"An Abyss Demon? I'm an Abyss Demon?! Grandpa, y-you're joking... right?!"
After standing there in stunned silence for dozens of seconds, Yuan'er looked at Xiumu-Duke with utter disbelief before lowering her head to look at the dense black energy surrounding her body—the black liquid floating beside her that filled her with an overwhelming sense of security.
"Grandpa... are you saying... this is the Power of Shadow of Silence? That I've been corrupted by an Abyss Demon?"
"...Yes."
After a long silence, Xiumu-Duke slowly nodded with utmost solemnity.
Hearing that answer, Yuan'er wore an utterly bewildered expression. Her beautiful blue-and-red heterochromatic eyes were already brimming with grievance and confusion. For someone who had always been pampered and cherished like Yuan'er, the fact that she hadn't broken down crying yet was already remarkable.
"Grandpa! You have to be mistaken! This power was given to me by that black-haired big sister! It wasn't given to me by some Demon God, and I've never even come into contact with an Abyss Demon! Besides, it's not like I've never encountered the Power of Shadow of Silence before! We saw it during combat training at the academy! That power was disgusting! Just looking at it made your skin crawl! But..."
As she spoke, two spheres of terrifying black energy slowly gathered in her hands before she proudly held them out toward Xiumu-Duke and the others.
"Look, Grandpa! Isn't this power warm? Gentle? Peaceful? Stable? How could this possibly be the Power of Shadow of Silence?! Grandpa, please stop joking with me!"
However,
after those words left her mouth,
Yuan'er realized, to her astonishment, that Xiumu-Duke's expression hadn't improved in the slightest.
Instead, it had become even graver.
The atmosphere resembled one facing a formidable enemy.
Walking forward solemnly, Xiumu-Duke let out a helpless sigh.
"Yuan'er... do you remember what your teachers told you? Those who become infected by the Power of Shadow of Silence—or even transform into Abyss Demons—will no longer feel disgust toward that power."
"Instead..."
"They will become instinctively repulsed by mana, battle aura, and similar forms of energy."
As he spoke, Xiumu-Duke slowly raised one hand, looking at Yuan'er with a trace of hope.
As battle aura surged through his body, a brilliant azure light gradually appeared in the palm of his hand.
"Tell me, Yuan'er."
"When you sense the power in my hand..."
"...what do you feel?"
"What do I feel?"
Hearing the question, Yuan'er looked rather puzzled as her mismatched eyes focused on the battle aura in Xiumu-Duke's hand.
However,
before she could even deliberately examine it,
an indescribable wave of disgust suddenly surged through her heart.
At that moment,
Yuan'er realized in horror that the battle aura which had always felt warm and comforting in her grandfather's hands had become, in her perception, unbelievably foul.
Sticky.
Putrid.
Like rotten meat left soaking in rancid water for days.
The instant she sensed it, an expression of instinctive revulsion spread across her face.
"Grandpa! W-What is that you're releasing?!"
After hearing Yuan'er's answer,
Xiumu-Duke slowly lowered his head in pain.
At that moment,
the Marquis realized...
that some things could no longer be changed.
"...Yuan'er."
"This... is Grandpa's battle aura."
"Huh...?"
"Grandpa... y-you're... you're joking, right?"
"I'm sorry, Yuan'er."
"I'm not."
"Th-Then... h-how..."
As her perception expanded,
she could sense far more than just Xiumu-Duke's aura.
She could clearly feel the auras of every Blizzard Knight present.
Yet all of those familiar, reassuring presences...
had become unbearably revolting.
Even worse,
they continuously stimulated certain instincts buried deep within her.
"N-No..."
"Th-That's impossible..."
"I..."
"I became..."
"An Abyss Demon?"
"Me?"
"I'm one of those monsters?!"
Looking down at her own body, Yuan'er kept muttering to herself, utterly unable to accept reality.
The black Power of Shadow of Silence surrounding her also began growing increasingly restless.
Unable to hold herself together any longer,
the girl burst into tears.
"H-How could this happen...?"
"This can't be real..."
"It shouldn't be like this!"
"Why...?"
"Why?!"
"There has to be some mistake!"
"B-But..."
"Waaaaah..."
"Grandpa!"
"Grandpa!!"
"What am I supposed to do?!"
"What am I supposed to do?!"
Hearing the girl's desperate cries for help,
Xiumu-Duke let out a long, agonized sigh.
Then,
he tightened his grip on the sword in his hand and slowly walked forward.
Seeing her grandfather approach,
Yuan'er instinctively ran toward him.
Just as she always had.
She wanted to throw herself into his embrace,
to receive his comfort,
just like before.
However,
the moment he saw Yuan'er running toward him,
Xiumu-Duke finally steeled his resolve.
He made a decision.
A cruel one.
Yet one he believed he had no choice but to make.
Abyss Demons possessed no reason.
Even Demon King-class Abyss Demons generally followed only the instinct to slaughter.
Those who had only recently transformed into Abyss Demons might temporarily regain their sanity.
But eventually...
they would all be consumed by their bloodthirsty instincts,
becoming loathsome monsters.
"...I'm sorry."
"Please forgive Grandpa."
"For the sake of everyone in Wind Facing City..."
"I must kill you..."
"...before you lose control again."
The next instant,
Xiumu-Duke suddenly swung his sword,
slashing directly toward Yuan'er's body.
?!!
"Grandpa?!"
Reflected within the terrified girl's eyes,
the longsword wrapped in brilliant blue battle aura rapidly grew larger.
No...
No?!
Why?!
Grandpa!!
Becoming an Abyss Demon—
becoming the kind of merciless, bloodthirsty monster she had always feared—
was already something Yuan'er couldn't accept.
But seeing the grandfather she trusted most attack her...
felt as though her heart had been torn apart.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
Accompanied by a heart-rending scream,
just as Xiumu-Duke's blade was about to reach her neck,
the terrifying Power of Shadow of Silence surrounding Yuan'er exploded violently.
The overwhelming blast instantly sent Xiumu-Duke and several nearby Blizzard Knights flying.
Rampaging black light once again erupted throughout the city.
—
"...After that, the black light knocked me unconscious. When I finally woke up again... Yuan'er was already gone."
Recalling everything that had happened,
Xiumu-Duke couldn't help forcing a bitter smile before taking another long drink from his bottle.
Then,
the elderly Marquis pulled Yumo beside him into an embrace, looking utterly devastated.
"Xia'er..."
"Tell me..."
"Was I... unbelievably foolish?"
"..."
Faced with Xiumu-Duke's question, Yumo said nothing.
She simply leaned quietly against his embrace, which was heavy with the smell of alcohol.
Although today was the first day he had left his tent, judging by the overwhelming scent of liquor, the old Marquis had clearly been drowning his sorrows for several days already.
Silence filled Yumo's blue eyes with incredibly complicated emotions.
After hearing Xiumu-Duke's account,
she finally understood why Yuan'er's power had suddenly gone berserk again,
and why she had fled.
She had probably been afraid of losing control and hurting the people she treasured.
As for Xiumu-Duke's actions...
Yumo genuinely didn't know what to say.
From Yuan'er's perspective,
Xiumu-Duke was unquestionably a complete jerk.
But as the lord of Wind Facing City,
eliminating what he believed to be a threat in order to protect his people wasn't exactly wrong either.
The only thing truly to blame...
was humanity's misunderstanding of Abyss Demons.
Existences at the Demon King level weren't nearly so prone to losing control.
Still...
Why did you think you could actually kill a Demon King-class existence?
Was it because the child had lowered all her guard around you...?
But what you did...
Sigh...
That child already knows what she is now...
I'd originally planned to tell her much more gently...
Miss Yumo let out a helpless sigh.
Although...
where exactly had that child run off to now?
...
After remaining silent for a long while,
Yumo slowly withdrew from Xiumu-Duke's embrace before looking seriously at the exhausted old Marquis.
"Grandpa..."
"If Yuan... if my little sister comes back next time..."
"...please let me handle it."
Xiumu-Duke was briefly taken aback.
Then he slowly nodded.
"...Yes."
"As her older sister..."
"...perhaps you're the more suitable one."
"Thank you, Grandpa."
"Then please get some rest. I won't disturb you any longer."
After saying a simple farewell,
Yumo slowly stood up and began walking toward the cemetery exit.
However,
just then,
as Xiumu-Duke quietly gazed at the gravestones of his son and daughter-in-law, he suddenly spoke with unusual meaning.
"Xia'er."
The unexpected call caused Yumo to stop.
"What is it, Grandpa?"
"...Xia'er."
"You never used to call me 'Grandpa.'"
"You always called me 'Old Man.'"
"I see."
"Got it... Old Man."
"Oh, right..."
"Xia'er."
"Can you promise this old man one thing?"
"Hm?"
"...From now on..."
"...please don't let your grandmother become heartbroken."
Yumo: ...
"...I understand."
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