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Chapter 123
Liar and Liar
Translated by LyraDhani
Edited by LyraDhani
Yukitaka stood up, glaring at the fearlessly smiling Tsugumi–Shikabane Sakura.
“You dare bark at the remnants stuck in Tsugumi-chan’s soul. Aren’t you ashamed?”
“Did you really go out of your way to call me out just to say sarcastic remarks? You have a lot of time on your hands.”
As usual, the way she spoke was infuriating. Yukitaka felt bitter as he recalled that Sakura’s words and actions resembled those of a person whom he was particularly incompatible with. Shaking off these thoughts, Yukitaka opened his mouth.
“Look who’s talking. You’re parasitizing on Beelzebub’s authority, and you’re stealing power from Tsugumi-chan.”
Sakura interfered with Beelzebub–the Demon of Gluttony–from within Tsugumi, breaking down the food Tsugumi ate in excess and transforming it into her own power. Using most of that power, Sakura barely managed to maintain her personality without being swallowed by the Demonic Beast.
The reason why Tsugumi’s contract God didn’t notice was partly because she was simply too dull, but also because Sakura’s soul was already too assimilated into Tsugumi that it was hard to distinguish between the two.
She was more like a leftover from the original. It wouldn’t be surprising if she disappeared at any moment. This time, she came out due to the power that Yukitaka had given her, but she wouldn’t be able to talk for a very long time.
“Certainly, I can’t do much anymore, but I can help this cute child. I hope you won’t put me in the same category as you, who thinks that murder is love. –Oh, but I have you to thank for that. Belial–you messed with this child and I was able to stay afloat. Well, I hope it doesn’t go any further. I want this child to live as long as he possibly can.”
“…You’re the one who forced your cute little brother to take care of all the troubles and then left the scene in disgrace. You’re the one who did everything you wanted and caused such a catastrophe, don’t you feel at least a little sorry for Tsugumi-chan?”
Yukitaka said scathingly, and Sakura, shrugging, opened her mouth.
“You say terrible things. This is why I don’t like simple-minded devils. I’m always working for the sake of this child. –Besides, it’s a bit misleading to say that I caused the catastrophe.”
“Is it wrong?”
Yukitaka replied with a sense of suspicion, and Sakura replied with a smile.
“In the first place, the premise is wrong. Originally, on that day, at that time, at that place, Mishaguji – the Demonic Beast in the shape of the evil God who controls the boundary – was supposed to come down to that place as the first Irregularity. I was just trying to put it to good use. In other words, even if I had done nothing, that catastrophe would have happened. No, it could have been a lot worse, you know? So to blame me or this child for that is just wrong. I feel pity for the people who suffered damage, but I don’t think there’s any reason for them to hold a grudge against me.”
“…I see. In other words, you had obtained information on Irregulars before me.”
Just as Yukitaka, who was more similar to a Demonic Beast, could draw information from the chasm, it wasn’t surprising that Sakura–Lucifer, who was almost the same kind of being–could do the same thing.
Knowing in advance the existence of the Irregulars with the abilities she wanted, Sakura was able to place her pawns in that place and proceed with the preparations. It was a very devilish move.
“But why would you want to control something like that if you were just going to leave it alone? Don’t tell me you wanted to take over the world again?”
Yukitaka asked her mischievously, and Sakura answered while scratching her cheeks with a troubled look.
“Um, I don’t know what to say. It’s close to that, but  I was really planning to save this country. –I came down to this land and made a contract with the child of the witch to escape from Amaterasu’s pursuers and obtained a body of flesh, and I promised to follow my contract with them and create [a world free from the damage of Demonic Beasts]. If I could successfully place the power to control the boundaries in my hands, I could manipulate the boundaries of the sky at will!”
Saying that, Sakura smiled like a saint, and Yukitaka held his stomach and laughed mockingly.
“That’s very admirable, but are you serious about that? That worst fallen angel saves people? Haha, I can’t believe that!”
It would be impossible for that Lucifer (demon) to say that she wanted to save people, let alone if she were to use the power of a Demonic Beast to save the world. When Yukitaka told her so, Sakura quietly replied, touching her own black hair with her fingertips.
“Fufufu, the devils are faithful to their contract, you know. I was so excited, even though I didn’t know what I was doing. Well, I used up the contractors in the process of making the wish, but I had no choice because compensating their lives wasn’t part of the contract. …It was a pity that the ritual failed, but it was still a lot of fun.”
With a chuckle in her eyes, Sakura began to talk about those days.
–She made her own parents into scapegoats from the time her body was very young and entered into the minds of those who had been hurt by the Demonic Beasts and manipulated them like her own hands and feet. She then prepared to take control of the evil God without getting her own hands dirty to avoid attracting the attention of the government’s Gods. Just like a puppet master.
–If only the Magical Girl hadn’t interfered, I would have ruled this country by now. Yukitaka looked at Sakura who muttered this to herself regretfully.
“Trick them, make them crazy, make them dance, and finally throw them away in the end. Ah, it’s exactly the devil’s way. I’m relieved to see that you haven’t changed at all.”
“Ahaha, the essences don’t change that easily. Neither you nor I can escape from acting as evil after all. Because we are such monsters from the beginning.”
“–But then, why did you save Tsugumi-chan?”
When Yukitaka asked her that, Sakura stopped moving with a smile on her face. Yukitaka, ignoring Sakura’s condition, continued with his words as if to push her away.
“Why didn’t you just use him as a vessel for the evil God as you planned? That’s why you made him, right? You went to the trouble of preparing another child at the last minute, and in the end, it failed. Why did you do that, when you think of human beings as nothing more than dust-“
“…I made  it too well.”
Sakura replied, interrupting Yukitaka’s words and smiling with a hint of regret.
“To accept evil, one must be dull to it. Considering that I would later manipulate him, I wanted a soul that was human, yet not tainted by evil, not overly good, and still innocent. The result was an ideal doll that would never reject me, the devil. He always looked up at me with sparkling eyes, my cute little brother.  …Haha, a body of flesh is no good. Emotions pull my thoughts so far that I can’t think straight.”
Replying as if confessing her sin, Sakura bit her lip and lowered her eyes.  Just like Pygmalion, who fell in love with a doll she had made, Sakura fell in love with the ideal brother she had created. …Even though there was no way a Goddess would save them in the end like in that myth.
“…Well, I kind of understand the feeling.”
Yukitaka nodded his head in agreement and said so. –Sakura, who wanted to keep Tsugumi alive out of her own ego, and Yukitaka, who wanted to kill Tsugumi because he couldn’t allow him to be harmed by anyone but himself. Although their actions were completely different, they were very similar in nature.
But perhaps it was because of the nature of the devil who was hated by fate that things didn’t turn out the way they wanted them to
–But this solved the long-standing question. This great demon was just a loser who couldn’t win over human emotions. Even if Sakura’s presence became a hindrance in the future, if Yukitaka thought of her that way, he wouldn’t get angry.
While they were talking about this, Sakura held her head with one hand and sighed painfully.
“I guess I’ve reached my limit. Unfortunately, it’s time to say goodbye for today.”
“I don’t want to see you again. But I’ve heard what I wanted to hear, so why don’t you just leave Tsugumi-chan to me and quickly disappear?”
Yukitaka said grimly, and Sakura opened her mouth with a smile.
“Fufu, you can’t kill this child unless you face your heart properly. Besides, I am sure we will meet again soon. –The seeds we have sown will soon sprout. The roots will go deep into the earth, and we will build a tower that will reach to the heavens.”
“What? What the hell are you saying-“
Yukitaka raised his voice, but he quickly put his index finger to his mouth and swallowed his words. Sakura’s red eyes narrowed and she laughed like a clown, the corner of her mouth lifted up.
“I also have a collaborator. Do you think I didn’t think about insurance against failure?”
“That’s…”
“Everything is in the palm of my hand. –I’m the one who’s going to have the last laugh, Belial.”
Saying that, Sakura then she slumped down on the sofa. He hurriedly looked into her face and saw that she was taking small sleepy breaths. …Apparently, she had completely dived into Tsugumi.
Yukitaka hit the floor, clicking his tongue loudly in frustration.
“Collaborator? Insurance? What is she going to do this time?”
Yukitaka muttered to himself, looking at the sleeping Tsugumi. Whatever Sakura–Lucifer did, Tsugumi would definitely get involved in it. He couldn’t help but feel terribly sorry for him.
A pitiful young man became the eye of the typhoon just because he had been spotted by a bad-natured demon. And to Yukitaka, he was also an important friend.
–In the end, what do I want to do with him? I should kill him rather than let other people hurt him, but I don’t want to lose him.
Various thoughts went through his mind, and Yukitaka spat out the words.
“Even so, I don’t really want to see your pained face.”
–That was the only truth that the lying devil said.
Everyone pretends to be something they are not, and everyone is in the dark. What will they think when their true selves are all exposed? That kind of thing–nobody knows.