Temple of the Demon World (4)
Humans from Earth and demons born in the Demon World.
The two men, who looked surprisingly similar despite their different births, looked at each other quietly.
“…….”
“…….”
There was no conversation of any kind.
We just exchange glances and share the complicated feelings we have inside.
But that was enough.
Although they are now divided into two, they were originally one entity.
The system became unusable more than twenty years ago after coming to Outerica, but thanks to the fact that it had not yet been thirty years, Ken Miyamoto’s unique skill, “Thought Transfer”, had not completely disappeared.
however-.
‘…it’s too late as expected.’
Ken quietly closed his eyes at the sight of the main body, still lying on the altar, just moving its eyes and looking up at him who had become a devil.
Yes, we both already knew.
There is not much time left until the life of Ken Miyamoto, who has become a ritual sacrifice, comes to an end.
It wasn’t just that my body was weakened due to lack of nutrition.
Everything, starting from the potential of each cell, to the spirit that makes up the self, as well as the foundation of the soul.
With all of that drained away, he was nothing more than a pile of ashes with only a small ember left on the verge of being extinguished.
‘It’s too late…’
No matter who came, they couldn’t save it.
The same was true for saints and demon lords, even if they immediately attained enlightenment and ascended to transcendence.
In fact, just waking up in that condition was nothing short of a miracle.
Perhaps the contact with myself that brought me here was something that triggered it.
Ken looked at the main body of the altar with confused eyes.
He was only cloned with the unique skill “Thought Transfer,” but he was transformed by a curse and influenced by the devil’s body, becoming quite different from his original appearance.
However, no matter what anyone said, it was an undeniable fact that the subject of the ability was Ken Miyamoto, who was lying down right now, and that he was an artificially created being there.
so.
That’s why I couldn’t help but be even more surprised.
“…Is this really okay?”
A certain will coming from the main body, Ken Miyamoto.
“……”
Despite the question mixed with surprise, he only smiled faintly.
Demon Ken looked at him with a subtle expression, unable to speak due to his vocal cords being completely shriveled.
He had become a complete devil, and it was a feeling he could never understand anymore.
“Then let’s get started right away.”
But there was nothing bad about him, so he didn’t reject it.
Rather, because he knew that time was short, he did not hesitate any longer and took action immediately.
A ‘devil’s contract’ in exchange for the contractee’s soul.
[Azi DeQure de roTuS Vi….]
With a soft spell, one of Ken’s hands covered the forehead of the main body with its eyes closed, and the other hand grabbed the limp, bony hand.
He looks too pious to be in the middle of an evil contract.
Rather, it seemed like a sacred ritual to console someone who was about to die.
And as if to rebel against it.
Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
As the devil’s contract slowly began to progress, not only the altar but also the entire ritual hall connected to it began to resist fiercely.
It’s as if once something is in one’s hands, it can’t be taken away.
Ken Miyamoto had already been sacrificed for this ritual, so it was only natural.
[DoU keTep JAd ra….]
We are in a situation where we are being pushed back both in terms of the procedure of priority for a ceremony that has already been going on for over 20 years and in terms of output due to its vast scale.
In cases like this, it was normal for later attempts at contracts to be rejected, but Ken didn’t care about such backlash one bit.
That’s right too.
Because the subject and object of this contract were one, not a man and a woman.
Absolutely!
A flow of cause and effect so powerful that it overrode all procedures caused a crack in the previously ongoing consciousness.
When a small cogwheel was forcibly removed from the massive, complex clockwork mechanism, the entire structure began to creak.
It happened because the relationship with Ken, who intervened in the middle, was closer than the priority of consciousness.
It did not stop at simply disrupting existing consciousness.
‘I’ve done unpaid volunteer work for 20 years, so I should get at least a little severance pay.’
Ken’s eyes narrowed as he pulled out the deeply rooted soul of his body little by little.
A huge amount of energy came out along with the remnants of the completely shattered soul.
The energy source that supported not only the rituals taking place here but also this unidentified temple to be maintained in the demon world.
One of the pillars was uprooted.
Rumbling—
The quiet temple shook as if there had been an earthquake, but Ken didn’t care.
He knew that the energy he extracted could not completely destroy this temple, let alone the ritual.
Unfortunately, the main body was in such poor condition that it was impossible to intervene more deeply than this.
‘But at this rate… it will be enough to provide severance pay.’
With that thought, Ken quietly looked down.
The real Ken Miyamoto looking up at himself with clearer eyes, perhaps due to the momentary influx of powerful energy.
However, that was only a temporary phenomenon that would disappear the moment the contract was finalized.
The person concerned must have been well aware of that fact as he opened his mouth with difficulty as if now was his chance.
“……ah.”
A hoarse voice came out from his mouth as he opened his mouth.
The necessary communication could also be done through connected “thought transfer,” but he did not rely on it this time.
It seems as if he is somehow trying to leave a trace that he existed in this world.
“…Hello…Ken….”
His voice was very cracked due to not using it for twenty years.
But that was all I could say with difficulty.
And Ken Miyamoto… no, the man who had given up the last ember and only ashes remained smiled faintly.
Wow—
right after that, the contract was finally completed.
The Earthling, who had handed over his name to the devil as his last will, quietly closed his eyes.
“…….”
The devil, who became the only ‘Ken’ left in the world, looked down quietly.
Now, the altar is empty, with only the clothes someone was wearing.
“…the contract has been concluded.”
The soul he received during the contract process was so damaged that it had almost no value to other demons, but it had a completely different meaning to him.
The lack that I had had since birth, which I could not do anything about, was filled, and my heart was filled with fullness from deep inside.
Puddudduddk —
Even though he took on the body of the Demon King, his body, which remained at the level of a count, was rapidly rebuilt based on the enormous energy stolen.
Although we could not skip several steps at once, we had laid the foundation for continued growth once the imperfections that were blocking growth were resolved.
“The price is everything about Ken Miyamoto. And the wish…”
Now he is not a clone of himself that someone created—.
“…Living instead.”
Because he was a true devil who existed alone in this world.
Marquis-level demon Ken slowly looked around.
This place is practically the heart of the Demon Dragon Duke’s plan.
Although he was delayed due to encountering something unexpected, what he had to do did not change.
“I guess it’s finally over?”
“Kahaha! “It looks like you’ve gained quite a bit, huh?”
“Then let’s move quickly! “It’s almost time for the Demon Dragon Duke to return.”
At that time, while Ken was signing the contract, Davidson, who had been wandering around the temple, approached him.
I don’t know how he knows what’s going on inside here, but he just assumed it was so and nodded quietly.
This guy was sent directly by Hela, so it wouldn’t be strange if he had that kind of ability.
“…Okay, it took longer than I thought. “Let’s hurry.”
The mission isn’t over yet.
Wasn’t the reason he came here in the first place to gather information and to sabotage the Demon Dragon Duke?
As he finished his personal business and remembered his original purpose, a hot glow rose up like flames in his eyes.
“Let’s take everything we can and destroy everything we can’t.”
“Oh! “You really like that?”
“Sniff! “Is there any meat here?”
“It’s already finished over there, bro. Even though this place is spacious, the space he mainly uses is limited!”
Davidson, the self-proclaimed greatest hunting dog in the demon world, with three pairs of sensitive noses and three pairs of sharp eyes, snorted and proudly shouted.
Ken nodded at his words and looked around again.
“Okay then, let’s start with the offerings here.”
I had just realized clearly how important this space was by forcibly taking away my energy a little while ago.
If you have infiltrated enemy territory, it is common sense to destroy their core facilities first.
He slowly walked, drawing on the power of “thought transference” that he felt vaguely within him.
Of course, this is just for the sake of the mission.
There was no special housemaster.
***
“Heron! “Where on earth did you go that made your arms look like that?”
“Ahaha. “How did that happen?”
“Ha—the hospital director urgently contacted me, so I wondered what was going on…”
Hesperon just scratched the back of his head in embarrassment at the woman’s voice sighing.
As much as I was aware that I had worried him, I couldn’t bear to say anything.
Because I knew that the reason she said this was because she thought about me that much.
“…Anyway, I can’t survive. Are you sure you’re feeling fine? “Are you in any pain?”
“of course! Did that old man make too much of a fuss? There really is no problem. “I’m also preparing other solutions, just in case.”
At that rant, Crown Princess Riley, the next emperor of the Azerion Empire, looked at him with narrowed eyes.
While I was busy as the successor to the empire, I was so surprised to suddenly receive a call from the hospital director.
Because of that, from her perspective, who only hurriedly took care of urgent matters and rushed forward, those confident words could not be trusted at all.
‘Where on earth and what are you doing wandering around? I tried not to worry about it as much as possible because it seemed like it was frustrating to be alone in the imperial palace…’
I wanted to lock it up in a safe place for the rest of my life, but I couldn’t do that.
Because he was his partner, not his property.
Also, considering his ability to escape from the immortal king’s stronghold, it didn’t seem possible to imprison him anywhere.
‘…No wait. Now that I think about it…’
But as she suddenly thought about the past, one fact crossed her mind.
When she remembered that, she quickly turned her head and covered her mouth.
Blinking your wide, round eyes over and over again.
‘You definitely signed a contract when you escaped, right? we? The condition he made at that time….’
He is not his property, but on the contrary, he is no different from his property.
That was the kind of contract they had at the time.
In fact, wasn’t he able to communicate with her and even summon her whenever and wherever he wanted, no matter how far away he was?
‘Ugh, I knew that… but is this really okay? I am the next Empress. The fact that I am someone’s property…’
Fortunately, no one, including the Archmage, noticed, perhaps thanks to the special ability of a person from another world, but this fact could have been a fatal disqualification for him as the next emperor.
Her thoughts were so crazy that she swallowed her saliva without realizing it.
Of course, I was fully aware of it before, but when I thought about it seriously again, I couldn’t help but feel worried again.
‘No, you’re not going to think so negatively, are you? Actually, thanks to this, I’ve received a lot of help so far.’
If you think about it, it was better insurance than anything else.
No matter what danger we face in the future, if you continue to stay by our side, we will be able to overcome the crisis as easily as before.
His ability had been proven through many past incidents, so there was no need to question it further.
‘Yeah, well. There is nothing we can do about what has already happened. Yeah, if you look at it that way, it might actually be a good thing…’
Riley’s face, lost in thought, slowly turned red.
The image of herself as emperor and Hesperon standing reliably beside her flashed in her mind.
And soon, the imagination wasn’t just for the two of them…
“Riley?”
“Huh?”
Then, she suddenly jumped at the sound calling her and looked back at him with a puzzled face.
However, Hesperon was also surprised by the violent reaction.
He just called her who was suddenly crying alone.
She quickly grasped the atmosphere, cleared her throat, and opened her mouth again.
In an indifferent manner, as if it was no big deal.
“Hehehe, please take care of yourself from now on. “Heron is no longer alone.”
“huh?”
“ah?”
However, it was inevitable that I would say something nonsense because of the thoughts I had just a moment ago.
After that mistake.
Riley hastily made various excuses, then hurried back, saying that he remembered some unfinished business.
All I could say was that if you need anything, please let me know.
Hesperon, who saw her off like the wind and disappeared like the wind, burst into laughter.
Then, he quietly looked down at his right arm and thought alone with a serious face.
“Hmm, I guess this won’t have any effect on the people around me?”
The black stains suddenly got bigger.
But so far, this seal has been doing its job sufficiently.
‘But what’s inside is so amazing that you never know.’
It was a remnant of an entity that had even served as the Demon King.
It was not impossible for even a mouse or a bird to have an influence on the people around them just by flowing out subtle energy.
Maybe he didn’t notice because he was immune to mental attacks.
“…I need to hurry up and make the sealing tool just in case.”
After lightly tasting his mouth, he clenched his fists tightly.
An enormous power that can be felt even though it is sealed.
‘I think I can summon Ken with this. I wonder if it can be used on Earth too?’
He smiled softly as he remembered the marquis-level demon that was tightly connected to the dark spirit in his right arm.
Thinking about how to make this wonderful slave grow faster.