Chapter 568: Acquaintances

The treasure sword sliced ​​through the air the moment Eldith fell on the ground.

There was no need to think. I simply swung my sword to kill the enemy before me. Distance and range no longer mattered to me.

The black object that pierced Eldith’s chest was cut far more easily than expected and fell to the ground. I frowned at the lack of resistance. It was like black water.

「Eldith! 」

But of course, that wasn’t the end of it.

That black water began to leak from deep within the massive structure.

It was approaching me like a wave from every structure within sight. I understood the reason for its lack of resistance.

The odds were against me if all this black water possessed the same properties as the one that pierced Eldith. A pungent, almost nauseating, lingering demonic scent filled the air.

「Please, wake up. I beg you. If you die, I’ll have no choice but to die here too! You’re my master, aren’t you? 」

I lifted Eldith’s body, shielding her from the black water. Her slender, delicate body was surprisingly light. She didn’t seem to be dead judging by the movement of her shoulders. But she should have suffered serious injuries if she had been pierced through the chest.

…Or so I thought. Surprisingly, there was no wound in her chest.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. She should have been wounded by the black water, yet there was no wound.

Eldith’s lips twisted as if spitting out words.

「I’m alive, but…I’m not feeling very well. I was infused with some inexplicable magic. I expected monsters to appear, but I didn’t expect something like this. 」

It wasn’t a weak voice belonged to an injured person. Eldith spoke more clearly than usual. But only her fingertips were trembling. How long had it been since I’d seen her like this? She often complained, but she rarely showed fear.

Humans were fundamentally different from elves. Humans had survived by fearing many things, but elves, a species closer to demons, only feared something deeper…a deeper kind of evil.

A voice echoed from the black water.

「…Fairy King Drigman. It’s been a very long time. What do you want from me? I’d be happy even if it was something trivial, but it isn’t, right? 」

I realized after hearing that voice. Magic was in everything. Not only in living things, but also in  inanimate objects.

And even voices could possess a terrifyingly evil power. This voice was magic itself.

「…? Why aren’t you answering? I hate it when people don’t answer. You know that fact, don’t you? 」

The owner of the voice stood there as if born from the overflowing black water.

Its eyelids were closed, and its body was slender, similar to that of an elf. It showed long hair, neatly styled in multiple braids, suggesting meticulous care.

Its features were far too youthful to be called feminine. It looked young enough. Its delicate features and flowing dress suggested a more introverted personality than one of playful exuberance.

But of course, it wasn’t just an ordinary girl. Eldith, in my arms, gritted her teeth in response.

「…Drigman? Can’t you hear me? 」

That voice called out. It was true that the girl-looking being hated not getting a response. Disgust oozed from “her” voice and every movement.

That disgust was unbearable. It wasn’t a child’s tantrum. It felt as if she would kill a person with just the pressure of her voice.

「Hmph! I’m not Drigman, I’m Eldith. I’m just the one who took over from him. 」

Eldith faced the girl with both feet firmly planted on the ground, completely vigilant. She didn’t know what kind of voice the girl was seeking. But the fact that she was calling out to the magical devilish being Drigman meant she was undoubtedly related to him or close to him.

Even though she was dressed as a girl, or rather, precisely because she was dressed like that, we couldn’t let our guard down. If she was close to Drigman, then she could get enraged by his loss. It wouldn’t be surprising if she attacked us immediately.

But surprisingly, the girl spoke in a calm and cheerful tone.

「Oh my! So you’re the new Fairy King then. It’s been so long. I thought the Fairy King position hadn’t changed since Drigman. Let’s see, Eldith, the next Fairy King. I’ll remember your name. It’s strange, isn’t it, that there are demons in this world I don’t know about. I’m sure we’ll become good acquaintances. 」

The girl walked through the black water, turning towards me. Her eyelids remained closed, and she smiled, drawing lines across her face.

「…I’m Zebrililith. Yes, I’m called a goddess. All demons are like my children, whom I cherish very much. This affection will save everyone. I’m glad that you came to see me, Eldith. 」

Her…Zebrililith’s….smile was utterly innocent and carefree, without a trace of evil.

It was the smile of a true child.

And that’s precisely why it was so terrifying. She was unlike any demon I had ever encountered before. No, the girl herself, aside from her presence, was the furthest thing from the word “demon”.

「What’s your name, sir? I’d like to know. I’m sure we can be good acquaintances as well. Don’t you agree? 」

「…Huh? 」

I was stunned. My eyes got tensed, and I unconsciously clenched my back teeth.

What did she just say?

The monster that devoured tens of thousands of people at the northernmost Fort Suzif and was considered a symbol of the great disaster even in the past. What did Zebrililith, the enemy of humanity, say to me?

The girl’s eyelids remained closed. Unconsciously, I raised my treasure sword towards her.

I didn’t know what kind of being she was. She could be the real Zebrililith, or she could be a part of that demon, a fragment or even consciousness.

Therefore, I didn’t know whether my actions were right or wrong.

…But it was a fact that this thing caused the deaths of people I loved. That was all that mattered.

My chest burned. My throat felt numb.

Zebrililith continued to give birth to demons even now. It would kill countless people and cause countless tragedies.

I had to kill it no matter what form it took.

「…Zebrililith. Sorry, but I didn’t come here to be good acquaintances with you. There’s no one who could be friends with you. Try counting the number of people and their families you’ve killed so far. 」

I met the gaze of the girl approaching me. Words were no longer necessary. After all, the fact that someone in a place like this called herself Zebrililith left no other option but to behead her.

One breath. The next moment, the treasure sword tore through the air, drawing a dark line. Not even a second was needed. I thought I could sever her head for good.

I channeled my power from my ankles to my waist, pouring it into the blade. The treasure sword seemed to understand me better than I understood myself, and using my body skillfully, I drew a beautiful trajectory…and slashed the girl’s throat. A torrent of blood spurted out, dissolving into the black water.

「…No. We can be good acquaintances. After all, you’re a demon, even though you’re behaving like a human. Did you really want to be human that badly? 」

The girl before me died instantly, transforming into black water.

But the voice came from behind me immediately after. She was sitting on a part of a nearby building, her legs flapping in the air.

「I’m human. Now, then, and always. 」

I rotated my body without losing momentum while using my right leg as a pivot. The sword slashed, and that slash bisected the girl’s skull. There was no vibration in the blade, but I felt the demonic power being killed only in my hand.

But the girl didn’t disappear.

「Is there really a human being capable of doing this? 」

I slashed her face again. And again, and again. Every time Zebrililith appeared, I spun my blade, using my hips and shoulders. The black lines continued to leap.

I wasn’t just continuing blindly. I wanted to kill her no matter what, but I also knew it wouldn’t be that easy.

From observation, it seemed that the girl’s body itself was either a clone, or the black water itself was Zebrililith’s true form. It could easily appear anywhere in the black water. It couldn’t be killed this way either just as water was inherently inescapable.

「Eldith. What’s wrong with this child? He’s acting like a spoiled brat. Is he so sad that humans have died? But that’s only natural. Humans can’t survive without eating. Death is investable for all beings. Demons are the same, aren’t they? 」

「…I suppose so. Elves and humans are no different in that respect. However, it’s only natural to resist in order to avoid death. Countless humans have died because of your actions. So, there’s no choice but to resist. 」

Zebrililith could feel the air around her becoming heavy. Eldith’s curse was invading the air, trying to devour Zebrililith.

An elven curse was originally directed at humans, killing them from the inside. Many humans were killed without even being able to resist.

It wasn’t quite the same against demons, but it was still possible to make it fatal. Zebrililith still wore an innocent smile after seeing Eldith gathering the curse at her fingertips.

「Oh, that’s pointless 」

That’s pointless. Zebrililith described the event of devouring countless humans with a single sentence.

「There’s no need to be so sad. You’ll meet them again, eventually. 」

You’ll meet them again, eventually.

She continued to speak as if it were the most natural thing in the world before I could question the meaning of those words.

「I am a goddess who blesses, conceives, and gives birth. I would never do something as pointless as simply killing. I love what I eat. 」

With her eyelids closed, Zebrililith smiled, blessing the entire world.

I didn’t want to hear what she had to say. I had come to understand that this woman, even though she looked similar to us, possessed completely different values.

No, in fact, it was presumptuous to think that we shared the same thoughts just because we looked alike.

This being before me was neither a human girl nor merely a demon. It was the Great Demon Zebrililith.

「What I mean is that I eat them all when I kill them. I give blessings to everything I eat. And then I give birth to them all. I’m sure they are happy to have been transformed from humans into demons! They’re my beloved new acquaintances! 」

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