* * * *

“...”

“...”

Near the big tree, now 7 people are present.

Yoshitaka Shou, Mao Rubina, Yozakura Kuroda, Takano Akina, Daichika Takeharu, Hal Arcland, and lastly Selia Nightfall.

“Eh, somehow, sorry that we appeared on such a timing.” -Take

“Well, yeah. Although, I’m glad Shou finally found a girl.” –Aki

“Uh... I really never seen Mao that excited before. Ahahaha.” –Hal

“Um... I know that you guys haven’t been doing it for days, but yeah. That was... a bit to wild..?” –Selia

“Pft, Ahahahahaha! Damn I can’t hold my laugh anymore! This is just too hilarious! Gyahahaha! My stomach hurts!!!” obviously –Kuro

Unable to hold his laughter, Kuroda literally laughing his ass off.

On the contrary, Shou and Mao could only receive the shame and had been silent until now.

“Kuro, you bastard! You totally planned this right?! I knew it! So that’s why you’re being so persistent.”

“...... I was seen... with Shou... outdoor......”

“Ahahaha, sigh ha~~~~h. Sorry, sorry, it was the truth, I didn’t expect for them to come this quick.”

It was after Kuroda persuade (coerce) Shou to wake Mao up right away.

As the most ‘efficient’ way was to do ‘that’, Shou reluctantly (?) do it with Mao outdoor. Right after the first round, Mao finally woke up but it seems like the two still hasn’t satisfied and thus do it again and again.

Kuro of course didn’t stay close. As expected, he wouldn’t even dare to interrupt and go away for quite the distance. Well, he still chose the distance which ideal to observe and sometimes take a peek though.

While in the middle of doing the ‘deed’, Take, Hal, Aki, and Selia just somehow right in time to arrive and stumbled upon the two who was in the middle of doing ‘it’.

Needless to say, the two quickly fixed their appearance. But Kuro who was observing burst out laughing at the unfortunate incident. And so, long story short, it resulted to this scene.

“... I don’t have anything to say anymore. Just get over it already. Anyway, why are you kidnapping Mao? If it’s just a joke, I’ll seriously kill you.”

As Shou asked for the reason, Kuroda quickly let of a dire face.

“... Shou we better move. Xalazar is hunting you guys. I kidnapped Mao to get you away from that inn. But it won’t be long for him to find this place.”

“You are talking about me?”

A deep voice suddenly resounded. A voice which Mao knows and hate. Not just Mao, Hal also knows this voice.

Up in the tree branch, someone is wearing a hooded robe. As he took of his hood, a man with feature just like humans, but there’s some difference can be seen.

It was . No, calling him a person would be inappropriate, .

“Xalazar!!”

Xalazar the human hater from Mao’s world. Formerly Mao’s subordinate, which was banished because he always starts wars with humans. Rather than only humans, he’s the type of someone who also look down on other weak demons. He is someone of the Empe race which was looked down as inferior demons, except for Xalazar that is. Because of his personality, Mao decided to banish him.

Because of the banishment, he swore to steal the throne from Mao and broke out more wars with humans. As in banishment, he starts to recruit army to attack human’s village and left rumor about the demon lord’s army, resulting problems for Mao.

Hal who was sent as the hero to defeat the demon lord wants to kill Mao at first. After knowing the truth, He began to cooperate with Mao. Unfortunately, Xalazar spread another rumor, that the hero betrayed humanity and join hands with the Demon Lord. As result Hal has been a refugee all this time, until he somehow transferred to this world.

As for Xalazar himself... He always hated humans.

The race of Empe, sole survivor, Xalazar Empe. His village, the village of Empe’s demon, was under attack by the humans. As a young kid, Xalazar didn’t have any power to stop the humans. His family, tribe, whole race, were slaughtered right in front of his eyes.

Somehow managed to save, young Xalazar was picked up by some other demons who bore exceeding hatred toward humans. Raised in that kind of environment, Xalazar grow to despise and hate humans and inferior demons.

“Hmph, as I thought humans are useless. Right, Yozakura Kuroda?”

A shiver strikes Kuroda. Xalazar the demon was also the one who transported him and Akina all over the place following Shou. He was also the one who resurrected Blaze as special kind of zombies to attack Shou and Mao. He was also the one who commanded Hannibal to confront them. Besides, he was also the one who sent the ‘Unknown Monster’ to this world.

That’s right, his cheat is ‘Transport’. It allows him to moves and also send someone between worlds.

But by any means the one who send Shou and the portal that opens after the ‘otherworldly beings’ were defeated/sent back wasn’t him. He was also got involved in the random transporting between worlds and accidently ends up with that cheat.

“Even though I don’t want to do this...” A sky blue light gathered at Xalazar’s hand. “”

When Xalazar throw the light upwards, dozens, no maybe hundreds of icicle formed up in the sky ready to fall down and hit them anytime. As they fall down, Shou chanted a spell.

“Spirit of guardian, I desire to protect--” ‘I won’t make it in time!!’

“!!”

While the icicles are on their way, Kuroda shouted something.

*Bang*! *Bang**Bang**Bang*! *Ba-bang**Bang*!!

In a quick successions Kuroda shot the icicle that storms towards them with ease. The icicle that was shot broke and scattered into diamond-like sparkling dust. The figure of their protector, Kuroda was truly dazzling that time. Even more dazzling than the sparkling icicle that was reduced to dust.

15, 20, 25, 40, 70, 150. A total of 250 icicle didn’t hit Shou and the others.

It was very amazing. Considering the total shot of Kuroda’s gun was 20 shots in total, Kuroda “activating” his other cheat, . Its effect was to quickly reloading his guns. In fact, even Shou who always trained with Phantom could only barely see it.

“Kuro!!”

Akina cries out suddenly.

In few seconds after that, an icicle stabs through Kuroda’s chest.

“A~ah, that’s no good you know, only focusing on what’s above your head.”

Deep red color began to spread over Kuroda’s uniform and Kuroda also began to lose his strength. He doesn’t even have enough to stand up.

Fallen to his knee, Shou supported him. Selia and Hal step into his front, Takeharu also stand close to him, deployed his shield alarmed at their surroundings. Akina also supported him from besides, while Mao gives a threatening looks, ready to blow her spell to Xalazar.

“Well, well. Look at what we got here. So this kid running away to cover for you huh? Oh my ‘Demon Lord’, Mao Satiana Diabolo Rubina.”

‘Demon Lord’, when it rang on Selia’s ears, her eyes went wide awake. She was surprised that one of the companions and friends who had been with her these few days was actually the ‘Demon Lord’.

Of course, Mao isn’t the ‘Demon Lord’ from Selia’s world. But all she knew about ‘Demon Lords’ are cruel, warmonger, hideous beings, seeking for world’s destruction (or at least wanted the world to be his/her), and selfish.

None of the aboves actually applies to Mao.

... Actually, the last one does. There are times when she is very selfish.

“What do you want Xalazar?”

“Hmph, don’t be so cold. I just want you to... Die!!!”

This time, Xalazar didn’t use his icicle. He used another spell.

From the shadow, rose black silhouettes resembling humans. It moves quickly towards Mao and the others trying to capture them.

Mao evade swiftly and blew some of the shadow, but there are too many of them. Her legs and arms got caught by one and she can’t moves. These shadows are . If you got caught on your limbs, it won’t release you until one of the others approach you and choke you to death.

‘Not good! I can’t move!’

As another one approached Mao, Selia bash it away.

“Se-Selia?!”

“... In my world, the one who was called as ‘Demon Lord’ is a hateful beings...” Mao can only lower her head at Selia’s words. “But, you’re different. More importantly, you are my friend. Even only a few days, I enjoy your company. Thus, I will also fight along with you!”

Hearing that words, Mao raised her face and smiled brightly.

“Thanks.” She said as she took a deep breath. No, it wasn’t just that, she actually absorbing magic from the air. “But I refuse to be protected again! I will also fight along!” As she shouted her utmost feelings, the shadow that binds her blew away into pieces.

Takeharu and Hal was a few distance away, also fending of the shadows that closed in to Kuroda and Akina.

“”

The katana in Takeharu’s hand suddenly disappeared completely invisible. As he was standing still, the shadow surrounding him was cut by unknown force.

‘Mugetsu’, it was a Japanese word. In English, it means ‘Moonless’ or ‘No moon’. It is used to say that in the sky, the moon is not visible. It was truly as it name said. The sword he holds seems invisible, but it was certainly there, cutting the enemies around him into pieces.

“Whoa, that’s a nice skill. Then I’ll also show off mine!”

Hal jumped into the shadows and stabbed his sword to the ground.

“!”

A cross mark appeared.

Light shone from the cross, eliminating the shadows.

. ‘Holy Cross’. Despite the name cross, actually it was just the symbol on the ground that appeared to be cross, but the attack radius is definitely circle.

“!” Hal said as he lifted his sword towards the sky.

The light particle that shoot of from the cross mark, began to absorbed towards the sword.

As the light compressed, his sword shine brightly. It was his technique to kill the dark attributed demons. , sword of light. It can even cut down magic spell.

Despite the effort to fend of the shadows, all four of them still didn’t seem to be on advantage. As the shadow that had fallen being replaced by a new ones. It seems if they didn’t stop Xalazar or Xalazar stop himself, the shadows will just keep appearing. It was a contest of endurance, either they got tired first, or Xalazar run out of magic to create another shadows.

Despite the struggle seems to be blowing towards Xalazar’s mind, he can’t shake of the feeling of unease.

That’s right, ‘the four of them’. Kuroda is down recovering, while Akina is helping Kuroda to recover, but there should still be one of them, Shou. Without him knowing, the youth had gone from the battle bellow.

“Surrender and stop the shadows.”

As if waiting for the time to surprise him, Shou appeared from behind, pointing his knife, Eltain’s knife form towards Xalazar’s neck.

“Ahaha, so you’re there. Slipping of the fight to attack me huh? Fine I will stop the shadows.” Xalazar then snapped his fingers and the shadows stopped. “But before I surrender...” Xalazar snapped his fingers once again. “I shall activate the curse!”

Kuroda body began to convulse. The wound he got from the icicles glow red spreading around to his body.

“Damn you!!”

Shou quickly pin Xalazar down before he escaped. He pushed him towards the ground from the top of the tree. As he lands with Xalazar, the ground cracked.

Tekaharu and Selia quickly regrouped and help Akina who was trying to cure Kuroda. She summoned healing monster, curing, curse breaking, any kind of monster, but still can’t seem to calm the curse down.

Hal and Mao approached Shou who was pinning down Xalazar.

“Fufu, ahahaha! It’s useless!! Even if I die, that curse won’t disappear! Once activated, it can’t be dispelled even by the caster! He will die shortly!!”

Shou swung Eltain towards Xalazar’s neck. Even for a demon, Xalazar is humanoid type. Thus his weakness wouldn’t be far off from humans. As the hand swung halfway, it stopped. No it was stopped by Hal.

“Don’t do it, Shou.”

“Why... are you stopping me, Hal?!”

“Stop it, it’s useless to kill him. Nothing good will do even if you take revenge.”

“...”

“What? So you just going to stop like that? So you are fine with the one who kill your friend to be walking freely out there while you mourn for your friend’s death?! Kill me now you human!!!”

“Shut up!!” As he shouted, Hal and Mao was taken aback. “Why... Why are you doing this?! Xalazar!!!”

Shou can’t hold his feelings. The tear drops from his face while he still pinning down Xalazar. His question wasn’t asking for Xalazar’s motives, it was out of frustrations. He knows the reason why Xalazar hate humans so much after all.

“Khuhahaha! You are frustrated that your friends will die?! What a hypocrite, you humans didn’t feel a thing when my family and tribe are slaughtered! All humans should just die!!!”

It was a reasoning that created a blow towards Hal. It was true what Xalazar had said.

‘What a hero am I?’ countless demons has been slaughtered by his hands. Saving humans? No before he heard Mao out, he has been slaying demon left and right. In the eyes of humans, he might be a hero. But on the other hand, he is just a monster who slaughtering demons who might have the same circumstance as Xalazar. On this fact, Hal can only grit his teeth.

“So what if I am a hypocrite!”

That shout resounded from Shou. It truly impacted Hal.

“...”

“Even if you told me to sympathize, what you are doing are just the same as those humans who destroyed your tribe! Aren’t you just the same hypocrite?! You are just recreating the past like this!”

“Hmph, as if I care. I vowed that I will slaughter you humans--”

“Screw that!”

As he cuts in, Xalazar and the others can only be left dumbfounded.

“Slaughter all humans? Isn’t that just for your own selfishness? What you are doing are just to satisfy your own ego!”

“Yeah! That’s right, I’m selfish! I’m a demon after all!! And so what do you want me to do? Forgive them? There’s no way I can forgive them! You humans can play kind and forgive each other or whatever, I don’t care!! In the end you are just bunch of hypocrites!!”

“Yeah, right. I’m not some kind of hero who are always right and do anything for justice. We are just hypocrites. We act kind to others, trying to keep our bonds. We act selfishly and justify ourselves even if we put the blame to others, humans are just that kind of creature!”

“Then what is the different from what you said I am, huh?!”

“THERE’S NONE!” This time, it was Mao the one who shouted. “After all this time, don’t you realized? There are actually no big different from each of us. Humans, demons, just what is that? Aren’t we just the same inside? Why do we keep conflicting?!”

“...”

Xalazar has gone quiet. It was the first time he saw the ‘Demon Lord’ he (formerly) served let tears flow down from her eyes. Xalazar himself didn’t know why, but he felt like he didn’t want to rebuke so he just stay silent.

“I wouldn’t say that you have no right to take revenge. But your method is wrong. At least do it to the ones who destroy you village. It’s not like I, Mao, nor Kuroda was the one who destroyed it right? It’s just the same in my world. Whenever someone from a certain group had done wrong, all of them are labelled the same. That’s just wrong, right?”

Xalazar stay silent on the ground. He realized, what Shou had said to him just now was true. It makes him no different than the one who slain his tribe. He will just create another one of himself.

“Even so, as I thought. I can’t change myself that easily...”

Xalazar suddenly created an icicle in front of Akina.

“!”

“He still can use magic?!”

As if everything moved slowly, Akina saw the icicle slowly launched towards her. Takeharu tried to pull Akina away, but he can’t reach her. On that moment, Kuroda’s body suddenly moved rashly.

In the end, Kuroda used all of his remaining strength and pushed Akina away with his body. The icicle once again pierced Kuroda’s body in front of Akina. It was a devastating scene. From his chest that had been pierced flown crimson red blood. And now his shoulder got pierced leaving a gaping hole with the size of baby’s palm.

Akina was dumbfounded with the scene in front of her eyes.

As all of them focused on Kuroda, Shou was the only one who realized that Xalazar hadn’t done yet. He created another icicle from behind Akina. It had launched.

“AKI!”

As his shout resounded, a deep piercing sound accompanied it. The icicle had also pierced Akina and the curse activated.

As if to mock them, another icicles created above Hal and Selia. Fortunately, Xalazar’s aim was off and it missed them by a few centimeter. Shou quickly turned Xalazar over and faced him.

“Xalazar!!”

“Khuhuhu have you understood now? This is my answer. I want every humans to taste how I felt that time! How is it? To see your friends slaughtered?!”

“Grit your teeth...”

Shou punched Xalazar strongly on his cheeks.

Although Xalazar didn’t flew too far away, it was certainly a painful punch. Inside of his mouth bleed from the punch.

Shou picked up Eltain once again and it shapeshifted into its sword form. Shou pointed the tip of the sword towards Xalazar’s neck. His usual expression had gone. It was the same expression as when he was ready to shot Hannibal to death. A merciless face.

No, it was even far worse than that time. His eyes seems to be blinded with rage.

“That’s right. KILL ME!! In the end you are the same kind of creature as me! That’s right, kill me and you will feel better!!!”

“Shou, stop it!” Mao rushed and hugged Shou from behind.

The feeling of Mao’s warmth manage to return him for a bit. As Shou regained his mind. He can see that not just Mao, but Takeharu, Selia, and even Hal were worried about him. Even Akina and Kuroda who were in such a predicament also worried about him. He stopped his sword.

“What’s wrong? Hesitating?!” as Xalazar tried to provoke him, he still didn’t do anything.

“Sorry...” He finally said something. “Mao, Take, Selia, Hal, Kuro, and Aki... Sorry, I lost myself for a moment there. But, once again, sorry.” Shou lifted his hand which was holding Eltain. “But I still won’t stop.”

The shift in his mentality shocked Mao. As if there is nothing that weighted him, Shou swung Eltain down towards Xalazar’s neck with the intention to severing it.

*Slash*

A sound of sword cutting through meat and bone can be heard. Mao who was hugging Shou from behind got really surprised.

Blood.

Red blood spurt out from Xalazar’s neck. The head where it was on his neck, rolled on the ground. Eventually, the body without its head lose its power and fall down.

“As you wished, I killed you.”

As if feeling nothing, Shou stayed silently composed and sheath Eltain back.

Mao slowly let go off Shou. Not just Mao, everyone was surprised to see what Shou had done. Even for the second time Mao had seen Shou like this, she was still shaken a bit. Shou noticed it. It wasn’t just a simple shock. They are terrified.

‘... They are this shocked huh? Well, that goes without question. I guess, I need time to go alone. That will also ease them up.’

“Sorry, I make you guys shaken up huh?”

“Shou...” Mao grabs Shou’s long sleeve meekly.

“No, it was... kind of unexpected.” Takeharu tried to open his mouth.

“I just... Never thought that Yoshitaka was the kind to...” Selia covers her mouth, also shocked by how her companion changed in a blink.

“Yeah, that was totally what you guys wouldn’t expect from me right? Sorry I’ll need to have a time alone for a while.”

For Takeharu, who was a normal student, that sight was very shocking. To see a murder right in front of his eyes, moreover the one who committed it was his friend, Shou.

Takeharu and Selia might killed some monster before. But none of them had human form. The monster that they had faced which had form closest to the human would be goblins.

Shou himself was shocked. The darkness inside his heart that he had been subduing suddenly comes out like that. He felt that he had lost his place. Within the group, he was the only one who had his hands dirtied with blood. Well actually, except for Hal also had dirtied his hands with demon’s blood. But even so, he had changed and vowed to not kill anyone even demons.

Even Mao who is a ‘Demon Lord’ hadn’t actually kill anyone nor commanding her subordinate to slaughter humans neither demons. But even so she lived in a cruel world, yet Shou’s action still shaken her up. It could only be said with one word ‘dreadful’. It even surpassed Xalazar’s hatred for humans. It was beyond scary.

“Kuro, Aki, sorry I couldn’t be of help. Take, Selia, get along well, and try to suppress your desire of other woman, Take. Mao, sorry I will be leaving you for a while. Hal, you understand right? Everyone, sorry but I will go ahead first.”

Shou took Xalazar’s hooded robe off and wore it himself. The blood stained robe didn’t bother him even for a bit. Instead he only think about how the smell of blood of the one he killed for the first time. As he walk away Mao tried to call out to him.

“Wa-wait Shou!” But she was halted by Hal. “Let me go! If I don’t go... If I don’t go with Shou, he will be...”

“No, let him go. He will time for himself alone for a bit. Or at least go somewhere without us.”

“What do you understand?! Let me go you stupid hero!!”

“I DO UNDERSTAND!” Hal raised his voice. “So-sorry. Just a bit of bad memory.”

Mao finally calmed down. She took a deep breath and asked.

“You will surely come back right, Shou?!”

Shou didn’t look back towards Mao and just walk like that. He raised his hand and then he said “Sure. I will. So please, I need time to go alone for a while.” As if didn’t bothered by the commotion, he still walked all this time. A few distance away an emblem appeared.

Shou shifted his direction towards the emblem. Yeah it was the game icon for Grand Eden Land Online. He released thunder magic and a portal opened. Without hesitation he entered it and left.

“He... had gone...” Takeharu was the one who voiced Shou’s disbanding.

In truth, even himself still reluctant to stop him. The image of Shou beheading someone in front of his own eyes was still intact within him.

“Hey, I wonder if I really am a good friend. As I witnessed him killing someone, I truly didn’t dare to speak with him.”

Besides Takeharu, Kuroda and Akina was still trying to hold the curse. But as how it seemed, they will probably meet their end soon.

“He is probably thinking like what I was after I talked to Mao. Realizing that I had been killing demons as if nothing, I felt like I lost my place. I didn’t tell anyone but, actually I gone for a journey alone for a while secluding myself from my friends. That’s why let him calm himself down for a bit might be the best course of action for now.”

Hal was the one who answered Take’s question. It was his own past experience. Realizing that he was actually no different than a ruthless killer, Hal went away to seclude himself. As he calms down and collect his resolve, he started to changed.

“Take... Shou probably is confused right now. Later. You will need. To properly face him...”

“Please Take... Take care of Shou later. In our stead.”

Kuroda and Akina who seem to be undergoing a great pain, reminded Takeharu. No it was precisely because they were in a great pain and don’t have much time any longer.

“... Yeah. I guess I also need to do that. Being away from him for a bit and reconsider. Whether if I can accept him as a killer or not. Either way, this is not our home. This world is dangerous, it’s kill or be killed. Even if I understand. The value I got from my own world can’t accept it easily.”

“That’s alright. That’s how it should be. Let’s wait for a while.”

The four of them can only sit down, wondering if Shou had arrived at the new world or not and when will the good time comes for them to meet again.

* * * *