Demonic Advent (2)

The atmosphere was incredibly strange. Bizarre. I couldn't feel anything else. Honestly, it was damn scary. But was it because of the magic that filled the space? I surrendered myself to it as if I were in a trance, letting my body flow like water.

Sinister.

Sinister.

I became naked.

Claws emerged from the darkness. Those claws were stained with a dark paint-like substance, and they touched my body. It felt as if they were doing body painting.

I didn't know where I was walking now. It was dark. My memories were unclear. I kept walking through the darkness, and hands kept coming out of the shadows to smear paint on my body.

Soon, I became completely covered by the darkness.

Since the surroundings were in darkness, I felt as if I had become one with that darkness. Strangely, once it happened, there was a sense of relief within me.

But then.

Jeobeokjeobeok.

Jeobeokjeobeok.

Jeobeokjeobeok.

I wasn't the only one in this space. In my blurred vision… I could vaguely see other demons walking like me. Were they other demons participating in the Demonic Advent?

I was not sure, but they didn't look particularly strange. I couldn't call them my comrades. After all, we would all be scattered to different places. In reality, we wouldn't have much of a chance to meet.

Tuuuk.

How much time had passed?

The claws that touched my body disappeared.

Something started to appear in front of me.

"Grrr!"

That sudden burst of light… I couldn't see its face. Only its silhouette was visible due to the intense light. In this lightless dark cave, I had finally found the entrance, and I had the feeling that someone was standing in front of that brilliant entrance.

It was a demon holding a splendid staff.

…

As it raised the staff, it muttered incomprehensible words and cast dark magic. Before I knew it, I was kneeling… Yes, I remembered. I had definitely prayed to the Demon God.

Was this something similar to that?

I had no idea what kind of ritual this was. My body was simply dominated by surreal sensations.

It felt like my consciousness was fading.

My field of vision was engulfed in darkness.

"Hoo!"

The surreal baptism ceremony had ended.

Damn it! While other demons were enjoying this Demonic Advent like a festival, I ended up going through such a bizarre baptism!

Demon's baptism? Blessing?

I didn't feel a damn thing! I didn't even know what it was. Sometime during the ceremony, the body painting disappeared. I realized the baptism ceremony was over when the demons came in, grabbed me, and brought me to this room.

"…"

A small and neat room, about 7 square meters in size.

Now, I just had to wait here until the Demonic Advent began. There was only a bed and a dresser, and it felt like some cheap motel.

"But at least my clothes are all here."

I was in a naked state during the baptism, wondering where my clothes had gone, but they were all neatly placed in the room.

Various tools and books that I had stored in my coat were also intact. If all of these had disappeared, I would have thrown a fit and demanded they return them.

I felt relieved.

…

I felt like something was floating.

Now, I was truly alone.

Karuti wasn't here.

I had to go down to the Middle Realm by myself.

As a true demon, I only knew the basics, and I had to survive down there. Monsters? I had to control those creatures to survive… When had I ever done that? I was so anxious. This moment right now was my last time in the demon realm.

"I can't waste this time."

I should start studying.

I thought about lying down on the bed and resting, but I was in a hurry. The moment I took out the basic dark magic book and opened its pages…

Hwaah!

Something unexpected happened.

In an instant.

"Huh?"

Darkness seeped into the room. A ghost! Could it be a ghost! I was a demon, but I'd be scared if there were ghosts! While thinking that, as soon as I looked in front of me…

Tspot!

A beastly thing!

Bright yellow eyes!

"Kyaahhh!"

"Oh my, I'm sorry. I startled you, didn't I?"

A familiar voice… Mother?

"Huh?"

Lady Keraxis.

She had descended from a space shrouded in darkness. In a space filled only with darkness, she stood there. Beauty that would shake one's heart. She was so beautiful that it felt dizzying, and she also had a sensuous figure that matched her beauty.

The scent of Lady Keraxis filled the room. It was such an enchanting scent that it made my eyes close involuntarily… And…

Hwahak.

The scent became even stronger.

"Right. Calm down. There's no need to be alarmed."

At the same time, something soft and warm touched his face… This. Yes, it was. It was a breast. The swollen flesh of her breasts. It was wrapped lovingly around my face.

"Mother…?"

Duchess Keraxis was hugging me.

"Yes. Mama?"

I had my nose buried in her chest.

A tingle.

A tingling sensation pierced the center of my body, spreading through my entire body. My body began to heat up. My heart began to beat faster. A scent enveloped my entire body. Milky flashes flashed rapidly in my head. I couldn't keep it together. The Duchess was about my height. Just a little more… in this chest…

"No, wait!"

Aah!

I immediately pushed the Duchess away and escaped her embrace!

I never wanted to see this horrible woman again! Crazy psychopathic bitch!

"Oh no… Is Kyuse rejecting his mother?"

The Duchess said this with a very sad expression, stroking my cheek with her right hand.

"You're being harsh, Kyuse. Mama is sad."

"No, no, no, what is Mother saying? I'm the one who was rejected, and I'm the one who's sad!"

Why were you sad?

I was the one who was rejected!

"Son, you should know Mama never rejected Kyuse. You see now, I came to you like this. No mother would come to her child she abandoned like this."

That was the strange thing.

Why was she pretending to care so much? She was not doing anything else to help, but she was doing this, pretending to be caring.

"Why are you here anyway? Go away, I have to study!"

"Study?"

"I need to study as much as I can before I go, so get out of my way and go!"

"Hoo hoo hoo, that's great. You're quite the student, Kyuse."

The Duchess smiled as if delighted.

"But why are you here with this mute one…"

"Let's not discuss that story."

It was a heart-wrenching tale.

"But why did you come? Did you come to offer proper help to this poor son for the last time?"

"Kyuse. Kyuse is all grown up now; you shouldn't rely too much on Mama. You're an adult, you know?"

"What do you mean by relying! I just need some help! Stop teasing me!"

"Teasing?"

"You're here after subjecting your own child to the jaws of death! How can you do such a cruel thing to me…!"

Upon hearing this, the Duchess's expression vanished from her face.

Expressionless.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, her expression changed, and it was a bit frightening. No, it was truly terrifying. The Duchess, who possessed a beauty so frighteningly stunning, was… staring at me with her emotionless eyes.

Enormous.

It felt like there was something truly enormous in front of me.

"Ho, Hold up."

My body trembled.

"Kyuse."

"Yes, yes?"

"You truly are ignorant."

"Yes?"

"It doesn't matter anyway."

Sigh.

The Duchess sighed.

Only now did her expression return… but what did she mean by "it doesn't matter"?

"Kyuse, it's certainly unfortunate that you had to participate in the Advent ritual, which may almost cost your life. But."

Her voice was like teaching and scolding a child.

"Even if it wasn't the ritual, there are countless battles in the Demon Realm. Even now, many of your siblings are dying on the battlefield. At the hands of the angels. Of other demons. Or of monsters. It's truly a sad affair."

Ah.

"Kyuse isn't particularly unlucky. If you were born in the Demon Realm, if you're a demon, it's only natural to fight. If you're weak, you'll perish. If you're strong, you'll survive. That's what being a demon is all about."

A solemn tone.

Toktaktoktak.

Approaching with the sound of high heels, the Duchess placed her hand on my head.

Swooshswoosh.

She gently stroked my head.

"Even if Kyuse had more potential and wasn't chosen for the Advent ritual, it would be the same. Mama would have sent Kyuse to the battlefield. That's Kyuse's purpose."

"…"

As she continued to stroke my head, the Duchess's overflowing bosom swayed before my eyes… Try as I might to not do it, my gaze was constantly drawn to it. Because of her revealing attire, it seemed like I could easily catch a glimpse of that part if I wasn't careful.

"Even if you're a child, I won't pamper you. You can't always live in comfort, Kyuse. You have to do what's appropriate for an adult."

At this moment, I was being scolded by the Duchess.

"Kyuse… hasn't learned to speak properly yet. That's why you still don't understand this reality."

Being scolded like this, the Duchess truly felt like my mother. I couldn't admit it, though.

"So, because I'm still like a child…"

"That's enough with the child treatment."

Tak.

I immediately pushed away her hand, which was stroking my head.

"Kyuse?"

"Based on what I've discovered, it seems like I'm not even a child of yours."

"Uh, uh?"

"Our races are different from the start. There's no resemblance."

She wasn't my mother…!

"Kyuse. Where are you hearing such things? Those words hurt Mama. You shouldn't say things like that. It's something you shouldn't say."

Roar!

In an instant, her outstretched hands seized both sides of my face! A motion so swift that there was no time to dodge, I was completely caught!

"How dare you… in front of this mother… There can't be an existence that would say such a thing… It's strange… Really. I don't feel the loyalty that this mother's child should have… I've never seen a child so erratic before…"

And then I muttered to myself!

"Oh, my God, Mother, I'm sorry, I said something wrong!!!"

Scared, I immediately turned to my Mother!

"Ugh, huh?"

"Cut me some slack, please. I was just mad. I didn't mean it!"

"Uh… Yeah."

An embarrassed Duchess!

Ugh.

The hand that was holding my face loosened its grip!

I immediately bowed my head and apologized!

"Whoa… I'm sorry, Mother. I was just frustrated…"

"…"

She gave me a slight look.

"…"

The Duchess looked a little surprised, her right hand resting on her chest as she looked at me.

"I'll go back to my studies then. Thank you for coming by, Mother."

"Kyuse."

"Yes?"

"You promised Mama you'd do well."

"Uh… I did."

"And if you do… I'll sneak you out of here. Do your best."

Ugh.

The Duchess turned away with those words. Wait. There was something… It felt different… but then she'd continued.

"Still, Kyuse is my son, and I'm here to talk to him one last time. I'm sorry if I offended you, and I'd like to apologize, but will you accept?"

"Well, of course, I'll accept it."

"Whoo-hoo-hoo, okay. Thank you. Okay, Kyuse. Why don't you come closer to your mama?"

"What?"

I did as I was told and got closer.

Aaah.

The Duchess kissed my forehead.

That was it.

She was gone.

Like smoke.

I was left alone in the empty room.

"… I'm so tired."

I felt the warmth on my forehead.

Why did I feel so damn sorry for myself, of all things? Her scent still lingered in the room. My body was hot. I was embarrassingly unfocused. My blood was rushing to the other side. Very violently, at that.

"… Let's look at the book."

I opened the black magic book.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the divine and the demons! Finally! The long-awaited Demonic Advent Ritual is about to begin!"

Cheers and excitement roared through the crowd!

It felt like becoming a gladiator entering the Colosseum. In reality, it might be similar. Unless you were Maximus himself, anyone would be as frightened as I was.

Cheers and excitement!

Fervent cheers, and all those gazes were fixed on this side. I wasn't alone now. I stood among the other lowly demonkind selected from various clans.

Their expressions were uniformly gloomy.

On the other hand, the demons shouting over there looked so ecstatic. Wow. But it was genuinely chaotic. Demons of various races were sitting around the stands, and even Dante's Hell couldn't compare to this hellish spectacle.

"Now!! Descendants of the Great Demon King! Duke Ozavlka's speech will commence!!!"

A horned demon ascended onto a raised platform. He started speaking about something, but I couldn't care less. It didn't even enter my ears. I was just tense, feeling like my heart was about to explode.

How much time had passed?

"At long last!!! Our young demonkind!!! Depart to the Middle Realm!!! To regain the glory of the past!!! Behold! May the blessings of the Gods accompany the children!!!"

I, was this the climax now?! Already calling it the climax, damn it!

Boom!

In an instant, flashes of darkness surrounded the place where I stood! And! Screams! Other demons standing nearby were sucked into the flash!

It had begun!

The Gate to the Middle Realm!!!

Whoosh!

One by one, they were disappearing!

"…!"

That's right! I promised myself I would leave something behind in this world, even if I had to do it by force! So before my turn came!!!

This emotion!!!

"This damn!!!! This freaking demon world!!!!!!!!!"

I burst out!!!!

"You motherfuckers!!!!!!!!!!!"

Whoosh!

"Uwaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!"

I was sucked into the abyss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn it all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!