Conversation with the Demon (Part Two)

'Why do you believe that angels will do their best for humanity to continue to exist? With the disappearance of Teton's Will, there is no reason for angels to help humanity. Besides, if they do, they will become mortal.'

"Angels are deeply loyal to their creator, John. They will not just sit idly as humanity perishes. There is another reason as well. Teton's planet is being invaded and everything he created is being targeted by the other gods. This includes Teton's angels. A hunt has already begun for them in Heaven. The only place they can escape to is Earth."

'Wouldn't it be easier for the other gods to eradicate Teton's angels this way? After all, they will become mortal. Wait... Didn't you say that will-based beings are immortal? How is it possible for there to be a hunt for Teton's angels in Heaven?'

"When I said will-based beings are immortal, I meant that they have an infinite lifespan. However, they can still be killed, although it is still a difficult task."

 "The reason Earth is safer for them is that the folks of Heaven and Hell cannot physically intervene with anything in the physical realm. Only gods can do that. Moreover, any physical interaction with the physical realm, no matter how simple or complex, is a time-consuming process even for a powerful god."

 "All the other beings in Heaven and Hell can only have interactions with the physical realm that are limited to simple conversations, like the one we are having now. Anything beyond that is impossible for them. A being can literally intervene with the physical realm only if they are mortal, John."

 'I was wondering why the other gods did not send their angels to take over the Earth. The lifeforms in the physical realm seem to be like pawns doing the work of gods in places that the gods cannot easily reach.'

"You can think of it that way."

 'How do you know all of this?'

"To know is the job of the demons, John. It is our expertise, I would say."

'I understand the gods, the angels, and what they are trying to accomplish to an extent, but there is still something I don't understand. Why are you in search of a host? Why would a demon want to join a war that has nothing to do with them?'

"Ke ke kek. The gods fight for supremacy in heaven and expand their influence. They spend most of their time plotting against each other and scheming. The only thing angels care about is the interests and desires of their creator. Do you know what we demons want, John?" Raum's already disturbing voice became even more disturbing, giving me an eerie feeling. 

It was filled with evil, as one would expect from a demon.

I didn't respond to him.

 "More pain, more hatred, more fear, more wrath, more grief, more worry, more guilt, despair, dejection... Ahh! Even uttering their names makes my will tremble! It fills my existence with pleasure!" 

What I heard left me dumbfounded. Raum seemed as if he wasn't speaking to me but rather rambling like a drunkard. The contradiction between the euphoria in his voice and the content of his words served as a reminder that I was indeed conversing with a demon.

 "The whole reason for the existence of demons, John, is to elicit emotions like these and similar ones! Whether it's the wrath of a god, the concern of an angel, the despair of a human, or the hatred of an Agrionian... Ahh! Each one has its own taste... The more we 'feel' negative emotions, the more we enjoy ourselves. Every time, I feel like I'm losing control of my mind. The more we cause them, the stronger we become. Power brings pleasure, but being a demon is incomparable! Do you understand, John?"

 I was astonished. I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing by talking to Raum anymore.

 "You... You're insane."

 That was the only thing I could say.

"Ke ke kek. I'm not crazy. I am a demon, John! As for why I want to be involved in this war... My favorite playthings, humans are on the brink of extinction. What will I do if there is not a single human left on Earth whose sweet cries I can listen to? How will I pass my time if I can no longer find a pure human to corrupt? Who will I lead astray? Tell me, John?"

"Teton either died or disappeared into a fucking hole, leaving the Earth at the mercy of others. A group of good-for-nothing gods selfishly want a piece of the Earth for themselves. So, it wouldn't be strange for me if I were to want a slice from the Earth as well, right, John? Wouldn't it be magnificent if we had an empire filled with negative emotions?"

 "My intentions may not be pure, but my love for you humans is greater than your creator, Teton's, or his angels'. I am even willing to become mortal just for humanity to continue existing. What about you, John? What would you sacrifice to save humanity? Would you give up your humanity and accept a demon's will into your soul?"

 It was time to make a decision, but I didn't know what to say. All I could do was stare at the ground from where I was sitting.

 Raum was truly insane. He was willing to become mortal, even to face countless enemies, just because humans were his favorite playthings. Or maybe being a demon was so different from being human that I couldn't understand him at all.

 "Ke ke kek. I see that you've learned to hide your thoughts from me, John."

 At this point, trusting such an evil being blindly would be a mistake, but I also had nothing to lose.

 'Before I give you my answer, I want you to answer three more questions for me.'

"Ask away. You can be sure that I will answer each of your questions sincerely. After all, if you're going to be my host, we need to fully accept each other."

 'You said before there's something strange about me, aside from my existential essence being foggy. What is it?'

"Your negative emotions, John."

 'My negative emotions? What do you mean?'

"Despair, worry, fear... You feel them just like everyone else, but they... they leave a bad taste in my mouth, each of them. I often mentioned how boring you were, remember? I said it mainly for this reason. Normally, your negative emotions should have filled every corner of my being with pleasure and put me in a state of sweet anticipation for more. However, John, no matter how intense your negative emotions are, none of them delight me. Your taste is very unpleasant, John. Ke ke kek."

 "I don't know if this strangeness has anything to do with your foggy existential essence, and this is also something I've encountered for the first time. I couldn't make sense of these peculiarities in you. That's why I had been hesitating to choose you."

 I have been talking to Raum for a while now and felt that he was avoiding two topics, even though I included them among my questions. 

I thought the answers to these questions might be useful to me in the future. Although he claimed to be sincere, I wasn't foolish enough to trust him completely.

 This was the first question.

 "What is the second question?" Raum's voice sounded impatient.

 'I asked you before what happens after a will-based being merges its will with a mortal. You briefly mentioned what happened when angels did it. I don't really care about that anyway. I can ignore the shallowness of your explanation in that regard. After all, you're a demon. However, you didn't explain what happens when demons do it. What will happen to us if I accept your will? That's my second question.'

Raum fell silent. He had instantly answered every question so far.

 "It's hard to say anything definitive, but this process should be the same for demons and angels."

 'You don't know, do you?!'

"How could I know? In the past, many angels merged their will with a mortal soul due to orders from their gods, but no demon has ever done it."

 What I heard suddenly gave me a headache. I'll say it again. This guy was truly insane.

 'Who will have control over my body when I accept your will? Will it be you or me?'

"I'm not really sure about that either, but in the case of an angel, the angel and their host could freely transfer the body's control to each other whenever they wanted." 

'How can you say something like that so calmly?! Am I the one looking for a host? It is your responsibility to know these things. You don't know shit about this!'

"Was that the third question?"

 I didn't know if Raum was really being sincere or if he was playing a trick on me.

Actually, I didn't know anything anymore. I had come across the craziest demon among all the demons.