My daily routine was a repetitive ritual of death. I would wake before the first light of dawn, running until my lungs felt as though they would burst, followed by grueling physical conditioning that drained every last drop of my strength. But it didn't end there. Next came the "ordeal"—a barrage of strikes from that old man that landed on every inch of my body. Believe me, I loathed those moments with all my heart. Then came the sessions of kicking bamboo stalks, sparring with the Master, and finally, hunting with Ain.
I was dying, quite literally, every single day. And yet... do you know? I am now a better version of myself than I ever was. I've begun to harness my energy with precision; my sword has become a weightless extension of my arm, and a sense of inner peace has washed over me that I never knew possible. I am at the peak of my strength.
However, a single shadow haunts this newfound stability: what Ain said about Rose. Ain possesses a terrifying intuition; he can sense an opponent's aura no matter how well it is hidden. I've seen it myself during the months I've spent here. If he sensed her aura, I shudder to think what Emily might do to herself. I had to know for sure, and there was only one being who held the answer: the demon lurking within me.
It was a risk, but a necessary one. The problem was his absolute silence since he abandoned the contract—and that made me wary. The silence of demons is usually a precursor to a darker plot.
I steadied my breath and called out into the depths of my consciousness: "Demon King, if you can hear me, I wish to speak."
No response. Only a haunting silence.
Just as despair began to take hold, my heart seized with a sudden, sharp pain. In an instant, I was transported into my inner consciousness.
He appeared before me, but this time, he wasn't bound by chains. With a calm voice and absolute confidence, he began to circle me, inspecting his vessel.
"So... even though you've begun to grow accustomed to your power, you still find yourself in need of me. But before that, look at yourself. You've changed. Your muscles are lean, your senses sharp. Congratulations... but do not be in a hurry. This body will be mine soon enough. Now, tell me, why have you summoned me?"
I looked him straight in the eye and asked, "That day, when Emily transformed... was it because of Maurice, or was it something else?"
He flashed a wicked grin. "Only they know. I simply did my part—I absorbed the demonic energy as you requested. I know nothing beyond that."
I shouted in anger, "Don't play games with me! I know you have the answer."
He stopped dead in his tracks and said coldly, "And do you truly think I know? And if I did... are you even ready to hear the truth?"
I lunged forward, grabbing him. "Don't dodge the question! Tell me... Emily, is she a demon or a human?"
He remained provocatively silent. My rage flared, and I began to choke him. "Answer me, you bastard!"
He rolled his eyes back as if gasping for air, then suddenly looked down at me, laughing mockingly. "What are you trying to do? Choke me? We are in the subconscious, Andre. Your attempts are futile. After the contract was voided, I became like dust—merely a ghost haunting your flesh."
I let him go, my voice dropping to a plea. "Please... if you know anything, tell me."
He leaned in and whispered in my ear like a serpent: "And if I told you that Emily is indeed a demon... what would you do then?"
My eyes widened in shock. He savored my devastation and continued his cruel assessment. "How tragic. Her mother died at the hands of a demon, so she grew to hate our kind, swearing to eradicate us all. Yet, fate has seen fit to make her one of us. I wonder how she'll feel when she realizes she has become the very thing she loathes? Will she take her own life? Will the villagers kill her the moment they find out? Or perhaps... the one she calls her brother will be forced to strike her down? I am eager to see the end."
At that moment, as the forces within me struggled to balance good and evil, a tiny drop of black ink stained the light side of my soul. The demon saw it and smiled maliciously.
I fought back the fear and anger, steadying my voice. "No one will ever know this secret. I will protect her, whatever the cost."
The demon clapped mockingly. "Moving words... but secrets don't live long."
I fired back, "I will keep it hidden for as long as I can. And when it is revealed... I will find a way."
I woke from my trance, sitting in a daze as if the world around me had vanished. I was only snapped back to reality by Ain's voice. "What's wrong with you? Is the old man's training that brutal? You haven't looked this exhausted in months."
I looked at the sky and muttered, "It's not that... I'm just tired."
He cut me off with a friendly slap on the back. "Then let's go hunt something for dinner."
I challenged him. "How about I hunt for once? I've become an expert—maybe even better than you."
Ain gripped his sword, laughing. "Months ago you were at the mercy of my blade, and now you're arrogant? Fine. Let's race until dinner. The one with the most kills wins."
We set off. The score was tied until evening began to fall. Suddenly, a target appeared. I sprinted toward it, but a fireball nearly took my head off. Ain shouted, "That one's mine!"
I gathered natural energy to boost my speed, and he did the same. Soon, the hunt turned into a duel between the two of us. The prey stopped, looking at us as we fought like idiots, before quietly slipping away.
"My prey escaped because of you!" Ain yelled.
"Your prey? That was supposed to be my hundredth kill, you moron!"
He countered, "It was going to be my hundredth!"
We stopped and realized we were both stuck at 99. Fortunately, a small rabbit hopped out from the trees. We exchanged looks. "Does the rabbit count?" I asked.
"Why not?" Ain replied. "Dinner is soon. Sorry, little rabbit."
Out of pure terror, the rabbit fainted on the spot.
I asked, confused, "What do we do now? He's unconscious."
Ain said, "We wait for him to wake up. Whoever kills him then, wins."
We sat there waiting... all through the night. The sun began to rise on a new day, and the rabbit was still sprawled out, motionless—or perhaps he was just a brilliant actor. I shouted, losing my patience, "Is he still asleep?! I'm going to kill him and end this!"
Ain stopped me. "No!"
"I'm doing it!"
He grabbed me, saying, "You fool, the challenge ended a full night ago. Haven't you noticed?"
At that moment, the rabbit bolted upright and vanished into the brush like a lightning bolt. We looked at each other and said in unison, "We should have seen that coming."
I stood up. "I'm going to train."
But Ain stopped me with a sudden seriousness. "Andre, there's a festival today in a nearby village. Do you want to come?"
I was surprised by the invitation, but I followed. We reached the village in disguise, moving through the back alleys until we climbed onto the roof of a building. I asked, "Why are we sitting here?"
He replied, his eyes fixed on the street below, "You'll know soon."
Time passed, and suddenly, a grand procession marched through the alley below us. In the center walked a man of great dignity and presence, looking like a clan leader inspecting his people.
Ain whispered, his voice thick with longing, "On this date every year, near my birthday, the Leader comes to check on the clan. Street by street... and this alley is his final stop."
He paused, his eyes gleaming. "I like to watch him from here. I wait for him with such anticipation... Do you know why?"
I turned to him, waiting for the answer. He said: "Because he is my father."