{Jinma}

"And so, with these new powers as D-Humans, the Kurokichi Clan took on the Shirogechi Clan in Hanami, floored them with an overwhelming victory, and won back the village's freedom," Sue said, really getting into her current role as a storyteller, "The Kurokichi Clan made Hanami their territory and regulated labor and exchange back to what it was initially. There were some small adjustments to the arrangement that the villagers made to pay the clan as thanks as well as continuing their service for protection. Some of the youths in the village joined the clan, too, assigned to some of the subsidiaries to start building the families that would branch out to neighboring towns and provide their protection against their rival clan. The two clans would continue to butt heads, but the Kurokichi Clan came out on top everytime, especially with the 'Demon of Calamity' leading the charge. Down the line, their numbers grew not just with those joining the clan, but with the original subsidiaries making 'families' of their own, including the demon, quickly finding out that their powers as D-Humans can be passed down to their children. Thanks to the Devil they summoned, the clan's wishes as stated in the contract were granted, and they all, as they say, lived happily ever after."

When Sue finished her story, Ren and I were sitting on the couch in shock, having no idea how to respond. Ume, on the other hand, was thinking seriously with a claw to her chin.

"I get it, so you're suggesting Jin is perhaps a descendant to the founder, the Demon of Calamity, and that's why he's a D-Human that possesses the [Devil Eyes] skill," Ume summarized.

Sue nodded firmly, "That's right!"

"But from what I remember, Jin had white irises when his [Devil Eyes] activated. Shouldn't he share the same color as his ancestor's being red?" Ume asked, "Moreover, what about the subsidiaries that seem to have incomplete [Devil Eyes]? What phenomenon is that?"

"Well, despite Jinma not being a Devil, having different colored [Devil Eyes] is no surprise," Sue said, "A Devil's eyes will change color when activated, and just like how they differ in personality, the colors of their [Devil Eyes] differ, as well. The chances of an offspring having the same [Devil Eyes] color as one of their parents are actually very low. The only exception is if one’s [Devil Eyes] turn white upon activating, which means the user doesn’t have full control over the skill, but the other way around. The user would fall into what’s called the Mad State, quickly going into a mindless, violent rampage and indiscriminately attacking anyone in their sight. A Devil needs to control the [Devil Eyes] enough to where they have an eye color that’s anything but white, indicating they’ve completely mastered it and acquired a color that best represents them. From what I heard of Jinma’s exploits in Dondegarm during the raid, to even communicate while his eyes are white, much less distinguish friend from foe, is a total first for me. It was a miracle that everything played out the way it did at the end of the raid.”

An unsettling shiver ran down my spine as I looked down on my hand, opening and closing it, I … should have lost total control over myself? Then how was I able to do all that, then?

Thinking back on that night, I felt very different, like my mind was thriving with confidence, excitement, and a lust for bloody action, and my body was almost moving according to those thoughts. It sounded like I had fallen in the Mad State like Sue described, but I was still somewhat aware of what I was doing at the time. I don’t know how I was able to get through that night without harming innocents, but this information gave me all the more reason to watch myself from falling into it again, at least until I know how to fully control my [Devil Eyes].

"As for those who possess the 'incomplete' [Devil Eyes], they have what's called the [Demon Zone] skill, or [D-Zone] for short,” Sue continued, “It works similarly to the [Devil Eyes], except it doesn't hold the same degree of power, physical, magical, or otherwise, and they don’t exactly fall into a Mad State, either. There are different colors, but those in the Kurokichi Clan share the same iris color as their founder due to the effects of the contract," Sue explained while shrugging, "That color won't change as they produce offspring, no matter how many generations have passed. You could say it marks them on which clan their family's bloodline came from. As you might expect, only D-Humans can possess that skill, and they don't even need to be with another D-Human to produce one, too.

“The same can be said for direct descendants of the founder to possess [Devil Eyes], but not all of them are able to inherit them, though. It was said the chances of someone carrying the [Devil Eyes] increase if they were born from two D-Humans, more so if they both possess the skill themselves. So, as you might expect, the founder slept with many human females and had lots of children in the process, all in the hopes of finding a successor to lead his clan while carrying the [Devil Eyes] skill," Sue concluded.

"I see, and the magic that Devil used to make the contract … that's exclusive to the Devil race, yes?" Ume asked.

"That's correct," Sue answered while nodding, "Part of what makes the Devil race so powerful is their latent connection to the Immortals, and that power is realized through their contracts. There are different kinds of contracts, with some lasting a short time and others that last their entire lives. Once a 'client' agrees to the terms in the contract, the Devil will receive the power and instructions necessary from the Immortals to follow through to their end of the deal. That night-long fornication as told in the story was one such example of her merely following instructions from the Immortals."

I’ve read in some christian mythology that it was best to never make a deal with the Devil. I think it was not only a sin to do so, but the prices the contracted must pay from their end of the deal are quite heavy, usually having their very souls taken as payment. I imagine the power the Devils in those myths need to fulfill those deals didn't come from nothing. Maybe that power was borrowed from the ruler of Hell or something? If the process is similar to what Sue’s explaining, then those myths I’ve read may not have been as fictional as I thought they were.

"But to fulfill a contract that would last generations, wouldn't that leave the Devil in the story …" Ren trailed off, fearing what she'd say next would be true.

Sue shrugged again, "The act of sex is when two beings join together and become one, metaphorically speaking. It sounds like the effects of that contract took that metaphor quite literally. I'm unsure whether to say she's alive or dead, but it's possible she lives on inside Jinma and his relatives to this day."

I had lowered my head partway through their conversation to stare at the ground, being totally silent. I could only imagine what my face looked like right now from how tight and stiff I was feeling on it. There were a lot of things running through my mind, enough that I tuned out the majority of my surroundings.

"Um … Jinma? Are you doing okay there?" Sue asked apprehensively.

Startled at the call, I slowly looked up to the fake Arch Imp, my face still tense from before, "Sue … what about the deal? What exactly was it that this clan had to give up in exchange for that kind of power?"

Sue, who seemed to be in a good mood as she told her story moments ago, deflated after hearing my question. I had a feeling I didn’t like what she was about to tell me, but the words I expected her to say, “That’s classified,” never came.

"... I wish I knew the answer to that question, I really do," she said before hanging her head, "This is one of the biggest mysteries that had bothered me for years since I heard that story, but it seemed so cool at the time that I didn't think about it too much. I wouldn’t have thought such info would be so important right now."

Huh, my [Intuition] didn’t kick in here. If Sue’s not pulling any tricks on me, then she, of all people, actually did not know the answer to something for once. I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing here.

“So, you really have no idea what the Kurokichi Clan had to give up in exchange for that power?” I asked her again for confirmation.

Sue looked back up and shook her head solemnly, “What I’ve told you up to now sums up what I know about D-Humans, the [D-Zone] skill that most of them learned, and you possessing the [Devil Eyes] skill.”

“And there are other D-Humans out there? Including ones not linked to the Kurokichi Clan?” I asked.

“If there are other people who made a similar contract to a Devil like the founder of the clan did, it could be possible, and the color of their eyes while in the [D-Zone] would tell whether you’re linked to them or not,” Sue answered, “Since this happened hundreds of years ago, though, it’s hard to say if many of them even know about this fact, especially if you weren’t filled in on it until now.”

“I see …” I trailed off before exasperating a sigh, hunching over and rubbing my eyes in frustration.

Seriously, what the fuck is going on here?

“... Is hearing this story really that big of a shocker to you, Jinma? Do you believe it to be true?” Sue asked in both concern and curiosity.

“I don’t know how true it really is, but what scares me is that … I think I might have heard this story once before,” I answered, of which I could feel Ume and Ren jolting their heads towards me with widened eyes. Sue also looked just as shocked.

The Kurokichi Clan, the Shirogechi Clan, the Ochitaken-Ryu sword style, and the use of magic and witchcraft. There were subtle differences in Sue's version like the country and town it took place in, but I've heard the terms in this story before. Partway through her story time, I had Nyra look into a part of my foggy childhood memories and clean it up a bit for confirmation. The result?

Nyra reported.

It was really unsettling hearing this news. I don’t know how or why, but these stories possibly being one and the same would mean a few things. One, my ancestor somehow made a deal with this Devil. Two, there was another way for someone to traverse between worlds, different from how I died on Earth and Obina made me her Champion before sending me to Raiza. Did Obina and the other Immortals know something like that was possible? How did that witch know how to ‘summon’ a Devil to Earth in the first place?

“Who told you this story?” Sue asked me after I voiced my concerns.

I wasn’t sure how much I’d reveal could come as too big of a shock to Ume and Ren, leading them to questioning my true identity as someone who came from another world after dying. Sue may know that much to figure out where this world’s Champions come from, which would make this all the scarier, but I didn’t want to take any chances. So, I decided to keep things somewhat vague.

“My great grandmother told me,” I answered as I got up from the couch and started pacing around inside the [Soundproof] spell’s field, “It was only that one time when my mom took me to her place when I was really young. Granny had told me a similar story while I was there, lifting my spirits when I was in a crappy mood at the time. It was how our ancestors fought against an enemy group that was threatening their hometown through unique battle tactics and magic. She even showed me these books that had stuff on learning magic and the forms for a school of swordsmanship that our ancestors supposedly used. In exchange for keeping what she showed me a secret from Mom, Granny gave me a few copies of each, and I gave one of the sword-focused books to a close friend of mine who was passionate about swordsmanship at the time. I didn't think about that story until now because it seemed mostly fictional and I forgot most of the material."

"That's amazing," Ren said, "If those stories are the same, then Master could possibly have such a heroic ancestor after all."

"Yeah … that would be the case, wouldn't it?" I asked while looking down.

"You don't seem too thrilled about that, Jin. Something wrong?" Ume asked.

“It's just … I always thought it was strange, how Granny was the only one out of everyone from Mom’s side of the family to support her having me while I still wasn’t born yet,” I said while stopping, still looking down with my hands dangling to my sides, “How Mom wouldn’t tell me more about who Granny was and what the other relatives from her side of the family were like. The only thing I know is that they cut Mom off from family ties when she decided to keep me and move to a new place, taking care of me all by herself … while that old bastard was living with no worries after abandoning her. What I wouldn’t give to ...” My hands then closed into fists before they trembled in anger, ready to hit the first thing that approached me.

I grabbed my arm and took a deep breath to calm down for a moment before continuing, “Anyway, I just find it strange that I didn't know my ancestry would be that great until now. Mom certainly didn't want me to know about it, so there must be something in that story that she's hiding from me. Maybe … she knew what it was that our ancestors had to give up to obtain that power as D-Humans. Something so damn incriminating that it put her family into a bad light and she didn't want me getting hurt because of it. But that also begged the question, was she a D-Human, too? Is everyone on her side of the family D-Humans? Hell, what about that so-called dad of mine? Was he actually running away because of how dangerous Mom's family really is? That … I might turn out to be dangerous? If he didn't know up to then, then I actually wouldn't blame him for running away."

If I was in his shoes and realized my life was on the line, without all this power I have on me, I might have run away like he did, I thought to myself, worried that Ume and Ren might take that the wrong way.

"I still hate the bastard for throwing all those feelings for Mom away like that, but I think I have a better understanding of why he left in the first place," I continued, "He had every right to be afraid of what kind of person I may become if my family's history played that big of a role in my life, something that would make me stand out from others."

I looked down to my hand that opened and closed, "I knew for a long time that I was different from other kids while growing up. I drastically went back and forth on how I wanted to live as I got older, but the fact that I was so different from everyone else and not knowing why had always stuck with me. Not being able to learn my own family’s history didn’t make things better, either, but I tried to press forward and continue living my life as I could.

"Then I came to this kingdom, stumbled across the [Devil Eyes] skill for the first time in the raid at Dondegarm, and discovered my race as a D-Human at their local church. And now … I just found the first clue to the origins that gave me my life in the most unexpected of places," I said before taking that same hand to hold my forehead, "I don't think I've ever been so lost, so afraid, of not knowing who or what I am before. I just … I just don’t know what to think anymore.”

“Jin …” Ume muttered while she and Ren got up and hugged me from both sides, "I understand your fears of the unknown, especially of those relating to your own identity, but I've seen firsthand what kind of person you are multiple times, and I love you because of them. There may be much more I don't know about you yet, but I do know enough that I don't ever want to leave your side, no matter what happens."

"I'm the same," Ren added, "Even if I wasn't indebted to you, Master, there's no way I'd want to leave you or everyone else in the harem. You brought us all together, doesn't that count for something to who you are?"

Relieved to hear those words, I pulled them in closer to me, "Thank you. I don't want to lose you all, either, and I want to be as much of myself around you guys as possible, no matter what I find out about my family's origins."

"If you need help taking on the truth, we'll be with you every step of the way. Right, Ren?" Ume asked her.

The Werewolf nodded, "Of course."

“So, what do you plan on doing now, or at least after Noire’s quest is done?” Sue asked.

The three of us turned to her. “I guess I'll have to go to the Demon King and confirm the story's contents from her or another Devil," I answered, "Maybe they'll know more about what the Kurokichi Clan gave up for that D-Human power. I also need to get a handle on my [Devil Eyes] skill. I can’t deny that it’s useful in a pinch, but I’m afraid of losing control and hurting innocent people because of it. Do you think the Demon King may find someone who could teach me how to use it if I asked her, Sue?”

“Absolutely,” Sue answered without hesitation, hopping out of her seat and resting a hand to her chest, “You’ll get the help you need, the best help possible, you will learn to control the [Devil Eyes] skill, and … you will learn whatever you need to know about your family's ancestry. I will do everything in my power to make it all so.”

I nodded in understanding, "That would be appreciated. Thanks, Sue."

"Anything for you, Jinma," Sue said before giving a big, bright smile, though I couldn't help but feel it was a little forced.

There was also how Sue hesitated on me finding answers to my ancestry, and Nyra confirmed that notion with me.

the Pixie in my mind said.

Maybe there was a reason for why Sue was chosen to take me to the Demon King, and it wasn't out of duty to her monarch. As I watched her throughout our questioning, especially her storytime, I felt like I learned a little bit of what her true character is like.

It’s been quite the hectic journey just getting here, but it seemed like I finally made my first step to finding the truth to everything. Sue's true identity, the Blink Conspiracy, even Mom keeping our family history away from my grasp all those years while Granny showed my child self a piece of it so endearingly. Despite how totally different they all are, I may be connected to them, somehow. I could already imagine one of those large cork billboards hanging on the wall with various pictures and documents pinned to it, all wildly entangled by red string branching between them like someone may see in those detective/mystery shows.

I never thought I’d ever find something related to my family’s origins in this world, which gives me all the more reason to confront her as soon as possible.

“I guess that’s all the questions for me right now, yes?” Sue then asked, “Are there other personal businesses that you need to get to?”

I nodded, “I need to speak with Goddess Obina, but she suggested I try to do it in a church the next time I wish to do so.”

“Ah, using the Immortals’ Monument in the church, right? I can lead us to Palocaesy’s after getting back to the square with your [Portal],” Sue suggested.

I shook my head, “We’ll definitely be using [Portal], but we won’t be going to the church in this city.”

The fake Arch Imp blinked in confusion before she figured it out, “Wait, you don’t mean …”

I nodded in confirmation and turned to everyone in the group, “Who’s up for a quick trip back to Dondegarm? I know a trustworthy Priestess who can help us there.”