C495
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Perhaps everything in the world is a matter of timing.
Cale had not yet perceived several things.
The first: on the morning of the final purification, the demonic inhabitants of the city woke up in the early hours, before dawn.
Of course, in other cities, Cale had chosen to postpone the ceremony until the next morning and rest at night, but this time was different.
Click.
Click.
Early in the morning: no matter how fast Cale moved, his action pattern had become known over the days. With that, it was easy to predict what the savior would do.
Everyone, so as not to disturb the savior who detests crowds, opened only their house windows and directed a short prayer or a sigh towards the isolation zone.
"May the purification reach its end without any problems—"
"May everything the savior does be fulfilled as he wishes—"
They woke the sleeping children.
"Even from afar, let's pray for the savior and the infected."
Those who worked at night stayed awake.
"Ugh. Let's hold out until the purification and then sleep."
Everyone waited for the moment the savior would perform the purification. And they prayed. That it would end without incident.
The second thing: it seemed that Cale knew this would be the last purification.
"It's the last one."
"I didn't expect the calamity that tormented us for weeks to be resolved in just a few days."
"Easy? Do you really think this is easy?"
"...I'm sorry."
The entire Demon World also knew that that morning would be the last one.
"...True. We must not underestimate the savior's sacrifice. Let's pray for his final purification and show gratitude."
"Yes."
The demons from the regions the savior passed through offered prayers in remembrance of his finale or expressed gratitude to him, even if he couldn't hear them. In other regions, people awaited the start of the day when fear and anxiety would disappear. They awaited the stories of the savior.
The third: it had been a very long time since such hopeful and beautiful news circulated in the Demon World. It was the first time in decades that everyone smiled in anticipation of news like this.
The war between the previous demon king and the current demon king; afterwards, a stable situation without major changes. The Demon World seemed to lag behind the Heavenly World. There weren't many good news for the demons. But the story of the savior brought them hope and joy like they hadn't experienced in years.
In summary: everyone was waiting for Cale's final purification, awaiting his stories, and praising him.
Cale observed the perimeter of the isolation zone. At least there were the minimally necessary people.
"Satisfied."
With a slight smile of satisfaction, Cale began the purification ceremony. Before starting, he had checked the emblem on his chest: it had almost reached the full moon, but not quite yet.
"Good. When this is over, I'm out of here."
He didn't want to be idolized like some did; so he started the final purification immediately.
"It's quite normal."
There was nothing special about it being the last one. It was like the previous ones.
The gray mist emerged.
Particles of gray light floated.
They spread out like a Milky Way embracing Cale and the isolation zone.
Plop. Plop.
The contamination of the infected began to be purified.
Plop. Plop.
The small serpentine su-ryong once again devoured the droplets until its belly swelled.
"—Finally—"
Yes. It was finally over.
Cale let out his emotions without realizing it; he didn't care if others saw him.
"Mom!"
"My daughter! Are you recovered? It's me, dad."
"Brother!"
Those waiting for the purified ones burst into cheers and tears of joy.
—Are you leaving already, human?
Hearing Raon's voice, Cale looked at his group. Ron nodded. Everyone was ready to return to Medisi. Even Clopeh silently agreed to retreat discreetly.
"Cale-nim."
Advisor Ed, responsible for the demon king's side, approached. A smile remained on his face; it was somewhat unusual.
"Good work."
"Eh. Yes."
Cale acknowledged the effort and moved forward.
"Cale-nim?"
Although the purification was over, Cale's haste puzzled Ed. Couldn't he enjoy a bit of peace now that everything was over?
"Is he leaving right away?"
Ed was surprised by Cale's unusual hurry, he approached and said:
"We have announced to the entire Demon World that the final purification has concluded."
"...!"
Cale stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at the advisor with surprised eyes. The messenger spoke in a cheerful tone: through magical communication, they had spread the word that the final purification was over and that the Demon World was now safe. The sooner the good news was communicated, the better; everyone's anxiety would decrease.
"Thank you, Cale-nim. Today the Demon World will receive a peaceful morning. All demons will be grateful to you—"
Ed fell silent.
"Eh?"
Ed looked at Cale's chest. Cale also looked at his own chest.
"...Cale-nim, your emblem is vibrating. Very... intensely—"
Trembling. The emblem was shaking violently. Cale's pupils moved.
"...It's filled up..."
The full moon had formed.
The emblem had turned into a full moon and was vibrating strongly. Cale felt a chill down his spine.
"Damn it!"
Cale cursed without being able to help it. He didn't care if the people present were surprised by his reaction.
Uuuuu—uuu—
The emblem, vibrating like crazy, emitted a sound that was almost like a cry.
At that moment, it was announced throughout the Demon World that the purification was over. In the early dawn when the sun was barely rising, just when everyone wanted to burst with joy at the news…
—Ah, ah—
Cale heard the voice of Jenyuste, a voice he detested.
—Everyone is praising him! The entire Demon World is watching this!
—I hear it! I hear it! This chant! This respect! This adoration! Ah! This genuine adoration, different from what one receives just for being a god!
He was screwed.
Cale's pupils were still trembling. Seeing this, Ed asked cautiously:
"Cale-nim, what...?"
Cale, irritated, exploded:
"Why did you announce to the entire Demon World that the final purification is over?! Don't you care about the cost of communication?! Can't you coordinate discreetly when I want to do things quietly?!"
"Eh?? That I don't know how to do my job?"
Ed, who had really started to recognize and support Cale with all his effort, felt wronged, but he immediately straightened his head.
The sky—
"Eh?"
The dawn was disappearing. The sky was turning gray.
"!"
At that instant, a faint gray smoke emerged from Cale and covered him.
—Ah, what style! What style!
The morning sun was covered with gray; the cumulus clouds turned black. It was as if night had returned, but different: there were no stars or moon.
"Ah—"
Ed took a few steps back without realizing it.
There were no stars or moon... but a gray light was shining from Cale. That light rose towards the sky.
Suddenly the created night appeared.
"..."
The demons in the city weren't that surprised; they could see the point where the night began: from the isolation zone. Those who had been praying by the windows were left gaping as they saw the night start from there.
The beginning of the night was clearly gray. And that night expanded rapidly, endlessly, wider and wider: beyond the city, towards other regions, and even further.
—Ah, the chant, the respect, the adoration resonating throughout the Demon World!
Cale thought it would be limited to the nearby region, but…
—Ah, he hears it! I will go to the place where it sounds!
The gray turned to black and the night advanced without limits.
—What style! What style!
Jenyuste, the Slayer of Gods (the one who defeated gods) —the supreme entity that even challenged the gods of the Heavenly World—: the power his soul left behind was more imposing than Cale expected.
—You, who possess the ability to devour gods!
The mission Jenyuste left for his heir had to be shown without fail.
—I will show you the strength that faced the gods!
—Oh, heir! Oh, all demons!
—Behold! Only once!
A voice that only Cale heard proclaimed:
—This is the power of my glory days!
—This is the strength that confronted the gods!
The morning of the Demon World disappeared. The sky turned gray, then black, and night took over.
"..."
Everyone trembled looking at the sky. Even the demon king stood still before the created night.
—Devour!
—With your talent, devour the gods!
—As I devoured the heavens!
The blackened sky saw pillars of light ascending. And a gray full moon appeared.
From Cale, endless pillars of gray light rose. Those pillars separated many people from Cale. They were huge columns of light. The gray pillar ended up forming a gigantic gray full moon.
"..."
The demons observing near the isolation zone and from the city couldn't utter a word; they sat down or exclaimed in astonishment.
"..."
For the first time, Cale remained astonished, looking at the sky. He controlled earth, fire, water, wind, and wood… but he couldn't use a power that affected an entire world.
He heard the voice of Sky Eating Water:
—Fuck. Brutal.
Despite her coarse language, that voice trembled: it was a shudder.
The Glutton Priestess remained silent, but Cale felt that she was also deeply moved by it.
"...Demon God... what a madman."
Cale sincerely thought that Demon God was crazy. Why? Because the voice exclaimed:
—Have you seen the power of this body?
—Praise me! Heir, this is what it means to show style!
Was it the time to say such things after creating such a spectacle? Jenyuste, the Demon God, was truly insane.
—I am Slayer of Gods. I am the Slayer of Gods. Heir.
Yes: the Slayer of Gods is crazy!
—Good. The time for succession has come.
Ah.
Cale closed his eyes tightly. Then the darkness became total.
—Heir.
But in reality, the enormous gray full moon shone in the sky and illuminated it.
—I will give you five opportunities.
The night had arrived suddenly: unique and gray. When all eyes were fixed on the gray light enveloping Cale, or on the full moon, or on the black sky…
—This opportunity is amplified power.
Crack.
The gray full moon began to crack.
—You will be able to use a power multiplied by five, five times.
—There are no side effects. It will be a power that only helps you.
Paf.
The full moon shattered into a thousand pieces. But the sight wasn't cruel.
—Heir, before you embark on this path of killing gods, take note:
In a silent explosion, the gray full moon fragmented into countless pieces.
—If you devour a god even once, regardless of this power, the instinct of 'devouring' will awaken in you.
Those fragments began to streak across the sky. Throughout the entire Demon World. Over the demonic skies.
—It is a blessing or a curse.
"Ah."
"Ah, the night—"
When the fragments of the gray moon crossed the firmament, the night where they passed disappeared; or rather, it was devoured. Thousands of moon fragments —like a rain of gray meteors— streaked across the sky. After their passage, the night faded and morning reappeared.
—Hunter, do not lose your reason and unleash unrestrained fury.
The fragments headed towards Cale, enveloped by the pillar of light.
While everyone watched in silence…
—If you lose your coolness, the hunter is nothing more than another beast.
The pieces that were devouring the night fell towards Cale, wrapped in the pillar. As everyone observed that scene in silence…
—And the beast, in the end, becomes prey for another hunter.
Jenyuste's cold voice pierced Cale's mind.
—You. Do not become a beast like me.
—Human. Do not lose your human reason.
In that voice, there was a sincere plea.
—At the end of the hunt, you can become human again.
Hunter, do not become a beast. Do not lose what makes you human. Keep your reason.
Cale raised his head.
"How obvious."
Hunter, beast, devouring… none of that mattered too much to him.
'I'm going to be a slacker, after all.'
He will be an unemployed human. Cale frowned looking at the sky.
"How stingy to only give me five uses for something like this."
It wasn't a permanent upgrade. After all, the Demon God had called it "a kind of enhancer"; he wasn't wrong. His protest was lost among the roar of the fragments and the trembling of the light pillars. In the eyes of others, only Cale murmuring towards the sky was seen.
"What a nuisance."
Just when Cale seemed resigned,…
Paaaaaah—!
The rain of gray meteors fell upon Cale.
Raon said it was the most beautiful scene he had seen in his life.
Cale felt the same way. That's why he closed his eyes tightly.
"Screwed."
That was the true coming of the Demon God. No: it was the official arrival of the Demon God's heir.
"I'm going crazy."
And so, Cale, now publicly recognized as the Demon God's heir, showed the miraculous scene to the entire Demon World.
---
The next day, while trying to leave in a hurry, Cale received two messages.
One was a certificate.
"...Grand Duke?"
The content said that they were offering him the title of Grand Duke of the Demon World.
"...They're proposing Grand Duke of the Demon World to me?"
<In case of emergency, he will exercise the authority of the demon king to govern the Demon World.>
<As a special clause, he may also assume the position of Pope.>
Upon reading what was written, Cale's mind went blank. And the other message said:
<I have located the position of King Zed. I will give it to you below.>
<But, where can I descend, that is, escape?>
<If I don't, I will die soon.>
It was finally a message from the God of Death.
"Descend? Escape?"
Ha!
Cale frowned.
<Plis. save me.>
"Plis"?
"Are they crazy?"
These gods are no help at all.
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