Chapter 53

The demon that descended to the ground turned its red eyes sharply towards us.

"…Don't touch me!"

…Did it just speak?

I thought there might be room for conversation, but the demon immediately raised its hand towards us, emitting a black mist.

"Master Alek, leave it to me – Holy Light!!"

Elisha instantly released a light at the demon.

But the demon was already gone.

It flew back up and aimed both hands at us again.

It seems we have no choice but to fight.

I also raised my hand, compressing dark magic into a wall – Dark Wall.

Soon, a small explosion sounded from the other side of the Dark Wall, and the black mist dissipated.

But the demon changed its position and continued to cast dark magic.

It's not just fast; it can use a bit of the Transfer spell, which I can also use.

Given its inhuman movements, I can only defend by expanding the Dark Wall.

Elisha also attacks with holy magic, but she can't hit the demon that keeps using Transfer.

If I could use dark magic at full power…

But that would cause damage.

The buildings can be repaired, but I can't involve the people walking outside.

Strangely, that demon didn't try to attack the surroundings.

Tika and Nate's words came to mind… that even as a demon, one can still act on their own will.

"Elisha… it's a bit dangerous, but can you take the demon's back? I'll Transfer you… pretend to attack with holy magic… and surround the demon with holy magic so it can't Transfer."

"I'll do my best. But, Master Alek—"

"I'm fine. Besides, we need to decide quickly… I'm not a demon."

Elisha nodded as if she had realized something.

"Then, let's go!"

I defended against the demon's attack with the Dark Wall and Transferred Elisha to the other side of the demon.

Immediately, Elisha released light at the demon from the opposite side.

The demon turned around.

However, it soon realized that the light was not aimed at it but was surrounding it, and it turned back and charged at us.

Its hands were equipped with long, sharp claws that gleamed black.

It must have judged that I couldn't use significant holy magic. It intended to finish us off at close range.

"Master Alek!!"

"Leave it to me – Holy Light!!"

I released the light of holy magic at the approaching demon.

Previously, my holy magic would disappear in a few seconds, but now it headed straight for the demon.

The demon couldn't avoid it and cast dark magic, but it was repelled by my holy magic.

The demon, hit by the light, let out a low scream and fell to the ground.

"Master Alek, leave the rest to me!"

Elisha immediately released holy magic at the demon.

I was about to say "wait," but Elisha seemed to have understood my thoughts.

She burned only the demon's limbs and wings, leaving the torso and head intact.

Elisha pinned down the writhing demon's torso with her foot and pointed her sword at the demon's neck.

"Master Alek, I've neutralized it… but the demon's body will regenerate in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Elisha… there was something that bothered me."

"Why it stayed here all this time, right?"

I nodded at Elisha's words and first removed the dark magic from the two skeletons, then approached the demon.

"…Aah!!"

The demon opened its mouth wide and growled threateningly.

Purple skin, long fangs like a bat, and curled horns like a sheep… it was indeed a demon.

I've heard that when one demonizes, some characteristics of the original body are retained. Judging by the build, it was probably a teenage human boy.

I spoke to the demon.

"…Can you understand my words?"

"…Kill humans!! Kill them all!!"

The demon said with a face full of hatred.

"Then, why didn't you leave here and kill humans?"

"Kill humans!! Kill, kill, kill!!"

The demon didn't answer my question and just continued to shout angrily, writhing to try to escape the restraint.

Ignoring it, I continued to ask.

"…Didn't your parents tell you not to become a demon?"

Near the skeleton sitting on the bench was a letter.

It mentioned the three of us.

So, there was one more family member.

And that one more person was probably this—

"…Kill!! Kill, kill, kill!"

The demon continued to shout madly.

However, both Elisha and I noticed the demon's change.

"This person…"

Elisha looked at the demon with a complex expression.

Tears were welling up in the demon's eyes.

Indeed… as Nate said, the original personality isn't completely erased.

This demon was probably one of the two children sitting on that bench.

Even though it had become a demon, the words of its parents, telling it not to become a demon, remained in its mind.

Perhaps it tried to stay in this place to protect those words.

I spoke to the demon.

"It must have been hard…"

"Kill, kill, kill – kill, kill, kill!!"

The demon changed its words but not its tone. "Kill."

Perhaps the original boy's personality was trying to make it say that.

"Master Alek, we don't have much time…"

I nodded at Elisha's pained expression.

"Understood. Demon… would you consider becoming my servant?"

"I won't serve humans!! Kill… kill, kill, kill!!"

The demon said and writhed violently again.

Even after being neutralized, it wouldn't become a servant…

"Elisha"

"Yes."

Elisha nodded and raised her hand towards the demon, starting to emit light.

"I will definitely make a grave for you… I have one request."

I asked the writhing demon.

"Can you give us the name of your guild… this building, the name, I will restore your honor."

"…"

The demon continued to struggle but stopped speaking and looked straight at me.

"So, can you lend me your power?"

Until the end, I continued to show my intention to make it a servant. In front of Elisha's holy magic, the demon might surrender.

"…Kill… kill, kill, kill!"

But the demon gradually started to scream again and writhed on the ground. I noticed that its wings and limbs were regrowing.

"That's enough, Master Alek…"

"Ah…"

I nodded, and Elisha finally released a gentle light from her hand at the demon.

The demon let out a painful scream.

But the scream soon stopped, and these words rang out clearly.

"Please… restore what my father and mother built… what they took away…"

I nodded deeply.

"I promise, I will definitely do it."

"Thank you…"

As those words returned, the light slowly faded away.

"…Rest in peace."

Elisha and I offered our prayers to the skeletons where the demon had been.