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3. Instant Death Is, Instant Death
After separating from Cerberus, I started walking towards west.
Why west of all directions, even I don’t know.
Perhaps the feelings of farewell with my dog were too strong, so I just wanted to get away from the official residence.
By the time I came to my senses, I was lost in a deep valley.
By then, I notice the stench of human death getting stronger.
I seem to have arrived at the edge of humans’ sphere of influence.
My parting with Cerberus was such a shock that, that I had stumbled all the way here.
“I could also stay in the human realm till things cool down.”
I belong to a race called “Demi-Lich”
Our race became half-immortals by evolving from humans. Apparently my ancestors 10 generations back were full humans.
That’s why my outer appearance is no different than one.
“Okay! It’s final! I’ll go to the human town.”
I head towards the deep-end of the valley.
By that point, I start seeing a silhouette.
Large footsteps begin to resonate, as a giant walks towards me.
He only wore a tattered waist cloth with thick exposed muscles. In his hand was a large dragon-tooth sword.
“So there’s still a mouse roaming around. Are you with the hero?”
“Huh? What does that mean?”
“Well the hero is no more, I personally made sure of that.”
Ah….. So he’s the type that doesn’t listen to others.
“If you’re here to defeat me then give up. I am invincible. That’s because I have 8 souls residing inside me.”
“Hmmm…”
This is probably the magic called [Soul of Many Deaths].
You can stock other people’s souls inside your own so that when you die, one of the extra souls will be consumed and you will revive.
It’s the same death attribute magic as my [Instant Death].
By the way, you can only stock using souls from living human beings, but from what I hear it hurts like Hell.
I don’t know if any of his victims agreed to it, but I can say for sure there aren’t that many people who would give away their souls in exchange of excruciating pain.
I’ll also add, that in the Human Realm, all death attribute magic including [Soul of Many Deaths] is forbidden.
Meaning, he’s a criminal in the Human Realm.
I came to the here to escape pursuers, but this place too has it’s share of danger if a criminal like him can walk around freely.
I’m glad I didn’t bring Cerberus along with me.
I was correct to leave him with Luviana.
Well to be precise, Cerberus went and left himself with Luviana…
“For the time being I’ll ask you, whose souls did you take?”
“Don’t worry. These souls were made to defeat demons, which is why they were born of my woman.”
“Are those your children’s soul?”
“Not precisely. I abducted a woman from a village, and made her bare children who gave me their souls. Now no one can complain right? I didn’t take souls from anyone else, only my own children. Furthermore these children’s souls will become the cornerstone of humanity’s victory!”
“You’re… pretty despicable, you know?”
“I have been entrusted with a noble mission. One of defeating the demons. For that, sacrifices are unavoidable. Rather I am minimizing the sacrifices needed to be made, but there seem to be fools who don’t get that.”
Ah…
That was the kind of story which could rot ears.
I regret listening to it.
“Well, that’s fine. I get it well enough that you are the worst kind of trash there is. So? I appreciate the long explanation but in the end, who are you?”
“What? Did you come all the way to this valley without even knowing my name? Hm, so you’re just a traveler. Still that doesn’t matter, once you have figured out the secret of my body, I cannot let you go back alive.”
You’re the one casually told me about it….!
“To you who’s bound for death, I’ll let you know. My name is (Vazag the Mad Death)!! 29 years old, single, favorite food is barbecue, and my favorite type is silver haired lolis!!”
So he’s a pervert.
Don’t announce that like it’s nothing.
How am I even supposed to react to that?
Then that Vazag guy starts to swing his dragon tooth sword.
“Now, I’ll have you die by my hands!!”
“Ah. You can just…”
Die.
The dragon tooth sword falls from Vazag’s hand.
His distorted looking eyes became wide open, as if asking “why?”.
“Impossible… I possess 8 souls…how is this…?”
“What are you even saying?”
No matter how many lives you possess – [Instant Death] is, instant death.
“NUUUAAAAAAAA….!”
Vazag lets out a scream in agony, and finally falls over.
He never rose up again.
The souls bounded to his corpse start to rise.
While heading towards Heaven, those small, fragile looking souls looked towards a demon like me, as if saying “Thank you” or something.