The Prince of Voices

Sounds emanated from the black coffin, as if it were trying to capture Noah's attention. Inside the coffin was a girl, a demon that had possessed her soul. Noah pondered - what would he see if he opened it? Surely something ghastly. The long-term slumber of a demon within a coffin could only mean a scene of horror.

He couldn't attack rashly. He needed a plan.

Noah mustered his courage and reached out to touch the iron chains on the coffin, cold and remarkably sturdy. Should he communicate with it? Demons were cunning creatures, and talking too much could be more harmful than helpful. Eliminate it directly? Kill the girl? Perhaps that approach had its merits. Noah could use an exorcism spell to send the demon back to Hell, but that would only allow it to prepare for its next rebirth, and soon it would try to invade this world again. If it could easily entice a mortal like Calvus, ensnaring others would be no difficulty.

It seemed there was no perfect solution.

Thud—Thud—

Why was it knocking? To get his attention?

"Oh," Gladius finally caught on. "You're a fool."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your brain limits my ability."

"Less talk."

"The girl's been locked in that coffin, bound with chains, with no food or water—she must be long dead. You're hunting air," Gladius mocked.

Thud—Thud—

Noah turned back to face the black coffin, which now seemed doubly sinister. Was Calvus's daughter dead or alive? What was inside the coffin? What form did the Prince of Voices currently take?

Suddenly, Noah heard cheerful music from somewhere, flowing into his ears, delightful, making him feel rather pleasant.

"Please help me," followed by a girl's gentle voice.

"Who are you?" Noah looked around, ensuring there was no one else in the graveyard, his gaze inevitably drawn back to the coffin.

"I am a voice. Some think I'm a demon, but I feel more human." The voice was so beautiful, it couldn't possibly belong to some vile miscreant. Noah wished he could listen to such pleasant sounds all the time.

"This place doesn't welcome you. Go back to Hell, leave the girl."

"Are you a demon hunter?"

"I am." Noah gripped his blade, ready to lunge at any moment.

"There were demon hunters before... They hurt me, restricted me, imprisoned me, made my suffering double... but I survived."

The surrounding sounds became increasingly melodious and soothing, seeping into Noah's consciousness.

Ah... Sound! Vibrations, waveforms, the resonating air, harmony, modulation, the impact on emotions. All kinds of voices, animal cries, the sounds of human interaction. Sound is the bridge that connects everything; it's the channel of communication. Making noise is the most beautiful evolution of life.

It's the foundation of language, it brings joy and happiness, it effortlessly influences thoughts. Joyful tunes bring joy, sorrowful sounds bring pain. Sound determines a person's future; those with pleasant voices have happiness, those with grating voices have a life of suffering. Yes, this is the grand power of sound.

The music grew brighter, as if a million master musicians played in unison, welcoming Noah to join them.

Blade, edge! Cut, slash!

Noah shook his head.

"Empty your mind, lower your guard, release your vigilance, young demon hunter, and I will embrace you," she whispered, sweet and tempting.

Noah had never heard such a beautiful voice. What harm could there be in listening forever?

"I..." Noah hesitated.

"I speak to them, I make them listen, and you too will join my chorus."

"Chorus?"

"For years, thousands have listened to my teachings day and night. My voice reaches every corner of the world from this coffin, remote controlling the whole world." The voice was endearing, "Do you understand? Surrendering to a being like me is not a disgrace, but a wise choice."

"Is... is that so..."

"Do you wish to become my follower?"

"No." Noah lunged forward, his blade stabbing towards the coffin.

The enchanting music abruptly ceased. Noah regained his senses, stopping in his tracks and quickly covering his ears.

A massive explosion of sound blasted out like thunder.

The deafening noise echoed throughout the graveyard, Noah standing on the grass, desperately pressing his hands over his ears, trying to block them, to protect his hearing. Even so, his brain trembled, overtaken by dizziness and a horrendous sense of nausea. The physiological discomfort surpassed Noah's endurance, and all he wanted was to flee the graveyard, or he would surely perish.

Pain... unbearable pain! The instinct to run was overwhelming—escape from the source of the noise, the farther the better—

"The noise is killing me! I'm going mad!" Gladius screamed.

"Find a way!" Noah retreated, clinching his teeth. If not for covering his ears in time, he might've been killed by the noise.

The entire graveyard vibrated with the sound, likely shattering the buried bones beneath. The relentless, never-ending screech pushed Noah to the brink. He clenched his teeth, his vision blurred, his ears in agony. If this continued much longer—if this continued much longer—

Suddenly, the piercing horror of the massive noise vanished. His racing heart gradually calmed, and his tormented nerves finally found respite.

Noah felt something added to his ears – it seemed that Gladius, in desperation, had condensed part of his soul into a tangible substance, clogging both ear canals. It was indeed a strange usage.

But he couldn't help vomiting, the noise having already disrupted his physiological structure. Even though the sound received by his ears was significantly reduced, his brain was still reverberating with the explosive noise, and Noah fell to the ground, nauseatingly emptying his stomach of acid.

"Keep your ears covered, don't let it notice you've returned to normal," Gladius urged.

Noah quickly covered his head, pretending to still suffer from the sound's assault. The previous ordeal was too terrifying, the colossal noise hammering mercilessly into his ears, causing more pain than any injury. If he had stayed under that assault for a few seconds more, he might have gone mad.

If he hadn't dismissed the others earlier, they might've died on the spot from the noise.

"Bang, you're dead," Gladius said.

Right, playing dead was the best bet. Noah fell sideways, his body twitching, departing this world in peace.

The chains around the coffin fell away on their own, clattering to the ground, and the lid was pushed open.

The culprit behind all the noise stepped out of the black coffin.

It was a woman, with waist-length auburn hair, clad in a thin white nightgown. Yes, after years of confinement, the girl had become a woman. But how was she still alive? The Prince of Voices must have invaded her consciousness; she could use demonic power, or perhaps she was the demon itself. In that case, she could command the guards outside. Perhaps she had been free all these years—was that it? Noah analyzed with a weary, tormented mind, reaching fragmented conclusions.

His head still ached, the echo of the previous noise creating illusions that endlessly reverberated in his mind.

She looked down at Noah with cold disdain, her gaze from on high, her grey-brown eyes gazing down at him, her bosom full, her gauzy nightgown ill-fitting, revealing hints of her figure.

Noah suddenly leaped up, pinning her to the ground. She was frail and offered no resistance. Noah pressed his wrist against her throat and drew his gray blade.

"Shut off the voice—!" Noah demanded fiercely.

At once, all terrible sounds ceased. Noah relished the unprecedented relief, the cacophony finally silenced.

She stared intently at Noah.

Before Noah could act, a finer and more subtle sound infiltrated his brain, causing discomfort throughout his body. This sound was unstoppable, penetrating, resonating with his bones and organs, making Noah feel as if his innards were about to collapse. His nose bled from the assault of the voice.

He wanted to kill her but was powerless to act. Noah's internal structure was being destroyed by the sound. A haunting resonance swept through him, shaking him violently no matter how strong his external armor was. Internal flesh had its limits.

Under such resonance, it was impossible to fight the Prince of Voices. So... what if I show weakness? What would it do to me?

Noah lowered his blade and fell backward, pale and listless, the picture of a defeated man, giving up entirely.

"Passed out, have you?" The woman slowly rose, hooking her finger under Noah's chin, staring into his eyes.

"I..." Defeated by the Prince of Voices, Noah lost the will to fight, "I... submit to you..."

"Submit to me, do you?" She sat on Noah's knees, pinning his back with her legs, gazing at him tenderly, "You should've done so sooner, demon hunter. You are a fearsome demon hunter, but you will submit to me."

"Yes..."

"But I don't need your submission! I will devour your soul!" The woman's face twisted, and Noah could feel his soul rapidly being drawn out of his body.

What is this?

It's devouring my soul!

His body collapsed, his spirit drifting outside, the opponent like a sieve, a bottomless abyss drawing him down. It felt wonderful to sink, shameful to resist. He could now see her soul—a blackened soul from top to bottom, with only a faint white glow at its base.

Two malevolent spirits hovered opposite each other.

"Hm? Why is your soul so narrow, twisted, and riddled with holes? It looks like it's been burned." The black soul was puzzled.

"Who are you calling narrow and twisted?" Gladius responded indignantly.

"…?" The black soul fell into a prolonged silence, then panicked, "…Blade Demon? What are you doing here?"