《The Demon Lord will have his revenge!》


 Prologue: The Demon Lords Revival

    Book 1


    Part 1


    Towering deep blue mountains peered down on the vast expanse below. Where the mountains ended, a great yellow savannah plain began. Beneath the azure blue skies, the lush gold savannah spread out, like a majestic carpet, across the lands. However, the problem with this picturesque landscape was the freshness of the air. To be more precise, the air had stagnated and dark foreboding clouds began to gather above the savannah.


    War was upon on this land, at the opposite ends of the savannah were two great armies.


    One army which originated from the desolate plains consisted of all sorts of monsters, ranging from Orcs to goblins to Trolls to Ogres to Dark Elves. These were the readily identifiable monsters ¨C there were many more which no one had seen before ¨C a sabretooth tiger the size of an elephant. A six tusked, four ears and 3 eye elephant like monster which was as big as a mini-hill, a lizard longer than the longest snake of this world¡­..where did such monsters come from? And these monsters which could be seen at the front line were just ordinary foot soldiers of the Demon Empire.


    The other army which originated from the lush green plains and boundless flowing rivers were armies of the living and ¡®goodness¡¯.


    The humans made up for the largest of the living races. The humans, with their attire ranging from simple mage clothing to white knight armour. Some humans were on foot and some on horses. The humans easily made up for the majority of the forces. Amidst all the humans, there were pockets of proud elves that could be seen (those who swore allegiance to the humans), adorned in gold armour, riding their white stallions. There were also pockets of short muscular dwarves, clad in thick steel battle armour, riding warthogs. Lastly, the scant number of beastmen could be seen; they wore nothing more than fur clothing. However, it suited them just fine given their wild nature. The beast-men had the highest physical endurance amongst all the races and it would hurt their pride to ride a ¡®fellow¡¯ animal. There were many other minority races present in this united army. However, they are too insignificant to describe.


    This was a war between the Demons and the Humans. Many of the other races cared too little to help in the war, which is why few of the other races appeared in this war. In these matter, the other races believed it would be best if the humans perished ¨C not everyone thought like this. However, such people were few and hence their representation in the entire scale of war was tiny.


    The armies met with a bang, the sound of sword¡¯s clashing rang throughout the valley and plains. The armies hit each other with unimaginable force. The ground trembled with the intensity of the battle. Carrions dared the rain of arrows and hovered close by, waiting for the battle to end. It was to be a feast for them; corpses of the soldiers.


    The battlefield was consumed in chaos. The sky was lit with hundreds of flaming fireballs and arrows only to be extinguished by the magical rains right before they reached their destination. The obnoxious and intoxicating gases settled in, the fumes of anger, hatred, despair meddled with the minds of the warriors. This was the raging Battle of the Plains ¨C a battle that would go down in history. It was the finale between good and evil.


    Part 2


    In an oval stone cased throne like room, dimly lit with purple flame torches, twelve creatures in armoured suits were gathered. Some of those armoured creatures were skeletons, some orcs and some were varied demons like vampires and other undeads. Each warrior carried a ferocious and baleful aura that would scare the average human to death. These demon warriors stood straight, with helmets in one, in a circular fashion around the throne. They stood around, a demon who sat on a flat stone throne. This demon had a different aura from all the other monsters gathered here. His aura was neither baleful nor filled with anguish. Instead, his aura had a more material form ¨C dark purple flames. The body of the demon sitting on the throne was encased in purple demonic flames ¨C hot enough to scorch anyone who tried getting near him into cinder and ash. This demon sitting on the throne, is none other than me  ¨C the great Demon Overlord, Hades!


    We were in the middle of a strategy meeting to discuss the progress of our campaign in the human realm. When suddenly the door of my throne room burst open and a skeleton knight rushed towards me. ¡°My Lord! News from the battlefield!¡±


    Then as though he remembered something, he fumbled, rolled on the ground and assumed a kneeling posture. He bowed his head with respect ¨C he awaited my permission to speak.


    ¡°Insolent fool, how dare you forget your manners in front of his lordship!¡± My trusted General of the Demon armies, Xerxes, spoke. ¡°My Lord, let me kill this impudent pile of bones!¡±


    The skeleton knight¡¯s bones rattled as it shivered in fear at the thought of death.


    ¡°No!¡± My voice roared in the stone hall. ¡°Let him report the news first.¡±


    ¡°Disaster my liege!¡± The skeleton knight spoke up hesitantly. ¡°The Hero has made an appearance!¡±


    ¡°Hero?¡± I ask with some confusion and uncertainty. What is a Hero? I have never heard of this Hero before.


    ¡°He is a mortal human bestowed with the blessings of the Gods!¡± The skeleton knight explained.


    ¡°Fool! A mere mortal sends you into a state of panic! You are shaming the pride of the Netherworld!¡± my Vampire General, Dracula, shouted at the stupid skeleton knight.


    ¡°Heeeh!!¡± The skeleton knight squirmed in fright as it got a taste of Dracula¡¯s killing intent.


    ¡°Sire!¡± Another skeleton knight rushed into the room, in state of panic, ¡°I bear news from the battlefield!¡±


    ¡°Another one?¡± I mutter distastefully. ¡°Is it about the Hero?¡± I ask, these skeletons tend to be pretty stupid.


    The skeleton knight nodded his head vigorously.


    ¡°What about him?¡± Medusa, General of the reptilian army, spoke up.


    ¡°They have broken past our final defences and are rushing here!¡±


    My eyebrows twitched slightly when I heard the news. The twelve generals surrounding me did not show any signs of panic ¨C but that is exactly why they are generals of the great demonic armies!


    I have always known that conquering the human realm would be difficult, but who knew that the humans had such a powerful weapon ¨C this being called a Hero.  At first, we were winning the war but then the tide slowly turned against us. As I was concerned about the change in tides, I recalled the Great Demon Generals back to the nether realm for a strategy meeting. It took them several weeks to get back ¨C however¡­it is difficult to imagine in the last few weeks of their absence the humans have completely undone our progress.


    It is not all that difficult to imagine the strength of a creature blessed by the Ancient Gods. After all, all of my Generals have been blessed by the Gods ¨C the bare minimum qualification needed to be a General.  Nonetheless, this human called the ¡®Hero¡¯ intrigues me. To have not only have defeated my demonic armies but to have also broken past our defences ¨C this Hero is worth meeting.


    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Xerxes asked.


    Both skeleton knights shook their heads ¨C conveying there was nothing else to report.


    In an instant they were turned into ash.


    ¡°Stupid low class monsters, worrying at the slightest of troubles!¡± Xerxes shouted out after crushing them with his bare fist and grinding them into white powder.


    ¡°My Lord! Leave this to us! We will take care of this immedi¡­.¡±


    *RUMBLE*


    *RUMBLE*


    *RUMBLE*


    *RUMBLE*


    Dust began to fall of the ceiling as the entire floor shook heavily. My Generals weren¡¯t in the slightest perturbed however there were faint traces of shock on their faces.


    ¡°Impossible¡­.¡± Xerxes muttered.  It seems as though the castle is under siege.


    ¡°Xerxes¡­¡± I finally spoke up as the turmoil came to a halt.


    ¡°Yes, my Lord!¡±


    ¡°I will personally go greet this mere mortal and hammer the nails of fear into his coffin.¡± I said dispassionately.


    The other Generals were about to protest when the castle began trembling more violently ¨C seriously what is that Hero doing in this castle that it is shaking so violently¡­.


    Part 3


    I found the Hero on the lower floor of my castle. He had golden brown hair and blue eyes. A typical human face but the aura he was giving off was definitely first class. Amongst all my encounters with the human race, I have never met anyone who carried such a strong and holy aura¡­.


    Wait¡­can it be¡­.is it not his aura¡­but rather the sword¡¯s aura, that he is carrying?


    I see now, in addition to the blessings of Ancient Gods he also possesses a divine artefacts. Not everyone is worthy to wield a divine sword and wear divine armour. Divine objects grant an astonishing increase in raw power, defence, agility and so on. A single piece of divine equipment will provide a boost to one¡¯s ability to the extent the gap can be considered as large as the heavens and earth ¨C such is the power of divine artefact.


    However, the price of said ¡®power¡¯ is the strain it carries on the body. Even amongst my great demon army Generals, there is no General who can carry more than one divine artefact. Yet, here I am seeing this ¡®Hero¡¯ holding a divine sword and wearing an entire set of divine armour. No wonder my armies in crushed in a blink and now I have this sword wielding lunatic in my castle.


    Heh ¨C I see now finally an opponent worthy of me. By the way, for those wondering, I too own divine artefacts ¨C my unholy sword the Ragnarok and a complete set of unholy (dark attribute) armour.


    I guess now that I have sufficiently analysed him and his power ¨C I can say he does have the qualifications to fight me.


    Time to make an appearance.


    Part 4


    An ominous existence suddenly appeared in front of the Hero ¨C although this creature appeared to be of one of the demon tribe, he carried with him a terrifying and baleful aura. The demon was covered from neck below in a black vile robe ¨C it gave off a melancholy and malicious aura of its own. So vile was the atmosphere that any ordinary human would be spewing out their innards right now. The demon wore a  proud and arrogant look on his face ¨C seeing the ¡®Hero¡¯ come to a grinding halt.


    The two men stared at each other in silence. They both were sizing up the other.


    After a long pause and silence, the Hero finally broke the silence. ¡°Are you the true Demon Lord?¡±


    ¡°True Demon Lord?¡± The Demon asked warily. ¡°Fool! I am the only Demon Lord! There is no other demonic being which is stronger than me!!¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± The Hero replied with some complicated expression. ¡°Then do not disappoint me¡­¡± He finally spoke with his lips curving upwards, into a smile.


    With that much said, the Hero rushed towards the Demon Lord ¨C his single dash left an exploding trail of shock waves behind him.


    Part 5


    The fist of the two men collided sending violent shockwaves everywhere. The immediate surrounding castle walls exploded as though they had been struck by a hammer which had descended from the heavens.


    Upon impact, the two violent auras of both hero and demon lord, clashed violently against each other ¨C both were trying their best to suppress the other with their might. If the twelve generals were to witness this clash close up, they would have disintegrated into ash. Hence, the Generals watched from a distance with great admiration as their Lord took on the Hero ¨C toe to toe.  Neither Hero nor Demon Lord were lacking in strength in any manner. The generals were surprised to see that their Lord exceeded their own abilities by a hundred fold. However, they were even more shocked to see that a mere human possessed sufficient power to compete on equal footing with the demon lord.


    After the first strike, both hero and demon lord, leapt back. A faint trickle of pearly crimson blood descended from the lips of the Hero, as he stood panting, watching the demon lord for any sudden movement.


    The Demon Lord was in no better condition, although he took no direct damage, internally he had never depleted half his strength. If it was a battle of duration then it seemed like the human would win but if it was  battle of power, the Demon Lord knew he held a slight advantage.


    ¡°Not bad human!¡± The Demon Lord spoke, there was a subtle change of tone in his voice ¨C he now saw the human in a different light. ¡°You are easily stronger than my strongest General. Swear your allegiance to me and I you will not have to forfeit your life to me, today¡­.¡±


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    But before the Demon Lord could complete the sentence, the Hero began laughing. ¡°Swear my allegiance to you? Does the strong ever bow to the weak? Stupid Demon, do you still not understand the difference in our strengths?¡±


    The demon lord unconsciously took a step back, ¡°Foolish mortal, I was going to let you go if you swore your fealty to me. I was even willing to make you my foremost General¡­.but it seems it is you who has not understood clearly the difference in our powers¡­.you still believe this is the human realm? If it was the human realm, then there is no doubt, you would have won against me¡­.but silly human this is the netherworld. In this realm, the atmosphere, and everything else only strengthens me but will weaken you as our battle proceeds.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The Hero spoke with slight surprise as he raised an eyebrow.


    The demon lord was slightly shocked by the lack of reaction, however he quickly collected himself. What is with the slight surprise? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be terrified?


    ¡°Now that you mention it, the air does feel a bit corrosive¡­¡± The Hero murmured as he looked around.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you did not notice the toxic air you were breathing till now! It is thick in miasma. A normal human would have died the moment he entered this realm!¡± The demon lord arrogantly declared. ¡°The more you fight me, the weaker you will become!¡±


    ¡°But you know right, this is just air and some malicious aura?¡± The Hero spoke with complete calmness and composure. He did not seem in the slightest bit afraid of the facts which the Demon Lord revealed.


    The demon lord stood silently and looked on at the Hero stupidly.


    ¡°If it is this much, at most it will only make me sneeze.¡± The Hero declared arrogantly.


    Only make him sneeze? What kind of existence is this human called Hero? Even I the great demon lord cannot enter some places of the netherworld because of the extremely corrosive nature of the miasma. Yet, this human¡­.a pitiful human, is saying this miasma is only going to make him sneeze¡­.too arrogant!!


    ¡°You little punk¡­.¡± The Demon Lord muttered as he began to gather the surrounding energy.


    The earth began to tremble as the demon lord gathered the miasma and began concentrating it in the shape of a sphere in his palms.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The Hero leisurely stared at the Demon Lord, who was obviously making preparations for an ultimate attack¡­


    The black ball of sphere, was trembling in the hands of the demon lord, this was his ultimate attack, he had put all his strength into this attack. The sphere of miasma was giving off an extremely violent and evil aura. Even the Generals who were watching from the distance, retreated several miles as the power of the attack was severely damaging them. Just by being near the black sphere, the Generals could feel their body corroding away. It was true, the ground around the demon lord disintegrated into nothing, creating a crater around the Demon Lord. Furthermore, the air around him swirled violently, enough to slice thick steel into pieces.


    ¡°Hehehehe¡­¡± The Demon Lord who had closed his eyes for so long finally smirked as his attack was complete. ¡°MUAHAHHAHAHAHA¡±....stupid human, you should have struck me while you had the chance¡­..now face my wrath! Even your soul won¡¯t survive an attack of this magnitude!!¡±


    Without saying anything more, the Demon Lord launched his attack. The rapidly rotating sphere shot out of his arms in an astonishing speed, giving off the illusion the black sphere was a black laser. As the sphere moved across the battle ground, it tore up the ground beneath it and set fire to the air around it. Black flames covered the air around it and black lightening was randomly shooting out from it ¨C it were as if an uncontrollable power had been unleashed in the world. A power so strong it would consume the entire world.


    The Demon Lord fell to his knees as he watched the attack depart ¨C he had used his entire strength in creating that attack. The demon lord was smirking as he watched the clueless Hero stand in front of the sphere. ¡°Die, mortal fo¡­.¡± The demon lord stopped dead in his tracks and was unable to complete the sentence, as he was completely shocked by the scene unfolding in front of him.


    The Hero, cut the black ball of doom, into two halves with a single slash of his divine sword.


    ¡°Impos¡­sible¡­.¡± The Demon Lord muttered as he stared stupidly at the Hero. That was his most powerful attack, yet the Hero cut it into two halves with a single sword slash. Even cutting it should not have been enough to disperse the energy, yet a single flick of the Heroes sword dispersed the violent energy. Even the demon lord was certain he could not dispel the attack after he launched it¡­.not so effortlessly atleast.


    Once the sphere was dispersed, the Hero calmly sheathed his sword. ¡°Is that all? Is that all that the mighty demon lord has to offer?¡±


    For the first time in his life, the demon lord actually felt afraid. ¡°You¡­.what are you¡­..¡± The demon lord stuttered as he struggled to get up. The twelve generals immediately appeared by the side of their Lord.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± Xerxes called out, as he shouldered the frail demon lord.


    ¡°Oh so are these the twelve Generals of Hell?¡± The Hero asked.


    ¡°Human! Do you think you can kill our demon lord so easily? You will have to kill us first¡­.¡± Medusa declared.


    ¡°Then, I will do just that.¡± The Hero coolly replied.


    The Generals took a step back. They were confident that the Hero must have expended most of his power after taking on such a strong attack head on. Everything from here on out that the Hero displayed must be false bravado.


    The Generals tightly clenched their weapons.


    ¡°You guys still don¡¯t get it¡­.¡± The Hero spoke with dismay, ¡°I have been holding back all this while¡­¡±


    The Demon Lord and Generals were flabbergasted when they heard that. Holding back? Why on earth would someone hold back in front of the mighty Demon Lord? It was too insane of a thought¡­.unless this human has completely transcended the limits of mortal realm¡­.


    Xerxes held on the Demon Lord tightly. ¡°Dracula, Medusa.¡± He called out to his companions. ¡°He is likely to be bluffing¡­but just in case, I am moving the Lord out of here. Take lead and hold him back till then.¡±


    All the Generals nodded hesitantly.


    ¡°Think you can really leave?¡± The Hero said calmly.


    In the blink of an eye he appeared behind the generals, standing next to the Demon Lord.


    ¡°What!!!¡± Xerxes cried out in shock, when he noticed the Hero standing beside him.


    ¡°Come, let me show you my true strength!¡± The Hero declared as he removed his self restraint.


    As the hero removed the divine armour he was wearing, an aura far more terrifying than even the demon lords¡¯ descended from the skies. A violent earthquake split the ground into countless pieces and the heavens themselves  roared in fury as lightening flashed countless times and thunder roared in the background.


    ¡°This¡­.¡± The demon lord muttered in shock and disbelief. The Hero had indeed been holding back. Even after fighting the demon lord and taking on his ultimate attack, the Hero had this much strength in him. ¡°He can¡¯t be human¡­¡±


    The Generals agreed with their Lord¡¯s conclusion ¨C this much power was not possible for a normal human to contain.


    ¡°Protect the Lord!¡± Xerxes declared as he jumped back and the other Generals turned to attack the Hero.


    However, before anyone had noticed all the Generals lay dead on the ground. Even Xerxes who was clutching his Lord felt his knees grow incomparably weak ¨C when did he get me? Xerxes wondered as he realized his body had been shattered into millions of pieces. Forgive me, my Lord. This one did not have sufficient strength to protect you¡­ Those were his last thoughts before he died.


    The demon lord stood with a dumbfounded expression as he watched all his Generals collapse at the same time. The attack was so quick that even he could not see it. However, he slowly realized what happened and rage built up within him. Those monsters were his Generals but also his companions since birth and friends. Watching them lose their lives so easily, the Demon Lord could not help but feel angry. Staggering, the Demon Lord stood up slowly and began mustering every ounce of his strength depleting his life to its very limits, the Demon Lord brought forth all his strength. Compared to the previous aura, the Demon Lord was giving off a significantly more powerful aura. It was as though he powered up an entire notch.


    The Hero watched this all calmly. ¡°Yes, bring out all your power¡­.show me a battle which will excite me¡­.¡±


    The Demon Lord, suddenly appeared behind the Hero ¨C which startled the Hero. This speed was definitely in no way inferior to his own.


    ¡°You want a fight to excite you, this will be your last¡­¡± The Demon Lord coldly whispered into the Hero¡¯s ear. Then slammed his fists against the Hero¡¯s neck¡­however his fists went right through the Hero effortlessly¡­.it was an afterimage.


    ¡°Not bad¡­.but if that is your strength, then let me tell you it is only on par with half my strength.¡± The Hero spoke as he appeared several feet behind the Demon Lord.


    ¡°You¡­.what ¡­. Are you?¡± The Demon lord repeated his question. Seeing the Hero dodge his attack so easily, the Demon Lord believed every word the Hero spoke. Instantly, the Demon Lord lost all will to fight and collapsed to the ground ¨C kneeling next to his fallen comrades corpses.


    ¡°You what are you¡­.¡± The Demon Lord asked once again as the Hero slowly walked towards the mentally-broken demon lord.


    ¡°Me? I am a battle-loving maniac.¡± The Hero calmly spoke, ¡°I enjoy fighting. No, I absolutely love it and have been searching for the absolute peak of strength. However, seeing you at the peak has been an absolute disappointment.¡±


    ¡°Hehehhee..¡± A wild and cold laugh escaped from the lips of the Demon Lord.


    The Hero¡¯s eyebrows arched in a frown. ¡°What is so funny?¡±


    ¡°You think I am the peak of strength? Fool! In the nether realm, I just one of the many rulers of a tiny prefecture!¡­.if you truly want a terrifying opponent then fight the Ancient One!¡± The Demon Lord¡¯s eyes flashed in anger.


    The Hero was startled by this revelation but stayed silent. ¡°Goodbye Demon Lord.¡± He whispered. ¡°Thank you for the information. This one will be sure to defeat the Ancient One.¡±


    Saying this much, as white light descended from the sky and enveloped the demon lord.


    ¡°ARGHHHH!¡± The demon lord cried out in pain as the armour he wore slowly dispersed way like gas and his skin began to burn away. ¡°FOOLISH MORTAL!!! I WILL COME BACK AND DRENCH HUMANITY IN A BLOOD BATH, ONE LIKE THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!!! I SWEAR UPON MY DEAD GENERALS. I SWEAR UPON MY PRIDE AS THE DEMON LORD!!¡± The wretched demon lord screamed and howled in agony.


    The Demon Lord¡¯s body disappeared completely.


    ¡°Well, then? I guess I should go looking for this thing called the Ancient One.¡± The Hero spoke calmly as he walked as leisurely as ever past the dilapidated ex-Demon Lord¡¯s  castle.


    Part 6


    Ugh where is¡­..why are my hands so small¡­.wait what is with these human hands!!! These can¡¯t be my hands!! Why am I naked!!!


    Hey!! Stop lifting me up like that human!!! I am the Almighty Demon Lord!!!


    You hear me!! Almighty¡­


    Ouch why did you spank me!!!


    That hurt¡­.you hurt the mighty demon lord¡­


    *WAAAHAHHH!!* (cries)


    ¡°Congratulations, it seems to be a healthy boy.¡±


    Oye, oye¡­don¡¯t tell me I have been reincarnated?


    Muahahahaha!! Hero! You may have won the battle but the war is far from over! I will have my vengeance and humanity will be soaked in a never seen before bloodbath!!!


    Hey put me down!!! What are you doing human woman!! You dare touch the Great Demon Lord with your dirty hands!!!


    ¡°Try to feed it some milk¡­¡± A voice encouraged.


    Hey stop!! I will absolutely not yield!! Even if you force those voluptuous hills into my face¡­I absolutely will not cave in¡­.I will absolutely destroy all humans!!! Hey!!! Are you listening to me¡­.stop forcing that into my mouth!!!


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    Author''s Notes:


    1. No commitments and  (very) short chapters.

 Chapter 1: Born as a baby

    Part 1


    The situation is more dire than I had expected ¨C not only have I been reincarnated as a human but I also cannot use magic. Not being able to use magic may only be a temporary setback. I am not certain about the details of the human life cycle, but if I believe humans can begin using magic after the age of five? Or was that the case for dragons? Or was it humans fifty years? And dragon¡¯s five years? Or was it humans mature into adult in fifty years¡­..Or was it the other way round¡­..argh!! I should have paid attention when my retainers taught me¡­.at the time all that knowledge seemed futile since I was bequeathed which such tyrannical powers¡­.but now I understand what Dracula-san meant when he said ¡°Knowledge is power¡­.¡± I guess that kind of wisdom is born from weaklings¡­.when I become stronger I will no longer have to rely on this stupid thinking. Nonetheless, the truth is I am indeed weak ¨C hence I must gather intelligence.


    However, the main problem is neither being born human nor not being able to use magic¡­.but rather it is this woman taking care of me ¨C everyday she assaults me with her voluptuous hills. To be precise, she assaults me three times a day with those massive mountains. Just thinking about sends shivers down my spine.


    I think she is trying to win over my affection ¨C so that I may spare her when I begin wiping out humanity. Well if she wants to serve me there is no problem.


    You can be my servant as long as you don''t reveal my identity.


    However, please stop drugging me.


    Every time she assaults me, a strange liquid flows out from those ¡°things¡± . A lucid warm delicious ¡­..*Ahem* ¡­.disgusting white potion!!!


    The humans have a disgusting way of feeding their young!! I am absolutely certain, that concocted bodily potion has some frightening ingredients because immediately after drinking it, I fall asleep.


    It is an absolutely terrifying sleeping potion!!! However, there are times when I can fight the drowsiness but alas!! This woman is too cunning!! She begins swaying me gently and then hums a melodious ¡­..*Ahem* hypnotic tune¡­.she is far worse than the sleeping potion!! It completely overwrites my baby willpower and sends me into a deep slumber. What a terrifying power!! The humans maintain high guard. But this is not so bad¡­.little by little I am learning about my enemies. Having been defeated by the Hero in such a humiliating manner, I cannot help but learn everything about the Human race there is. It is as Dracula-san once said, ¡°Keep your allies close but your enemies closer.¡±


    To defeat the Humans, I must understand their very minds better than they understand it themselves. Only then, will my vengeance be carried out successfully!!


    For now human woman, you may win over me with your massive hills oozing with sleeping potion and hypnotic humming!! But in the end, I will be the one standing over all of mankind!! You hear me!!!....Listen!!! Listen!!!!! (not used to being ignored)


    *Wildly shaking hands and feet*


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he just adorable?¡± The woman spoke up as she glanced at the baby beside her. ¡°Come here you!!¡±


    Hey, stop bringing your face so close to me!!!! Help!!! Help!!! What is she doing!!! What is with your mouth!! Stop slobbering your drool all over me!!!!! Are you some kind of dog!!!! This is not how you treat the Demon Lord!! You hear me!!!


    Part 2


    I cannot understand their language just yet¡­.but given my superior intellect, it is only a matter of time before I decipher their unintelligent language. It took me only a year to understand my pet lizard¡¯s language ¨C and that was a monster far more intelligent than these stupid humans. It is only a matter of time¡­..


    It seems that today there is some war council meeting happening, many humans are gathering around my woman servant. Could it be that I have been born into a royal family? After all, even my woman servant has many caretakers in white uniforms looking after her¡­.this white uniform is a very appealing outfit¡­when I return to the nether realm, I shall be sure to make sure all my maid servants wear a similar outfit! Pitiful humans!!! I can easily steal your ideas and designs!!! MUAHAHAHAA!!!!


    *Ahem Ahem* It seems this meeting is of great important. I see both young and old humans gathering around me. I do not understand what they are saying but I can understand from their appearances they are delighted to see me¡­..


    FOOLS!!! I shall see who is the last one smiling especially when I stand on your pile of corpses!!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!


    *baby laughing*


    ¡°Isn¡¯t his laughter just adorable? Just seeing him so happy and smiling like that makes me smile as well. Come to Grandma!!!¡±


    Wait stop!!! What are you doing!!! Foolish lady!!! Don¡¯t grab me like that!! Why are you picking me up!!!


    Noo¡­¡­not this again¡­¡­NOOOO!!! DON¡¯T BRING THAT FACE ANY CLOSER TO ME!!!!


    I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO!!! NO!!! STOPP!!!!!


    Argh!!!!


    Is this some human ritual to drool over your young one!!!!


    STOP SLOBBERING ALL OVER ME!!!! I AM THE DEMON LORD!! THE MIGHTIEST MONSTER!!! I WILL KILL YOU ALL!!!


    *Sob*


    *WAHHH!!!!*


    (baby crying)


    ¡°Ara! Ara! Ara! It seems like he has become hungry. Gomenasai, everyone. Let me tend to him quickly!¡± The woman spoke to everyone gathered.


    Everyone nodded in agreement and began leaving the room.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.The old woman returned me to my woman servant. ¨C Yes, you heard my woman servant!! Return me to her you fiend!!!


    Woman servant listen to me!! I don¡¯t like this old woman ¨C she holds me too tight! And her skin is all rough and wrinkly!! I prefer you to her! So don¡¯t let her touch me! Understand? Understand? Even my pet lizard was more intelligent than this stupid woman servant¡­.


    Wait¡­why are you undressing?


    ¡°Feeding time..¡±


    No¡­.not this again¡­..not those voluptuous hills¡­wait why are you humming at the same time?


    Could it be you found out I was listening in on your war council meeting¡­..so tired¡­.so sleepy¡­.damn this sleeping potion¡­.damn your sweet voice¡­..


    Part 3


    ¡°Kucheekoo!!¡± A deep husky manly voice went.


    Kucheekoo my ass!!! Stop that!!! I am the demon lord!!! Hey stop that!!! That tickles!!! Hey!!! HELP ME!!!!


    It seems, I have two human caretaker, one female ¨C to feed me and clean me up and one male ¨C I guess he is the body guard since I don¡¯t see him much.


    This male body guard is too useless, although he is big and has muscle, I don¡¯t sense an iota of magical power from him. I can only hope that he has some hidden skills to make up for his pathetic appearance.


    Every time, I have met this man, he has annoyed me. He gets his rough semi-shaved cheeks next to me and rubs it so hard!!! What kind of treatment is this!! Even to a human baby, it is too cruel!!! If it were my former powerful self, I would have smacked this idiotic man¡¯s head into a wall.


    This stupid man servant shares some obvious feelings for my woman servant ¨C how do I know? Is it the look in his eyes? NO!!!!


    This damned stupid perverted hentai man actually tried doing various many ecchi stuff in front of my eyes!!! He thought I was sleeping!! But then the moaning started and then he tried to slip into the woman¡¯s bed¡­.thankfully had it not been for the woman-servant in white dress who interrupted the disgusting animalistic behaviour, only God knows what all I would have to witness. Thankfully, that shameful man was dragged out of the room by the ear ¨C serves him right.


    How can he be so frivolous as a bodyguard!!! Do they not know how precious my life is? As the demon lord, my life is in continuous danger, especially now since I am so vulnerable. I remember Xerxes-san told me that when I was just a hatchling, hundreds of assassins tried to take my life¡­..


    Still¡­it seems that these servants of mine are lacking in many ways¡­..in the future I must ensure they undertake strict training so that they can be of some use to me when I take over the world.


    Part 4


    It seems I may have overestimated the potential of a human baby. I am uncertain how many days have gone by¡­.but this frail human body does nothing but eat, sleep and poop.  Gathering intelligence has been extremely difficult ¨C and I have been confined to this room. Although, I have ordered my woman servant many times to show me around ¨C these humans are too stupid. They don¡¯t understand a word I am saying. I guess I shouldn¡¯t be expecting too much from them, it really is up to me to learn their language.


    What is this? Are we leaving this room today? Looks like it!! I certainly have a better opinion of this woman servant now ¨C did my emotions reach her?


    Muahahahahahahahaha!!! Finally, Humans!!! Your end has come!!!! I am leaving this room!!! And I will explore your world and learn all your secrets!!!!! Muahahahahahaha!!!


    Ah, white dress servant is also here¡­what is she holding? Is that a basket? Wait¡­could it be¡­.do they plan to put me in that basket and throw me in a river¡­.I have heard of many such stories from the orphan half-humans that joined my army. They were tucked away in baskets and thrown into the river. The lucky ones drifted into my territory and were saved but the unlucky ones passed on¡­..


    Hey, where are you putting me, you stupid woman!!! Don¡¯t put me in a basket!!!! This is insulting me!!! Stupid woman!!! Nooo!!! How dare you!!! Carry me, I say!!!! Carry me!!!! I refuse to be thrown into a river¡­.I refuse¡­.UNCOVER THE BASKET!!! YOU DESPICABLE WOMAN!!! REMOVE THE LID!!!!


    "You think he will be okay, travelling in  a car?"


    "Honey! Don''t worry about it! The doctors have said both you and the baby are healthy enough to leave the hospital. Plus, the boys are so excited to see their younger brother."


    "Ah...okay then..."


    Tch!!! It seems to be of no use - these two aren''t listening to me. This is difficult. What do I do, I have no magic power, otherwise I would have escaped¡­..but why are they throwing me into a river¡­could it be they have figured out that I am the Great Demon Lord? The Almighty Demon Lord who will wipe out humanity¡­..can¡¯t be!! These humans are too stupid to figure something like that out ¨C I mean I would have noticed that much if they knew what a great being they held in their arms¡­..


    Snap! I am running out of energy¡­.so sleepy¡­.are we moving? I can tell we are leaving the castle and going somewhere noisy¡­.now it is quiet again¡­.difficult to focus¡­.I will have my revenge¡­..


    ZZzzzZZZzzzzZZZzzz

 Chapter 2: Life as a baby

    Part 1


    I have not been thrown into a river ¨C it seems as though, not only are baskets used by humans to throw babies into rivers but are also used for transporting babies around. I am unsure what carriage we rode to reach the new castle but it was a fairly comfortable ride ¨C for most of it I slept.


    Right, currently my situation is as such. There are two young human children, with silky smooth straight black hair, peering into the basket in which I lie. You can tell they are children given how round and immature their faces are. The two are of different ages. I think the younger humans are, the rounder the faces are.


    ¡°Oto-san, what is this?¡±


    ¡°This is your baby brother! ¡°


    ¡°No way!!¡± The elder child exclaims as he hurriedly shifts his gaze from the baby to the father.


    His exclamation was greeted with a fist on the head.


    ¡°Ouch!!!¡± He clenched his teeth in pain as he began rubbing his head.


    ¡°Rude!¡± His father reprimands him.


    ¡°I mean it¡¯s just so surprising¡­..¡± The young boy explains. ¡°And he is so tiny¡­.¡±


    ¡°Ni-san¡­.thi¡­is¡­baby?¡± The younger one fumbled with his words, he stood on his toes to peer into the baby carriage cot while he cutely pointed out to the baby in the cot.


    ¡°Right! Tomo, this young baby is our brother!¡± The elder one explained.


    ¡°No way!!¡± The younger child exclaimed excitedly as he completed a poor imitation of his brother.


    He too was greeted with a fist on his head ¨C though it was significantly lighter in force.


    ¡°Oye! Now don¡¯t go about teaching your younger brothers bad manners!¡± The father scolded both his sons.


    ¡°Oto-san¡­¡± The younger one called out, as he rubbed his head in pain. ¡°Where did the baby come from?¡±


    ¡°Ummm¡­..This¡­..well you¡­.know¡­.¡± The father struggled as he turned to his wife who was enjoying the unfolding scene. ¡°Dear some help here?¡±


    ¡°Oto-san! Let me help you!¡± The elder one made a surprising declaration. ¡°Tomo-chan, when a man and woman, get into bed together, they make¡­.OUCH!!!¡± The elder son rolled on the floor, holding his head, as he received two fists on his head ¨C one from both his parents.


    ¡°Seriously¡­..children these days¡­.where do they get this sort of information, barely turned seven and already¡­..¡± The mother spoke in alarm as her eyes were fixed on her eldest son rolling on the ground in pain. She then shifted her fierce gaze at her husband; who began trembling in fear for some unknown reason.


    ¡°Dear¡­.¡± The mother calmly spoke. ¡°You were carefully monitoring the children while I was in hospital¡­right?¡±


    The father began uncontrollably fidgeting.


    ¡°I will teach him well.¡± The father replied back as he hung his head down.


    *Sigh*


    ¡°Tomo-chan¡± Tomo-chan¡¯s mother spoke, staring at her youngest son with caring loving eyes of a mother.


    ¡°Uhu¡­¡± Tomo-chan nodded slightly dazed by the overwhelming love in his mother¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Babies come from magic!¡±


    ¡°Magic?¡± Tomo-chan asked suspiciously yet his voice conveyed his innocent gullibility and excitement.


    ¡°Magic!¡± His mother mischievously replied back. She then hugged both her sons, as though she had been holding back all this while ¨C ¡°Gosh! I have missed you two!!¡±


    Tomo-chan had a very shocked expression on his face ¨C babies come from magic. This revelation would have far reaching consequences for him than his parents could imagine.


    I am not sure what is going on right now, but as I understand, I have gained two more retainers. They seem to be called Tomo and the other is Tatsuya. Are you all surprised by my prodigious level of comprehension? It is nothing to be shocked about ¨C with a little bit of guess work and understanding of languages, it was easy for me to figure out what names these servants have. Though, honestly, I wish someone told me their names. What¡¯s up with this stupid way of greeting babies in this society?


    In the demon world, I remember when I hatched, Xerxes-san was kind enough to bow and greet me.


    ¡°Welcome to the Nether Realm, Mighty Demon Lord. I am Xerxes, your retainer.¡±


    Now that is what I call a greeting, not all this physical touching and gripping¡­.. humans are definitely weird.


    Listen woman-servant! While I accept the gesture of providing me two male coy servants, I prefer female. Are you listening? Why are you crushing their bodies!!! I will not accept broken goods!! You hear me!!! If you break them with that crushing grip of yours, don¡¯t expect me to accept them as my servants!!!


    Sigh¡­..why do I even bother trying, she doesn¡¯t even understand me. The, two new servants, have better names than these adult retainers ¨C otosan and okasan. What dorkish names are otosan and okasan?


    Part 2


    It seems are new castle is located high in the sky. From the windows I can see many tall buildings¡­.okay this is scary¡­.getting slightly dizzy¡­.exactly how high are we? Were human castles always located this high? Or is my room located in a high tower? I will need to speak with my servants and make arrangements to move to a lower floor. I am not good with heights.


    Yesterday, I met two new servants ¨C Tomo and Tatsuya. Both of them are extremely useless. No, if they have any redeeming quality, it is the fact that they have made me realize how much better the two adult servants are. Well¡­.I guess this is to be expected. Children of any species are hopelessly clueless ¨C Nonetheless! If they are going to serve the Demon Lord, they cannot be of low quality.


    I guess expecting things like quality from humans is foolish of me.


    On that note human bodies appear to be useless when it comes to being able to sense mana. How did I reach this conclusion? At first I thought it was only my male bodyguard who couldn¡¯t use mana ¨C as I didn¡¯t sense any being emitted from him.


    However, recently for the last few days I have had many humans come over - I am not sure if they are all my servants¡­.but then again I am the Demon Lord, having less than a thousand servants would be embarrassing. I apologize I digressed. After meeting several humans, I noticed I couldn¡¯t detect an ounce of mana from them. I find it inconceivable that out of twenty humans, none of them know how to use magic. If humans were that useless, then I would have taken over the human realm in less than a day. Hence, I reached two possible conclusions¨C firstly, human beings are weak at sensing magic freely. This might be more so in the case of children. If this is the case I can only wait till I mature enough to be able to sense magic. Secondly, the mana thickness in the atmosphere in the human realm is extremely thin. This in turn makes it extremely difficult to use advanced magic spells. I am afraid if it is the latter case, using four-circle spells would be impossible for me with a human body.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Either ways, both conclusions have a singular consequence ¨C my plans to wipe out humanity have to be delayed. I feel slightly bitter about the delay. However, it is important to watch and learn from these humans ¨C I am afraid till I am unable to use 90% of my powers, I cannot act brashly.


    As Dracula taught me, ¡°Patience! Is the key to winning the war!¡±


    Hero! You have made the fatal mistake of now destroying my soul. Being reincarnated as a trashy human, has given me the opportunity to infiltrate the human society and learn all your secrets ¨C strengths and weaknesses. The day humanity will be dyed in their own blood is only drawing closer!!!


    MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!


    ¡°Who is hungry!!¡± A soft voice called out, as oka-san reached out for her carelessly happy-smiling child. ¡°You sure laugh a lot, don¡¯t you?¡± She asks the baby, as she rubs her nose against the baby¡¯s nose.


    You stupid woman!! When will you learn!!! I am your master!!! You cannot treat me like this!!! Don¡¯t you dare try to tempt me with those¡­..


    Part 3


    I have lost track of how many days have gone by, but I can feel my frail human body grow bit by bit as I cultivate my foundation for magic. Every night, when these stupid humans think I have gone to sleep, I am actually awake and am cultivating in secret¡­.although I have zealously expended efforts in trying to grasp even the tiniest bit of magic ¨C I have so far yielded no results. My futile efforts have only frustrated me more ¨C don¡¯t tell me I have been born in a talentless human body; incapable of sensing and using mana!


    Whilst brooding over my frustrations and inability to use magic, I made a surprising discovery. I am not sure why I didn¡¯t notice it till today!


    Although humans are not very intelligent, they are unexpectedly creative in solving problems. It is plentifully evident, that my retainers are unable to use magic. However, they have overcome this limitation with the use of magic tools!


    They have this one tool which, with the press of a finger, can brighten a dark room! And there is another magical tool which you can talk into¡­.but I am not sure what that does ¨C I am guessing it is some sort of communication device for those who can¡¯t use telepathy. There is another tool which is similar to a scrying portal! And another tool which keeps everything inside it cold ¨C but this could be a torture dungeon. I accidently crawled into it and locked myself in it. It was a horrible experience but I will be certain to use this tool when I am interrogating my human prisoners for information.


    Right, I forgot to mention, I can finally crawl. Humans sure are pathetic ¨C as a Demon baby, I could walk on the day I hatched!


    Initially, I did not take advantage of crawling. However, after discovering so many magic tools, my interest has been piqued. So, I am spending all my time crawling from one room of my castle to another. I first thought, the castle I live in is extremely small ¨C five rooms?


    That is till I discovered the ¡°Thick Wooden Door¡±. Once you cross the Thick Wooden Door, you enter this corridor filled identical thick wooden doors. As I crawled on my fours, across this extremely long corridor, I counted over 20 such wooden doors. Some of these Wooden Doors were open and when I crawled inside, to my astonishment, I discovered 5 more rooms and more servants!! Seeing this I was finally relieved. This is not so bad ¨C of course compared to my ten thousand room palace. This is indeed paltry.


    There was also a metallic door which when opened rang with a bell noise. This Metal Door led into a tiny room¡­.and when it opens again, the scenery outside completely changes. I feel like this room moves up and down¡­.another amazing magic tool. I can understand now, how despite being weak, humans still resist those stronger than themselves¡­..


    At this point I am not even sure how many rooms my castle has¡­.I lost track once the floors began changing¡­.What!! All the floors look exactly the same to me!!! They only smell different!! (which is how I know they are different!)


    This is turning problematic¡­.I think I may be lost?


    Ahahahaha¡­..The Demon Lord is lost¡­..What a stupid joke!!! I should I brought my retainer along when I went exploring. I confess I got carried away while exploring the castle and forgot to¡­No wait¡­.isn¡¯t it their fault? Shouldn¡¯t they be the ones accompanying me everywhere I go?


    Part 4


    Just when I thought I was lost and trapped in the tiny magical room (which I haven¡¯t figured out how to operate), one of my servants, whom I have not met before entered the magical room.


    I greeted him and requested him to take me back to my room.


    He was extremely shocked to see me. Well I can understand that reaction ¨C when I would approach my lowly servants they had a similar reaction.


    Anyways, I instructed this lowly servant to take me back to my room. I am not sure how much this new guy understood but he got my caretaker lady to come immediately.


    Oka-san¡¯s eyes were puffy and two streams of tears were running down her eyes when she saw me.


    I can understand this reaction too ¨C when I was about to punish a lowly servant, they would cry and repent for their mistake. However, Okasan is mistaken. I may be cruel to low servants (and humans) ¨C but I always treat my higher retainers kindly.


    Don¡¯t worry Okasan. I am benevolent and I will forgive such small mistakes ¨C I was only exploring my own castle. Getting lost in your own castle is an embarrassing mistake even for the Demon Lord. Nonetheless, next time when I leave my room, you must accompany me.


    Hey!!! Stop crushing me with those soft hills of yours!!! Stop!!! And listen to what I have to say!!! Are you listening to me??!!

 Chapter 3: Shin or Maou?

    Part 1


    *Ding Dong*


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it!¡± Two boys cried out as they rushed towards the door in excitement.


    ¡°No running in the house!¡± Their mother¡¯s reminder went unheeded.


    ¡°No! I will open the door!!¡± Tomo-chan could be heard arguing, as Tatsuya used his body to block Tomo from opening the door. The war to open the door ended with Tatsuya pushing Tomo to the ground and Tomo crying off to his mother.


    ¡°Okasan!!! Ni-san pushed me!!¡±


    ¡°Tatsuya!¡± Okasan cried out loudly as she picked up the wailing Tomo-chan.  ¡°What have I said about playing with door!!¡± She scolded the elder one harshly.


    Somewhere in the corner of the house, a little baby too rushed (crawled) towards the door¡­.


    What!! What is happening!! What was that melodious bell sound? Is that an alarm?? Is that a battle gong going off??? Are we at war??? Why are my two children servants running off? Hey don¡¯t leave me behind!!!


    ¡­.It is just Otusan at the door¡­.these stupid human children. Why do they get so excited to open the door¡­.don¡¯t tell me they want to be gatekeepers when they grow up¡­.now that I think about it, it might be a job worthy of them¡­.rather the only job they might be worthy of¡­.


    The baby stared at his two elder brothers with a look of pity. If one had noticed, they would have been surprised to see a baby make such complex expressions.


    I have never seen these two train! Not even once, have they participated in sword training or stamina building exercises and never have tried developing their mana sensing abilities...I have watched these two pitiful servants of mine for a long time and this pretty much explains why they have zero talent in magic.


    Sigh¡­


    I might as well get back to my training. Unlike these useless servants of mine, I don¡¯t have frivolous time to waste. I have been wisely utilizing my precious time training my pathetic human body to the fullest. I am also taking my time to decipher the human language. Although it is not much, but I can understand basic words¡­for example ¡®kutabare!¡¯ (drop dead) means ¡®Stop whatever you are doing!¡¯ and ¡®shinjimae¡¯ means ¡®go to the nether realm!¡¯ and urusai means ¡®Keep quiet¡¯ and ¡®kuso kurae!¡¯ means ¡®eat well¡¯.


    You must be wondering how I succeeded to learn so much in such short time ¨C but nothing is impossible for the Demon Lord! By observing, human behaviour repeatedly on the recordings of the flat magical tool box, I have been able to decipher quite a bit of the human language.


    I have also learnt quite a bit of human nature ¨C these simple creatures are actually quite crafty ¨C whether it be in the matters of violence or love. How do I know this? Tatsuya, has been poorly imitating battle techniques on Tomo. And Okasan keeps crying whenever the man in the magical tool box begins sticking his tongue in the woman¡¯s mouth. Seriously, it is so disgusting, how can okasan watch something like that repeatedly? And why does it evoke the response of crying? And not disgust?


    *Argh!*


    Humans are so troublesome when it comes to understanding them. They make absolutely no sense. Their stupidity knows know lower bound.


    Patience¡­patience¡­.soon I will wipe them off this realm.


    Part 2


    Recently, otusan has been rubbing his rugged cheeks in my face. Wtf useless human servant is this some kind of game!!! It¡¯s annoying and it hurts!! This human body of mine is being hurt by your beard stubs!! So stop rubbing those damn stubs against my face while smiling!!


    And what is up with this pikaboo sh*t?


    Why are you hiding your face behind your palms and then revealing your face whilst saying pikaboo? Is this a human way of greeting? God!!! You are annoying!! You don¡¯t even let me train in peace.


    Just when I thought, there would be no end to his torture of stupidity, at the height of my frustration, salted water began dripping from my eyes and I called out for Okasan to get rid of this pest. With my undeveloped vocals, my voice came out more like wailing but the surprising thing is ¨C it worked!


    Even before okasan arrived, otusan ran away in terror. Heh. Showed him whose the master around here.


    Since that incident, I have learnt the art of getting rid of all those who annoy me. Just make some wailing sound and most nuisances will run away in terror. If that doesn¡¯t work, grab anything and throw it in anger. Lastly, if that doesn¡¯t work, swing your arms and feet in anger ¨Csuper effective technique.


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    Part 3


    Today, the old woman servant has come back. She pulled my cheeks so hard, I felt as though she intended to rip my face off my skull ¨C damn you woman. When I become powerful almighty, you will be the first one I will finish off!! The demon lord never forgives and certainly never forgets!


    ¡°It has been a whole year, and you still haven¡¯t given him a name. What kind of stupid daughter are you?¡± The old grandmother spoke as she washed vegetables in the kitchen.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been easy for us, there are so many choices¡­.and he still so young. Do you know how many kids are unsatisfied with their name today? There was a survey in People¡¯s magazine and it said 67% of young people wished their parents thought more carefully before coming up with their name! I certainly wouldn¡¯t want my little baby hate his name! Now would I? Also, isn¡¯t there plenty of time before he requires a legal name?¡±


    ¡°Sui¡± The grandmother took a stern tone. ¡°Don¡¯t be lazy. Hurry up and just finalize on the name. What names have you finalized?¡±


    ¡°¡­.we have picked three names. Shin, Akito and Hikaru. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think those are good choices¡­¡± The elderly spoke with a soft voice. ¡°A bit old and classic, but they have a nice ring to them.¡±


    Her daughter nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Well which one is it going to be?¡± Her mother asked as she stared at the sleeping baby with great affection.


    ¡°To be honest, I was thinking of Shin. But Sai¡­wanted to go with Akito.¡±


    At this moment Tomo walked into the kitchen, greeted his grandmother. Then opened the fridge door, pulled out some ice cubes and ran out of the kitchen. He did everything while completely ignoring the existence of others observing him.


    The two women stared at the little one silently, observed his actions without saying anything till he left.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Tomo¡¯s mother had a terrible premonition of something terrible going to happen.


    The next moment, something could be heard crashing on to the floor, followed by Tomo running past the kitchen. Next, Tatsuya could be seen, completely tomato red, chasing after Tomo.


    Sui (the mother), didn¡¯t waste a second and chased after the two. These two were so dead.


    Unlike Sui, the grandmother had a more complex emotion across her face. ¡°You woke up because of the noise?¡± She asked as she passionately stared at the baby with a smile. ¡°Yet, you didn¡¯t even cry because of the sudden surprise¡­.what an astonishing child. Most babies would be wailing their heart out when disturbed from their slumber. Yet, here you are as calm as ever. You sure are a strange one¡­.what child cries when his father approaches him yet stays unperturbed when woken up from deep slumber.¡±


    The grandmother continued making conversation with the baby as though the baby could understand her.  ¡°Do you know how worried your mother was when you crawled out of the house! She frantically searched for you everywhere! And when she couldn¡¯t find you, she was called me up and was crying her heart out. Lord, you gave the woman the fright of her life. She has raised two children but neither of them has been as naughty as you were at your age. But neither of them has been as calm as you are at your age either. I am not complaining, but in my life I have seen babies, and you sometimes certainly don¡¯t behave like one. Especially by the expression you make sometimes. I have never heard of a baby being able to emote beyond the basic emotions of happiness and hunger. I may have grown old but these eyes of mine have only grown keener with the years¡­.¡±


    ¡°Naughty, calm and deep. You are this family¡¯s Maou-sama, aren¡¯t you?¡± The grandmother joked as she lovingly picked up the baby in her arms. ¡°Although, I don¡¯t agree with your mother¡¯s naming sense. This time, she has chosen a great name. Isn¡¯t Shin is a great name? Don¡¯t you agree with Obaasan?¡±


    The baby silently stared at Obaasan and then smiled. ¡°Mau¡­¡± He said, as he struggled to speak.


    Obaasan froze whilst holding the baby.


    Part 4


    ¡°SUI!!!!!¡± Obaasan cried out as she trembled in excitement while holding the little baby.


    Sui rushed back to the kitchen, in one arm she was carrying Tomo and in another Tatsuya. ¡°What happened?¡± She asked as she tried to catch her breath. She ran at top speed when she heard her mother scream. ¡°Okasan?¡±


    ¡°Shin-chan spoke!!¡± Obasan trembled with excitement as she stared at the baby fondly. She then glanced at her daughter passionately.


    However, Sui (baby¡¯s mother) was very skeptical of her mother. Her left eyebrow was raised as she asked, ¡°Spoke?¡±


    ¡°Yes!! He spoke his first word!¡± Obasan continued.


    Realizing what her mother meant, a face of great displeasure spread across Sui¡¯s face. ¡°And I missed it!¡±


    She then shot a stern glare at both her kids ¨C it¡¯s your fault, I missed your younger brother¡¯s first word!


    ¡°Come on Shin¡­.say Maou again. Maou¡­¡±


    ¡°His first word was Maou?¡± Tomo asked while still dangling in the air ¨C held up by his mother.


    ¡°Of course¡­..¡± Obasan replied, without even looking at her second grandson.


    Sui sighed as she looked at her mother who was currently cajoling a one year old to say Maou. ¡°Mother, did you take your medicine recently?¡±


    ¡°#@!$!#%¡±

 Chapter 4 - Commencing training!

    Part 1


    When I heard the old lady say Maou-sama, my mouth accidently repeated after her.


    Maou-sama¡­.that is a title of mine, I recognize. Could it be this old lady knows my true identity? I am beginning to suspect¡­..and I hate to admit this, that this old lady might be the most intelligent of all my servants. Even in my human form, she can see through and recognizes I am Maou-sama. Truly worthy of serving me ¨C unlike the other idiots in this room. However, if she doesn¡¯t stop pulling my cheeks I will need to reconsider her status.


    Amongst the humans, it was not uncommon to come across few who worshipped me. Like I said before, my armies weren¡¯t restricted by race. Humans too served in my armies when I waged wars against other humans in the earthly realm.


    ¡°Come on Shin-kun, say Maou. Won¡¯t you say Maou for Obasan? Come on Maou Maou Maou? I am telling you he spoke!¡±


    ¡°Mother, come sit and rest. You must be tired.¡±


    ¡°Shin-kun, you are breaking Obasan¡¯s heart. Say Maou? Please say Maou?¡±


    This old woman is now repeatedly saying something and Maou-sama. I guess she is chanting my name in praise. As expected of occultist humans ¨C even though they know I will wipe out their kind, they will still worship me. It is creeping me out since she is saying staring at me so passionately and with such a big smile. Even in the nether realm, such kind of people would be considered abnormal or rare i.e. to wish your own kind to doom.


    However, for me this is perfect. I had resorted to instilling fear in the minds of my servants ¨C to get them to serve me (by continuously reiterating in baby language that he is the Demon Lord and this is somehow supposed to instil fear in the minds of his ¡®servants¡¯). Now it seems that I don¡¯t need to put in any effort to get them to serve me ¨C as they already worship me.


    Excellent. My fortune is not so bad to have reincarnated amidst Maou-sama worshippers.


    This fits well with my plan.


    Hero, your mistake of not destroying my soul will cost you dearly.


    Part 2


    Keeping track of days is cumbersome. I do not know how many days have gone by since I have reincarnated but I can say this ¨C humans do grow slow. If this were my normal body, I would have already evolved to the second stage of an asura.


    In my previous life, I was in the Asura Demonic Tribe. It is one of the more powerful races in the nether realm. The life cycle over there is much more simplified. We hatch, we survive, and we evolve.


    As a hatchling, we are already capable of walking and talking. We stumble and fall but our bodies are extremely tough. There is no concept of family in our tribe. The hatchlings are left to fend for themselves in the wild ¨C only the strong survive this way. My case was an exception. I was destined to be the grand overlord / Demon Lord of my tribe. Hence, I always had servants serving me from the day I hatched.


    Nonetheless, I too was put through rigorous training. Day after day, I fought countless life and death battles, forcing me to draw out more power from within till I evolved to the second stage. That is the only way for an Asura to evolve. There are a total of five stages of an Asura evolution. Every time, an Asura evolves, all their powers go up an entire level. The strength gap between a single stage is as wide as heaven and earth. Most of my clan members will reach the third stage, but few cross the fifth. Even as the Demon Lord, from fourth to fifth stage of evolution took me a decade.


    Humans are very different from Asuras. It has already been so long, but I have yet to evolve to the second stage. I can sense my self growing ¨C but not evolving. I wonder if humans have a special restriction when it comes to evolving. Maybe I need to eat some monster cores to evolve. Or I need to eat demonic meat. Or maybe there is another method for humans. Whatever the method is, I need to discover it soon. Simply, relying on training is taking too long to evolve.


    Talking about monster cores, I haven¡¯t seen a single one in my castle. At first it was not something that bothered. After all monster cores are difficult to obtain ¨C especially given the incompetency of my servants who lack fighting poweress. But I have become suspicious for a while, I cannot even find low grade monster cores. I can understand not having high-grade monster cores. But what about the weaker monster cores? Surely, these humans must have some of those?


    I have searched my castle well, and couldn¡¯t detect the slightest presence of any monster core. Hence, I am certain there aren¡¯t any monster cores present in the castle.


    This is troubling, although I have slightly favourable view of my servants, I am now beginning to doubt them. Maybe, our position in the world is really too low and the clan which serves me is in dire straits. This might explain why they have no monster cores.


    Although, there is food on the table ¨C the tableware is made of simple steel and not silver. This castle does not reek of poverty but it certainly isn¡¯t a dazzling with lavishness.


    I guess before I take my revenge on the world, it will be necessary for me to put the affairs of my castle in order. Without a strong foundation, even a Demon Lord will fall. I was only able to become a prefectural lord in the nether realm because my foundation, that is the Generals who served me, were strong. Their clans were prosperous and hence we had plentiful resources to gather the strong under one banner¡­.


    These human servants of mine are really too useless ¨C relying on me to handle such petty affairs.


    Sigh¡­.


    Part 3


    I have spent my days training both the mind and the body.


    Being a hatchling, and a frail human, it is of utmost importance to train my physical body. Beyond crawling, I am unable to do much. Therefore, I crawl as much as I can till I tire myself out. Okasan doesn¡¯t like it much that I crawl all over the house. For a servant she pampers me too much. I guess seeing her Master struggle so much must be too much for her glass heart to handle. Initially, she kept a strict eye on me, I appreciated her enthusiasm to guard me while I trained. However, lately she seems have slackened in her duties. She no longer takes any interest in keeping an eye on me. It is bothersome, but when I begin talking I will make sure someone guards me all the time.


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    Tatsuya and Tomo, too seem to have lost their interest serving me. At first, they used to hang around me all day as they¡­.I am not sure what they did. There were all these complicated miniature human toys that they played with? Seriously, what kind of stupid humans play and draw while their master is training himself to death?


    Xerxes-san would cry to death if he ever saw Tomo and Tatsuya playing around like this.


    Sensing magic is one of the most difficult things to accomplish ¨C however the degree of difficulty varies from creature to creature. A dragon can innately sense mana in the atmosphere. Asura¡¯s too can sense mana from birth. However, as one climbs down the ladder of the food chain, the ability to sense mana falls.


    That is why it isn¡¯t so surprising that many humans are unable to sense mana. Being unable to sense mana is the same as being unable to use magic. This pretty much concludes why humans are at the bottom of the food chain. However, despite lacking the talent to sense mana, humans have cultivated various techniques and tools to allow them to sense mana.


    What I need right now are those techniques and tools, since my existing demon techniques are falling short of yielding results.


    Till I don¡¯t learn these techniques, I should only focus on training the physical strength. I will crawl and crawl, till my stamina increases. I will train my legs till I can walk and run. And then the real training will begin. Although, I shouldn¡¯t put too much strain on the human body, I am nearing the limits of my patience.


    Demon Lords aren¡¯t that very patient to begin with.


    Part 4


    Today, when I woke up, I found myself in the forest. Okasan was with me, so were Tomo and Tatsuya¡­.


    I must say this is the most disappointing forest in my life. Not a single monster in sight - not even a goblin.


    In fact, all I saw were human children everywhere. After a little thinking, it occurred to me that we are probably not in a forest but in a private estate of some rich clan. Yes that would explain why I sense no monsters.


    In fact, the more I watch my surroundings, the more information I am able to gather. I can see human children training vigorously on the equipment scattered around in this estate. Some of the equipment is clearly useless. For example, what is the point of sliding down? What muscle will it possible train? All these children are doing is climbing a ladder and then sliding down another path. What kind of stupid training is this?


    There is another training equipment, where two human children sit in front of each other and go up and down¡­..wtf is this?


    How can any of this be considered training?


    Only some of the older children are climbing bars¡­.but even that too is pointless if aren¡¯t hanging from a thousand feet gorge, with a heavy weights pulling you down and fighting a flying monster at the same time ¨C now that is training.


    What I just explained was part of the beginner series of training by Xerxes-san. Hanging to a rope with a single hand, with a raging lava river thousand feet below me, I had to cross the gorge whilst fending off monster birds. Oh, I also carried a one ton back up during the complete ordeal. Ah¡­.good times.


    Compared to that ¨C I am not sure what the humans hope to accomplish through this sort of training¡­.


    Could it be?


    Of course¡­this might be it¡­.the technique I was looking for¡­.maybe through these pointless exercises humans are able to sense mana.


    That is the only explanation!!!


    Yes, that is why the children are indulging in such pointless activities, this much be too increase their mana sensing abilities. If I think about it like this, it all makes sense.


    No wonder, Okasan got me here. She understood that my training wasn¡¯t progressing with regards to magic. So she must have decided it was time to bring me here¡­.magic is abundant in nature and life. If I look around, this natural forest must be bountiful of mana. No wonder there is training equipment here.


    Why did it not strike me earlier. I need to do what those children are doing as well!! Okasan let me do that!!


    ¡°Awww¡­look at him. He wants to join his brothers on the slide. Do you think it would be okay to let him ride the slide with the boys?¡± Sui asked as she watched her little one point to the slide.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Sui¡­maybe you should ride with him?¡± Another lady who was sitting on the bench suggested.


    ¡°Alright! Let us ride the slide!¡±


    Part 5


    Yes! Good job Okasan. You are finally understanding me. Let us commence my magic training!


    Wait why are you sitting with me? I don¡¯t need assistance!!! Okasan!!! You are embarrassing the Demon Lord!!! Get off!!!! I will do this training on my own!!!


    ¡­


    Killing intent!


    I only felt it for a fraction of a second but I certainly felt it!

 Chapter 5 - A moment of silence

    Part 1


    I have lived an extremely long life and I know what killing intent feels like ¨C the feel of a cold sword being pressed against your neck. It is cold and sharp.


    There is someone here who is giving off a terrible killing intent. They aren¡¯t even trying to conceal it. Who dares to blatantly give off such a killing intent in front of the Demon Lord? Reveal yourself!


    ¡­.no this¡­It isn¡¯t being directed at me but¡­this blood lust is too terrible¡­..it is shallow and malicious¡­.the kind of evil in the world that is born in the most deplorable regions of darkness¡­


    Where is this blood lust coming from? From my years of battle experience¡­.this feeble yet intense killing intent is definitely the signature style of a depraved human. Having fought many humans, I know this feeling ¨C the weak and coward. Those who resort to sly trickery¡­.those who fall into depravity and lose their minds¡­.only such weak willed humans have such a disgusting killing intent¡­.


    If it is a human then it must be someone amongst us¡­.no¡­.no one around me appears to be suspicious.


    All I see are women and children¡­.


    *Whooosh!*


    ¡°Ara? Does Shin-kun not like the slide?¡± The woman accompanying Sui asked as she helped Sui, who was holding on to Shin, get up from the slide.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Sui replied with a frown. ¡°He seemed so excited seeing Tatsuya and Tomo on the slide¡­.I thought he wanted to join them.¡±


    Right now the little baby had a very quiet and solemn expression.


    ¡°Maybe he is just too excited?¡± The other woman suggested. ¡°The sudden rush downwards must have stupefied his senses.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Sui asked as she stared at her baby with a concerned expression. Aren¡¯t babies supposed to laugh or smile when they experience a rush of falling or something like that? Yet, Shin-kun had a very serious expression on his face? Can babies even make such an expression?


    Before Sui could give the matter anymore thought, a little girl came running and hugged the legs of her friend.


    ¡°Mama! Take me on the slide too!¡± The tiny girl cried out as she pointed out to Sui who was holding Shin.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you old enough to go on the slide on your own?¡±


    ¡°No, I want to go with Mama!¡± The girl insisted. She was clearly jealous of Shin-kun being able to ride the slide with his mom.


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you tell me yesterday you are a big girl now?¡± The woman began teasing her daughter.


    The three year old girl made a complicated expression  - she wanted to ride the slide with her mother at the same time she wanted to be treated like a big girl.


    Her mother began laughing as she picked up her daughter. ¡°Sui, I will be right back. I need to ride the slide with my big girl.¡± She spoke with a fond smile as she kissed her daughter¡¯s cheeks.


    Just then Shin-kun began acting weirdly ¨C he desperately tried to wiggle free out of his mother¡¯s grip.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you now? You didn¡¯t even enjoy the slide? Where do you want to go now? Just sit still.¡± Sui replied back with an exasperated tone ¨C she was exhausted.


    However, Shin-kun refused to sit still. He seemed intent of breaking free but his mother¡¯s grip was firm.


    Seeing that his Okasan was refusing to let him go, Shin-kun burst into tears and began wailing. This was the only way he could communicate his displeasure at the moment. In Maou-sama¡¯s words this was the only way his Okasan could understand


    ¡°Sarah!¡± Sui called out. ¡°Shin-kun is becoming a handful. I think he has been out long enough. I¡¯ll be heading back.¡±


    The other woman simply waved back to her.


    ¡°Tomo! Tatsuya! Let¡¯s go back!¡± Sui called out to the other two.


    ¡°No!!!!¡± Tatsuya cried out as he walked out of his hiding spot. He was currently engaged in a game of hide and seek.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you played long enough?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go home!!!¡± Tatsuya cried out in frustration.


    Seeing his brother throw a tantrum, Tomo joined the fray. ¡°No!!!!! I don¡¯t want to go home!!!¡± He copied his brother¡¯s words and actions ¨C poorly.


    ¡°Tatsuya! Don¡¯t be like that! You are teaching your brother bad manners!¡± Sui scolded her elder son.


    ¡°No!! Don¡¯t copy me!¡± Tatsuya angrily replied as he pushed Tomo away ¨C making Tomo fall to the ground.


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    Tomo took a whole second to process what happened and then tears began welling up in his eyes. ¡°Okasan! Ni-san pushed me!!¡± He cried as he slowly stood up, walked over to his mother and embraced her legs with his small body.


    ¡°Tatsuya!¡± Sui cried out in a stern voice.


    ¡°He always copies me!¡± Tatsuya defended himself. ¡°I never get to do anything I want because of him! And you always scold me because of him!!¡±


    Sui sighed. She was right now struggling to hold on to Shin - who was hitting her with both his hands. Then, there was Tomo who was hugging her legs and Tatsuya refusing to come home.


    Sui caved in. ¡°Okay then. Stay with Sarah Oba-cha and come back home with her.¡±


    Tatsuya had a huge smile on his face as he rushed back to join his friends.


    ¡°Come Tomo. Let¡¯s go home. I have prepared pudding for you.¡± Sui whispered to Tomo.


    ¡°Pudding?¡± The little one asked as he wiped his tears and snot against his mother¡¯s skirt.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep it a secret between you and me, only.¡±


    ¡°No, pudding for Ni-san?¡± Tomo asked suspiciously and at the same time conflicted. Tatsuya was his idol. He would share everything with Tatsuya.


    ¡°No!¡± Sui flatly stated. ¡°Children who don¡¯t listen to Okasan don¡¯t get pudding.¡±


    Tomo stood with a conflicted expression. True he idolized Tatsuya but then pudding was more delicious. And didn¡¯t Tatsuya just push him to the ground. So pudding it is!


    ¡°Tomo wants pudding!¡± Tomo excitedly replied as he held out to the hand his mother gave.


    Sui grabbed her handbag and told Sarah to keep an eye out on Tatsuya, as she began heading out of the park.


    ¡°Seriously, why are you crying so much?¡± Sui asked Shin, as she looked at him worriedly. He had been crying non-stop after the slide ride. ¡°Could it be you were scared of the slide? Or are you hurt?¡± She asked with a worried expression.


    A second after they exited the park, a huge fiery explosion ripped through the park.


    Part 2


    Sui was blown three feet from her initial position as the shockwave of the explosion ripped through the air. As she fell, she instinctively clutched Shin with both hands, tightly. She used her body to shield him from the shockwaves or fall.


    Tomo-chan was always blown away by the explosion. Although he was holding his mother¡¯s hand when they walked out of the park. When the explosion happened, the two were separated by the force of the shockwave. Tomo-chan flew fifteen feet off.


    ¡°TOMO!¡± Sui cried out as she helplessly watched her son blown away.


    It happened also quickly, one moment the air was filled with children laughing and shouting and the next it was filled with crying and screaming. The bright sunny sky which once loomed over the lush green park, was now a black haze. The green park was reduced to an infernal blaze.


    Time appeared to have slowed down. Sui could not hear anything except for a long high pitched hum ¨C the aftermath of the deafening explosive bang. She was temporarily deaf. She quickly checked if Shin in her arms was fine. He was okay ¨C surprisingly quiet.


    Sui scrambled to her feet and then rushed to where Tomo lay. She gave no regard to her own battered and bruised body as she ran towards Tomo. Even Sui¡¯s dress was torn in various places. However, right now the only thing running through her mind was her children¡¯s safety.


    She turned Tomo over, to make him face her.


    She sighed a breath of relief ¨C he was breathing. Other than a few scratches he was largely unscathed.


    Sui then felt her heart tremble. A wave of worry gushed forth and overwhelmed her.


    Tatsuya ¨C Tatsuya refused to come back home¡­.he was still in the park.


    Sui quickly placed her handbag, which was loosely hanging around her shoulder, under Tomo¡¯s head, Sui then placed Shin beside him.


    With her body trembling in fear, Sui staggered towards the park.


    ¡°Tatsuya¡­.¡± Her voice was meek and hoarse. Sui began feeling dizzy as all the strength vanished from her legs and she collapsed to the ground.


    There were steam sizzling black charred bodies of children and parents strewn all over the playground, as the fire continued to play havoc with the grass and trees.


    ¡°TATSUYA!!!¡± She cried out mournfully, as she collapsed completely on her knees. Sui did not realize it ¨C but her back was stained in red.  She had been injured by flying shrapnel.


    ¡°TATSUYA!!!¡± She cried out once more as she knelt at the edge of the park, with tears blurring her vision. She prayed and hoped in her heart, her son was alive and alright. She prayed that Tatsuya was not amongst the children that lay in front of her. Her heart was tearing up and she hand no more strength to move.


    After that everything turned black. Sui lost consciousness.

 Chapter 6 - Thank you for your hardwork

    Part 1


    *Tring* *Tring* *Tring* *Tring*


    ¡°Moshi Moshi! Tohoku Central Academy¡¯s reception, how may I help you.¡±


    ¡°Sumi masen, I am calling from Miyagi Rosai Hospital. May I speak with Tsushima Saijo?¡±


    ¡°Eh? The principal? He is a very busy person. Do you have a telephone appointment?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­this is a medical emergency it is related to his wife and child, Tsushima Sui and Tsushima Tatsuya.¡±


    The receptionist turned pale at the words of the caller. ¡°Tsushima-san is currently away. Could you please leave a message?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please let him know his wife and children have been admitted to the hospital. This is in connection to the recent bombing. It is quite urgent that we speak with him or family members who can approve the medical surgery¡­.¡±


    In the background a panicked voice could be heard, ¡°Excuse me, I am Tsushima Saijo. Please tell me where my wife and children are?¡±


    ¡°Eh???¡± The hospital attendant was in shock. The person in question was here already.


    He immediately cut the call and began speaking with Tsushima-san.


    ***


    Dust climbed high into the air, as several choppers flew in the vicinity. The area of the explosion had been cordoned off to the general public. From the distance, people could only tell that the once scenic park of their city which was full of birds chirping now was lay silent as the graveyard. Truth, be told it had truly become a graveyard. Ambulances gathered around the park, to move away the deceased.  Those who survived the accident had already been airlifted away.


    Many of the people who had gathered could be heard grieving. Some were crying out names of their children and some were crying out for their wives¡¯ or mothers¡¯ names.  The sadness and pain inflicted on the innocent silently moved everyone to tears.  The damage was not limited to only the park but also extended well beyond that. The sides of shopping stores facing the park were charred black. The many store¡¯s windows had been shattered by the impact of the shockwave from the explosion. Fortunately, those inside the store suffered no loss of life. They only suffered minor injuries and like cuts and scratches ¨C nothing that required more than one or two stitches.


    Outside the cordoned area, several reporters had gathered and began setting up their gear. A woman reporter wearing a construction site helmet began speaking. ¡°We are at the scene of the bombing. The police have concluded that this was not an accident, but an act of terror and they have announced that they will do everything they can to find the truth. The injured are being rushed to the closest hospital, Miyagi Rosai. The police have yet to confirm the total number of casualties. The Prime Minister has condemned this violent act of terror and is expected to give a formal speech later in the day today¡­.¡±


    The early morning golden sunlight flowed into the room through a tiny gap of the drawn curtains. In the upper corner of the darkened room, a TV softly replayed the reporter¡¯s broadcast.  Currently, the room was occupied by a woman, Sui, and her husband. Sui was unconscious. There were long transparent tubes connected to her arms ¨C blood and IV drips. Saijo¡¯s head rested against his wife¡¯s bed ¨C he had been awake all night.


    With the light outside growing more intense, Sui slowly opened her eyes. The light stabbed her eyes as she tried to open her eyes. She was feeling groggy and her body was aching everywhere. The room appeared dark and foggy to her. Her eyes slowly began to adjust the darkness and her surroundings. She had no recollection of what happened or how she got here. As she tried to move, she felt a searing pain through her back. She also felt a stabbing needle pain in her arms. The pain got her senses back together. Sui looked around carefully as her vision no completely adapted to her room. She stared at the IV and blood drip needles stuck in arms. Her line of sight then fell on Saijo. An uncanny tension began to fill her heart. Why was she here? Why could she not recollect what had happened to her?


    ¡°The Prime Minister has announced that a special investigation committee will be set up to investigate the act of terror. The total number of casualties confirmed by the police is a hundred and forty three. The mayor has promised to erect a memorial for those¡­¡±


    Bit by bit¡­the memories began coming back to her.  It was a beautiful day like any other. She took her children to the park¡­.it happened at the park. The park, the flames, the screaming, the children, Tatsuya ¨C my son.


    Part 2


    Sui¡¯s body began to tremble in fear. ¡°Saijo¡­.¡± She tried to speak out, but her voice came out hoarse and cracked. Her arms had no strength and she could barely get herself to sit up straight. Worry engulfed Sui¡¯s heart, all she could think about were her children.


    ¡°Saijo¡­¡± Sui restlessly called out once more, as she clenched her fist tightly and punched Saijo lightly on the head.


    It was enough to wake up Saijo ¨C who currently had two panda like swelled up eyes. Seeing his wife awake, two stream of tears began flowing down his eyes. He immediately hugged her but seeing her flinch in pain, he let her go.


    ¡°DOCT¡­¡± Saijo was about to call out for the doctor when he felt Sui pull his sleeves. Seeing that she wanted to speak with him, he lowered his head closer to her, so that he could hear her.


    ¡°Where are my children?¡±


    The question was like a stab in the heart. Saijo¡¯s joyous face momentarily froze before he began speaking, ¡°The children they are fine. I left them with your mother. I couldn¡¯t bring them to see their mother like this could I?¡±


    It was easy to discern the panic in his voice. He wasn¡¯t lying but he wasn¡¯t telling the truth either.


    Sui could tell instantly that Saijo was lying. Her voice became firm as she tightly clutched Saijo¡¯s wrist, she asked again, ¡°Saijo, where are my children?¡±


    Saijo hesitated and then spoke. ¡°Shin is with mother¡­.¡± He hesitated before continuing.


    Sui¡¯s heart began beating faster. ¡°Saijo?¡± She asked in a weak voice.


    ¡°Tomo is fine. He had a surgery but he is fine.¡± Saijo answered seeing his distressed wife.


    ¡°Saijo?¡± Sui¡¯s voice was tearing up. He was avoiding the question she meant to ask. What happened to Tatsuya? Deep in her heart she already knew the answer but she was afraid to accept it.


    ¡°Tatsuya..¡± Saijo¡¯s lips began to tremble. How could he say it? He himself couldn¡¯t accept the truth.


    Tears welled up in Saijo¡¯s eyes. ¡°He didn¡¯t make it. I am sorry¡­¡± Saijo replied as he fell back into the chair whilst holding Sui¡¯s hand. ¡°I am so sorry¡­.¡± He muttered to himself. ¡°I am so sorry¡­.¡±


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    A single tear rolled down Sui¡¯s eye as she closed her eyes tightly ¨C the pain was too much for her to bear.


    Part 3


    ¡°Excuse me, you cannot enter here. The patient is still resting.¡± A nurse hurriedly chased three men wearing brown rain coats. The three men stopped in their tracks and one of them men pulled out a badge from his waist coat pocket. ¡°Criminal Affairs Bureau, Special Investigation Committee. Officer Yamamoto Shinichi.¡±


    ¡°Officer, the patient is still resting.¡± The nurse hurriedly spoke up after verifying the badge details.


    The man who seemed to be leading the trio, indignantly spoke up, ¡°As I understand, the doctor said the patient is awake. We won¡¯t take much time we only have a few questions to ask her.¡±


    The nurse backed off sensing the fierce pressure the men emitted. These men were very serious about their job and they weren¡¯t going to back off just because a nurse told them a patient is resting.


    ¡°But still¡­.The doctor said other than family no one is allowed to visit¡­she is still recovering¡± The young brave nurse murmured.


    The stern looking leader simply turned around and headed for the patient¡¯s room. ¡°We will keep that in mind and avoid unnecessarily straining her. You do realize that we are here for the bombing attack? She is the only survivor. If we must apprehend the criminal we must speak with her¡­¡± The captain haughtily replied as pushed open the door. However, to his surprise, the door opened on its own.


    Saijo had opened the door hearing the commotion outside. ¡°How may I help you officer?¡± Saijo asked in a dull and dark tone, as he blocked the groups entrance into Sui¡¯s room.


    ¡°Tsushima Saijo?¡± The captain confirmed the identity of the man who stood in front of him.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°We are here to ask your wife, Tsushima Sui, some questions relating to the terror act.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, my wife is currently recovering. She is still not in a condition to answer your conditions. Please come back at a more suitable time.¡± Saijo calmly replied.


    The reply stunned the three men ¨C who did this man, blocking their path, think he is? They were from the Special Investigation Committee! And currently they were investigating one of the most deadliest terror attacks in Japan.


    ¡°We have already spoken with the Doctor and he has informed us that your wife has already regained consciousness. I understand your concern about your wife¡¯s health and we make sure we don¡¯t strain her.¡± The captain replied as he tried to push past Saijo.


    Surprisingly, the captain found himself unable to push past Saijo.


    ¡°You¡­¡± The Captain growled angrily. ¡°Are you blocking my path? Did you not understand what I just said?¡±


    ¡°I think you haven¡¯t understood what I have said.¡± Saijo calmly replied. ¡°My wife is still recovering and once she recovers she will cooperate with your investigation.  I hope till then you can leave my grieving family out of your affairs.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± The captain lost his cool and his blood began to boil. His face was completely red. ¡°This is a national level investigation. Do you not understand the importance of this investigation? Your wife may be instrumental in identifying the criminal here.¡±


    ¡°I understand but please come back at a later time.¡± Saijo replied back indifferently ¨C he was completely unaffected by the men¡¯s fierce aura.


    The nurse gulped in fear. These men were the police ¨C who would dare to block their path?


    Before the captain could forcefully move Saijo aside, the captain¡¯s arm was stopped in mid-air by a stranger.


    Part 4


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The Captain angrily asked as he stared at the stranger tightly clutching his arm. The stranger was a man roughly twice the age of the Captain¡¯s. However, there was something far more terrifying in his appearance which one could not easily discern.


    ¡°Since when did the police start raising their hands on civilians?¡± The old man asked the Captain. The stranger¡¯s voice conveyed his old age and maturity ¨C rich with experience. His grip was exceptionally powerful. No matter how much the captain struggled he couldn¡¯t break free. It was embarrassing that a young man could not break free from the grip of an old man.


    Where did such a monster come from? The captain wondered. The two officers reached for their weapons, to assist their captain.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± A person standing behind the stranger spoke up seeing the other go for their weapons.


    It was only then did the police officers notice the three well-built men, wearing black leather rain coats and black sunglasses, behind the old man.


    One of the black coated individuals went for an item inside his coat ¨C his actions only increased the tension in the atmosphere. However, the officers were relieved to see he only pulled out his wallet. But what followed them next shocked them. The man opened up the wallet to reveal a badge.


    It read, ¡°Director - Public Security Intelligence Agency¡±


    ***


    The old man released his grip and the three officers immediately saluted the old man in front of them. The previous arrogance and pride of the officers completely disappeared.


    ¡°Gentlemen, you will be receiving a call from your supervisors shortly explaining you the circumstances of our arrival. For now I would like to thank you for your hard work and request that you interview the patient at a later time.¡± The man behind the old man explained.


    ¡°Yes Sir!¡± The men immediately nodded and scurried out of the premises.


    ¡°Ara¡­.¡± The old man sighed as he looked back at his subordinate. ¡°Jinsei, you don¡¯t let this old man enjoy himself.¡±


    ¡°Sorry sir. But please sir, stop joking around.¡± The man who had displayed his identity wasn¡¯t in the slightest apologetic. While adjusting his glasses with two fingers by the nose, he continued speaking ¡°Having the Chairman of National Intelligence, rough up some children is a terrible headache for me. So if possible please control yourself.¡± The Director of the PSIA didn¡¯t mince his words in the slightest. In fact, he clearly conveyed his displeasure in taking care of the old man. ¡°Also, please refrain from calling me Jinsei in public¡­.especially in front of my subordinates. Even my wife doesn¡¯t call me Jinsei¡­¡±


    ¡°So you say¡­¡± The old man muttered.

 Chapter 7 - Thank you Sensei

    Part 1


    Somewhere in the parking lot of the hospital¡­.


    The two officers watched their captain pacing to and fro, whilst speaking on the phone with his supervisor¡­.the conversation between the captain and his boss went something like this:


    ¡°But sir questioning the witness is integral to the investigation and apprehending the¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes Sir¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°I understand sir¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°No sir¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir¡­but¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Okay sir¡­.¡±


    Watching the flow of the conversation the two officers were no longer standing stiff but loosened up. Initially, they were riled up hearing about the explosions in the city they protect and they thought this was entirely a domestic affair. However, seeing the intervention of the PSIA, the two concluded this wasn¡¯t a simple domestic act of violence. If there was even the slightest possibility of foreign involvement, the police would have no further scope in this investigation.


    ¡°Shinichi-san¡­I was wondering if the man behind the old man was the Director of the PSIA, who the heck is the old man?¡± The officer accompanying officer, Shinichi, at the time asked.


    Shinichi simply shrugged his shoulders as he rested against a parked car. ¡°Who knows? He must be some big shot politician¡­.I have seen plenty of geezers and that guy definitely looked crooked like a politician¡­.¡±


    ¡°You think there might be a connection between that politician and the patient¡¯s family?¡±


    Shinichi shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Who knows¡­.he might be just visiting to pay his condolences on behalf of the government¡­.don¡¯t speculate so pointlessly.¡±


    As Shinichi began lighting his cigarette, his junior asked him another question. ¡°I guess if the PSIA is involved, this must involve foreign powers, right? Can¡¯t be a domestic act of terror?¡±


    Shinichi shrugged his shoulders again while puffing his cigarette. ¡°Who knows? But looking at how boss¡¯ call is going¡­it seems we won¡¯t be getting to question the patient any time soon.¡±


    The young man beside him frowned. ¡°Then, what happens to the special investigation committee?¡±


    ¡°My guess? It will be dissolved. If the PSIA is involved, it¡¯s game over for us.¡±


    ¡°EH????!¡± The young officer cried out.


    Shinichi raised his eye brow as he glared at his junior for being so loud while the captain was still on the call. Luckily, the captain was too absorbed in the call to notice his officers slacking.


    ¡°I mean¡­.this was my first big investigation¡­.¡± The junior spoke in a hushed tone.


    ¡°None of that matter now¡­¡± Shinichi replied calmly. Shinichi crushed the lit cigarette with his bare hands. ¡°None of that matters¡­as long as the bastard who did this is caught¡­.none of it matters¡­¡±


    There was a certain pain and resolve in Shinichi¡¯s eyes which the junior could not understand. However, he felt the same as well. Glory did not matter, only apprehending the vile human behind such a cowardly act mattered.


    ¡°Yes sir¡­.absolutely sir¡­and good day to you too sir!¡± The Captain spoke while standing in ¡®attention position¡¯. Was he a former solider?


    *Uffff* The captain sighed as he loosened his neck tie and slumped against the car against which Shinichi was resting as well.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the glum atmosphere here?¡± The captain asked as he borrowed a smoke from Shinichi while staring at the two officers who stood with drooping shoulders.


    ¡°If the PSIA is involved, it is game over?¡± The junior officer spoke.


    The captain shot a quick glance at Shinichi and muttered. ¡°It would have been better if you were the captain of the task force.¡±


    ¡°So how did it go?¡± Shinichi casually asked.


    ¡°The special investigation committee will continue its work. However we can¡¯t ask the patient any questions till she recovers. Those were the orders, from the top.¡± The captain replied as he puffed his cigarette.


    ¡°From the top?¡± Shinichi asked with a puzzled face. ¡°The head of the NPA?¡±


    ¡°The absolute top.¡± The captain hinted as he vacantly stared at the smoke he blew out.


    ¡°Higher than the head of the NPA¡­¡± The junior officer cluelessly murmured.


    Shinichi¡¯s eyes flashed with inspiration as though he seemed to have guessed the answer. ¡°The prime minister?¡± He guessed in a hush tone.


    The captain lazily nodded.


    ¡°That old geezer who stopped you in the hospital had such high reach? He mustn¡¯t be any ordinary politician¡­.but I have never seen him in the Diet¡­¡±


    ¡°Shinichi, you are right about many things but you guessed this one wrong.¡± The captain lifelessly spoke as though everything he experienced just now was just a dream. A normal police officer would normally never get a chance to speak with the Prime Minister ¨C yet it was the Prime Minister who directly spoke with him, advising him to go easy on the patient. The whole thing was too ludicrous. This would explain why the captain became so formal and stiff during the conversation.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Shinichi wondered what the captain meant.


    ¡°I have seen many politicians in my life time¡­but that geezer isn¡¯t a politician.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    The captain pulled back his shirt sleeves to reveal a red bruise in the shape of a hand grip.


    ¡°Oye¡­this can¡¯t be from the time when he grabbed your hand?¡± Shinichi asked in disbelief.


    The captain simply nodded. ¡°That old and that strong¡­.the man is an absolute monster.¡±


    ¡°The Prime Minister?¡± The junior officer finally spoke as he looked at his senior.


    The two seniors stared at the junior in silence. Finally, the captain spoke up, ¡°Wait don¡¯t tell me¡­you weren¡¯t paying attention¡­.and were still guessing?¡±


    ¡°YOU SPOKE WITH THE PRIME MINISTER?¡± The junior officer shouted out in shock while completely ignoring the question the captain asked.


    ¡°SHHHHH!¡± The captain hushed the block head junior.


    Shinichi sighed ¨C he had ways to go with this junior.


    Part 2


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    ¡°Please stop joking around, sir.¡± Jinsei scolded the old man standing in front of him. ¡°Having the Chairman of National Intelligence, rough up some children is a terrible headache for me. So if possible please control yourself. Also, please refrain from calling me Jinsei in public¡­.especially in front of my subordinates. Even my wife doesn¡¯t call me Jinsei¡­¡±


    ¡°So you say¡­¡± The old man muttered.


    ¡°Sensei¡­¡± Saijo called out while tearing up. He immediately rushed and hugged the old man who looked like the real life impersonation of master Roshi from DBZ. If one were to replace the high class suit the old man wore with Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, there would be no difference between him and master Roshi.


    ¡°There¡­there¡­I am here now.¡± The old man said as he patted Saijo¡¯s head. ¡°You are a grown man yet you still cry like a little child.¡±


    Saijo currently buried his face deep into his sensei¡¯s chest as he bawled out tears of grief.


    The men standing behind the old man had a stupefied expression on their face. Who was this man? And what was his relationship to their boss? They had no clue other than the fact this man called the old geezer ¡®Sensei¡¯.


    The bodyguards were accompanying the old geezer on his daily whimsical trip, when he surprised them by picking up the director of the PSIA. However, that too is not too unusual. This old man had many weird habits ¨C too many to keep count off ¨C randomly picking up people of important positions to accompany him on his whimsical outdoor trips was not that uncommon.


    However, the old man continued to surprise them, by visiting a hospital. The old man avoided doctors like the plague. He often iterated that he was more fit than even the young children of today so there was no need to visit the doctor. What he said couldn¡¯t be disputed. All the bodyguards personally experienced how fit the old man was. Those protecting him were those who passed the old man¡¯s test ¨C land a single hit on him. Although, the geezer looked ancient, his body was more nimble and stronger than the best agent. Newbies couldn¡¯t accept the fact that they can¡¯t land more than one hit and would challenge the old man once every day but the veterans learnt from experience - the old man was like one of those things that defied common sense.


    So it shocked the body guards when the old man chose to visit a hospital. All the body guards thought that old age caught up with the senile old man.  After all, some of the body guards had been protecting him for the last twenty years and he was an old man then too!


    But then, the old geezer went and put his nose in a police officer¡¯s job . The old man did stuff like that all the time. He would often put his nose in other people¡¯s business. He was like one of those annoying meddling old people who had all the free time in the world¡­.no he was exactly one of those people.


    But the shock for the bodyguards did not end there, when the young man, who was about to be punched by the officer, called the old man ¡®Sensei¡¯, the bodyguards were truly astonished. Many of the body guards stared at the crying young man in disbelief. Who was he!!!? Why did he call their boss, Sensei? Why is he crying?  Wasn¡¯t this just a random trip?


    The body guards had many questions but they would never ask them ¨C it wasn¡¯t their job to ask questions. It was their job to protect this man at all costs. This job wasn¡¯t something they were hired to do but something they were ordered to do by the Prime Minister of Japan.


    They had no clue into the identity of the old man they protected, they were only told this much ¨C protect him like a national treasure and ask no questions.  Newbies on the job often thought, the old man had high political connections but the veterans knew better; governments may change but the security cover for this man never changed. This was their only clue into this man¡¯s identity ¨C he was stronger than them above petty politics. He never interfered in national affairs and would do as he pleases. No one dared to question him.


    Although, the Director of the PSIA said he was the Chairman of National Intelligence that was just one of the many positions; when the old man was with the Finance minister, he was the head of the Japanse Trade Federation or when he was fooling around with older women he was a simple retiree. This man had many positions and titles ¨C all of them fake and all of them provided by the government.


    Who was this mysterious old man? Maybe they would find out today.


    Part 3


    ¡°I came as soon I saw the news.¡±  The old man said as he sat across Saijo, in the hospital lounge.


    Saijo¡¯s eyes and nose were red, as he passed a thankful glance at his teacher for coming.


    ¡°How is she doing?¡± The old man asked after a moment¡¯s silence.


    ¡°She is alright, some shrapnel cut her from the back¡­but the wound wasn¡¯t too deep. It missed the spine. Doctor¡¯s are in fact shocked how light her injuries are considering the close proximity to the explosion.¡±


    ¡°Truly a miraculous escape, eh? That is good, you are still protected by good fortune¡­and your children?¡±


    Saijo wore a painful expression as he replied. ¡°Shin was uninjured during the entire ordeal.¡±


    ¡°The youngest one?¡± The old man asked.


    Saijo nodded.  ¡°He is with his grandmother right now. ¡°


    ¡°Tomo is in this hospital. He was recently discharged from the ICU and  Tatsuya¡­he¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to say any more¡­.I know.¡± The old man replied with his eyes going moist.


    ¡°Sensei¡­please find out who did this.¡± Saijo angrily spoke through his clenched teeth.


    ¡°I will and no effort will be spared. I only fear this matter maybe related to one of our previous adventures..¡­¡± The old man avoided the details whilst alluding to the past.


    Saijo¡¯s expression stiffened as he recalled their joint adventures. ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡° You need not worry anymore. I have made suitable arrangements for your family and I am personally looking into this affair.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sensei.¡± Saijo quietly replied as the old man left the room with his bodyguards.

 Chapter 8 - The Immortal Phoenix

    Part 1


    We need to leave like now!!! This kind of murderous intent is not normal!!! Even amongst the monsters of the nether realm, I have never felt such vile killing intent.


    ¡°Seriously, why are you crying so much?¡± Sui asked Shin, as she looked at him worriedly. He had been crying non-stop after the slide ride. ¡°Could it be you were scared of the slide? Or are you hurt?¡± She asked with a worried expression.


    Stupid woman who would be afraid of the slide!!! I am the terrifying demon lord!!! Why would I be afraid of that stupid human training!!! However, if we don¡¯t leave soon, I fear we won¡¯t be able to survive!! Quick we must return to the protection of our castle!! Humans have always found safety in number¡­.


    *BOOOOM*


    What the ¡­that¡¯s the power of human magic? This is very different from my memories¡­aren¡¯t human mages a lot weaker?


    ¡°TOMO!¡± Sui cried out.


    Don¡¯t use your body to shield me, mad woman!! Cast a mana shield!! What good is your body? Dammit, why must everything be left to me! I can¡¯t even sense mana!! How the heck am I supposed to protect these stupid servants of mine.


    Hey, where are you going? Tomo looks fine, but if you listen to me, we need to head back to castle. The enemy is too careless to not check for survivors but if he returns we are doomed. Hey, why are you leaving me here with Tomo?


    ¡°Tatsuya¡­.¡±


    ¡°TATSUYA!!!¡±


    Tatsuya¡­.right the annoying one¡­.he went back didn¡¯t he?


    ¡°TATSUYA!!!¡± Sui¡¯s hoarse voice quietens. For an entire minute, other than car alarms ringing, nothing else could be heard.


    Argh! Someone help me get off my back, what happened to Okasan. What happened to Tatsuya?


    As I struggle to my side to get a view of Okasan, my view changes from the smoky blue sky to the that of the pure destruction of the forest.  At the edge of the forest entrance, Okasan lay in a pool of her own blood¡­..


    I can sense her breathing ¨C she is alive but her breathing is weakening.


    Someone help Okasan! Okasan, hang in there! I am calling for help! Dammit! I am not going to lose any more servants!


    Seeing Okasan lying lifelessly reminds of the time the Hero slew all my Generals¡­.In my heart at the time, I swore if I had the chance, I would never let another retainer die before me¡­.Dammit! I am not going to lose my retainers! Not when I have just been born again!! Haven¡¯t I been given a second chance for this?


    Okasan you will be okay! It is the promise of your master!!


    Someone!! Anyone!! Please save Okasan!! It is the plea of the demon lord!!


    Please save my Okasan!


    What is this? Why is my vision turning blurry? Water in my eyes? From where? Why is my heart beating so fast¡­this is not important right now¡­


    Someone!! Please save my Okasan¡­.I hate being human¡­.why are humans so powerless¡­.all I can do is shake my limbs¡­.someone¡­I beg of you¡­


    A shadow of something flew over me¡­.and then I heard a voice in my head. There is no need to beg, my Lord.


    Please save my Okasan, I beg of you!


    As I said before, my Lord. There is no need for you to beg. Your wish is my command.


    Only now did it register to me. This is¡­.did someone communicate with me telepathically? After being ignored by humans all my life ¨C is it possible there is someone who understands me? My previously pathetic self recovers somewhat, hearing someone replying to my plea of help. What¡¯s more I am shocked that I have been referred to as Lord.


    Who is it? Reveal yourself? I command.


    Part 2


    Who is it? Reveal yourself? I repeat myself.


    I stand in front of you, my Lord.


    I observe my surroundings carefully, but I see nothing.  Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Why can¡¯t I see this person who refers to me as Lord? Could it be a night crawler? They are invisible to the human eye¡­.not just human but to any eye. They make excellent assassins¡­.


    Are you a night crawler? If I am your Lord, then follow my command and stop being invisi....


    Night crawler!!! I have never been more insulted before!! How can his majesty confuse me for a mere Night Crawler!


    The voice speaking to me sounded proud and wildly arrogant. None of my servants would dare to speak like this to me. He isn¡¯t a servant of mine. But then why does he refer to me as Lord¡­when I said Night Crawler, he was clearly offended.  Is he not a night crawler?


    Are you a shadow assassin? I am wildly guessing now.


    Me!!! A mere shadow assassin!!! My lord how can you be so cruel!!!


    Well if you revealed yourself, then I wouldn¡¯t have to keep guessing!!


    I have revealed myself!!! I am standing in front of you!! Don¡¯t tell me, my Lord is blind?


    I think I will pop a vein, speaking with such an idiot. How dare he think of me to be blind! This is blatantly insulting the Demon Lord!!


    Just when, I was thinking of scolding this self-proclaimed servant of mine, a common grey bird pecked me on the nose.


    Get away stupid bird! I begin shaking my hands to scare the bird away. Shoooo!


    My Lord it is me!! A tearful and hurt voice reaches my mind.


    Eh? Don¡¯t tell me this bird is the self-proclaimed servant!!


    Eh¡­Who are you?


    Me!! Your proud servant, General of the skies!! The Immortal Phoenix!


    EH????


    Part 3


    Haha¡­I must be hearing things¡­.I thought I heard you say that you are the Immortal Phoenix.


    I did! <Cooo>


    There again!! Did the explosion partially deafen me?


    My Lord, we are communicating through minds¡­..


    No there must be something wrong with me, I keep hearing you claim that you are the Immortal Phoenix.


    I am! <Cooo>


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.You, a tiny grey bird, are the Immortal Phoenix?


    I am! <Cooo>


    The almighty fiery bird beast, whose wing span can wrap an entire mountain¡­


    Yes that is me!! The bird begins to wildly flap its wings in excitement as the Demon Lord described it.


    Oh I see this is your morphed form?  That must be it, it makes sense. If he didn¡¯t morph, he would burn me to cinder and ash.


    No this is my true form. <Cooo>


    I think I popped a vein in my forehead. That¡¯s it I am going to kill you. You think of the Demon Lord as some kind of fool!!! How can tiny bird like you be the immortal phoenix?! Don¡¯t you dare mock the great general of the skies!! He was a creature who even I couldn¡¯t defeat in the skies.


    Yes that¡¯s me!! <Cooo>  Master! For the longest time ever, I also thought I was nothing more than an ordinary bird the humans called pigeons¡­and the memories I had were some sort of dream. Just when I was on the brink of insanity, I heard your cries of help, that woke me up and I realized that it was no dream but rather my past life!! And now that I am close enough, I can sense your aura and can confirm you are indeed my master, the Demon Lord!


    Eh? Why is the background spinning¡­.the immortal phoenix is a live ¡­yet what is this feeling of self pity?


    Master!! It is so good to see you again!! <Cooo> You have no idea how lonely I was!! To be surrounded by stupid birds all day, in capable of an intelligent conversation!! <Cooo> I began to think I am the stupid one for being unable to converse with them¡­.<Cooo> ¡­ Maaassster!!


    Why does this story sound so familiar to me?


    The Immortal Phoenix, General of the skies, reincarnated as a pigeon.


    Part 4


    Ambulances and police cars were quick to reach the scene of the attack. However, seeing the destruction, the medics and policemen had no clue where to begin from. They had never been prepared with dealing with an attack of such scope. Just the sight and smell of burnt bodies upset the stomach of the weak.


    As the medics stood in a daze ¨C absorbing the entirety of the devastation. A pigeon crashed into the face of one of the medics.


    ¡°AAAaaa!!!!¡± The young man screamed as he waved his hands to get rid of the bird. The pigeon then flew away. Hearing their colleague scream, everyone was brought to reality and they began searching for survivors.


    After a while, another medic could be heard screaming as the ¡®mad¡¯ pigeon returned and attacked another medic. However, a little bit of shooing was enough to get rid of it.


    But then it happened a third time! This time the pigeon was absolutely adamant. It kept attacking the medic ¨C more like crazily flap its wings in front of the medics face.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with this crazy bird!¡± The medic called out.


    ¡°Junior, stop playing with the birds and search for survivors. Do you know how big this park is?¡± Another older medic called out.


    ¡°I am not playing with the pigeon¡­its attacking me!!¡±


    *FLAP*


    ¡°Stupid bird!! Go away!!¡±


    *FLAP*


    *FLAP*


    Come here you stupid human, Okasan needs to be saved! How many times must I call you! The demon lord is already very upset that I have failed to get help twice!! You are looking in the wrong area!! Okasan is not here!


    However, the pigeon refused to stop. It began getting more and more violent.


    ¡°Someone help me!!¡± The young medic cried out.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± A police officer asked as he looked at the young medic fighting the pigeon off him.


    ¡°Shinichi-san, a pigeon seems to be attacking Toru.¡± The old medic explained.


    ¡°You guys¡­even at a time like this, all you can think about is fooling around.¡± Shinchi angrily spoke up.


    ¡°Shinichi-san, it isn¡¯t like that!¡± The young medic quickly explained as he lay in the ground while fighting the pigeon off his face. ¡°I keep shooing this stupid bird away and it keeps coming back¡­¡±


    Shinichi¡¯s brows were raised in suspicion.  Could it be¡­this bird is trying to lead us somewhere? Can¡¯t be¡­.


    The pigeon flew away once again. However, this time Shinichi chased after it. Seeing a human follow him, the pigeon flew slow enough for the human to keep up. Just when Shinichi thought this was a pointless chase, he noticed Sui lying at the edge of the park.


    Shinichi soon forgot about the pigeon and spoke into his walkie talkie. ¡°This is officer Yamamoto Shinichi, I have found a survivor at the northern gate of the park. The survivor is female, young ¨C about 26-29 years old. She is injured and bleeding. Request first aid immediately.¡±


    ¡°Sending a team of medics, officer.¡±


    As Shinichi looked around he noticed Tomo and Shin on the ground.


    ¡°I have also spotted a child and an infant at the scene. Please send appropriate support.¡±


    ¡°Hai.¡±


    It was only after Shinichi did everything he could; his eyes fell on the familiar pigeon which led him here. It was now seated next to the baby.


    ¡°So you are their pet, huh?¡± He spoke to the pigeon. ¡°Thank you for leading me here.¡±


    Shinichi bowed to the pigeon in admiration. ¡°This is such an unbelievable story¡­I saved a woman by following a pigeon¡­If I told my colleagues this, they would make fun of me forever¡­I guess this is one of those stories you can¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    Part 5


    ¡°Shooo!¡± Toru (medic) pushed away the pigeon which was crazily flapping its wings crazily around a small child.


    How dare you approach my Master so casually, human!! Bow in repentance!!!


    However the bird was insistent on not leaving the child.


    You think I, the Immortal Phoenix am afraid of your big hands? Hurricane winds!!! Blow this human away!!!


    ¡­.


    I guess I need to train my powers¡­.for now ¡®talons of the fierce¡¯ penetrate this fool¡¯s face!!


    No matter how many times, Toru shooed away the pigeon, it kept coming back to the child. It even fiercely attacked Toru when Toru tried to pick up the baby ¨C it was almost as though the bird was trying to protect the baby.


    ¡°Toru-san¡­stop playing with the pigeon.¡±


    ¡°I am not playing with the pigeon¡­.¡± Toru cried out.


    Fool!! You dare touch my Master, the Demon Lord with your filthy human hands!! Suffer the consequences!!


    Hah! Like waving those hands is going to harm the Immortal Phoenix!


    Wait!! You can¡¯t touch the Immortal Phoenix like this!


    Flames of the sun burn this stupid human to dust!


    What are you doing filthy human!


    Put me down!


    Hey, where are you taking me?


    How dare you put me in a cage!!


    Let me out, you hear me, I am the Immortal Phoenix!!!


    Maaaaasterrrrr!!

 Chapter 9 - Miraculous escape

    Part 1


    ¡°Ji-san, we are here.¡± The chauffer informed the old man. The chauffer was just one of the many body guards assigned to the old man. He wore the typical black suit and white shirt with dark goggles.


    The car stopped in front of a police barricade.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t park your car here! This is a crime scene!¡± A police man shouted out at the driver as he walked up to the majestic and luxurious Benz. As the police man neared the darkened window of the driver¡¯s seat, the window pulled down slightly and the chauffer handed over his badge to the police officer.


    The policer officer peered at the badge with disdain, who did this big shot consider himself to be? Not even lowering the window to see the driver¡¯s face?! Like hell I will let you park where you please.


    As the police officer opened the badge and read the identification¡¯s contents, his face went pale with fear.


    ¡°I apologize for my rudeness Sir!!¡± The police officer quickly spoke up as he hastily handed back the badge. ¡°Please feel free to park where you please.¡±


    The chauffer slipped his hand through the window gap and took back the badge. ¡°How far is the northern entrance from here?¡± The chauffer asked.


    ¡°You are at the southern entrance, Sir! If you take a left from here and then right and first right again, you will reach the Northern entrance. If you walk through the park, it is a straight path.¡± The policer officer replied with sweat beads gathering on his forehead.


    ¡°Thank you for your assistance, officer.¡± The chauffer replied as he closed the window. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind could you ensure no one approaches us for the time being?¡±


    The officer readily nodded and left the area to watch the perimeter.


    ¡°Ji-san, how would you like to go?¡± The chauffer turned his attention to the old man.


    ¡°I think I will go for a walk. It looks like a nice day to go for a walk.¡± Ji-san replied.


    The chauffer made a complicated expression at Ji-san¡¯s words. ¡°You know right how much trouble we are getting into this because of you? You already got rid off all your guards since the hospital. Now, you are leaving me behind as well¡­.if this matter was reported to the higher ups, do you have any idea how much trouble I will get into?¡±


    Ji-san smiled while saying, ¡°Then make sure you don¡¯t report this to your masters, Radcliff-dono.¡±


    ¡°Please stop joking around, Sir.¡± The chauffer sighed as he unlocked the door. ¡°I will meet you at the northern entrance.¡±


    Ji-san silently nodded as he exited the black Benz.


    ¡°So this is where it happened.¡± The old man muttered to himself as he stared at the park. The once green park was now completely burnt to charcoal black. The only colours in the park were the yellow police barricade tapes that hung all over the place. The once lively park was no longer filled with children laughter and mothers scoldings but hushed whispers of police officers at work.


    The old man took a moment to absorb all the details he saw. His eyes went slightly moist as he reconstructed the horrific incident in his mind. He could barely glimpse into the past but it was enough to make his heart tremble. The old man shuddered as he imagined women and children screaming in pain as the explosion ripped through the air.


    While lost in his thoughts, the old man began walking through the park. Strange as it would seem, but the presence of the old man completely vanished. None of the officers in the park even realized there was an old man strolling through the park. Even if they stared at the direction of the old man they would not be able to see him. The old man slowly made his way to the northern entrance of the park.


    *Swish*


    There was a subtle change in the wind direction. No one noticed this change but it brought the old man to a standstill. His right eyebrow was raised as he observed his surroundings carefully.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± The old man muttered to himself; inaudible to others.


    Walking steadily, Ji-san left behind the officers who were taking samples of the soil and reached a lonely spot in the park.


    ¡°Reveal yourself.¡± Ji-san spoke calmly in his elderly voice.


    The old man waited patiently, but seeing no movement, he reached into his vest pocket and flung out two black objects. The old man¡¯s delicate arm swung like a whip and his actions were fast as lightening.


    ¡°ARRRRGGHHH!¡±  A shrill scream filled with pain could be heard.


    ¡°Come out. I maybe an old man but my senses have only grown sharper with time. This was just an introduction, make me wait any longer and you won¡¯t live long enough to scream.¡± The old man calmly spoke as he revealed a colossal killing intent.


    Sensing the enormous pressure the old man was giving of, those who were stealthily tailing Ji-san were trembling in fear. This old man was the real deal. If he wanted he could truly kill them all in the blink of an eye. Obliging to his command, three people emerged from their hiding spots. All of them appeared suddenly as though they were wearing invisibility cloaks. A fourth person limped out from the shadows ¨C there were two kunais stuck in his thigh; he was the man who screamed in pain.


    The three uninjured men quickly knelt in front of the old man. The fourth one limped over before struggling to kneel down. Once all four bowed in front of Ji-san, the leader spoke, ¡°I apologize for our rudeness. I was unaware that a great elder was visiting the site.¡±


    The old man¡¯s eyebrow twitched slightly at the mention of the presumed title ¡®great elder¡¯. ¡°You guys¡­.you are from the Fujiwara clan?¡±


    The four men nodded in agreement. Then the leader spoke, ¡°May we know from which great clan is the great elder?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± The old man snorted as he refused to answer the young man¡¯s question.  Clearly, the old man held these men in contempt for rudely tailing him. Ignoring the man¡¯s question, Ji-san scratched his clan, ¡°If it¡¯s you guys, then you were not involved in this?¡± Ji-san asked while eyeing the ninja like attire of the four wore. The men were masked in black clothing from head to toe ¨C their attire was that of ninjas. Even the way they moved and hid themselves was like ninjas.


    ¡°No, great elder. We have been asked by our clan head to investigate the site.¡±


    ¡°Well?¡± Ji-san probed.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.¡°What did you learn.¡± Ji-san asked irritably.


    ¡°The police officers have found traces of explosive fuel. This is not the handiwork of someone from our world.¡± The leader quickly revealed as Ji-san applied some extra killing-intent pressure.


    ¡°Ho¡­.so this is incident is unrelated to us.¡± Ji-san muttered as he was lost in his own thoughts. ¡°Well, then you boys should get back to your work. I have somewhere I need to be.¡±


    The men sighed in relief as Ji-san left them alone (and alive).


    ¡°Captain, who was that man?¡± The injured man asked as he clenched his teeth in pain while the Captain pulled out kunais from the injured man¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Argh¡­¡± The injured man moaned quietly, letting out no more than whisper when the kunai¡¯s were pulled out.


    The captain ignored his injured comrade and stared at the weapon in disbelief. ¡°We need to head back to the clan and report this matter to the clan head immediately!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The other three asked in unison. Their investigation had been interrupted in between, so naturally, they didn¡¯t want to leave till they completed their investigation. Every second that passed by the captain¡¯s face was being drained of his blood, them being left alive could only be explained as their good fortune. After a short pause the captain spoke again, ¡°That old man was the Old Sly Fox!¡±


    ¡°Whaaat!¡± The other three men exclaimed in shock.


    ¡°See the engraving on this kunai.¡± The captain showed his squad members. ¡°These are markings of the Old Sly Fox. If the Old Sly Fox is involved in this matter then the clan elder and head need to be informed immediately.¡±


    The three men nodded in agreement and they disappeared like a black blur.


    Part 2


    ¡°You had me worried, Ji-san.¡± Radcliff complained as he noticed the old man in the distance, slowly walking to the northern entrance. ¡°I thought you encountered some difficulty during your stroll.¡±


    ¡°Hohoho¡­.youngsters these days¡­. worrying about the elders¡­.such good manners.¡± Ji-san merrily replied.


    ¡°No, please stop joking around, Sir. I was only worried about my job.¡±


    ¡°So you say¡­.is this where they found her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ji-san. I compared both police and medic notes. The woman named Tsushima Sui, was found here. Her children were located lying twenty feet from here.¡±


    The expressions of the old man softened as he examined the dried puddle of blood on the ground. Ji-san knelt slightly as he touched the ground.


    ¡°Anything out of the unusual?¡± Ji-san asked as he examined the dried blood puddle carefully.


    ¡°Umm¡­.there are some police notes and references here about a pigeon which led the officers to the woman¡­.¡±


    ¡°A pigeon you say?¡± The old man asked with some amusement in his voice.


    ¡°Yes, a pigeon¡­.¡± Radcliff replied with a frown as he stared at images of the crudely written hand notes on his phone. ¡°That is what it says here¡­.maybe the officer was drunk?¡±


    Ji-san continued staring at the dried puddle of blood which belonged to Sui. It was in this exact spot Sui lay when she had fainted from loss of blood. ¡°Anything else?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Radcliff replied back.


    Ji-san slowly stood up and gazed at the surroundings.


    Radcliff could only frown as he tried to guess what the old man was looking for. More than that Radcliff was eager to know why the old man was interested in this matter. How was this woman, Tsushima Sui, related to the old man? Normally, the old man stayed out of mundane affairs such as this ¨C but this time it was different. The old man was abnormally interested in the terrorist act. Although, Radcliff was uncertain the old man could learn something new from a crime scene visited by hundreds of people before them. As per Radcliff, the old man was just foolishly wasting his time and trying to pass himself off as the next Sherlock Holmes. But still¡­.a nagging thought kept coming back to Radcliff, the old man did have an excellent nose when it came to looking for trouble¡­


    Unconsciously, Radcliff followed Ji-san¡¯s line of sight, as he stared at the shops in front of him, his brain unconsciously noticed something wrong with the shops behind him. Being a trained agent, Radcliff was trained to spot irregularities in situations and patterns. Radcliff continued staring at the shops for a while and then it struck him. His mouth opened slightly in astonishment. ¡°This¡­.¡±


    Ji-san had noticed the irregularity in the first glance. The two men were currently staring at the shops opposite the northern entrance to the park.


    ¡°Looks like you finally noticed.¡± Ji-san smirked.


    Radcliff nodded his head in agreement. He had been parked here for a whole five minutes and he didn¡¯t notice this big of an irregularity - all the shops in the vicinity suffered tremendous damage from the shockwave of the blast, as per the police report. The display windows of many shops shattered from the impact of the shockwave¡­yet here in front of the northern entrance there stood a single shop completely undamaged. Both shops on either side of it were in tatters¡­.yet this shop stood in mint condition as though it never here when the explosion happened. Nobody but these two men noticed this oddity because it was a completely irrelevant detail. After all what could a pristine condition shop possibly have to do with a terrorist act?


    ¡°How can this be?¡± Radcliff asked in disbelief. Radcliff silently walked up to the shop and tapped the glass as though he were inspecting the quality and make. Finally after some time he spoke up, ¡°This is ordinary glass¡­just like the other shops¡­.then how is it that it isn¡¯t destroyed?¡±


    Ji-san stayed silent, he could only piece the information in front of him.


    Could it really be coincidence that the only undamaged shop in the area also just happens to be the one that lay exactly behind Sui? Even if Sui acted as a barrier, preventing the shop from any damage¡­didn¡¯t Sui herself escape with minor injuries?


    Ji-san went back to examining the spot where Sui was found.


    Strange¡­the dust here is quite settled¡­unlike elsewhere¡­


    Suddenly the old man recollected his words at the hospital with a frown on his face;


    Truly a miraculous escape, eh?

 Chapter 10 - Too pathetic

    Part 1


    Get away from me you old hag!! I will turn you into a pile of dust if you don¡¯t let me go!!


    ¡°Ara ara, aren¡¯t you an active one. Don¡¯t fight your old obasan. Come now, your mother will be back soon. Please don¡¯t make your obasan cry. It is going to alright now.¡±


    I want my former woman servant back!! Are you listening to me!! I am your superior!!


    Geezz!! Service in the human realm is too pathetic. Is this any way to treat the Demon Lord?


    Why have I been dumped with this old woman servant called Obasan? Do you know how rough her hands are? Every time she pulls my cheeks, it hurts like crazy!! Why is she pulling my cheeks!!! Someone make her stop!! I want to go back to Okasan. She is much more responsible and caring. Plus she is soft ¨C her hands are soft. She even understands me to some degree.


    However, this old hag is nothing like Okasan ¨C oh this woman is looking for trouble. Hey don¡¯t leave me unattended!! Do you not know but there was an attack on my life recently! If you leave me unguarded how am I supposed to protect myself from a hoard of chimeras if they were to attack¡­.I am not sure if you yourself could do anything if a hoard of chimeras attacked¡­but at least they would eat you before they turn their attention to me¡­.you hear me!! Come back!!


    Tatsuya!!! Tomo!! Otusan!!! Okasan!! Anyone!! Just save me from his old hag!!


    I have many complaints against this woman called Obasan - even the magic sleeping potion she makes me drink from the bottle tastes disgusting.


    Part 2


    The Immortal Phoenix and I may have been separated by these wretched humans but I have faith in my General. The Immortal Phoenix may not come across as particularly intelligent but when he sets his mind on something, he will find a way around all obstacles that block his path ¨C he wasn¡¯t called General of the skies for nothing. It is kind of shocking though that he reincarnated in the body of an ordinary bird¡­.a pigeon.


    However, I am sure that with the help of a few magical items like monster cores, the immortal phoenix can recover his former glorious aura.


    Yes, in fact, I must keep this hope. After all, haven¡¯t I, the great Demon Lord, reincarnated in the body of a human? A human on his own cannot accomplish anything of significance. However, with the aid of a few magical tools, even a mere human villager can become a dangerous foe.  Once I acquire a few mana cores, I will be able to strengthen my human body. Although my body won¡¯t be comparable to the power I yielded as the Demon Lord it will definitely be stronger than the average human. Once I acquire a strong body and I am armed with powerful magical spells, like the one I witnessed yesterday, I am sure it will be more than enough power to drown all of humanity in torrential rains of their own blood!!


    That reminds me¡­.that magical spell from yesterday was quite destructive and powerful.


    Magic spells can be classified into different ranks depending upon their power; the more powerful the magic the higher the circle rating. The powerful explosion spell from yesterday must have been at least a three circle spell. No it may have been stronger, after all I only saw a small fraction of the explosion.  The difference between each rank of spell is the difference between heaven and earth.


    A single circle spell is only strong enough to create an evening breeze but a two circle spell is enough to destroy a small house. A three circle spell might be enough level a village. Three circles is the limit of an average human. And the first three circles are referred to as the human class magic.


    A four circle spell can set an entire forest ablaze.  A five circle spell can decimate an army of ten thousand humans.  The fourth and fifth circles are known as demon class magic. Most monsters and talented human mages would be capable of this class.


    After five circles, the mana consumption reaches astronomical levels. Only special creatures are able to use magic above the five circles. It was only because I was the Demon Lord, I was able to use a six circle spell. A six circle spell can change the entire landscape.  What the Hero used to counter me might be a seven circle or higher magic spell.  Six to eight circles are called divine class magic.


    A nine circle spell, is called Dragon Class. It is the absolute peak of power that a creature is capable of. This magic is exclusive to the Dragon¡¯s race. The magic transcends common sense, so trying to explain it in terms of destructive power is pointless ¨C let¡¯s just say it is too over powered and if you meet a dragon always be respectful.


    Magic spells above nine circles are considered God Class Magic. God Class magic can alter the laws of the universe. As the name suggests it is a power that only the Gods can wield. Monsters like the Ancient One considered are God Class¡­.I wondered if the Hero ever fought the Ancient One? The battle crazy Hero surely would have fought the Ancient One.


    Hehehe¡­I would have loved to see him fight the Ancient One.


    Who is the Ancient One?


    A monster amongst monsters, a creature that has existed since the dawn of time, a peerless being who is considered to be the God of the Nether Realm.


    Just thinking about the Hero confronting the Ancient One makes me tingly and giddy.


    When the Ancient One uses magic, dodge the attack as you cannot sense the mana congeal before the attack. It also leaves no mana residue.¡­


    Wait a minute¡­now that I think about it..Wasn¡¯t the attack in the forest just like that as well?


    I didn¡¯t sense an iota of mana congeal before the attack!! I knew my ability to sense mana was poor but it can¡¯t be that bad! To be able cast a four circle spell, the spell caster have had to gather high concentrations of mana ¡­.even after the explosion there was no mana residue¡­mana residue is the unused mana, it is the result of inefficient magic. It is mana but just feels dirty ¨C like old laundry. The higher the mana residue, the more inefficient the spell caster is considered. Example, if a human tried using dragon class magic, the mana would be entirely wasted and the output would be large chunks of residue. However, in yesterday¡¯s attack, I sensed no residue. Could it be that the magic in the human realm is more advanced than the Nether realm?


    Hmm¡­.that may explain why the Hero¡¯s spells were more powerful than mine.


    This matter will require further investigation in addition to the other matter ¨C who was it that attacked me in the forest? What were their motives? Could it be that my cover as the Demon Lord in the body of a human has been revealed?


    The day I step out for training, my retainers and I were attacked. Too good to be a coincidence.  However, the attacker was foolish to not ensure that they finished me off.  Thanks to the attacker¡¯s folly, I have been able to gain an unexpected ally. As a human baby, I cannot investigate this matter, but the Immortal Phoenix can easily infiltrate human settlement, passing off as a normal bird, and learn human secrets.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.Immortal Phoenix! Return back to¡­.


    Where is that idiot when you need him¡­


    Part 3


    Let me out! You hear me!! Let me out of this cage!!!


    ¡°We got a real fighter here.¡± A man carrying the cage spoke.


    ¡°You think it might be dangerous? Maybe we should put it down?¡± Another person in the truck suggested.


    ¡°Can¡¯t, officer said it is a pet bird. The officer said to keep it here till the family comes and collects it.¡±


    I am no pet bird!! I am the Immortal Phoenix!!  The Great General of the Skies!! How dare you lock me up with these other birds!!


    ¡°Coooo¡±


    Shooo!! Stupid bird!! Go away!!


    ¡°Coooo??¡±


    Hey what do you think you are doing????


    Stop preening me as you please!!


    Stop that!! That tickles!!


    WOAH!!! YOU DID NOT JUST PUT YOUR BEAK THERE, MISTER!!!


    *FLAP*


    Take that!! Hurricane force winds!!!


    *FLAP*


    *FLAP*


    *FLAP*


    ¡°Oh boy, this one is a feisty one, can¡¯t put him in a cage with other birds¡­.¡± The man said as he watched the two pigeons fight. ¡°Okay buddy, time to stop fighting¡­.HEY!!¡± The caretaker had opened the cage to separate the pigeon however to his utter shock ¨C he was attacked by the Immortal Phoenix. The bird General then took to flight and made his daring escape.


    AHA! I AM FREE!!!


    ¡°SHIT!! SAKAI! CLOSE THE DOOR!!¡±


    So long moronic human beings!


    Master wait for your faithful servant¡¯s return!! I am coming!!


    ¡­an hour later somewhere in Japan¡­.


    Where am I?


    Where is Master?


    Maaassttterr!!! Where are you??


    *Sob*


    ¡°Cooo. Cooo.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Not another stupid pigeon. Shoo stupid bird! Go away!


    Hey! Stop that!! This is molestation!


    Shooo!


    Masssterrr!!! Save me!!!


    Part 4


    It has been a week since the incident, I have not heard back from the Immortal Phoenix. That useless bird must be fooling around somewhere. When I get hold of him, I will strangle him to death. The silver lining to the end of the week has been that Okasan, the best servant, has returned to the castle! Yes, she is finally back! No more old hag!


    Okasan, welcome back! How are your injuries? Did you recover? Those human beings in white seemed to be healing arts specialist. But they didn¡¯t use mana to heal you otherwise your recovery would have been much faster.


    ¡°Ara ara ara¡­.so happy to see your mother again. Look Sui, Shin is welcoming you back home.¡± Obasan stopped speaking seeing the lifeless look in her daughter¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sui¡­¡±


    Okasan, quickly take me into your arms. I have complains against this old hag!! You have no idea, but she can actually remove her teeth!!! Do you know how weird and disgusting that is? I have had skeleton servants all my life and I have never seen something so disgusting as teeth with gums in a drinking glass!! I almost threw up¡­Okasan? Something doesn¡¯t feel right. Okasan, what is wrong?


    Okasan? Seeing no response from Sui, Shin then turned to look at Obasan. Even the old had wasn¡¯t moving. The atmosphere had turned very solemn and both women wore a vacant expression.


    Obasan?  Shin asked with worry and confusion spreading across his face. Why is every so.. quiet?


    Obasan stared at her daughter, how could she console her daughter? A parent should never have to watch their child die before them. Yet, her daughter just suffered the cruellest experience ever. How could she possibly console her?


    Part 5


    Obasan let me go!! I want to go to Okasan!


    Hey why are there so many people gathered here? Why is everyone wearing the same black coloured uniform? Why is no one talking? What is up with this heavy grave atmosphere?


    Okasan your eyes are leaking water¡­


    Tomo your eyes are leaking too¡­


    Obasan¡­what are they staring at¡­Obasan not you too!!


    They all are staring at a shrine? What¡¯s in the shrine? Show me, too!


    What is everyone staring at? What is so special about this shrine¡­.Tatsuya¡­it is a portrait of Tatsuya¡­.where is Tatsuya?


    Tomo, where is Tatsuya?


    This human body is really pathetic, why does my chest hurt. See, humans are really pathetic creatures; I have caught the infection and now my eyes too, are leaking water.


    I am sorry Xerxes-san, I am sorry Dracula¡­I am sorry my mighty Generals. I couldn¡¯t protect you all. This Demon Lord is just too pathetic; he doesn¡¯t have the strength to protect anything...


    I am sorry Tatsuya¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Shin-kun.¡± Tomo said as he wiped his tears away. He then went and hugged his baby brother. ¡°Big brother is here to protect you.¡±


    End of Volume 1


    X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X


    Author''s notes:


    1. Hope you enjoyed reading this volume of "The Demon Lord will have his revenge!"


    2. For some weird reason, I actually had tears writing this scene. >.< This is a first.

 Volume 1: Intermission 1

    Part 1


    ¡°Say aaaaa! Time to eat!!¡± Tatsuya said as he held up a bunch of crayons.


    Like hell I will eat those! Are you an idiot! Why are you trying to make the demon lord eat wax!!


    ¡°It is delicious, say aaaaah! Shin-kun¡± Tomo ¨Cchan repeated after this elder brother.


    Stop trying to stuff that into my mouth!! Okasan save me!!


    ¡°Boys! I hope you aren¡¯t bullying, Shin.¡± Sui spoke from the kitchen, hearing Shin wail.


    ¡°No Okasan!¡± Both brothers gleefully replied back in unison.


    ¡°Okasan, Shin, doesn¡¯t like to eat crayons.¡± Tomo then spoke.


    ¡°WHAT!?¡± Sui screamed from the kitchen.


    Tatsuya could be seen sneaking away from the vicinity.


    ¡°WHY would you try feeding a baby crayons!!!¡±


    ¡°Ni-san said babies like crayons.¡±


    ¡°TATSUYA!!!!¡± Sui¡¯s voiced roared in the house like a lion.


    Part 2


    ¡°Come on now, Shin-chan. Say Papa. Please make Otusan proud. Say papa¡­¡±


    ¡°Baka¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Papa¡­¡±


    ¡°Baka¡­¡±


    ¡°I must be hearing things¡­.¡±


    ¡°Baka baka baka¡­¡±


    ¡°SUI!! Come here!!! Our little Shin spoke his first word!!!¡±


    Sui excitedly rushed into the room. Saijo was kneeling in front of Shin.


    ¡°Shin-chan spoke!!¡± Saijo trembled with excitement as he stared at his youngest son fondly.  However, Sui was very skeptical this was the second time, someone said they heard Shin speak. Her left eyebrow was raised as she asked, ¡°Spoke?¡±


    ¡°Yes!! He spoke his first word!¡± Saijo continued. ¡°Come on Shin, say baka. Say baka again¡±


    Sui¡¯s face turned ugly when he heard what Saijo was trying to get Shin to say. ¡°What are you teaching my Shin!!¡± Sui roared angrily at her husband.


    Saijo immediately turned pale. ¡°I didn¡¯t teach him!! He said it!!! He said baka baka baka!!¡±


    Sui sighed as she looked at her husband who was currently cajoling a one year old to say baka. ¡°Honey, how is the stress at work?¡±


    ¡°#@!$!#%¡± Saijo cursed under his breath. ¡°I am telling you he said baka.¡±


    ¡°Otusan, his first word was Baka?¡± Tomo asked as he quietly slid into the room.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Of course¡­..¡± Saijo replied without hesitation.


    ¡°Ni-san!!! It worked!!! Shin said baka!!!¡± Tomo cried out as he ran in search for Tatsuya ¨C who went into hiding.


    Both parents stared at the distant running figure of Tomo and then stared at each other.


    ¡°TATSUYA!!!¡± Both parents angrily called out in unison.


    Part 3


    ¡°Niii-san!!¡± Tomo rushed into the room wailing. ¡°Niii-san!!¡±


    ¡°Tomo! What happened?¡±


    ¡°Niii-san!! The other children took my Choso!!!¡±


    ¡°Choso?¡± Tatsuya asked as he tried to recollect who or what was Choso.


    ¡°Niii-san!!!¡± Tomo cried out angrily. ¡°Choso!! The golden beetle you showed me!! The one in Okasan¡¯s jewelry box!!¡± Tomo tried to help Tatsuya remember.


    Tatsuya¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Choso¡­¡± As he remembered the gold trinket.


    ¡°hahaha¡­Tomo¡­one day you will be the cause of your Ni-san¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°Ni-san why are you climbing out of the window?¡± Tomo asked curiously.


    ¡°Tomo, remember, you did not see my climb out of the window.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tomo wondered what his brother meant by that.


    ¡°TOMO!!! TATSUYA!!!!¡± Sui¡¯s voice ripped through the house. ¡°WHY IS MY JEWELRY BOX LYING OPEN ON MY BED!!¡±


    Part 4


    ¡°Ni-san¡­.¡± Tomo looked at this elder brother with concern, as he held the first aid box in his hands. ¡°Ni-san, will it really be okay not to tell Otusan and Okasan?¡±


    Tatsuya simply nodded. ¡°It will be okay. ¡° He answered as he took out anti-septic from the first aid box and began applying them on his cut knees.  Tatsuya was covered in small cuts and bruises, dirt and grime ¨C clear evidence of fighting.


    *Aaaah!!!*


    ¡°It burns!!¡± Tatsuya grumbled.


    Tomo looked at his brother worryingly. ¡°Should I call Okasan?¡± Tomo asked with worry.


    Tatsuya mustered his courage. ¡°See it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ni-san.¡± Tomo spoke after examining his brother¡¯s disinfected wound.


    ¡°Eh? What are you saying thank you for? Weren¡¯t those children bullying you?¡± Tatsuya asked as he roughed up his younger brother¡¯s head. ¡°It is a big brother¡¯s job to protect his younger brother.¡±


    Tomo silently nodded as tears welled up in his eyes .


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Tomo.¡± Tatsuya said as he hugged his brother. ¡°Big brother is here to protect you."

 Volume 1: Intermission 2

    Part 1


    I have steadily become accustomed to the human language and have begun understanding bits of it. There is much that I don¡¯t understand but I am certain once I receive formal education, I will be able to converse fluently. Previously, my tongue didn¡¯t move as I wanted it to and I also lacked teeth, this made it difficult to speak. However, now I am able to say the most basic of words¡­.


    ¡°Shin-chan, meet Momo-chan.¡± Tomo introduced his ¡®friend¡¯.


    There is a big frown spreading across my face as I stare at Tomo¡¯s friend. I am staring at the empty space to which Tomo is pointing to. I cannot see anyone. A shadow assassin? This is truly difficult for me to accept, am I so untalented that I cannot see a single friend of Tomo¡¯s? Tomo brings over many invisible ¡®friends¡¯ to meet me. I understand that I am in need of strong allies¡­.however how is it that Tomo can see them but I cannot? This is frustrating, how am I supposed to greet this, Momo, if he stays invisible? I get it he is a strong creature but to stay invisible when being introduced is just rude.


    ¡°Shin-chan!¡± Tomo looked at me disdainfully. ¡°You are being rude to our guest.¡±


    It is now or never, even if I can¡¯t see Momochan, I cannot offend the sixth shadow assassin that Tomo has brought over. I need more powerful servants at my command.


    ¡°Kon¡­ ni¡­ chi¡­ wa¡± I unsteadily greet the invisible guest that my servant has brought back today. I even bowed slightly ¨C last time I didn¡¯t bow and apparently Tomo¡¯s friend left in anger. However, I can¡¯t afford to offend Tomo¡¯s friends. Like I said before I need powerful allies. That said, I can¡¯t believe I, the Demon Lord, have been reduced to this lowly state¡­.to be bowing to a creature of lower status than me¡­


    For some reason Tomo is astounded and begins clapping.


    ¡°Momo-chan, says he is pleased to me you.¡±


    Eh? How come I didn¡¯t hear anything? Did he whisper it?


    I continue staring at the thin air ¨C I don¡¯t feel any variation in air currents ¨C a creature which has mastered the art of invisibility. It is almost as if there is nothing beside Tomo. If Tomo didn¡¯t tell me where Momochan was I would have never guessed that there was a third person in the room.


    ¡°Okay Shin, Momo and I are going to school. Bye!¡±


    Wait! Is that it? What kind of stupid introduction is this? What about Momochan swearing his allegiance to me?


    Part 2


    Hmm¡­.today there are a lot of men, wearing blue uniform, in our house. Otusan for once is acting like the head servant and ordering other humans around. Normally, Otusan is so meek and timid, it almost makes me want to puke thinking such a weak human is my servant.


    These men, new servants, have brought along with them a lot of brown boxes. They are packing and taking away all the furniture in our castle.  Tomo seems to be happily helping them out but I am sure he is adding to their work. Someone stop that stupid child servant of mine from creating such a ruckus. It is slightly frustrating that everything I am familiar too is being removed without explanation.


    ¡°Out-san¡± I call out to my servant.


    Otusan looks at Shin fondly. ¡°What is it Shin-chan.¡±


    I point to the boxes, as I don¡¯t know what the human word for them is.


    Otusan smiles at me as he sees me point to the boxes. Really, why are you smiling? Are you an idiot? Do you understand me or not?


    ¡°Does Shin-chan, want to know what these boxes are for?¡± Otu san asks with a stupid voice.


    I simply nod my head.


    ¡°We are moving! Aren¡¯t you excited.¡± Otu-san asks me excitedly.


    I stare back silently at this stupid man unsure how to reply.


    ¡°Why?¡± I ask.


    For a moment I see a hint of sadness flash across Otusan¡¯s face. However, it was only for a brief moment. Otusan looks at me and says, ¡°I was thinking this house was getting too small. Doesn¡¯t Shin-chan want to move to a bigger house?¡±


    A bigger castle? Now that you say it, bigger is always better? Sure why not¡­.but why do I get the feeling I am being lied to? I decide not to pursue this line of questioning. I don¡¯t care much about how my servants handle domestic affairs. If we are moving I am sure there is a reason.


    ¡°It will be delivered in three days. I need you to sign here.¡± The man in blue uniform said. ¡°Here is your receipt.¡± The man said as he tore a piece of paper and handed it to Otusan.


    The core of the castle looks a lot bigger now that everything has been removed. It also feels empty¡­what is this emotion I am feeling. Ah! Forget it.


    About an hour later or so, I see Otusan searching for something all over the house.


    ¡°Shin-chan, have you seen your brother?¡± Otusan asks me.


    ¡°Tomochan?¡±  I shook my head sideways ¨C the human way to say ¡®no¡¯ as taught by Tomo.


    Otusan¡¯s smile disappears as he begins to panic.


    ¡°Tomo?¡± Otusan calls out. ¡°TOMO!!!¡±


    ¡°Tomo!¡± I call out as well. Stupid servant come out, Otusan is looking for you.


    Where could he be hiding? There isn¡¯t any place to hide, there is no furniture. Just empty rooms¡­


    Otusan has a worried expression across his face.  Otusan begins murmuring something about Okasan finding out. I am not surprised Otusan is afraid of Okasan ¨C she can be very fierce at times ¨C sometimes as the Demon Lord, I too feel frightened.


    Calm down, old fool. I am sure he has just gone outside. When I was ten years old, I used to lead armies into battlefields¡­.


    *TRING!!*


    *TRING!!*


    *TRING!!*


    The magic communication begins to ring.


    Otusan hurriedly answers it. ¡°WHAT! Packed away in a box? I will be there right away.¡±


    Otusan grabs me and rushes out the castle¡­Hey put me down!!! Is this any way to carry the Demon Lord!!!


    Eventually, we did find Tomochan. He had tagged a ride with the men wearing blue uniform.  Otusan was really relieved to find Tomochan. I don¡¯t know why these adult servants worry so much about the young ones. In the nether realm, all young beings have to look after themselves.


    See, what did I tell, you stupid fool¡­.everything is alright¡­.no need to worry.


    Otusan, then bought us this magically cooled food which humans call ¡®ice cream¡¯,  as a way to appease us. He then begged us not to make mention of today¡¯s episode to Okasan.


    I stare at this ¡®ice cream¡¯ suspiciously. There are many things I am still not allowed to eat ¨C mostly I am restricted to soft food ¨C I guess that is because I am a baby? I steal a glance at Tomo who was demolishing his ice cream. Is it something that delicious?


    I take a small bite¡­.


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    THIS!!!


    WHAT IS THIS COOL YET ENCHANTINGLY SWEET FLAVOUR!!


    This creamy texture, yet so milky¡­.


    Fufufufufufu, this ice cream is a true delicacy. It is cold and sweet ¨C very refreshing on a hot sunny day. I am surprised with the advancement humans have made in the culinary world. It surpasses the taste of food in the nether realm by leagues! What¡¯s more this ice cream is soft! Perfect for the baby me!


    Otusan, you have done well to introduce me to this culinary masterpiece. I will no longer consider you as a stupid old fool. Just fool.


    Okasan returned home later in the evening and she began preparing some yuck soft food. However, after tasting heaven who would want to go back to that sh*t.


    ¡°Ice-cream!¡± I declared. I will eat nothing but ice cream for dinner!!


    Okasan stared at me suspiciously. She then began asking all sorts of questions like where I ate ice cream. Why did Otusan buy Tomo and me ice cream. Remember, I said Okasan can get very scary when she is angry. That night, Okasan transformed into a terrifying demon. I didn¡¯t know humans could transform. When faced with such a frightful demon, I caved in. I didn¡¯t hide much from her.


    Sorry, Otusan, I told her nearly everything in my broken Japanese¡­.but this isn¡¯t my fault! Okasan is just too scary!! Just to make it clear that I am not a snitch, it was Tomo who told her the finesse details. Technically, I did not break the promise.


    Scary, Okasan has an overwhelming aura and power. It is something that can be compared to my former aura as the Demon Lord. Okasan is too scary!! Thankfully, the one face her ire was not me but Otusan. To be on the safe side, I stopped making demands for ice cream and happily ate the disgusting baby food.


    That night, for some reason, Otusan slept on the floor.


    Part 3


    Today, we are moving to the new castle and right now, we are riding the magical transportation vehicle.


    As I look outside the window, I am continuously being shocked by the progress humans have made. I have seen this all before but never paid attention to it. The humans have built countless tower like castles which pierce into the sky. And there are so many magical transportation vehicles of varying sizes.


    And there are so many humans clustered in this one city. Just seeing so many new things is making my head spin¡­.it may also be spinning because of the stupid song Tomo is singing.


    Seriously, stop singing! That song is driving me nuts!!!


    ¡°This is the song that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friend. Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was, and they''ll continue singing it forever just because...


    This is the song that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friend. Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was, and they''ll continue singing it forever just because...


    This is the song that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friend. Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was, and they''ll continue singing it forever just because...¡±


    I don¡¯t understand the song, but is there no end to his singing?


    I try my best to ignore Tomo, by focusing on the changing scenery¡­.we are leaving the city behind and moving through farmlands, and lush green open spaces. Normally, long journeys are dangerous and humans travel in caravans¡­.at least that is how I remember it. However, we have only come across domesticated animals but no monsters. I wonder if the humans have purged along the path to make the journey safe.


    The more I understand humans of this age, the more astonished I become.  How far have they advanced since my death? Magical communication devices which can communicate over vast distances, culinary dishes that will make my mouth drool uncontrollably, magical vehicles which travel at the same speed as white eagles and building towers which pierce into the sky. Just thinking about these facts makes me realize that my conquest to destroy humanity may not progress as quickly as I had hoped.


    Part 4


    ¡°This is our new home.¡± Otusan said as he hugged Okasan.


    Everyone is all in smiles, I don¡¯t understand why.


    I am staring at the castle with a bit of disappointment. Isn¡¯t this too small?


    It is only two storeys tall ¨C our last castle was so many storeys high that it nearly touched the sky.


    Compared to our last castle this seems to be much smaller.


    Also this castle is located in the countryside, not in the city.


    It is almost as though we have downgraded.


    In the nether realm, to be living in the country side or city was an indication of one¡¯s wealth and affluence. Only the wealthy stayed in the city. Don¡¯t tell me we are financially broke and could no longer afford to live in the city. If I think about it like this, it all makes sense why everyone is smiling. At least we are not living on the streets. Things could have been much worse.


    I guess this place is not so bad.


    The air smells fresher than it did in the city ¨C as expected.


    The countryside also looks cleaner¡­and greener.


    I guess it isn¡¯t so bad¡­.


    MAASSSSSTTTTTTEEERRR!!!


    Huh? Immortal Phoenix? You are here?


    Master!! I HAVE FOUND YOU AT LONG LAST!!


    A pigeon descended from the skies and perched itself on Shin¡¯s shoulder. It then began rubbing its head against Shin¡¯s cheek. The pigeon was covered in grime and missing feathers in various places. Shin¡¯s parents were shocked at the sight. At first they thought the bird was attacking Shin. However, seeing it act like this ¨C neither parent was certain what the weird bird was doing. Thankfully, Tomo was running wild, exploring the new house. If he had seen the pigeon on Shin, he would have died of envy.


    This loyal servant of yours has been looking everywhere where for you!!


    *SOB*


    You have no idea what all this loyal servant of yours has gone through!!


    *SOB*


    The birds in the human realm have no manners, Massssttteerr!!


    Ugh, this guy¡­.I was wondering where he went¡­to think I would find him here. Isn¡¯t this really far from the city? How did he even end up here?

 Chapter 11: The Ancient One

    Part 1


    A thousand years before the Demon Lord was slain.


    Located in a lush green forest, which covered several mountains. Currently, the valley is echoing with these sounds¡­.


    ¡°Ahhnnn! Ahnnnn! Ahnnn! Yes! More!! More!! Yes!! Yess!!! Yes!!¡±


    Currently those were the sounds coming from the lair of the Ancient almighty dragon.


    However, just before the climax was reached¡­.The wind began howling violently throughout the cave. The clear sky disappeared and lightening flashed continuously, a storm brewed up in an instant, and the waves of the ocean began crashing against the shores incessantly.


    The dragon, who was currently in his humanoid form ¨C ceased all sexual activities. He could sense an uninvited being had broken through his barrier and was now in his lair.


    ¡°Who is there?¡± The dragon shouted out, while still on top of a female elf.


    Suddenly the dragon went flying off the woman and hit the walls of the cave.


    ¡°EEEEEEEkkkkkh!!¡± The female elf screamed ¨C in fright and in pain. The speed at which ¡®it¡¯ was pulled out was too much for the elf.


    ¡°Perverted Moron! At least have the decency to ask the question after getting off (and out) the woman.¡± An icy voice rang throughout the cave.


    The ancient almighty dragon appeared to be frightened as he heard those words. He recognized that voice. Has she finally come for me?


    ¡°Still perverted as ever ¨C as I can see. Which one is she? Your thousandth or ten thousandth concubine?¡± The woman asked. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I ever fell for someone as stupid as you.¡±


    A woman appeared in the dragon lair. Her skin was pale as white jade, and long purple wavy hair ran down her back. She was extremely beautiful but gave off an extremely icy and cold feeling.  If she were to look at any man, they would instantly turn into ice. Her voice was extremely rich and ancient. The woman looked like a human but not a human ¨C for how could such a perfect human ever exist?


    The almighty ancient dragon slowly stood up. His rib bones were broken.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± He angrily asked.


    The woman flicked her finger and the dragon fell crouching in pain ¨C he was grabbing his groin as though someone had stomped on it.


    ¡°Ero-dragon! Why is that damned thing still standing! At least have the decency to cover it!¡±


    There were tears in the almighty dragon¡¯s eyes. The most powerful creature of this relam was reduced to such a miserable state.


    The elf woman seeing all this is shocked ¨C but quickly recovers and while in bed shouts out, ¡°Leave him alone! Don¡¯t bully Ai-chan!¡±


    The woman glared at the elf with an enormous killing intent as though she would devour the woman up entirely.


    ¡°EEEEkkh!¡± The elf screams and hides under the blanket. This elf was the current crown princess of the elf race.


    ¡°Why are you here.¡± The ancient dragon asks in an angry tone ¨C as he finally recovers from the pain.


    The woman moves her finger and the ancient dragon went flying through the air, till he slammed against another wall of his lair. Upon impact, the entire mountain began to tremble. The dragon¡¯s nose began to bleed; had it not been for his pride ¨C he would have been howling in pain a long time ago.


    ¡°Manners! You dare speak to me like that!¡±


    The dragon somehow managed to pull himself out of the wall ¨C there was an impression of him left in the wall.


    ¡°Honey, my sweet lovely cutsie pie, why have youuuuu¡­¡­¡±


    The dragon smashed against the floor this time.


    ¡°You baka-dragon! You have the brains of a lizard! When I say don¡¯t speak to me like that ¨C you become a perverted lizard. Is that the only other way of speaking you know? Seriously, what did I see in you that night!!


    ¡°Is this revenge for cheating on you?¡± The dragon meekly asked as he was being pressed against the ground by an invisible pressure.


    ¡°You really are a stupid lizard. I can¡¯t believe we even did it and then you went and cheated on me with a measly human¡­..a human¡­.¡± As she recalled, her heart was stirred once again by various emotions and she then grew angrier ¨C thus increasing the pressure on the dragon. The crater in which the dragon lay, increased in depth.


    The dragon groaned in pain. He could barely sit up, let alone stand up. ¡°I am sorry. Please just let me get up.¡± The invisible pressure which had been steadily increasing, withdrew slightly. However, the dragon was still kissing the ground.


    ¡°Please, tell me why you have come here.¡± The ancient dragon asked.


    After a thoughtful pause, the extremely arrogant (and powerful) woman finally lets the ancient dragon get up.  The woman had been holding something in her arms. Her angry rigid face softened as she tenderly stared at what she was holding. It was a baby enveloped in a crystal.


    ¡°Baby sitting duties¡± She said. ¡°I am going to a spa in the celestial world with my friends and needed someone to look after him.  Unfortunately, due to various circumstances all my servants are on leave. Other than you, I couldn¡¯t think of anyone else to watch over him¡­.It is only for a day that you need to look after him.¡±


    ¡°A spa in the celestial world? ¡­a single celestial day? Isn¡¯t that nearly a thousand years in this realm?¡± The Ancient dragon angrily spoke out at the maiden¡¯s unreasonable request. In effect, she was asking him to look after the baby for a thousand years! ¡°Why should I look after him? Ask his father too look after him!!¡± The Ancient dragon began complaining in dread. If he had to look after a baby ¨C then what about all his past time activities?


    ¡°Useless trash!¡± The woman shouted and whacked the Ancient almighty dragon to one side. ¡°You are the father!¡±


    The Ancient dragon was stupefied. His eye soften for a second then his face becomes rigid. ¡°My child? My child???  Wait¡­this isn¡¯t¡­¡­this can¡¯t be!¡± Dragon spoke as though he were too horrified to admit the truth.


    The woman looked at the like she is going to erupt. ¡°You stupid lizard. It is our child. This is the result of that stupid thousand year meteor shower night¡­.¡±


    ¡°this is¡­.the result of that night?¡± He meekly asked in shock.


    The princess elf was also shocked as well when she heard the news. ¡°You cheat!!¡± The elf princess cried out. ¡°Wasn¡¯t, the thousand year meteor shower night our first date!!! To think you were doing it with another woman that night!¡±


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    Without waiting for an explanation the elf princess rushed out of the Dragon¡¯s lair. Before the Dragon could call out to the elven princess and give an explanation, he was flung aside by a powerful force. The Ancient Dragon winced in pain. The woman with purple hair, wore an extremely satisfied smile.


    ¡°Hmph! Serves you right! You cheat!¡± She said with a smirk. The woman was only being sarcastic ¨C she knew the truth. Being an ancient dragon, he had existed in this realm for countless years and the reference was to a night thousands of years before her met elven princess. However, the elven princess did not know the true age of her lover¡­which led to her misunderstanding of the situation.


    ¡°Now hold your son¡± The woman ordered the ancient dragon. She kissed the crystal enclosing the baby and then flew into the stormy clouds. ¡°Remember one celestial day. If I come back and don¡¯t find him alive ¨C you are dead.¡±


    The Ancient dragon stared stupidly at the woman ascending into the heavens and then at his son.


    I swear upon my name as the Ancient One, I will never make love with another divine being again ¨C the Ancient Dragon swore to himself whilst filled with regret.


    Part 2


    Towering deep blue mountains peered down on the vast expanse below. Where the mountains ended, a great yellow savannah plain began. Beneath the azure blue skies, the lush gold savannah spread out, like a majestic carpet, across the lands. However, the problem with this picturesque landscape was the freshness of the air. To be more precise, the air had stagnated and dark foreboding clouds began to gather above the savannah.


    War was upon on this land, at the opposite ends of the savannah were two great armies.


    One army which originated from the desolate plains consisted of all sorts of monsters, ranging from Orcs to goblins to Trolls to Ogres to Dark Elves. These were the readily identifiable monsters ¨C there were many more which no one had seen before ¨C a sabretooth tiger the size of an elephant. A six tusked, four ears and 3 eye elephant like monster which was as big as a mini-hill, a lizard longer than the longest snake of this world¡­..where did such monsters come from? And these monsters which could be seen at the front line were just ordinary foot soldiers of the Demon Empire.


    The other army which originated from the lush green plains and boundless flowing rivers were armies of the living and ¡®goodness¡¯.


    The humans made up for the largest of the living races. The humans, with their attire ranging from simple mage clothing to white knight armour. Some humans were on foot and some on horses. The humans easily made up for the majority of the forces. Amidst all the humans, there were pockets of proud elves that could be seen (those who swore allegiance to the humans), adorned in gold armour, riding their white stallions. There were also pockets of short muscular dwarves, clad in thick steel battle armour, riding warthogs. Lastly, the scant number of beastmen could be seen; they wore nothing more than fur clothing. However, it suited them just fine given their wild nature. The beastmen had the highest physical endurance amongst all the races and it would hurt their pride to ride a ¡®fellow¡¯ animal. There were many other minority races present in this united army. However, they are too insignificant to describe.


    This was a war between the Demons and the Humans. Many of the other races cared too little to help in the war, which is why few of the other races appeared in this war. In these matter, the other races believed it would be best if the humans perished ¨C not everyone thought like this. However, such people were few and hence their representation in the entire scale of war was tiny.


    The armies met with a bang, the sound of sword¡¯s clashing rang throughout the valley and plains. The armies hit each other with unimaginable force. The ground trembled with the intensity of the battle. Carrions dared the rain of arrows and hovered close by, waiting for the battle to end. It was to be a feast for them; corpses of the soldiers.


    The battlefield was consumed in chaos. The sky was lit with hundreds of flaming fireballs and arrows only to be extinguished by the magical rains right before they reached their destination. The obnoxious and intoxicating gases settled in, the fumes of anger, hatred, despair meddled with the minds of the warriors. This was the raging Battle of the Plains ¨C a battle that would go down in history. It was the finale between good and evil.


    Part 3


    Humanity had always been plagued by monsters such as ogres, trolls and orcs. However, this might be the last such war. Two hundred years ago, the human¡¯s discovered the ¡°Gate¡± ¨C the rip in space and time through which monsters appeared. With great difficulty the human armies managed to reach the ¡°Gate¡±. If mankind won the war here¨C humans would forever get rid off the endless waves of demons. The demonic army currently standing at the ¡°Gate¡± was the last line of defense ¨C if humans prevailed this would truly be the end of the monsters.


    In the process of reaching the ¡°Gate¡±, countless lives were lost and the final army which reached the gate was no more than a hundred thousand soldiers.


    A ratio of 1:100 ¨C against the enemy they were fighting. The humans were clearly disadvantaged. Yet, despite the overwhelming disadvantage, the war was proceeding in their favour. It wasn¡¯t that the demonic monsters / warriors were weak but the humans were too powerful! Humanity brought out their most elite forces ¨C an army consisting of only Heroes!


    ¡®Heroes¡¯ have continuously appeared across the lands and across the ages.  They help humanity whenever it has been in dire straits; whether it was battle against monsters or tyrannical rulers. There have been unfathomable number of heroes.


    The typical qualities a Hero must possess are kindness, compassion, justness etc. However, beyond those superficial reasons, anyone who fought for the sake of humanity and was overwhelmingly more powerful than a group of ten expert warriors would be considered as a Hero. Based on these criteria alone, hundreds of thousands of humans would qualify to be honoured with the title of that of a Hero.


    However, even amongst Heroes, their strength varied. There were those who were just martial arts experts who reached the peak of their field through sheer hard work. They were awarded rank D. Then there were those talented individuals who without working hard could triumph against rank D without any effort. They were rank C. But neither of these heroes could use magic. Those which can use magic ¨C even if it is only a one-circle spell would be considered above them. The rankings from C to A were based on innate magic power and raw strength. However, this was not the end of the rankings. Those blessed by the Gods, would stand above them ¨C the lowest of them were ranked S, then SS, then SSS. Even the weakest of the blessed could wipe out a thousand soldiers with a flick of their finger.


    However, this was also not at the top of the pyramid, above these all, stood yet another level - monsters of humanity, freaks of nature¨C four individuals which were given the title K,Q,J & X (They were also known as Generals). The gap in strength between a blessed human and them was enormous. These weren¡¯t merely a title but also their names and their identity. These four positions weren¡¯t always occupied, only a title which was handed out when there was someone who met the strength requirements and could defeat the former title holder.


    The Generals were considered as the pillars of humanity and no one reigned above them¡­.that is till ¡®he¡¯ appeared ¡­..a person who appeared out nowhere five years ago, a true Hero worth writing fables and legends about¡­


    He was only twenty years old when he made his debut as a Hero, he was treated as anomaly.


    A being, considered not from this realm but from another, a being blessed by all Gods and Goddesses that presided in heaven, a human that carried the burden of all of humanity, an individual, who made it possible for humanity to rapidly progress this far in the war against demons. There had never been a monster like him and there may never be one. Even the four Generals looked up to this individual, as their strength paled in comparison to his¡­.


    He went by many titles and many names; however someone of the well-known titles were the Grand Hero, Supreme Commander of the Human Armies and War God.


    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


    Author''s Notes:


    Alright! Let''s start volume 2!


    Slight change in the order of things!

 Chapter 12: The Heros version of the story (Part 1)

    Part 1


    ¡°Die demons!¡± A young man¡¯s voice cried out. The man wore a white flat mask over his face, concealing his identity. The only visible facial feature was that he had light brown hair.  He wore simple leather armour and carrier a staff. As he cried out his will, his staff grew brighter and brighter, till he unleashed a magical spell. In an instant, several hundred soldiers of the Demon Empire fell to the ground.


    ¡°This is going to be an easy battle!¡± the young man cried out. His cry was accompanied by the cheering of several hundred soldiers who stood beside him. This man had the charisma to lead men into battle in high spirits even though they were numbered 1:100.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky, General ¡®K¡¯.¡± A voice cut through all the cheering of the soldiers, silencing them immediately.


    ¡°¡¯X?¡¯¡± The man in the white mask spoke as he turned around to address the individual who poured cold water over his soldier¡¯s morale.


    This individual ¡®X¡¯ wore a similar attire to that of ¡®K¡¯, except his mask was red.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± K asked indignantly. ¡°I thought you were at the eastern ridge¡­.is everything okay? Is there any trouble on the eastern ridge? Do you need my assistance?¡±


    Individual, X, was indeed a colleague of K. However, the aura that he carried around him was malicious and filled with killing intent. The soldiers stared at X warily. He just suddenly appeared beside their General K. Did he fly down? Or walk past them? Which even it was ¨C it happened too quickly for them to even realize that there was someone standing next to their General.


    At first the soldiers drew out their weapons ready to kill the mysterious figure, however seeing their General talk to the mysterious man in such a friendly manner stupefied them.  Could this be another General? Most of the Heroes had never seen another General in person ¨C unless they belonged to that General¡¯s regiment.


    X shook his head, ¡°Trouble?¡± X began laughing. ¡°Why would I need the assistance of a stupid human!¡±


    K sighed as he realized that X had probably finished his end of the siege and came here to brag.


    ¡°Then stop, wasting my time.¡± K said as he began to prepare another spell.


    Just as K was about to release another spell, X appeared in front of him and with a single word annihilated the army in front of them ¨C meteors fell from the sky. Immediately, wiping off the demonic army from the face of the continent.


    The scene left too big of an impression on the minds of the soldiers. Till now, all soldiers believed that their General was the strongest creature on the continent ¨C however that silly thinking was swept aside by the scene of destruction that unfolded before them. This ¡®General X¡¯, who normally never made an appearance before the masses, unleashed a level ten circle spell with a single word ¨C effortlessly.


    To the average Heroes ¨C these Generals were just monsters, far more frightening than the demon armies.


    K frowned at the sight of the meteor shower. ¡°We must conserve are strength!¡± He complained.


    ¡°We have to wait till the Demon Lord appears.¡±


    ¡°This is the matter, which I came for.¡± X replied. ¡°The Demon Lord has appeared.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± K shouted out in shock; his hand trembled slightly. This was the moment he had been waiting for. Once the Demon Lord is defeated, peace would return to this world. ¡°Are you telling me the truth?¡±


    There was mistrust between these two individuals.


    ¡°Heh? Believe what you want. You should also know, Q and J are battling him right now.¡± X casually spoke ¨C while his hands gestured he didn¡¯t give a damn.


    K swore under his breath. ¡°You should have told me sooner.¡±


    In a single jump, K was several meters up in the air. He quickly surveyed the surroundings and landed back down. ¡°He appeared by the valley¡­¡± K muttered.


    ¡°Quickly! We must support the right flank! We will intercept the demonic armies and begin our counter from there!¡± K shouted out as he began to run towards the location of the Demon Lord.


    The soldiers hurriedly followed after their ¡®General¡¯.


    Only X stayed behind and watching the hurriedly marching troops ¨C ¡°Ara, ara¡­.Is there any point of us  even being present. As long as ¡®He¡¯ is present, our presence is not even required.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Come on!¡± K shouted back to X as he rushed forth towards the valley.


    Part 2


    The sun was setting, painting the entire sky in a tinge of blood crimson. As the winds blew, they picked up the stench of death along with them, for the ground was littered with mountains of corpses. As far as the eye could see, there were corpses of footsoldiers littered across the vast expanse. A thousand? No, maybe a 100,000 corpses? It was closer to ten million demon corpses.


    Was this the work of two armies battling? No.


    This was the work of a single individual, the Grand Hero, annihilating an entire army. From the moment the Demon Lord appeared to now, barely ten minutes had passed ¨C however in those ten minutes, the entire demonic army had been massacred.


    Those low levelled soldiers who were witness to this massacre stared at the ¡®Grand Hero¡¯ in awe and fright. Even the Generals Q and J, who were struggling to hold the defense lines after the appearance of the Demon Lord, stood silently with their jaws wide open in shock.


    Even General K, who just arrived at the battlefield stood in shock as he witnesses the mountains of corpses. Although, the Generals knew the Grand Hero was strong ¨C they never expected him to be so OP.


    Is this guy, even human? Don¡¯t tell me, he had been hiding his strength all along! X thought to himself bitterly. He knew that he was not needed for the battle against the Demon Lord ¨C but finishing the entire battle in less than ten minutes? Isn¡¯t that too ridiculous? How am I to carry out the Emperor¡¯s mission now?


    Everyone, present and witness, was intimated by the Grand Hero. An ultimate expert in the art of killing. The Grand Hero¡¯s strength surpassed the other four General¡¯s strength combined. His magic power rivalled that of a hundred dragons. A few minutes after the Demon Lord appeared, the Grand Hero executed a hundred meteor shower spells, several unclassified and never seen before spells and hundreds of mini tornadoes at the demonic army ¨C all at the same time. If that wasn¡¯t impressive enough, he used a spell which had the power of a nuclear bomb. A bright light flashed throughout the savannahs and the war was over.


    Instant K.O.


    The only creature left alive was the Demon Lord ¨C alive if you would count that he was barely breathing, his body was burnt and his skin was peeling off. He was even missing his lower half of the body.


    The Grand Hero silently walked over to the dying Demon Lord.


    ¡°What are you?¡± The Demon Lord cried out using every ounce of strength he had. The Demon Lord¡¯s voice expressed his fear of this ¡®monster¡¯.


    His opponent stood quietly watching the dying Demon Lord. He then silently placed his hand on the Demon Lord¡¯s skull and picked him up.


    ¡°Me? I am a battle loving maniac.¡± The Grand Hero replied.


    ¡°Hehehe..¡± The Demon Lord began laughing softly as blood his throat. ¡°You are the same as Master¡­.¡± The Demon Lord spoke softly.


    ¡°Master?¡± The Hero asked in surprise.


    ¡°Did you think I am the real Demon Lord? My master would never take a step in this pathetic world¡­Aaarghhhh¡± A blood curling scream filled the skies and the demon lord fell to the ground ¨C lifelessly. His skull had been crushed into pulp.


    Nobody heard the conversation between the Hero and the fake demon lord. Nobody spoke a word ¨C everyone was too scared to say anything.


    ¡°Too weak¡±, the Grand Hero muttered.


    The soldiers who stood behind him felt their jaws hitting the ground ¨C the Demon Lord was too weak? Mankind¡¯s worst enemy was too weak for him? The Demon Lord had successfully killed three of the four previous Generals and this was when the four former Generals were working together.


    ¡°Tch¡­.¡± The Grand Hero was frustrated; even the strongest enemy of this realm was too weak for him. The Grand Hero did not fight for humanity ¨C he fought because he enjoyed it. There was an excitement in fighting the strong. An indescribable feeling of ecstasy which he could no longer feel ¨C because he stood at the peak of this world.


    ¡°Take care of things here¡­¡± The Grand Hero ordered the four Generalsas he began walking towards the ¡°Gate¡±.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Q asked while still in a daze. She had strong feelings for the God of War however because they had always been battling at the front lines she had never spoken them. She held back ¨C promising herself to speak her true emotions when the war ended. However, the way the war ended left too big of an impression on everyone¡¯s mind. And so at that moment she was too stunned to speak.


    The Grand Hero turned around and looked at Q. He was a bit thick-headed when it came to things like emotions and love. Without thinking about it a second time, he thoughtlessly replied, ¡°I am going to the other side of the Gate¡­.¡±


    After saying that much the Grand Hero, walked right through the rip in space and time.


    The battle maiden, fell to the ground seeing her love disappear into the Gate.


    Everyone was too stunned by the scene ¨C except for X. The moment the Grand Hero disappeared, he unleashed multiple spells destroying the Gate.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± J asked, as he threw a punch at X.


    X dodged the punch and continued destroying the Gate. ¡°Carrying out his Majesty¡¯s wish! We must destroy the Gate! If the Grand Hero wants to go to the other side that is not our problem! We have are orders! Now destroy the Gate!¡±


    Hesitantly, General K and General J joined X and launched spells to destroy the Gate as well.


    The stunned, General Q could only cry bitterly as she watched the ¡°Gate Collapse¡±


    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


    Author''s notes:


    Slight change in the order of things! Gomenasai!

 Chapter 13: The Heros version of the story (Part 2)

    Part 1


    What kind of stupid Demon Lord would build a Gate leading straight into his castle? Was he that confident that humanity would never prevail over him?


    Where are the others? Why is the portal closing behind me¡­.wait don¡¯t tell me they destroyed the portal, leaving me behind!!! I bet this was all X¡¯s doing. That guy had a very twisted character.


    *Sigh*


    Now I am in a foul mood. To leave me behind like this. I will never forgive those guys¡­.To think I considered them my comrades in war. Never mind them, this time, I need to finish the true Demon Lord. If the Demon Lord doesn¡¯t fall, he will keep making repeated attempts to capture the human realm. I guess I will simply begin chopping down everything in my path and see how things go¡­


    *RUMBLE*


    *RUMBLE*


    *RUMBLE*


    *RUMBLE*


    How weak is the Demon Lord¡¯s castle? I took out one or two pillars and the whole castle is shaking like it is about to come down. Aren¡¯t there any strong guards on duty here? Why is every monster here so weak?


    Maybe I need to wreck some more havoc to get the Demon Lord to come out¡­.


    I have a feeling that I am being watched. Interesting, are they observing my strength before making their move? Then let me speed this up.


    An ominous existence suddenly appeared in front of the Hero ¨C although this creature appeared to be of one of the demon tribe, he carried with him a terrifying and baleful aura. The demon was covered from neck below in a black vile robe ¨C it gave off a melancholy and malicious aura of its own. So vile was the atmosphere that any ordinary human would be spewing out their innards right now. The demon wore a proud and arrogant look on his face ¨C seeing the ¡®Hero¡¯ come to a grinding halt.


    The two opponents stared at each other in silence. They both were sizing up the other.


    I have never seen this creature before. If I weren¡¯t standing in the nether realm, I would I thought he was a human bishounen. That pale white jade skin and purple hair, those seductively powerful golden eyes¡­Truly the most formidable aura I have ever come across. Just sensing how powerful this being is, gets me all excited! My blood is boiling with excitement! I want to fight him!


    ¡°Are you the true Demon Lord?¡± I ask him. Someone with such a terrifying aura has to be the Demon Lord!


    ¡°True Demon Lord? Fool! I am the only Demon Lord! There is no other demonic being which is stronger than me!!¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Why does he come across as a spoilt child? ¡°do not disappoint me¡­¡± Ah! Well! As long as he is a strong opponent I have no complains!


    We exchanged a single blow, but the impact of our exchange was strong enough to blow away the castle walls.


    After the first strike, both hero and demon lord, leapt back. A faint trickle of pearly crimson blood descended from the lips of the Hero, as he stood panting, watching the demon lord for any sudden movement.


    Hou¡­I am bleeding?


    I guess I bit my lip in the ecstasy of fighting a strong opponent.


    The demon lord doesn¡¯t look too good. He is struggling to find his breath. I wonder if this is his limit?


    ¡°Not bad human!¡± The Demon Lord spoke. ¡°You are easily stronger than my strongest General. Swear your allegiance to me and I you will not have to forfeit your life to me, today¡­.¡±


    This guy¡­isn¡¯t he too arrogant? Just listening to him spout such nonsense is making my ears ache.


    ¡°Swear my allegiance to you? Does the strong ever bow to the weak? Stupid Demon, do you still not understand the difference in our strengths?¡± I hope he understands how stupid he sounds now.


    ¡°Foolish mortal, I was going to let you go if you swore your fealty to me. I was even willing to make you my foremost General¡­.¡±


    Oye oye, you know your words would carry more weight if you didn¡¯t take steps backing away from me.


    ¡°¡­but it seems it is you who has not understood clearly the difference in our powers¡­.you still believe this is the human realm? If it was the human realm, then there is no doubt, you would have won against me¡­.but silly human this is the netherworld. In this realm, the atmosphere, and everything else only strengthens me but will weaken you as our battle proceeds.¡± The Demon Lord shouted out in triumph.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Is that how it is in the nether realm? ¡°Now that you mention it, the air does feel a bit corrosive¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you did not notice the toxic air you were breathing till now! It is thick in miasma. A normal human would have died the moment he entered this realm!¡± The demon lord arrogantly declared. ¡°The more you fight me, the weaker you will become!¡±


    This demon lord¡­he is no longer relying on his own strength but the advantages of his surroundings. Does he even know what he sounds like? What is so great about some miasma and air?


    I voice my thoughts to the demon lord but he stares at me with a complicated blank expression.


    What is this feeling of disappoint growing in my heart? Were my expectations too high?


    ¡°If it is this much, at most it will only make me sneeze.¡± ¨C Oops¡­I spoke my mind out.


    The demon lord inaudibly muttered something ¨C a magic spell? The earth began to tremble as the demon lord gathered the miasma and began concentrating it in the shape of a sphere in his palms.


    ¡°Huh?¡± This could it be his ultimate attack? But then why is it giving off such a weak aura?


    I don¡¯t react to the Demon Lord¡¯s attack preparation because I am staring at him with disappointment. I should have stayed in the human realm had I known the Demon Lord was so weak.


    ¡°Hehehehe¡­MUAHAHHAHAHAHA¡±....stupid human, you should have struck me while you had the chance¡­..now face my wrath! Even your soul won¡¯t survive an attack of this magnitude!!¡± The Demon Lord shouted out as he released his attack on the Hero. ¡°Die, mortal fo¡­.¡± The demon lord stopped dead in his tracks when the I cut and disperse his attack with a single slash of my sword.


    ¡°Impos¡­sible¡­.¡± The Demon Lord muttered as he stared stupidly at the Hero.


    ¡°Is that all? Is that all that the mighty demon lord has to offer?¡±  I am so bored.


    ¡°You¡­.what are you¡­..¡± The demon lord stuttered as he struggled to get up. The twelve generals immediately appeared by the side of their Lord.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± A skeleton warrior called out as he held up the weakened Demon Lord.


    ¡°Oh so are these the twelve Generals of Hell?¡±


    ¡°Human! Do you think you can kill our demon lord so easily? You will have to kill us first¡­.¡± A woman with a snake like lower body speaks up.


    Given how weak they are, I should just kill them right away. I casually retort, with ¡°Then, I will do just that. You guys still don¡¯t get it¡­I have been holding back all this while¡­¡±


    One of the Generals seems to be preparing to escape with the Demon Lord. However, I don¡¯t plan to let anyone get away. I am the Grand Hero. It is my job to destroy the evil that plagues humanity!


    ¡°Think you can really leave?¡± I quickly dash next to the Demon Lord.


    ¡°What!!!¡± The skeleton knight cried out in shock, when he notices me standing beside him.


    Time to end this. Since, this is not my world, I guess it is okay to destroy the landscape as I please?


    ¡°Come, let me show you my true strength!¡±  I begin removing my restraints.


    ¡°This¡­.He can¡¯t be human¡­¡± The Demon Lord whispered.


    ¡°Protect the Lord!¡± The skeleton knight screamed out.


    Too late! I had already hit all of you when I dashed next to your Lord¡­.this power¡­the Demon Lord¡¯s power is rising? Is this the power of emotions? Ahn~!!! Just sensing his growing power is turning me on!!


    ¡°Yes, bring out all your power¡­.show me a battle which will excite me¡­.¡±


    The Demon Lord, suddenly appeared behind me. This speed was definitely in no way inferior to mine.


    ¡°You want a fight to excite you, this will be your last¡­¡± The Demon Lord coldly whispered into my ear. Then he slammed his fists against my neck¡­however his fists went right through me¡­.afterall I recovered from my shock long ago. What he hit was an afterimage.


    ¡°Not bad¡­.but if that is your strength, then let me tell you it is only on par with half my strength.¡±  Power without technique is wasted power. Demon Lord, I secretly acknowledge that you have the power to match me. However, in terms of technique, I am vastly superior.


    ¡°You¡­.what ¡­. Are you?¡±  The Demon Lord repeated his question. ¡°You what are you¡­.¡±


    ¡°Me? I am a battle-loving maniac.¡± I playfully whisper into the Demon Lord¡¯s ear. ¡°I enjoy fighting. No, I absolutely love it and have been searching for the absolute peak of strength. However, seeing you at the peak has been an absolute disappointment.¡±


    ¡°Hehehhee..¡± A wild and cold laugh escaped from the lips of the Demon Lord.


    My eyebrows arched in a frown. ¡°What is so funny?¡±


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    ¡°You think I am the peak of strength? Fool! In the nether realm, I am just one of the many rulers of tiny prefecture in the nether realm!¡­.if you truly want a terrifying opponent then fight the Ancient One!¡± The Demon Lord¡¯s eyes flashed in anger.


    Well that was surprising! Geez! You should have said that sooner!  Then I wouldn''t have wasted time on you! ¡°Goodbye Demon Lord.¡± I whisper into the Demon Lord''s ear. ¡°Thank you for the information. This one will be sure to defeat the Ancient One.¡±


    Saying this much, I use one of my higher tier magic spells. White light descended from the sky and enveloped the demon lord.


    ¡°ARGHHHH!¡± The demon lord cried out in pain as the armour he wore slowly dispersed way like gas and his skin began to burn away. ¡°FOOLISH MORTAL!!! I WILL COME BACK AND DRENCH HUMANITY IN A BLOOD BATH, ONE LIKE THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!!! I SWEAR UPON MY DEAD GENERALS. I SWEAR UPON MY PRIDE AS THE DEMON LORD!!¡± The wretched demon lord screamed and howled in agony.


    Somehow his screams of agony made my heart shudder¡­.maybe I went a bit overboard? Ah who cares, he was an evil fellow. ¡°Well, then? I guess I should go looking for this thing called the Ancient One.¡±


    Part 2


    Located in a lush green forest, which covered several mountains. Currently, the valley is echoing with these sounds¡­.


    ¡°Ahhnnn! Ahnnnn! Ahnnn! Yes! More!! More!! Yes!! Yess!!! Yes!!¡±


    Currently those were the sounds coming from the lair of the Ancient almighty dragon.


    However, just before the climax was reached¡­.


    ¡°COME OUT YOU SHIT EATING LIZARD!!!¡± A voice roared outside his lair.


    The brows of the Ancient One arched into a frown. He immediately went limp.


    ¡°Honey?¡± The succubus called out as she noticed her partner came to a grinding halt.


    Who dares to insult me? Who dares to stop me while I am indulging in heavenly pleasures!!


    ¡°I will be right back.¡± The Ancient One replied as he kissed the succubus on her forehead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too long ~~!¡±


    Putting on a thin silky black robe, the Ancient One, headed out of his lair.


    ¡°WHO DARES TO INSULT ME???¡± The Ancient One roared.


    Just his loud voice was enough the make the nearby trees shake violently.


    ¡°So you are the true ruler of the Nether Realm. The one known as the Ancient One?¡± The Grand Hero spoke as he began walking towards the Ancient One.


    ¡°Human?¡± The Ancient One had his eyebrow raised as he stared at the Hero. ¡°What is a Human doing in the nether realm? Have you lost your way? Not that it matters, because this is where you will die¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is what someone said as well. However, my blade showed him how wrong he was.¡± The Hero replied confidently as he unsheathe his blade.


    ¡°Hou¡­a human strong enough slay monsters of the Nether Realm. Come human, do your worst.¡± The Ancient One replied as he held his arms open ¨C defensively.


    The Hero frowned. ¡°To be underestimating to this degree. Don¡¯t tell me I didn¡¯t warn you!¡±


    The Hero dashed forward at full speed, and then jumped into the air before slashing down. Seeing the movements of the human, the Ancient One was slightly shocked ¨C however he was not afraid. The Hero¡¯s blade cut straight down at the Ancient One¡¯s chest but it was unable to leave a single scratch.


    The Hero stepped back. ¡°Well that is a first.¡± He muttered with a flustered expression.


    *SNIFF*


    *SNIFF*


    *SNIFF*


    The Ancient One grabbed the golden brown hair of the Hero, who was standing two steps away from him, and then began sniffing the Hero¡¯s hair.


    ¡°What are you doing!!¡± The Hero reacted strongly as she pushed away the Ancient One¡¯s hand.


    ¡°You¡­¡± The Ancient One stared at the Hero in disbelief. ¡°You are not a man but a woman?¡±


    ¡°What¡­what are you saying!!¡± The Hero stuttered as he/she took several back, away from the Ancient One. While replying so, the Hero¡¯s  cheeks were dyed a faint, pink colour and his/her ears were bright red.


    ¡°Hehehe..¡± The Ancient One, tried to suppress his laughter. ¡°My nose is never wrong in such matters. I don¡¯t know why someone as strong as you has to dress up as a man but I am sure you have your reasons.¡±


    ¡°I..I am telling you!! I am a man!¡± The Hero was completely flustered as he/she gave back an unconvincing reply. The Hero tried to act calm, but the flished cheeks and ears vividly expressed his/her state of mind. Compared to the normal state of the Hero, there was too much of an extreme gap in the expressions.


    ¡°Oh I believe you¡­but don¡¯t blame me if my hands begin to pry places¡­¡± The Ancient One replied back with a lustful perverted stare. Both his hands were raised as though he were grabbing something.


    The Hero flinched and unconsciously she covered her chest with her hand ¨C as though she could feel the Ancient One¡¯s intent.


    The Ancient One made his move. He moved faster than the Hero could react.  The Hero jumped aside as though she barely dodged the attack. The Hero was satisfied with her reaction speed but frowned when she noticed the lewd smile of the monster. What is he smiling about?


    The Hero felt the cold nether winds against her thighs ¨C as she peered below, she noticed her thigh plates (cuisse) were missing¡­.they were in the hands of the Ancient One.


    What is with his unholy speed?


    The Hero shuddered in fear. She may have met her match today. It was all over in a few mere seconds¡­


    *Sniff*


    *Sniff*


    *Sniff*


    The Hero crouched in the corner of the Ancient One¡¯s lair ¨C tears were rolling down her naked body.


    ¡°Oh come on, it isn¡¯t that bad¡­¡± The Ancient One jested as he handed the Hero her armour back. ¡°All I did was strip of your armour.¡±


    ¡°Stupid!¡± The Hero snapped back, as she grabbed the armour and hastily put it on.


    The Ancient One lustfully stared at the woman¡¯s body, till he was smacked with the Hero¡¯s helm (helmet) for staring.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare!¡± The Hero warned as she picked up the pace of dressing up.


    The Ancient One wiped off his nosebleed. Then picked up the half-dressed Hero and casually tossed her back into the human realm through a rip in space.  He could be heard muttering something like ¨C to destroy something that beautiful is against my nature.


    Part 3


    Located in a lush green forest, which covered several mountains. Currently, the valley is echoing with these sounds¡­.


    ¡°Ahhnnn! Ahnnnn! Ahnnn! Yes! Ancient-sama!! Make me yours!! ~~~ <3¡±


    Currently those were the sounds coming from the lair of the Ancient almighty dragon.


    However, just before the climax was reached¡­.


    ¡°MY LORD! Urgent News! An emergency!¡± A dragon morphed in humanoid form screamed as he ran into the Ancient One¡¯s lair.


    Is this some f*cking curse, I spend time and effort winning over these women and just when I get to the good part, someone disturbs me!


    The Ancient One grudgingly ceased his activities with a winged demon that lay in his bed.


    ¡°Speak, servant. This better be good!¡±


    ¡°My Lord! The Demon Lord whom you told us to keep an eye on, has fallen!¡± The messenger stopped speaking as he noticed the Ancient One swaying. ¡°My Lord, you should sit.¡±


    The Ancient One grew pale white as the blood drained away from his face. ¡°Fallen, you say?.... She is going to kill me.¡±


    ¡°My Lord, where are you headed?¡± The servant asked with a worried expression.


    ¡°I am no longer your Lord! I abdicate all my responsibilities! You are the new ruler! Good bye!¡± The Ancient One cried out as he ran through a tear in space.


    The servant stared at his departing ex-Master in shock.....


    Part 4


    "Sensei this story is too stupid!!" A small boy, who had his hand raised, interrupted the girl narrating the story. "Rina-chan is lying about her family."


    Everyone in class smiled wryly as they nodded their heads in agreement. It was as though they heard some ridiculous story. Elves, dwarves and monsters? The Demon Lord? Heroes? A dragon?


    The  red haired girl, aged three with twin pony tails, turned red in anger. "It is  true!!! It is the truth!" The girl refuted the charges levelled against her. "My family founder really did go to the nether realm and kill the demon lord!"


    However her classmates looked back at her disdainfully - who would believe such a fantastical tale.


    "Rina-chan, Dragons and Demon Lords, sounds like a great story. I know why don''t you write it down and share it with Sensei later." The teacher who had a cramped expression on her face spoke up.


    "Sensei, Rina-chan is a liar!" The boy was instigating the class to join him in chanting "Liar liar....tomato head is a liar."


    Noticing the development in the classroom, the Sensei, quickly hushed the children. "I am sure, Rina-chan''s will grow up to become a great story teller. So we should not make fun of her like this."


    "But Sensei! This is the truth! Rina is a descendant of the Heroes!" The girl argued back with her teacher who clearly didn''t believe her. The glances everyone threw at her, were full of scorn and contempt. These were all children however they knew the difference between a character taken from a cartoon and reality. Descendant of the Heroes? Who would believe that? In light of the stabbing stares, the heart of the little girl trembled.


    "Rina, Sensei believes y..."


    However before the teacher could say more the girl dashed out of the classroom with tears streaming down her cheeks.


    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


    Author''s note:


    Ooops! I forgot to paste the last bit of the chapter!

 Chapter 14: Welcome home Hero-san???

    Part 1


    It has been five years since we moved to the countryside.  I have steadily increased the load of my training. My daily training now consists of running one lap around the village.  I think Otusan said that a single lap around the village is a three kilometres in human terms.  Otusan was delighted by my stamina and speed, he usually accompanies me when we go running around the village. Surprisingly, he is able to keep up with me. I did not believe he was even capable of running more than a tenth of that distance but Otusan surprised me. I believe there is more to him than that thin and frail body.


    I also asked Otusan for other human exercises which would help me strengthen my body ¨C however he turned me down saying that for now running was more than sufficient. He was kind enough to explain that the human body at this age is unable to take the strain of training ¨C Heh. Humans sure are pathetic.  When it comes to magic, Otusan simply laughs of the matter saying I should cut down on TV. I have no idea what does TV have to do with being able to sense mana. Also, I don¡¯t watch TV!


    It was interesting at first, to be able to watch scry recordings. However, whenever I watch the TV to learn more about worldly affairs, Tomo snatches the TV control and begins watching stories of Heroes. Ugh! Of all things, this servant of mine watches dramas on Heroes! He and I have fought many times about this. However, given our age difference, Tomo always wins. Okasan also takes Tomo¡¯s side when it comes to watching TV. She says supporting the Heroes is perfectly alright.


    I am beginning to have doubts whether these servants of mine really worship me or the Hero?


    Since, I can¡¯t watch TV at another time (I forced to sleep early). I leave it up to the Immortal Phoenix to watch the scry recordings in the evening. The Immortal Phoenix has been living with us for the last five years. To be honest, Okasan and Otusan tried to get rid of him multiples times. I guess they were envious of the attention I gave the phoenix. Such fights were very common in my past life. Servants would often battle their superiors to claim the position of the General. I let the immortal phoenix prove his worthiness ¨C in the end, Okasan and Otusan made peace with him and let him stay in the castle.


    However, Tomo has yet to stop bothering the immortal phoenix. He often tries to catch the General unawares. I guess I like that about Tomo ¨C the never give up attitude. Unfortunately, Tomo lacks too much in stealth training. Both Phoenix and I are usually aware when Tomo is trying to sneak up on us ¨C his attempts are in vain. Ganbatte Tomo-chan! As the humans say.


    Nothing much has changed in our daily lives from the time we lived in the city ¨C is something I would like to say. I am not sure when it happened, but Tatsuya¡¯s amiable character left a deep impression on me. I notice his missing presence every day¡­.I am not the only one who notices it. Although, Okasan pretends to be alright, I have often caught Okasan silently crying while holding on to Tatsuya¡¯s former clothing. She deeply cared about that young human child. I too care deeply about my servants however weeping about it will solve nothing. I hope Okasan realizes that someday as well.


    In some ways, ever since the day of the attack on my life, our lives have changed forever. I can¡¯t say how exactly, but we all know it. We all are more vigilant about our surroundings. Though, it is less likely we will be attacked in the countryside Otusan informed me ¨C he was actually surprised I understood that I had been attacked when I was young. I don¡¯t know what there is to be surprised about.


    Part 2


    Today, we have a special guest visiting us. No, it isn¡¯t one of Tomo¡¯s invisible friends. His invisible friends stopped visiting us after we moved here. I guess, they lived in the city? It is Otusan¡¯s friend today. I have not met any of Otusan¡¯s friend. However, I am sure being an adult human, he has more and better connections than Tomo.


    Otusan, especially got us ready today, to greet his ¡®friend¡¯. I am not sure who he is, but he might be a big shot noble ¨C given the way both me and Tomo are dressed up in fancy attire. Although, political connections are desirable, when I was the Demon Lord, I did not give them much thought. After all what could great power possibly want from feeble political connections? However, things are different now and I have a better understanding of the human world. When I was the Demon Lord, I had millions of demons and monsters serving me. As a human, I now have only three servants. However, three servants would be more than enough for my former self. But that is my former self whose strength rivalled a nearly a million humans. The me of today can¡¯t even defeat Tomo in a contest of strength. There is another problem ¨C the number of humans since the past has exponentially increased. When I was Demon Lord, there were no more than two million humans in the human realm. However, as per Okasan, there are more than seven billion humans alive today.


    What is up with these humans? They reproduce faster than a pair of monster rabbits! And those monster rabbits reproduce fast! It is said if you leave a pair of demonic rabbits alone for two days and return ¨C you will find over ten thousand of them.


    So for the many reasons above, and on the advice of my consul (which for now consists of the Immortal Phoenix only), I have decided to mingle with the greater political powers of the world to attain the necessary power to destroy humanity¡­.


    ¡°Tomo! Shin! Come down here and greet the guest!¡± Otusan called out breaking my train of thoughts.


    ¡°Sensei, I cannot thank you enough for all your help.¡±  Saijo shook hands with the old man ¨C who really looked like Master Roshi today ¨C wearing a Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts.


    ¡°Hohoho¡­this one hasn¡¯t done anything to deserve such praise!¡± The old man casually replied back.


    Radcliff, the caretaker who stood in the background, could be heard muttering something along the lines. ¡°Please stop joking sir, you practically erased their identity from society.¡±


    ¡°Hohohoho¡­Radcliff-san would you like to stand outside the house?¡±


    Tomo raced down the stairs to meet Otusan¡¯s guest.  If my memory serves me correct, nobles prefer graceful action over frankness. Or was it the other way?


    ¡°Ojisan!¡± Tomo could be heard screaming.


    Oh is it someone Tomo knows as well? How come I haven¡¯t met him before?


    As I descend down the stairs, my feet stop working when my gaze falls on the an old man.


    Why is the Hero here!!!?


    Part 3


    ¡°Shin-chan?¡± Otusan calls out in surprise as he notices that I am glued to the stairs. ¡°What are you doing standing there? Come here and greet Otusan¡¯s sensei!¡±


    I can¡¯t hear anything. My palms have grown cold and are sweating profusely.


    Why is the Hero here!! Why in my house!! I can¡¯t defeat Tomo, how am I going to defeat the Hero!! I didn¡¯t even know the Hero was still alive in this day and age!!


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    There are hundreds of questions exploding in my mind.


    This is a BIG problem! As long as the Hero lives, I cannot proceed with my plans¡­.no clam down, as long as I kill the Hero, my vengeance will be complete. But why is here right now!!


    ¡°Shin-chan!¡± Otusan called out in surprise noticing my stiff reaction. ¡°This was the guest you were curious about! I am sorry Sensei, he is not normally shy around strangers.¡±


    Wait a second! Did Otusan say he is the guest? Why does Otusan know the Hero? This makes no sense!! He even called the Hero, sensei!!! Otusan this is treason!!!!  Calm down¡­.I am panicking for no reason.


    ¡°Hohoho¡­.young ones are always so shy. Even my granddaughter is very shy. I even asked her to accompany me but she is still mad at me for various reasons¡­.but I think it is just shyness.¡± The old man curtly replied.


    After reflecting on the situation a bit, I calm down. I am in no real danger. I am a human now, there is no way the Hero can recognize me. After all I am human, completely different from my former self. The only reason I recognized the Hero was because of his aura. The Hero¡¯s aura was imprinted in my memory ¨C it is a powerful and ferocious aura like an angry tiger¡¯s.


    I slowly make my way down the stairs and hide behind Okasan ¨C it best not to take chances. Although, my aura is different from before, the Hero had keen eyes. I dare not take chances.


    ¡°Ara? Why are you so shy?¡± Okasan asks me.


    Wrong!! I am not shy!! I am scared!!! Why are you all so calm!! Aren¡¯t you all Demon Lord worshippers??? Demon Lord worshippers are not supposed be ¡®okay¡¯ when they see the Hero!!


    ¡°Hohoho¡­So this is the little Shin-chan who loves running around?¡± The old man asked as he stares at me ¨C who is now hiding behind Okasan.


    I am scared, someone save me!!


    Part 4


    This old man might not be the Hero. The more I observe him (while peeking from another room), the less likely he seems to be the Hero.


    The frightful aura of the Hero has been etched into every corner of my memory. It is something I cannot forget. Although, this old man¡¯s aura might be similar to the Hero, it is a deeply subdued version. Almost as though, it is one thousandth the original strength.


    After observing for five more minutes, I reach a conclusion. This man is definitely not the Hero. I might have over reacted. However, I still have questions ¨C why is his aura so similar to the Hero¡¯s?


    Standing thirty feet apart, will not get me any answers.


    *GULP*


    I quietly move closer to Okasan, who is sitting next to the ¡®fake Hero¡¯ and chatting away.


    I am going to lecture both Otusan and Okasan tonight.


    The adults took notice of my movements as I closed in, near Okasan. I quietly, sit on Okasan¡¯s lap ¨C currently the most comfy and safest place.


    ¡°Hohoho¡­you are a strong one? Aren¡¯t you?¡± The old man asks me with a smile. ¡°You were able to overcome your shyness. I wish my granddaughter could learn a thing or two from you.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°So Shin-chan, what is your favourite TV show?¡± The old man asked me with the unchanging smiling face.


    ¡°OJISAN MY FAVOURITE SHOW IS DORAEMON!¡± Tomo shouts out.


    What the heck is Doaemon? I don¡¯t watch TV old man, forget about favourite TV shows.


    ¡°Doreamon?¡± The old man muttered. ¡°Radcliff, next time remember to get doraemon action figure.¡±


    Radcliff simply nodded.


    ¡°Sensei! Don¡¯t! You will spoil them!¡± Otusan argued back.


    ¡°No. No. This is only a small way for me to apologise. I haven¡¯t come to meet you or Sui for so many years¡­.this is only a small gift.¡±


    Hmmm, only now when the old man called out to his retainer, did I notice the servant.  Too scary! Now that is what I call a servant! Look at him standing silently in the background. It is almost like he isn¡¯t there. Just from a single glance, I can tell that this retainer of the ¡®fake Hero¡¯, is nothing like Otusan. He has a thick visible muscles bulging from everywhere. He must be a warrior. However, his aura cannot compare to the ¡®fake Hero¡¯s¡¯.


    If I had to describe the fake Hero¡¯s aura, in one word, I would say ¡®stifling¡¯. It is so over bearing that it is almost suffocating. Although, I call this Hero fake, I can openly say he is the strongest human I have come across in this life.


    Before, I knew it, it was time for the old man to leave.


    ¡°Shin will be joining school this year?¡± The old man asked Saijo as he started to leave.


    ¡°Aye! He is finally old enough to join school.¡± Saijo smiled.


    ¡°Though Ojisan, I am worried about him.¡± Sui spoke up. ¡°He hasn¡¯t attended play school¡­we taught him at home¡­so he might find it difficult to make friends¡­¡±


    ¡°Hohohoho¡­.such motherly worries¡­.¡± The old man replied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he will be going to the same school as my granddaughter, Rina-chan. I will make sure to tell her to get along with Shin-kun.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ojisan!¡±  Sui beamed back a smile as though all her worries had been taken care off - with regards to her youngest one she had many worries only explaining them would be too much of a problem.


    Part 5


    I have no idea why Okasan is so worried about me going to school. What kind of hellish training awaits me there? The real danger was this old man!! I am not too certain if he is or is not the Hero¡­.but I am happy he is finally going! My cover as a human remains intact.


    *Phew*


    DIE HERO!!! The Immortal Phoenix cries out as it swoops down on the old man who stepped out of the house.


    Argh!!! Stupid bird!!! I can feel my heart drop from my chest into my stomach! What is that stupid bird doing!!! Do you want to blow away our cover!!!


    However, before I could mentally order the Immortal Phoenix away, the old man moved swiftly and grabbed the Immortal Phoenix from mid-air.  His speed was so fast, that all I saw was a blur. What the heck kind of movements were those? Can humans even move that fast???


    ¡°Hohohoho¡­¡± The old man laughed. ¡°What a strong killing intent for a pigeon.¡±


    Let me go!! I am going to kill you, Hero!!! This is revenge for the Demon Lord!!!


    I smack my forehead with my palm ¨C it¡¯s over. My cover is blown. Thankfully, Okasan and Otusan begin apologizing for Immortal Phoenix¡¯s rage attack saying something along the lines that he is a crazy bird whom we have adopted. For once, I completely agree with Okasan and Otusan. What kind of stupid creature tries to blatantly attack an opponent several times stronger than itself?


    Stupid bird cease your attacks!

 Chapter 15 - No dinner for Shin

    Part 1


    Immortal Phoenix come here. I called out to my faithful servant telepathically. The pigeon looked up at me and without any reservations flew into my hands.


    Tell me great lord, why have you summoned me?


    I carefully held on to the bird and turned around to face someone standing next to me, Tomo.


    ¡°Here, Tomo.¡± I said, as I handed the Immortal Phoenix to my servant. When the Immortal Phoenix realized what was happening, he tried to escape from my grip. Unfortunately, I held him firmly.


    Why Master??? The Immortal phoenix cried out in agony as Tomo clutched him tightly and began rubbing the immortal phoenix against his face ¨C saying ¡®soft soft birdie¡¯


    This is punishment for nearly getting us killed.


    ¡°Coooo¡± Master forgive me!! ¡°Coooo¡± The pigeon cooed frantically as if tried to vigorously escape from Tomo¡¯s death like grip ¨C ¡®soft soft birdie nice nice birdie¡¯. It hasn¡¯t been even two seconds, but seeing Tomo behave this way is already making me sympathize with the Immortal Phoenix. Maybe this punishment is too hard? Also what is up with Tomo¡¯s song? ¡®Soft soft birdie. Nice nice birdie¡¯


    ¡°Tomo, put that crazy bird away and go wash your hands, it is dinner time.¡± Sui instructed as she walked by the two children carrying a dish of hot food. Instantly the room was filled with various rich aromas of different dishes. The fragrances was overwhelming and stomachs began grumbling ¨C Tomo¡¯s, Shin¡¯s and the pigeon¡¯s. Tomo unconsciously wiped his drool and threw the pigeon out of the house. He then rushed to wash his hands.


    The Immortal Phoenix tries to rush back into the house but smacks against the window pane and slips down slowly. Otusan could be heard mumbling ¨C when will that bird learn.


    The Immortal Phoenix could be heard crying as he slipped down the window ¨C why am I the only one (servant) who doesn¡¯t get to eat with Master!!!


    I am sure his intentions are more straightforward, he really wants to eat Okasan¡¯s cooked food and not have a meal with me. Maybe, I will save some table scraps for him later.


    Part 2


    The human realm is filled with all sorts of curiosities and when I say this I am not referring to their magical tools but to their cuisine. As a Demon Lord, I could eat as I pleased. However, this did not mean that eating itself was a pleasure. Since I spent a considerable time in my previous life training, part of my training involved hunting and cooking for my own food. Compared to my human life, it may sound harsh. But that was the way of life for everyone who lived in the Nether Realm.


    I was never taught how to cook my food nor was I taught that different ingredients could be mixed together to bring about different richer flavours. As the Demon Lord, I would scavenge nuts and exotic berries where game was scarce. If there was plenty to hunt then I would kill and eat raw. The very concept of cooking with fire is non-existent in the nether realm. I am sure some creatures like dragons always eat roasted meals but that may have more to do with how they kill their prey.


    Even when I became a Demon Lord, the most exotic and savoured food could be described nothing more than a concoction of disgusting monsters brewed or boiled together. They never garnished it, they never roasted it, and they never salted it! I am not sure if those exotic delicacies could even be considered cooked meals.


    Although Okasan has no combat abilities, her powers as a chef are unrivalled. I am sure if she were to make her debut in the nether realm, she would easily be ranked as the number one chef. I am certain to a degree, that prefectural overlords would be willing to wage war for her.


    The meals that Okasan cooks are on another level. Okasan doesn¡¯t cook food but art ¨C my favourite are the bunny apples. Not only are they delicious and sweet but also it gives me immense pleasure when I bite of the bunny apple¡¯s ear; one ear at a time. Sometimes I bite the entire head off.


    Beyond the atheistically pleasing looks of the meal, Okasan¡¯s cooked food is rich with a hundred thousand flavours. No it would be right to say that each flavour is distinct yet complements with the other very well. Each bite, floods my mouth with exquisite tastes which make my tongue tingle with excitement. I am happy to have graduated from human baby food to normal human food. The difference is between the two is too great to imagine.


    There is an endless pleasure I derive when I watch Okasan cook meals for me. She ties her hair up in a knot and then puts on a faded white apron. Once she is ready, she puts on a magical show worth marvelling.  Pots and pans land on the ¡®magical¡¯ stove with amazing accuracy, vegetables and meat are cut into fine pieces within seconds, and there are all sorts of sizzling and grilling sounds that follow thereafter.


    When I destroy humanity, I will make sure to grant Okasan a big kitchen ¨C so that she can cook meals for me all day.


    ¡°Kekekekeke¡­OUCH!¡±


    Sui smacked her youngest son with a rolled up magazine whilst he wore a devious smile on his face ¨C what could this child possibly be thinking this time? ¡°Go wash your hands!¡±


    Shin kept rubbing his head as he got off his chair and headed to wash his hands. He could be heard muttering ¨C ¡®How does she always know that I haven¡¯t washed my hands¡­¡¯


    Part 3


    ¡°Itadakimasu!¡± Everyone joyfully called out before digging into their served bowls.


    ¡°Muahahahahaha!!¡± Shin-kun began laughing as he filled his bowl to the brim with meat from the hot pot.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Shin dear, please don¡¯t laugh like that during dinner.¡± Sui reminded her son about table manners. ¡°Also, put some vegetables in there. Don¡¯t only fill your bowl with meat.¡±


    ¡°Muahahahaha¡­who will eat vegetables when there is such tender meat.  Meat!! Meat!! More meat for Maou-sama¡­.¡±


    ¡°Vegetables will make you stronger dear¡­¡±  Sui interjected Shin.


    Shin stopped laughing like a crazed evil scientist and began to frown.


    Grow stronger = Achieve Goal quicker = Wipe out humanity sooner = Get world¡¯s biggest kitchen for Okasan = Can eat more meat later.


    Slowly and grudgingly, put back some meat pieces and took some vegetable.  Shin could be heard mumbling, ¡°Only to grow stronger¡­no matter which realm you live in only the disgusting tasting stuff makes you stronger¡­¡±


    Sui smiled as she watched her obedient son, ¡°As a reward for listening to Okasan, Shin-kun can have my share of pudding.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Tomo could be seen sneakily loading his bowl with extra veggies.


    However the biggest reaction was from Shin. He was all smiles from  ear to ear. ¡°MUAHAHAHAhahahahaha!! Your actions have pleased Maou-sama ¡­.¡±


    *Ouch!*


    Shin-kun groaned as he began to rub his head ¨C his mom just delivered a fist to his head.


    ¡°Rude¡± Sui reprimanded him. ¡°Be humble and modest. Say thank you when someone is kind to you. You are no longer a little baby. Tomorrow is your first day of school, so remember to be kind and polite to your classmates¡­.¡±


    ¡°You¡­.foolish woman!!¡± Shin-kun shouted out as continued to rub his head. ¡°I am Maou-sama! Humility is for the weak¡­.¡±


    *Ouch!*


    Shin-kun groaned for the second time loudly as he placed his hand on his head to stop the throbbing pain. This time, his father delivered the fist blow to the head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude to your mother and don¡¯t interrupt her when she is talking.¡± His father reprimanded him.


    ¡°You¡­.you¡­¡± Shin struggled with words, he had been humiliated. The Demon Lord being hit by his servants? Unheard off! ¡°You Baka!!!¡± Shin-kun shouted out loudly with tears welling in his eyes. ¡°I am Maou-sama!  I will do as I plea¡­¡±


    *SMACK*


    A resounding slap greeted Shin¡¯s cheek, which immediately assumed a dark shade of red. Tomo stopped eating and silently looked up. Tears began to slowly drip down Shin¡¯s eyes, his breathing was laboured and his face was red like a tomato.


    Okasan, was partially standing from her seat, her hand was trembling. Slowly, Okasan sat down. ¡°No dinner for Shin-chan.¡± She spoke in a quiet voice as she stared down at her dinner plate ¨C avoiding letting others see her face. ¡°Reflect on your actions.¡±


    Shin pushed away his dinner plate and silently stood up. With only tears streaming down his face and a little sniffling, he left the dining room. A loud door banging could be heard a short while later.


    Part 4


    Saijo placed his arm across the dining table and grabbed Sui¡¯s arm. ¡°Hey¡­are you okay?¡± Saijo asked with worry.


    Sui timidly nodded her head, while her face still faced the table. Tears began to drop on the table little by little. ¡°Why is he so difficult.¡± she asked. ¡°He is going to go to school¡­*hic*¡­.if he keeps talking like¡­*hic*¡­.like this how will he make any ¡­.*hic*¡­.friends¡­.¡±


    Saijo got up and went and embraced Sui, while rubbing her shoulders. ¡°It will be okay¡­.¡± He assured her in a soft voice.


    ¡°¡­*hic*¡­they will all make fun of him¡­.*hic*¡­¡±


    Tomo quietly got up and left. He returned back from the kitchen with something in his hand. ¡°Okasan?¡± He called out while pushing what he held towards her. ¡°Okasan can have Tomo¡¯s pudding. So don¡¯t be angry with Shin-kun. Tomo doesn¡¯t want Shin to go away too.¡±


    Tomo who was previously gorging down the food did not pay attention to the contents of the argument. He only heard bits of Okasan¡¯s and Shin¡¯s conversation ¨C ¡®pudding¡¯ and ¡®can have mine¡¯. He naturally concluded this argument was over the pudding. The last time, the two words ¡®pudding¡¯ and ¡®argument¡¯ happened together, was just before Tatsuya ¡®left for a better place¡¯. So Tomo now associated the occurrence of the two events together as an ominous sign. Thus, in his natural understanding of the world, he offered his pudding to make peace and prevent Shin from going to a better place.


    Tomo¡¯s words had an electric effect on Sui.


    *BAAM*


    Sui hit her hands on the table as she suddenly stood up. Since she stood up so quickly, the chair toppled over. However, Sui paid no heed to the chair and rushed towards Shin¡¯s (& Tomo¡¯s) room.


    Sui could never forgive herself for having an argument with Tatsuya. She never had a chance to make amends with her late son. Thus, she had to live with the bitter regret. However, there was no reason for her to have an argument with Shin.


    Shin was an aloof child that stayed in his own little world. He was diligent and sincere, maybe a bit weird with his Maou-sama obsession but nothing that warranted such bitterness on part of Sui.


    Also, wasn¡¯t he just a six year old child? It was because he never did childlike things that Sui and Saijo praised him for his maturity¡­but he was just a six year old child. And every six year old child has their imaginary friend (Tomo still has one) or idol. So what if Shin¡¯s idol was a Maou-sama?


    He was only six years old! He had plenty of time to grow accustomed to people and the world around him. His natural disposition was a likeable child (with a weird interest) but on the whole it didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t be friends with other children. Wasn¡¯t Sui just being overly anxious?


    Sui opened the children¡¯s room. ¡°I am sorry¡­.¡± However, Sui stopped speaking and her eyes widened in fright ¨C Shin was not in his room.


    The window lay open as the night¡¯s cool breeze blew through; making the curtains dance to their tunes.


    "SHINNNNNN!!!!!" Sui screamed out.

 Chapter 16 - The worries of a butler

    Part 1


    A little girl was kneeling on the floor, with her head pressed against her mother¡¯s lap, while endless streams of tears gushed down her cheeks. The girl was no more than three years old and for her age her body was no bigger than children her age ¨C in fact her muscles were more toned than children of her age.  The little girl¡¯s red hair contrasted strongly with her mother¡¯s features. The mother was unusually pale however her skin did not lack any lustre ¨C it would be correct to describe her skin as white as snow. It was well complemented with the silky deep black hair that flowed down openly over her shoulders. The mother wore a difficult expression across her face as her daughter continue to dampen the white and red temple priestess dress she wore.


    *Sob*


    *Sob*


    *Sob*


    She slowly caressed her sobbing daughter, by patting her head smoothly.


    ¡°¡­.everyone called me a liar after that¡­..no one believed that my family descended from the Heroes¡­.¡± The red haired, twin pony tailed girl complained to her mother.


    ¡°There ..there¡­everything will be alright¡­¡± Her mother made a wry smile while looking at her daughter. It was to be expected that no one would believe her if she began talking about Heroes. However, now was not the time to be correcting her daughter for her error. She apologetically continued to soothe her daughter.


    ¡°I am not going to go back to school!¡± The little girl declared as she looked up at her mother. The black beady eyes of the little girl flashed with her determination.


    ¡°Rina-chan¡­This is something, I will have to discuss with your father¡­.¡± Her mother did not outright reject her and tried her best to console her daughter.


    ¡°Rejected.¡± A loud man¡¯s voice descended into the room.


    The mother raised her eyebrows angrily as she glared at her husband.


    ¡°I told you not to pay heed to your grandfather¡¯s nonsensical tales. This is your fault for believing him. Do you now understand the consequences?¡± The man asked in a stern voice.


    The little girl was baffled at her father¡¯s sudden intrusion.


    ¡°Your grandfather will only lie and disappoint you if you continue to stick to him all day¡­.¡± The man continued. His tone was cruel and domineering. It was obvious to everyone he held some kind of grudge towards his own father.


    ¡°Dear¡­¡± The wife spoke up to stop her husband from speaking further ill of his own father but didn¡¯t say anything when the man raised his hand ¨C he signalled her to be quiet.


    ¡°This is all ojiisan¡¯s fault?¡± The girl muttered to herself inaudibly.  The old man whom she loved them most, the one who indulged her the most¡­.wasn¡¯t he responsible for her current dilemma? After all didn¡¯t he tell her tall tales about her family having descended from Heroes? It was because she put his trust in him that she was hurt and humiliated? Of course for a little girl the thoughts didn¡¯t connect in perfect order but the conclusion was what her father was driving her towards.


    ¡°Rina-chan hates ojiisan.¡± The girl spoke up after a long silence.


    Rina¡¯s mother frowned however her father smiled with satisfaction.


    Part 2


    That day when her grandfather came to visit his granddaughter, he was stopped at the doors of the temple shrine by his son. ¡°Sorry father, but today is not a good day to see Rina.¡± He was straight forward with his cruel words.


    The brilliant smile of the old man vanished; he had especially come to visit his granddaughter. He clutched on tightly to a tiny box he had brought as a gift to celebrate his granddaughter¡¯s first day in play-school.


    ¡°Why?¡± He asked with his wrinkled expressions hardening. He had no concern for the arrogant tone his son had assumed with him. Apparently, the old man seemed used to his son¡¯s cruelty.  ¡°Is Rina-chan unwell?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± The son replied while avoiding his father¡¯s strong gaze. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to see you.¡±


    The old man¡¯s face turned ashen. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you¡­.¡±


    The old man tried to push past his son however his son stood to his position firmly. The old man could barge through the door if he desired to. However, in that instant he was able to catch a glimpse of his daughter-in-law standing behind her husband. The woman¡¯s eyes were red and she wore a sad smile as she bowed when she saw him. The old man instantly understood the situation.


    ¡°You¡­.¡± The old man bitterly spoke as he turned his gaze back to his son. ¡°You and I may have a bad relationship but there is no reason for you to involve Rina into this. Don¡¯t make me angry¡­.¡±


    Completely ignoring his father, the son spoke in a monotonous tone, ¡°Goodnight father, please come visit Rina when she is willing to¡­¡±


    Saying that much the son slammed the door on his father¡¯s face.  Looking back at the closed doors, the old man out a sigh of despair, no matter how much he tried he could never mend the relationship with his son. It was not his son¡¯s fault that his son was so bitter towards him. Maybe to an extent it was his own fault that things turned out the way they did. However, there was no reason for the old man to lose his granddaughter too. The old man quietly left to avoid causing further trouble. However, his eyes gleamed in the moonlight as he thought of a sly trick.


    Taking a few steps back, the old man eyed the boundary walls of the shrine temple. Then he took a deep breath and ran forth with all his might. Pressing against the vertical wall no more than two times, the old man instantly scaled the four meter tall wall. The scene of an old man scaling a high wall in a flash would shock onlookers ¨C thankfully no one ever visited this temple.


    The old man then ran along the length of the boundary wall, which was no more than a hand wide, with great ease. Even circus performers would stumble or fall if they tried to accomplish what the old man did in the dark. It was a cloudy night and not a single star was able to peep out the blanket of clouds. The temple was not well lit either. To be able to run on the boundary wall in such darkness was a feat considered good for any martial artist. However, what made it extraordinary was that the one running on the wall appeared to be close to seventy years of age!


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    After reaching close enough to one of the buildings housed within the temple shrine grounds, the old man jumped through the air ¨C an astonishing ten feet wide gap. No it would be correct to say he flew over ten feet before landing with a soft ¡®thud¡¯ on the tiled oriental styled roof top. The way the man moved would make one believe that ninjas truly do exist. After jumping from one building to another, running through the shadows to avoid detection, the old man skilfully reached the window of a room on the third floor.


    A yellow dim light continued to glow in the room. The old man stood at the edge of the window and then stole a quick glance inside the room ¨C it was his granddaughter¡¯s room. Further, his granddaughter was already asleep.


    Quiet as a mouse, he snuck into the room and stood beside his granddaughter. Just as he was about to wake her up, he noticed how puffed her eyes were.


    ¡°This¡­.¡± The old man languished as he realized his precious granddaughter cried herself to sleep. Who made his precious granddaughter cry? The old man asked himself in teething anger.  Even if it was his own son, the old man wouldn¡¯t spare him. However, before the old man could unleash his rage, he caught a few words of his granddaughter sleep talking¡­


    ¡°Rina is not a liar¡­.Rina hates ojiisan¡­.¡±


    The old man felt a moment of weakness and rested against the wall behind him for support. Why? Why does she hate me?


    The old man was pained to hear the words his granddaughter carelessly mumbled in her sleep but alas what could he do? He was sure his son had some hand in this¡­but his granddaughter was more resolute than that. Surely, some sad and unfortunate events must have happened for her granddaughter to be saddened to this extent. Sighing at his miserable fortune when it came to relationships, the old man decided it was better to go back.  He would make enquiries to his daughter-in-law and understand what transpired today. With his shoulder¡¯s drooping, the old man pulled out the little gift, he had brought with him, from his pocket. He quietly placed the gift in the little girl¡¯s bag. He then kissed the forehead of his granddaughter before sneaking back out the window¡­


    Part 3


    ¡°Sir? Sir?¡± Radcliff, the old man¡¯s caretaker, called out several times before the old man¡¯s eyes stirred into action. He was so lost in the memories of the past that he hadn¡¯t taken notice of the time or his caretaker calling out to him.


    The old man shifted his gaze from outside the car¡¯s window towards Radcliff.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Radcliff asked.


    ¡°To be worried about me to this degree, you are working yourself too hard. Would you like me to put in a good word to the Defense Minister for your retirement?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t joke around, Sir.¡± Radcliff grumbled. ¡°Also you may want to wipe the moistness from your eyes.¡± Radcliff suggested as he passed a handkerchief to the old man.


    ¡°Eh?¡± The old man was caught unawares.  He silently took the handkerchief and wiped away his glistening tears. ¡°Could Radcliff-san do me a favour and please don¡¯t include this in your report.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t joke around, Sir.¡± Radcliff muttered. ¡°There is nothing to report about an old man crying¡­hmmm¡­could this have to do with tonight¡¯s long awaited reunion with himesama?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± The old man smiled warmly. ¡°I forgot Radcliff-san is one of the few who has met chiisai hime. Just thinking about how cute she must have grown makes my heart fuzzy and flutter.¡±


    ¡°Please say that with a little more restraint, Sir. If you were not her grandfather, I would have arrested you for being a pervert.¡±


    The smile from the old man¡¯s face vanished. ¡°Hohohoho¡­for Radcliff-san to make such comments, means that Radcliff-san is ready to depart the world of the living.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t joke around, Sir¡­.¡± Radcliff mumbled as he decided to keep his remarks to himself. If this old man wanted to, he could break a few bones of Radcliff without even trying. It would be a no contest. Just thinking about the old man breaking his bones made Radcliff sweat. ¡°Himesama sure is cute¡­.¡± He said hoping to improve the old man¡¯s mood.


    The effect was instantaneous.


    ¡°Hohohoho¡­.she is the cutest girl ever!¡± Came back the hearty reply.


    Radcliff exhaled in relief ¨C it worked.


    ¡°Radcliff-san, do you want to marry her?¡±


    Radcliff immediately stiffened up ¨C where the heck did this question come from? Who would want to marry your six year old granddaughter? Didn¡¯t he revert to his old self a little too quick? I should have let him just weep in the corner¡­.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t joke around, Sir.¡± Radcliff muttered for the umpteenth time as he brought the car to a stop. ¡°We are here, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Radcliff-san if you answered with a ¡®yes¡¯, I would have no choice but to kill you.¡± The old man spoke with a huge smile however his expression did not match the contents of his sentence.  In fact, the entire mannerism of saying it made the threat more scarier and believable. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Radcliff-san!¡± The old man spoke as he closed the door behind him.


    Radcliff-san broke out in cold sweat and collapsed back into the driver¡¯s seat. The old man wasn¡¯t kidding when he said he would have killed him.¡­Radcliff felt the killing intent.


    ¡®Please let me know when I can retire from this job....I signed up to be a spy not a butler.¡¯ ¨C Radcliff sighed as his gaze followed the old man''s back as the old man carried himself up the stairs of the shrine.

 Chapter 17 - The pervert

    Part 1


    How dare they humiliate me the Demon Lord!! What does a mere servant consider themselves to be? To raise their hand at the Demon Lord!! To tell the Demon Lord what to do and not to do!!  Even Xerxes-san never dared to hit me. Even when he used to hit me during training duels, Xerxes would apologize and beg for forgiveness. I used to get a headache reminding him that it is alright to hit me in a duel. But this human woman Okasan dared to hit me twice!! Even this Otosan hit me once!!


    Hah! You think I want to eat your stinky dinner. I am the Demon Lord! I have survived on drops of water and lived days of eating nothing more than maggots and shrubs. You think just because I don¡¯t get any dinner, I will starve?


    I am leaving these stupid servants behind, only when they notice my absence will they realize how great I am. Incalculable times, have I exhausted myself guarding the house and servants against enemies¡­.this one time a wild animal (mouse) entered our home and who drove it away? Me!  My servants are frightened by even the smallest of creatures. Especially Okasan, she was hysterically screaming when she saw the wild animal and even jumped on a chair.


    Ingrates! That is what they are.


    I am sure there are more humans who are willing to serve the Demon Lord.


    That is what I will do! I will go find Demon Lord worshiping humans and get them to serve me.


    Part 2


    A thick steamy white fog settled over a hot spring, which was currently being occupied by two girls. The fog was so thick if one tried they wouldn¡¯t be able to see more than ten feet. However, this was to be expected as with the onset of winters.


    The girls silently gazed at the stars as they floated on their backs in the hot spring bath. The two beautiful girls were in their prime and could be considered young women. Their bodies were well rounded in *various* places and well-toned everywhere else. Drops of water glistened over the smooth bare white skin, as they trickled down large round mountains ¨C by the pull of gravity.


    ¡°Nee..Ai-chan¡­.do you love Takaru?¡± One of the girls asked.


    The other girl¡¯s eyes widened as she began to sink in the water. Her face turned peach red. She was murmuring something under water but all that came out was bubbles. An inaudible voice escaped from the bubble ¨C ¡®Stop teasing me Masaki!¡¯


    ¡°Hah! Ai-chan loves him! Doesn¡¯t she?¡± Masaki asked as she suddenly stood up.


    Ai-chan began swimming towards the changing rooms in fright.


    ¡°Ora!¡± Masaki screamed. ¡°Where do you think you are going?


    Ai-chan tried her best to escape but her efforts were futile ¨C her ankle had been caught. Masaki tugged Ai¡¯s leg and drew the girl closer to her. Masaki had a very scary expression on her face ¨C that of a pervert managed to lay its hands on an innocent maiden. ¡°Hahahaha¡­.you think you could get away from me?¡±


    ¡°Ora~!!!¡± Masaki screamed as she yanked Ai out of the water and into her arms. ¡°What is this!!! Have these weapons of mass destruction grown even bigger?¡± Masaki asked with astonishment as she began fondling Ai¡¯s *voluminous* breasts.


    ¡°Masaki....chan¡­.stop¡­.it¡­¡± Ai complained as her face turned red and she tried catching her breath.


    ¡°Ora~ So you like it??¡± Masaki excitedly asked as she continued the fondling. ¡°To secretly fall in love with my brother and to not tell your best friend!! This is punishment!¡± Masaki joyfully declared as the intensity of her actions increased.


    In the heated moment, a tiny moan escaped from the lips of Ai-chan.


    ¡°Ahn~~¡±


    Unknown to these two girls, a shadow lurked in the distance with lustful eyes shining as it watched the intimate moment of two high school girls.


    ¡°Kukukukukuku¡± A mysterious man was smirking as he continued peeping at the two high school girls. If his eyes could pop out of their sockets, they would have already. ¡°To think Japanese women were this erotic!! I knew coming to Japan was the right choice! Kuehkukuku! Yes! Yes! Go on!! Touch her!! More!! More!!!¡±


    Part 3


    Where am I going to find more servants? No more importantly, we will need a place to stay tonight¡­


    *Grumble* The Demon Lord¡¯s stomach gurgled in hunger.


    We will also need to scavenge for food. ¡­


    Immortal Phoenix, find a shelter suitable for me.


    Yes my Lord! The pigeon cooed as it flew off into distance.


    Now then, time to rest. Once, the Immortal Phoenix returns I will move to my new castle¡­. However, at that moment, Shin¡¯s train of thoughts were broken by an uncouth voice of a man.


    ¡°High school girls are the best!!! Go on!! Retaliate!! Fondle her back¡­¡±


    Shin turned his head to see the source of the voice¡­.instead he saw a wobbly stack of cartons piled one on top of another. The stack of cartons was nearly thirty feet tall! And on the very top, was a man. It was astonishing that this thin frail structure could hold itself up and the weight of the man.


    The man had long wavy black hair and wore black leather skin tight pants and full sleeves black leather jacket. His face was partially covered in flame like black tattoos. Other than that, his facial features were all over rough and rugged but that only made him more attractive to women. To conclude, he had the typical appearance of a biker gangster. He didn¡¯t appear to be too young ¨C maybe around the same age as Shin¡¯s father? In his mid thirties.


    The man had a lustful smile spread across his face as his eyes lasciviously gorged on the feast in front of him.  While his lewd mind  ran amok, there was even a little bit of drool hanging from the corner of his mouth. This man''s behaviour could only be described with one word ¨C pervert.


    Though the structure kept wobbling and looked like it could collapse any time, it didn¡¯t bother the man in the slightest. The perverted man made the most smallest of movements to balance the whole thing from collapsing on itself.


    ¡®Weirdo¡­¡¯ Shin thought to himself as he ignored the man. To Shin this man was nothing more than a lunatic who was talking to himself. As Maou-sama, he had no experience in lustful desires. As Shin it was still too early for him to experience worldly desires. Thus to the na?ve Shin, this man was nothing more than a weirdo who talked to himself and wore funny clothes. Further, there were more important things that required his attention. While he waited here for the Immortal Phoenix, he needed to figure out his next steps ¡­.


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    ¡°kukukukukku¡­.they both stood up!! Yes show me everything!¡±


    This idiot¡­.I will never get any thinking done with such an idiot around¡­.what is he even doing up there?


    ¡°You, human there, keep quiet! I am trying to think here.¡± Shin called out to the stranger. However the stranger took no notice of Shin.


    ¡°Hahahaha, the power of love! Wrestle young maidens!! Wrestle with all your might!! Press your bodies against each other!!!¡±


    ¡°You¡­.you¡­.I am talking to you!!! Don¡¯t ignore me!!!¡±


    ¡°Very nice¡­.splash more water on each other!!! Make that naked body glisten in the night!!¡±


    Shin¡¯s face turned visibly red in anger. After learning how to speak, Shin made sure his servants never ignored him.  He was still very bitter about the three years he could not speak to anyone.


    Shin walked over to the pile of boxes and gently pushed the second lowest box with his index finger. ¡°Let¡¯s see you ignore me now¡­¡± Shin muttered.


    Only when the entire tower of boxes began wobbling wildly, did the pervert take notice that something was wrong. He was an expert amongst expert. As long as it was the natural wind, he would be able to balance himself on this pile of boxes. Clearly, something was wrong here. The pervert then began looking at the ground to find the source of his troubles.


    ¡°Eh?¡± The pervert muttered to himself as he noticed a small boy with ruffled black flat hair and dirty night wear pushing the pile of boxes. ¡°Shoo, kid!! Go away!! What are you doing!! Go!! Shooo!!¡±


    ¡°How dare you shoo me!! I will show you!!¡± Shin shouted back at the pervert. I am Maou-sama!! You dare shoo the Maou-sama!!!  Ofcourse Shin, couldn''t reveal his true identity to any human - not before knowing whether that human would support him or kill him. So Shin never spoke his identity out aloud.


    ¡°Eh? No kid!! Don¡¯t!! Don¡¯t!!¡± The pervert pleaded as Shin pushed the pile of boxes with both his hands. The frown on the pervert¡¯s face grew bigger and bigger ¨C this was a considerable height. Falling from here would have consequences the most important one being (for this pervert); he would never get to see the conclusion of this erotic woman wrestling.


    When Shin used his full force, the pile of boxes came crashing down. However, the pervert didn¡¯t come down with the boxes ¨C he continued to cling on to the wall. ¡°Damn you kid!! When I get down there, I am going to kill you.¡± The perverted roared back. Thankfully, he clutched on to the wall with all his strength. There was no way, the pervert was going to miss the conclusion of the two naked women wrestling each other.


    ¡°Eeek!? Masaki, did you hear that?¡± Ai could be heard on the other side of the wall.


    ¡°Yeah¡­something fell down¡­¡± Masaki replied as she let go of Ai.


    ¡°Do you think¡­.someone was watching us¡­¡± Ai asked with a frail voice.


    ¡°Ora~~~¡± Masaki creamed as her eye twinkled. She grabbed a soap bar and flung it where the pervert hung.


    *DONG* The soap bar accurately hit the pervert on the forehead.


    ¡°Got him.¡± Masaki roared as she dashed out of the hot spring.


    ¡°As expected of our high school¡¯s softball captain!¡± Ai replied.


    ¡°No that is not what you should be saying right now. When I catch that pervert, I am going to show you the true strength of a clean-up batter.¡±


    Both girls were unusually casual about the matter.


    Part 4


    ¡°A..ouch¡­ouch¡­ouch¡­¡± The pervert groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He fell an astounding thirty feet from the air and managed to get away with no serious injuries. The pervert began rubbing his forehead; it had already turned red and swollen. ¡°My beautiful dream¡­.¡± The pervert cried out as he stared at the top of the wall.


    ¡°Noooooooo¡­¡­¡± Shin quietly stood on the side as he watched pervert cry while kneeling in front of the onsen¡¯s wall.


    Some humans sure are weird, their oddity never ceases to amaze me¡­.first he talks to himself¡­then begins crying over nothing¡­.


    ¡°You!! You are responsible for my misery!!¡± The pervert declared as he stared at Shin with hatred burning in his eyes.


    Shin frowned while tilting his head cutely and wondering what the man meant. Shin only asked him to keep quiet. As far as Shin could tell, the man was doing nothing of importance. Not that anything could be more important that Shin¡¯s worries.  Before the pervert could say anything more, voices could be heard in the distance.


    ¡°Owner-san!! This way!! I am sure I hit the pervert on the head. Ai, quickly call the police. We are going to catch him today!!¡±


    ¡°Masaki-san, please slow down¡­you are only wrapped in a bath towel¡­¡± Ai could be heard in the distance.


    As swift as the wind, the pervert grabbed Shin and disappeared from the vicinity. His figure was like a blur moving in the darkness. Only a second later, did Masaki and two tall and bulky men walk into the spot which was previously occupied by Shin and the pervert.


    "Strange... I was sure I heard some voices from here...." Masaki murmured to herself.


    Part 5


    Master!! I have found a suitable shelter for us!!


    Master?


    Master where are you?


    A pigeon flew in circles over the onsen.


    I am sure I left my Master somewhere here¡­don¡¯t tell me!! Master abandoned me!!!


    No master couldn¡¯t have abandoned me¡­.I must be lost¡­.Yes!! That is it!! I must have forgotten where I left Master¡­


    But then where is Master?


    Maassssterrr!!


    *Dhunk*


    The Immortal Phoenix hit the window pane of a house and slowly slid down the glass.

 Chapter 18: The troubles of an old man

    Part 1


    The old man gazed up at the shrine as he took slow steps up the stairs. The shrine looked nothing like it did three years ago. The most notable change was how the entire shrine was lit up by tall standing torches. In addition to the torches, there paper lanterns hanging from ropes which were strung on form building to building. The entrance wore a huge banner reading, in large words,- ¡°Congratulations and Happy Birthday!¡±.


    With all the joyous commotion, laughing and shouting, one could easily mistake this as some sort of festival. However, the shrine was located in a small village like town, where everyone knew everyone else.  Tonight, the town was were celebrating the Rina¡¯s birthday in advance as well as celebrating her joining school.


    It wasn¡¯t only Rina who was joining school; there were other children as well. Thus the families decided to hold a joint celebratory event together.  It started off as a small event for the family of three with a few close friends and their children. However word rapidly got out and there were sons and daughters of other¡¯s as well who would now be attending a higher grade. So more families got involved before anyone realized it, practically the entire village was attending the celebrations. Being a tight knit community, it would be impossible to hold such a large scale celebration without ¡®not¡¯ inviting someone. Hence, everyone had been invited.


    This wasn¡¯t some large scale grand party. It was an ordinary town with ordinary hardworking people trying to make a living. Hence, everyone contributed in their own ways to the celebrations. The elderly watched over the babies; which let the adults get some serious work done. The men were in charge of all the decorations and fireworks. The women handled the meals. The younger boys and girls assisted anyone and everyone they could. Somehow it turned into something grand and there were already discussions of holding one next year as well. It didn¡¯t happen too often that the village came together to celebrate festivals. So everyone was happy to pitch in and be a part of the event.


    Though no one noticed, Rina¡¯s dad was especially happy. No one normally visited the shrine; hence with the excuse of celebrations, several people visited the shrine and offered prayers. Furthermore, to prepare for the celebrations they needed to clean up the entire shrine ¨C something which was overdue for a long time. Once volunteers began cleaning up the shrine, they also noticed the poor run down condition it was in. Hence, the shrine went through a round of repairs as well. No one minded the hard work as everyone was thoroughly enjoying themselves ¨C it was after all summer break.


    The highlight of the night was the fireworks display and currently everyone was standing in the middle of the shrine grounds to watching the ongoing fireworks.  There many ¡®oo¡¯s¡¯ and ¡®aaahs¡¯ ringing throughout the crowd as one firework after another burst into colourful sparks.


    The old man was warmed up to the scene. This is what home should look like.


    As he reached the entrance, two boys were exiting the shrine.  They gave the old man a quick glance and began wondering who he was. The old man wore a very refined tailored suit and polished black shoes. Although the old man walked with a slight stoop, there was still grace in his strides. Clearly, this man was not from around here.


    ¡°Oye, Oji-san, are you lost?¡± One of the boys called out. However they knew that couldn¡¯t possibly be the case since he was carrying a gift wrapped box in his hand ¨C a white box with a red ribbon. Hence, it meant he was here for the celebrations. But then who in this village had such a rich relative? Everyone knew everyone in this small country town. If someone¡¯s family had money, word would have surely gone around. So just to be sure, the young boys checked with the old man whether he turned up for the right party.


    ¡°Oji-san, who are you here to meet?¡± The young boy patiently called out again noticing the old-man didn¡¯t hear him. However, the old man continued to ignore the boys.


    Before the boy could speak again, his friend grabbed his shoulder and cried out, ¡°DUDE LOOK AT THAT CAR!!!¡± The second boy pointed to the ultra-luxurious and expensive looking car. ¡°IS THAT A ROLLS ROYCE!!¡± The boy continued excitedly.


    Ignoring his car enthusiast friend, the first boy turned back to speak to the old man however to his surprise the old man simply disappeared like a ghost.


    Part 2


    ¡°Haaaanh? Why is he here?¡± Rina asked in a loud whining voice as she stepped into her bedroom on her mother¡¯s request.  Her question was directed at her grandfather who sat on her bed.


    ¡°Rina!¡± Her mother spoke in a stern voice. ¡°That is not how we speak with our elders¡­¡±


    Rina puffed her cheeks as she looked to counter. She had been dragged out of the special festivities and fireworks for him? She hated the old man. Because of him, she was teased every day in school.  She had even been nicknamed ¡®Hero-sama¡¯. One time she went to borrow some scissors (plastic ones) from another classroom, and a boy asked her if it was to kill the demon lord.  There were all sorts of stories circulating around her. No matter how much she fussed, she could never stop going to school. Her father would never permit it. Also because they lived in the country side, she could not transfer school (not that this idea occurred to her). She had to learn how to cope with the teasing and bullying as a punishment for believing her grandfather. Every day the hatred in her heart for her grandfather grew more and more. Her father was most pleased with this result; it was after all what he had been hoping for.  Although the bullying and teasing stopped, the grief and hatred in her heart never died out. Thus, Rina came to hate her grandfather to the extent she now openly disrespected him.


    Hearing Rina¡¯s cruel comment, the old man only gave a wry smile. Rina¡¯s remark was like a stab in the heart for him; after all grandparents are weak to their grandchildren. However, he did not hold it against the little girl ¨C she was only six years old. She could not possibly understand how her father is using her to hurt him.


    ¡°Hohohoho¡­to be scolded by oujo-sama, to this degree.¡± The old man finally spoke.


    The girl frowned, how could this man possibly laugh when she insulted him? Shouldn¡¯t he lose his cool? Shout back at her? That is how her father would react. Instead, her grandfather took it as a joke and even called her oujo-sama!


    ¡°I am not Oujosama!¡± Rina declared pompously while pouting in anger.


    ¡°Hai Hai¡­¡± Her grandfather concurred with a smile. Although, Rina did not notice it, the old man¡¯s words were able to get through to her iced heart ¨C she had finally shown some reaction to the old man. Maybe not everything is lost¡­.


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    ¡°Then how about chiisai hime?¡± The old man asked with a serious face.


    ¡°Geeezzzz!!! I am Rina!! Minamoto Rina!!¡± Rina scolded her grandfather whilst her face turned red.


    Seeing his granddaughter react like this, the smile in the old man¡¯s heart only grew larger and larger. Without even realizing it, Rina already reverted back to a casual manner of speaking. Rina¡¯s mother would have scolded her for being so informal, however, the old man motioned her not to say anything with his eyes. So Rina¡¯s mother let the conversation flow.


    ¡°Gomenasai, Minamoto-sama.¡± The old man hurriedly apologized.


    ¡°Geez!! Ojii-san!!! Sama is used for the royal family or even respected elders not for children!¡± Rina hurried explained as she took out one of her playschool books which explained the usages of honorifics.


    ¡°I see.¡± The old man replied apologetically. Rina sat next to her grandfather and opened the colour book and began reading out the various suffixes which were usually added to the names.  The old man openly smiled as he watched his granddaughter¡¯s little fingers move from word to word.


    Rina¡¯s mother¡¯s eyebrows were arched in surprise. Oye! Little missy! Where did the hatred of three years vanish? ¨C Her mother thought as she rolled her eyes at her daughter¡¯s flippant attitude. Nonetheless, she was grateful in her heart that she was able to resolve this matter and put an end to her husband¡¯s schemes.


    To the old man this was the greatest gift; to be able to finally meet his granddaughter again and spend time with her.  As Rina was explaining the various things she was taught in school, small drops of water began to fall on her notebook. When she looked up she noticed Ojiisan was crying.


    ¡°Ojii-san?¡± Rina called out timidly and nervously. She had never seen a grown man cry. She *didn¡¯t like* Ojiisan but she certainly didn¡¯t wish to hurt him. She was after all a young girl with a frail heart, seeing anyone sad would sadden her. ¡°Ojii-san, I am sorry.¡± The little girl cried out as she assumed she did something wrong which upset the old man.


    ¡°Hohohoho¡­for oujosama to be saying sorry to me!¡± The old man faked a smile as he wiped away his tears. ¡°But do not worry, Oujosama. Only dirt entered my eyes. So if you hug me, I will be alright.¡±


    ¡°Geeezzz! Ojiisan!! You scared me!¡± The girl complained as she responded back with a hug ¨C because hugs cleaned up dirt in the eyes. Ofcourse, the hug didn¡¯t last as long as the old man wanted it to last with Rina complaining ¨C¡®I am being crushed!! Help Okasan!!¡¯


    However, her mother only responded with a heart-warming smile before leaving the room to wash away her own tears which were welling up.


    Within a few minutes, various colouring books lay scattered all over the floor of Rina¡¯s room and the old man was now ¡®learning¡¯ how to colour ¡®correctly¡¯.


    ¡°Geezzz!!! Ojiisan!! I told you not to colour outside the lines!!¡± Rina scolded her grandfather, as she took away the crayons from his hands and began explaining the ¡®technique of colouring¡¯ all over again. The little girl had completely forgotten that she was angry with her grandfather, that she hated him the most, and that there was an amazing festive celebration going on outside.  Rina was more than content with having someone to listen to her and her colouring books.


    ¡°Rinaaa!!! Rinaa!!!!¡± A man¡¯s voice resounded in the house ¨C it was filled with panic.


    Hearing the voice, Rina stiffened up and the old man began to frown. How could they not recognize the voice.


    It was Rina¡¯s father and he wasn¡¯t happy with what he saw when he entered Rina¡¯s room.


    Part 3


    ¡°Masaki, have you seen Rina?¡± Rina¡¯s father enquired.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Ai?¡±


    ¡°No, Ojisan.¡±


    ¡°Where did that girl go?¡±


    ¡°Maybe she went to the bathroom?¡± Someone in the crowd suggested.


    However, the unease in the man¡¯s heart did not disappear. Even his own wife was missing. He knew something was wrong but he could not point a finger at it¡­.


    After the fireworks display, it was time to cut Rina¡¯s cake. However, the concerned person itself was missing from the event! The worry in the father¡¯s heart grew steadily. His wife had been gone for a long time as well.


    ¡°Rina!!¡±


    ¡°Rina!!¡±


    ¡°Rina!!¡±


    Several people called out as the cake was being brought out. The cake couldn¡¯t be cut if the birthday girl wasn¡¯t present. Furthermore, with so many children around, it would be difficult to protect the cake for long. So it was for the best to find the girl immediately.


    ¡°EVERYONE!!! THERE IS A ROLLS ROYCE PARKED OUTSIDE!!!¡± Two boys shouted out loudly as they ran back into the shrine.


    The curiosity of everyone had been piqued and some children began to peer through the shrine gates to catch a glance of the expensive car. Please note, that no one left the shrine as they preferred the cake over the car. The townsmen subconsciously knew that they would regret not eating the cake if they glossed over the car too long. So no one really took a step outside the shrine gate.


    By now, Rina¡¯s father began hyperventilating like a mad man and kept shouting out for Rina as though she were in mortal danger. Everyone was very bewildered by the scene and didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°Shueshei, calm down!¡± Some people called out but their words could not reach the young man.


    Before anyone could do anything else, everything came to a dramatic end when a person appeared from nowhere and slapped Rina¡¯s father back to his senses.


    The person who slapped him was Radcliff.


    ¡°You? You are Radcliff?¡± Shueshei asked as his eyes became focused again. ¡°Where is my daughter?¡± He questioned as he grabbed Radcliff¡¯s arms tightly to make sure Radcliff doesn¡¯t go anywhere.


    Radcliff frowned ¨C of all the people, Ji-san had to have this person as his child. Extremely foolish.


    Radcliff grabbed the Shueshei¡¯s arms and slowly dislodged the grip using sheer strength. Shueshei was strong but nowhere as strong as Radcliff. Hence, Shueshei could only watch in shock as Radcliff unpeeled the youth¡¯s arm of him.


    ¡°Please follow me.¡± Radcliff muttered as he could out his cell phone and turned on a tracking app.


    ¡°This is?¡± Shueshie asked in curiosity as he noticed a flashing icon.


    ¡°A tracker placed on your father.¡± Radcliff replied without further explanation.


    Shueshie¡¯s face darkened. ¡°He is here as well? No of course he would be here¡­it is not surprising¡­.his favourite lap dog only follows him around¡­¡±


    Radcliff only frowned but didn¡¯t say anything as he kept his eye on the tracker and led the way.

 Chapter 19: We have a situation

    Part 1


    ¡°You!!???¡± Rina¡¯s father, Shueshei, angrily spoke as he stormed into the room and yanked the little girl away from the old man.


    Rina yelled out in pain ¨C her father¡¯s grip was tight and the force was too sudden. He slightly loosened his grip but did not fully let go.


    He had several reasons for searching for Rina. Firstly, Rina was not present outside with everyone which was strange. Second, it was almost time to cut the cake. Third, two boys walked back into the party telling everyone about a ¡®really expensive¡¯ car parked outside. The last point pretty much hit home, and Rina¡¯s father knew who the visitor was ¨C the person he despised most in this world. That is when he began looking for Rina-chan like a mad man. However, Radcliff slapped him into his senses and led him here.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Shueshei angrily asked the old man.


    ¡°I came to see my granddaughter. However, it looks my time is up.¡± The old man replied with a frown. He didn¡¯t appreciate the force that Shueshei applied on Rina. ¡°Rina-chan, it was fun meeting you. Would you like to meet again?¡± The old man asked with a sweet voice while completely ignoring his son.


    Rina kept quiet but nodded her head in agreement.


    ¡°You¡­---¡° Shueshei was antagonized to see his daughter nod her head happily ¨C agreeing to meet the old man again.


    ¡°That would be wonderful¡± Ji-san spoke before his son could get any more words in between. ¡°Then, I will meet you next time, oujosama¡­.oh that reminds me, you will meet my friend¡¯s son at school tomorrow. His name is Tsushima Shin and he is a very shy child. Please take care of him.¡±


    Rina simply nodded her head again which further enraged her father.


    ¡°You!!!! You leave from here right away!!!¡± Shueshei barked wildly. He was loud, loud enough for everyone outside to hear him. Many of the townsmen tried to glance into the house to see who was Shueshei shouting at. Who was the mysterious stranger?


    What people saw was a nicely dressed elder man walking out of the house with the aid of well-built man. What could this old man have possibly done to receive the wrath of the gentle Shueshei, everyone wondered?


    ¡°YOU NEVER COME NEAR MY DAUGHTER!!¡± Shueshei continued shouting even after the old man stepped out of the house, in front of the townsmen. Shueshei was boundlessly angered, water had been poured over his schemes to hurt the old man. He could not easily accept this.


    Ji-san stopped walking. There was no need for him to go on hearing his son¡¯s insults, however, if he did not let his stupid son vent out his anger, it would certainly be directed to his wife. He did not wish his daughter-in-law to bear the burden.


    ¡°Hohohoho¡­to air your dirty laundry in front of strangers. Maybe I should have taught you manners.¡± Ji-san finally replied as he turned around and faced his son.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Shueshei blurted out as he puffed his chest and took a menacing step closer to the old man. ¡°What manners will you teach me, Old man? Or will you have your goons teach me a lesson?¡± Shueshei asked as he warily glanced at Radcliff.


    ¡°Goons?¡± The old man asked; his face revealed bafflement at the accusation.


    ¡°You think I am still young and stupid? I know what you do for a living.¡± Shueshei shouted out as he threatened to reveal the truth.


    However, hearing his son¡¯s accusations, the old man only grew more and more confused. He basically did nothing for a living. So it was really confusing when his son accused him of working.


    ¡°Eh? What?¡± The old man asked.


    The flare in Shueshei¡¯s eyes died that was not the reaction he was expecting. He thought his father would be afraid if his true identity was revealed ¨C since the old man really didn¡¯t want the world to know.


    No! He must be bluffing! Shueshei thought as he regained his composure.


    ¡°You¡­.¡± Shueshei gritted his teeth. If he were to really reveal the old man¡¯s line of work, he risked being isolated within this town. Taking a deep breath, ¡°You are a Yakuza!!¡± Shueshei declared with a pompous smile. A smile inherited by Rina.


    That sentence threw the entire gathering into frenzy.  A real life Yakuza ¨C being such a remote side town, nobody had ever seen a Yakuza. There was so much drama happening, people began gossiping all sorts of tales and began wondering what was the relationship between the town¡¯s priest and a yakuza?


    An evil father and a son repenting for his father¡¯s crime? Became the impromptu  answer in everyone¡¯s mind.


    The old man¡¯s face expressions went from bafflement to disappointment.


    ¡°Shueshei¡­¡± This was the first time in a long time, the old man had taken his son¡¯s name. ¡°How did you even reach that conclusion?¡±


    ¡°Hah! You don¡¯t deny it!¡± Shueshei continued the savage attacks on his own father while not understanding the change in the old man¡¯s body language or facial expressions. ¡°You didn¡¯t think that I wouldn¡¯t be able to connect the dots? Those expensive cars and body guards, avoiding the public¡­just like a Yakuza!!¡± Shueshei explained with a smug expression.


    ¡°And that¡¯s how you concluded I am a Yakuza?¡± Ji-san asked with great disappointment. ¡°No¡­never mind¡­don¡¯t answer it. To have raised such an idiot, may your mother forgive me.¡±


    ¡°What did you say!!¡± Shueshei burst out as he aggressively chased after his father¡¯s figure ¨C two three people held him back from doing anything stupid. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare take Okasan¡¯s name! She died because of you!¡±


    However, the old man did not respond because he had already exited the shrine and began descending the steps. He heard his son¡¯s words and could not deny them. That was a blame he would squarely accept ¨C it was also the reason why his son hated him.


    Slowly and quietly, the old man got into the car.


    Part 2


    ¡°Where do you think you are going!!¡± Shueshei shouted out as he reached the shrine gates. However, he could go no further, Radcliff blocked the path.


    ¡°What? Is the dog now going to protect the master?¡± Shueshei angrily asked the presumed ¡®goon¡¯.


    Radcliff gave a very dazzling but cold smile ¨C one which said take a step further and I will kill you. In fact, the killing intent was so strong that everyone, including Shueshei, took one step back in fright.


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    ¡°Ah¡­ you little piece of shit.¡± Radcliff addressed the young man with a smile. The words did not match the smiling expressions. ¡°See for various reasons today, I am in a hurry. However, if I had more time, I would beat common sense into your muscle head¡­.¡± The words really did not match the smiling face of Radcliff.


    ¡°You think dogs like you, Yakuza, can have it your way anywhere you like?¡±


    Radcliff continued smiling. ¡°I believe there is a misunderstanding, I should clear up, because both father and son are idiots. If I don¡¯t do this, this might never end.¡±


    Shueshei suddenly became quiet. Goons don¡¯t refer to their masters as idiots.


    ¡°First, I am not your father¡¯s dog.¡± Radcliff spoke through his teeth while maintaining the smile. ¡°He is my headache. You understand? My headache! To call me that lunatic¡¯s dog! How insulting!¡±


    Shueshei opened his mouth but quickly shut it when Radcliff gave him a deathly cold stare.


    ¡°Second, I am not from the Yakuza.¡± Again spoken with a smile. ¡°Being driven around in expensive cars, having bodyguards and avoiding the public ¡­how are any of those traits of a Yakuza..what kind of shit mangas or anime did you read to reach that conclusion?¡±


    Shueshei opened his mouth again to reply but quickly shut it when Radcliff gave him a deathly cold stare. The question was rhetorical and Radcliff didn¡¯t want an answer.


    ¡°Also while we are at it, let me clarify your father is a salaried government employee. As for what he does for a living, it would be better if he told you¡­.no wait¡­ since both father and sons are idiots, it might be faster if I just say it. He is the Director of Public Safety & Intelligence. Do you understand?¡± Radcliff continued speaking in a menacing manner but with a smile. His words never matched his expressions, even once.


    Shueshei opened his mouth again but there were no words coming out. There was too much information to process. He would have refuted Radcliff¡¯s claims but Radcliff held out his badge which read PSIA. The badge was authentic looking, not that Shueshei had met a PSIA agent before.  Also, Shueshei didn¡¯t even know what was PSIA. However, why would a Yakuza walk around with a PSIA badge?


    Director of Public Safety & Intelligence? My father? Not a Yakuza? Intelligence services?


    ¡°Lastly, as much as your father is an idiot and my headache. He has saved this nation from countless disasters. He is one of those unsung Heroes who will never be given a medal, never be recognized publically and he will die a humble quiet death with no one ever knowing his achievements.¡± Radcliff almost choked at the end of the sentence. ¡°So listen up you piece of shit, next time I bring this old fart to spend some time with his granddaughter, let him do as he pleases. Understand? When he is with his granddaughter, he is happy. When he is happy, he troubles me less. When he troubles me less, I am happy. So the only f*ck, I give about is my happiness. Understand?¡±


    Shueshei did not know what to be shocked about. The fact that his father is some sort of a spy? Or the fact that the always smiling and polite caretaker, Radcliff-san, could speak such vulgar and crude words? The young man stood in shock and daze. There was too much information and at some time his brain just melted. He could only reply with a stupid sounding ¡®uhu¡¯.


    Radcliff sighed ¨C did I even get through to him. Was the revelation too much of a shock? Never mind, why did I bother getting involved in this. Since when did I begin caring about the old man¡¯s family life.


    Part 3


    ¡°To be looked after this degree¡­.if it had not been for our relationship, I would have almost thought, Radcliff-san had developed feeling for me. Hohohohoho¡­¡± The old man merrily spoke up as Radcliff drove away from the town.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t joke, Sir. There is no relationship between us and I share absolutely no feelings for you¡­¡±


    ¡°Hohohohoho¡­ of course, so you say¡­though headaches never go away.¡±


    A question mark floated above Radcliff¡¯s head, but then he realized what the old man was hinting towards.


    This sly devil!!! He heard everything through a soundproof car??  Radcliff swore under his breath.  Somehow he felt as though he had been toyed with. Seeing Radcliff turn pale, the old man began laughing more and more.


    ¡°An unsung Heroes who will never be given a medal, never be recognized publically and he will die a humble quiet death with no one ever knowing his achievements¡­.pffttt¡­.hahahaha¡­where does Radcliff-san, get such lines from?¡± The old man was now on the floor of his car, unable to control his laughter.


    Radcliff could only turn red in colour as he wished himself instant death. He had said some pretty embarrassing things back there.


    Wiping a tear from his eye, the old man finally got up from the floor of the car and sat back on the seat. He was taking deep breaths as he tried to wash away his smile, ¡°Thank you¡­I didn¡¯t know you wanted to retire so badly. I will definitely speak with the Defense Minister and push your case¡­.pfffttttt hahahahahaha¡­. he will die a humble quiet death with no one ever knowing his achievements¡­¡±


    ¡°We have a problem, Sir.¡± Radcliff waited for the old man to catch his breath again.


    ¡°Hohohoho¡­we always do have problems. Like how I am not a salaried government employee, nor am I the director of¡­what am I the director of again Radcliff-san?¡± The old man jokingly asked.


    Radcliff only frowned. He would never hear the end of this. Taking a deep breath, he spoke again ¡°We have a situation involving Tsushimas.¡±


    The smile from the old man¡¯s face vanished when he heard those words.


    "What about them..."


    Radcliff frowned, the next bit of information was something too unbelievable, even for him. "Their youngest son''s tracker began moving...and.its headed south....also you might not believe this...given his speed,  I think he is on a plane."

 Chapter 20: Kui-nige!

    Part 1


    Radcliff frowned, the next bit of information was something too unbelievable, even for him. "Their youngest son''s tracker began moving...and¡­its headed south....also you might not believe this...given his speed, I think he is on a plane."


    ¡°Hah?¡± The old man involuntarily emoted his surprise as his face expressed his disbelief. ¡°I think Radcliff-san, has had too many drinks to night, to be joking about a six year old child boarding a plane¡­¡±


    Radcliff frowned as he stared back at the old man through the rear view mirror. ¡°I don¡¯t drink when I work, Sir.¡± Radcliff corrected the old man. ¡°Also, you may check the tablet beside you if you don¡¯t believe.¡±


    The old man clumsily picked up the electronic gadget next to him, a ten inch screen tablet and then turned it on.  The screen of the tablet, opened to a map of Japan and displayed six chibi faces. Each chibi face loosely resembled their real life character. The location of the chibi faces on the map also indicated the real time location of the person. The six chibi faces were Minamoto Rina, the old man and the family members of the Tsushima household. Currently, five of the chibi faces were clustered extremely close by. This was true as everyone tagged, lived fairly close by ¨C if the old man were too zoom into the map only then would the chibi faces pull apart to reveal distance but for his current use a ¡®zoomed out¡¯ map was what he needed. This was because, Shin¡¯s chibi face blinking and was drifting further and further away south.


    The blinking chibi face meant that Shin was travelling through an area sparse of telecom towers. Hence, he could only be tracked weakly with GPS signal. Currently, Shin¡¯s chibi face was half way between Tokyo city and Miyagi prefecture.


    ¡°Ah¡­.¡± The old man frowned slightly and groaned as he felt a headache approaching. ¡°Could it be that the tracker got misplaced?¡± The old man enquired. The old man could not believe that a little boy boarded an aeroplane by himself. How would he be able to do so? The security at airports is extremely tight, so being able to sneak into the airport should be impossible.


    ¡°Not possible. Unlike the jade pendant that you gifted your granddaughter, the Tsushimas have been tagged with an 8mm surgical implant.¡± Radcliff responded in a serious fashion as he moved the car into higher gears; speeding along the curves of the hill like a speed racer.  ¡°We also intercepted local police communication ¨C Saijo has reported him as missing. Given the police report and movement in tracker, we can be sure that someone has picked up the little boy.¡±


    The old man sighed and muttered ¡°One incident after another¡­.well what about the plane? Do we have any details about which airline did they board?¡±


    Radcliff frowned once again, ¡°¡¯Support¡¯ has cross checked all flight plan schedules of planes capable of flying at that speed. There should be nothing flying through that stretch of airspace at this time¡­¡±


    The old man¡¯s eyebrows were raised at this piece of information. ¡°So it is a private jet?¡±


    ¡°Support is not sure¡­.there isn¡¯t exactly a run way in this hilly countryside to land a jet here¡­ also if there was a small jet in the area, we would have known beforehand¡­.this is a completely uncharted flight.¡±


    The old man began to frown, ¡°Wait¡­.if this is an uncharted flight¡­the moment it shows up on the radar¡­ wouldn¡¯t the Air force get involved? It will surely turn into a troublesome matter if ''that'' person gets involved.¡±


    ¡°Assuming it shows up on the radar¡­.¡± Radcliff reminded the old man. ¡°¡¯Support¡¯ has verified there is nothing on the radar. We are dealing with a highly advanced stealth plane capable of vertical lift.¡±


    ¡°Argh¡­if it is such a technologically advanced aircraft, then it has to be another country which is involved...or someone extremely wealthy and powerful¡­.¡±


    ¡°Please stop joking around, Sir. This is Japan where owning even a katana requires a licence, it is absolutely impossible for billionaires to own military grade aircrafts. With all the available information, ¡¯Support¡¯ has concluded that this is the work of an outsider.¡± Radcliff solemnly answered.


    There was pin drop silence in the car for an entire two minutes, other than the engine and occasional braking sounds, nothing else could be heard.


    ¡°Hohohoho¡­somehow this has turned into some kind of incredible story¡­.¡± The old man let out an exasperated sigh as he tried to sound cheery.


    Radcliff nodded his head in agreement ¨C a six year old being kidnapped by some foreign intelligence agency then flown on a stealth jet across Japan¡­.who would believe this kind of fantastical story?


    The old man held his forehead with his hand and pressed his temples with his fingers as his head began to ache. ¡°It is always him¡­ Wasn¡¯t it Shin-kun who blew up the thief alarm system last year?¡±


    Radcliff nodded silently in agreement and then added. ¡°He is also the same one who kicked the agent in the nuts for following him¡­¡±


    The old man groaned once more. ¡°That kid¡­ why can¡¯t he be more normal like his elder brother? Why is he the one always creating a ruckus¡­.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame a six year old for being kidnapped by foreign intelligence, Sir.¡±


    ¡°No you can, Radcliff-san. That particular six year old has been a handful in more than one instance.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Radcliff didn¡¯t respond - he couldn¡¯t disagree with the old man.


    Part 2


    *Sob*


    *Sob*


    Tears trickled down Sui¡¯s face as she sat on Saijo¡¯s lap and hugged him. ¡°Poor Shin-chan¡­¡­my baby¡­..*hic*¡­. is somewhere ¡­¡­*hic*¡­¡­out there¡­.all by himself¡­.lost¡­.¡±


    *Sob*


    *Sob*


    ¡°This is all my fault ¡­.*hic*¡­.for scolding ¡­..*hic*¡­.him¡­.¡±


    ¡°No it isn¡¯t¡­¡± Saijo comforted her. ¡°I am sure he is fine and when we find him, I bet he will be sleeping soundly¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t even eat dinner¡­.. *hic*¡­.it is all my fault¡­.he will sleep hungry¡­.all because of me¡­.he ¡­.*hic*¡­.is only¡­..six years old¡­he will¡­*hic*¡­.sleep in such cold¡­.*sob*¡­without a blanket¡­¡±


    *Sob*


    *Sob*


    Saijo could not say anything to lessen Sui¡¯s guilt. The crying became even louder and Saijo¡¯s shirt was dampened in tears and snot of his wife. However, he did not care about his shirt, his son was missing and finding him was all that mattered to both him and his wife.


    When Sui discovered Shin was not in his room, they began searching the entire house¡­then they searched the vicinity outside their house, checked with their neighbours¡­.and then their neighbours also joined the search¡­


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The onsen-owner who lived nearby also volunteered to search. There were even two high school girls who volunteered to look for Shin ¨C though Saijo did wonder why one of them was covered in only a bath towel.


    With each minute that passed, the uneasiness in both parent¡¯s hearts only grew. When they could not find Shin in thirty minutes, they informed the police. The two high school girls quickly gathered their classmates and got them to spread word about the missing child. It took a little over an hour, but the teenagers were able to reach out to a lot of residents. Soon, word spread out across the town like fire and everyone came out of their homes at night to help in any way they could. The volunteers were broken into groups of two each and given the responsibility to search a given area.


    After this night, Shin became a local celebrity ¨C there was no one in town who didn¡¯t know of Shin.


    Part 3


    ¡°Is this the place?¡± A man asked. The man was wearing tight black coloured leather pants and jacket, exuding the aura of a biker gang member. Yes, this man was the pervert. He appeared in the middle of Tokyo from nowhere.


    A young boy who sat on the shoulder of the pervert, opened up a tourist map which read the heading ¡®Top ten amazing places in Tokyo no one visits!¡¯.


    ¡°Yeah¡­.this should be the place¡­.¡± The boy muttered. The little boy, was wearing a cutely designed nightwear for children - tiny red fire blowing dragons patterned all over his pyjamas. Yes, the little boy in his night suit is Shin.


    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± The pervert began to laugh. ¡°Kid, be ready to be amazed. I am going to treat you to the world¡¯s most amazing ramen.


    Part 4


    In a tiny fast food shack, an amazing scene was unfolding; two people could be seen savagely gulping down ramen bowl after ramen bowl.


    The pair was oddly dressed given the general ambiance of the run down restaurant. What does a biker gang member and a boy in a night suit have in common? The people could only believe given the age difference, the two were father and son.


    In some ways, the two even resembled each other. The two sat on the restaurant stool in a similar fashion. They also ate in the same manner ¨C savagely gulping down everything that lay before them. They didn¡¯t even take the time chew the food. Some of the dinners who were staring at the duo felt their appetites vanish.


    The sight was unsightly. Although, this was just a tiny run down shack, there was still something known as table manners ¨C which they duo clearly lacked. However, the restaurant (shack) owner, a middle aged man, didn¡¯t seem to mind the two people. As long as someone appreciated his cooking, he didn¡¯t mind petty things like table manners.


    *munch*


    *Slurp*


    *munch*


    *Slurp*


    *munch*


    ¡°O-san! One more!¡±  The little boy called out as he put away his third bowl. ¡°To think there was something this delicious under the heavens. Compared to what my servant cooks me, this is vastly superior!!¡±


    The middle aged man smiled as he replaced Shin¡¯s empty bowl with another bowl filled with ramen. ¡°You have some guts kid, this is your fourth bowl. Be sure not to waste it!¡±


    ¡°Hai!¡± Shin happily replied as he began slurping away the noddle soup. ¡°Dich texture ish sho grate¡­¡± Shin kept praising the cook while his mouth was stuffed with food ¨C a disgusting sight to behold.


    ¡°I¡­know¡­what¡­chou¡­mean¡­¡± The pervert replied as he gulped down his seventh bowl.


    As the fellow dinners stared at the duo, they could only wonder where all the food disappearing to. The stomachs of the two  was still flat as ever ¨C it made the other dinners wonder if the two had an extra dimension for a stomach. Even the shack owner was a surprised with the quantity the two were eating ¨C normally this is something you see in an anime or a manga.


    It was only when the duo, finished a total of fifteen bowls of ramen  (together) did they finally stop. Their bellies were finally round and bloated.


    The owner and surrounding people could be heard muttering words like ¨C


    ¡°Unbelievable¡­.to think a human can eat that much¡­.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just the man¡­.even the little boy ate four bowls before stopping¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t it was possible for them to eat that much¡­.¡±


    ¡°I was convinced their stomach was about to burst¡­¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean¡­.I thought we might have to call an ambulance¡­.¡±


    ¡°I think I witnessed something incredible tonight¡­¡±


    ¡°Each bowl at this place is a filling meal for two¡­.¡±


    ¡°Are they even human?¡±


    Part 5


    ¡°15 chef special ramen¡­that will be thirty thousand yen¡­.¡± The shack owner spoke with a huge smile as he forwarded the bill to the pervert.


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± The pervert smirked as he took out a gold coin from his jacket¡¯s inner pocket and placed it on the table.


    ¡°Will this be enough?¡±


    The smile on the owner¡¯s face immediately vanished. ¡°This?¡± The owner asked as he lifted the coin up against the dim yellow incandescent hanging bulb. The owner carefully began to examine it. The owner had never seen any coin like this before. It was golden in colour and had a coarse design.


    ¡°Is this not enough?¡± The pervert asked with concern as he took out several more gold coins from his jacket.


    ¡°What is this?¡± The owner asked as he held the coins up and stared at the pervert.


    ¡°This is ¡­.isn¡¯t this what you humans use for currency?¡± The pervert asked with confusion.


    ¡°You think I am some fool?¡± The owner angrily asked as he picked up the gold coin. ¡°You think I will believe these are some invaluable gold coins¡­worth hundreds of thousands of yen? In this day and age, which fool would try to pay for a cheap meal with a gold? You think I am some idiot because I don''t know how to read?¡±


    ¡°But it ¡­.¡± The pervert tried to respond however the owner cut in between and continued to complain¡­


    ¡°Geeezzz¡­..I should have known better¡­.you guys don¡¯t have any money do you? Why do I have such rotten luck. I should have listened to my mother and opened a beauty store¡­.¡±


    ¡°But¡­.¡± The perverted tried to respond again but was stopped again.


    ¡°Officers!!¡± The owner called out to two policemen who just sat down to eat. ¡°Please arrest this man!!! He is trying to dine and dash! (kui-nige!)

 Volume 2: Intermission Chapter 1

    Part 1


    ¡°Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday day to Shin! Happy birthday Dear Shin¡­.¡±


    A joyous song rang throughout the wooden cottage like house, as members of the Tsushimas sang the traditional ¡®Happy Birthday¡¯ song for Shin who turned two this year. This was the first birthday that the Tsushimas were celebrating in their new house.


    The Tsushimas went all out preparing for the special for occasion. There were numerous birthday banners hung on the walls and countless balloons plastered all over the dining room. Okasan even prepared a desert dish called ¡®Pudding Cake¡¯ ¨C an item which Shin had never tasted before.


    The family of four had gathered in front of the dining table where a golden brownish cake lay with two candles embedded in it. The cake looked simple and ordinary but it gave off an overwhelmingly strong fragrance of its deliciousness. The parents helped the birthday boy up the chair so that he could get a good view of the cake. The petite child passionately stared at the cake in front of him. The child had typically flat black Japanese hair which flopped down around his chubby cute baby face.


    Immortal Phoenix do you have any idea what day it is today? Shin asked as he curiously stared at the cake in front of him. This was Shin¡¯s first birthday celebration with cake, so naturally he did not understand what the humans were celebrating.


    No Master¡­. The Immortal Phoenix hung his head in shame for not knowing such an important occasion ¨C it had to be an important occasion because Okasan had been preparing the house since morning, even the lazy Tomo helped!


    Shin-kun too knew that his human servants were up to something since the house was bustling with activity and colour since morning. Furthermore, when he began enquiring, Okasan reacted *suspiciously* and threw him out of the house with Otosan.


    Shin only assumed Okasan wanted him to go about his normal daily training routine so he didn¡¯t take offence at being thrown out. However, the seeds of curiosity had been sown in his mind. Shin immediately asked the Immortal Phoenix spy on all human activity in the house.


    Unfortunately, the ¡®crazy pigeon¡¯, as everyone thought it to be kept getting in the way of Okasan¡¯s work and was also thrown out. The Immortal Phoenix raged while stuck outside the house, secretly stealing glances through the windows. Unfortunately, he could not understand what the humans were up to. For the Immortal Phoenix to come up with such a shoddy intelligence report ¨C it was absolutely shameful.


    Muahahaha¡­..don¡¯t worry about it. My faithful servant, Tomo, has already informed me about today.


    Really, Master?


    Yes, today is a celebration for my birth in the human realm ¨C though Tomo said it is supposed to be a secret. As expected, celebrations dedicated to Maou-sama in the human world are condemned that is why it is being done in secret. ¨C The later half was a complete misinterpretation of Tomo¡¯s words ¡®keep it a secret from Okasan that I told you¡¯ by Shin.


    Master you should not bother with trivial details! Secret or no secret celebration, your loyal human servants have done prepared well! Wait¡­.did you say this is the day you descended from the spirit realm back into the Human realm!!! For it to be such an important day and me not to know! The Immortal Phoenix cried out as it flapped its wings in shock.


    Okasan shot an angry glance at the crazy pigeon seeing how it was acting up as they began cutting the cake ¨C she had no idea why she tolerated that bird or why it was so attached to Shin. However, since it made Shin happy, she let him keep the pet bird. The Immortal Phoenix contained his actions after receiving Okasan¡¯s killing intent filled stare.


    Master!! The killing intent of that woman is not normal!


    Ignoring the complaints of his General of the Skies, Shin anxiously stared on at the cake in front of him which was being cut into smaller pieces.


    Okasan called this pudding cake. How can it be possible to mix my two favourite foods? The human¡¯s culinary accomplishments always shock me. I cannot even phantom how can they mix pudding and cake. Did Okasan put cake in pudding? Or is the cake filled with pudding? Will it be hot or cold?


    I can¡¯t hold back anymore!!! Give me!!! Shin¡¯s actions spoke out for the thoughts in his mind as he stretched his small hands forward to receive a piece of the cake.


    This is¡­.Shin was at a loss of words after taking the first bite¡­.The softness of pudding but chewiness of cake¡­.the sweetness is overflowing¡­..Delicious! Shin made all sorts expressions of absolute delight. There were even sounds coming from his closed mouth - ¡°MMmmmmmmm¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Okasan! Pudding cake everyday!¡± The two year old spoke up in the little Japanese he knew as a big smile spread across his face. Okasan smiled and happily served Shin another piece.


    If pigeon could drool ¨C the Immortal Phoenix was drooling seeing how everyone was making all sorts of happy expressions.  Master?? Okasan? Tomo? Piece for me also? Mou!! How come I am the only one who doesn¡¯t get cake!!


    Part 2


    Immortal Phoenix? Are you awake?


    ¡­


    Are you still upset you didn¡¯t get any cake?


    ¡­.Hou! How could I the Immortal Phoenix be angry about something so trivial and delicious¡­I wasn¡¯t staring at any of the lower human servants eating pudding cake¡­It was absolutely not jealousy¡­


    Alright in that case, let me finish this last piece of cake¡­ Shin replied taking the pigeon¡¯s words at face value as he wolfed down a piece of cake hidden in the closet.


    The Immortal Phoenix could only groan in agony as he watched his Master finish the delicious cake.


    Good now that I have finished that, we can finally get down to the serious matter¡­Shin spoke up as his expression of delight was replaced with a serious look.


    Serious matter? The Phoenix asked as he wondered what his Master was referring to.


    Don¡¯t you remember? When I was Maou-sama in the Nether realm, each year on my birthday, we would be attacked by hordes of monsters¡­.


    Of course!! How can your faithful servant forget those vicious attacks! With each passing year, the power of Maou-sama will double! However, this kind of ability came with a major weakness that just before increasing, your powers would weaken by half¡­..to take advantage of your weakness, monsters would attack in hordes while wishfully hoping to kill you!


    Yes! Although, we have not been attacked as yet, I fear this is only the calm before the storm. Shin replied as he headed out his room.


    Hmmmm¡­. I see why Master is awake at night! We need to be alert for any attacks! What is the plan master? The Pigeon asked as it followed Shin out of the house ¨C in the middle of the night.


    First, we need to bolster our defences¡­. Shin suggested as he held up a plastic beach shovel. We will surround the house in hundred feet deep trenches¡­


    Shouldn¡¯t we get the humans to do this menial work, Master?


    No, think of it as training. Even in Nether Realm, Xerxes-san never allowed anyone to help me when I was in my weakened state.


    <Cooo> The pigeon cooed in agreement as it perched itself on Shin¡¯s shoulder. Then I will cheer Master on as you train and prepare the defences¡­eh¡­.Master!?¡­that is Okasan¡¯s flower bed¡­don¡¯t dig that up¡­.she can be absolutely terrifying when you touch her flower bed¡­I witnessed her wrath when Otosan walked into her flowerbed¡­.


    Is that so? But the soil is softer here¡­it will be easier to dig¡­.Okasan will understand the sacrifice (flower bed) when she sees the pile of monsters I killed.


    Hoho¡­of course a mere human will be impressed by Master¡¯s strength!


    In the middle of the night, a boy in his night-suit dug holes in the flower bed ¨C it was a pity no one was awake at the time to see such a curious scene.


    Part 3


    Next morning, Okasan fainted when she went to greet her flowers.  Instead of yellow blooming daisies, there was a pit several feet deep. When Okasan recovered later, she followed a trail of dirt and soil which began from the entrance and led into Shin¡¯s bed ¨C for reasons very obvious Shin¡¯s clothes were covered dirt but he slept soundly.


    That was the day Shin learnt that Okasan can turn into a terrifying demon.

 Volume 2: Intermission Chapter 2

    Part 1


    ¡°Tomo! Could you get me some milk from Endo-san¡¯s shop?¡± Sui¡¯s sonorous voice echoed in their huge house. It had been exactly three years since they moved to the country side. Life in the country side wasn¡¯t as exciting as the one in the city. Neither was it a luxurious life, unlike their home in the city, where super-marts are located quiet close by, the nearest super-mart was located on another hill/mountain. As the distance was quiet far, a retired neighbour, Endo-san, opened a small outlet selling small quantities of basic goods.


    Since Endo-san was the only vendor in such a small town, everyone knew him. His food stall was also quiet near the house ¨C near enough to trust Tomo to run an errand without supervision.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Tomo shouted back as he rushed down the stairs and straight into the kitchen. He ran like the wind, clamouring as quickly as he could to do the errand.


    ¡°What did I say about running in the house!¡± Sui reminded Tomo as Tomo made all sorts of ¡®scrambling sounds¡¯ as he descended down the stairs.


    Tomo meekly walked into the kitchen pretending as though he wasn¡¯t the one running. ¡°No running in the house.¡± He assured his mother as he took cautious steps into the kitchen.


    For a child to be so enthusiastic to run a mother¡¯s errand should be considered praiseworthy. However, Sui¡¯s maternal alarm bells began ringing ¨C something is wrong here!


    Sui suspiciously inspected Tomo ¨C he is up to something.


    Tomo was fidgeting impatiently as he extended his hand out for the money. Although he agreed to run the errand, his mind appeared very distracted. Sui''s motherly instincts were certain that Tomo was up to no good. Tomo the laziest child in the house,  ran out of his room and down the stairs without hesitating to do an errand.


    Too suspicious.


    ¡°What did I ask you to buy?¡± Sui asked sternly as she wondered if Tomo even heard her.


    ¡°Milk?¡± Tomo asked with a confused expression ¨C why is she asking me that?


    Sui nodded in agreement; Tomo was indeed paying attention to her. However, his excitement didn¡¯t settle well with her.


    ¡°No pudding.¡± Sui sternly confirmed after a bit of pondering. Sui continued to observe Tomo¡¯s body language for any changes. Surely, Tomo must be planning to spend the balance money on getting sweets for himself as a reward for the hard work.


    However, contrary to Sui¡¯s expectations, Tomo simply nodded in agreement.  ¡°No pudding.¡± He repeated after his mother with a great deal of impatience.


    Sui¡¯s eyebrows were raised an extra inch ¨C too suspicious!


    Tomo didn¡¯t even budge when she mentioned ¡®no¡¯ pudding. This little brat is surely up to something¡­.


    ¡°No sweets or any kind of candy, Okay?¡± Sui checked once again as she slowly took out money from her purse and handed it over to Tomo.


    ¡°Okay Okasan! I get it!¡± Tomo shouted out as he grabbed the cash and hurriedly rushed to put on his shoes.


    His sudden burst of enthusiasm baffled Sui but she gave up on trying to figure out what was Tomo up to.


    ¡°Okasan? Have you seen my jacket?¡± Tomo cried out ¨C again impatiently as though he couldn¡¯t waste a single second.


    ¡°Did you check your room?¡± Sui suggested.


    Tomo groaned as he began to hurriedly remove his shoes ¨C shoes were not allowed in the house.


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Sui casually enquired resuming her kitchen chores. Sometimes the best way to understand the child is to directly confront them. Sui imagined the response would be something really childish ¨C like I want to get back to drawing or watching cartoons. However, the response she received was beyond her realm of imagination.


    ¡°Shin-chan said he will teach me how to use magic today.¡± Tomo replied without thinking about it too much.


    Part 2


    Clear blue skies and a bright yellow sun. The weather could be described as excellent as the sun shone brightly over the town, Kutchan, which was located deep within the mountains. It was such a small and remote town that no map indicated its location.


    The houses were simple Japanese architecture; curved tiled roofs and brick walls. All the houses were two storeys high and gave a very rustic appearance. Being a remote town, there was barely any activity at any time. In that sense, this town was very different from other remote towns where communities would come together.


    Two boys walked together on the sidewalk. In Kutchan, this could literally be described as the peak of human activity. It was evident these two boys were brothers given their facial similarities and difference in age.  What made the sight curious was that a pigeon had perched itself on the shoulder of the younger child.


    The two children were engaged in a lively discussion as they headed towards the town¡¯s only grocery store ¨C Endo-san.


    ¡°Tomo hurry up!¡± Shin complained as he dragged Tomo with him.


    ¡°But Shin-chan! You are walking too fast!¡± Tomo explained as he tried to keep up with Shin.


    ¡°This is what happens when you slack off your training.¡± Shin smirked.


    How did Shin end up on an excursion to buy milk? Where did it all start from¡­.


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Sui casually enquired resumed chopping the onions.


    *Chop*


    *Chop*


    *Chop*


    ¡°Shin-chan said he will teach me how to use magic today.¡± Tomo replied without thinking about it too much. When Tomo finished his sentence, the kitchen went silent.


    ¡°Ara¡­.for the younger one to be teaching the elder one¡­.you two are very odd.¡± Sui spoke in an uncanny tone. ¡°What games do you two keep playing? Why don¡¯t you take Shin-chan along with you to buy milk.¡±


    Tomo made a question mark like expression on his face. ¡°Take Shin-chan with me? Shin hates doing house work!¡±


    Although Shin never (rarely) did any house work, Tomo was still considered the laziest in the house. At the very least Shin loved running and exercising everyday. However, Tomo would prefer to sleep any day over moving the slightest muscle. The only good point was that Tomo would never refuse to do the work ¨C unlike Shin who argued about it for several hours.


    ¡°Ara ara ara¡­.for my son not to understand the words of his mother. If you take Shin-chan with you, won¡¯t he be able to teach you magic on the way?¡±


    Tomo¡¯s eyes began sparkling. He wanted to quickly finish the errand and come back. However, if he were to bring Shin with him, then there was no hurry. What¡¯s more if Tomo ran the errand on his own, then the time spent would count against his magic learning session. However, if he dragged Shin-chan with him, then he would be able to maximize his learning time. Without giving it a second thought, Tomo ran back up the stairs and dragged out Shin from his room by the collar.


    ¡°Come naa!!! Okasan is calling you!!!¡±


    The two boys stood facing their mother both of them were panting from all the wrestling they did getting here. It was nearly a full-fledged fight, however in the end Tomo was the elder one and over-powered Shin ¨C dragging him in front of Okasan.


    ¡°Okasan!! Shin-chan is not listening to me!¡± Tomo complained as he held on to Shin¡¯s collar in order to prevent him from escaping.


    ¡°Shin-chan, please go with Tomo and buy some milk.¡± Sui requested patiently while placing a pan over the stove.


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you!!! I am Maou-sama!!! Why does Maou-sama have to accompany his servants for measly errands!!¡± Shin shouted as he tried to break free from Tomo¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Ara¡­.for this boy to be speaking so rudely¡­.who is your servant?¡± Sui asked as she shifted her gaze to Shin. It was an icy cold stare and Shin could feel the intense cold seep into his bones. What made it particularly scary was that Sui asked the question while holding up the big kitchen knife.


    Servant Okasan is really not a human but a demon in disguise ¨C Shin thought as he stopped trying to escape.


    ¡°Why do I have to go with him? I am in the middle of training¡­.¡± Shin whined as he implored to Okasan not to disturb his training.


    ¡°Ara¡­.you are always in the middle of training. It might do you some good if you take a break once in a while.¡± Sui suggested calmly while resuming cooking today¡¯s lunch.


    Shin suspiciously stared at Okasan, was this some kind of test? Or hidden advise?


    ¡°Maybe Maou-sama¡¯s powers might awaken, if you buy milk.¡± Sui softly whispered but it was loud enough for it to be picked up by Shin. In an instant, Shin and Tomo disappeared from the house, leaving behind only a trail of dust. Tomo was being dragged through the streets as Shin led the way hurriedly.


    In the kitchen, a woman hummed a happy tune¡­.Sui wore the smile of a devil. She had successfully manipulated both her children. She understood the motivation buttons of her children well ¨C Tomo could be made to do anything as long as it was about magic and Shin would do anything if one hinted ¡®and maybe by doing this the powers of Maou-sama will be awakened¡­¡¯ Sui found Shin¡¯s motivation button terribly cute ¨C most playschool children role play as heroes or some other fantasy character. Shin was no different in this regard. Albeit, he took his role sometimes more seriously.


    ¡°Pffftttt¡­¡± A silent laughter escaped from the lips of Sui as she praised her own brilliance.


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    By convincing Tomo to go with Shin, she knew Tomo would be in no hurry. This ensured the safety of the milk ¨C Tomo can be very clumsy when he is in a hurry. By convincing Shin to accompany Tomo, Shin was being secretly trained in the ways of the household errands.


    I can proudly tell my mother, I have mastered the art of being a mother. Sui thought to herself.


    Part 3


    ¡°Tomo¡­don¡¯t move.¡± Shin advised as he carefully paid attention to his surroundings.


    ¡°Mou!!! Shin-chan what are you ¡­.¡±


    ¡°Shhh!¡± Shin silenced Tomo.  Tomo adhered to Shin¡¯s request patiently but his puffed cheeks hinted he was nearing the end of his patience. This was the fifth time that Shin had stopped along the way to the grocery store - they would walk a few steps, stop and Shin would begin concentrating on his surroundings.


    Still nothing. Shin sighed as he resumed walking without giving Tomo any explanation. Okasan said that if I undertake this quest, my powers will be awakened¡­..then why haven¡¯t my powers awakened already? Could it be I need to complete the quest? Then the powers awaken? Isn¡¯t that how it normally works¡­.*Sigh* I don¡¯t know how this entire adventurer thing works in the human world. I have to defeat some monster too right? That¡¯s it!


    Shin stopped walking for the umpteenth time now ¨C much to the annoyance of Tomo.


    ¡°Shin¡­¡± Tomo began to complain.


    ¡°If you listen to me, I¡¯ll teach you a two circle magic today.¡±  Shin quickly cut in. Shin knew all too well Tomo would desperately do anything as long as it was for magic.


    Tomo¡¯s eyes began sparkling and his body began trembling. However despite the excitement, he did his utmost best to calm himself and stay as quiet as possible.


    What a simpleton! Shin thought. However, the irony of it all was, that Shin didn¡¯t understand his own identical weakness.


    Shin closed his tightly as he began to concentrate on his surroundings. Shin slowly extended his mental presence, stretched his listening skills to the maximum and began searching for the enemy.


    Found you! Shin excitedly shouted in his mind as he detected the hidden presence in his surrounding ¨C it was a single person. Shin was certain this person was the enemy and the key to awakening his powers.


    How did Shin know this person was the enemy? It was the way he concealed his presence ¨C no other human in the region bothered concealing their presence. Furthermore, now that Shin was aware of the enemy¡¯s presence he could map it back to something vague he felt the moment they stepped out of the castle. This would imply, that his enemy had been waiting for an opportunity to pounce on them from the very moment Shin stepped out of his castle.


    Shin wore a devilish smile as he patted himself mentally for figuring it all out. However, the smile did not last too long ¨C now that I found him¡­how do I defeat him?


    This question stumped Shin. He did not have any magical abilities, in his hurry he forgot the carry any weapons and Tomo was too weak to aide him in any way.


    Shin opened his eyes and observed his surroundings ¨C Maybe there is something I can use.


    However, there was nothing that Shin could find ¨C weapons aren¡¯t exactly scattered around in the open.


    ¡°Shin-kun?¡± Tomo called out wondering if it was okay to talk now. In between Tomo even held his breath so that he could be as quiet as possible.


    ¡°Tomo¡­if we are to defeat someone stronger than us, how would you do it?¡± Shin asked as he wondered about the solution. Shin wasn¡¯t really asking Tomo the question, he was just speaking his mind.


    ¡°I would hide and then surprise them.¡± Tomo replied immediately.


    Shin¡¯s eyes were wide open as he stared at Tomo in shock ¨C This little twerp¡­.even though he looks like an idiot, he could think of a strategy quicker than me! Muahahaha!! No wonder he is my servant!


    However, there was nothing intelligent about this plan ¨C Tomo¡¯s suggestion was based on the excessive cartoons he had been watching all summer.  (Author¡¯s note: Something Sui should look into) Furthermore, compared to Shin, Tomo could still be considered creative. Shin always used raw power to overcome any obstacle and never thought of strategies ¨C that was Xerxes-san¡¯s job.


    Part 4


    Haaa¡­.why have I been assigned to such a useless job. Join the PSIA they said. Be a spy they said. See the world while in mortal peril¡­oh the thrill¡­.god damn it why am I trailing two children in such a hick town!!!


    A middle aged man, a government agent, groaned as he quietly followed the two children who were on their way to the grocery store. It was sunny day but being in the mountains the air was always cold. Hence, the agent wore casual clothing ¨C summer shorts along with a moderately thick green jacket to stave off the coldness. He blended in perfectly into the surroundings. Any passer-by would mistake him as another fun loving neighbour. However, with a silencer hidden in his shorts ¨C there was nothing fun and loving about this man. He was a PSIA agent, belonging to the elite division. He only had one objective running through his mind ¨C protect the Tsushimas. His duties were simple, if any of the Tsushimas left the house, they were to be put under surveillance ¨C for their own safety.


    The middle aged agent had been on this job for nearly six months. No matter how he looked at the Tsushimas, he only saw a normal family. This only made him more miserable because he missed his own family. Initially, it piqued his curiosity as he wondered why the family was under government protection. However, when he could not discover the reason, he could only pray that the threat was imminent ¨C something like an SUV filled with thugs armed with semi-automatics would pull over any time. But with six months on the assignment and nothing happening ¨C the middle aged agent had to undeniably accept the truth ¨C this was a meaningless assignment. However, not once did he lower his guard. The assignment was a year long, before he would be rotated out and the agent intended to let nothing slip by during his tenure.


    Today, the children had been tasked with buying groceries from the local vendor. The middle aged agent, fondly recalled the time when he had sent his own children to run errands. This was no different ¨C even back then he had secretly trailed his own children on their first errand.


    However, the discrepancies began trickling. The two children were nothing like his children. For some reason, the younger child would always stop in the middle of the journey.


    Maybe he is getting tired from walking? However, the middle aged agent dismissed that thought. He was fully aware of how fit that younger child was. After all he would secretly trail Shin and his father during their morning runs.


    Then the two children did something even more suspicious¡­.they began running away at full speed.


    Did they notice me? No way¡­.


    The agent leapt into action so as to not lose sight of them ¨C the children took a sharp cut to the right, disappearing from his view¡­.


    The middle aged agent gulped and sped up¡­.


    *DHONK!*


    Part 5


    ¡°Haha! We succeeded!¡± Shin declared as he retracted his foot. The two brothers, took a sharp turn and then hid on the edge ¨C waiting to surprise the enemy.


    The result?


    In front of the two boys, lay a middle aged man rolling on the ground groaning while clutching on to his b*lls in deep agony.


    Shin wore a particularly big and arrogant smile on his face. ¡°Haha! Come now!! Awaken my demonic powers!¡± Shin spoke out aloud as he stretched his hands up in the air.


    However, after a minute or two of nothing happening ¨C the smile on Shin¡¯s face disappeared.


    ¡°Maybe¡­I need to properly finish him off¡­¡± Shin said to himself.


    The middle aged man wasn¡¯t rolling on the ground anymore nor was he groaning in pain. However, he could still not stand up ¨C the impact had been too strong and unexpected. As the middle aged man somewhat recovered, he opened his eyes to see Shin staring at him no more correctly at his groin¡­ ¡°What are you¡­¡±


    However before the man could complete his question, Shin kicked the groin region once again.


    ¡°Mother f*cke¡­.¡±


    Shin kicked once again even though the man was already covering it and rolling on the ground ¨C the slightest of pressure was terribly painful.


    With each kick, the agent found himself weaker and more vulnerable than before. This happened several more times, till the middle aged agent found he no longer had the strength to protect his nether region ¨C the final flow sent the poor agent into an unconscious state, with his mouth foaming.


    This story would later circulate throughout the PSIA, however it would be dismissed as a joke. Later that day, government officials visited the old man and informed him that due to man power shortage they would be unable to temporarily provide cover.


    On a side note, much to Shin¡¯s dismay, his demonic powers did not awaken even after defeating the enemy and completing the quest.

 Chapter 21: Did I scare you?

    Part 1


    Several hours ago¡­.


    Somewhere deep within a dark forest a black shadow cut past the trees at lightening speed. The moving person was no more than a blur and it would be impossible to spot him, given how dim the surroundings were. Even the small forest critters did not notice that ''something'' or ''someone'' had crossed them - they felt nothing more than a strong breeze blowing.


    ¡°Let go of me!!! Let go of me!!! Do you hear?¡± Shin-chan shouted out with all his might as he tried to wriggle free from the pervert¡¯s grip. Shin didn¡¯t understand why but the strange man suddenly grabbed him and began running through the hilly forest. However, Shin wanted to no part of this all. He had just sent his loyal servant to dutifully find a new castle. If his loyal servant were to return and not find his Master, his loyal servant would needlessly panic. Shin had many things he needed to do, including find food for the night etc. With him being ¡®taken¡¯ like this, how would he get anything done?


    Unsurprisingly, the thought ¡®brazen kidnapping¡¯ never occurred to Shin-kun. To be specific, Shin did not know what was kidnapping. As Maou-sama there was never a need for him to require underhanded tactics such as kidnapping. As Maou-sama, there only existed two paths - kill or be killed. Therefore, the actions of this stranger only confused Shin.


    *Mmmmm!!* *Mmmmm!!* *Mmmmm!!* Shin tried to scream out loud when the strange man covered Shin¡¯s mouth with his one free hand. Thus, preventing Shin from screaming. No matter how much Shin tried, he could not get more than a muffled voice out. Furthermore, the grip on his mouth and body were firm as ever. No amount of struggle could free him.


    Shin had heard about such people from his servant, Okasan. She had warned him several times to avoid strangers, especially men that he didn¡¯t know. She told him that in the human realm there were many men who would kidnap and eat up small children. However, Tomo told Shin that Okasan was lying. Shin was cursing his luck for not paying heed to Okasan¡¯s words of wisdom and trusting the stupid Tomo. Agreeing with Tomo at the time, Shin had laughed off his Okasan¡¯s advise ¨Chumans eating other humans; a bedtime human story¡­hahahaha¡­


    However, now that Shin had been caught, he was having second thoughts. This man appeared to be a complete lunatic ¨C he was talking to himself before. Further, he was dressed oddly. Shin had met many humans over the past few years but he never met anyone dressed so strangely. The man also had paint over his face, making his appearance even more frightening in the darkness.


    Shin knew he had no choice, for better or for worse, he had to escape. If this mad stranger was exactly as his mother described cannibalistic strangers ¨C it was highly likely that he would be eaten tonight. This would certainly be a tragic end of the Demon Lord ¨C the most pathetic ending. Shin was determined to escape this mad stranger¡¯s grip.


    But how? No matter how much Shin tried, it was impossible to break free from the man¡¯s grip¡­.just like how Tomo and Otosan wrestle sometimes¡­.but Tomo manages to escape because he starts biting Otosan.Although, Shin disliked Tomo¡¯s poor tactics in wrestling, Shin swallowed his pride for now.


    *Bite* Shin dug his canines as deep as he could into the man¡¯s hand.


    ¡°OOOUCCHH YOU DAMN MONGREL!!¡± The mad stranger, yelled out loudly as he shook his hand to throw of Shin. As they were traversing at high speeds, Shin hit the ground with a full force. Upon impact a lot of dirt was thrown up in the air. Shin then rolled several times on the ground ¨C his entire outfit was completely covered in dirt.


    Argh ¨C Okasan hates dirty clothes.Shin thought to himself as he rolled on the ground. Although, Shin didn¡¯t realize it, he didn¡¯t have to worry about Okasan getting angry since he ran away from home. However, this thought never struck Shin. Shin slowly stood up, surprisingly he was unhurt. His clothes were soiled but other than that he took no damage.


    ¡°I am going to kill you, stupid human child! No one in a million years has dared to bite me!¡± The mad man shouted out.


    Shin began trembling; the killing intent with each word was intense. This man was no pushover. Gulping down his fears, a meek voice made it way through Shin¡¯s tiny throat. ¡°Haha¡­.if a bite like that can hurt you, what would you do if a dragon bit you?¡±


    For a ¡®normal¡¯ person, Shin¡¯s reply would make no sense. What does a fictional creature¡¯s bite have to do with a human¡¯s bite? Furthermore, there was no solid line of reasoning in Shin-kun¡¯s argument. Anyone ¡®normal¡¯ would have dismissed Shin¡¯s sentence as silly and nonsensical gibberish. However, this would only apply to someone ¡®normal¡¯. The mad-stranger, in front of Shin actually paused to think of a reply.


    ¡°Hmmmmm¡­..Why would a dragon bite me?¡± He asked as he gazed at Shin-chan. Previously, he had laid his eyes on Shin from a distance ¨C while distracted by the ¡®natural¡¯ ambiance. Then various events happened and he ended up carrying Shin without giving the child a second glance.


    ¡°No I am just pointing out how weak you are¡­¡± Shin began explaining as he dusted off the dirt from his clothes. Shin¡¯s response was surprisingly absurd given his situation. Which sensible child would begin chatting with his kidnapper?


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­..Me weak? That is an incredible joke. A supreme being such as me, being called weak by a human child. Child you sure have guts.¡± The man began laughing loudly, as his voice boomed in the dark forest ¨C several birds which were sleeping in trees were woken up and began to fly away into the sky out of fear. There was an unknown confidence, in the man''s voice and words. He did not come across as an arrogant being when he spoke those words. Instead, it revealed his profound experience in life. His voice was different from before, the ''louder and deeper voice'' befit him better than the voice he used when at the onsen.


    ¡°No. I am not a ¡­.¡± Shin stopped in mid-sentence. Without thinking, he was about to say he is not a human when he realized that he is indeed a human with the soul of demon lord. However, as it would appear to anyone who would be meeting Shin, they would only see a human child. This thought had never occurred to Shin - mostly on account of how casual his family was about the ridiculous tales of Maou-sama. Sui would put Shin and Tomo to sleep by requesting Shin to tell a story about his - Maou-sama self. Shin never felt that he was human when he was around his family but rather the same old Maou-sama. This did not mean Shin was not cautious about revealing his identity. Shin rarely spoke about being Maou-sama to people outside the family. However, he never once thought that if he were to reveal that he is Maou-sama that they would not believe him.


    That explains why shopkeeper-san doesn¡¯t believe I am Maou-sama¡­.it is because I look like a human! For me to have missed this blind spot! Isn¡¯t this all because Okasan and the others are accepting of the fact that I am Maou-sama?


    Sheeeshhh! To have figured this out in this situation.


    ¡°You are not what?¡± The man asked as he continued laughing at the thought of being labeled ¡®weak¡¯ by a tiny human child.


    *GRUMBLE*


    However, before Shin could reply a loud roar could be heard ¨C it was Shin¡¯s stomach gurgling. Shin had never skipped a meal before. As the Demon Lord, Shin would not feel hunger the way humans would. So hearing his stomach grumbling, Shin could only stare at his own stomach in wonder.


    ¡°To think human stomachs can make noises..¡± Shin observed as he raised his shirt up, to observe his stomach for any abnormality. If Sui were to see Shin behaving like this in front of a kidnapper she would blame only herself for bringing up such a stupid child.


    ¡°Hmmmmm¡­. you are hungry as well?¡± The man chuckled. ¡°Come little one; let us go somewhere to eat.¡±


    When the man was speaking, something from his back suddenly began to stick out. The back of his leather jacket tore open and two majestic black draconian wings sprouted out. They extended over a twenty feet in wing span, and were as dark and black as the night sky. The wings slowly opened up as they sprouted from the back - as though they were muscles that had not been used in a long time. A strong gush of wind pushed past shin, as the wings drew out and opened fully. Along with the sprouting of the wings, a strange aura also began to leak out.


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    The aura was ancient and powerful, and had it not been for the transformation, there was no way for Shin to feel it. The person in front of him, concealed his aura so perfectly, that Shin was convinced he was talking with a human.


    And Okasan said there is no such things like demonic beings....foolish servant. The world is vast and limitless.


    Shin watched the entire bizarre seen in shock and silence. Shin¡¯s strength was failing him, as he felt his knees go weak. Only angels or fallen angels are beings in the shape of a human and own a pair of wings, however their wings cannot be hidden. What Shin was witnessing was definitely physical body manipulation - a high level skill. The number of creatures capable of physical transformation was few ¨C small enough to be counted on two hands. Creatures capable of physical transformation were extremely powerful ¨C stronger than his former self. Shin was only now beginning to understand that he had been extremely rude to a powerful creature. Soft words escaped from Shin¡¯s mouth, ¡°You are not a human?¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm, did I scare you?¡±


    Part 2


    ¡°Name: Shinichi Yamamoto


    Age: 38


    Marital Status: Single (never married)


    Occupation: Detective


    Hobby: Solving cases


    Music Interests: None


    Favourite TV shows: How to get away with Murder


    Sport Interests: Chasing criminals


    Reading Interests: Yomiuri Shinbun (National Daily Newspaper)


    ¡­.no wonder you got rejected at the Omiai, Shinichi-san. This profile is so plain. If any woman reads this she will definitely reject you. Even eighty year olds have a more interesting life than you do¡­¡± A young officer spoke as he read through the profile of his senior.


    ¡°Go find solve some real cases¡­¡± Shinichi muttered. The officer was resting against his chair, lying as horizontal as his reclining chair would allow, with his legs on the table. His voice was barely audible to his junior as there lay a newspaper on his face blocking, which prevented any light to disturb his cat-like-sleep.


    ¡°Shinichi-san¡­.¡± The young junior spoke up after a while, ¡°This was your thirty-ninth omiai¡­.if you keep getting rejected like this you will never get married¡­.at this rate you will never get married and then the tuxedo I bought won¡¯t be wearable¡­.*fake sob*¡­.I spent a month¡¯s salary buying that tuxedo. I was sure that this time my Sempai would get hitched¡­.Sempai is the reason why I am living of instant ramen¡­*fake sob*¡­.¡±


    Shinichi¡¯s composure began to waiver, veins appeared on his temples. While avoiding unnecessary movement, Shinichi blindly began to look for something with his right hand. The room of the two officers was filthy beyond recognition. No one would believe this was a room in a police department. There were open newspapers scattered everywhere, piles eaten instant ramen lying about and stacks of books littered all over the room. The only clean bit in the room was a tiny spot on the table, which was currently being occupied by Shinichi¡¯s resting feet.


    Shinichi finally found what he was looking for ¨C a hardcover book. He swung it at the source of his baka-junior¡¯s voice.


    *THUNK*


    A direct hit and instant K.O.


    ¡°Shinichi-san¡­.I am seeing stars¡­.¡± The junior complained in a faint voice while his body began swaying dizzily.


    ¡°Stop sounding like my mother¡­.and solve some real cases¡­¡± Shinichi muttered once again from beneath the newspapers.


    ¡°Shinichi-san is so mean!¡± The young officer muttered as he began rubbing his forehead which was red and swelling up. ¡°What happened to the people¡¯s hero who caught the bombing terrorist from five years ago? Where has the enthusiasm disappeared?¡±


    Shinichi raised his eyebrow at the comment; but it wasn¡¯t visible because his face was covered. ¡°Oye¡­don¡¯t say something so embarrassing. I wasn¡¯t the only one who caught him; you were there with me too.¡±


    ¡°Hai¡­¡± The junior officer replied with a big smile. ¡°¡­though I was still new on the force then. My contribution couldn¡¯t possibly compare to your or captain¡¯s efforts¡­.¡± The voice of the young officer waivered at the end, his voice was deep and filled with emotion. ¡°Though ultimately it is terrible¡­what happened to Captain-san¡­.in the end we lost him¡­.¡±


    *THUNK*


    Another hard cover book, but this time double in thickness, greeted the junior officer¡¯s forehead. The junior fell of the chair upon impact ¨C his fall was softened by the garbage all over the floor.


    ¡°Oye..oye¡­don¡¯t go off killing your senior as you please.¡± Shinichi¡¯s dull voice shot back.


    ¡°Hai¡­¡± The junior officer groaned as he slowly got up while rubbing his forehead ¨C he now had two large *bumps* on his head. ¡°I only meant, how Captain-san, no longer hangs out with us after the promotion.¡±


    ¡°Because, he has an entire police station to manage, unlike some officers who have nothing to do.¡± A stern voice rang throughout the dirty dingy room.


    The smile of the junior officer widened to twice its original size, as the junior turned around to face the new person ¨C Captain-san!


    ¡°Caaaptain-san~~!!¡± The junior officer shouted out as he lunged towards his boss. He was however struck down immediately.


    ¡°Oye! Shinichi! Stop goofing around and come have a look at this new case.¡± The Captain shouted out as he held out a thin file.


    The junior who was lying on the floor immediately sprang to life at the mention of the word ¡®case¡¯ and grabbed the file the Captain was holding out.


    ¡°For Captain-san¡­to bring us a case¡­it must be something a super difficult case¡­¡± The junior was hugging the file as his body began squirming in passion.


    ¡°Eh?....no nothing¡­like that¡­.the two of you are the only ones available¡­.¡± The Captain muttered as he stared at his squirming junior in disgust. ¡°Shinichi do something about him¡­.in time he has only grown worse¡­.¡± The Captain hurriedly added as he looked to Shinichi for escape from the creepy-baka-junior.


    ¡°Ignore him.¡± Shinichi replied while still lying on the chair with a newspaper flopped on his face. ¡°That is what I have learnt.¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­.¡± The junior officer voiced a complained as he browsed through the file. ¡°Why are you handing us a lost person case? Shouldn¡¯t you be giving this to some newbie? Don¡¯t you have something more dramatic for us? Like impending terror strikes?¡±


    *THUNK*


    A third hard cover book, but this time triple the thickness, greeted the junior officer¡¯s head.


    ¡°Just get to work, you lazy bum.¡± Shinichi muttered while still not laying on the chair with not a care in the world.


    ¡°Shinichi, you too.¡± The Captain spoke up when he noticed that Shinichi simply delegated the work to the idiotic junior.


    Shinichi began grumbling as he lazily got off his chair. He could be heard muttering something like ¨C¡®Maybe the PSIA to solve this case for us too.¡¯However, no one heard his complain.


    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


    Author''s Notes:


    Chapter Updated. Love all the great reviews - except for that one person. :/ Shin-kun is not dumb - take that back!


    Your Author-sama is now going back to preparing another chapter!

 Chapter 22: Name?

    Part 1


    Several hours ago¡­.


    The scene was a bit too outlandish and something that only occurred in fantasy anime, novels or movies ¨C above the clouds, high up in the sky, too far from prying eyes, a little boy sat on the back of a man. The two people were not in an aircraft rather, the man had wings on his back and was gliding through the sky like a bird.


    Such a thing should be shocking to any child or adult, however the little boy viewed it as extremely normal. The boy did not understand that ¡®a man with wings¡¯ does not exist in this world. However, the boy originally did not come from the human realm. In his previous life, the little boy was the Maou-sama of the Nether realm but in the human realm he went by the name ¡®Shin¡¯.


    In the nether realm, strange creatures such as a ¡®man with wings¡¯ or a ¡®man with a horse¡¯s body¡¯ were common. Contrary to the normal sense of this world, during Shin¡¯s six years in the human realm, he was shocked to observe that there wasn¡¯t a single ¡®special¡¯ being other than humans. Even the place called ¡®zoo¡¯ that he visited did not house any monsters. Hence, by that line of reasoning, seeing a humanoid capable of flight in the human realm was not extraordinary for the little boy.


    Even the experience of flying through the air was not new to Shin. When he was Maou-sama and was required to travel long distances, he did so on the back of the Immortal Phoenix. Thus, Shin was quite comfortably seated on the broad back of the flying person ¨C even though they were nearly twenty thousand feet up in the air. Strangely enough, even though they were that high, Shin did not find it difficult to breath. Shin also wore nothing more than ordinary cotton pyjamas, yet he did not feel the freezing cold air that gushed by him. It was as though a barrier protected him.


    There was no fear of height or speed in Shin¡¯s eyes which greatly surprised the ¡®pervert with wings¡¯. The pervert had lived many years and in his life time, he had never once come across a human that was not scared of him or flying freely through the air. However, having lived an extremely long life, the pervert could only think of Shin being as an extreme weirdo of sorts and gave it no such further thought. The pervert was instead happy that the little boy was not trembling in fright or fussing because that would have been more difficult to handle.


    Clearly, common sense was lacking in both individuals in a variety of ways.


    Shin quietly stared at the passing farmlands or towns beneath him. This was the first time; he got an aerial view of the human world that he lived in. Everything was tiny from such a height and Shin barely understood what he saw. The only thing shin could conclude was that the humans had advanced much more than he had imagined. Ever since, he was born in the human realm, humans kept surprising him with a variety of technological advancements. However, this was the first time he understood a fraction of the poweress of the humans. The humans ¡®controlled¡¯ vast stretches of land as far as the eye could see. This was proof enough of the growth of human power. In the time, when Shin was Maou-sama, humans would struggle to be able to defend a village from invasion. But the world, that he could see now was poles apart.


    Shin soon lost interest in the landscape below and turned his attention to the man with wings.


    ¡°This lowly one would like to apologize for his rude behaviour before.¡± Shin spoke up after considering his choice of words.


    ¡°Hahahahaha¡­.¡± The man laughed as turned his head back slightly to glance at Shin. ¡°To think that someone as young as you knows a thing or two about manners¡­.hahahahaha¡­.well don¡¯t think too much about the past, there are mistakes that can be forgiven and others that can be forgotten. What is your name kid?¡±


    ¡°My human servants call this lowly one, Shin.¡± Shin courteously replied back.


    ¡°Hmmmmm¡­.Shin? Not a bad name.¡± The man replied back. ¡°It would be rude if I did not introduce myself however introducing myself is a difficult matter for I have been known by many names and titles. However, if my memory serves me right, my oldest title is the Ancient One¡­.¡±


    Before the Ancient One, could say anything more, he felt Shin¡¯s grip around his waist go weak and Shin¡¯s body trembling violently.


    ¡°FORGIVE ME ANCIENT-SAMA!!! THIS LOWLY IMBECILE DIDN¡¯T RECOGNIZE YOU!! AND HE EVEN DARED TO HURT YOU!! PLEASE LET THIS LOWLY ONE KILL HIMSELF AS AN APOLOGY!¡± Shin shouted out as he readied to jump of the Ancient One¡¯s back.


    Shin knew that the winged man was a powerful being however he was not expecting the identity of the winged man to be the ¡®Ancient One¡¯ ¨C the most terrifying existence of them all. Shin knew for certain this winged man was not lying to him ¨C the aura he felt was nostalgic and vaguely familiar. When the winged man said he was the Ancient One, Shin immediately recognized the winged being. Although Shin did not understand why the Ancient One was disguised, such thoughts were considered trivial ¨Cthe thoughts of such a great being could not possibly be understood by a low life such as myself.


    Who was the Ancient One? He was the supreme ruler of the Nether realm. The Ancient One¡¯s words were the law in the realm. If anyone dared to violate his laws, that creature would cease to exist in any plane or form. Shivers went down Shin¡¯s spine as he remembered what all he thought when he met the man and how he behaved. Such behaviour would be punishable by death! Shin rather die by his own hands with the hope of reincarnating than cease to exist altogether.


    ¡°Hmmmmmm¡­.what are you doing standing?¡± The Ancient One asked nervously, a human standing on his back while he flew at ludicrous speeds could only be dangerous.


    ¡°FORGIVE ME ANCIENT-SAMA!!! FOR THIS MORON TO BE STANDING ON YOUR BACK!!!¡± Shin shouted out as he jumped off the Ancient One¡¯s back immediately ¨C free falling through the air. Shin was not scared of death as he was scared of the Ancient One. To be standing on the back of the Ancient One! Shin could not possibly imagine a bigger crime. Further, he was riding the Ancient One!! Unforgiveable!! ¨C in Shin¡¯s eyes. Although Shin thought like this, he had completely forgotten it was the Ancient One who told him to sit on his back. However, Shin was too scared to think straight.


    The Ancient One immediately stopped flying as he paused to watch the free-falling-child. The Ancient One was shocked by the behaviour of the little boy ¨Chaving no regard for his life at this age? Remarkably courageous? Or utterly stupid?


    Part 2


    ¡°Name?¡± Shinichi asked in a disinterested tone. He had to be literally dragged into the ¡®meeting¡¯ room to assist the ¡®lost robber¡¯. Shinichi held up a pen ready to note down all the details and observed the man in front of him. The man in front of him was brought in by two patrol officers, for attempting to dine and dash. He also appeared to be a bit suspicious for various reasons, so the officers decided to bring him to the station for further questioning.


    ¡°Fool! Do you not know who he is?¡± A small boy, in night pyjamas, shouted out as he stood on his chair to be on the same eye level as officer Shinichi.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t which is why I asked him his name.¡± Shinichi calmly replied which he cursed his captain in his mind (Damn you¡­giving me all the weirdos to handle¡­). ¡°Also, little boy, could you please sit down on the chair.¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Unforgiveable!¡± The child cried out. ¡°To not know this person!!¡±


    Shinichi sighed as he turned to his junior. ¡°Oye¡­is this guy some western celebrity?¡± Shinichi had no clue when it came to idols and celebrities. The way the child in front of him was talking ¨C it was obvious that the man who resembled a biker gang member was some sort of celebrity. He didn¡¯t look Japanese and had western features. So Shinichi wondered if the man he was questioning was some western celebrity. Shinichi normally kept a low profile and if this was some big celebrity, he didn¡¯t want to be dragged into the net of the media.


    ¡°No¡­.I haven¡¯t seen him before. Maybe he is some children TV show celebrity-host?¡± The junior suggested as he moved a bit closer to examine the man in front of them.


    Oye¡­baka junior since when did men with scary tattoos become children TV show hosts?¨C Shinichi wondered if there was any point of having his junior in here with him. In the last five years, this junior had learnt absolutely nothing from him. All members of the special investigation committee were promoted after they apprehended the suspect. However, his baka-junior managed to earn a demotion in two months.


    ¡°Shin-kun, it is alright, if they don¡¯t recognize me.¡± The arrested man finally spoke up seeing how the two officers didn¡¯t know how to address him. ¡°I have changed my true form. Furthermore, the fact that they don¡¯t recognize me proves that my disguise is effective.¡±


    ¡°Of course! The Great One¡¯s disguise is super effective! Even I didn¡¯t recognize who you were at first. So it is to be expected that stupid low life humans like them can never recognize you!¡± Shin responded hurriedly with a bow to the arrested man.


    ¡°Shinichi-san¡­.¡± The junior officer called out. ¡°I think we have been had by Captain-san. He gave really gave us two weirdos this time.¡±


    You noticed this now??Shinichi groaned ¨C this baka junior was really too slow in understanding the situation. Without saying anything further, Shinichi continued, ¡°So does this Great One, have a name?¡± Shinichi decided to play along rather than enrage the young boy ¨C who clearly held the man in very high esteem.


    ¡°You insect! Do you lowly humans have a right to even talk to him!?¡± Shin began shouting at the top of his voice as he stood up on the chair once again.


    ¡°Kid quiet down¡­and sit down on the chair¡­this is a police station.¡± Shinichi glared at the little boy whose eyes were burning with inexplicable feverence. ¡°Speak loudly once again, and I will lock you up here for an eternity.¡±


    Shin opened his mouth but froze seeing Shincihi¡¯s unwavering glare ¨C this man was a police officer. As Okasan explained, police officers take naughty children and lock them up in dungeons, so it was best to listen to police officers. Quietly but grudgingly, Shin sat down on the chair.


    Every time Shin needed to speak, he needed to stand up on the chair, just to be on the same eye level as the police officer. Shin¡¯s ego and pride would never allow him look up to a human and speak ¨C at the very least he would need to maintain the same eye level. Hence, Shin had to stand on the chair.


    ¡°A name¡­.¡± The man murmured as he pondered about what reply to give. ¡°I have been known by many names and many titles, and with changing times the names and titles keep changing¡­.I guess it would be better to use the name people of this land have given me. I am known in this land as Ryu-sama.¡±


    Shinichi¡¯s eyebrows were raised ¨Cwhat kind of answer is that? Should I even pen down that name? It obviously sounds made up.And what is with adding a -sama to your own name? Isn''t that a self proclamation? Why do I have to deal with all the bakas of the world....After hesitating for a moment, Shinichi penned down the name ¡®Ryu¡¯.


    ¡°A Japanese name? Is there a family name, Ryu-san?¡± Shinichi asked with the hope having a family name would make it easier to search the national citizen database.


    ¡°Hmmmm¡­.family name? ¡­Not that I know of any family¡­.but I have always wanted to be known as Immortal Ryu. Is that okay?¡±


    Oye-oye-oye! What do you mean, I would like to be known as Immortal Ryu? Why are you asking me if that is okay? Argh¡­.I hate the Captain¡­.Shinichi smacked the forms on his forehead as he cursed the Captain. Somewhere in the police station the Captain could feel inexplicable shivers running down his spine.


    Shinichi quietly penned down the entire name and then added in brackets ¨C (fake name / alias).


    Ryu looked at Shinichi¡¯s words with great interest ¨C his eyes followed each movement Shinichi¡¯s hands made as he wrote down the name. Ryu paid such great attention to Shinichi¡¯s writing that everyone in the room noticed it ¨C even Shin was wondering what was the Great One looking at.


    ¡°What?¡± Shinichi finally snapped as he could no longer stand the staring.


    Ryu raised his eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Nothing¡­.I wasn¡¯t aware such excellent writing instruments were available¡­.I have always used quills¡­¡±


    Shinichi had no discernible expression on his face ¨Cwhich era does this guy come from? The Edo period?


    ¡°You can have my pen.¡± The baka junior spoke up as he handed Ryu a pen from his shirt pocket.


    ¡°Thank you. This precious gift of yours will always be treasured.¡± As Ryu spoke his eyes dazzled with happiness and excitement.


    ¡°No¡­it isn¡¯t really all that precious¡­I bought it at the 100 yen store¡­.I can get more from the police stationary¡­.¡± The baka junior began explaining but then quickly shut up when he noticed Shinichi-san¡¯s blazing glare.


    ¡°Alright, Immortal Ryu-san, your age?¡± Shinichi continued in a dull tone, as he put down the paper on the table and began noting the remaining details.


    ¡°Human, you dare ask the Great One his age!!! Such rudeness will not be forgiven!!¡± Shin began once again however he was quickly stopped. Officer Shinichi lost his patience, in the process breaking his pen into two pieces (which saddened Ryu), and then carried Shin out of the room along with the baka-junior.


    ¡°Hey what are you doing? Put me down! This will not be forgiven!!¡± Shin could be heard as Shinichi picked up Shin and handed him to the baka-junior. ¡°Keep an eye on the child, don¡¯t let him back in here till I am done with this guy.¡± Shinichi instructed the baka-junior as he threw Shin out of the room.

 Chapter 23: Butter

    Part 1


    ¡°Hey what are you doing? Put me down! This will not be forgiven!!¡± Shin could be heard shouting as Shinichi picked him up and handed him to the baka-junior.  ¡°Keep an eye on the child, don¡¯t let him back in here till I am done with this guy.¡± Shinichi instructed the baka-junior as then proceeded to throw both the child and baka-junior out of the room.


    Shinichi sighed as began straightening his attire ¨C the little brat pulled out his tucked in shirt. Damn children¡­.


    ¡°Are you some famous celebrity?¡± Shinichi asked a direct question as he sat back down.  Shinichi was in no mood to play games and he wanted to be done with this taxing case as soon as possible. As far as Shinichi was concerned, the brat and baka were both distractions to his work.


    ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡­famous?¡±  Ryu thought about the question for a while. ¡°I guess so¡­..though I am in disguise right now so that no one recognizes me.¡±


    Shinichi exhaled as he supressed his raging emotions ¨C the man in front of him was a fool who continued to give vague replies to each of his questions. The replies were so vague it wasn¡¯t helping Shinichi in the least. In fact, Shinichi could see more paper work piling up with each passing reply.


    Shinichi examined the man in front of him very carefully. No matter how Shinichi saw it, there was no visible disguise. Either the disguise is really good or this nutter is imagining himself wearing a disguise ¨C Shinichi thought to himself.


    ¡°Then could you remove your disguise?¡± Shinichi requested as his shoulders loosened up ¨C it was probably best to ask Ryu and clear up the mystery.


    Ryu frowned at Shinichi¡¯s request. ¡°Unfortunately, I will have to decline your request.¡±


    Shinichi furrowed his brows, this was the first time the man declined to oblige. Why? Should I force him?


    ¡°You know, I can force you to remove your disguise¡­¡± Shinichi bluffed.


    ¡°Hmmmm¡­..these eyes have seen hundreds of thousands of humans and can see through lies in an instant.¡± Ryu calmly replied. Ryu didn¡¯t come across in the least bit perturbed about Shinichi¡¯s threat. ¡°You may try to resort to force however I doubt you would like to try me.¡± Ryu¡¯s voice was confident as ever ¨C it wasn¡¯t an arrogant tone but one of absolute confidence in himself.


    Shinichi stared into Ryu¡¯s eyes and Ryu stared back into Shinichi¡¯s eyes. There was a deathly silence in the room as they measured each other. Shinichi wondered where the man in front of him got his confidence from ¨C especially since he sat in a police station. Ryu was clearly foreign to Japan, yet he sat aloof in the station without a worry in the world. Sensing something strange about Ryu, Shinichi shrugged his shoulders and let the matter be.


    There were two ways Shinichi could treat this case. First, he could believe the man in front of him to be dangerous to society and investigate the matter more thoroughly. Second, treat the man in front of him as a harmless lunatic and note down his details before releasing him. After giving the matter a single seconds worth of thought, Shinichi decided it was better to quickly close the case and move than bother with procedure. If this person was a dangerous individual then he wouldn¡¯t be accompanied by a little child¡­.unless this man was some ring leader of a children¡¯s gang ¨C an impossible occurrence.


    ¡°Okay, what is your age, Immortal-san?¡± Shinichi asked as he went back to the question he had asked before Shin had interrupted them. The question in itself was strange, given the way Shinichi addressed Ryu, but considering the strong underlying sarcasm in Shinichi¡¯s voice ¨C it was obvious Shinichi was not taking Ryu¡¯s aloof attitude too kindly.


    ¡°Hmmmm¡­.age? I have never been asked for my age before¡­This is quite difficult. I have existed since the beginning of time. I am so old, even I don¡¯t know how old I am.¡± Ryu-sama replied with a vague smile.


    As vague as ever. Shinichi furrowed his brows as he stared at the man sitting in front of him. Ryu¡¯s features were no Asian nor western ¨C maybe a mix. Black hair but medium sized eyes¡­.his facial features did not convey his origin. Ryu skin was slightly tanned light brown but not white like the Japanese¡­.it could be the result of sun bathing. Ryu didn¡¯t come across as very old however he gave an extremely old-ish feeling off, especially whenever Ryu replied he would begin with a ¡®Hmmmm¡¯. Shinichi concluded his assessment of Ryu¡¯s age and then penned down ¨C ¡®Age: 35-ish¡¯


    ¡°Okay, where do you live?¡± Shinichi asked as he began to check through the standard questions on the list. There were fifteen to twenty standard questions, as long as Ryu answered half of them correctly, Shinichi would no longer have to hold him at the police station.


    Overlooking his reply for name and age, once I have an address, I can technically let him go¡­.


    ¡°Hmmmmm¡­I don¡¯t have a place to stay. I just came to Japan.¡± Ryu-sama explained with the continued calm demeanour.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Shinichi revealed a delicate smile ¨C that was an unexpected reply. Shinichi did feel sad that this was not the answer he hoped for however if this person just came to Japan that would mean there was a paper trail somewhere which would lead to the mysterious man¡¯s identity. Although, Shinichi was uninterested in the man¡¯s identity, a small part of him definitely wanted to know who was this famous nutter.


    ¡°Do you have a passport?¡± Shinichi enquired as he felt this might be the first tangible lead. Paper trails always began from travel documents¡­..


    ¡°Passport?¡± Ryu-sama frowned. ¡°What is a passport?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­.no never mind¡­¡± Shinichi frowned as his shoulders drooped in disappointment again.  Why did I bother ever thinking someone like him would have a passport¡­..


    ¡°Is this what you are referring to?¡±  Ryu asked he pulled out a mouldy yellow chit of paper.


    Shinichi¡¯s eyebrows were raised in curiosity ¨C oye what are those patrol officers doing! Didn¡¯t they empty his pockets before bringing him here? What is he holding? Since when did tattered pieces of paper become travel documents¡­.


    Shinichi took the folded yellow tattered piece of paper and opened it up. The paper bore resemblance to an ancient document. There were some Japanese characters scribbled on it however the ink was smudged in several places.


    ¡°This¡­.what is this?¡± Shinichi asked as he carefully held up the paper ¨C it could tear apart from the slightest force.


    ¡°Hmmmmm¡­¡­If I remember it right¡­.a girl once told me to show it at sekisho¡­..or something like that¡­.to be honest, I am not sure what it is myself¡­.¡± Ryu nonchalantly replied.


    ¡°Argh¡­sekisho¡­.what are you? From the Edo period?¡± Shinichi didn¡¯t conceal his frown. ¡°If you don¡¯t know what it is¡­then why are you giving it to me?¡± Shinichi set the document aside and picked up the forms again.


    ¡°Putting aside that you don¡¯t have travel documents on you¡­.I can only assume they were stolen? Or Lost?¡±


    Ryu tilted his head to the left like a dog or a cat would and maintained silence. Shinichi almost confused Ryu for an animal. One of the task force¡¯s dog would make the same expression when it did not understand the command. Am I dealing with an animal?


    ¡°Basically, just tell me how you came to Japan?¡± Shinichi simplified the words as he felt a surge of exhaustion.


    ¡°I flew here.¡± Ryu replied as he leaned back on his recliner chair; pushing it back to its absolute limits. ¡°This is a nice chair.¡± Ryu commented. ¡°I have to make sure my throne is just as comfy¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­yes¡­.sure¡­¡± Shinichi muttered as he ignored Ryu¡¯s words. ¡°If you flew here¡­then you took the plane?¡±


    ¡°Plane?¡± Ryu asked curiously as he stood up and began examining the chair¡¯s reclining ability.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Why did I bother asking¡­¡± Shinichi grumbled. He then looked up at Ryu who was moving about his chair and doing something with it. Shinichi thought about asking Ryu what he was doing with the chair but then decided against it. Shinichi knew he would regret asking Ryu what he was doing with the chair.


    ¡°Where did you come from¡­..¡±Shinichi began tapping his pen on the table as he impatiently waited a for a reply. ¡°Immortal-san?¡± Shinichi called out as he looked up at Ryu who was now standing absolutely still behind his chair.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­..¡± Ryu began with his notable humming as he stared at the ceiling in a peculiar way. Although it would appear Ryu was blankly staring at the ceiling, his eyes were intently following some sort of pattern ¨C almost as if he could see through the ceiling. Taking his time to reply, Ryu finally spoke up, I came from Hawwaaaieee? Or was it¡­¡± Ryu muttered as he scratched his chin thoughtfully.


    ¡°Hawaii?¡± Shinichi suggested with a vague hope that his guess was correct.


    ¡°Yes that is the place with beautiful women wearing skirts.¡± Ryu hurriedly nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Hawaii¡­¡± Shinichi muttered as he penned down where Ryu was from. But as he began to pen it, Shinichi had an afterthought, ¡°Wait¡­are you American?¡± Shinichi asked in excitement with his eyebrow raised.


    ¡°American?¡±


    ¡°Never mind.¡± Shinichi quickly replied ¨C why did I bother thinking he would know the answer to my question.


    ¡°You know dining and dashing is a crime¡­.normally it would be a small amount and it can be forgiven¡­.and you will have to do community service¡­.but you don¡¯t even have a residential address¡­this makes things difficult¡­.¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm¡­.kuinige? I am sure it is a misunderstanding¡­..¡± Ryu replied - confident as ever.


    ¡°I wonder about that¡­¡± Shinichi replied as he rolled his eyes in scepticism. ¡°It says here as per the patrol officer¡¯s statement, you tried to pay in gold coins¡­¡± Shinichi read out from the file as he placed a gold coin on the table.


    ¡°Hmmmm, yes I recognize that coin is mine. My acquaintance informed me that each coin is worth hundreds of thousands in human currency¡­.is that not enough for the meal?¡±


    Without replying to Ryu¡¯s question, Shinichi picked up the coin, unwrapped the gold wrapper and took a bite of the chocolate within.


    ¡°Ah! No wonder those gold coins gave off a deliciously sweet fragrance¡­.¡± Ryu mumbled as he pulled out a pouch full of coins and began examining them ¨C all of them were chocolate candy. The pouch even had a tiny tag which read "Chocolate Candy - $2.00".  ¡°This¡­is bothersome¡­.to think that I have been tricked¡­¡± Ryu spoke while furrowing his brows in agitation ¨C he did not like being played a fool.


    ¡°Sure¡­ you might have to explain that to the magistrate¡­¡± Shinichi replied now completely uninterested in Ryu as he wrote of the entire incident attributable to idiocy. The only respite was the chocolate, Shinichi continued to nibble on the evidence.


    *BANG*


    The door leading into the meeting room burst open ¨C the door smashed into the wall behind it.


    ¡°GREAT ONE!!¡± Shin shouted out vigorously as he smashed open the door.


    The baka-junior could be heard in the distance, ¡°Shinichi-san¡­.help me¡­¡±


    Shinichi¡¯s only audible remark was  - ¡°I am too underpaid to do this job.¡±


    Part 2


    ¡°GREAT ONE!! THER¡­.¡± Shin shouted out as he flung open the door with full force.  Since the door was flung open with excessive force, hit the wall and rebounded ¨C smacking into Shin¡¯s face.


    ¡°Owwww¡± Shin could be heard crying out loud in pain as his face turned red on impact.


    ¡°Too much enthusiasm¡­¡± Shinichi commented as he opened the door slowly to find the little boy sitting on the floor, with tears welling up in his eyes. Shinichi looked ahead further to find the baka-junior squirming in agony on the floor while tightly holding on to his family jewels. ¡°What are you doing brat?¡± Shinichi asked in a stern tone. ¡°Hitting an officer is a¡­.¡±


    Completely ignoring the police officer who stood at the door, Shin spoke to Ryu directly, ¡°I sensed some strange energy and I came to defend the Great One.¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm?¡± Ryu asked with a rarely displayed slight surprise on his face. ¡°Interesting¡­.¡± Ryu replied. ¡°You can sense something like that as well?¡±


    ¡°Sense what?¡± Shinichi asked with a question mark over his forehead. He couldn¡¯t sense anything. Are they talking about a fire? Ryu was weird however given the sincerity with which Shin spoke to Ryu ¨C could there really be something that these two could sense or hear that he could not?


    <Background noises ¨C baka junior: Shinichi-san ¡­.it is hurting¡­.>


    ¡°Shin, I will be leaving.¡± Ryu abruptly declared as he stood up. ¡°These are my problems, and something I prefer not to involve humans with.¡±


    <Background noises ¨C baka junior: Shinichi-san ¡­.I can¡¯t have children anymore¡­.>


    ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡± Shinichi asked sternly as he blocked the doorway. Shinichi was ready to use force to stop Ryu from leaving if he had to.


    ¡° Grovel before the Great One, human!! Do you dare stop the Great One from leaving? He is acting in your interest!!!¡± Shin spoke with crude words and gaps in his sentences as his eyes darted around the room for something to stand on. He did not like looking up to Shinichi and speaking.


    <Background noises ¨C  baka junior: Shinichi-saan¡­. >


    Ryu smiled at Shin¡¯s response as walked next to one of the peach painted walls. Although the walls appeared old, they were strong and sturdy.


    ¡°What are you doing¡­¡± Shinichi asked in confusion. The only exit was where Shinichi and Shin stood. The walls were made of reinforce concrete and steel frames....


    *RUMBLE*


    *RUMBLE*


    *RUMBLE*


    *RUMBLE*


    The entire police station began shaking as Ryu pressed his open palm against the wall.


    ¡°What the¡­earthquake!!!???¡­¡±  Shinichi would have gone on speaking, however, he saw something unbelievable after that ¨C Ryu made a hole in the wall from just pushing the wall.


    First, it appeared as though Ryu was pressing against a sponge. The paint from the wall began to peel off as the building trembled. Then there was a strong cracking sound coming from inside the walls ¨C as though iron was be torn open. Dirt from the ceiling began to fall and the lights in the room flickered.  Little by little, the brick and mortar was pushed out while the steel bars were torn in half and bent outwards. It were as though a huge drilling machine rammed through the wall to leave behind a hole big enough for an adult to walk through. However, the hole wasn''t created through brute force rather Ryu''s gentle push gave the illusion that the wall was made of butter.


    This is an illusion? I must be dreaming?  Where are the hidden camera''s?


    ¡°Shin, take care¡­you are an interesting child¡­.hahahaha¡­.I will never forget you. Take care!¡± Ryu shouted out as he jumped through the hole he made.


    ¡°Waiiit!!¡± Shinichi screamed out as he came to his senses and realized what just happened. Shinichi rushed to stop Ryu from jumping out ¨C they were on the fourth floor.


    X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X


    Author''s note:


    Wondering where the new chapter is? It is labelled Volume 2: Intermission Chapter 2

 Chapter 24: Civil Engineering Department

    Part 1


    ¡°Waiiit!!¡± Shinichi screamed out as he rushed to stop Ryu from jumping out ¨C they were on the fourth floor¡­


    However, by the time Shinichi reached the edge of the gaping hole in the wall, Ryu was nowhere to be seen. Specifically, Shinichi could not see Ryu¡¯s splattered body on the ground.


    Shinichi felt his knees go weak and began to feel slightly dizzy. The world he knows and understands is nothing something so ridiculous ¨C walls don¡¯t just melt away like butter, and people certainly don¡¯t disappear from the fourth floor. What is going on here?


    Shinichi¡¯s face was brimming with confusion and fear. He was the lead detective; the best in the Tokyo force. He had heard of many dark and inexplicable events before. However, this was the first time he had actually witnessed something so strange.


    No matter how many times Shinichi thought about it, no matter how many times Shinichi examined the wall ¨C Shinichi could only reach one conclusion. The man they had arrested was a monster or possessed strength which went beyond the realms of humans.


    Shinichi placed his hand on the hole to make sure it was real. Shinichi could feel the stony dirt rubble, the firmness of the bend iron bars ¨C this was very much a real hole in the wall. Shinichi pinched himself once just to be sure.


    *Ouch*


    It was real. This was not a dream - a man made a whole in the wall of Tokyo¡¯s Police HQ.


    Shinichi felt a turbulence of emotions this incident reminded him of his grandmother¡¯s stories of martial arts experts who could destroy buildings with a single finger or fly vast distances. Wasn¡¯t this just to fantastical?


    ¡°Shinichi-san?¡± The baka junior called out as he crawled into the room. However , when he saw the hole in the wall, the baka-junior immediately shut up. The baka-junior was too stupefied. He left his senior in the room alone and then somethings happened, when he returned he finds a hole in the wall ¨Clarge enough for three people side by side to fit through.


    The baka junior rubbed his eyes just to be sure he wasn¡¯t imagining this.


    ¡°Shinichi-san¡­.¡± The baka junior called out once again when he realized this was not his mind playing tricks on him. ¡°What happened?¡± The baka junior asked Shinichi who stood with a vacant expression near the hole.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.I don¡¯t understand anything anymore¡­¡± Shinichi barely managed to mutter those words as he continued to gaze at the city skyline from the hole. Shinichi¡¯s mental walls of reasoning and logic were collapsing.


    ¡°Shinichi-san¡­.will the repair costs of the wall be deducted from our wages?¡± The baka-junior asked a question that did not match the moment.


    With some color returning to his face, Shinichi broke off a bit of loose rubble and threw it at the baka-junior¡¯s forehead with dead accuracy.


    *Thunk*


    The baka-junior, who was already lying on the floor, slumped to the floor with golden stars circling above him.


    Part 2


    Two men sat in seiza position in the hallway of the police station. One of them had an unkempt appearance ¨C unshaved face, hair all over the place, dishevelled clothes. This person was senior detective of the Tokyo Police, Shinichi Yamamoto. He appeared as though he never took a shower or went home to change his clothes.


    The only reason people ignored his appearance and even respected him was for his uncanny ability to solve mysteries. Shinichi could be considered the Japanese version of Sherlock Holmes, respected and well renowned. The juniors admired Shinichi for his brilliant work in the ¡®terrorist bombing¡¯ case from five years ago.


    The other person who accompanied him was the baka-junior, Hideoyshi Saki. Baka junior¡¯s appearance strongly contrasted his senior¡¯s. Baka-junior wore neatly tucked expensive clothes. Although, he was known throughout the station as baka-junior, he was one of the best dressed and good looking officers. If one ignored his level of intelligence and behaviour, he would appear as the ideal uniformed man that women would drool over.


    Unfortunately, intelligence is inborn ¨C something that cannot be changed. Hence, Shinichi and Captain-san focused on improving his behaviour ¨C however their efforts were futile. Luckily, Captain had a great idea ¨C baka-junior was made the brand ambassador of ¡®Goodwill¡¯ and ¡®Recruitment¡¯ for the Tokyo Police. His good looks became the magnet that attracted women to work for the Tokyo Police. In the end, his male colleagues accepted his idiocy for the flowers he attracted to their barren work place made their jobs a little more likeable.


    No matter how good baka-junior¡¯s look may be or how intelligent Shinichi is, today the Captain would not hold back.


    A huge middle aged man paced to and fro in front of the two in seiza. The Captain had a bulky body, and square-ish face.  His bald head only added to his menacing appearance. Captain-san could be more easily mistaken for a Yazuka or a military personnel than a police officer.  Captain-san was a hardworking honest government employee. He could be described as the person who everyone got along with. No one disliked Captain-san and there was nothing to dislike about him. He had no special strengths but he had no glaring weaknesses either. As a human, Captain-san, was a very average person. The only reason he stood out was for his bulky body ¨C but as Captain of the Tokyo Police force, the menacing appearance and aura that surrounded him suited him very well.


    ¡°One job¡­.¡± The Captain muttered as he continued pacing in the hallway. ¡°You two were given one job¡­.it was a simple lost person case¡­something we give newbies¡­.why the HELL DOES IT LEAD TO A HOLE IN THE WALL?¡±


    The Captain was yelling the last bit at the top of voice. His shouting echoed throughout the hallways and into the fire stairway.


    ¡°Like I told you¡­.¡± Shinichi began explaining as he loosened his body.


    ¡°No! Not you!¡± The Captain interrupted as he spun his body to glare at Shinichi. ¡°You need to visit the doctor¡­.I have always known that you are one of those dangerous ticking time bomb geniuses. Your head exploded? Hasn¡¯t it? You had a melt down?¡±


    Shinichi displayed an expression of incredulity when the Captain spoke those lines. However, that expression only lasted for a brief moment.


    ¡°Who will believe this ridiculous story of a person punching a hole in the wall¡­.that was an RCC wall!!! Reinforced concrete!!¡± The Captain ranted on has his face turned several shades red.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Like I said¡­¡± Shinichi began to speak again. ¡°He didn¡¯t punch the wall. He pressed against it and it simply melted away like butter¡­.¡±


    The Captain face palmed himself and then spoke in a low voice. ¡°Of course¡­.the wall melted like butter¡­Shinichi do you even hear yourself? Is that something a sane man would say?¡±


    Shinichi hung his head ¨C not in shame but to hide his anger. Shinichi knew this would sound ridiculous if he were to tell others. However, he did not expect this reaction from the Captain. They had been in the force for several years and had been through thick and thin. Why would Shinichi lie to him with such an unbelievable tale?


    Sensing Shinichi¡¯s swelling up emotions, the Captain exhaled and sighed. He understood Shinichi was not lying to him ¨C the tale was just to incredible to believe. ¡°Let¡¯s say¡­.for a moment I believe. A man was able to punch a hole into the wall, that makes him an incredible martial artist¡­.but then explain to me where did he go? He couldn¡¯t have flown out the hole now, could he?¡±


    No matter how Shinichi appraised the situation back then, the way the wall was destroyed could only be described as bizarre. This world is based on science and science explains all. However, Shinichi had no explanation to offer. Shinichi could be considered a walking talking encyclopaedia of knowledge. However, nothing he knew could explain a wall ¡®melting¡¯ way.


    The hole in the wall was a minor issue compared to the question posed by the Captain. Where did the man disappear to? Shinichi saw Ryu jump out of the hole but the man simply vanished after that. Humans can be strong but they definitely can¡¯t fly.  This created conflict and self-doubt in his mind, Shinichi began to imagine that he may have hallucinated the whole event¡­.like hell I saw hallucinations.


    Shinichi hung his head in silence there was no explanation he had to offer however he refused the Captain¡¯s version of the story.


    The Captain wore a disappointed face. His brows furrowed together as he turned to face the baka-junior. ¡°And you! What were you doing?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­Captain-san¡­.getting angry like this is not good for your health¡­.¡± The baka-junior began in a casual tone.


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± The Captain violently shouted out as he stomped his foot in anger.  The face of the captain was red as a tomato. ¡°At least Shinichi is still useful to the force. I can defend him from the superiors ¨C though he may have to take substantial medical leaves and pay cuts¡­..but YOU! You have no redeeming quality! You are absolutely useless!! Trash amongst trash!! Even women don''t like you!!¡±


    ¡°Mou!! Captain-san is being so mean!!¡± The baka-junior cried out as he looked up to the Captain.


    *DHUNK*


    A fist greeted the baka-junior¡¯s head.


    ¡°Hideoyshi, you have no idea how much of a mess you are in. It is your job to ensure that the cameras were switched on and recording the entire meeting. Instead, you were busy hitting on my secretary¡­.¡± The Captain grumbled. ¡°You were asked to look after one boy¡­but why does that job have you end up lying on the floor clutching on to your b*lls?¡±


    The baka-junior was unusually pale. In a meek voice he spoke, ¡°But Captain¡­.that boy kicked me in the ¡­..¡±


    ¡°You idiot!¡± The Captain spoke between his teeth. ¡°I really want to clobber your head into the wall,  to be owned by a little brat¡­.have you no sense of shame?¡±


    The Baka junior also hung his head in silence avoiding to make any eye contact with the Captain.


    The Captain resumed his pacing. ¡°This year¡¯s budget was already really tight¡­.damn you two¡­.one simple task¡­..this is really your faults¡­.no it must be my fault to entrust such a simple task to you two¡­.¡± The Captain grumbled to himself however stopped talking when he noticed a woman in the distance ¨C it was his secretary. ¡°What is it?¡± He grunted at her.


    ¡°Captain, there are some people here to see you.¡± She spoke as she gave way to reveal two men ¨C one old and one young.


    It was the old man, Ji-san and his bodyguard ¨C Radcliff.


    Part 3


    The old man and Radcliff were greeted by the chilly Tokyo wind blowing through the huge hole in the Police HQ.


    ¡°Ah! What a lovely window!¡± The old man exclaimed as he walked past the secretary, ignoring the Captain, and entered the meeting room where Ryu had been detained.


    ¡°Oye! Oye!¡± The Captain called out in alarm as he rushed behind the old man. ¡°That place is restricted!¡±


    However, the Captain¡¯s path was blocked by Radcliff-san who took a giant step to stand between the door way to the meeting room and the Captain. The Captain came to an immediate stand still


    ¡°You! You dare block a police officer¡¯s path!¡± The Captain angrily roared as he tried to push past Radcliff-san. However, the Captain¡¯s shoulders hit a solid iron wall. Radcliff-san was completely immovable and did not budge an inch no matter how much he pushed against Radcliff.  Radcliff was as tall as the Captain. However he was not as bulky ¨C nonetheless he had no difficulty in keeping the Captain at bay.


    ¡°It is rather unbecoming of the Captain of the Tokyo Police HQ Station to be behaving like this¡­.¡± Radcliff spoke out as he pushed the Captain away with great ease. The words were meant to get the enraged Captain back to his senses.


    The Captain¡¯s incoherent eyes finally focused on the calm Radcliff and then realized his own behaviour. ¡°Sorry¡­who are you?¡±


    ¡°Radcliff.¡± Radcliff introduced himself as he extended his hand forward to shake hands with the Captain.


    However, the Captain didn¡¯t move a muscle.  The reply the Captain received was the answer to his question. But since, Radcliff did not provide any further details, the reply was useless ¨C isn¡¯t this what they call a troll reply.


    ¡°I meant which department are you from? Are you from the police force?¡± The Captain explained to Radcliff.


    ¡°We are from the civil engineering department¡­¡± The old man spoke up from behind Radcliff.


    ¡°Civil engineering department?¡± The Captain asked in confusion and shock.


    ¡°Yes¡­.¡± Radcliff unconvincingly added in assurance as he wondered where the old man intended to go with this. ¡°The civil engineering¡­..department¡­.¡±


    Who would ever believe such a stupid lie!- everyone, except the baka-junior and old man, thought to themselves.

 Chapter 25: Super Mites

    Part 1


    ¡°Yes¡­.¡± Radcliff unconvincingly added in assurance as he wondered where the old man intended to go with this. ¡°The civil engineering¡­..department¡­.¡±


    ¡°Wait only police can enter this room¡­.¡± The Captain spoke up irritably while trying to make sense of the nonsensical talk the old man was spouting out. For the Captain, the two men definitely appeared shady. The old man was dressed in a traditional light coloured Japanese hakama and the younger person was wearing a black suit.


    Why the hakama? Why would people from the civil engineering team be here?


    It was blatantly obvious that these two people were not from where they claimed to be. The more Captain-san inspected the two men, the more familiar they appeared. Many questions began sprouting in the Captain¡¯s mind - Who called them? Why do these two men look so familiar? This brash yet domineering attitude is so vaguely familiar¡­.


    Before the Captain could voice his opinions or thoughts, the old man cut in, ¡°You see there were questions about the structural integrity of this building¡­..and I must say that the condition is pretty bad.¡±


    As though sensing that the reply was not convincing enough, the old man continued without a pause, ¡°Please don¡¯t ask why I am dressed as I am ¨C I can only say that this matter was of utmost importance and I was dragged away on short notice.


    The Captain stupidly and silently stared at the old man ¨C is that really the reason why this old man is dressed so strangely? No more importantly, that person called Radcliff, he gives of feeling of belonging to the special forces¡­.


    The old man shot Radcliff a stern glance. Radcliff lowered his gaze to the floor ¨C hiding his face from everyone. ¡°Yes¡­.this building is in very bad shape¡­and Sensei a supreme expert on buildings¡­was brought here on short notice¡­¡± Radcliff muttered the words as though he had been coerced into speaking them.


    ¡°Everything is wrong with this building¡­¡± The old man excitedly announced and began speaking like a car salesman. ¡°You see we received a call not too long ago that the contractor of this building may have cut corners during the most critical stages of preparation! For example, the foundation isn¡¯t deep enough, the cement used is of low quality, the plumbing system is in ruins and the electrical works are in shambles¡­..you must have noticed some of these problems?¡± The old man was quick with his words as he wrapped his arm around the Captain and stepped with him out of the room.


    Just like how a car salesman, helps you find problems with the current car, the old man assumed a familiar tone.


    ¡°Eh¡­.no¡­¡± The Captain looked terribly confused as he tried to recollect whether this building had any such problems. The police headquarters building was brand new with no issues whatsoever.


    ¡°You are very fortunate my friend¡­.you have gotten away lucky!¡± The old man continued on with great confidence despite being so evidently wrong. ¡°That hole in the wall is just the beginning of the end of this building¡­.for I fear this building is infected with super-mites!¡±


    ¡°Super-mites?¡± The bewildered Captain, Shinichi, Baka Junior and Radcliff asked at the same time.


    Who would believe such a stupid lie!!! Nobody spoke that out loud, but all shouted that in their minds ¨C with the exception of Baka junior who had completely swallowed the lies of the old man as though he were preaching the gospel.


    The old man shot a stern glance at Radcliff ¨C thankfully no one noticed that Radcliff-san¡¯s faux pas. Radcliff just lowered his gaze and began softly mumbling something to himself.


    ¡°Yes¡­.terrible pests¡­.they eat anything¡­..concrete ¡­.steel¡­..anything¡­.¡± The old man lied through his teeth. He did so without the slightest hesitation. The old man¡¯s imagination could only be described as wild and fanciful. With each word the old man spoke, Radcliff-san could be seen hiding his face deeper and deeper into his hand.


    The Captain and Shinichi didn¡¯t buy a word of the old man. They were experienced tough cops who wouldn¡¯t be moved with fancy words and wavy hands.  First of all, if some old man began speaking like this they would immediately lock him up. However, the old man had a certain charm and aura that prevented Captain-san from speaking up forcefully. Even Shinichi noticed this, any scepticism or distrust he held towards the old man was irrationally but surely melting away. Shinichi and the Captain didn¡¯t understand it ¨C but they began feeling that they could trust the old man. Unlike the two senior officers, baka-junior was mentally more vulnerable ¨C the subtle yet tremendous pressure that the old man released was super effective on him.


    Radcliff was the only one in the room who remained unfazed by the tremendous pressure released by the old man. Having been through many life and death situations, Radcliff could sense the terrifying aura that was being continuously released. The intensity of the aura made Radcliff¡¯s hair stand up on its ends. However, for normal people, like the police officers, who cannot sense or understand auras ¨C the pressure being applied was like an invisible force bending their wills.


    ¡°That explains why my shirt has holes whenever I leave them at work!¡± The baka junior was the first to crack under the mental pressure.


    ¡°Of course!¡± The old man patted the baka-junior¡¯s back ¨C for some strange reason, the baka-junior immediately crashed into the ground when he was patted. The Captain and Shinichi could only sigh at their junior¡¯s shameful presence. Neither of them suspected in the least that the old man had exerted tremendous force with his whimsical pat.


    ¡°Super-mites?¡± The sceptical Captain-san asked again while looking at the baka-junior who was smiling away stupidly as he slowly stood up.


    ¡°Yes! Radcliff-san please explain to them!¡± The old man happily reached out to his companion for support.


    Radcliff-san was lightly bumping his head against the wall when his named was called out. He jumped up in fright and turned to face the Captain and Shinichi. ¡°Yes¡­.super-mites¡­Termites but only superior!¡± Radcliff-san fumbled around with words as he tried to come up with something appropriate to say. Radcliff stared at the old man desperately for a lifeline, however the old man appeared to be thoroughly enjoying himself and Radcliff¡¯s embarrassment.


    ¡°So you are saying that hole in the wall was caused by termites and not by someone punching it down?¡±


    ¡°Hohohoho¡­.of course termites can¡¯t destroy a wall¡­.but you see these super mites excrete highly acidic concentrates from its digestive tract which softens walls.  Let me demonstrate¡­.¡± The old man pressed his hand against the wall and quickly dug out a piece of the wall.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    In almost identical fashion to the way Ryu made a hole in the wall, there was now another smaller hole in the wall. However, this one had been created by the old man.


    The Captain¡¯s and Shinichi¡¯s eyes nearly popped out when they saw the old man gouge out a piece of the wall as though it were made of soft clay.


    Captain-san was initially sceptical of the old man¡¯s identity and explanation. However, after seeing the old man simply carve out a piece of wall with his bare hands ¨C the Captain stood and watched with his jaws slack open.  There was no rationale or scientific explanation to what he just saw. The mental shock was so strong that the Captain found himself turning to the only plausible explanation ¨C super mites.


    Shinichi was in not better condition than the Captain. Although Shinichi was witnessing this for the second time ¨C it was a completely different experience. Previously when Ryu gouged out a hole in the wall ¨C Shinichi assumed the young man had ample strength¡­.then what about the old man? He looked so feeble and old ¨C as old as Shinichi¡¯s grandfather. Those hands and arms should have no strength in them ¨C is what Shinichi¡¯s mind screamed to him. However, Shinichi was too shocked to react. This coupled along with the mental pressure being released by the old man ¨C even Shinichi could not help but accept the old man¡¯s words.


    It was only the baka-junior who reacted differently to his colleagues¨C his eyes were sparkling as if he were ten year old who had been offered a ton of candy. The old man was no alien but rather a saviour who offered a solid explanation to the holes in his shirt.


    ¡°Radcliff! The situation is grave! We will need to bring all our equipment here!¡± The old man shouted out to Radcliff ¨C giving the impression that Radcliff-san was some sort of assistant. Radcliff only reacted with a quiet sigh and nod. Like the police officers, Radcliff was impressed with the old man¡¯s extraordinary strength. He had seen it many times before, however he would continue to be amazed each time he saw it. It was only a reminder to him that the old man in front of him only appeared human but was really a monster from within.


    ¡°You see this is a health hazard and as such we need to evacuate the building!¡± Radcliff began to speak on cue from the old man. Radcliff gave a pitiful and sympathetic gaze to the two shocked officers. They didn¡¯t even react to his words ¨C they were so far withdrawn.


    ¡°Captain! It is best if we evacuate¡­¡± Radcliff repeated himself ¨C louder than before.


    Captain stuttered, ¡°Evacuate?¡±


    Radcliff solemnly nodded his head to assure the Captain.


    ¡°The building?¡±


    The old man stepped next to the edge of the hole made by Ryu and stared out at the city. His gaze suddenly became sharp as though he were watching something in the distance. ¡°No the entire district¡­¡±


    ¡°EH!!?¡± Everyone in the room, including Radcliff, exclaimed out in surprise.


    Part 2


    Shibuya could be divided into two worlds at night. The first was the lively street. Although it was night, the streets of Shibuya were bright as though it were daytime. It wasn¡¯t street lighting which lit up the entire square but the colourful street signs and gigantic TV screens. All the buildings in the vicinity were covered in neon bulb signboards and large TV screens running adverts etc.


    The second world, which no one ever visited, was the roof tops of buildings in the Shibuya district. Unlike the glamourous and lively streets, the roof of buildings never had any visitors. Roofs were dark and only lit occasionally by the moonlight.


    Unknown to the world, the silhouette of a man appeared against the back drop light of a neon advertising board.  From the appearance black silhouette, one could tell that the man wore tight fitting jackets and pants. His loose hair blew freely with the night breeze. This man went by many names ¨C the Great one, the Ancient One, and Immortal Ryu.


    ¡°Tch¡­.to think you would come after me all the way here. Come out!¡± Ryu shouted out as he spoke to the obscure creatures that moved within the dark shadows of the night.


    A dark grey cloak fluttered as it blew against the breeze. There was a special gold colour intricate embroidery around the edges of the cloak. A single person stepped out from the shadows. If one were standing in the shadows they would not have noticed the presence of the person who just stepped out. The person emitted no scent or aura. The person¡¯s presence was almost non-existent even to the normal eye. The mysterious person was about six feet in height and wore a broad shouldered cloak which disguised the true form of his/her body.


    ¡°Kukukukuku, as expected of Emperor-sama, to be able to detect us despite our special concealing abilities.¡± The person in the cloak spoke. The cloak was clearly meant to hide the identity of the mysterious visitor. Even though the mysterious person was speaking, the voice sounded like a machine¡¯s - it conveyed no sense of gender. ¡°You really had given us a good slip back in Amercia. However, this is the end of the road¡­¡­¡±


    Ryu moved ten feet within the blink of an eye - leaving behind only a trail of unsettled dust. Ryu easily reached the position of the mysterious visitor and smashed a hole through his face. The punch brimming with explosive power and was easily able to penetrate the skull of mysterious visitor.


    *KIRCH*


    *KIRCH*


    Sounds of electrical short circuiting could be heard. The mysterious person could no longer continue speaking as Ryu¡¯s fist went through the face of the visitor.


    ¡°Kukukukuku, as expected of Emperor-sama, to be able to take out my minion in a single punch. However, unlike last time I have made sufficient improvement to my children.¡± The voice did not come from the ¡®broken¡¯ visitor who had a hole in his skull. The voice was echoing in from everywhere ¨C as though Ryu had been surrounded.


    Thirteen new figures ascended from the shadows. They all wore the same attire ¨C dark purple cloaks with intricate gold embroidery patterns on the edges. In the darkness, the thirteen appeared identical in outline.


    Ryu eyed the thirteen opponents carefully. He took a step back ¨C away from the ¡®destroyed¡¯ person which collapsed to the ground lifelessly. Ryu opened his fist to reveal crushed bits of metal and electronic gadgets. ¡°Tch¡­¡± Ryu silently muttered. ¡°Lifeless dolls again¡­¡±


    x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x


    Author''s Notes:


    Been so busy!!! Still am!!! God save me!!!

 Chapter 26: The Hime-sama & her loyal servant

    Part 1


    The old man stepped next to the edge of the hole made by Ryu and stared out at the city. His gaze suddenly became sharp as though he were watching something in the distance. ¡°No the entire district¡­¡±


    ¡°EH!!?¡± Everyone in the room, including Radcliff, exclaimed out in surprise.


    The old man simply nodded his head in confirmation as he continued to stare out the hole.


    After a moment of silence, Radcliff was the first to speak up, ¡°But Sir¡­.to evacuate the¡­.¡±


    ¡°Radcliff¡± The old man spoke in a cold and indifferent tone. It seemed as though the previous joyous and mischievous old man was a different person. The old man furrowed his brows as his eyes traced the dark shadows in the distance, ¡°Filthy rats have found their way into our country¡­.¡±


    Radcliff¡¯s expressions stiffened when he heard those last few words and simply responded with. ¡°I understand.¡±


    Radcliff had two duties ¨C the first was to watch over the old man and report back his every move. The second was to assist the old man at his work. What work could an old retired man have? What work could a man who has no interest in worldly affairs, possibly have?  However, that sentence in itself would be wrong and incomplete. Radcliff understood this better than anyone else. Although on the surface the old man did not care about the ¡®mundane¡¯ world, there was another world that operated in the shadows of the ¡®mundane¡¯¡­.


    This ¡®other¡¯ world wasn¡¯t a world that existed outside in another dimension. It was a world that co-existed with the modern society. The ¡®other¡¯ world was like how the ¡®underground world¡¯ coexists with the modern society. However, unlike the ¡®underground¡¯ economy which meddled with the affairs of the modern society, the inhabitants of the ¡®other¡¯ world avoided unnecessary intervention. These people, like the old man, lived and died in the shadows passing themselves off as ordinary individuals belonging to the mundane world.


    However, not everyone lived so quietly in the shadows. Radcliff-san had a bad premonition when he heard the police radio chatter ¨C something about a man making a hole in the wall of the police HQ. This was truly the work of someone from the ¡®other¡¯ world which boasted of individuals with extraordinary strength, martial arts or freaks of nature. If inhabitants of the ¡®other¡¯ world stirred trouble in the mundane world, then people like the old man were expected to put an end to such troubles and inhabitants.  This was the old man¡¯s job.


    ¡°I will leave the matter of Shin-kun to you.¡± The old man threw Radcliff a glance before jumping out of the hole in the wall¡­.


    ¡°Understood¡­.¡± Radcliff muttered back to thin air.


    As the old man left, the oppressive aura that he emitted also disappeared. The mental strain that had been bending the normal police officers¡¯ will suddenly disappeared. With the pressure disappearing, the police captain and Shinichi instantly became ¡®more¡¯ aware of the situation and were able to think under ¡®normal¡¯ circumstances again.


    ¡°STOP!!!!¡± The police captain shouted out as he realized that the old man had leapt out of the hole in the wall. This was the fourth floor of the police HQ building! To jump from this height would mean instant death! The police captain rushed to the hole and shot a glance at the ground to check if the old man was still alive by any chance¡­.however when the Captain stared at the ground he could see no injured or dead old man. It was almost as if the old man flew away and disappeared into the night.


    Shinichi walked next to the Captain who collapsed on to his knees in mental shock ¨C what in the world was happening here? Did Shinichi tell me the truth? People can jump four storeys unharmed? Wasn¡¯t this all a bit too ridiculous?


    ¡°Shinichi¡­there was an old man here¡­¡± The Captain mumbled in shock while kneeling collapsed on the floor. ¡°He jumped¡­.out¡­.we didn¡¯t¡­.stop¡­but¡­man¡­gone¡­¡± The Captain rambled on with gaps in his sentences. Anyone who had not witnessed the scene of the old man jumping out but ¡®disappearing¡¯ would believe that the Captain had gone mad and was spouting out nonsense. However, Shinichi knew better.


    Shinichi could only glance at the Captain with pity. After all, he too went through the same mental trauma. Even though this was the second time in the same day that Shinichi saw something so ridiculous, he too couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked. Although the mental damage to him was far lower than the Captain¡¯s.


    Shinichi turned to Radcliff, his eyes begging for an explanation.  However, it didn¡¯t seem Radcliff would offer him any. Shinichi also didn¡¯t press Radcliff for further answers. Shinichi had a forewarning that all the people he met today most likely belonged to ¡®another¡¯ more dangerous world ¨C one that it was best if he knew not of.


    Radcliff mumbled as he cursed the old man.  ¡°You could have taken the stairs¡­.#%!#@!¡±


    The only one who acted differently was the baka junior. ¡°That Engineer-san is so cool! Not only did he solve the mystery of holes in my shirt but he even knows disappearing magic acts! I should have been an engineer¡­.¡±


    Radcliff-san, Shinichi and Captain silently stared at the baka-junior whose eyes were dazzling brightly in the shape of star while staring in the direction of the hole.


    WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM!!! They all thought.


    Part 2


    Far from the Shibuya district, on a street dimly lit, lay two sets of identical houses, old and run down, on each side of the road. The houses were small and reeked of the stench of poverty. Only the truly poor lived here in these old affordable housings which were long overdue for demolition. The sparsely populated neighbourhood was unsurprisingly silent. At the end of this gloomy and poor neighbourhood was the only two storeys building in the neighbourhood, in slightly better condition. The tiny two storey building would pale in with the tall buildings of the city. However in this neighbourhood, it stood tall like a rich king. It was also the only place in the neighbourhood where voices of children could be heard...more specifically two children¡¯s voices¡­.


    ¡°Hime-sama, although this place is not to your liking it would be best for you to take some rest.¡± A young boy spoke while kneeling on one knee. He appeared no more than six or seven years old however the demeanour he carried about him was more adult like. His skin was milky white and supple giving off an aura that only the rich and clean could afford. It would be best to say he didn¡¯t mix in well with his poor surroundings. The boy was like a prince placed in a poor villager¡¯s house. Even his clothes, jeans and a shirt, were tidy and proper. This child clearly did not belong to this neighbourhood.


    The girl who was being spoken too, gave off a more regal feeling. Her body was petite and her face was round. She had straight white hair which gave her even a more royal appearance. Her hairstyle was flat straight which complemented her big eyes perfectly ¨C giving her the ¡®regal yet so cute look¡¯. The girl couldn¡¯t possibly be older than the boy, but similar to the boy, she was giving of a mature feeling at this moment as she stared at the night sky.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Akito¡­¡± The girl spoke without shifting her gaze.


    ¡°Yes, hime-sama.¡± Akito answered whilst kneeling and not daring to look up at the girl.


    ¡°I thought we decided you won¡¯t call me hime-sama¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.but hime-sama¡­.for¡­.¡±


    The girl turned her gaze towards Akito, who flinched as he felt the ice cold stare of the hime-sama and then stopped speaking.


    ¡°Friends don¡¯t call friends with formal titles.¡± The petite girl instructed.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I, too, have a name.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­hime-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°Again?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­Inoue-san¡­¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyebrows shaped up like a ¡®V¡¯ as she hardened her stare.


    ¡°Yes¡­Inoue¡­.¡± Seeing the little girl smile, Akito continued speaking. ¡°Do you dislike it here? Is that why hime---Inoue-sa¡­..Inoue is unable to sleep?¡± Akito changed his words several times as he struggled to address the girl by her first name.


    Inoue placed a finger on her chin as she pondered about the question for a while. ¡°Although this is not like home, Akito. I do not dislike this place. The children here are nice, especially the elder Onee-san. She reminds me of my mother¡­.¡± Inoue¡¯s voice choked as she recalled fond memories her own mother.


    Akito froze up seeing that how the topic he started reduced the little mistress to tears. Seeing her attendant freeze up in guilt, Inoue quickly calmed her emotions and gave Akito a smile. However, her eyes still glistened in the moonlit night. Inoue continued to speak, ¡°It is good that we were found and brought here¡­.we can rest here tonight and leave again after a week¡­.if we stay in one place for too long they will find us¡­.¡± There was a faint visible sense of regret lingering in Inoue¡¯s expression when she said those words. She did not want to leave this place but her circumstances made it dangerous for her to stay in one place too long.


    Just before Akito could respond back, the sound of a car pulling over interrupted their conversation. The boy and girl went tense, it was a police vehicle.


    "Eh? Someone is coming over at this time?" Inoue spoke as she stared down from the window.


    ¡°Hime-same¡­please don¡¯t stand by the window¡­¡± Aktio quickly spoke up as he pulled the little girl away from the window. While covering her body with his embrace, Akito continued to speak, ¡°It will be bothersome if they find us.¡±


    Inoue silently agreed, nonetheless she was curious who came to the children¡¯s care centre at this time. All she could hear was a boy yelling, ¡°WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!!! PUT ME DOWN!!! YOU HERE ME?? IF YOU HAD ANY IDEA WHO I AM ¡­.¡± However the latter half of the shouting was all muffled up as the officer covered the boy¡¯s mouth with his hand.


    Sensing that it probably safe, Akito slipped in a quick glance at the scene outside the orphanage. He could see a uniformed police officer carrying a young boy in his arm, as though he were luggage and walking towards the children¡¯s care centre.


    ¡°Who is the child?¡± Inoue asked excitedly as she slipped out of Akito¡¯s grasp and peered down the window. She couldn¡¯t see the boy¡¯s face but he was wearing sleeping pyjamas with a cute flaming dragon pattern.


    ¡°Must be a lost child if they brought him here¡­.¡± Akito replied as he suspiciously stared at the boy below ¨C the officer was still firmly holding on to the boy as he continued to struggle free.


    ¡°Do you think he is like us?¡± Inoue asked; her voice carried a hint of loneliness and bitterness.


    ¡°¡­.¡± Akito didn¡¯t know how to respond ¨C it was a complicated and complex subject and Akito was only a child! Akito and Inoue were orphans. Akito understood that this is what Inoue meant when she asked that question. They had been brought here because they had no parents.


    ¡°I hope not¡­¡± The pair replied in sync as they watched the police officer drag the small boy into the children¡¯s care centre.


    Part 3


    ¡°You are not from the civil engineering department are you?¡± Shinichi asked as he helped the Captain up on to his feet.


    Radcliff quickly replaced his frown with a smile. ¡°Gentlemen, I apologize for the previous misrepresentation. I am from the PSIA.¡± Radcliff spoke quickly and confidently as he produced his ID from his coat. ¡°My colleague and I were working under cover. However as circumstances have changed, we have realized that pretences were no longer necessary.¡±


    Shinichi took the badge from Radcliff and checked the credentials. Shinichi had no way of knowing whether this ID was real or not. However, he quickly memorized the name and ID number before handing back the badge. Shinichi had ¡®some¡¯ friends in the PSIA and he would get the answer soon.


    ¡°Now that you have seen my badge, I would like to request that the police department help me with the evacuation.¡± Radcliff-san calmly made his request. There was no hint of panic in his voice. This seemingly absurd request was made so naturally that Shinichi had to request Radcliff to repeat himself since he thought he had heard him wrong.


    ¡°We need to evacuate. Now.¡± Radcliff-san repeated with the same smiling face. However, his voice was stern and cold ¨C conveying the urgency of the matter.


    ¡°But¡­even with the entire force it will be impossible to do so immediately¡­.¡± The captain interrupted.  ¡°What will we tell people¡­¡±


    Super-mites wasn¡¯t exactly a believable story ¨C was it?


    ¡°No worries. You won¡¯t be alone.¡± Radcliff assured the Captain as he took a mobile phone and hit the speed dial.


    *Tring* *Tring* *Tring* *Tring*


    ¡°Royal Tailor customer service, how may we help you?¡± A sweet lady¡¯s voice came out over the phone line.


    ¡°A024 here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for confirming your employee ID. How can I help you today?¡± The sweet buttery woman¡¯s voice turned cold and emotionless.


    ¡°Request for immediate evac of Shibuya district.¡± Radcliff answered.


    ¡°Evac request authorized. Thank you for calling Tech Support. Have a great day!¡± The woman resumed her sweet cheerful tone.


    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


    Author''s notes: It will be a while before I resume posting at normal pace. :/ some exams.

 Chapter 27: Are you awake? Awake now?

    Part 1


    ¡°Evac request authorized. Thank you for calling Tech Support. Have a great day!¡± The woman resumed her sweet cheerful tone.


    The two officers could barely hear the voice on the other side. But seeing how Radcliff could make such an unreasonable request with such a straight face, the men shivered in their shoes. Radcliff could be no ordinary PSIA agent. No, it was now highly questionable if he even belonged to the PSIA. Radcliff was talking about evacuating the entire Shibuya district! One of the busiest districts in all of Japan, in such a nonchalant manner!


    Who the heck were these people!


    This question would bother the two officers for many days and give them many sleepless nights. This entire night seemed to be scripted for some fantastical movie. Human beings who can jump four storeys uninjured, walls crumbling and now a secret agent who makes a request to a secret government agency to evacuate the entire Shibuya district. All of it was unimaginable, yet Radcliff¡¯s calm and confident demeanour was sufficient proof of the reality.


    Who the heck were these people!


    If there was one good thing about this phone call, it was for the fact that the Captain became slightly more trusting towards Radcliff. The Captain had been on the police force long enough, and through experience he could tell if someone was lying or not ¨C Radcliff wasn¡¯t lying.


    Radcliff continued to smile throughout the phone call and as soon as the call ended he scowled for a second before resuming his unchanging wide smile. Putting his cell phone away, Radcliff turned to the police officers. ¡°There, now that that matter has been taken care. I was hoping if you wonderful officers could help me with another matter.¡±


    Radcliff retrieved his cell phone from his coat and quickly opened up a picture on his phone. ¡°Could you so kindly let me know where may I find this boy?¡±


    The Captain, Shinichi and the Baka junior huddled in close to stare at the screen of the phone and get a better look of the picture. The three men instantly recognized the picture of the boy ¨C it was Shin.


    ¡°The loud mouth!¡±


    ¡°The fantasy loving maniac!¡±


    ¡°The crotch crusher!¡±


    The three officers exclaimed at the same time.


    Radcliff wasn¡¯t surprised by the reaction ¨C it was as expected.


    Part 2


    ¡°Then I can assume, you all have met this boy?¡± Radcliff¡¯s question had an air of authority as though the Tokyo police force now reported to him. This did not sit well with either the Captain or Shinichi. However, seeing Radcliff¡¯s attitude and confidence, the Captain knew that Radcliff had absolute confidence in those backing him. This would mean the people backing Radcliff ¨C government agency or not ¨C is likely to have jurisdiction over his police force. The only question that would then remain is, whether the Captain would choose to cooperate willingly or coerced¡­


    If it were Shinichi, in place of the Captain, then Shinichi would have never cooperated till an official authorization was provided. However, the Captain was different. The Captain already had a very high opinion of Radcliff.


    ¡°Shinichi isn¡¯t that the picture of that kid we brought here?¡± The Captain asked as he turned to face Shinichi with a face full of hope. The Captain only wanted to do what was right and unite the little boy with the PSIA agent. See there is nothing wrong with that sentence ¨C reunite a lost boy with the PSIA agent. Yes! For the sake of getting in to the good graces of powerful people like PSIA, this was perfectly rationale. ¨C The Captain thought.


    Unlike the Captain who was easily swayed over by the influence of status and authority, Shinichi was different. It was also the reason why the Captain moved up the ladder and why Shinichi remained only a senior detective. Being Captain of the police force came with greasing hands and social contacts. Those were means which Shinichi found unacceptable as it compromised the principles by which he lived.


    ¡°What does this boy have to do with a PSIA agent?¡± Shinichi asked, as he ignored the Captain¡¯s pleading and hopeful face which implored Shinichi to cooperate with Radcliff.


    Before Radcliff could explain, the baka junior began ranting, ¡°This brat! The crotch-crusher! We took him to the children care center! Agent-san, let me tell you that child is a dangerous!¡± Baka junior spoke the last sentence while covering his groin.


    Shinichi shot an angry glare at the baka junior for opening his mouth. Baka-junior immediately stopped speaking.


    Seeing how Shinichi was still distrusting towards him, Radcliff began to explain how he was trying to unite the child with his parents. ¡°As you see, I am only trying to unite the child with his parents. As the child¡¯s parents are under a certain protection scheme, the PSIA is involved in this matter.¡±


    The Captain had a very troubled expression on his face hearing the explanation. The baka-junior was frowning and Shinichi was smiling. This was the moment Shinichi had been waiting for ¨C a faux pas!


    ¡°You say you intend to unite the child with his parents?¡± Shinichi confirmed once again.


    Radcliff nodded his head in acknowledgement.


    ¡°Captain, you remember what the brat said right?¡± Shinichi asked as he turned towards the Captain.


    The Captain gave a small weak nod.


    ¡°Do you think we can trust someone who lies about everything?¡± Shinichi questioned.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Radcliff was startled by the sudden change in everyone¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°You maybe some fancy spy or PSIA agent or whatever it is that you are. But these keen eyes of mine have seen many people like you who hide in shadows always believing you are above the law. Unless, I see an official letter signed by our superiors forget about evacuation and the child! I am not saying which center that child has been taken to!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Lie after lie. First about being engineers, then PSIA agents and now the child. You come across more like a child trafficker than a spy!¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°This matter really does pertain to national security.¡± Radcliff asserted himself as he noticed Shinichi taking out handcuffs. ¡°I am not at liberty to speak about it in detail¡­¡±


    ¡°Captain-san, don¡¯t be taken in by his flamboyance or fake mighty words. If you begin evacuation without approval, it will be you who will get fired. Remember that Hollywood movie? Lake¡­no¡­.Sea¡­no¡­Oceans eleven or twleve? This could be some elaborate scheme to trick us¡­.¡± Shinichi seemed convinced about the whole thing; from the wall crumbling to people flying out of the hole. It must have all been a great ruse of some sort ¨C part of a grand heist.


    To begin with humans cannot destroy walls with their bare hands. If, one were to approach this logically, it was obvious this was some sort of trick or illusion. Although Shinichi wasn¡¯t sure how the trick was performed but normal humans cannot break down walls or disappear after jumping down four storeys. Without the old man exerting any pressure, the officer¡¯s thinking grew clearer and clearer. There was no mental strain blocking their ability to think rationally.


    The more Shinichi voiced this idea, the more credible and believable it appeared. Even the Captain who had been taken in by Radcliff¡¯s charisma now seemed to be moved by Shinichi¡¯s words. As for baka-junior? He stared at Shinichi with sparkling worshipping eyes while muttering ¡®So amazing! As expected of senior detective to see through such a complicated heist! So amazing!¡¯


    ¡°You are making a mistake here¡­¡± Radcliff tried to explain ¨C time was of the essence.


    ¡°You are right. We did make a mistake that was letting your comrade get away!¡± Shinichi cautiously drew closer to Radcliff with the cuffs. ¡°That boy told us everything, he doesn¡¯t have any parents. So who do you plan to reunite him with?¡±


    Baka-junior nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Yup, he personally told me- orphan since birth.¡±


    ¡°EH?¡± Radcliff didn¡¯t hide his feelings; he face palmed himself as his expressions loosened and he let out a sigh. ¡°God damn brat stop increasing my work¡­!@#$%@!¡±


    Part 3


    There were six child sized bunk beds, three on each side. The lights in the room had been switched on but kept at ¡®dim¡¯ setting. All but three beds were lying vacant. Two of the vacant beds had occupants who were currently standing in front of Shin.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is Ozutsuki Inoue.¡± The girl introduced herself with a graceful bow. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Ozutsuki Akito¡± The boy standing next to the girl, stepped in front as he introduced himself.


    The first thing Shin noted about these two children were ¨C how abnormally pale their skin is.


    Shin suspiciously eyed the two children before him. The boy was about the same height and age as Shin¡¯s. He came across as one of those rich Japanese children - milky white supple skin. His voice was calm and steady. Further his attitude revealed a hint of maturity. No, even the way he dressed was very adult-ish.


    The girl was also the same age as Shin. However, she was slightly taller than the two boys. She wore a cheerful and a very welcoming smile on her face. But Shin couldn¡¯t feel an ounce of warmth in it. She gave off a noble like feeling. Shin couldn¡¯t see this but he could definitely feel it. Her actions were too graceful when compared with the benchmark ¨C Tomo.


    Compared to Tomo, these children¡¯s behaviour was to Shin¡¯s liking. They weren¡¯t jumping around excitedly nor did they sound immature.


    After living with Tomo for so long, I came to believe that human children could only be noisy and annoying. But I am wrong. Tomo can learn so much from these two.


    ¡°Ahem!¡± An elderly woman coughed as she interrupted the introductions. ¡°Inoue and Akito! You know the rules. Staying awake this late is not allowed. It is nice of you to welcome the new child but please go back to your beds. Shin-kun, there is an empty bed by the window. You can sleep there. I will go bring your bedding. My room is down the hall way. If you need anything, please come to me. Okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Shin stared at the woman who was holding his hand. Okasan¡¯s hands are rougher.


    ¡°And Shin-kun, please follow the rules and do not shout at night.¡± The care taker spoke with a stern voice when she said the last sentence. ¡°Now, I am going to go back to Officer-san and complete all the formalities. Okay?¡±


    Surprising, Shin quietly nodded. Shin made no fuss and went over to the bed allotted to him.


    The care taker smiled seeing how obedient Shin had become compared to when he came five minutes back.


    Nothing works better than to threaten the gullible ones with a pit full of monsters.


    Part 4


    Shin lay in bed with his eyes wide awake ¨C staring at the ceiling; although he was feeling sleepy his eyes wouldn¡¯t close. Shin found himself thinking about Okasan, Otosan and Tomo. But why? This troubled Shin, he had never had feelings like this before.


    It had been an eventful day¡­left his servants behind, met the Ancient One, ate delicious udon and was now sleeping in a human stronghold all alone. Some of these memories were conflicting, some joyous¡­.


    ¡°Pssst! Shin!!¡± A hushed voice could be heard.


    ¡°Pssst! Shin!! You awake??¡± It belonged to the girl - Ozutsuki Inoue.


    ¡°Pssst! Shin!! Do you sleep with your eyes open?¡± Shin continued to ignore the girl¡¯s voice. Right now, there were too many things going on in his head. He wanted some time by himself.


    Ozutsuki Inoue pouted as she noticed Shin-kun was ignoring her. She wasn¡¯t used to being ignored.


    There was still a remedy to this¡­.


    Shin then felt something sharp poking his cheek. Shin tilted his head to the side to find two big eyes staring at him ¨C it was the girl, Inoue.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ignore me!!¡±


    Shin made a mental note, ¡®all human children are noisy and annoying without exception.¡¯

 Chapter 28: Me? Maou-sama.

    Part 1


    Shin then felt something sharp poking his cheek. Shin tilted his head to the side to find two big silver eyes staring at him ¨C it was the girl, Inoue.  Shin stared into her eyes silently as he pondered how to deal with nuisance.


    How should I respond to her? If it were my former self, I would have blown her into smithereens for daring to touch me! But no¡­.I can no longer avail that remedy¡­.


    It must be understood that Shin was at the age where he had no interest in the opposite sex. Even in his past life, Shin had no interest in the opposite sex. In fact in his previous life, Shin had no romantic interests or pursuits. This was largely driven by the fact that Shin was subjected a hellish training from the day he was born and never had time to pursue other interests.  After he was recognized as Maou-sama, his life was filled with constant battles and wars. Even amongst the demon clans, there was no female courageous enough to display their attraction to Shin openly. Hence, the subject of ¡®love¡¯ never made it to the ears of Shin. As Shin continued to ponder about how he would deal with Inoue, he continued giving Inoue a blank gaze. It was a long silent deep gaze, which made began making the little girl feel uncomfortable.


    At first Inoue thought there was something on her face, it would have been unsightly of her to turn away and start rubbing her face just to check. To avoid unnecessary awkwardness Inoue gazed back into Shin¡¯s eyes hoping to catch a glimpse of her own reflection.  However this turned into a staring contest for Inoue, and became more awkward and difficult for her to look away.


    What is he staring at!!


    Inoue then touched her face unconsciously, just to be sure there was nothing on her face. It would be very unbecoming of her if she were speaking to a little boy while looking like a clown.  For various reasons, the little girl had a very conscious attitude towards outward appearances and mannerisms.


    Thank goodness there is nothing on my face!


    Inoue quickly confirmed there was nothing on her face but Shin was still intently gazing at her! Inoue opened her mouth many times to ask him what it was that he was staring at but every time she opened her mouth, she would immediately close it. The words never came out! What kind of magical hypnotic gaze did Shin have!


    Inoue only grew frustrated with herself ¨C what is wrong with me! I can¡¯t even hold a simple conversation with a boy!


    Inoue cutely pouted in anger but decided not to give up ¨C the staring contest was one she would not lose.


    The two were now staring at each other for more than ten minutes. It was not a gaze filled with love and affection for each other but rather one where you could see lightening sparks clashing violently against each other.


    What am I doing!!! Inoue wondered. What did she want him with anyways to begin with? She had now completely forgotten the reason why she had approached Shin. Shin had aroused the competitive spirit in Inoue and for now she would stare back at Shin till he acknowledged her. However, the silly girl didn¡¯t realize, the fact that Shin was staring at her was an acknowledgement in itself.


    The only reason Shin continued to stare (observe) Inoue was because her physical appearance caught his attention. Once again, it needs to be clarified that Shin is not attracted to Inoue but rather, her silver coloured eyes were unique. The more Shin stared into her eyes, the more he was certain that this eye colour were a certain racial characteristic. Even her skin was jade white ¨C unusually white¡­.another feature shared in common with those ¡®beings¡¯¡­.but then why did she feel so human? This girl was emitting no mana¡­.nor was her body cold, like the dead, when she touched him.


    The longer Inoue stared into Shin¡¯s eyes, the more certain she felt that Shin¡¯s gaze did not belong to that of a child. Young children¡¯s eyes sparkle with anticipation and life. However, Shin¡¯s eyes were cold, indifferent and mature; like that of an adult. It was similar to the contemptuous gaze of an adult but wouldn¡¯t that imply Shin was simply looking down on her?  No Shin¡¯s eyes were focused, ever since they began staring his eyes never moved and were intently staring at something on her face¡­.or may be something deeper¡­. could he see directly through her¡­.the true her?


    Inoue began feeling uncomfortable. Her face was growing hot and her heart was beating uncontrollably faster. As the physical discomfort grew in Inoue, the staring contest came to an end.


    The flustered girl tore away her gaze and turned to face the ground. Her breath was haggard and her cheeks were flushed red. That was an intense gazing contest! But what were those weird feelings?


    When Inoue calmed herself down, she turned to look back at Shin but found him facing the other. For some reason Inoue found this little twerp very irritating. She wasn¡¯t used to being ignored¡­..or stared at!!


    First he stares at me and now he ignores me!! How rude!!!


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ignore me!!¡± Inoue cried out and as she began beating her weak fists against Shin¡¯s back.


    Part 2


    Shin continued to ignore the little girl beating his back. The girl had no strength in her arms and it couldn¡¯t be considered as a beating. Furthermore, he realized that ignoring the little girl was surprisingly and effective way to deal with her. However, that was not the reason why Shin turned around ¨C he had felt tiny ¡®killing¡¯ intent directed at his back. It wasn¡¯t a monstrous unrestrained killing intent but rather a very controlled type of ¡®intent¡¯ used to grab Shin¡¯s attention. Technically, it couldn¡¯t even be considered as killing intent ¨C it resembled something similar to the feeling when someone continuously stares at a person with ill intent like a ¡­.stalker. It is mostly harmless however as a response to possible danger a human being¡¯s sixth sense usually picks up on it.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    On the other side of the bed, Shin was greeted with dichromatic pair of eyes ¨C one green and one blue. The boy who was staring at Shin was Ozutsuki Akito. He was also the one who gave of the weak ill intent. Akito was not standing by Shin¡¯s bed but rather several feet away, his eyes sparkled momentarily like that of a cat¡¯s in the darkness. Clearly Akito did not want to make his interfering presence known to Inoue which is why he kept his distance from the bed and only directed an intent.


    Shin furrowed his eye brows ¨C didn¡¯t he have black coloured eyes when we first met? No more importantly, that killing intent was very real¡­could he be an assassin sent to finish me off? But ¡­. No I should have the appearance of a human, no one would think I am Maou-sama¡­..no¡­even when I tell the humans I am Maou-sama, they laugh it off¡­.


    For some reason, this trail of thoughts left a very sour taste in Shin¡¯s mouth and also depressed.


    ¡°Do not ignore Inoue-san.¡± Akito softly spoke. His voice was stern and it certainly did not sound like a request but an order.


    No wait!! That wasn¡¯t even the Japanese language!


    Shin could feel a strange pressure on his mind coercing and bending his will ¨C the over bearing pressure wanted to force him to turn away and speak to Inoue.  No¡­.it wasn¡¯t just speak, Shin felt that he must kneel in front of Inoue.


    Like hell I will kneel to her!! ¨C Shin thought as he resisted the mental pressure. However, Shin could not even hold against the invisible pressure for more than two seconds, he could feel his mental defences crumbling instantly! This was not some weak technique which Shin had previously imagined it to be¡­..


    No it is an absolutely shitty weak technique!! I just haven¡¯t trained sufficiently enough to resist it!


    Shin lamented mentally how feeble, weak and useless he has become. To be unable to fend himself from such a weak attack! Thankfully, just before Shin caved in completely and was about to turn around to face Inoue, the strange power came to an abrupt halt.


    ¡°Akito!¡± Inoue shouted out angrily when she discovered that Akito had dared to use his ¡®power¡¯ on Shin.


    Akito instantly retracted his power and bowed in front of Inoue. ¡°Yes, Hime-sama!¡±


    ¡°We have sworn to never use our powers!¡± Inoue reiterated the ¡®Law¡¯ that was drilled into her head as a child.


    ¡°But this puny child dared to ignore you¡­.Hime-sama¡­.also I did not like how he was staring at you¡­.¡± The last bit of the sentence was mostly mumbling which Inoue could not hear.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Under Inoue¡¯s furious gaze, Akito could only mutter an apology to her. Akito regretted his mistake ¨C getting caught. He was willing to be the darkness for Inoue as long as she continued to walk in the light ¨C unscathed, untouched by the vile darkness.  Those who dare to harm the Hime-sama, those who dare to make fun of Hime sama and those who make Hime sama cry ¨C will all be answerable to me¡­.Akito repeated these words in his mind as his eyes shined with determination to carry out the duties entrusted to him no matter what. Even if carrying out his duties meant incurring the wrath of Inoue, Akito would not hesitate.


    Inoue turned away from Akito, and bowed her head in front of Shin. ¡°I apologize for my friend¡¯s actions but please forget everything you experienced.¡± She meant it sincerely.


    ¡°Hime-sama!¡± Akito growled out with a frown on his face. ¡°Let me be the one to apologize!¡±


    ¡°As your master, your mistakes are my faults. Hence, it is also my duty to apologize when you make a mistake.¡± Inoue replied back like a true leader. She did not have an ego that did not let her lower herself nor did she hold on to the pride of being a princess when she knew her side was on the wrong. However, there was another reason why Inoue was so willing to lower her head¡­Shin would not remember any of this after tonight.


    Inoue¡¯s words¡­no voice¡­too contained bits of power however her power was far gentler. It was more like subtle persuasion than coercion. Shin easily defended himself against her power. He had no intention of forgetting anything especially the last bit which he just heard.


    Initially, he was only vaguely interested in the two children when he realized they were not human. After all encountering non-humans is normal? Even though Shin did not see any of them since he was born in the mortal realm, Shin believed that it was due the fact he was in human territory. How can one encounter any non-human being while living in a human territory? So naturally, Shin wasn¡¯t shocked or surprised when he realized that these two children were not humans. After all, non-human beings, like beast men etc., do exist. The only curiosity towards the children Shin did have was as to why they were located so deeply within human territory. However, he did not really care about their personal troubles. Beyond this Shin had no interest in the children. After all, they were only children and their power was too weak and of no use to him. But when Akito addressed Inoue as ¡®Hime-sama¡¯ and Inoue referred herself as ¡®master¡¯¡­ Shin had to ask, ¡°Since when did the cats begin serving the bats?¡±


    Inoue¡¯s calm and soft expressions stiffened. Her entire body froze on the spot.


    Akito rushed in front of Inoue, standing between Shin and Inoue, while raising a small curvy dagger pointed at Shin. ¡°Who are you?¡± Akito asked in a cold voice, there was a murderous look in his eyes and he was emitting an unholy killing intent ¨C a killing intent that should not be possible to be emitted from a child. This killing intent was several times stronger than what Akito had previously released and a normal person would be stagnated in dread and fear.


    However, Shin was unmoved by the killing intent. He had experienced far worse ¡®intent¡¯ in his previous life. Shin continued speaking in his casual manner of speech as though what he was asking was a trivial matter, ¡°Me? Maou-sama.¡±

 Chapter 29: Spoilt brat vs Ancient One (Part 1)

    Part 1


    The Ancient One, a unique being whose strength is said to be immeasurable.  He is classified neither as a god nor mortal nor demon.  He has the strength of a God, the body of a demon and the temperament of a human.


    What is the strength of the Gods? They control the very laws of nature.  Their magical power exceeds all imaginable scope. They are so powerful that their very presence in the mortal realm creates dimensional disturbances.  With such awesome power, who could the Ancient One possibly fear?


    The body of a demon is known for its tough endurance. Although its endurance is slightly lesser than the divine body of a God, it comes with its own advantages.  The biggest advantage being that it can cross into any realm without distorting that realm or placing any restriction on the powers of the demon when in another realm. How else could the Ancient One roam around so freely in the mortal realm?


    For these two reasons alone, the Ancient one was envied by all. As it had been previously said in envy, ¡°The Ancient One has the best of both worlds.¡±


    Part 2


    Ryu eyed the thirteen opponents carefully. He took a step back ¨C away from the ¡®destroyed¡¯ person which collapsed to the ground lifelessly. Ryu opened his fist to reveal crushed bits of metal and electronic gadgets. ¡°Tch¡­¡± Ryu silently muttered. ¡°Lifeless dolls again¡­¡±


    The ¡®Tch¡¯ muttered by Ryu wasn¡¯t one born out of frustration but rather boredom. This was wasn¡¯t the first time Ryu had faced this ¡®type¡¯ of an enemy. Since his awakening, he had battled these lifeless dolls many times ¨C mostly in a white closed room. Ryu did not have memories of how he ended up in the ¡®white room¡¯ but he could vaguely recall a desperate plea of help buzzing in mind which ¡®woke¡¯ him up from his deep slumber.  His awakening happened nearly five years ago, since then Ryu travelled the world looking for the one who woke him up. However, Ryu never heard that voice again. Whose voice was it? Why did he have need to search out the person? Ryu did not know the answer to these questions. However, he decided to seek out this person to gain some new insights or find answers to his some questions he had.


    During his five years of travelling around the world, Ryu encountered many new sights and human wonders; each more marvellous than the previous. His favourite marvel was the city known as Amsterdam ¨C although countless years had passed the lizards perverted personality did not change in the slightest. Of course, there were numerous times during these travels when Ryu had to fight these lifeless dolls. However, in Ryu¡¯s eyes they were nothing more than irritating flies.  How could these dolls compare to the strength of the Ancient One ¨C a being that has existed since the dawn of time?


    Ryu normally fought a little before running away rather than completely destroying all the dolls. This gave the other side the false impression that Ryu was too weak to deal with all the dolls. This was far from the truth. Ryu only chose to flee because it was convenient to him or he was bored of the city he was visiting.  One could even go as far as to say, Ryu never finished the job because he was too lazy to destroy all the dolls. There was also the voice of the old man that accompanied the dolls. Although Ryu had never met the person behind the voice; he had become somewhat of a companion to Ryu in this vast lonely world. In a world where Ryu knew no one, this voice was the only familiar thing he had as close as to calling a companion.  If Ryu revealed his true oppressive strength, he was afraid that he would lose his only companion. Hence, Ryu treated the dolls nothing more than an alarm clock which signalled the time to depart for a new city. This is how Ryu had lived his life for the past five years; tourist-ing and running away.


    However, today Ryu decided to end this chase game of cat and mouse. Ryu had not only grown tired of living this way but also found something more interesting; the human boy in night pyjamas - Shin. Although, Ryu could not pinpoint the reason accurately, there was something about Shin that attracted others towards him. There was also the reason that Shin had an unusually high perceptivity of his environment; a quality rarely seen in humans. There would be plenty of martial artists amongst the humans who would detect the malicious auras of these lifeless dolls but very few would be as young as Shin.  Where did such a young boy learn such excellent detection techniques?  Does he have a teacher or is this his talent?


    Ryu rarely meddled with the human realm. However, every now and then, he would find an interesting human and take interest in their life. Ryu recollected the last interesting person he met was¡­.Oda Nobu¡­.???,  Ryu frowned as he could not remember that humans name. Nonetheless, that Oda-chap was one such interesting person and his ambitions were Ryu¡¯s source of entertainment. However, that was very long ago and much time has since passed. In Ryu¡¯s eyes, Shin held even more potential than that Oda-chap. Ryu¡¯s eyes twinkled with a childish naughtiness as many ideas bloomed in his mind.


    For these reasons, Ryu decided to end this little game with the genderless voice on the other side. Maybe, something interesting would happen in this boring world, if he were to rattle up the other side.


    Part 3


    Ryu dashed past the thirteen cloaks, in the smallest of openings he could find in their formation.  Although, the controller of the thirteen cloaks was surprised that Ryu could escape from his clutches so easily, this was well within his plans. The thirteen cloaks were ordered to chase after Ryu.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Ryu ran further and further away from the city. If there was one thing he learnt after awakening in the human world, it was to avoid making a scene. In the past it did not matter so much. Ryu could create a little trouble here and there and no one would mind it. Even if the guards were to come running to the scene, Ryu would be long gone by then. However, things now were very different. The humans had progressed in many fronts. ¡®Wanted Posters¡¯ could appear from one city to another, instantly. Although, Ryu could wipe out the entire human race, it was not in his taste to do so. Furthermore, if he created too much of a ruckus in the mortal realm then more troublesome beings would come after him. The last thing, Ryu wanted was more meddlesome being coming in the way of him and his entertainment (Shin).


    ¡°Kukukukuku, Emperor-sama if you think you will be able to out run these minions of mine, you are grossly mistaken!¡± The genderless voice spoke. ¡°I have been analysing your body and moves for a very long time now and have built these minions specifically with the specifications to be able to resist you.¡±


    The thirteen cloaks appeared to be flying behind Ryu but that was not the case. The ¡®dolls¡¯ were using movement technique and super human power to execute gliding like leaps through the air. Each step that the dolls took, would leave behind one inch deep feet impressions. By keeping a low center of gravity, the dolls made use of their abnormal levels of strength to achieve speeds faster than a cheetah!


    Ryu turned his head as he eyed his opponents at the back. So slow!


    He was already intentionally running slowly so that they could catch up to him. Normally, he ran away extremely fast; so fast  that he left no trail behind him and left the enemy believing he was hiding. That was the conclusion anyone would reach, since common sense would dictate that it is impossible to run any faster than they already were. However, Ryu never bothered to think what his opponent was thinking and never intentionally mislead his enemy in this manner.


    ¡°Kukukukuku, Emperor-sama this is the end of the road for you!¡± One of the cloaked figured spoke up as it suddenly accelerated.


    Ryu was slightly surprised as he noticed half the cloaked dolls passing him, and forming a formation that surrounded him.


    Were they hiding their real strength all this while?


    Probably...but even this sudden spurt in speed could only be considered as meagre increase for someone of the calibre of the Ancient One.


    The other side did not miss Ryu¡¯s surprised expression.  Two spectacle lenses lit by blue computer screens rose slightly as the wearer smiled.  In the safety of his shelter, thousands of miles away, the enemy was gloating in satisfaction seeing Ryu¡¯s surprised expression when his minions accelerated. It had taken many years of research, but finally his hard work was beginning to bear fruit.


    Ryu glanced at his surroundings. They were now far from the city. They had headed straight towards the center of a large forested area. These woods were quite spacious. Ryu was satisfied with the location, even if he were to release all of his strength it was unlikely that the humans would come here immediately.


    ¡°Kuekekeke, where will you run to now Emperor?¡± One of the cloaked dolls teased Ryu.


    Ryu let out a wry smile. He did not even consider these dolls to have the qualifications to stand under his feet. The other side sounded to him no more than a child gloating over his new toy.


    ¡°Speak those words when you have truly defeated me foolish child.¡± Ryu replied sincerely. Ryu was one of the strongest beings in existence for countless years, however he was never once conceited about it. It really did make Ryu wonder the basis of arrogance the other side had. Only the ignorant were arrogant¡­


    In his eyes, all humans could at most be considered ignorant children.


    ¡°hahahaha¡­.foolish child¡­.when you know of this one¡¯s age, then you will realize the true gap between our ages.¡± The other side replied while believing Ryu was thirty-something at most.


    Ryu¡¯s eyebrow was slightly raised at the comment. Seriously, wasn¡¯t the other side too arrogant?


    As the Ancient One, Ryu had rarely come across people who dared to be arrogant in front of him. There might be the occasional stupid human who had no idea who Ryu was but the opponent in front of him had seen his strength sufficient number of times. Yet despite so many beatings,  the other side has yet to acknowledge the gap between their strengths. Furthermore, wasn¡¯t the other side proving how weak they were by sending only dolls? A true warrior would fight their own battles, yet this arrogant and ignorant punk always sent some worthless trashy dolls to fight in his place. Also, what did Ryu do to earn this punk¡¯s wrath? Why were they chasing him? Somehow thinking such thoughts started pissing Ryu off.


    Maybe the other side was nothing more than a spoilt stupid brat?


    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


    Author''s Notes:


    Hey, all!


    My life has been crazy busy!! I ham travelling across the globe (currently in Portland) and am engaged!!!!! (muahahahaha she finally said yes!!)


    So while I figure out everything in RL, please enjoy these slow updates.

 Chapter 30: The Mysterious and the mundane world

    Part 1


    In a forest, thousands of miles away from the one where Ryu was battling, stood a small brown coloured cottage.  However, appearances can be deceiving.  Three hundred feet below the ground existed a labyrinth of exaggerated proportions. Somewhere within this labyrinth, was a room that resembled a war control room. Three large screens were lined up in the front of the room like the screen in a cinema hall. There were also dozens of screens hanging from the walls; each screen was displaying dazzling blue or green light and flowing black text or images.  In addition to all of this, there were several desk monitors manned by twenty personnel. If one had to describe what a room would look like during defcon 1, then this war control room would serve as the best example.


    However, this war control room had nothing to do with a nuclear strike or a war. It was the control center from which the thirteen cloaked robots were being controlled.


    ¡°Yuri-Sensei, we are ready to engage martial artist code named Emperor.¡± A young man spoke as he stared at the large screen which was a real time view of one of the thirteen robots.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Not receiving any response, the young man turned around and faced his commander; an old dishevelled man who was resting on a wheel chair. The old man was bald and his body was thin and weak. His odd posture in his wheel chair hinted that he suffered from paralysis. Furthermore, his weak condition was enunciated by the numerous tubes connected to his arms; forcing a concoction of chemicals.


    ¡°Sir?¡± The young man called out. However, he received no response; the old man named Yuri was lost in his thoughts¡­.


    Part 2


    Twenty years ago¡­


    A vast forest filled with pine cone trees, covered in snow, a bone chilling wind is blowing continuously over the region making it completely inhabitable for humans. Yet, humans, who have always defied and conquered nature, made no qualms of claiming this region. In this vast and lonely forest, there stood a small brown coloured cottage. It was the only manmade object that could be seen for miles at a stretch.  An ordinary looking slanted roof-wooden cottage, a few decades old - maybe. Though, it seemed like an unreliable place to live ¨C as the question would arise whether it would keep anyone warm in this weather?  Surprisingly, this cottage did a good job of keeping the heat out. Even though the roof and porch was covered with inch thick white pristine snow, not an inch of coldness could be felt once inside.  It was the perfect get away cottage for couples and family vacations¡­..or at least that is what it is supposed to appear like.


    This cottage is not rentable on any website nor is it located on any map. The house is located in the portion of the forest which has been earmarked as a conservatory area, to protect the local wildlife population, and any human presence/activity in the region is forbidden.  On paper, the government built this cottage as an observation deck for scientific research purposes but due to various incidents any documentation of the existence of such a place ceased to exist ¨C more specifically all documentation regarding this ¡®observation deck¡¯ were destroyed under the direction of senior state officials. Why go such lengths to hide such an ordinary looking cottage?


    The cottage / observation desk was just a fa?ade and in actuality the cottage served more of an outpost.  Although chances of discovery this place, in the middle of nowhere was close to nil, if it were to be accidently discovered the government could simply declare that this was an observation facility owned by them and that the appropriate documentation had been destroyed accidently. Of course, this rouse would be easily seen through by other governments and conspiracy loving individuals however this rouse was meant to deceive the general public. Furthermore, as mentioned before this cottage is an outpost / checkpoint.  Even if the public were to discover this cottage, the research facility would continue to remain undiscovered from public and as such the cottage served as a distraction.


    ¡°This is Alpha One, I have picked up some activity in sector 4A.¡± A burly man spoke through a radio transponder. Although it was risky using a transponder, the channel they spoke on was encrypted. Furthermore, several other precautionary measures were taken such as speaking in coded words etc.


    ¡°Negative, Alpha One. Satellite thermal images indicate no activity. Suggest you recheck the motion sensors or maybe it is just the wind~.¡±


    The man sighed, satellite images came with significant delay ¨C the other side was treating this too lightly. If the motion sensors were working perfectly, which they were as they had been checked last month, then for someone to avoid giving off a thermal imprint while making their way so deep into the forest could not possibly be a good thing. Furthermore, who is the rookie on the other side, suggesting it is the wind?


    ¡°Negative, operator. The movement is definitely not wind.¡± The burly man replied back in frustration. If this was an attack, then he needed to be prepared.


    The other side went silent for a long time before responding, ¡°This is ¡®Central Command¡¯. We are faxing you the guest list. Apologies for not having sent it over sooner.¡±


    What the hell!! The man thought to himself as he relaxed his grip over the shot gun. ¡°Alpha One, over and out.¡±


    Just when the conversation ended, there was a knock on the door, followed by a man¡¯s voice. ¡°Yuri Ivanov here.¡±


    The burly man had a strange look on his face. Sector 4A was at least fifteen miles from here.  Not a minute had passed by since the motion sensors went off and the person was already here? Impossible! Were the motion sensors working properly? Could they have really malfunctioned? Many thoughts were coming to Alpha One, however, he decided to drag it out.


    Alpha One, tightened his grip over the gun, he asked with uncertainty brimming in his voice. ¡°Yuri who?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°This is a restricted area; you are not permitted to be here. Please back away from the door.¡± Alpha One spoke out as he raised his weapon pointed at the door. Although, Alpha One had to stretch his hearing, he could hear the other side mumbling something ¡®strange not to have informed about me sooner¡¯.


    ¡°It is really cold outside, can¡¯t we have this conversation once I am inside?¡± The man, claiming to be Yuri, shouted out.


    Alpha One stared at the door stupidly. Was this guy an idiot? Why would he let an absolute stranger in?


    ¡°Denied. Unless, I get your details¡­.¡± Just as Alpha One was speaking, the fax machine began printing out the guest list. Alpha One was just at distance where he could see what was being printed, it read ¨C


    Guest: Yuri Ivanov


    Permission: Granted


    That is all Alpha One needed to see. Relaxing his grip on the shot gun slightly, Alpha One opened the door to find an old man wearing a mink fur coat and a wolf coloured ushanka.  The old man had unkempt appearance, with his white hair going all over the place. His wrinkly skin and delicate body frame indicated his age should be well over sixty. Alpha One was fairly impressed such an old man walked all the way here, despite the bone chilling cold wind. However, Yuri did not mind the cold weather. Yuri found the weather nostalgic and reminded him of his homeland.


    ¡°Ah, thank you for opening the door. Am I permitted inside?¡± Yuri Ivanov spoke with a gleeful smile, revealing several gold teeth and gaps.


    Alpha One took a deep breath, as though he were sniffing Yuri, and then nodded his head. A human sniffing another human might seem strange, but Yuri appeared completely expecting it. Alpha One nodded his head in satisfaction ¨C the person in front of him had no scent of malice. The person in front of him was indeed Yuri Ivanov.


    Part 2


    Several hundred feet below the cottage, an underground bunker operated in complete secrecy. The underground facility covered an area of more than twenty football fields stacked one on top of the other.


    Hundreds of walk ways, one on top of another, some running parallel and some running in a zigzag manner, connected two sides of the crevice beneath the earth. The gap between the bedrock was the only ¡®open¡¯ area in this underground facility. The lower reaches were illuminated by vast stretches of slow flowing magma and the upper echelons were lit by numerous neon tube lights.  Despite the suffocating heat, there was plenty of human activity to be seen; numerous people in reflective astronaut like suits on segways were going about their daily schedule. The reflective suit maintained a cool temperature inside the suit. However, not everyone was suited in the reflective material. There were some who had been down here long enough to get used to it.


    ¡°Rather tight security you have gotten here, Chika-san?¡± Yuri spoke with a smile as he walked on a metal ramp, casually observing his surroundings.  Yuri was one of the few people who did not require a suit. ¡°Every conceivable modern technology is located in this facility. I counted three retina scanners, a bio-thermal signature scan hidden in the ceiling, finger print readers at all the door ways with an embedded DNA tester, and last but not the least a neuro path digital signature scan running through the entire facility¡­..but¡­these are just the devices I recognize. There are so many that I haven¡¯t even seen before. Many of these technologies are decades into the future. So what is the secret your government hiding here?¡± Yuri¡¯s smile stretched from ear to ear ¨C he knew he was on to something.


    The woman accompanying Yuri scowled for a moment before resuming her casual host like smile ¨C this man had been in this facility for less than thirty minutes, yet he already identified so many hidden instruments which were monitoring them. Although, this woman was wearing a reflective suit she was certain Yuri could see her expressions. When she was told by her seniors that there was nothing that escaped the eyes of Yuri, she suspected it to be an exaggerated rumour. However, he clearly betrayed her expectations ¨C he even exceeded those of the rumour. Even though, Yuri is an aged man, his senses did not decline in the least bit.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Yuri-Sensei, is too kind with his words. I am sure Yuri Sensei has seen better facilities around the world. Furthermore, given monsters we deal with this amazing technology won¡¯t save us any face.¡± Chika replied in a slightly coy and meandering manner. Her words implied that even if her government was decades ahead into the future, it meant nothing if they couldn¡¯t stop the enemy. She also hinted that there was nothing being hidden here that he wasn¡¯t already aware of but this too was vague in its own way.


    Yuri raised his brows slightly as he heard her carefully chosen words.  ¡°What more could Chika want to secure this facility?¡±  He asked while pretending he had no idea what Chika was talking about. Yuri didn¡¯t bother with subtleties and his question sounded rude. The tone of voice carried with it a tiny hint of scorn, indicating that everything she had the world¡¯s best ¨C so surely there can¡¯t be anything more that she wants?


    Chika laughed bitterly for a moment as she noticed the glint in Yuri¡¯s eyes. Her choice of words was seen through and Yuri knew that her government was up to something.  Chika didn¡¯t need to hide anything from Yuri since he had been invited here to inspect the facility¡­.but she didn¡¯t want to give away the big surprise just like that¡­.


    Chika¡¯s eyes flashed with mixed emotions; fear and excitement. They were truly dealing with monsters; humans who exceeded the limitations of the human body. Although, Chika feared these monsters, she could not help but get excited at the prospects of being able to research them.  Her hands would quiver with excitement every time she made an incision on one of her subjects ¨C what secrets did their body hide? Chika wanted to know them all!


    Chika cherished knowledge more than life itself.  She wanted to learn everything there was to know about these monsters. Naturally, Chika would make use of this opportunity to learn more about the monsters and the mysterious world where they hid in from Yuri Ivanov ¨C the world¡¯s most renowned bio-robotics engineer. In addition to his many academic achievements, Yuri had spent the last twenty years of his life researching techniques which enabled human beings exceed their limitations. In Chika¡¯s eyes, Yuri was a living god of knowledge and such an opportunity could not be wasted.


    After a pause and careful consideration to her thoughts, Chika spoke. ¡°In this day and age aren¡¯t these technologies that we have a little too old fashioned? Nearly every test you mentioned would not detect you if decided to hide your own presence. Even if you stood next to me I would be unable to see you unless you wanted me to¡­.¡± While, Chika spoke those lines, she shuddered for a moment.


    *Cough* Cough* Yuri interrupted Chika¡¯s train of wild thoughts. ¡°Chika¡­.your imagination runs a bit too wildly¡­.¡± Yuri scoffed at her while staring into Chika¡¯s eyes which sparkled with anticipation (as though she were about to see a great magic act).


    Sheeesshh is she seriously expecting me to disappear while talking to her?


    ¡°While it is true, I can deceive your eyes, but I can never fool a person viewing me through a camera on the monitor. This is not a wuxia world, where men can fly hundreds of miles through the air and dodge bullets at point blank range¡­just like our normal world, the mysterious world that we are studying is based on science and logic. Do not blindly believe that these monsters can triumph over the advancements of science!¡±


    Chika could only sheepishly reply with a, ¡°Is that so?¡± ¨Cclearly disappointed. Her knowledge was definitely lacking in the field of the mysterious techniques and arts when compared to Yuri¡¯s. Nonetheless, in her heart she was moved when she heard his admittance¡­.he was capable of disappearing from her view¡­.she greedily memorized that piece of information¡­ just how many people are capable of using becoming invisible to the human eye?  Chika was curious to know more about this technique and how it worked.


    Yuri ignored Chika¡¯s knowledge greedy otaku like expression and continued speaking, ¡°Let me repeat it for you, science has come a long way from the middle ages. You should not believe rumours that men can fly and are impervious to bullets¡­.I have studied martial art techniques and discovered some which provide a degree of flight to a physically capable body and there are techniques to harden the body¡­.but there are no absolutes in the mysterious world. In the end, a bullet is always faster than a human and if it isn¡¯t, it can always be made to go faster¡­¡± Yuri¡¯s lips curled up into a smile as he spoke the last sentence.


    Chika happily nodded her head in agreement. Once again she learnt something invaluable. Normally, gaining even this much information about the mysterious world is impossible as there are no established frameworks or reference materials.


    Most of the mysterious arts and techniques knowledge had been systematically destroyed in the middle ages by progressive thinking influential groups. Furthermore, with rapid advancements in science and technology, the people of the mysterious world lost their place in society. A bullet fired through a gun was a thousand times faster than an arrow and a carried with it hundreds of times the force. Martial art experts could no longer rely on their techniques to reign supreme. Bombs could incinerate entire armies where martial arts experts could kill a few tens¡­the disparity of power only grew as science advanced further and further¡­.till the monsters of the mysterious world became redundant.


    The society at large believed ¡®wuxia¡¯ like warriors were something to be born from imagination ¨C a thing of fantasy. The governments around the world were happy to keep it that way.  If people knew wuxia warriors existed it would create unnecessary fear, panic, resentment, discrimination and chaos. This was something stable countries did not require. Hence, a council was established, which represented the martial arts experts, and ensure that their ¡®world¡¯, the Murim, stayed in the shadows avoiding unnecessary conflict with the [mundane world].


    For many experts, their role in the present society was reduced to ordinary white collared jobs¡­.they fitted well with the ways of the [mundane]. There were some who were less willing to let go of their proud roots and continued the way of the warrior. Those who continued on the path of bloodshed and violence were akin to assassins and spies. Governments employed their services in complex operations which required precision and stealth.


    However, not everyone was satisfied with such a balance between the mundane and Murim. There was a tiny fraction which resisted merging with the mundane ways.  These problematic people would crop up time to time and be dealt with the Murim Council or the governments.  Those who were lucky, were killed and the unfortunate were imprisoned in facilities like the one Yuri and Chika were in. They were considered unfortunate, since the aim of these facilities was to research martial artists and their techniques.


    Part 3


    The two researchers had been walking and chatting for some time. Yuri finally spoke up as he realized their reached towards the bottom of the facility and Chika extracted all the information he was willing to share. ¡°Chika-san, I think you got what you wanted from me. You won¡¯t be so greedy and impolite not to share anything with this old man, now would you?¡±


    Chika smiled ¨C a smile of gratitude and one that indicated she had a big surprise in store for Yuri. She quietly pulled out of one of the files she was holding on to and handed it to Yuri.


    Yuri hastily grabbed the file, lest the inquisitive woman change her mind. He opened the report and began flipping through it in blazing speed. Yuri furrowed his brows and his reading pace slowed¡­his expression appeared to be conflicted. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple as he ready the report slowly. ¡°These stats¡­..this just can¡¯t be right¡­¡± Yuri murmured as he rechecked the numbers. ¡°Is he even human?¡±


    Chika beamed a smile at Yuri¡¯s question ¨C she was not willing to confirm or deny his assumptions.   Seeing Chika¡¯s naughty smile, Yuri could only guess that this report had not been falsified.


    Yuri and Chika stood in front of a thick iron door. It was at least six inches thick and weighed several hundred kilograms. No normal human would be able to push it open. Chika stared at the camera next to the door and flashed her ID. ¡°Visiting prisoner code named Emperor.¡±


    Part 4


    ¡°Yuri-Sensei, we are ready to engage martial artist code named Emperor.¡± The young man repeated himself louder than before. It was loud enough to gain the attention of his commander.


    ¡°Capture him alive¡­.at all costs he must be captured alive.¡± A soft voice creaked from the shadows. The old man did not move his lips yet his voice was communicated from several speakers in the room.


    The young man hastily turned around, facing his computer screen, he punched in several commands. ¡°We have clearance to engage. Engage Emperor.¡±

 Chapter 31: Spoilt brat vs Ancient One (Part 2)

    Unedited.


    Part 1


    In the darkened control room, the faces of twenty or so people were illuminated by the large screen in front of them. The room was shrouded in silence. The expression of nearly everyone, in the room was filled with fear and anxiety.


    Subject code named Emperor.


    Just the name Emperor made their hearts tremble in fear. Rightfully named Emperor, when researchers would stand in his majestic presence their palms would go sweaty and cold. The strength in their body would flee and their knees would go weak. Although, the researchers were standing thousands of miles away, they still felt uneasy and fearful of the test subject known as Emperor.


    ¡°Engaging Emperor, deploying [Star formation].¡± A voice rang out a loud in the silent control room. Immediately, the sounds of keyboards could be heard tapping across the room. In quick succession, different people began speaking up,


    ¡°Satellites in position, we have bird¡¯s eye view of the target. Loading fast shutter  CAMs 1 through 90.¡± Several new windows popped up on the main screen which provided an aerial view and other angles of the combat location. In addition to the point of view (pov) of the robots.


    ¡°Thermo sensors are now active, CT scanners feedback will be up in 10. We are good on all other sensors.¡± Several windows displaying a wide variety of graphs went up on to the secondary screen. Some windows popped up beneath individual bot cams. This was a research team and it was important for them to record as much data as they could ¨C regardless of the outcome.


    ¡°Perimeter has been secured, commencing final operation!¡±


    The last sentence made everyone feel the pressure and tension.  They had been attempting to recapture the target many times before ¨C this was their last attempt. Each operation cost several million dollars and after several attempts the budget allocated to this initiative had been wiped clean. If the team failed to capture the target this time, then it was over. Hence, the team decided to go all out. Normally, they would deploy five to six bots. However, this time they deployed forty bots. In addition, this operation was being run by a joint task force ¨C the military had decided to invest in this operation. Of course, it was unclear to the researchers how the military arm of the government learnt of this facility or programme, but the money was much needed and the help was welcome.


    Part 2


    ¡°So do you think you have what it takes to capture me?¡± Ryu asked with a smug smile as he faced the enemy. The thirteen animated dolls took up various positions ¨C forming an interesting formation ¨C it was a net which easily changed shape but never let the target escape¡­.or so the enemy must have been thinking. Ryu kept waiting for a response but it didn¡¯t seem the other side would respond to him.


    Just when Ryu least expected it, the enemy made their move. Five of the cloaked dolls moved simultaneously towards Ryu. Each doll was positioned at distance forming a pentagon.  For an ordinary person fighting two people in a forested area would be hard enough. The trees blocked the view and the terrain was uneven.  It would be a mistake to think that the cloaked enemy faced the same limitations - the bots which were being guided by a mix of artificial intelligence and human controllers, this type of terrain was most suited for them. With a range of cams and sensors covering the entire forested area, the trees imposed no visual impairment. Furthermore, they were constantly aware of the enemy¡¯s location. This type of situation was akin to ¨C ¡®being able to see the enemy but the enemy cannot see you.¡¯


    One would expect the entire research team to be buoyed with conceit over the marvellous machines they designed. However, no one had the slightest smug expression. If anything, everyone wore a stiff expression ¨C as though they were constipated. They had tried many times before capturing Emperor ¨C and each time they failed miserably. Yes, they had been improving the specs of their bots but would it be enough? The opinion of the team was split in half. Half of them believed that Emperor would excel beyond previously conceived limits and the other half believed they had long surpassed Emperor. Yet, none of the team members had the confidence to speak their opinion out aloud.


    Who or what was the subject? A monster among monsters. A human that transcended the understanding of impossibility and imagination. Of course, the researchers were unaware that their basic premise of Ryu not being human was wrong. However, this was not their fault as none of their medical tests had indicated otherwise. When the Emperor was combat tested for the first time in the lab, he destroyed half the lab with a single flick of his hand¡­.a stronger testing room was then built specifically to handle the Emperor.  A single sentence from the latest report about the subject read, ¡°A single punch of the subject is enough to send a lightly armoured Humvee flying several meters backwards¡­.in addition to completely decimating the Humvee.¡±


    Martial artists have been known for making a hole in a lightly armoured vehicle before ¨C but completely decimating the entire vehicle in a single punch? Ridiculous is what many of the top generals remarked when they first read the report. However, their jaws were touching the floor when they were shown the video. The subject was truly a monster amongst monsters and rightly named Emperor.  Where did the name Emperor come from? Nobody knew for sure¡­.maybe it came from the test subject himself ¨C as he did infact refer to himself as ¡®This king¡¯. But rather than calling him a king ¨C the research team felt he was the king of kings ¨C a true Emperor.


    Several researchers gulped as the bots neared the target¡­they were three meters away¡­.this would be the defining moment¡­


    Part 3


    A forested area might seem to be disadvantageous for those engaged in close combat as the dense trees would obstruct the view made it easy to dish out a surprise attack. However, the bots made full use of data being transmitted via the cams scattered across the forest to eliminate the element of surprise. For those who specialized in long distance combat ¨C like snipers, it was harder to make a line of fire with the trees in the way.  However, suitable arrangements had been made such that the trees would offer no obstruction. Three bots which were not part of the current formation held sniping guns which resembled cannons more than guns. These bots were here to ensure that the Emperor never breached the set perimeter. Every shell fired from these guns was uranium coated and measured eight inches in length ¨C enough to speak of its destructive power. They could fill the entire forest in holes if they were to unleash their true power.


    Ryu stood still as he watched the cloaked dolls approach him. He was taking his own sweet time to observe the surroundings. Although, it seemed that Ryu had selected this location to fight, Ryu began to understand that this might not have been the case. Ryu could not see it but felt there were many eyes watching him.


    ¡°Tch¡­¡± Ryu muttered, he probably played right into the spoilt brat¡¯s hand. It wasn¡¯t going to be a problem but the fact that the enemy understood him so well ¨C was annoying. Ryu considered himself to be as someone who was easy going. Naturally, he did not like it when his ¡®fun times¡¯ were encroached upon. Further, Ryu was bored of playing this game of cat and mouse ¨C it was no good when the other side was too weak. Unknowingly, Ryu decided that this would be the last time he would play with the spoilt brat. It was meaningful, when fighting with his complete power. However, if Ryu did that there was a possibility he might destroy the entire country¡­so Ryu decided to honour the warrior spirit by using approximately 5% of his true power. Normally, Ryu revealed less than 2% his strength to the enemy which was enough to rain havoc.


    Although Ryu did not understand that he was fighting robots ¨C he did understand that he was not killing living people. This fact settled well with Ryu as there was no meaning in killing ants. The enemy dolls were inferior to him in every way; be it martial arts skills or stats.  The enemy knew that Ryu was better than them in every respect and worked very hard to fill the differences, even if only by a little, they wouldn¡¯t spare the effort. They probably toiled ceaselessly to create dolls that were this strong. However, Ryu had very low opinion of the dolls especially after he met other martial artists who were much stronger than these dolls. Although Ryu met martial arts experts before he was mistaken to assume they were the norm rather than the pinnacle of human race.


    The other side was probably also aware of this ¨C that their dolls were only this good.  Maybe, if Ryu showed them overwhelming strength they would send out stronger ¡®living¡¯ people.


    That would be interesting¡­.


    Ryu stopped thinking about the future and moved slightly to the left to dodge an incoming punch. However, just at the moment he moved to avoid the punch, the five dolls made a strange sound.


    ¡°¡°PHHHiiisissssssssss¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D.¡±¡± Hot air pressurized air blew through the backs of the dolls; which made their cloaks fly up. Suddenly the movements of the dolls became twice as fast.  Ryu least expected the dolls to be hiding strength.


    ¡®Ah¡­.I¡¯ve become careless¡­¡¯ Ryu thought to himself as he took the punch. Although Ryu was many times stronger than these dolls but at such close range it was impossible to dodge the punch. It also wasn¡¯t the simple matter of dodging a single attack ¨C but Ryu had to avoid five direct attacks and six hidden ones.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°¡°Wwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±¡± Ryu screamed as the punch landed on his face sending him somersaulting thorough the air. Several trees came crashing down as Ryu tore through them. After flying roughly fifty meters, Ryu hit a boulder which stopped his momentum. The boulder which was over fifty feet high moved an inch back and trembled upon impact. There was a deep impression of a human left in it.


    One would have imagined that such an impact was enough to kill a human. However, this was a monster that the research team was dealing with. They knew well enough that even though it was a good hit ¨C it was far from enough to take down the monster.  The research team grew tense ¨C this was the first time they managed to land a hit on Ryu. Normally, they would celebrate at the achievement. However, this was far from their objective ¨C to capture the subject. A single punch was like winning the battle but the war was far from over.


    One of the dolls moved in and jumped towards the human impression. It then latched on to boulder ¨C dead ahead of Ryu, digging its feet deep into the boulder for support. All this happened in less than a second, once the bot was secured in place, it released a barrage of punches at Ryu who was lying inside the human impression. A normal human who were to witness this scene would not be able to see the arms of the bot but only a dark blur. Each punch was the same as taking a hit from a cannon at point blank range. The boulder continuously trembled under the assault launched by the bot. In fact, it became so unbearable that cracks began appearing on the surface of the massive boulder ¨C originating all the way from the inside.


    The research team began feeling an emotion that they had long forgotten; the excitement of finally overcoming an unsurmountable obstacle. Some researchers had tears welling up in their eyes as they saw Ryu being pulverized. They remembered his taunts and sarcasm every time he beat them ¡­.but after many hardships and abuses by their superiors they finally they did it. This was the moment they all had been waiting for¡­¡­.


    But then the live feed changed. Instead of seeing a man being crushed by a storm of heavy jabs, everyone was now staring at the starry sky. After a while, the view changed to a lush green forest ¨C hundreds of feet below.


    ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°EH!!!!!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± Some people in room exclaimed. What just happened?


    The bot which was launching a barrage of punches suddenly shot out into the sky. To be precise, the bot¡¯s head flew out. The camera located in the bot¡¯s eyes, continued to send the feed ¨C however not everyone understood what happened till the feed from the bot went dead.


    A mourning voice announced, ¡°Bot 03 offline. Restoring feed from CAM 6 and Bot 01.¡±


    Several researchers let out a sigh. They had their hopes to high ¨C to think it would have been that easy. They had expected some form of retaliation, but in their excitement they lowered their guards. The Emperor as always met their expectation ¨C a sleeping monster had been awoken from its slumber.


    The video feed was restored and the room went silent again. A drone camera flew above the boulder, trying to capture a glimpse of Ryu. However, there was too much dust raised in the air ¨C visually impairing the drone.


    ¡°Switching over to infra camera¡­¡± Just as this was announced, the boulder in which Ryu lay ¨C shattered. The correct word would be exploded. Rubble flew in all directions completely decimating the vicinity. The drone tried several evasive manoeuvres but ultimately crash landed after being hit by the countless pieces of flying rubble.


    ¡°Drone CAM eight through sixteen ¨C maintaining thousand feet altitude. Bot 01, Bot 02 ¨C prepare to engage the target. Bot 4 to 6, standby.¡±


    ¡°¡°¡°¡°Roger!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±


    When the dust and rubble settled, what was visible was Ryu ¨C wearing tattered clothes. He stood in the center of where the boulder lay as his body emitted a faint glow. Hissing sound could be heard as the cold and hot air condensed in the form of visible steam coming off from Ryu body. The researchers, mostly women, gulped in awe at the sight; Ryu stood like a majestic beast; with all his muscles bulging.


    Ryu slowly looked up and wiped away the trickle of blood that oozed from his lips. ¡°Come foolish children. Let this King show you what it means to anger this King.¡±


    The lines sounded funny but when the Emperor spoke them no one found it funny. Some researchers felt their stomach lurch as they watched Ryu take a step forward ¨C they felt as though as he was coming from them. The video feed was crispy clear giving the illusion that he stood in front of them. One research could be heard yelping in fright as Ryu looked towards Bot 01 which was relaying the current main video feed.


    Bot 01, began running towards Ryu with the simple intent of a direct combat. It seemed as though the controller of Bot 01 believed the specs of his machine were enough to take on Ryu in a one to one ¨C even after seeing his awe inspiring power. However,  this controller¡¯s actions weren¡¯t without reason, he had the support of his long range sniping friends who would provide him the necessary opportunity.


    Ryu simply smiled and turned towards the running doll; laying his body open and bare ¨C revealing absolutely no intent to defend. The controller of Bot 01 was confused ¨C isn¡¯t this guy getting too cocky?


    <<Bot 01, do not fall for his provocation. Bot 02 is going to create the opportunity>>


    <<Affirmative>>


    The opportunity was created ¨C a single bullet zoomed towards Ryu. The bullet was comparable to a javelin missile but more compact ¨C it could open up a hole in a heavily armoured tank.  The Emperors only option would be to try to dodge the bullet. Even with [Thick Armoured Skinned] martial arts technique it would be impossible to take the blow without any damage. The sniper and the research team had complete faith in science and their weapons¡­.till they saw what the Emperor did.


    ¡°¡° OOOOOoooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaa¡±¡±  Ryu screamed out as he turned around and punched the incoming projectile. The energy from the punch was so profound that it transformed into a shock wave, and spread the destruction out to the surroundings. That shock, together with the earth shaking, cleared the ground from a radial center that should be called ground zero. Dirt, grass, stones, flew over several feet up into the air and disappeared into the thin air.


    If that weren¡¯t enough, Ryu then immediately turned around and grabbed the charging doll by its head and smashed it into the ground.  Everything happened in a mere split second. If it were not for the slow motion cameras ¨C the audience would have continued to believe that they saw a magic trick. No even after seeing  Ryu¡¯s lightening fast movements, the research team refused to believe it was possible to move this fast ¨C it had to be some illusion or a lie.


    ¡®Yes¡­.this is all a dream¡­.a very bad dream¡¯ ¨C the sniper thought as he continued to stare at Ryu through his lense.


    Part 4


    The control room had it no better; the scene could only be described as chaotic as several speakers began updating the status of the situation;


    ¡°Drone Cams 6, 18, 22 down.¡±


    ¡°Links with sensors in zone A2 are down.¡±


    ¡°Confirming¡­.Bot01 is down. I repeated Bot01 is down.¡±


    ¡°Got the readings from the seismic sensors located in nearby zones¡­.3.0 on the richter scale¡­I repeat 3.0. This is the highest readings we have ever had¡­¡±


    In all this clamour, the old man on the wheel chair ¨C Yuri, appeared very calm and in deep thought.


    So you have surpassed our imagination once again¡­.


    While Yuri¡¯s team was in a state of chaos, Yuri¡¯s shining eyes communicated his excitement. Whenever he believed that the absolute limits of martial arts or human beings had been reached ¨C Ryu would prove him wrong.  Other researchers might feel defeated but Yuri viewed it differently. Didn¡¯t this all mean that there was more room for improvement? Room to grow stronger?


    Part 5


    The grass vanished and the ground was exposed, it was almost like an impromptu ring had appeared and Ryu stood in the centre of it. Ryu returned back to his original open stance.


    ¡°Brat!! Is that all you got?¡± Ryu began provoking the other side as no more Bots dared to rush at him. The forest was as still as could be.


    ¡°Kuekukukukuku¡­.Emperor-sama, you always have surprises for us¡­.¡± The robotic voice resonated throughout the forest. ¡°However, I am afraid ¨C this is as far as we will go this time. Till next time then.¡±


    Huh? Ryu was slightly baffled as he sensed the dolls retreat. That brat never gives up¡­.for him to be retreating like this? What is up to?


    Before Ryu could figure out what was happening the ground beneath him exploded.

 Chapter 32: You demon, listen to Maou-sama!

    Part 1


    ¡°Me? I am Maou-sama.¡± Shin replied with confidence. However, this was only on the surface. Beneath that confident expression, Shin was very feeling very uncertain.


    Firstly, Shin was only half sure that these two children were of demon lineage.  The two children had the ever so slightest traces of demonic features. If it had not been for Shin¡¯s history of extensive dealing with demon clans, he would never recognize those very subtle features. Furthermore, what made it interestingly confusing was that the children possessed no demonic aura.  If the children did not use their bloodline¡¯s power on him, Shin would have believed that the two in front of him were humans who shared physical traits with demons.


    Secondly, it was not clear to Shin whether they were allies or enemies. Ordinarily, demon tribes do not cooperate with other demon tribes.  For example, the descendants of the dragons and demons were at constant war with the Blood Empire - vampires. Similarly, the Neko tribe although rarely aggressive, they never cooperated with anyone ¨C in fact there was a saying in the Nether realm, ¡°you can get God to serve you but getting one from the Neko tribe to serve you is impossible¡±.  There were many such examples of demonic tribes never getting along with one another.


    So it was out of the question to expect to different demon races cooperate with each other. Only in very rare circumstances, would the demon clans stand united. Hence, Shin could not be sure if these children would be his comrades.


    However, Shin expected common courtesy to be observed in this situation ¨C they were deep inside human territory. Demons were always united against humans; at the very least they would not choose be his enemies here.


    This point was made clear when Shin observed a member of the Neko tribe working alongside a being of the Vampire Empire. Furthermore, if these two acted against him hastily in human territory; it might blow away their cover. These reasons cemented Shin¡¯s decision to reach out to fellow demons.


    However, Shin could not appear to be too casual or too uncertain. No matter what, Shin could not afford to show this uncertainty to the youngsters in front of him. He needed to maintain a confident appearance so as to maintain his prideful Maou-sama image.


    Appearing confident would also allude to one¡¯s power and give Shin a superior position in the discussions. Currently, Shin needed information and he had nothing to trade for it in return.  However, a trade was only necessary if Shin were their equal or inferior to the other party.  By revealing, his awe inspiring identity ¨C Maou-sama, Shin expected the children to realize their lower statuses in comparison to his. He could then leverage this to his advantage and extract information at no cost. Even better, he could probably get some magical items from them ¨C no that might be too wishful of me! It is best to take this slowly.


    Nodding in agreement to his own long complicated idea to deal with the situation, Shin faced the two young children eagerly for a reply. Shin imagined many sorts of expressions the demon children would reveal when he revealed to them his identity ¨C shock, fear, reverence¡­.After all, he was the Almighty Maou-sama, a being feared across the three realms. However, he was greeted with expressions of incredulity and scorn.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Do they not believe I am Maou-sama?


    ¡°Eh?¡± Akito murmured. He was expecting a more serious and frightening answer.  But upon hearing Shin call himself Maou-sama, Akito could not help but feel his tense shoulders loosen up. May the kid made a lucky guess about their family¡¯s emblem? Noo¡­.that would be too much of a coincidence!


    Akito tightened his grip on the dagger and was ready to pounce on Shin at any moment. I have to protect Hime-sama¡­.if he is too strong, then I will have to make sure at the very least Hime-sama gets away.  ¡°Hime-sama¡­be ready to¡­¡±


    ¡°Since when has the Maou-sama been a little boy!?¡± Inoue who had been silent for a while suddenly spoke up.


    Akito nearly fell to the ground when he heard Hime-sama¡¯s question. Hime-sama that is not the question to be asking at this moment!! We should get him to confess how he obtained information on our family¡­.in the first place there is no such thing like Maou-sama!!! ¨C Akito had many things to say to the Hime-sama but he kept silent and continued to stand in front of Shin and Inoue like a wall.


    Shin was stumped by Inoue¡¯s question. This has been a complete over-sight on his part ¨C regardless of all his scheming the fact is that he is a human boy right now.  Contrary to breaking his confidence, Shin felt more confident about dealing with these children.


    Of course they wouldn¡¯t recognize someone as great as me; I keep (conveniently) forgetting that my soul resides in a human body.


    Shin was getting used to such a response and he immediately realized his folly. ¡°Although I may not look like a human, I am indeed Maou-sama.¡± Shin tried to answer the doubt the children harboured in their heart.


    ¡°¡­.¡± The two children continued to silently stare at Shin. However, the silence of the two children was very different. Akito was releasing a strong killing intent, like an angry cat, and was itching to have a go at Shin. However, Inoue held his collar which prevented him from going anywhere. Inoue on the other hand inspected Shin with interest and curiosity, as though she found a new play toy.


    ¡°No¡­you are not Maou-sama. Everyone one knows Maou-sama has two horns, wins sprouting from his back and a sinister aura that corrodes the living world¡­¡± Inoue replied after some careful pondering.


    Akito nearly dropped his dagger when he heard Inoue speak and turned around to stare at Inoue. Where the heck did you get that description of Maou-sama from!??? What anime have you been watching recently, Hime-sama? ¨C Akito¡¯s eyes questioned Inoue. However, the girl turned to look at Shin, avoiding Akito stare as though she was acknowledging her crime.


    Shin was caught off-guard with Inoue¡¯s description of Maou-sam.  She had described his former self in exact likeness. Shin was so happy that there existed someone outside of his General Phoenix, who remembered and knew his former self.  ¡°Haha! You are correct! That is how my demonic body would look like. But that long before. During a savage clash with the human empire, my demonic self was slain. Fortunately, the Hero did not destroy my soul. Hence, I have reincarnated as a human. Although, 99% of demons are incapable retaining their memories after reincarnation ¨C I am, after all, Maou-sama.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Lies!¡± Inoue immediately countered. ¡°Even if you are Maou-sama stuck in a human body, you should have one or two magical powers? Everyone knows that in a cross-over plot, the main character has powers that he can use in the other world.¡±


    Hime-sama¡­this world is not a light novel where magical powers exist¡­.no wait!! What have you been reading!!


    Shin was at a loss on how to answer this. The girl was spot on. Ever since he reincarnated, he could not feel an ounce on mana. If Shin thought about it carefully, there was no way for him to prove he was not a human or him to prove he was Maou-sama.


    Seeing that Shin was silent, Inoue continued her questions. ¡°What about your Maou blood lineage? Can you use any of those? Like induce fear in your enemies just by staring at them? Or turning into a werewolf?¡±


    Hime-sama there are no such things like werewolves¡­where has your mature and intelligent personality disappeared to, Hime-sama? ¨C If Akito could, there would two large waterfalls pouring from his eyes.


    Shin sheepishly nodded his head sideways.


    Inoue puffed her cheeks in disappointment. It were as though her hopes of meeting a real life Maou-sama had been betrayed. This one too is a fake.


    Shin was aware of what blood lineage meant and he only said no because it was impossible for him to possess any.


    Part 2  <flashback>


    ¡°Maou-sama, it is time to head home.¡± Xerxes called out as he dragged a colossal narwhal monster behind him. The weight of the whale paved the sand beneath it and left behind a paved path.


    Seeing a tiny skeleton drag a whale which was over hundred feet long and thirty feet wide, would have the effect of confusing the viewer and make them question whether such a thing is possible.


    However, in this world this type of scene was very common. Monsters a top the food chain could easily carry many times their own wait. Although, it was often assumed that skeleton warriors are the weakest of weakest. Xerxes-san was the exception to the rule or rather he strove hard and climbed his way to the top. He belonged to those 1% skeletons that belonged to the elites of elites. More than a skeleton warrior or knight; his strength was known to rival many smaller prefectural lords. For a Xerxes-san to catch something weak like a monstrous narwhal ¨C could only be considered as going to the store to get some fish for dinner.


    Receiving no response, Xerxes-san turned around to see where the little demon lord had ran off to. However, he found Maou-sama standing in the shallow end of the beach while staring out into the ocean.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Xerxes asked as he looked out into the ocean as well. He could only see the sun setting. Be it a skeleton warrior or a demon lord, neither had no sense of beauty. So, Xerxes could only assume that something else caught the attention of his master.


    ¡°Xerxes-san, do you see that herd of whales there?¡± The tiny Maou-sama asked his retainer while still staring into the distance.


    Xerxes strained his eyes while frowning, ¡°Maou-sama, would you prefer those younger ones for dinner? Though the meat is tenderer than our catch, I am afraid those small ones would not be able to fill the stomachs of all your minions, especially the Uruk-hai.¡±


    ¡°No that is not it¡­¡± The young Maou-sama shook his head in refusal to the suggestion.  The whale they caught was large enough to feed their entire army. Why would Xerxes think they need to hunt more?


    ¡°Then, Maou-sama I must advise against hunting for pleasure. In every realm, balance must be maintained. We have killed the mother of that herd and let her children live. This way we have not depleted our source of food. Meaningless slaughter of monsters will create an imbalance and destroy the ecosystem. Sometimes small actions will result in large scale disasters¡­.¡±


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    However, the young Maou-sama had no interest in Xerxes wise words. Ignoring the talking skeleton, Maou-sama asked  ¡°Xerxes-san, do I have a mother?¡±


    Xerxes paused at the question and let out a sigh ¨C so this is what was bothering the young Maou-sama ever since they began their hunt. ¡°Maou-sama, I have lived for countless years and know every creature of the Nether Realm. You are certainly only one of a kind.  However, Maou-sama, these are trivial thoughts. You are the lord of all demons. You do not have parents but you have a family larger than any.¡±


    ¡°But¡­like the baby whales inherit their mothers tusk¡­.I too must have received these powers from someone?¡± Maou-sama placed forth his reasoning. Just as children of the demon tribe inherit their parents powers and physical features, I too must have inherited mine from someone?


    Xerxes smiled ¨C very rarely did his young master think so deeply. ¡°Maou-sama, remember my words well. Just like the narwhals, demons and other lesser monsters, it will be possible for your descendants to inherit your will and strength. That would be their blood lineage. However, you have not inherited your powers from anyone but they are your gifts from the ancient Gods.¡±


    ¡°The Ancient Gods?¡± Maou-sama asked with curiosity. ¡°Are they different from those from the divine realm?¡±


    ¡°Aye¡­why don¡¯t we head home and I tell you all about the ancient Gods.¡± Xerxes suggested as he changed topics.


    The young Maou-sama nodded his head vigorously and ran behind the skeleton.


    Part 3


    Essentially, it was impossible for him to have any parents¡­after all he is Maou-sama. Maou-sama¡¯s Even in this world, he just came to be. Shin clearly remembered when he opened his eyes, he met ¡®Okasan¡¯ ¨C the first human to find him. Blood lineage? How could he possibly have one of those.  Unfortunately, what Shin didn¡¯t know was how humans reproduced and that ¡®Okasan¡¯ meant mother.  Even Tomo would call Oka-san, ¡®Oka-san.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t that just her name?


    Shin was one of those late bloomers who never understood something till it smacked him in the face. Ever since his birth as a human, he had always wrongly assumed he had been ¡®found¡¯ ¨C he never experienced birth itself (something he assumed could be experienced). Hence, it never occurred to him that he had been born to parents.


    Secondly, his Japanese was self taught and very crude. It was impressive given how far he had gotten by himself ¨C by human age standards.  However, there were many words which he misunderstood or re-learnt through trial and error. Take the word sexy for example. When used in the TV commercial - ¡°Hey, there sexy lady¡±, the women were all in smiles. Shin naturally understood, sexy is a compliment. However, for reasons mysterious to Shin, when he called Oka-san, ¡°Hey there sexy Oka-san give me ice cream.¡±  He did not earn an ice cream but was grounded for two weeks. Further, he was told never to say that phrase again. Hence through trial and error Shin learnt two things, first ¡®sexy¡¯ is a vicious insult and second, the women in the TV commercial are masochistic.


    Thus under the wrong understanding, Shin explained to Inoue. ¡°¡°A Maou-sama doesn¡¯t have parents. Hence, we do not have blood lineage.¡±


    However, before he could say more, Inoue quickly spoke up in an apologetic tone. ¡°I am sorry.¡±  Inoue¡¯s apology was sincere and from the heart. She did not wish to intentionally bring up tragic memories. Inoue looked similar to Shin¡¯s age, however her maturity far exceeded children her age. As such, she understood that she had been in the wrong by bringing up an uncomfortable topic.


    Akito was not surprised by the bombshell statement dropped by the boy in front of him. This was an orphanage. It was a place for children who did not have any parents. Hime-sama was careless in bringing up this sensitive topic¡­but what does this have to do with blood lineage¡­.wait!!!! This is not the time to be sympathizing with the enemy!! In the first place why does it feel like there is a big misunderstanding here¡­..


    Like an old man, Akito rubbed his temples slightly as he felt the ominous arrival of a headache.


    Shin was momentarily confused why Inoue apologized to him but he accepted the apology nonetheless. He could tell there was sincerity in her voice and even a hint of empathy.  ¡°As Maou-sama, how can I not accept your submission.¡± Shin replied. ¡°You are forgiven.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Akito turned around and now stared at Shin ¨C was this kid actually stupid or did he genuinely believe that he was Maou-sama? And who does he think himself to be to be forgiving Hime-sama!! Akito was boiling with anger but he did not take action against Shin out fear for Hime-sama¡¯s life.  The smell coming from this child is¡­not ordinary¡­.why does he smell like ramen? No! the strong garlic scent is hiding something else¡­


    Inoue too reacted with surprised. Here she was issuing a genuine apology and this child dared to give back such a pompous reply. Although, he claims to be Maou-sama, she truly did not believe him and went along with the far-fetched plot just for entertainment. Inoue was not only enjoying listening to Shin¡¯s wild and imaginative claims of being Maou-sama but was also teasing Akito and watching his cute confused expressions. However, wasn¡¯t this kid¡¯s acting too arrogant? She was genuinely saddened to learn that Shin lost his parents. Those are painful memories ¨C she understood them well. But Shin¡¯s reaction to her apology were outside the realm of normal. What the heck!! Why am I being forgiven? For some reason, he really gets on my nerves¡­.


    Shin continued to speak, ¡°As I said before I may not look like it, I am really one from the demon tribe just like you two. Due to various reasons, I have lost my way and am looking to return to the demon territory or even the Nether realm.¡± Shin stared at the two earnestly.


    At this point, both Akito and Inoue were left speechless.


    Is this kid mad? What is he talking about? Demon tribe? Demon territory? Nether realm? Aren¡¯t these words of fantasy? Okay, Hime-sama, it is official ¨C he is a lunatic.


    May be he guessed our family¡¯s emblems by chance¡­.but what does he mean by demon just like you? Is he calling Hime-sama a demon? Akito was very troubled and angry, he had been listening to this nonsensical conversation for as long as his permission would permit and Shin was reaching the ends of his patience.


    ¡°Who are you calling a demon!¡± Inoue screamed out. Akito was completely surprised to see Inoue angry. He had never seen his Hime-sama get angry. It wasn¡¯t just Akito who was surprised but Shin as well. The normally pleasantly talkative girl, shouted out so angrily!


    Seeing Inoue¡¯s anger, Akito swiftly made a decision ¨C he who angers Hime-sama is an enemy. This child is an enemy of Hime-same.


    ¡°There is no need to hide it from me. Just like you two, I am too am one from the demon tribe.¡± Unperturbed, Shin continued to persuade them in hopes of forming a temporary alliance. ¡°You must be outer branches of your family ¨C very out lying branches. It might be hard for you to believe but beneath this human shell, I am genuinely the great Demon Lord. Once I am in the Nether Realm, my powers will swiftly recover. If you help me getting there, then as the ruler of all demons ¨C I will ensure your family of demons is brought into the inner circles of nobility of your respective families. I can only imagine, how you must have toiled ceaselessly without reward as an outer branch¡­.¡±


    The colour of Inoue face went from white to pink to red. Akito could have sworn that he saw steam blowing out of Hime-sama¡¯s ears. ¡°Your mother is a demon!¡± Inoue angrily shot back. ¡°Aktio and I are very much human.¡± Had it not been for Akito standing in front of her, Inoue would have clawed out Shin¡¯s mouth from his face. She was truly very angry. No one had dared to insult her before as much as this boy did.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Shin was slightly troubled by Inoue¡¯s remark ¨C didn¡¯t I just explain it to her. ¡°No, no, no. You aren¡¯t listening to me ¨C didn¡¯t I just explain that to you? Your mother is a demon not mine. Demon Lord¡¯s don¡¯t have a mother.¡± Shin stressed the last sentence very slowly.


    ¡°AAArrrgghhhh¡­.!!!¡± Inoue screamed out in frustration. How dense can someone be?


    ¡°Your mother is a demon! Your father is a demon! Your ancestors are demons!!¡±


    *Sigh* Shin stood silently in resignation as Inoue screamed out loud. He understood that this demon girl was a country bumpkin when she didn¡¯t know that the demon lord didn¡¯t have a parents. But could she also be an idiot who didn¡¯t understand things after they had been explained?


    Shin frowned, how much time has passed since I died that this foolish demon girl doesn¡¯t even know something so basic? Furthermore, why is she insisting on being human? Clearly, she belongs to the demon tribe? Could she is still maintaining her fake human cover and testing him?


    ¡°kukuku¡­¡± Shin began laughing as realization dawned upon him ¨C they were still testing him.


    Yes, that must be it. They must be thinking that I made a lucky guess. As long as I appear confident in front of them, they will have to acknowledge me.


    ¡°You may be able to fool the eyes of an ordinary human but not Maou-sama¡¯s. You two are genuinely demons.¡±


    ¡°%$$%#$@#@$@!!¡±


    Akito suddenly sprung upon Shin, with this dagger shining in the moonlight.


    Shin¡¯s pupils contracted in fear as his brain quickly foresaw the conclusion.


    He knew exactly how frail this human body is. If he were to defend and take a strike from the young neko demon, he would be dead¡­ dodge? Maou-sama never retreats!


    But even if Shin were to retreat, there was not much distance between the young neko demon and himself. Further given the limitations of his human body, even if Shin tried to dodge it would be impossible¡­

 Chapter 33: The mushroom cloud

    Part 1


    When the mine exploded, first came the shockwave.  Ryu had no chance of escaping.  He felt as though he were hit by as massive invisible heavenly hammer. The insides of his body churned as he spat a mouth full of blood out. It would be an exaggeration to say Ryu suffered minor injuries.


    Then the earth roared and split open, spewing forth a mountain of rocks and fire.  In the face of an avalanche of rocks, Ryu could only cover his face with his arms as he tried to defend against the incoming projectiles. Although, this provided him limited cover it would normally be enough to defend against anything. However, the impact this time was too great. The damage intensity of the projectiles was magnified by the overwhelming heat and fire that accompanied it.


    Being the Ancient One ¨C a dragon, Ryu experienced many types of flames and through experience learnt he was immune to all them. Ryu considered forest fires as good as camp fires, magical flames cast by evil warlords and mages the same as a quick tanning session and the breath of a lower dragon the same as being in the sauna too long.  If there was a flame in the Nether realm that could mildly harm Ryu, it would be the flames of the heavenly phoenix; his pet bird. This did not mean fire could not harm Ryu, it just meant none existed in the lower realm that could hurt him.


    Hence, it surprise Ryu greatly when he felt his skin peel away due to the intense heat that followed the explosion. The air became scorching hot ¨C no it would be accurate to say that the air itself vaporised and it was impossible to breath. Ryu was flung in an ocean of raging liquid flames which was expanding continuously in every direction.


    Ryu snarled like an animal that had been cornered and angered. Mustering forth every ounce of will and strength, he summoned forth a magical barrier. The barrier prevented any heating from seeping in and at the same time defended Ryu from incoming physical objects. However, the fruits of his labour were short lived. The tyrannical flames were somehow able to interfer with the very fabric of magic, causing the barrier to collapse.


    Ryu¡¯s eyes nearly popped out when he noticed the magical barrier collapse. Ryu knew very well that there existed the flames such as the scared flames of the divine realm and evil fire of the Ancient Gods which could suppress him. However, these flames did not exist in the mortal realm. Furthermore, this fire was nothing like those that could harm him. The scared divine flame was imbued with mana . Hence, the scared divine flame could never simply collapse a magical barrier. It could overwhelm the magical barrier by pure raw strength¡­but not interfere with the magic itself. The evil fire was more preposterous than the scared divine flame, it was simply a gluttonous flame which ate everything in its path and ceaselessly expanded. It was a flame that consumed mana itself.  However, the evil fire was akin to a sloth. In a million years, it consumed a little more than a single square inch. Hence, although it was dangerous that was all it amounted to.


    However, this human made fire was very different and much more dangerous. It was born from nothing and it consumed nothing. It simply vanquished everything that existed in its path. It devoured at a frightening pace and seemed to know no bounds. The flames were so intense and bright, that Ryu felt as though the sun had descended from the skies. Ryu had never been up close to the sun, however he understood just from the fact how bright the sun was and that it shined every day that the flames of the sun were no joke.


    Ryu raised the barrier once again however this time it collapsed even faster! Ryu cursed out aloud. Although this fire could interfere with magic, it seemed to only have a limited effect. Ryu quickly understood that as long as plentiful mana was supplied into his magical barrier then the interference would not affect the barrier. However, the mana in the mortal relam was spread too thinly for him to summon a barrier strong enough to hold up. A great part of Ryu¡¯s strength lay not in his physical attributes but in his ability to control a large amount of mana. Given that the mana on earth was spread as thin as the ozone layer, there was not much mana for Ryu to control or use. Large scale magical abilities which were sought after in the other realms were useless in the mortal world. Ryu could only curse the Gods, who robbed the mortal realm of its mana, as he failed repeatedly to raise a barrier.


    As the flames continued to intensify, Ryu hastily decided not to hold back. Without giving it a second thought, Ryu bit down on his thumb making it bleed ¨C Ryu burned off his life essence. It was one of those moves which could only be considered as a last counter measure. As the name implied, burning of life essence was the same as trading away life for a momentary magical boost. If a normal creature like a demon burned off their life essence then it would greatly affect their life span. Hence, it was the same as a suicidal move for a demon. Fortunately, Ryu¡¯s life span was infinite. So for him it was a matter of being weakened for a millennia or two.  In his weakened state, Ryu could definitely be killed ¨C not by ordinary means but at the very least extraordinary means which could not take his life before posed a threat now. Ryu understood this risk nonetheless still decided to proceed.


    What use is amazing strength if I don¡¯t live past this? What terrifying flame magic is this!! Is this what humans are capable of now?- Those were Ryu¡¯s last thoughts after he used his life essence and cast the barrier. The sudden rush of mana through his body exhausted him completely and a flying piece of debris which slipped through the barrier knocked him unconscious.


    ¡­.


    Part 2


    ¡°You may be able to fool the eyes of an ordinary human but not Maou-sama¡¯s. You two are genuinely demons.¡±


    ¡°%$$%#$@#@$@!!¡±


    The way things are Hime-sama and this boy will continue arguing with words alone forever. Hime-sama is too gentle to use actual strength against this puny human. However, I am different. I am can be Hime-sama¡¯s strength and shadow.  I would have liked if we could extract more information from this child but I cannot wait any longer. Hime-sama is continuously exerting her powers to keep the children asleep. If she continues like this she will deplete her strength.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    As Inoue cursed out loudly in anger, Akito made his move ¨C like a tiger waiting to pounce on its prey, Akito sprung up on Shin. Akito didn¡¯t intend to injure Shin with the dagger just knock him out with blunt side.


    Initially, Akito didn¡¯t want to move against Shin because he feared Shin might have accomplices. However, after hearing Shin talk on for several minutes ¨C claiming to be Maou-sama. Akito concluded that Shin was nothing more than an over imaginative child that confused reality with fantasy. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if Akito took care of one child¡­Thus, Akito decided, it would be best for both Hime-sama and himself if Shin were knocked out.


    As Akito leapt towards Shin, he could clearly see Shin was witlessly scared. I was being cautious for nothing¡­Akito glanced at Inoue, she gave off a sad smile, no she was saddened by Akito¡¯s action.


    I am sorry Hime-sama, you do not like it when I fight¡­but this is who I am. Your loyal servant¡­..your shield and sword.


    Part 3


    Several screens displaying Ryu¡¯s location turned glaring white. It wasn¡¯t because the satellite relay broke down but that was how the area on the ground actually looked. The control room was deadly silent as static radio noise could be heard through the speaker.  A few researchers could be heard gulping down their own saliva as they stared at the screen in shock.


    All eyes in the room were silently glued to the white screen. It was nothing but a glaring white ¨C displaying absolutely nothing of interest. However, to these researchers this glaring white and static noise represented something much more significant.


    ¡°Sir, we have confirmation the nuclear device exploded without incident.¡± A person finally spoke up after confirming the readings on his computer screen. ¡°As per the current projected parameters¡­¡±


    Nuclear device! F*ck! ¨C At least half the researchers in swore in their mind. The researchers could instantly guess that the screen going white was related to an explosion. The intensity of light was too bright and obscured the satellite camera¡¯s vision. Even the infrared sensors located in space were displaying readings off the charts. Add the two bits of information and it wasn¡¯t difficult for these nerds to piece together what just happened. Nonetheless, they couldn¡¯t accept it. They all hoped they were wrong but they weren¡¯t. A nuclear weapon had really been detonated.


    It had been eighty years since nuclear weapons had been invented yet they continued to remain the most powerful weapon in the hands of mankind. Other than World War II, the weapon was never used. The lives it took were far too many and the destruction it left behind was too grave to justify its use. Yet, here they were staring at a nuclear detonation. A detonation they were responsible for.


    No! We are not responsible for this! We are researchers who delve into the mysteries of the martial world. We build cyborgs and robots, conduct human experiments¡­.but we too draw the line somewhere¡­.we would never let things turn into a holocaust¡­.They are responsible for it! ¨C All the researchers had similar thoughts as they shifted their eyes from the TV screen to a group of men in military attire, sitting in the corner of the room.


    ¡°We lose eyes in T minus 10.¡± The announcer spoke. With a nuclear bomb exploding in Japan, the international community would rush to get their satellites in place. If the satellites were to collide with an object which isn¡¯t supposed to exist ¨C it would raise questions and eventually people would begin to suspect those with capability. This wasn¡¯t something that was required. There was nothing to see anymore and it was best to withdraw before people noticed them. As the announcer continued with the count down, a young woman in the room spoke up. Her eyes were red as she spoke to the new entrants in the room, ¡°You Monsters! For a single man¡­you have destroyed half of Tokyo! We are trying to protect humanity! Not destroy it!¡±


    The young woman¡¯s remark summed up everyone¡¯s feeling in the room.  Although, their ways were despicable, all the researchers gathered here truly wished to defend humanity from the so called martial monsters. No, that is how they justified their human experimentation projects to themselves.  These researchers in their twisted pursuit of idealism would often rationalize their own actions and inactions to suit themselves. Each researcher in the room was likely to be responsible for the death of a human during experimentation. However, they comforted their pitiful self by justifying it as a sacrifice for the greater cause¡­.but this¡­ a nuclear weapon? What purpose did it serve?


    Their test subject had been obliterated.  Hundreds if not thousands would die. Millions more would suffer. What did they gain from this?


    The highest ranking officer quietly stood up and faced the young woman who passed the scathing comment. ¡°It was evident that the situation was not under control. We had been authorised to deal with the threat imposed in manner we saw fit.¡± The officer¡¯s voice was unwavering and stern. However, his tightly clenched fists gave away the fact that he did not agree with the actions he had taken ¨C it was obvious he too was acting on his superiors orders. ¡°These lives lost were not lost in vain. Test subject Emperor posed a threat to all of humanity and as such it was deemed that the threat must be eliminated at all costs.¡±


    ¡°Not in vain?¡± The young woman refuted the officer¡¯s words. Clearly, this woman was reeling under tremendous stress and emotional guilt; she was questioning a military officer without fearing the grave consequences which could befall her. ¡°We are talking about five or six million lives here¡­.¡±


    The officer shrugged his shoulders as if this had nothing to do with him. He only said a few words which shut up all those who were thinking of protesting. ¡°Better Tokyoites than your families.¡±


    Even the lone young woman who had been dissenting quietened down as she tightly clutched a pendant that hung close to her chest. This was the world they lived in and in this world, the weak obeyed the strong....

 Chapter 34: Trash amongst trash

    Part 1


    ¡°What did you do to Akito!¡± Inoue cried out as she rushed towards Akito who was lying on the ground. His body was writhing in pain.


    What had just happened? Akito was rushing forth at Shin and then he suddenly collapsed¡­


    ¡°What did you do to him?¡± Inoue shouted out loudly again. She was tearing up as she shook Akito. No matter what she did, he was not responding to her.


    Shin silently observed and didn¡¯t move even though Inoue was shouting at him. He didn¡¯t do anything. The young demon simply collapsed on his own.  Shin was in a good mood to lecture the girl, ¡°A lowly cat dares to raise his weapon against Maou-sama? Have his parents not taught him any manners? Serves him right!¡±  But he did not do so. Seeing the little girl cry, Shin could only remember his last few living moments as Maou-sama. He watched all his retainers fall before him. The feeling of pain could not be described in words.


    This young boy was serving this girl. Shin understood that he was her loyal retainer and he moved aggressively to take on Shin just to protect her. Shin even marvelled the fact that despite knowing Shin was Maou-sama, the boy had the courage to attack him. Such loyalty was praise worthy.


    Inoue stopped trying to wake up Akito and turned her focus to Shin who was silently standing dazed.


    ¡°You! It¡¯s all your fault!!¡±Inoue cried out irrationally. Her eyes were red as streaks of tears rushed out from the corners of her eyes. She had lost everything and everyone. Her only remaining compatriot was Akito. They had grown up together, even though they were the same age, Akito always took care of her. Inoue did not cry even when she saw her parents fall before her ¨C but this was different. It was Akito. Akito promised her that he would always be there for her.¡­he would always stay by her side.


    ¡°You promised!!¡± Inoue wailed as she began wailing. ¡°You promised to always be together!!!¡±


    Shin¡¯s gaze shifted from Akito to Inoue. Those heartfelt words stirred his emotions. His retainers too had made him this promise¡­


    Part 2 <flashback>


    ¡°Xerxes-san?¡± A baby Maou-sama who was barely two feet tall looked up at the skeleton which was holding a spoonful of gooey substances.


    ¡°Say ¡®AAAAA¡¯, Maou-sama.¡± Xerxes-san said as he moved the spoon closer to Maou-sama¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°AAAAAA¡± Maou-sama responded while opening his mouth. Xerxes quickly stuffed the spoon full of weird food into Maou-sama¡¯s mouth.


    The Maou-sama made a disgusted expression before swallowing the food. ¡°Xerxes-san, do I really have to eat this?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Maou-sama. This too is training.¡± Xerxes responded as he filled the spoon up with goo from a bowl.


    ¡°But it tastes aweful!!¡± The baby Maou-sama complained. ¡°Make it sweeter!¡±


    ¡°Medicine is always bitter, Maou-sama. Next time you should take care not to get poisoned¡­.¡± Xerxes replied while shrugging his shoulders.


    ¡°I rather die than eat more of this¡­¡±


    ¡°The heart swallowing snake¡¯s poison is far more sinister than this medicine. It is already a miracle that you haven¡¯t collapsed in pain after being poisoned for a year with your meridians sealed. Although this poison is usually harmless but with your meridians sealed your body cannot defeat the poison. It was my oversight not to notice that you are actually dying. Who knows if you don¡¯t take your medicine you may actually die. Are you certain you do not want to take your medicine?¡± Xerxes asked as he tried to scare the Maou-sama into taking his medicine.


    The baby Maou-sama nodded his head vigourously. ¡°Just unseal my meridians, and I will be alright. Isn¡¯t the training already over?¡±


    ¡°That cannot be done, with the poison already seeping into your bones, opening the meridians will only aggravate the condition.¡±


    ¡°Then I rather die than eat that stinking medicine!¡±


    ¡°If the Maou-sama does not take his medicine and dies¡­then how will I serve Maou-sama forever? A good Maou-sama always keeps his promises and remember you promised me to let me serve you till my end.¡±  Xerxes smugly replied as he changed his tact.


    ¡°Then looks like, I will have to end you right now!¡± The baby Maou-sama replied.


    Xerxes-san let out a sigh. ¡°Maou-sama it is not good to jest like this¡­.everyone knows you are right now barely strong enough to defeat a common wyvern¡­. saying you will end me is a joke in poor taste especially since it means you are implying my strength is below a wyvern¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha! Maybe it is! We won¡¯t know till we fight.¡±


    Xerxes clenched the spoon tightly and then loosened his grip. ¡°Maou-sama is truly very cunning.¡± Xerxes replied. ¡°Getting me enraged so that I forget to feed you medicine¡­truly very sly.¡±


    The baby Maou-sama frowned as though his plans had been seen through a million times. ¡°You always see through me!¡± He complained.


    ¡°Yes¡­.but it seems that Maou-sama still has not learned his lesson about being sly.¡± Xerxes responded as he put down the medicine. ¡°The Nether realm is a place where slyness has no place and only strength prevails over everything. I now understand that we need to intensify your training¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Part 3


    ¡°He has been poisoned.¡± Shin spoke up as he finished reminiscing with the past. ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t be moving him.¡±


    Inoue who had turned away from Shin and returned her attention to Akito, was trying to drag Akito on to a bed. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked back at Shin in doubt.  Was it the crazy child who spoke? It had to be him, everyone else in the room was asleep¡­ other than him who can it be? But wasn¡¯t he simply a delusional child lost in his own fantastical world?


    Inoue looked around the room as though she were expecting to find another person other than Shin.


    ¡°It is heart swallowing snake poison.¡± Shin calmly replied as he ignored Inoue¡¯s antics.


    Inoue now turned her attention to Shin. Yes, it was certainly the young boy in front of her who had spoken. But why was she feeling so surprised? Was it the fact that he concluded that Akito had been poisoned? But that was obvious¡­was it not? Or was it the fact that this child who was only six years old, spoke so calmly about another person being poisoned. There was no hint of Shin being excited or panicking. He was calm as ever¡­.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    No none of this matters right now¡­Akito needs to be saved. If this child knows something about poisons then I will make him cure Akito! Just as Inoue resolved to use her strength of Shin to force him to do her bidding, Inoue stopped herself. Just what the hell is heart swallowing snake poison? Was it something straight out of fiction that the child before her made up?


    ¡°Heart Swallowing Snake Poison?¡± Inoue asked doubtfully.


    Shin nodded his head. ¡°Yes, although this is a more diluted and weaker form. Probably concocted by some branch trash, I can recognize any variant of this poison.¡± Shin replied confidently. ¡°I am not sure what your dispute with the Serpent clan is, but this is definitely their work.¡±


    Inoue flinched when she heard Shin¡¯s words. How did he know we are being chased by the Baem?


    Part 4


    Baem, or the Snake when translated into English, was one of the largest motorcycle gangs in South Korea. To ordinary people they were nothing more than a bunch of hoodlums on motorcycles. However, in the Murim they were known for their assassination skills, particularly for using poisons which could not be detected and left no trace.  The Baem had recently been expanding their influence and this resulted in several clashes with the Night clan, guardians of the Murim in South Korea, and also Inoue¡¯s family.


    Several years ago, the Baem gang was known as the Yag medicine peddlers. They were an ordinary group of not so powerful individuals and that made their living selling very ordinary medicine for martial artists. Their leader was humble old man and a likeable figure in the murim community.  They imposed no threat to the Night clan or the other murim clans in South Korea.


    However, everything changed overnight when the new leader ascended to power.  He was brash young man who loved flaunting his power. The night he ascended to power, all the older medicine peddlers were executed and the old name, Yag, was dropped for Baem. New members were recruited and told to impose their strength wherever they went. This often resulted in clashes with the people of the ordinary world. However, these changes could not be considered important enough for the guardian clans to intervene.


    Although Inoue was not aware of the details, she often heard her parents discuss the matter. The Night clan was the only one which stayed vigilant and paid attention to even trivial changes in the environment. The Night clan tried several times to stem Baem¡¯s growing influence however some or the other guardian family would interfere ¨C saying that giving the Baem gang attention was like encouraging them. The Night clan abided by the general consensus. However that was the fatal mistake.


    As the Baem grew, the guardian clans of South Korea grew weaker. Key figures of the guardian clans kept dying of a mysterious illness. Only when it was too late, did the guardian clans realize that they were victims of the Baem gang¡¯s ambition.  However, by then it was too late to stop the Baem gang.


    The Night clan which had been constantly vigilant lasted the longest but in the end they too met their end.


    Part 5


    The memories were still fresh in Inoue¡¯s minds. She clenched his fist tightly as she remembered her clan¡¯s bitter end.  Her parents had secretly sent Akito and her to Japan in the hopes that she would find the guardian clans of Japan and take refuge with them.  However, the Baem had even tracked her down here!


    Inoue¡¯s nails dug into her palms, why were they so insistent of killing each and every member of the Night Clan? Why did they chase them all the way to Japan? Why did they hurt Akito¡­


    Inoue fell on her knees as she realized that she could not save Akito. There existed no antidote for the poison that Baem used. The guardian clans of South Korea had spent vast amounts of resources in trying to find an antidote. But how do you cure something that you cannot detect? In the end they could only watch as their respective heads succumbed to the poison.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shin asked as he stared at Inoue who seemed to have lost all hope. One moment this demon girl¡¯s eyes flashed with anger and the next she seemed to have lost all will to fight on.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­¡± Inoue mumbled.


    ¡°What is useless?¡± Shin asked.


    ¡°There is ¡­..no cure¡­Akito¡­. can¡¯t¡­.. be saved.¡± Inoue was tearing up again.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Shin¡¯s eyebrows were raised high up in an arch. Isn¡¯t the heat swallowing poison the most trashiest of trash poison? Also, this isn¡¯t even the original poison. It is some diluted version of the original poison. Even consuming trash would be more harmful than this diluted shit poison.


    Has this young demon gone stupid after seeing her comrade faint? First of all, how weak is the demon to succumb to such trash poison?


    ¡°Who said that the poison has no cure?¡± Shin asked as he furrowed his brows. He was now beginning to get irritated with all the crying and drama.


    Inoue immediately stopped crying when she heard Shin¡¯s question. ¡°You know the cure?¡± Inoue asked in disbelief.


    Of course he must know the cure! He was able to so easily identify it was a poison! Further, he also knew the name!


    Inoue finally saw a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately, Shin immediately shot down her hopes.


    ¡°Cure for this trashy poison? Why would I learn the cure for such a trash poison? Anyone who succumbs to this trash poison deserves to not live...¡±

 Chapter 35: The Hans dynastys secret technqiue

    Part 1


    ¡°Akito is not weak!¡± Inoue growled as she held Shin by the collar and lifted him in the air. Shin wriggled in the air as he tried to free himself but his efforts were wasted. No matter how hard he tried, Inoue¡¯s grip was strong. Given her female thin physique, one would assume that this young girl would have no strength. However, appearances can be deceiving ¨C though not to Shin. It was only natural for a demon, Vampire, to have at least enough strength to lift something as light as himself. In fact, She showed no reaction when Inoue lifted him up into the air. He was only slightly surprised that Inoue was taking out her anger and frustrations at him.


    ¡°Put¡­.me down¡­.¡± Shin managed to get a few words across. However, Inoue showed no signs of relenting. Her eyes were fierce as she stared at Shin.


    Shin returned the stare with an aloof expression as though he had no idea what he said that turned him the object of her wrath.


    ¡°Apologize!¡± Inoue mumbled in a stern tone.


    ¡°Preposterous!¡± Shin cried out. ¡°Maou-sama will never apologize to a lowly demon like you¡­.¡±


    Inoue¡¯s grip around Shin¡¯s collar tightened, slightly suffocating Shin. ¡°Apologize to Akito!¡±


    ¡°Never!!¡± Shin declared ¨C he would never let go of his pride, no matter what¡­.


    Inoue began shaking Shin in the air. It wasn¡¯t a casual shake down, but rather a very violent tugging while her grip tightened around Shin¡¯s collar.


    It hadn¡¯t been more than 10 seconds, when Shin cried out, ¡°O¡­O¡­Okaay¡­..¡± Shin felt as though he had just survived an earthquake and the insides of his body felt as though they were being jolted around.


    Too human body is just too pathetic and weak! Shin wanted to cry every time he was reminded how weak he truly was. He had been reduced from the powerful Maou-sama to an ordinary weak human. Why couldn¡¯t have reincarnated as some demon, at least I wouldn¡¯t be so weak then.


    ¡°I apologize!!! Maou-sama apologizes!!¡± However Inoue didn¡¯t stop rattling him. Her mind was preoccupied with other thoughts. She was desperately trying to think of ways to save Akito.


    ¡°I I I I apologigigized¡­.¡± Shin cried out, but when he noticed that Inoue wasn¡¯t listening, Shin offered the olive branch, ¡°I can save your servant¡­.¡±


    It worked. Inoue¡¯s frame of mind only permitted her to react to things related to Akito. Inoue immediately stopped rattling Shin in the air. ¡°You can save him?¡± She asked with scepticism. Didn¡¯t this kid just say he never learned the cure for the poison? And now he is claiming that he can save Akito?


    Shin nodded his head vigorously. Inoue gave a fierce look before releasing her grip. Shin fell to the floor, however he was absolutely delighted to be able to feel the earth beneath his feet again. Before Shin continue to rejoice, he felt a hand grab on to the back of his shirt and drag him away¡­


    ¡°Where are you taking me, loathsome girl!!¡± Shin asked as Inoue was dragging him across the room. If one of Shin¡¯s lower servants were to see his sorry state right now, they be laughing their guts out. The great Maou-sama being reduced to such a pitiful state; where a child demon from some lowly branch sect was dragging him across the floor.


    ¡°If you are going to save him, don¡¯t we need to go to the store?¡±


    ¡°Store?¡± This girl made no sense to Shin. If they are going save him, why would they need to go to a store?


    Inoue gave a frustrated look at Shin, are all people this slow? But then again he is just a kid¡­.no matter how Inoue looked at it Shin seemed to be an ordinary child, yet sometimes he gave the feeling that he wasn¡¯t one ¡­.but that was only sometimes. A vast majority of the times, he was dumber than most kids she knew. ¡°Don¡¯t you need instruments? Herbs? Medicine? How are you going to cure him?¡± Inoue spoke through her teeth as she continued dragging Shin.


    ¡°Stupid demon! Have your brains gotten all rotten? We don¡¯t need herbs or anything like that. As long as you use your mana, it should be sufficient.¡± Shin shouted at her. He would not stand for his dignity being trampled upon.


    Inoue stopped and raised Shin to his feet using her single arm. Her cutesy face had long been replaced with a fierce expression. She glared at Shin so strongly that Shin could swear her staring would make a hole through him. If it were anyone else she would have pounded them into the ground for calling her a stupid demon ¨C however Shin was the only one who knew the cure for the poison. She could not afford upsetting him any further. Threats could only be used so far, if Shin truly decided not to help her then Akito would be lost. This was something she was not willing to let happen.


    ¡°There is no need to gather precious herbs to cure this trash poison. The heart snake swallowing poison is known as a trash poison because it can simply be expelled by the body through the use of mana. Every demon knows that, what kind of country bumpkin are you?¡± Shin asked her as he straightened his shirt. ¡°As long as you channel the mana through Akito¡¯s poisoned meridians, then you can flush the poison out.¡±


    Inoue stared at Shin stupidly.


    ¡°What?¡± Shin asked her when he noticed she wasn¡¯t reacting at all.


    ¡°What¡¯s mana?¡± Inoue asked with a big question mark floating above her head.


    Shin face palmed himself ¨C I knew she was a country bumpkin but isn¡¯t this idiot taking stupidity to new heights?


    Part 2


    Mana. What is mana?


    If it could be described, then a modern day person would call Aether or Quintessence. Mana was an unseen and unfelt form of energy that pervaded throughout the universe. It was like air but yet not like air; at least air could still be felt when the wind blew.


    The only physical manifestation that mana took was in the form of crystals. Mana crystals naturally absorbed the mana in the environment like a sponge. These crystals would harden and grow bigger over time unless a creature used the mana stored within the crystal.


    Mana crystals were the only known physical form of mana. However, they were not looked upon too kindly as mana stored in crystals could be considered as low grade form of mana due to their impurity. There did exist high grade crystals which had close to no impurity but such crystals were rare. It was also best to use mana in its pure natural form than rely on crystals. Only creatures with poor magical abilities like humans found mana crystals extremely beneficial. Demon¡¯s like Maou-sama or the Vampires consider even the highest grade mana crystal as garbage.


    The higher one stood one the food chain, the better was their magical abilities. Although, mana had no physical manifestation other than crystals, it did have a spiritual manifestation. Hence all creatures could sense it ¨C not through their hands but through focusing their minds.


    Just as a bird naturally knows how to fly, and fish knows how to swim, sensing mana is not something which needs to be taught. It is something everyone is born with.


    Shin stared at the Inoue in disbelief.


    How could she not know what mana is? To not know him, Maou-sama, was bad enough. But to not know what is mana? Shin really had to reassess his analysis ¨C maybe she was not a demon¡­.but then even humans can sense mana¡­.how can you not know what is mana? Even Tomo knew what mana is!!


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°What? Why are you staring at me like that?¡± Inoue asked as she watched Shin¡¯s expression of disbelief.


    ¡°You!!! Stupid demon!! Did you grow up living under a stone??¡± Shin irritatedly asked her.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Mana is the most fundamental of all magical energies!!! How do you think you were using your powers earlier! If that wasn¡¯t using mana then what is?¡± Shin angrily asked her ¨C he really thought that this child was pretending to be dumb. However, Inoue genuinely did not know what is mana. She had never played video games ¨C so she could not make any reference to it. Furthermore, even the animes she watched so far didn¡¯t talk about mana¡­.


    ¡°You mean Ki?¡± Inoue asked with a question mark still above her head. Was Shin referring to Ki? Maybe in Japan , they called Ki, Mana.


    ¡°Yes Ki!¡± Shin excitedly replied. Thank goodness she is not stupid beyond repair! Shin also mentally noted that Ki was a synonym for mana. Next time he meets someone, he will refer to Ki ¨C as that seems to be the popular word for mana. ¡°Ki, Mana, call it what you like. You must simply inject your Ki into Akito¡¯s body and flush out the poison. It is as simple as that.¡±


    Inoue¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of her sockets. ¡°Inject Ki? Isn¡¯t that dangerous? Are you from the Hans clan of China?¡±


    ¡°Hans who?¡±


    ¡°Injecting mana into the body; is a secret technique developed by the Han dynasty of China. I thought it was a combat technique - to think there was such a use of it. Maybe because of all secrecy surrounding the technique some of its other uses are not known¡­¡± Inoue suspiciously glanced at Shin, clearly he could not be a child of ordinary background if he knew things like heart swallowing snake poison and the Hans¡¯ secret technique. But then how should she reconcile these facts with everything else the boy said? Especially about being Maou-sama in human form? That sounded like simply crazy talk.


    This kid¡¯s background must be deep¡­he could be a young master to a large Japanese faction¡­but what is he doing in a place like this?


    ¡°Huh?¡± It was now Shin¡¯s turn to stare at Inoue in disbelief. How could something as basic as injecting mana be considered a secret technique¡­what really happened to the mortal realm since he had been away? Or maybe this demon was too rustic to know anything. If a branch sect had a branch which had a branch, then this girl would belong to the bottom of the ladder of that branch. Her knowledge was just too lacking.


    Shin decided to put aside these thoughts for the moment and go with the flow, there was something else that was bothering him. ¡°Yes, the Hans technique. Now use it on your servant quickly.¡±


    ¡°Did you not hear me? The Hans dynasty¡¯s secret technique of injecting mana has the word secret in it. How would I know how to use this technique?¡±


    Shin face palmed himself. Who are the bloody Hans?


    Part 3


    ¡°Place both your palms on his stomach.¡± Shin instructed. ¡°Now visualize your mana¡­your Ki, just like when you used your power.¡± Shin explained.


    Inoue closed her eyes and placed both her hands on Akito¡¯s stomach. His breathing was gradually becoming heavier as the poison rapidly spread throughout his body.


    ¡°Now gently direct the Ki, from your meridians¡­ through your arms and into Akito. ¡° Shin continued to explain as he hurriedly threw a few glances at the door.


    Inoue calmly focused all the ki in her body to follow the path described by Shin, however she found it very difficult to control the Ki. It was the case, where one understands the theory but fails to apply it practically. Using her Ki in her voice was something she innately knew how to use. Furthermore, she received training from her parents on how to use that power. However, controlling Ki was not that simple.


    Ki was a volatile energy which every human being possessed. Each human being possessed varied amounts of Ki. Normal people possessed almost none. However, people from the Murim had much more. Naturally, stronger the martial artist, stronger would be their Ki control and over all Ki that they could expend.


    Controlling Ki, was akin to walking on a tight rope while balancing an egg on a spoon in one hand and juggling random items with another. It required very delicate controls as using too much force could have the opposite effect and injure Akito. However, once this hurdle had been crossed then controlling ki for that specific technique would only become easier.


    Just as Inoue was about to succeed, she felt the Ki in her body go out of control and the energy dissipate before it could reach Akito.


    ¡°Try again.¡± Shin instructed as he watched the demon fail for the third time. He was really disturbed to see a demon struggling to control mana. If it was this difficult for her to control mana then it would be impossible for him to control. But Shin held on to the hope that Inoue was truly a country bumpkin ¨C if that were truly the case then there was still hope for him. Nonetheless, it bothered Shin¡­what had really happened to the world since he had been away?


    Initially, he had always thought the fault lay with him. After speaking with Inoue, he began suspecting things might not be so simple and there might be other reasons to explain his lack of magical power. Otosan said that elecktrecity is used to power all the magical devices in the castle. I will need to investigate whether this elecktrecity is something that I can harness¡­


    ¡°Try again.¡± Shin spoke as he noticed Inoue failed yet again.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you do it?¡± Inoue asked in frustration. Controlling Ki was quite a tiresome task and every time, she tried to do something unnatural like inject it in Akito, she was exhausting herself.


    Shin hesitated in replying. Should he let her know that he can barely sense mana let alone control it?


    ¡°Try again.¡± Shin repeated. Not knowing one¡¯s true strength was an advantage Shin did not want to lose. As long as Inoue believed Shin could use mana then she would not act aggressively. There was also his pride as Maou-sama which was on stake. How can Maou-sama not control mana?


    Inoue frowned when she received no reply. She could not understand why Shin wasn¡¯t helping her. However, she could only suspect he had his own reasons.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Inoue cried out in surprise, this time when she tried she actually succeeded!


    The feeling could not be described in words. Inoue could feel her Ki being rapidly absorbed by Akito¡¯s body and it being drained from her own body. However, as time went on there seemed to be no end to the Ki being absorbed. Inoue¡¯s face turned pale as she felt her strength being depleted.


    Shin carefully watched the situation. He could tell that Inoue was exhausted, which surprised him greatly because it meant she was using mana that was within her own body rather than the environment. This girl¡¯s stupidity knows no boundaries. Isn¡¯t it common sense to use mana from the environment¡­


    Just as Inoue felt her vision blackening and eye lids growing heavier, Akito slowly opened his eyes.


    ¡°Hime-sama?¡± A weak voice escaped Akito¡¯s lips.

 Chapter 36.1: Am I the one you seek?

    Part 1


    ¡°Hime-sama?¡± A weak voice escaped Akito¡¯s lips. It had only been a few minutes since he had collapsed but his complexion changed drastically. Akito¡¯s lips were deep blue and his skin was sickly pale. If Inoue hadn¡¯t seen these symptoms before she would have thought Akito had been sleeping inside a freezer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry making you worry.¡± Despite not having any energy left in him, Akito forced himself to speak up.


    ¡°Baka!¡± Inoue cried out as she hugged Akito head and two streams of tears ran down her cheeks.


    Akito opened his mouth but no words came out ¨C he didn¡¯t know how to respond. His head was hurting and he didn¡¯t quite understand what was happening around him. The last thing he remembered was rushing forth to knock out a boy¡­.Shin suddenly appeared in Akito¡¯s view. He stood quietly watching Inoue hug Akito.


    Shin viewed the two with a peculiar expression ¨C one that clearly expressed his confusion. Since when did the cat and the bats get along so well? How many years have passed since my demise? Just which era have I been reincarnated into?


    Shin had some understanding of reincarnation ¨C as long as the soul exists it is completely possible to be reborn in one of the three realms as any creature. The rules governing the laws of the universe were completely arcane to Shin. Hence, he did not understand why reincarnation happened or how it happened. However, Shin did know that if the soul is not strong enough it would not retain its memories. Shin was glad that he was able to retain his memories however it bothered him that he had no sense of how much time had elapsed since his death. How many hundreds of years have gone by for the two clans that hated each other to love each other? Just what calamity has brought these two warring factions together?You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Shin had many questions which he wanted answered, however in the past six years he found no clues that would answer the mysteries of the past¡­.no if it is the Ancient One¡­.he probably has all the answers.


    Before Shin could think any further, he was startled by Akito¡¯s voice.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Akito cried out in alarm. Did this boy do something to him? There was no other explanation as to why he collapsed. ¡°Hime-sama¡­.run¡­.¡± Akito urged Inoue as he tried to push her away.


    Inoue slowly looked up and followed Akito¡¯s gaze which were on Shin. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She whispered as she hugged Akito even tighter. ¡°He¡¯s a friend not an enemy. He is the one who saved you.¡±


    Inoue¡¯s voice was tender and calm. There was no tension or stress in her voice. Akito found it hard to believe that Shin ¨C the crazy boy ¨C saved him. He is crazy right? However, Akito had no choice to accept what his Hime-sama told him. Furthermore, her voice was unusually calm. Over the last few weeks ¨C since their escape from Korea, she had always been worried. Even though she never spoke about it; Akito always noticed the lack of lustre in her eyes. Those deadpan eyes, as though they had seen hell and back¡­Akito shuddered as he recalled the past. The eyes of the Inoue in front of him right now were more lively and animated than ever before. These were the eyes he grew up with ¨C the ones which were free of worry¡­.they were eyes that had hope?


    Did that crazy boy really save me? Did he save Hime-sama too? Maybe he was pretending to be crazy¡­.


    ¡°As promised, I have saved your retainer, demon girl. Now, are you more willing to listen to me, Maou-sama.¡± Shin spoke with a proud smile on his face.


    Nope, he¡¯s definitely crazy. This must all be a dream. At least it is a nice dream ¨CHime-sama hugging me¡­

 Chapter 36.2: Am I the one you seek?

    ¡°As promised, I have saved your retainer, demon. Now, are you more willing to listen to me?¡± Shin slowly repeated himself but the two children ignored him. Akito was slipping in and out ofconsciousness due to the exhaustion. Even Inoue too was exhausted and would fall asleep any moment now.Using the Hans dynasty''s secret techniquerepeatedly drained her of all her strength. Further, the shock of Akito succumbing to the poison and then joy of him recovering -a roller coaster of emotions that took a toll on herenergy levels.


    ¡°These country bumpkin children¡­¡± Shin muttered in an irritated manner. ¡°Do they not realize the trouble that has followed them¡­.and they dare to fall asleep in the presence of their saviour and lord, Maou-sama!¡± Two veins popped up on Shin¡¯s forehead as he recollected the recent past. Wasn¡¯t this the same as putting the cart in front of the horse? He helped them and he got nothing in return¡­.next time always collect the payment first.


    Of course, neither Akito nor Inoue were ungrateful children. However, Akito¡¯s energy had been severely depleted by the poison and Inoue¡¯s energy had been depleted while trying to save Akito. They both were exhausted to the point neither one had any energy to continue staying awake. Furthermore, they were only children ¨C no older than Shin. They had no experience in staying awake all night.


    However, how could Shin let the situation be! He did not understand how these children could sleep so peacefully in a situation as dangerous as theirs. Did they not have brains? Danger did not sleep and could strike at any moment. The unscrupulous humans were probably waiting for an opportunity like this¡­.no their current situation was no better than handing themselves on a silver platter to the enemy!


    ¡°Wake up!¡± Shin cried out. ¡°I order you! This is disrespecting your supreme Lord!¡±


    The pair continued to doze away on the floor; Akito rested on Inoue¡¯s lap and Inoue was resting against the bed with her mouth wide open. Inoue even had a bit of drool hanging out from the corner of her mouth¡­


    This is getting out of hand¡­Shin massaged his temples as he noticed his words had no effect on the pair.


    Inoue felt a strong pull against her shirt ¨C which stirred her consciousness slightly however she did not wake up. She was quite literally drained of all her energy. She however did have an acute sense of what was happening around her. Inoue could see a fuzzy outline of a boy dragging her from the collar and taking them towards a closet.


    Why Shin? Where are you taking me?


    She wanted to ask but her mouth felt too heavy to open. The words that came out were nothing more than a slur of mixed sounds.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    If Shin had done this before saving Akito ¨C Inoue would have thought that Shin was trying to kill her. However, she knew better. The boy in front of her was not her enemy. So if he was dragging her away then he had his reasons. She didn¡¯t know why but when she saw the blurred outline of Shin¡¯s back ¨C she noticed that it was really big for a boy; she could trust in him¡­everything is going to be okay¡­


    Akito woke up when his head hit the floor. His comfortable pillow lap was being dragged away by the small boy. The curious situation of Shin dragging away Inoue was further complicated with the grim and sinister smile Shin had (as imagined by Akito) as he dragged away Inoue.


    ¡°I knew it¡­¡± Akito muttered. ¡°What are ¡­.you doing ¡­.to Hime-sama.¡±


    Shin ignored Akito and continued to drag Inoue towards the closet. He opened the closet door and pushed Inoue inside.


    ¡°Hime-sama¡­¡± Akito cried out in alarm. His mind and body, both were not working properly. No matter how much Akito struggled, he could not move his body. Even though Hime-sama, had told him Shin was not an enemy, Akito could not trust those words easily.


    Just as Akito was about to shout out again, Shin turned around and glared at him furiously. ¡°Are all demon children stupid as you! Do you want to save your her or kill her!¡± Shin spoke in a stern yet hushed voice.


    Akito opened his mouth but he had no reply to give¨C he was confused. Save Hime-sama? What is he talking about?


    ¡°Silence!¡± Shin whispered as he glared at Akito. ¡°She is completely unconscious. Without her ¡®midnight-persona¡¯, those who are asleep will wake up if disturbed¡­.¡±


    Akito¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when he heard the last bit. How did this child know that Hime-sama has such an ability? At night, Hime-sama¡¯s presence can put others to sleep and those already in sleep would go into a deep slumber.


    Shin ignored Akito¡¯s stupid expression and turned back to stuffing Inoue into the closet. Once she fitted inside, he pulled down a few jackets and covered her from head to toe with them. Shin seemed to be awfully pleased with his work ¨C hiding the girl under a pile of clothes. However no matter how one looked at it; it was too obvious there was something living and breathing under the heap of clothes. Nonetheless, Shin couldn¡¯t help feel proud ¨C this is a great strategy.


    Akito quietly watched everything. He didn¡¯t quite understand what was going on. At first he imagined, Shin was going to do something horrible to Inoue. However, that no longer seemed to be the case. The boy¡¯s actions clearly seemed calculated ¨C it was not something random. Clearly, he was hiding Hime-sama¡­.but hiding her from what?


    It then dawned upon him. Akito¡¯s gaze quickly shifted from Shin to the door. Akito cursed himself as he tried to move himself. It made sense, if the boy did not do anything to him that means someone else did¡­.and that someone was the enemy!!


    How could I be so stupid! In this weakened state, I can¡¯t protect Hime-sama.


    Seeing, the Neko boy struggle to move on the ground, Shin approached him and placed his foot on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Shin ordered him. Shin could have used his hands to stop Akito from moving¡­but that would have required him to lower himself to the Neko boy, this was unacceptable. After all, wasn¡¯t the Neko boy from some country side branch? Also wasn¡¯t the Neko boy, trying to harm him before? Also, this felt oddly satisfying to Shin. The Neko tribe were proud demons. To be able to plant his foot on the face one ¨C the feeling was refreshing.


    Akito¡¯s eyes bulged out from their sockets. How dare this brat step on my face!


    Akito was mumbling something but Shin pressed down his foot harder.


    ¡°Silent fool. Let this great one think.¡±


    Akito tried struggling with all his might as he heard Shin¡¯s words. It stinks!! It stinks you fool!!! Move the damned foot!!


    Shin''s lips curled upwards as he realized Akito''s predicament - the plight of those with a sensitive nose. Shin''s eyes widened momentarily as he suddenly realized something fromthis situation.


    Shin smiled and spoke, "Neko boy, this one time Maou-sama will forgive you. We can still salvage the situation. Are your blades as sharp as your claws?"


    For some reason, against the backdrop of the moonlight, Shin''s smile expressed more something more than the joy of a six year old - itrevealed a cold, murderous and cruel smile.Akito shuddered as he saw Shin''s smile and heard his words.


    Is this really a six year old boy?

 Chapter 36.3: Am I the one you seek?

    Part 3


    Shibutsu Day care facility ¨C an ordinary orphanage / affordable day care institution. It was opened in the poorest of neighbourhoods in Tokyo, with the aim of providing child care services to those who could least afford it. It was recognized by the government for its charitable and noble efforts and even granted a special status, enabling it to receive government funding. It was also recognized by the neighbourhood community for providing children a safe shelter to live and grow up in. That was indeed the case till about last week ¨C when two children of unknown origin made their way to this institution. Of course, the two children were Inoue and Akito and neither of them were dangerous. However, to the mundane world, lost children of the Murim were signs of unspoken dangers to come.


    There is a story amongst those form the Murim ¨C if you spot a lost child from the Murim, be sure there will be violence to follow. The rules of the Murim world are the harshest ¨C survival of the fittest. Although, ever since the Murim integrated with the Mundane world, things have been a lot calmer, such peace does not last long in the Murim world. Usually, the fights are limited within the clans and rarely do wars amongst clans break out. However, when wars do break out between two clans of the Murim world ¨C there is in no way it ends with a simple slap on the wrist. Some of the bloodiest conflicts of the Murim often result in entire clans being cleansed clean ¨C being annihilated.


    To prevent complete destruction of a clan, during emergencies the young children of the clan are sent away to safety. The Night Clan of Korea, had prepared such a measure. They had never dreamt that such a day would come that they would actually need to employ such a survival tactic but life at times takes unexpected turns. The Elders of the Night Clan were ever so happy that they had never been too proud like the other Guardian Families of Korea and had prepared contingency plans. With tears swelling in their eyes, the Night Clan dispersed the young children across hidden towns, villages across Korea. The Patriarch of the Night Clan went one step ahead ¨C he sent his children and a select few to Japan. The future of the Korean Night Clan rested on the shoulders of these children.


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    One week ago¡­.


    ¡°Papa!¡± Inoue cried out tearfully as she hugged her father and mother one last time. Two big streams of tears were rolling down her cheeks as she refused to let go of her father. ¡°Don¡¯t send me away! Inoue will be a good girl!¡±


    Her father smiled and hugged her tightly before forcefully pulling her away and handing her to an air hostess who was waiting on the side.


    ¡°Please take care of them.¡± Inoue¡¯s father instructed the air hostess, who curtly nodded in acknowledgement.


    Beside, Inoue¡¯s group was another group from the Night Clan ¨C Akito and his parents. Unlike Inoue, Akito stood emotionlessly as he faced his parents.


    ¡°Akito, do you understand the situation of our Clan?¡± Akito¡¯s father asked him as he bent down to Akito¡¯s eye level.


    Akito nodded his slowly.


    ¡°As protectors of the Night Clan, we live to serve and die for the Night Clan. You must protect Hime-sama with all your might.¡± Akito¡¯s father spoke sternly.


    Akito continued to nod his head.


    ¡°Do not contact us once you reach. It is likely we are being watched.¡±


    Akito nodded once more.


    ¡°Once you land, you will find someone with the Night Clan emblem waiting for you. That is your contact in Japan and he will keep you safe. Once the danger here passes, we will come for you.¡±


    Akito nodded and then asked, ¡°And if we come under attack in Japan?¡±


    Akito¡¯s father frowned at the question. ¡°You do not have to worry about that. The person I am sending you to live within in Japan will keep you well protected. No one would dare to attack him. Further, the Baem tribe has been struck off the Family Tree. They will not be able to travel into Japan.¡±


    ¡°Then father, why don¡¯t you all come with us?¡± Akito asked with a pained expression. This was the first time he revealed his true feelings.


    ¡°Akito, although, your training is not complete, I will give you one last lesson before you depart. A man is only as good as his word ¨C in our promise lies our honour. We are the protectors of the Night Clan, we live and die by the Night Clan. Not everyone can escape the calamity facing the Murim. Who will protect the less fortunate, if those with power flee? We cannot choose to be strong as we please but must be strong when we want to be weak. The Patriarch of the Night Clan is a man of honour and he will keep the promise of his forefathers to remain the Guardians of Korea till the very end. And so, we will stay by his side and fight along with him.¡±


    Before Akito could say anything else, his father closed in and hugged him. While hugging Akito, he whispered, "Protect Hime-sama and trust her. If anything goes wrong in Japan, you can use yourpower.¡±


    Akito¡¯s eyes widened temporarily and he hugged his father tighter. ¡°I will protectHime-sama.¡±


    A single tear rolled down his father''s eye.

 Chapter 36.4: Am I the one you seek?

    Part 4


    One week ago¡­.


    ¡°I am Mr. Yamamoto. I have been instructed to take care of you two till your parents come for you.¡± A middle aged Japanese man introduced himself to Inoue and Akito, in Korean as he held the Night Clan¡¯s emblem, which authenticated his claim, in his right hand.


    Both Akito and Inoue bowed respectfully and spoke Japanese in unison. ¡°The children of the night greet respected Elder.¡±


    Yamamoto was taken back in surprise and hurriedly replied, ¡°I did not know that the two of you spoke Japanese. Please do not address me as ¡®Elder¡¯. I am just a humble servant, following orders of Elder Ji-san.¡±


    ¡°Then how should we address you?¡± Akito asked cautiously.


    ¡°Yamamoto-san is fine or Oji-san.¡± The middle aged man replied with a smile as he showed the way to a Rolls Royce with open doors was waiting for them.


    x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x


    Inoue kept silent for most of the way as she looked out the window.


    ¡°Hime-sama, please back away from the window.¡± Akito mumbled as he tried to pull away Inoue from the window.¡±


    Yamamoto smiled as he spoke, ¡°I notice that Akito-san is really worried about Night Clan¡¯s only princess. Don¡¯t worry Akito-san, these windows are bullet proof. We understand your circumstances well and have taken every precaution necessary.¡±


    Akito frowned slightly before backing away from Inoue.


    Yamamoto continued speaking, ¡°Do you see those two black cars following us in the back? Those are our escort vehicles¡­.¡±


    Yamamoto explanation was interrupted by the cackling of the radio and a deep voice. ¡°Yamamoto-san, Ohori here. We have company.¡±


    Yamamoto¡¯s expressions stiffened as he picked up the radio-com and rolled up the window. He did not want to distress the children any further. Unfortunately, what Yamamoto didn¡¯t know was that both children were very sensitive to sound and despite the barrier could hear everything.


    ¡°You are clear to speak, Ohori.¡± Yamamoto replied.


    ¡°Tech support has picked up chatter on the airwaves and has updated our schedule. Please navigate as per new route.¡±


    Yamamoto checked the GPS navigation screen and it did update to a new route.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Yamamoto replied as he sped up the car and began pulling away from the escorts. ¡°I wish you well my friends. Give our enemies a wonderful Japanese welcome.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­..¡±


    **BOOOOOMM**


    A loud explosion ripped through the highway and one of the escort cars went flying up into the air.


    The radio went silent.


    Yamamoto grit his teeth and stepped on the accelerator. As their car blurred past other vehicles, clearly violating the speed limit, Yamamoto spoke up, ¡°Inoue-sama, Akito-san, please put on your seat belt. This might be a rough ride.¡±


    The children followed the instructions quietly without saying anything. However, their body language revealed everything. Inoue¡¯s face was stoic however her hands were clenching the seat belt tightly. Her body movements were stiff, she knew well what were pursuers were capable of ¨C they would go to any lengths to carry out their mission even if it meant attracting attention in the mundane world.


    Akito on the other hand was tense. He was battle ready. Although, his expression did not reveal how tense he was ¨C he was ready to jump any time to cover Inoue. He had one hand on his seat belt button, ready to open it at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Oji-san.¡± Inoue pressed the intercom and spoke. ¡°We should not go this path.¡±


    Yamamoto did not have time to reply to the princess as he was continuously checking all his mirrors for pursuers, then cross checking his navigation for traffic updates, real time satellite updates and even speaking with his tech support over the phone.


    Noticing, Oji-san was too busy to reply, Akito opened his seat belt buckle and held Inoue¡¯s hand. ¡°Tell me Hime-same.¡±


    ¡°There is someone on that building staring at us.¡± Inoue replied while unbuckling her seat belt as well.


    It was only then did Yamamoto notice what the kids were doing. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t open your seat belts!!¡±


    ¡°There is a man on that building!¡± Akito spoke up loudly, very agitated as the middle aged man was not taking them seriously, as he pointed out to a building two miles away.


    Yamamoto was momentarily perplexed how the children could have known something like that. However, he found the answer ¨C ¡®they are from the Murim.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be strange if one of them had very keen sight ¨C something like that was considered very normal in the Murim.


    ¡°Tech support. We have a problem ¨C sniper dead ahead.¡± Yamamoto dutifully reported.


    ¡°We have confirmation. Satellites have picked up movement on the roof of Kasori Towers. Closest distance between you and sniper is 2.3 miles. After which you will be entering the expressway tunnel. We have escort vehicles on standby there. We repeat no change in route.¡±


    ¡°You heard them?¡± Yamamoto asked as he lowered the barrier between them. ¡°2.3 miles. Even the best sniper shot is 1.5 miles.¡±


    However, the children did not reply. Their eyes were fixed on the building ahead of them.


    ¡°Unlock the doors, Oji-san.¡± Inoue spoke calmly. Yamamoto eyes went dull as he followed Inoue¡¯s instructions and unlocked the doors without questioning Inoue.


    ¡°The shots have been fired.¡± Inoue softly spoke as Akito tightly clenched her and flung open the door.


    ¡°What the hell!!!¡± Yamamoto angrily shouted as he returned to his sense. Before he could even react, the two children jumped out of the car.


    In the next moment, three bullets hit the wind shield of the car. The first cracked the wind shield of the car. The second broke it open and the third killed Mr. Yamamoto. All shots fired hit at the same point.


    x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x


    Present day


    All the children lay asleep in their bed, except for Inoue¡¯s ¨C whose bed lay empty. A lone figure, stood by the window covered from head to toe in a blanket.


    ¡°Were you expecting me?¡± A woman¡¯s voice softly rang throughout the room. The woman who entered the room was the caretaker of the facility ¨C the same lady who admitted Shin into the facility tonight.


    However, Inoue¡¯s figure did not move as she continued to stare out the window ¨C a simple nod in acknowledgement.


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± The woman¡¯s voice changed into a man¡¯s voice. ¡°Did you know from the start?¡±


    Without turning to face her pursuer, Inoue nodded her head once more.


    ¡°Then I guess, I don¡¯t need to wear this piece of shit.¡± The woman with a man¡¯s voice replied as he tore of the mask from his face. The assassin continued walk cautiously towards Inoue and continued to speak, ¡°Did you realize I poisoned your friend.¡±


    Once again Inoue nodded.


    The assassin stopped in his tracks ¨C to observe the room. All the children were sleeping peacefully. No¡­there was one...Akito, who was no longer breathing. Even his body was giving off no heat.


    ¡°He¡¯ssss already dead.¡± The assassin gleefully spoke as he licked the blade. ¡°Oh- Hime-sama¡­.lone Princess of the Night. Where will you run next?¡± At the end of his sentence, he stood behind Inoue ¨C just outside her striking distance ¨C can never be too cautious.


    ¡°I would have loved to sell you somewhere¡­but boss said to cut you up into little piece and bring you back to Korea. Ready to return home, Hime-sama?¡± The assassin continued to speak as he readied to shove his blade into Inoue. He wore a crazed evil smile on his face as he took stance.


    It was at that moment the figure by the window turned around¡­.to reveal¡­Shin.


    ¡°Am I the one you seek, disgusting human?¡± Shin asked with a smirk on his face.

 Chapter 37.1: At deaths door step

    Part 1


    ¡°Am I the one you seek, disgusting human?¡± Shin asked with a smirk on his face.


    The assassin stood in frozen in shock. There were no expressions on the assassins face, but it was evident that the assassin was in shock. It took a good ten seconds, before either person moved or spoke. For the most of this time, Shin took the opportunity to observe the ¡®human¡¯ before finally kicking away the blanket which lay by his feet.


    Shin¡¯s actions stirred up the assassin, who finally spoke, ¡°You¡­.!!!¡±


    Shin smiled casually and replied, ¡°Yes me.¡± There was a playful tone in Shin¡¯s voice and a glint mischievousness in his eyes. What bothered the assassin was that the child in front of him appeared to be fully aware of his situation yet completely ignorant at the same time.


    ¡°Where is the girl?¡± The assassin cried out while his body began trembling in anger. Shin could barely contain himself ¨C not only did his plan go wonderfully well but he also had to take this human man dressed in a woman¡¯s attire seriously.


    ¡°Do you mean the country side bat?¡± Shin asked leisurely.


    Although, the assassin did not understand what Shin meant by ¡®country side¡¯, he was however able to connect the ¡®bat¡¯ to the Night Clan¡¯s emblem. The assassin quickly nodded and asked again but this time slightly more menacingly, ¡°Tell me brat, where is the girl and I will let you go.¡±


    Shin¡¯s playful smile immediately disappeared as he heard the assassin¡¯s words. ¡°You impudent human!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The assassin was startled by Shin¡¯s reaction ¨C those were not the words he was expecting.


    ¡°You dare call a supreme being such as me a brat!¡± Shin angrily shouted back. Shin¡¯s breathing was heavy and the anger was not only real but visible in his eyes.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The assassin grew more confused with every word Shin spoke. Was this child some celebrity? No how can that be? If he was someone famous why would he be dropped off here? Is this some sort of act?


    ¡°Kneel filthy human and repent your sins, and Maou-sama may consider forgiving you!¡± Shin boldly declared.


    It was at that moment something within the assassin broke. ¡°Pfffttt¡­.Hahahahahahahaha¡­¡± At first it was a simple laugh but it quickly began sounding something far more eerie. The assassin put away his blades and slowly removed remaining traces of the rubber mask that he was wearing. ¡°Kid¡­this is no time to play games with me. If you know what is best for you tell me where is the girl.¡± The assassin spoke with a certain dreaded aura.


    ¡°Hmmmmpph¡­filthy maggot. Not even worthy of my consideration. It seems it is you who does not wish to live lo¡­.¡± Shin immediately stopped speaking as something flashed by his side - cutting away three strands of his hair. Although Shin didn¡¯t see what was it that the assassin threw, nor did he see the assassin¡¯s movement, Shin knew it was a dagger.


    The assassin smiled once Shin stopped speaking. ¡°See I told you not to mess with me kid. The next time I throw, I won¡¯t miss¡­.¡±


    Shin lowered his head and began muttering something, ¡°Impudent¡­..moron¡­.to dare to attack Maou-sama!!!¡±


    The assassin sighed and kicked Shin in the stomach.


    ¡°Ugh!!¡± Shin groaned softly as he clutched his stomach and lay sprawled out on the floor.


    ¡°Not bad kid¡­¡± The assassin smiled gleefully as he placed his foot on Shin¡¯s stomach. He then changed his tone to a graver and lower octave, ¡°Now tell me where did the girl go¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe..hehe..¡± Shin laughed as he tried his best to overcome the pain. His stomach was burning intensely with pain and the blood had drained away from his face ¨C giving him a deathly pale appearance, beads of sweat began to roll down Shin¡¯s forehead. Slowly, blood trickled out of the corners of Shin¡¯s mouth.


    The assassin frowned momentarily before crouching down. He then yanked Shin by the hair and pulled him up to his eye level. ¡°The first kick was enough to cause internal bleeding. You aren¡¯t even from the Murim yet your eyes are so defiant. What¡¯s so funny?¡± The assassin curiously asked.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Shin spit out the remaining blood in his mouth on the assassin¡¯s face. ¡°A Maou-sama who can¡¯t even take a single kick from a cowardly huma¡­¡± Before Shin could complete his sentence, the assassin banged Shin¡¯s head against the floor.


    ¡°Tell me child, do you find this fun?¡± The assassin asked as he pressed Shin¡¯s head against the floor with great pressure. If it was any other child, they would have begun crying long ago. However, even though Shin had tears welling in his eyes, he refused to cry.


    ¡°Where is the girl?¡± The assassin asked one more time as he drew out dagger from the side of his waist.


    ¡°Foolish human¡­the demon girl escaped¡­¡± Shin replied with a smile on his face ¨C despite the agonizing pain he was in.


    The assassin stared at Shin for a moment to decide whether the child in front of him was lying or not but quickly dismissed that idea. It was not possible for a six year old boy to lie in the face of imminent death. No... rather than not possible, no one would want to lie in the face of death. Then howwould achild of such young age find courage to lie.


    It then dawned upon the assassin that this entire charade must have been planned out by that girl.The killing intent in the room went up several notches. The assassin swore loudly - dare make a fool of me!!After screaming out loudly, he thenplungedthe dagger down at Shin, whose face wore a mocking smile.

 Chapter 37.2: At deaths door step

    ¡°Foolish human¡­the demon girl escaped¡­¡± Shin replied with a smile on his face ¨C despite the agonizing pain he was in. Shin¡¯s expressions revealed no lies. At this moment, Shin was no different from a small boy who lay curled on the floor, grimacing over the pain plaguing his tiny body. The assassin did not deal with him lightly when he hit Shin. Shin bore the full force of an adult man with his child like body. Even though Shin exercised daily and did his so called ¡®fortitude training¡¯, it could only be considered playing around in front of a trained killer.


    The killing intent in the room went up several notches as the assassin heard Shin¡¯s words. He had been toyed around by little children! The Baem had no need for useless people who did not accomplish their target. No, even if they did not punish him for failing to kill the last member of the Night Clan ¨C the humiliation would be too great!


    His mission was relatively simple, kill the child. As an assassin, his pride would be in tatters if the target, who is only a child, managed to escape from his clutches. It would still be excusable as they were dealing with one of their own ¨C from the Murim ¨C but opportunities would be hard to come by in the future because this was Japan. The Baem did not have operations outside Korea. This mission was the only exception that Baem was willing to make. If a tiny gang like Baem began rattling the superpowers of the Murim world, they would be wiped clean from the face of the earth overnight. Many of the Japanese clans would be considered amongst the elite of the Murim society. The Baem was not foolish enough to take on these super giants just yet¡­


    In the end this all means I need to wipe out all traces of our involvement, find that brat and kill her¡­Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    It was no easy task to find that girl, and the Japanese Murim Association was already on his trail. Each passing day meant he was taking on more risk ¨C the assassin swore loudly before plunging the dagger down at Shin.


    It was at this moment, Akito made his move. Akito had been waiting all this while for this opportunity. He had been lying on Shin¡¯s bed and watching everything unfold. At first Akito was shocked to learn that the caretaker of the institute was the assassin. Akito could not even fathom when or how did the assassin take place of the real caretaker without him realizing so.


    Akito had been watching everything from the start. From when the caretaker entered the room to him torturing Shin. Although, the original plan had been that Shin lure out the assassin and Akito pounce on him. Akito found Shin¡¯s plan good but na?ve. A well trained assassin would never have his guard down. Just because Shin had lured him out did not mean that he would be easy to kill. The timing had to be right. Of course, Akito didn¡¯t mention his thoughts to Shin. He was certain if Shin is true to his character that alone should be enough to enrage the assassin who would loosen his guard.


    True to Shin¡¯s character, his prideful nature tore the calm demeanour of the assassin who forgot to check ¨C who was sleeping on Shin¡¯s bed. Akito was about to move on the assassin when he first kicked Shin but was momentarily when Shin did not give away Hime-sama¡¯s location. For the first time, Akito saw Shin in a different light ¨C he may be crazy but at least he is loyal. As a retainer, how could Akito not understand the value of loyalty. Loyalty was something Akito prided over and Shin now proved his loyalty to Hime-sama. Anyone else, even the elders of the Night Clan in the face of their death would have sold off Hime-sama long before, but this boy in front of him protected them even though he was being subject to unnecessary pain. There was no need for Shin, who was a complete stranger to them, to go this far for them ¨C yet he did. He did so despite Akito not sticking to the original plan proposed (more like commanded) by Shin. So how could Akito not act to save Shin?


    Just as the assassin went into plunge his daggers into Shin, Akito made his move and rushed towards the assassin ¨C as agile as a cat.

 Chapter 37.3: At deaths door step

    Just as the assassin went into plunge his daggers into Shin, Akito made his move and rushed towards the assassin ¨C as agile as a cat. Akito rushed forward at his fastest speed, with his own set of daggers pointed at the assassin¡¯s back¡­


    Akito only had one thought on his mind, ¡®save him¡¯. Maybe it was because he was so focused on saving Shin that he did not notice that the strange gleam in the assassin¡¯s eye nor did he notice the slightly crooked smile on the assassin¡¯s face. The assassin had been expecting ¡®someone¡¯ to make an appearance when he attempted to kill Shin.


    No, he already had a hunch that the princess may be in the room and that she may not have escaped. There were plenty of clues, but Shin¡¯s acting had been too convincing. However, the assassin mistakenly believed that this was due to the fact he was under a hypnotic control. Afterall, wasn¡¯t he was just an ordinary boy? Why would someone who doesn¡¯t even belong to the Murim or have a shred of ki in him, be so willing to sacrifice himself for a girl whom he just met today? It made no sense other than the explanation ¨C this was a ploy and the child was under the princess¡¯ hypnotic control. Although, the rouse of using a child of the ordinary world could be considered despicable, weren¡¯t the little girls circumstances a bit too desperate? The assassin understood his target well, although the girl could act dishonourably she would never let someone as powerless as Shin take the fall from her.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Everything turned out as the assassin had expected it would, the moment he went into kill Shin, ¡®someone¡¯ made their appearance. Only, it wasn¡¯t the person the assassin was expecting.


    When Akito was less than an arm¡¯s length away from the assassin, the assassin turned around in a flash ¨C his posture went from ¡®about to stab Shin¡¯ to ¡®kill the person attempting to stab me in the back¡¯. It was only for the tiniest fraction of a second, the assassin¡¯s eyes were wide opened as he realized the one attacking him was the bodyguard boy and not the princess. Why is he alive? Did he not take the poison?


    The surprise and afterthoughts lasted for less than a fraction of second. The assassin decided to quickly change his tact from kill to subdue. He did not understand why Akito survived but he could not act rashly when something unexpected happened. Maybe his entry into the institution was detected earlier and the princess snuck away? In that case it made sense to keep Akito alive and question him. Akito could also serve as a bait for the princess or even life insurance as ticket to leave Japan. No it was best if Akito was alive ¨C that however did not mean Akito needed to be ¡®abled¡¯.


    The assassin raised his knee up and smacked Akito right into the face. All this happened in a mere second and Akito went flying in the opposite direction. Akito''s eyes were filled with disbelief as he flew across the room.


    ''We are done for...''

 Chapter 37.4: At deaths door step

    Akito¡¯s eyes opened up wide in disbelief as he went flying across the room. His mind had not even begun processing the pain or what just happened ¨C pure bewilderment was written on Akito¡¯s face. He had been so focused on saving Shin that he forgot the basic tenets of combat.


    No, it didn¡¯t matter whether Akito focused on killing or saving. The assassin had an unreal reaction time. Even the best surprise attack from Akito would never work on him. Akito had seen such speedy movements before and he had met many more far more powerful people in the Murim. Nonetheless, he did not expect that their assassin would be of such high calibre in close combat situation. The only explanation was ¨C he was core member of the Baem.


    As in any organization, there is a CEO, co-founders or team members who have been with the organization for several years and then there are other employees. Many of the tribes, clans and families in the Murim world operated with a hierarchical governance structure. The family or clan was led by a Head of the family, there were several core members and then there were other members. As the name suggests, core members are considered elite and somewhat of a big deal in Murim. It is said, if you kill the head of the family then a new one will sprout. But if you kill the all core members then the family is finished. Core members rarely made appearances and any mission they would undertake meant it was on where failure could not be accepted.


    Akito cursed himself as he hit the wall with full force ¨C sinking into the impression his body made on the wall.


    Of course, they would send their best¡­.why did I believe that this assassin was someone I could take on? The other side will complete this missionas thoughhis life depends on it¡­.


    ¡°Well that was unexpected¡­¡± The assassin spoke up as he lowered his knee. ¡°I really was expecting the little girl and here comes her wannabe-body guard.¡±


    Others at this point would have been panicking that their plan had failed but Shin was different ¨C he was after all former Maou-sama. Shin stared at Akito in disbelief as he realized that their plan failed. Shin did not even see everything ¨C all he noticed was a blur and a large bang after which Akito appeared pressed into the wall. Shin vaguely understood he was weak in a human body however this tiny experience made it very clear to him how large the gap was between him and a lowly human assassin ¨C very large. It wasn¡¯t just the assassin but also the Neko-boy. Even the Neko-boy moved faster than Shin¡¯s eyesight and Shin didn¡¯t even consider the Neko-boy strong. No he even thought of the Neko-boy as very very weak garbage. Now if the Neko boy was weak garbage did that make Shin? Shin could not digest the reality of his circumstances.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Gathering the remaining bits of his strength, Shin weakly grabbed on to the assassin. ¡°Neko-fool! Attack again, I am¡­.¡±


    Shin never got to complete the sentence. The assassin shook his leg slightly, flinging Shin against the wall behind them.


    ¡°Trash don¡¯t touch me.¡± The assassin whispered as he took his first step forward toward Akito.


    However, before he could take the second. He felt a weak tug on his right foot. It was Shin holding on to him with his blood dyed hands.


    ¡°You¡­.dare¡­.call¡­.me¡­.trash¡­.¡± Shin weakly asked ¨C his voice was barely audible and his breathing was heavier.


    ¡°Nooo¡­..¡± Akito tried to stop Shin from speaking further, but his voice failed him. That single knee-hit to his head had completely disoriented him. Akito was already reeling from weakness of the recovery from the poison. In addition, he literally rushed with full force into the assassin¡¯s counter. The counter completely dispelled whatever strength was left in Akito. Akito couldn¡¯t even see clearly ¨C everything appeared as a watery blur. Had it not been for his keen hearing, he wouldn¡¯t have heard Shin¡¯s voice.


    Akito desperately wanted to tell Shin that this had nothing to do with him and there was nothing more that could be done. There was no need for Shin to risk his life for them ¨C but then again Akito could not be more mistaken. Shin wasn¡¯t doing this for the Night Clan but for his pride. He had never been so humiliated before and this was something he was unwilling to accept. However, Akito had no way of knowing all this and simply assumed that Shin was a compassionate boy who was risking his life to save the last members of the Night Clan. Akito wanted to stop Shin from speaking anymore and earn the complete wrath of the assassin but it was too late for that¡­.


    ¡°Boy¡­.I took pity on you because you were under her control¡­.but that does not seem to be the case¡­then let me teach you some manners.¡± The assassin spoke whilst releasing a menacing aura.


    The assassin turned around and began repeatedly kicking Shin in the solar plexus. While doing so, he swore at Shin multiple times ¨C calling him trash, weakling and pathetic fool. Halfway through the beating, Shin began resembling a bloody ragged doll. However, more than the beating it was the words that the assassin spoke that hurt Shin. Not a single word that the assassin said was wrong. How pathetically weak. Absolutely, comparable to trash. Shin was in tears but not once did he scream or groan in pain.


    Seeing Shin¡¯s pathetic condition, Akito was reduced to tears. ¡°Stooppp¡­¡± Akito weakly whispered. Akito could not see it clearly but he could see a blur of red on the floor that was growing bigger and bigger. He could not see Shin but he did notice a dark red shade on the floor that resembled nothing more than a thrown away floor mop ¨C he knew that ¡®floor mop¡¯ was Shin. Akito didn¡¯t understand why Shin went so far for them but he could not watch it anymore.


    Hearing Akito¡¯s words brought the assassin back to reality. There were far more important things to take care of right now than the human trash. The assassin let out a deep breath, ordinarily he would not have been so worked up. This behaviour was completely out of line from his usually calm and perfectionist like demeanour. However, the last few days had been quite intense on him and the frustration had begun creeping out. The rage filled assault could only be considered letting out some steam.


    Although the attacks weren¡¯t filled with the intent to kill nor were they precise martial arts, they were still blows from an enraged adult man. Looking at Shin¡¯s weakened state, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if Shin died right this moment; he stood at death¡¯s door step.


    ¡°Trash.¡± The assassin swore as he kicked away Shin one last time as though he were kicking away litter that accidently fell near his feet. He then walked towards Akito ¨C with an attitude that said he couldn¡¯t be bothered with less important things ¨C he had more pressing matters to take care.


    May be it was one second or two, but a weak voice came from behind the assassin as he faced Akito.


    ¡°I¡­..am¡­..not¡­.trash¡­.¡±

 Chapter 38.1: One Punch

    Akito didn¡¯t know how much time had passed but he could see a shadow walking towards him slowly ¨C Akito knew who the shadow blur was ¨C it was the assassin. Strangely, Akito found himself calm and not in least bit scared. Maybe it was because of what he just witnessed ¨C an ordinary boy stood up in the face of great danger and didn¡¯t blink. The boy was no more than six or seven, the same age as him, yet in the face of life threatening danger he fought till the very end. Akito didn¡¯t know Shin¡¯s condition but from Shin¡¯s breathing he could only tell that for now Shin was alive. Akito didn¡¯t know what would become of him after this but he only hoped that somehow Shin would live¡­.


    ¡°I¡­..am¡­..not¡­.trash¡­.¡± A faint voice broke the silence in the room. Somehow, with great difficulty Shin stood up ¨C his back leaning against the wall while his arms clung on to the open window for support. His once kiddish clothes were dyed red in his own blood. It even hurt for Shin to breath, let alone speak ¨C yet somehow he managed to get that sentence out.


    After that sentence the room went deathly silent. The calm face of the assassin cracked and Akito¡¯s eyes went wide open in disbelief ¨C was this kid crazy?


    There were so many options available to the assassin ¨C he could have chosen to ignore Shin, he could have proceeded to interrogate Akito, he could have begun looking for the girl. However, Shin was like a nail that refused to be hammered down. He was like a sore thumb sticking out. From his very existence to his unyielding spirit absolutely infuriated the assassin.


    ¡°Kid¡­it seems you have a death wish¡­¡± The assassin silently muttered to himself. ¡°You¡¯re lucky.¡± The assassin looked at Akito who was plastered into the wall. ¡°You get to live five minutes ¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡­..am¡­.not¡­a¡­kid¡­.I¡­am¡­.MAOU-SAMA!!!¡± Shin shouted the last bit after which he spat a mouth full of blood out.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡®Crazy¡­that kid is definitely crazy¡­.¡¯ That was all that Akito could think. Even at death¡¯s door step, this kid could not think of anything but role-playing ¡®Maou-sama¡¯? He had to be a lunatic or something to not care about his own life.


    The assassin shared similar thoughts to Akito.


    ¡®Is this kid alright in the head? Where the hell did Maou-sama come from? Is that from some TV show? Is he living in some make belief world? Now that I think about it he was acting pretty out of character for child when the officer brought him in¡­.it would be best to finish him and then slowly take my time with the bodyguard¡­too bad you didn¡¯t stay down kid, I might have let you live¡­.¡¯


    In the blink of an eye, the assassin appeared in front of Shin. ¡°Brat, you have already wasted enough of my time. Just die peacefully¡­¡±


    The assassin stopped speaking midway as he noticed Shin slowly limp towards him. The silver moonlight streamed through the window, highlighting Shin¡¯s bloodied back. With the light falling on his back and a shadow cast on his face, Shin resembled a tiny zombie goblin?


    ¡°What¡­?¡± The assassin was trying to make sense of what Shin was trying to do when he noticed Shin curling his fingers and forming a fist.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± The assassin began laughing like a mad man. He had seen some pretty crazy things while working as an assassin but this was a first; a six year old crazy child, nearly beaten to death, still had the will to fight. Even the strongest in all of Murim would lack such a fighting will. This kid who was completely ordinary and no strength literally put all of Murim to shame with his determination. The assassin laughed till there were tears in his eyes ¨C for a moment he even pitied killing Shin because such determination in the world of martial arts could only be considered praiseworthy.


    ¡°Fine. One punch in honour of will.¡± The assassin humoured Shin as he presented himself to Shin with no defense ¨C after all how much power could a single punch from a nearly dead child pack?


    Shin wasn¡¯t in his senses and kept slipping in and out of his consciousness, he could only feel teething anger from the humiliation he was receiving now; the enemy presented himself defencelessly to him ¨C openly mocking Shin¡¯s strength. The enemy wasn¡¯t wrong in his assessment of Shin¡¯s strength, even the strongest punch from Shin in his prime condition would have no effect on the assassin forget about his nearly dead beat state having any effect.


    Yet somewhere Shin clung on to hope. Maybe, with this strike....he would be able to manipulate mana¡­he would be able to restore his dignity¡­


    Tears rolled down Shin¡¯s cheeks as he slowly raised his fist. He could feel no mana coursing through his meridians. He could feel no mana fluctuations in the air¡­ he could only feel his over bearing weakness.


    Destroy humanity? What a joke. Regret welled up in Shin¡¯s heart as he realized he won¡¯t be able to avenge his comrades¡­


    Without any hope, without any strength, Shin flung his fist at the assassin.

 Chapter 38.2: One Punch

    Part 2


    Without any hope, without any strength, Shin flung his fist at the assassin. Why bother swinging his fist on the assassin? Maybe it was done out of pride?


    The punch was flimsy. It arced quite widely, it lacked any precision and proved that Shin lacked martial arts training. The punch could only be considered as best as that of thrown by a child throwing a tantrum.


    Why would the assassin bother defend against something so terribly weak let alone dodge? No, the assassin intended to take the punch and mentally break down the pest. He wanted the child in front of him to feel hopeless, powerless and weak. He hated Shin¡¯s eyes which revealed unyielding determination. What right did the child in front of him have to be incomparably arrogant when he was so weak? Only the strong had the right to be arrogant. More importantly, the assassin took pleasure in torturing his prey ¨C even if it was a six year old boy¡­


    Akito couldn¡¯t see very clearly what was happening but his sight was somewhat restored. He could tell that Shin threw a punch at the assassin ¨C given Shin¡¯s height it was aimed at the assassin¡¯s stomach. However, that was the last thing Akito remembered seeing ¨C the room suddenly turned very bright and then everything went dark.


    Part 3


    The assassin stood proudly as he faced Shin¡¯s punch. His face which was lit up by the moonlight streaming through the window, revealed his malicious and crazed smile. He was the type of predator you that enjoyed whittling away the strength of his prey slowly. Although, he was a professional that took care not to get side tracked, every once in a while he would find a delicious prey which would bring out his nasty temperament. However, today this decision could have been not been any worse.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The moment Shin¡¯s punch connected, the entire skyline in the background outside turned bright. It wasn¡¯t just bright ¨C it was blinding. A flash of white light streaked through the sky, as though a flash bomb had gone off, gushed through every window. The assassin who was facing the window was instantly blinded by the incomparably intense white light. The bright flash of light only lasted a mere second, however that was only the beginning.


    The assassin could not see but all his other senses were working. Before he could even comprehend the fact that he was blinded or take precaution, a massive shockwave passed through his body, blowing him across the room and pressing into the wall. Just as Akito had been countered by the assassin and flew across the room, the assassin flew in identical manner across the room¡­. No it could be said his condition was worse.


    The shockwave was accompanied by a large ¡®boom¡¯ sound as though a bomb had gone off, literally causing the assassin¡¯s ears to bleed. In addition, the window, which the assassin stood in front of, shattered sending several sharp glass pieces straight towards the assassin. Several large pieces of glass dug deep into the assassin¡¯s body.


    The assassin screamed in agony as each shard pierced through his body. If he had not been so pompous and had continued to regulate ki in his body, these fragments of glass would not have been able to penetrate through his skin let alone cause pain. However, arrogance comes at a price and the assassin was paying for it today.


    Part 4


    Without any hope, without any strength, Shin flung his fist at the assassin. Why bother swinging his fist on the assassin? Maybe it was done out of pride?


    The punch was flimsy. It arced quite widely, it lacked any precision and proved that Shin lacked martial arts training. The punch could only be considered as best as that of thrown by a child throwing a tantrum.


    Shin threw the punch with his eyes closed and everything else that followed happened in a second. Shin felt touching the assassin with his fist and then he was thrown off by a loud ¡®boom¡¯ like noise. The shockwave from the ¡®boom¡¯ threw the already-unable-to-stand-Shin on to the floor.


    When Shin opened his eyes, he was startled. His heart began beating wildly as his brain processed the sight of the assassin pressed into the wall, bleeding and howling in pain. Shin couldn¡¯t understand how it happened or what happened. He didn¡¯t feel any mana within in him or in the environment. Yet, the moment the punch landed, the assassin went flying through the air and was clearly severely injured¡­


    Shin couldn¡¯t understand anything, but his bloodied, bruised and swelling face revealed a faint satisfied smile.


    ¡®I did it (?)¡¯ Thinking that much Shin closed his eyes and lost consciousness.

 Chapter 39.1: Aftermath

    Part 1


    Shin couldn¡¯t understand anything, but his bloodied, bruised and swelling face revealed a faint satisfied smile.


    ¡®I did it (?)¡¯Thinking that much Shin closed his eyes and lost consciousness.


    ¡°You pathetic piece of shit.¡± The assassin weakly cried out as he pulled himself out of the wall.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you for this. This is all your fault, if it weren¡¯t for those eyes¡­¡±


    The assassin slowly made his way across the room.


    There were several new cracks in the walls of the building and a huge hole for every window of the institution.


    This wasn¡¯t just the case with the orphanage but all the buildings in this poor neighbourhood. The houses and other buildings in the vicinity had been constructed from poor material.


    The assassin didn¡¯t understand what happened but from a single glance through where the window used to be he could tell that something like a ¡®bomb¡¯ had gone off. Given the devastation of the surrounding area and the emergency alarms ringing all over Tokyo it was likely something big happened.


    Something of this scale meant that the country¡¯s borders would be sealed. The assassin knew he had to make his escape now whilst everything was chaotic. The target had most likely escaped and the assassin blamed Shin for it, the helpless boy who lay on the floor.


    Anger swelled in his heart, as the assassin recollected how foolish he had been to lower his defense. ¡®This is all your fault¡­¡¯ He muttered.


    The assassin pulled out a small gun which was hidden away in his now-tattered skirt.


    ¡°Die¡­¡± He muttered as he pointed the gun at Shin.


    ¡°STOP!¡± Inoue¡¯s sharp voice cut through the room.


    The assassin stood frozen in his place, with the gun pointed at Shin. Inoue slowly crept out of the storeroom. She didn¡¯t know what had happened but when she woke up she found several of the children were now awake ¨C some of them were crying and some were frozen in shock. Her eyes quickly surveyed the room and found Akito stuck in the wall. However what shocked her the most was Shin¡¯s condition ¨C he was at the edge of life and death.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Inoue didn¡¯t have much time to figure out what happened but it was clear that the boy was somehow involved in once again saving her life. A bitter taste swept Inoue¡¯s mouth as she realized her weakness resulted in an innocent being involved in her affairs. If it wasn¡¯t for Shin, Akito would have died to the poison by now and she would have been caught by the assassin¡­the debt of gratitude she owed to Shin was too large.


    It was a complicated feeling Inoue had ¨C he was the same age as her yet she who was acknowledged as the genius of her clan felt he was a much more superior existence?


    ¡°You¡­foolish¡­girl¡­¡± The assassin spoke with great difficulty as he slowly turned his head with great difficulty to face Inoue. ¡°You¡­should¡­have¡­stayed¡­.hidden¡­¡±


    Although, it couldn¡¯t been seen, the assassin right now was under incredible pressure as though a large boulder had been dropped on his tiny body. His body refused to listen to him. No it was responding to him however it was incredibly difficult for him to move it freely.


    ¡°DON¡¯T MOVE!¡± Inoue cried out as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She was using all of her will and power to restrain the assassin. Had she been in her prime condition this would not have been so difficult however saving Akito had depleted her of her strength and left her greatly exhausted. Furthermore, it seemed as though this assassin had some training in resisting her ¡®control¡¯.


    The situation was quite grim of Inoue and the others. Many thoughts rushed through her mind however she knew if she showed a moment of weakness, the assassin would break free from her control and kill them all. What worried her the most was Shin¡¯s condition ¨C he needed to be rushed to the hospital immediately.


    The assassin picked up on the cues ¨C he noticed Inoue¡¯s eyes were fixed on the little boy that lay in front of him. A devious plan quickly formed in his head. ¡°He won¡¯t make it¡­¡± The assassin spoke more freely than before, clearly her grip was weakening.


    ¡°I said don¡¯t move!¡± Inoue screamed out as she used up all her strength to ¡®control¡¯ the assassin. Inoue was smart, she knew what the assassin wanted to do ¨C break her mental attack by finding the small chink of weakness in her mental defences. However, she was not going to allow that to happen.


    ¡°Sado!¡± She called out.


    A chubby boy who was sitting up on his bed dazed slowly moved when his name was called out. Sado recognized the voice ¨C it was his new friend Inoue. However, although he heard Inoue¡¯s voice he could not see her.


    ¡°Sado!¡± Inoue called out again with great urgency in voice.


    Sado slowly turned to see the little girl standing next to the store room. She looked a lot like Inoue except she gave of a more dignified appearance. Another stark difference was that this girl¡¯s hair was silver in color. ¡°Inoue?¡± The little chubby boy slowly asked.


    Inoue nodded her head.


    ¡°Inoue!¡± The boy quickly responded to her nod. This was indeed Inoue! As the boy came to his senses, he realized that there was someone else in the room as well¡­a man dressed in the caretaker¡¯s clothes¡­.and then there was Akito in the wall¡­.and¡­why was the window completely destroyed¡­.


    ¡°Sado!¡± Inoue cried out desperately as she noticed that Sado already appeared terrified and apprehensive. ¡°Listen to me! You remember big sister¡¯s teaching?¡±


    Sado once again turned to face Inoue and then slowly nodded.


    ¡°There is a stranger in the institution and he hurt Akito and me¡­¡± Inoue didn¡¯t have to say any more.


    Sado immediately understood what had to be done. He promptly got of the bed and began guiding the other children out of the room. He was the eldest child in the institute and was well versed for situations such as these ¨C after all they all received emergency training. He wanted to bring Inoue along with him but his instincts told him that Inoue was the reason why the stranger wasn¡¯t hurting anyone and it was best not to disturb her.


    After the room had been emptied, Sado came back to the room one last time and checked on Inoue. She was still facing the stranger and the stranger stood in the same position holding a gun¡­Sado frowned as he dashed towards the phone¡­.he had to call the police!

 Chapter 39.2: Aftermath

    Part 2


    ¡°Heh¡­do you think, I won¡¯t kill them all?¡± The assassin asked after the room had been cleared. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill each child here¡­¡±


    However, Inoue did not respond to the vile threats of the assassin and continued to ignore him.


    ¡°I can feel your grip weakening.¡± The assassin continued to casually speak. It was now only a matter of time before he escaped. ¡°This boy isn¡¯t going to live¡­¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Inoue¡¯s eyes flashed with hatred when she heard those words. She wanted to respond back but she didn¡¯t dare to, lest her ¡®control¡¯ dissipated. She was already very worn out and no longer standing but rather kneeling on the ground. She had thought several times of using her ¡®control¡¯ over the assassin such that he shot himself but she didn¡¯t dare to do so. A cornered beast will display overwhelming strength the moment before its death. If something like that happened, the assassin would break free from her control and it would be the end of them.


    Inoue was covered in sweat as the seconds turned into minutes. Sado had already informed her that the cops were on their way but beyond that he couldn¡¯t do anything else. Inoue begged him not to get other adults involved. Ordinary unarmed adults would only provide opportunities for this killer to get away. At least with the police there was a ray of hope.


    ¡®I just have to hold on a little longer¡­for everyone¡¯s sake¡­¡¯


    ¡®I just have to hold on a little longer¡­for the children¡¯s sake¡¯


    ¡®I just have to hold on a little longer¡­for his sake¡­¡¯


    Inoue grew drowsy and she blacked out. She had finally depleted her strength and her ¡®control¡¯ ended.

 Chapter 39.3: Aftermath

    Part 1


    One year ago...


    ¡°Good morning, Sir!¡± A young man nervously spoke out as he wobbled his way into a small room. It was an elegant spacious room ¨C with white walls and white italic marble ¨C giving off a feeling of holiness and sanctity. Anyone who would see this room for the first time, would undoubtedly be as nervous as this young man. The young man was of tall and thin build. His most outstanding feature would be his orange spiky hair. There was nothing particularly outstanding about him but if anyone looked closer, beyond that thin gaunt appearance ¨C one would come to realize that the young man was not thin but exceptionally fit. He was not thin but perfectly muscular. There was not an ounce of fat on him.


    All these details were noted by the two men, who appeared to be much older than the young man, already present in the room. The two men silently nodded at the new joiner and hushed him in. One man was tall and lean whereas the other was short and thin. Like the young man, they too wore business suits. There wasn¡¯t a strict uniform code but it was always best to where formals when visiting such scared places.


    The two men took their sweet time to scrutinize the newcomer from head to toe. The orange spiky head was a fresher ¨C straight out of training and this was probably his first field assignment. The two men sighed at the orange hair kid¡¯s misfortune.


    ¡°Kid¡­to be assigned to this team of all teams¡­.you must have either aced the training programme or pissed off someone very high up on the ladder. Going by the appearance¡­.you much have surely pissed someone high up on the ladder. No¡­.even if you were the top of your class you would have been advised not to join the team. So it is very likely, you must have created hellva lot of trouble to end up here.¡± The short man spoke first. His voice was coarse and heavy but it had a familiar and friendly tone to it. However, his face was grave as he spoke his words.


    The newcomer had a look for surprise on his face as though the short stubby man guessed his situation entirely correct.


    ¡°Heh¡­.a complete newbie¡­¡± The taller veteran spoke up. ¡°Even your expressions give you away. Didn¡¯t they teach you anything at the academy?¡±


    The newcomer quickly withdrew his astonished expression and greeted out aloud, ¡°Field Agent -047, reporting for duty seniors! Thank you for your guidance. It is as you have said, this one has always scored average grades and ¡­..and¡­.did not get along well with the instructor.¡±


    The frown on the two men¡¯s face grew even bigger when they heard the Agent 47 speak. His voice was filled with sincerity ¨C their team did not have a place for such people ¨C however, since their boss had selected this individual then that meant there must be something redeeming about him.


    Noticing the silence on the two men¡¯s faces, the young man grew ever more nervous. Finally, he couldn¡¯t take it and he spoke up, ¡°Ummm¡­.excuse me seniors¡­.what exactly should I be doing right now? I have only been told to turn up here.¡±


    The two men stared with pity at the innocent lamb which had been brought to the slaughterhouse ¨C he was so innocent and na?ve ¨C it was pitiful.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The two veterans let out a sigh ¨C how long will this one last? A few weeks? Couple of days? Should they tell him¡­..


    Seeing no reply and only dull expressions on the faces of his senpai, the young man grew ever more restless. ¡°Ummm¡­.what does this team do?¡±


    The tall veteran answered. ¡°Kid¡­.do you remember the academy¡¯s motto?¡±


    ¡°Serving God and carrying out his will!¡± The young man replied back while standing firm and placing his hand near his chest as though he were taking a vow.


    The two veterans sighed again. This was as fresh as the crop got, straight out of school and still following all the rules. He even saluted while speaking out the academy¡¯s motto. How much more sincere can one get?


    Ignoring the fresh comers behaviour, the tall man continued to speak. ¡°So what do you think a qualified priest should be doing in a church?¡±


    The young man opened his mouth and closed it again. This happened several times but no words came out. It was true that they were standing in a church and it was also correct to say that he was a priest¡­..but the contents of his training, which included weapons and martial arts ¨C resembling more of spy training, did not seem applicable in their current circumstances.


    ¡°But the weapons training¡­¡± The newcomer spoke up as though he were confused and walked into the wrong room.


    ¡°Gods will is not only limited to charity, greenhorn. Sometimes, justice needs to be carried out and sometimes retribution.¡± The short man asked in an irritated manner. Although, the short man did not say it ¨C he certainly gave a big enough hint to rest the young man¡¯s fear that he had walked into the wrong room.


    Somehow, seeing the greenhorn¡¯s relieved expression irritated the short man even more.¡°Kid¡­.do you know which team this is?¡±


    The kid nodded his head sideways. He had no clue which team he had been assigned to. He only knew it was a double digit team ¨C something that could be considered as not too shabby.


    ¡°Team 13.¡± The short man answered with a grave tone.


    *Gulp* The young man had heard of team 13 in the academy. They always required more and more people ¨C rumours were that all those who joined team 13 ¨C never lived too long.


    Seeing that the young man reacted to the name ¨C team 13 ¨C gave the short man a small sense of satisfaction. ¡°Oh yes¡­.that notorious team 13 that you may have heard about in your academcy. One of the elite 13 and if you have kept your ears open then you would know the rumours surrounding this team¡­and trust me the rumours aren¡¯t even close to the truth. This team has a 90% fatality rate within first three weeks¡­.and you know why do we have such a high fatality?¡±


    The young man could feel countless beads of sweat form on his back as he just began realizing the predicament he was in. He once again nodded his head sideways ¨C he didn¡¯t know why team 13 had such a high fatality rate.


    ¡°Almost everyone dies by the hands of the boss.¡± The short man spoke in a hushed tone. His words were soft as though he were telling a ghost story.


    The young man wanted to refute the short man¡¯s claim but kept quiet how the other veteran was also maintaining such a serious face.


    ¡°We only have one shred of advice for you. If you want to live¡­.¡±


    The young man held his breath.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at the boss¡­..no matter what you do.¡±


    Huh? Don¡¯t stare at the boss? What does that mean?


    Before the newcomer could ask more questions, someone interrupted their conversations by walking into the room and speaking up.


    ¡°Please stop teasing him.¡± A young boy calmly called out. The new comer turned around to see who had joined them and was surprised to discover that it was a boy no older than twelve or thirteen years old. What was such a young boy doing here? Was there a mistake?


    The newcomer turned to his seniors but noticed that they had completely frozen up like statues. They stood in attention posture as though a great general had walked into the room. Their faces were white as paper sheets and beads of sweat began forming across their faces.


    The young man was perplexed by their sudden change in behaviour so he turned around to address the boy who had just walked in. Upon closer examination, Agent 47 realized that the boy did not appear to be out of place. He had a slight radiance to his skin and he even wore white robes¡­.resembling a high priest¡­.


    Wait!!! That is a high priest¡¯s dress!!! How can a boy that young be a high priest!!!


    The newcomer turned back to his seniors for an explanation. However, they were still frozen like statues. No¡­.if anything, they seemed to be hinting to him something¡­.their eyes were panicking and telling him¡­..not to¡­.stare to much at the child???


    Why?


    ¡°Priest Quinn and Priest Percy, I would like you both to welcome your fellow colleague, Priest Dominic, into our team. Priest Dominic, I am High Priest, Alveron ¨C you may also call me Alveron. I am also the one who approved your application to join us.¡±


    ¡°Tha¡­.tha¡­that.that¡­.means you¡¯re the boss?¡± The newcomer finally stuttered slowly.


    The young boy before him simply smiled, ¡°Welcome to my Team 13, Priest Dominic or would you prefer Agent 47?¡±

 Chapter 39.4: Aftermath

    One day after the ''incident'':


    In the outskirts of Seoul, when the city lay a sleep ¨C a group of young men, of all ages, built and appearance, had gathered by the metal scraps recycling center. A majority of these men were wearing leather jackets and were accompanied by motorcycles. This alone was enough to identify these people as members of the motorcycle gang, Baem.


    Initially, they could be considered small time petty criminals. However, they came from nowhere and like a raging storm swallowed all of Seoul in their pace. The police was well aware of their actions. The South Korean police forces had been monitoring the underworld situation for quite a long time. No matter how much the guardians of Murim tried to cover up the actions of Baem, there would always be traces left. Eventually, those who were more observant would take notice and anyone smart enough would begin piecing together the information.


    The rumours of the Murim world were already quite popular amongst the police force of Seoul. The idea of another world operating independent of society piqued the curiosity of some while frightened others away. Those weren¡¯t frightened and kept digging ¨C and came extremely close to the truth. However, there were always people watching over the curious ones and they would be handled by the special squad ¨C some were recruited and others were scared away. The special squad ¨C similar to a SWAT team or DEA agents, was a special task force with no official name or identity. These police men and women were the best of the best from the South Korean Crime Prevention forces. Everyone belonging to this elite unit came from different backgrounds. Some even had a brief history with the special /armed forces.


    Although, the elite unit could not compare with the strength of those from the Murim, the elite unit compensated for their weakness through their numbers. The Murim, at best consisted of a few hundred individuals in South Korea. However, the elite unit (or Special Forces) had nearly three thousand members. This unique combination of strength and numbers, kept the balance between the ordinary world and the Murim world ¨C or at least the existence of a government force capable of handling Murim related incidents gave the government of South Korea a peace of mind that it could defend itself from those from the Murim. The situation between the governments of the world and the Murim could better be described as a monster you can¡¯t kill but must share the bed with. No one would get a comfortable sleep in this sort of situation and hence the need for a watch dog.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    There did exist ¡®other forces¡¯ which would also take care of the Murim situation in South Korea ¨C however, no government appreciates the interference of a foreign force on its own soil. Furthermore, the complex nature of politics made these ¡®other forces¡¯ an unreliable means to count on in times of emergency.


    Just as the South Korean government had set up the nameless special squad, so did other governments across the world. It could be thought of having a PR manager. Nobody wanted to deal with the Murim but somebody had to handle the situation as and when they arose.


    Today, one such situation arose ¨C the Baem. They killed a high profile minister of the state. This was the first time when someone from the Murim made such a big move in the ordinary world. Usually, their disputes were only very low levels ¨C that wouldn¡¯t even pique the interest of the government. However, the assassination of the Petroleum Minister sent the government into frenzy and there was increasing pressure on the elite squad to make their move.


    Originally, the Baem was an ordinary drug peddler group ¨C too low profile to be on anyone¡¯s radar. However, their meteoric rise, soon caught everyone¡¯s attention. The elite squad had been following them for days and was well aware that this group had single handedly crushed all the guardians of Murim in South Korea. Such an oppressive force was something they too were afraid of moving against.


    It must be remembered that the elite squad only balanced the Murim forces ¨C which never acted cohesively. However, for the Baem gang to take out such powerful forces simultaneously implied they were not to be trifled with. Their actions of assassinating the minister also hinted of their ambitions. This worried the elite forces; they could not move against the enemy and had no option but to watch from the side lines and watch for an opportunity to strike.


    The opportunity presented itself today to them; a mass meeting of all of Baem. Baem had less than one hundred core members, those belonging to the Murim and another thousand or so who-thought-that-they-joined-the-best-motorcyle-gang-in-the-world. On an ordinary day, the Baem would be scattered across South Korea. This meant that to take action against Baem without them noticing ¨C would require a large scale operation to take out all of Baem all at once. A joint operation with the elite unit and ordinary police force would be difficult to coordinate and there always existed the possibility of leaks. Also, such a large operation would not guarantee success that the core members and head of Baem would be captured ¨C a must if the cancer were to be killed at the source. If they failed, then Baem would surely go into hiding and then strike from the shadows. Essentially, the risks far outweighed the gains.


    However, ¡®annual meeting¡¯ was different. It meant everyone would be gathered at one location. This meant that the head and the body of the snake would be gathered in one location ¨C a mass culling operation.


    ¡°All right everyone. Everyone is gathered. Please take care of yourself and your comrades¡­¡± A happy voice chirped through the radio of the elite forces. ¡°Our orders are clear ¨C no one is to escape.¡±

 Chapter 39.5: Aftermath

    Shin-kun stood in a daze as he stared at the view in front of him¡­.he couldn¡¯t tell his this was a dream or reality.


    Although it was night, the streets of Shibuya were bright as though it were daytime. It wasn¡¯t street lighting which lit up the entire square but the colourful street signs and gigantic TV screens. All the buildings in the vicinity were covered in neon bulb signboards and large TV screens running adverts etc.


    ¡°Nnn~~¡­This isn¡¯t a festival?¡± Shin asked the shadowy blue standing next to him. ¡°Or a dream?¡±


    However, the Shadow nodded sided ways, it denied the question for the umpteenth time with a sigh.


    Shin quietly stared at the Shibuya square. For Shin, who came from a medieval era, this site only resembled something akin to a festival. Colourful lights, throngs of people flocking together, laughter and noise¡­this was all too surreal. How far have humans advanced?


    The answer lay before in front of Shin; ¡®magical light tools¡¯ that lit the entire night sky, streets jam packed with people, and all sorts of ¡®magical gadgets¡¯ on display in shops¡­ the world in front of him was nothing like the world he knew of. Shin understood that humans had advanced technologically given that he had been living in the human realm for the last six years. However, Shin was a baby who spent of his time sleeping for the first two years. After that, he lived in a protected environment. Furthermore, when Shin was finally able to walk his family moved to a countryside town. Compared to the quiet rustic countryside town, the city was a sci-fi haven. Shin followed the news but never watched it. He only had a vague idea of human capability.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    It also wasn¡¯t the case that Shin hadn¡¯t been to any city before. Shin had previously visited a smaller city with his Otosan to purchase groceries etc. However, the view from a roof top was very different from the view from a street. As the streets were filled to the brim with people there wasn¡¯t enough space to even stand idly on the streets. So Shin and Shadowy blur watched Shibuya square from the roof top of a building. From the roof top, Shin could truly see that the city sprawled over acres and acres of land. Again, this was very different from the world he knew and lived in. As Maou-sama, Shin had visited several cities in the nether realm. However, none could compare to the size of this city called Tokyo.


    Shin¡¯s brain was trying to process the information. With great difficulty words finally flowed into his mouth, ¡°So you are telling me, that humans have built hundreds of such cities?¡±


    ¡°Thousands¡­¡± The shadowy blur replied.


    Shin was about to ask another question when his voice choked as he noticed in the distance ¨C ¡°Oka-san? Oto-san?¡±


    Oka-san was running towards the building Shin stood on ¨C she was crying and Oto-san chased behind her. Emotions of pain and guilt stirred inside Shin''s heart as he watched Oka-san cry and push past the crowded street.


    ¡®Why are they here?¡¯ Shin wondered.

 Chapter 39.6: Aftermath

    ¡°Would you like me to take you to them?¡± The black gas like figure asked politely.


    Shin stood on the roof in deep contemplation. ¡°This is not a dream?¡± Shin asked once more as he struggled to remember what had happened. How did he end up on the roof of the building? Where was this place? Why couldn¡¯t he recall what all happened in the last few hours?


    ¡°This is definitely not a dream. However, this is not the mortal realm either, as you may have guessed.¡± The black gas like blur spoke. ¡°This is the illusory realm.¡±


    ¡°The illusory realm?¡± Shin asked with surprise and a hint of shock on his face.


    The black blur seemed to be nodding in agreement. However, the existence was more shocked by Shin and his attitude. Shin¡¯s reaction showed that he understood where he was and he was sensible enough to discern this was not a dream. The black blur could have lied to Shin ¨C but its instincts told him Shin would notice the flaws of the lie.


    The black blur had been passing through this hospital by mere chance when he felt the presence of a strong soul. Curious, the black blur found the owner of the powerful soul ¨C a human boy named Shin or at least that is what the medical record in the ICU ward said. What was stranger was, as the black blur observed Shin¡¯s body, it noticed traces of the Ryu-sama. No more precisely, the Ryu-sama and this boy had been in contact. That is when the black blur decided to talk with Shin.


    Shin was aware of all the major realms in existence. It was something he had learnt about as Demon Lord. Each realm is a world on its own completely independent of other realms ¨C governed by different laws. There exist five major realms in the world; the Divine Heavenly realm, the Mortal Realm, the Nether Realm, Spirit Realm and the Illusory realm.


    Japan or where humans resided was the Mortal realm. The old Demon Lord castle, or the place where Maou-sama was slain was the Nether realm. The Spirit realm was the realm which house the undead, souls of the dead and so on. The Divine Heavenly realm was a realm was inhabited by Divine beings. Lastly, the Illusory realm ¨C the most mysterious realm of them all ¨C nothing other than its name was known. Now that Shin stood in the illusory realm ¨C why did it resemble the human city? There were so many questions Shin wanted to ask this shadow of a person¡­If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Shin¡¯s expressions turned pale and he proceeded to ask another question, ¡°Senior¡­this small one just realized, he does not know who you are, yet has imposed so many questions on you.¡±


    The black gas blur appeared to be smiling. ¡°Ah¡­me¡­.now how would I describe myself to you¡­I am much like you¡­¡±


    ¡°Just like me?¡± Shin asked curiously.


    The black blur appeared to be pondering about Shin¡¯s question. ¡°No maybe that was a bad comparison¡­although we are similar we are not similar at all¡­.a lesser divine being. A minor God? Or atleast that is what she calls me. Do you understand?¡±


    Shin stood bewildered on the spot. What does that mean? A minor God? Isn¡¯t this a divine being ¨C something far greater than the Ancient One? No maybe because he is minor, he could be considered an existence on par with the Ancient One? Shin immediately bowed to the black blur. ¡°I apologize for not recognizing your exalted existence! To think I imposed upon you without care! Please forgive me!¡±


    The black shadow seemed to be quiet surprised and amused at the same time. This human child was different ¨C he possessed an attitude quite different from other humans¡­.could it be because he is a child? Most humans would be in awe of divinity however Shin treated it similar to how one would treat royalty. Although both divinity and royalty are exalted existences, they both evoke similar yet different reactions from humans. ¡°Exalted? I wouldn¡¯t think that highly of myself¡­and it is me who has imposed upon you, Shin.¡±


    ¡°You have?¡± Shin asked in surprise. ¡°No of course it is my honour to attend to your request.¡±


    If words of flattery were to be learnt, then Shin was the go-to teacher. The minor god spoke after a pause, apparently quite satisfied with Shin¡¯s attitude. ¡°I do have some requests for you, Shin. Although, I am unclear as to how you know the Ryu-sama. I clear feel Ryu-sama¡¯s presence from your body. Could it be you are Ryu-sama¡¯s servant?¡±


    ¡°Ryu-sama?¡± Shin pondered ¨C who the heck is Ryu-sama? Shin then recollected the Ancient One¡¯s words at the police station ¨C ¡®You may call me Ryu -sama¡¯.


    But why is he calling the Ancient One, Ryu-sama?


    Shin nodded to the minor god¡¯s question. ¡°Yes, I am a lowly servant of Ryu-sama.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Strange¡­.in the thousands of years I have known Ryu-sama, he has never kept a servant¡­but I can see why he may have chosen you. You possess a rather strong soul for a human. It is good that he picked himself a servant. Then I don¡¯t have worry about him.¡±


    ¡°Worry?¡± Shin asked curiously. Why would anyone worry about the Ancient One?


    ¡°Ah!¡± The minor god exclaimed as though he was a complete kultz. ¡°It seems you are not aware, but your master has been injured¡­then again how would you know if you yourself are so badly injured¡­¡±


    ¡°WHAT!!!¡± Shin screamed out. The Ancient One injured? How is that even possible?

 Chapter 39.7: Aftermath

    ¡°WHAT!!!¡± Shin screamed out. The Ancient One injured? How is that even possible?


    ¡°How?¡± Shin frantically asked the minor god. However, a moment later Shin calmed himself down and apologized. ¡°It is just very surprising¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­even I was surprised¡­but that just goes to show you the Mortal Realm is a very dangerous place.¡± The minor god quipped.


    ¡°Your exalted existence, you seem to be implying this is the work of humans?¡± Shin asked as he curled hisfingersinto a tight fist.


    ¡°I do not know the answer to that question, Child. I only sensed a wave of destruction and then the presence of a powerful mana being released¡­something powerful enough to alter the laws of this universe." The God''s voice turned grave and serious. "I do not know how he did it...butto alter the laws no matter how localized is considered a grave taboo. Worse still, he may have altered the future of humans tonight - his actions saved the lives of millions.I fear those above me willinvestigate the matter thoroughly...." The minor God stopped speaking as he realized thatShin, a human, would not understand these matters.


    Instead of worrying about the future, the minor god decided to change topics, "Would you like to see him?¡± The minor god waved his gas like hand. It seemed as though the world was a clear pond and by shaking his hand, the minor god created ripples in the pond which spread out across the entire vicinity. Instantly, the surroundings changed and Shin along with the minor god appeared in what appeared to be an ICU ward.


    Shin wasn¡¯t too fascinated by the teleportation, instead his eyes were fixed on the Ancient One. Ryu, was sleeping in the bed with various wires stuck to his skin. On the surface, Ryu¡¯s body didn¡¯t have any injuries, however Shin was able discern that Ryu¡¯s aura had considerably weakened.


    ¡°I am not sure to what extent you can see¡­but his condition is not too good. You will need to be by his side when he wakes up. That is my first request.¡±


    The minor god¡¯s words pulled Shin from his deep thoughts. ¡°First?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­it isn¡¯t really a request if you think about it. You are his servant, isn¡¯t it given you will take care of him?¡± The minor god seemed to be complaining.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Shin gave a stiff smile and motioned the minor god to continue. Mentally, he regretted buttering up to this being ¨C give an inch and they take a mile.


    Understanding Shin¡¯s expressions, the minor god added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promise to make it worthwhile. You simply need to visit a human on my behalf and tell them no. No wait¡­I won¡¯t be here¡­and the answer is too brief. Humans don¡¯t like brief answers¡­how about saying ¨C No and you must live your life diligently!¡± The minor god seemed to be really pleased with himself.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Shin wondered what this meant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too much. She will know what I mean¡­¡± The minor waved his hand once more and ripples spread across the surface of the world ¨C this time it changed to the ICU ward housing Shin.


    Shin found himself facing himself. Shin¡¯s body was wrapped up in bandages and there were several red tubes inserted into his arm.


    ¡°This is me!¡± Shin asked with surprise.


    ¡°Hmm¡­No this your body. You are here with me.¡± The minor god explained.


    Slowly, the memories of the past few hours began trickling back to Shin. ¡°I am alive?¡± Shin asked curiously ¨C he didn¡¯t believe he would survive his encounter with the assassin.


    ¡°Hai! This is my gift to you!¡± The minor god happily chirped. ¡°You are bound to make a speedy recovery ¨C much to the surprise of the humans. Although, I do not interfere with human affairs, since you are Ryu-sama¡¯s servant and doing me a favour, this much interference is acceptable, don¡¯t you think so...¡±


    Shin didn¡¯t reply as he stared at Oka-san and Oto-san rush into the room. Oka-san began crying even harder when she saw Shin in lying in the bed.


    ¡°Do you know them?¡± The minor god asked ¨C initially, he thought they were Shin¡¯s parents but Shin¡¯s lack of emotions to their appearance made him question that. Further, wasn¡¯t Shin a servant of Ryu-sama? Why would Ryu-sama take a servant who has living parents? Wasn¡¯t that just morally wrong¡­


    ¡°They are my servants¡­¡± Shin spoke with a sigh. He felt guilty for abandoning them, more so after seeing Oka-san weep for him.


    ¡°EH??¡± The minor god exclaimed in surprise. Servants of such a young child ¨C was this a young master from a rich household in Japan? ¡°The world is truly a surprising place¡­but didn¡¯t you call them Oka-san and Oto-san before?¡± The minor god asked as he remembered Shin¡¯s words on the rooftop.


    ¡°Yes¡­I did¡­¡± Shin calmly replied as he walked over to Oka-san. She could not see him standing next to her. ¡°Those are their names.¡±


    ¡°EHHH!!¡± The minor god really felt like face palming himself ¨C how can there be someone so stupid!


    No wait¡­maybe this is what Ryu-sama told the child before he separated him? The minor gods imagination began to run wild¡­


    Few years ago¡­when this child was very young¡­a despicable Ryu-sama broke into the house, stealing the baby from the cot. Some years later, when the poor boy accidently met a man and woman who recognized him, the evil Ryu-sama told the child that they were his servants....


    ¡°Nothing like that happened¡­¡± Shin interrupted the minor god who was speaking out aloud his imagination.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Since, as long as I know. They introduced themselves as Oka-san and Oto-san. Together they have taken care of me¡­¡±


    This really can¡¯t be¡­.maybe I should ask him¡­


    ¡°Shin¡­do you know what Oka-san and Oto-san mean?¡± The minor god spoke slowly and meekly as though he was carrying a bomb.