He was so extraordinarily abnormal that it left everyone wondering how he managed to achieve the feat he had just performed.


    "You, idiot! Who told you to do that?!" someone shouted from a much better vantage point. The figure, who hurriedly hid immediately after the shout, appeared to be red-skinned and dressed in fashionable clothes.


    "I don''t care! I''m going to have more and more fun!" the deformed demon remarked.


    "Rather than fun, it looks more like suffering!" Kiddo exclaimed, drawing the demon''s gaze.


    "And I''m gonna start with you," he said, pointing at us.


    "No, there''s no need to rush! Just think! Even anyone more miserable than you would not want a hug from you!" I shouted, taking a defensive stance.


    "Come close now, I''m just trying to give you a delightful hug," he replied.


    "I don''t want to hear the word ''delightful'' from the person crying pus out of every pore!" Kiddo screamed and started to step back.


    "No way, do you know how rare unconditional love is in this world?" he went on.


    "I have no intention of accepting it, even from the doctor of ''Shinigami'' anyway! So no, thank you!" Kiddo refuses the demon''s contract.


    -''Shinigami'' is a story (rakugo) about an overly generous doctor-


    He continued his persuasion, "So just shut up and accept my–" but his words were cut off by a swift kick to the face.


    To the astonished face of the huge demon, "For someone like me, who took on the role of cleaning up this world, I don''t mind disposing of some garbage like you," Secondary character - L said, brushing back his blood-dyed hair.


    "Secondary character - L! We are saved!" "Secondary character - L! We are saved!"


    The demon, relying on his usual tactics, taunted the slender man about how he plans to face him again... Alone... Just then, a stoic man stepped out from behind, declaring, "He is not alone," speaking up for both himself and his friend. But unlike his friend, the long-haired man was clean, with no dust or scars.


    "You think you''re the only one with company..." the demon giggled slyly.


    The demon continued to giggle as he turned towards Second... Turning... Hmm... Let''s wait, he''s doing his best to turn.


    After a couple of tries and heavy panting, he gave up. With his hand limited to a mere 3 to 4 centimeters of movement, he gestured to his two fellow demons to help him turn around.


    Two demons that resembled each other hurried over and began to help him. They had the appearance of golden-green, translucent, soft-bodied slugs, their wobbly torsos and limbs adorned with just a hint of Viking armor. Surprisingly, contrary to their supposed characteristics, they moved rather quickly and exhibited considerable strength.


    Now the suitably positioned demon continues his fugly giggle and slowly raises his left hand... or the first two fingers to his companion.


    "There he is... No.5. I can have a lot more fun with him alone, if I have to say so."


    We quickly turned our attention to the said companion.


    "Se-Secondary character - H?" Kiddo asked in a puzzled tone.


    "No, look down... It''s him, the Patriotic Demon! Looks like they are busy themselves!" I exclaimed, filled with wonder.


    "Looks like he''s busy. I''ll just ask No.4..." the demon began, but trailed off with "Never mind" as he spotted a little girl, yelling, "Wait up, you...!" chasing after a demon covered in fireworks.


    "No.3 is quite the handful, but anyway... Hey No.3! Get over here!" the yellowish giant called out, squinting into the distance.


    It was almost a foregone conclusion at this point, but we still turned towards No.3 in amazement, only to find the one-eyed demon still chasing the goat. The one-eyed demon glared furiously at the demon who had interrupted his fun.


    "Who the hell are you?! Do you want me to chew you up?!"


    "Oh man, looks like you''re on ''Constant''. Oh, then... Can you eat these men standing in front of me?"


    "Is it a goat?"


    "No?"


    "Then eat them yourself!"


    The one-eyed demon resumed his hunt, leaving the giant beast panting in frustration. The giant questioned the slugs about what happened to No.2 and No.1, as he was having trouble finding them, and the slugs, now acting as I thought they would, replied in some gibberish.


    Looks like–Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Looks like someone has already turned them to ashes," said a mysterious man whose appearance is so bizarre I can only describe it as a failure of cosplay, in an obviously fake voice.


    Unlike me, who kept my thoughts bottled up inside, the boy darted around in frustration, yelling, "Who the hell are you now?!"


    He looked around as if he weren''t the man in question, and when he found no one around, he pointed his index finger at himself, and looked at Kiddo as if questioning Kiddo''s conscience.


    "Not to know me... It seems I have to make myself known to the world, louder. Let''s start with you, cute kid. Wanna play with this big brother''s toy? Wait... That came out wrong..."


    "I want to run away so badly, but can you promise me that this won''t happen again, Mr Knight?"


    "You want me to repeat the same words that the finance minister of this kingdom said when he was asked about the missing gold?"


    "Understood..."


    The man who had suddenly appeared walked away, lost in his own thoughts, and before we could think of the reason, several powerful clangs grabbed our gaze.


    "Tch! I chose this power thinking I could just sit and enjoy it all with everyone, but it looks like fate won''t bend to my will... No problem, I can still enjoy myself, hehe..."


    The demon''s statement was no nonsense. Though it required some time to understand, it soon became evident that the two armored slugs were a type of familiar. As the demon lounged and enjoyed the act, the slugs diligently engaged each of the Secondary characters that appeared.


    The clash of swords between Secondary character - L and one of the slugs was intense, yet it didn''t quite match the level of excitement I had anticipated. To a child''s eyes, though, it was a spectacle. For me, however, what was truly a spectacle was the palpable tension between Secondary character - I and the other slug.


    Secondary character - I, he just stood there, as casually as anyone might be on an ordinary day. There was no gaze of terror, no stance of intimidation, no movement of false provocation, and yet the slug facing him did not move an inch.


    However, not all were as collected as me. The demon, agitated by the lack of improvement, began to throw a tantrum like a child who had lost interest in their toy.


    "I gave you both a body that could transcend your existence, and this is how you pay your tribute to me?! Tch! Whatever... I shall bestow this blessing once more, so make yourself useful!"


    The results were immediate. As soon as his voice fell silent, a few more repulsive masses began to dangle from him, transforming him into an even more distressing sight.


    I grimaced at the sight, which was as ugly as sin, and blurted, "Ew, give me a break!"


    "Even if thanks is all I can say, someone put an end to this nightmare, or at least this thing in front of me!" Kiddo panted as he squeezed his head in bafflement.


    The actions of the slug battling the Secondary character-L surpassed my expectations, with each blow, if not a fatal one, left him with deep, painful scars. In contrast, the other one, despite all the help from its creator, remained completely still.


    The demon, still displeased, went on to put on weight and... Ew! Ughhh!!! Sorry, I will just close my eyes....... or maybe not.


    Just as the string of the fiddle snaps at a wrong note, likewise the ground gave way, unable to bear the weight of this grotesque sin, slowly consuming him as he struggled with his cumbersome form.


    Following him were his slug summons, as if they were bound to their master by an unbreakable tether. They were dragged along, and even the bits of armor that broke free were hurriedly rolling back, making their way to the pit.


    "Thank you, Gravity," Kiddo said, as he closed his eyes and rubbed his palms together.


    "AHHHHHHH!!!"


    As we saw the last piece of armor being pulled away, another scream, a scream even more piercing than the now supposedly lifeless demon, erupted.


    We quickly turned our attention to the unfolding chaos, where the patriotic demon was once again fleeing from the questionable white horse, leaving the Secondary character - H shouting... "...for his sister? Truly a devoted siscon, I must say."


    The irregular hoofbeats of the horse made me squint in curiosity. It was then that I noticed a girl dressed in black strolling along unconcerned.


    "I''m glad that she''s fine..."


    "I''m not glad that she''s alone. Wanna wager money... or food... or whatever... Wanna wager if she ate that demon or not?"


    "That''s pretty dark even for you, Kiddo. And that''s a child..."


    "Seriously? I think the first human-demon interaction clearly gave out the standings of the food chain..."


    And the moment she caught sight of Kiddo, she prepared to dash over to us. But as fate would have it, her eyes were drawn to the bleating of a goat. We witnessed the goat struggling bravely, or the demon still deliberately chasing it for fun.


    It was at this moment that their path crossed with the Patriotic Demon, who, in his flight from the horse, accidentally jabbed the goat with his pointy sword. The goat responded with a heavy bleat and ran in a full circle around the area before finding itself behind the one-eyed demon.


    Without hesitation, it charged ahead with a strong, determined sprint, crashing into the demon''s sturdy torso just as he was preparing to defend himself with a huge club, propelling him through the air. Sending into high and far ends of the chaos.


    ———————


    "Haha... By a goat... Wait... He''s flying this way?"


    I jumped to the side, narrowly escaping a direct hit from the huge beast. The collision wasn''t powerful enough to stir up any dust or harm the beast, and as I took stock of the scene, the supposed demon slowly got to its feet, shaking his head to clear the daze.