’t even use alchemy like Valentine.』
Lara calmly talked about what happened this afternoon. Even though she had experienced something amazing and absurd, her voice was so calm that Demian had to eagerly imagine what had happened to her.
『It was a flame when it first appeared, but then it turned into a human shape. God said it used to be called the giant of fire. But it’s too small to be a giant, so I don’t know what to say.』
“Really?”
『Yes, it’s small. Really small.』
“You said giant, so it must be taller than humans, no?”
『Nope.』
“It’s smaller than a human? Is it smaller than Konny?”
Demian recalled Konny, the smallest adult woman he knew. But after giving out a brief laugh, Lara said that it was not even that size.
『You’re wrong. It’s as big as my palm.』
How big was Lara’s hand?
Demian thought.
Was it this big? No, was it this big?
Looking at his hand and measuring the size of Lara’s hand gave him a different pleasure.
Her white, straight fingertips had round fingernails the color of
pale pink. Her slender fingers, like a person without a joint, always had a faint scent. Lara had a habit of sweeping her thick hair to one side, and because of that habit, her fingers always smelled of her hair’s fragrant oil. When she swept her hair like that, her white, round shoulders and slightly tilted neck could be seen. She was very beautiful like that. Lara was so tempting that Demian could not stand it without touching her.
Demian flinched his fingers. The afterimage of Lara’s fingers interlocking into his fingers disappeared in an instant.
“It’s as big as your palm?”
He clenched his fist slightly.
『Yes, for real. It’s as big as my palm. I heard he’s a piece that came off the giant of fire… But let alone a giant, I think I should call it a fairy. Anyway, Konny really likes it.』
“Konny?”
『Yes. It lights up candles when it touches it… The stove turns on, and the room heats up when it walks around.』
Lara’s voice was mixed with laughter.
Giant of fire?
Demian had never heard of it, but listening to her, he could imagine what it looked like.
“If it’s helpful, then that’s a relief.”
『Now tell me. Why did you call me? I don’t think you’re sleepy… Where are you right now?』
“We’ll reach the East soon.”
『There’s no trouble yet, right?』
“Yeah.”
『Did you call me because you wanted to hear my voice?』
Lara asked. Demian had been answering her questions well so far, but now, he delayed his answer for a while. Then, he looked up at the sky again and said.
“Because the moon is up.”
The moon, shrouded in thick fog, shone a dazzling light above his head. This time, Lara was silent for a moment. Then, she laughed and teased him with a mischievous voice.
『But the moon is up every day.』
“Then, it must mean that I miss you every day.”
A smile rose on Demian’s face, its shape resembling that of the moon.
『You’re romantic.』
Romantic.
Once again, Demian had a feeling that had never existed within him before. He brought his clenched fist to his chest. He had never felt love, excitement, hatred, or jealousy since he was born, but he met a woman, and became a completely different being.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Demian returned to his comrades after finishing his call with Lara. He could not easily fall asleep even after lying down. When he closed his eyes, he remembered Lara’s face, and when he opened his eyes, he heard her voice. His heart was hot like a sick person. He was elated, always tossing and turning.
Demian remembered the first day he first met her. He had no idea of his origin nor of his identity at that time, but he was neither curious nor was he anxious about it. Since he was born, breathing, and living, he just thought that someone did give birth to him. He did not think he would have any regrets even if he suddenly died one day after living so freely.
His life changed after meeting Lara. As soon as his eyes met with hers, time seemingly passed slowly. The same scene continued to repeat like a broken clock. It was not until later that he knew that Lara was aware of who he was.
Demian wanted to know about Lara’s previous life. He had hoped that he also had memories of that time. His wound would be deep from being rejected and shunned, but it was okay, because it was Lara. He was able to endure it. Rather, he wanted to reveal the reality of the guilt she felt and let her know that it was not her fault alone. It was clear that the fault lay within himself, his own terribly self-destructive self.
He was madly satisfied that the man Lara loved so much that she wanted to turn back time was him, but he was unbearably angry that he could not share the memories of that time.
Lara said that she could go back even several times and start all over again for Demian. He could die smiling right now for her.
Fated to be the demon lord. What’s up with that?
‘Demons eat other demons to become stronger. So if I eat all the demons that descend on this land and become the demon lord, I can go to hell?’
To avoid Lara’s world from being destroyed, Demian should be the demon lord and protect the gates of hell. Perhaps that was what God wanted in the end. Demian lay down in his seat and thought of that for the first time.
Dark clouds covered the moon. The moonlight that lit the night, albeit hazy, disappeared without a trace. Damp fog began to trickle down from the cloudy, black sky. The air became heavy and Demian’s chest became stuffy. It was a very sudden change. Although the clouds only covered the moon, everything on the ground that had once shone beautifully now contained ominous darkness.
Demian got up. It seemed that Lampion could not sleep as well.
“What?”
Sleeping in the same warehouse building as Demian, Lampion raised himself up with a crackling sound.
“I feel weirdly unpleasant.”
Then, he quickly looked around. Before going to bed, Lampion confirmed the number of his comrades and definitely counted an odd number, but now, it added up to even.
“Damn it! We're an even number. I already told them to stop coming in!”
“Keep quiet.”
“These punks, they’re just ignoring me…”
“I hear a scream.”
Demian raised his finger and put it to his mouth. Lampion closed his mouth, despite being angry still. Then, he bent his large body and walked like a cat. He opened a window and paid attention to the outside.
Demian was right. Lampion could hear people screaming from not far away, his face hardened in an instant.
“The farmhouse buildings are all far apart. There were a lot of guys who wanted to sleep under a roof today, so we had to scatter. Why today of all days…”
“What about Domino?”
“He said he would sleep outside.”
“What about Oscar?”
“The farmers treated him to dinner and he told me that he would sleep inside the house.”
“By now, both of them must have noticed and woken up.”
It was better to be scattered, his comrades would not be so easily beaten. They had a lot of experience in fighting demon worshippers and black sorcerers, so they must know how to respond. Demian took out the sword on his waist. Then, he whispered to Lampion.
“Wake up the sleeping Barbarians and gather in one place. Move to a vast area if possible and be prepared for magic.”
“Okay. What about you?”
“I will find the sorcerers and kill them.”
This ominous fog was clearly an act of the black sorcerers. If the black sorcerers were killed, the power of the Barbarians would be enough to defeat the demon worshippers.
Flying out of the warehouse, Demian’s face formed a sharp sense of bloodlust. His lips twitched and a wet breath flowed through his teeth. Excitement wrapped around his body, resembling madness. It was a predatory night.
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