NOVEL NEXT Volume 1, Chapter 10: The Demon’s Blessing
“Albertine-samaaaaaa!”
Zumana couldn’t believe what was happening.
His intense feelings for Albertine hit him as the sacrifice, a child, with a smile filled with compassion…
Snapped his beloved’s neck.
Zumana’s thoughts went blank, then he was quickly filled with anger and hatred, but, the moment he reached to take out his sword, he sensed an ominous [Feeling].
The little girl’s adorable eyes… the white parts were eroding.
A ruby-like glow appeared around her pale gold pupils.
Behind her cherry-colored lips, a beautiful ruby red fang showed.
From the adorable little girl spilled a violent aura of [Intimidation] and [Presence]. The little girl pierced the throat of the still warm Albertine with her fangs. Zumana was frozen still.
Blood shot out from her throat…
As if she expected it, Albertine’s blood flowed into the little girl’s mouth without spilling a drop.
“… A vampire…?”
A legendary evil monster.
In the past, a country was filled with vampires and fell to ruin. Recently, just a single vampire had appeared in a neighboring country, causing a massive amount of people to flee.
This thing in front of him, it was such an evil existence…?
Perhaps because she heard the Zumana’s voice, the little girl, let go of the throat to breathe, murmuring curiously while looking in his eyes:
“… A vampire…?”
The little girl said in a different tone, before patting her belly and *kepu* giving a cute burp.
Zumana shivered at the sight.
Killing people, drinking blood as a [Meal] …
In her eyes which looked at Zumana, he was not reflected as an [Enemy], not even as a [Human]. He was only seen as food, he realized.
“…”
Clenching his teeth to not moan aloud, Zumana began running from the [Monster].
To avenge the enemy of the one he loved, risking his life for a sure kill, He called for reinforcements.
“Marquis Brunnow-sama, have the summoners start the ritual!”
Marquis Brunnow came rushing in at the sudden call.
However, he wasn’t a man to fall into a confused panic. He had also felt the presence of a [Monster].
“Zumana-kun, what is it? This pressure is no joke.”
“It’s probably… a vampire. It’s pretty strong, too…”
“What… happened to Albertine-sama!?”
“Albertine-sama was…”
Brunnow understood Zumana’s indescribably agonized face. He clenched his fist unconsciously.
Brunnow would honor her nobility and will, a beautiful rose had been broken, his hatred solidified in his heart.
“…Can we win even if we use a demon…?”
“…Perhaps”
“…All right. Knights and soldiers! Keep your distance from the vampire! Zumana-kun, remember it be controlled only with a sacrifice”
“It has… intelligence”
Seeing Zumana had a decisive look on his face; Marquis Brunnow also made his resolve.
“He… here it comes!”
The voices of the soldiers echoed in the basement.
The voices sounded confused. The target, even with that monstrous aura, was an adorable little girl, which caused them pause.
If they hadn’t heard it was a vampire, they’d even hesitate to pull out a weapon.
“Go! Don’t let it get too close!”
The commanding knight yelled. The soldiers ran, wielding their swords and spears.
They could not hesitate at its adorable appearance.
‘It can’t be person, it has those crimson eyes and fangs… her face must be an illusion’ to follow their orders, they stopped their thoughts.
With a thin smile, the little girl punched a sharp spear and pushed her finger forward, causing the soldier to be slammed into a pillar in a bloody mess of meat.
A knight, had his blade stopped by its fingertips, and, with a pat on his shoulder, had the left side of his body crushed.
Like a little toddler conducting an orchestra, the little girl waved her hands around, for every swing, bodies were torn, threaded, or crushed entirely… As if played with by the hands and feet of an invisible giant, soldiers and knights continue to be killed.
Flowers of blood sprouted and bloomed on the ceiling, the floor became a sea of blood.
However, those that were quickly killed, those were the lucky ones.
“……O…Oh…”
With a snap, the flame spear the commander was saving as a trump card was repelled, a magic barrier forming with just her raised hand. The knight commander collapsed out of despair and fear.
Seeing the commander’s face wet with tears, crying for her life, the beautiful monster put on a gentle smile as it sipped the blood of the woman while she still lived.
“…U…Aaaaaaaahhh?!”
The two remaining knights forgot their pride, dropped their weapons and ran.
“Hiiiii!”
The two knights who fled from the summoning team fell, their necks slashed in an instant by Zumana.
“Zumana-kun, you…”
“Marquis-sama, we have to sacrifice soon”. “Hurry…”
The casters reacted to his voice.
‘If we try to escape, we will be killed’… the thought caused the summoning team to desperately pour magic into the ritual.
And then,
For a split second… it felt like the light from the lamps was overtaken by darkness.
Out of the summoning formation, figures spring out, three Greater Demons.
One of them felt more otherworldly and undoubtedly evil.
That demon was slightly larger than the other two Greater Demons; it had a shape closer to that of a human than the monkey-type.
It wore armor made of bones and bodies, on its back were the black wings of a bird of prey.
While still being a Greater Demon, it appeared to clearly be an existence beyond.
“Demons, take these sacrifi… Gu~o!”
Before the summoning leader could finish speaking, the summoners were instantly massacred; further, the demons ate the knight corpses, a fee for their manifestation.
“Monsters… the summoned demons just arbitrarily…”
Marquis Brunnow stuttered out in shock. While he was a great mage in his own right, he had only barely escaped the demon’s claw due to its starting distance from him.
The demon noticed that the Marquis dodged, looked with intelligent eyes towards him, and said in a low voice:
“[The bodies have been taken, but they were not enough. I wonder if you’ll be able to form a contract…]”
The demon said with a juvenile grin on its face.
Marquis Brunnow understood what it meant and knew his folly.
Demon summoning… not to mention Greater Demon summoning, generally has been considered taboo.
Summoning lesser demons was one of the most useful magics for a mage to know for travel with small groups because it was simple. They were even easier to call on than spirits.
Why is it then, that summoning them is taboo…?
It’s not too hard a question: in the past, a Greater Demon that had been summoned rampaged without the caster being able to control them, it destroyed the castle, and the town had such a large number of victims that it is used as an example for the law.
For this reason, why had Marquis Brunnow prepared only this amount of sacrifices?
He was sure the Greater Demon would be satisfied, regardless of its price it named. He believed that he had more than enough, for stronger demons which asked for more sacrifices.
He was wrong about the demon’s power.
He had mistaken his own talent.
He had messed up. As a result, he would not only lose his life: he’d unleashed the demon.
“If you need a sacrifice, take me!”
Looking at the source of the voice, Marquis Brunnow sees Zumana standing there, a face full of conviction.
“Take me dark one, and accept my command! If you need more sacrifices, there are about 50 children in other rooms. With this, as our contract, serve Marquis Brunnow-sama”
“[…tsk]”
The demon clicked his tongue and looked at Zumana.
When acting without permission, a summoned creature could still be dealt with. To quickly negotiate with the demon and form a [Contract], Zumana made the right choice.
“[So… my instructions…?]”
“Defeat our enemy”
“[… Understood]”
The next moment, the demon had torn off Zumana’s head and eaten it, the contract with him sealed.
Unceremoniously, Zumana’s soul had been eaten by the devil and extinguished.
“[… The enemy…]”
As if waiting for the contract to be completed, unfelt until now in the basement, a dauntlessly vast magical energy spread.
“…What?”
*Clap Clap Clap*…… by the exit, applause could be heard, the demon saw a cute little girl within.
＊＊＊
I, I’m sorry…. I’ve done it now.
I couldn’t endure so much of that love. That much put me on the brink…
What I did, I remember properly.
It was so [Delicious] that I couldn’t stop myself, then, before I knew it, all the creatures I could see were mashed and twisted.
Beauty-san, I’m sorry. It was really delicious.
Love, and anger, and hatred, and sadness… aged into [Desire]. So far, it was the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted.
It wasn’t that I wanted the [Blood] or [Meat] of the human. Dissolved in a human’s body was the sweet [Karma], the scrumptious [Soul]
Although demons are said to prefer innocent souls… that taste is for lesser demons. A [soul] with profound [Karma] is… enchanting, with a rich aroma around it.
As for why I drank all the blood… I got a bit riled up.
I need to calm down…
But, I surprised myself.
I didn’t expect not to feel anything… despite killing people.
Having a [Human Heart] was my goal. But once again I noticed.
I can’t distinguish between the [Value] of mortal lives… I just can’t understand the difference.
Do I like them or not?
How good they taste is all the difference I can tell.
“…Looks like I’m really a demon…”
It’s too late now, though.
“Well, then… what are you people getting up to?”
I was watching when I ate the souls of those pitiful knights, so I know a little…
The runaway-knight-sans have been slashed. I should talk to the bro or geezer, but if I just went over there, [Read the air] or something would likely be said to me.
In the other room is some really big magic… I wonder if it’s summoning magic. The mages are pouring in [Un-typed] magic.
Oh, looks like something was summoned.
The large summoning summoned three… wait are those demons?
That’s quite a big demon, though. Were there any demons like that in the Demon World? Well, the Demon World is vast, so there are demon types I don’t recognize… huh?
That child in the middle… doesn’t it look familiar?
… I can’t remember. In the other room, before I knew it, negotiations had begun.
I see. The negotiation technique of a demon: I’ll study it well. But… making yourself a sacrifice, huh. Amazing isn’t he… that person. I shouldn’t have gotten the souls of the knights from before without making a contract.
Oh well, pardon me.
Wonder if they’ll be done talking soon?
While I was applauding the [Intimidation], at last I think I remembered who it was.
“…You are…”
The demon growls at me. Huh? Do we know each other?
“D-demon! Kill that vampire!”
…I was called that again.
What is this vampire thing… I’ll have someone teach me more when I get back to the Demon World.
“[Gu~oga~aaaaaaaaaaaaa]”
The two smaller demons came towards me.
Well, of course when compared to me those two are suuuper large.
Since they’re coming so slowly, I have some leeway.
Although I also have the power of a demon, I don’t know how much of my power can be accessed.
Pouring demonic magic into my fingertips, I to manifest the [Crimson Claws] of my original body.
*Poof*…
“…Eeeh?”
They disappeared before my claw dissected them…? Black haze from the two smaller demons drifts into me, it tastes like… [Mini Monkey]? My snack food.
Wait just a second…
That [Mini Monkey] is summoned into the material world and it becomes this? So that one over there is that child…
“Pardon me… did you, by chance, run away from me, rather large Monkey-san?”
Oh, looks like I was right. Monkey-san is making a frightened face.
“[…Guh—]”
“…Wha…”
The human geezer that was next to it, with a look of disbelief, looks between me and Monkey-san.
Ah, sorry… Monkey-san… I crushed your pride after such great pains were taken to summon you.
“[Guga~a~aaaaaaa!]”
Roaring suddenly, Monkey-san creates dozens of [Fire Balls]
“…Eeh?”
He shoots out the balls of fire, but naturally, my hand raises and the flames are stopped by a magic barrier. Monkey-san, what are you doing?
Wait, that’s a bit much. Looking so confused after the shot failed, hey… Stop…
“[Cut it out!]”
My [Voice] becomes the physical magic [Yell], Monkey-san is blown to the other side of the room, it sunk into a wall.
Really…
“What do you think will happen if I get this dress that father gave me dirty?”
Neither the geezer nor Monkey-san understands my complaint. Why is that?
And then,
“You there… why did you use magic like a human would?”
I really don’t get it.
A demon is made out of [Magic], every action they make is charged with magical power and turns into [Magic].
Holding up your hand makes a magic barrier, a shove forward from the hand becomes a magic shock wave, a demon really doesn’t need to rely on fire and wind like a human.
“Why are you using [Pure] demon magic power on the [Degraded] magic of humans until this point?”
It’s like a fighting master fighting with a squeaky hammer… strange comparison, sorry.
‘So you can’t bring out enough [Pure Magic]?’… Looking into its eyes, I can see it think I’m looking down on it. He’s physically looking down on me, though.
“…W, why… a…vampire…”
The geezer still doesn’t understand, I give him a cold gaze, and put on a smile.
“[Because… I’m a demon, you know?]”
*Whoosh*
Pushing aside my golden hair, five-meter long bat wings of the same color spread behind me.
I flap the huge, slender wings and slowly float into the air, from above, putting on a cold voice I say to the geezer and the monkey getting back up to attack me:
“…You’re getting on my nerves.”
With a swing of a single wing, the monkey, without even a scream, is erased from this world: eaten by me.
Even I didn’t think I could sound so cold. Even though I’m just three-year-old…
Well then… now for the rest.
“…A…ah…aaaaaaaaah!”
I can’t tell what he’s saying; the geezer is kneeling and looking up at me.
…Hmm? There’s something strange about this person…? I can feel that he’s afraid of me, but geezer isn’t feeling [Despair].
What is it? This feeling.
It’s like that [Intoxicated Feeling] I felt from the children I healed before, with a [Rough] fragrance.
But… Now I’m a bit curious about it.
“Come.”
What I say that with a calm expression, he crawls closer to me with a strange expression. How gross. Scary.
…Is he a masochist, I wonder?
Well, curiosity never killed any cats.
“…Thank you for the meal”
Author notes: Sorry to those who are offended, next is the final story of the first volume.
Translator notes: Yum yum yum. Delicious.
More twists and turns to come next week.