Chapter 25:

Demons and Devils

Brought into my Unfinished Game World


Bolg Nir's red eyes brightened noticeably at each introduction, and when Suzaku spoke, he actually smiled despite already knowing who she was.

— Thank you all for being so gracious with proper introductions. I truly appreciate the courtesy, especially given how terribly I behaved during our first meeting. I do regret forgetting about my manners, though I must admit I was still quite determined to succeed in my mission at that moment.

Dave floated nearby, amazed by the surreal politeness of the situation. They were having tea-party manners with someone who had tried to kill them less than two days ago.

— Well, said Kuria, clearly trying to process the strangeness of it all. Now that we have been properly introduced, perhaps you could answer Suzaku's questions about how you survived and what you are doing here?

Bolg nodded seriously, his red eyes focusing on Suzaku.

— Of course. To answer your first question about my survival - the life bender there mixed up my armor's resistances during our battle. The armor had been crafted specifically to counter your abilities, with complete fire immunity and high magical resistance.

Dave floated closer, realizing Bolg was talking about his tactical manipulation during the fight.

— However, Bolg continued, I myself had also been modified to resist magic, separate from the armor's enhancements. My own body's stats were altered to provide additional magical resistance as a precaution. When you switched my armor's resistances around, the armor could no longer protect itself from your attack and was completely destroyed. But my personal modifications were enough to keep me alive, though barely.

Suzaku leaned back in her chair, processing this information.

— So both you and your equipment were enhanced specifically to counter my abilities.

— Precisely, Bolg confirmed with a slight nod. Your intelligence gathering was quite thorough, though I must admit your spell was still far more powerful than we had anticipated.

— That explains the survival, but not why you are here in this town, looking like... this.

— As for my appearance, Bolg said matter-of-factly, I do not need to wear much beneath my armor. It was designed to be a complete protective system, so I only had basic clothing underneath.

— That still does not explain what you are doing in this town, Suzaku pressed.

Bolg's confident demeanor faltered slightly, and he looked down at the table.

— After my failure, I realized I could not return to the Demon Lord. I would have been sacrificed for my incompetence.

The word 'sacrificed' hung in the air like a physical weight. Kuria's face went pale.

— Sacrificed? she whispered.

Alpha leaned forward, his expression grim.

— What exactly do you mean by that?

Bolg remained silent for a long moment, clearly reluctant to continue. When Suzaku's flames began to flicker back to life around her fingers, he finally spoke.

— The process for demons to become modified... it is not pleasant. The Demon Lord wants powerful demons in his army, so he throws groups of us into the Horizon Canvas where our essences mix together. Only the strongest spirit may take control of the resulting modified body.

— That is horrible, Kuria breathed.

— It gets worse, Bolg continued quietly. There is no guarantee that the original demon survives the process. Most of the time, an entirely different consciousness emerges from the mixture. The demon who goes in... simply ceases to exist.

Dave floated closer, horrified by this revelation about the Horizon Canvas he had been so eager to reach.

— So you have already been through this process once? Alpha asked.

— Yes. I am the result of one of his experiments. But after my failure to capture you, I would likely be sacrificed again because I am not strong enough. There is a small chance I could emerge stronger than before, but a much larger chance that I would lose my soul forever. I was not willing to take that bet.

Bolg looked up at them with his red eyes.

— That is why I decided to desert the Demon Lord's army. I would rather live as an exile than risk complete annihilation.

— So you have no intention of pursuing us anymore? Alpha asked.

— None whatsoever, Bolg replied firmly. I have abandoned that mission entirely. Even if I wanted to continue, I no longer have the resources or backing to do so.

— What will you do from now on? Alpha pressed.

Bolg's confident expression faltered, and he looked down at his hands.

— I do not know yet. I have never lived as anything other than a soldier. The concept of choosing my own path is... foreign to me.

Kuria suddenly stood up from her chair. Before anyone could react, she walked around the table and wrapped her arms around the paralyzed demon boy in a gentle hug.

— I forgive you, she said softly. You were just following orders, and you are still just a child.

Bolg went completely rigid, his red eyes wide with shock. He had no idea how to respond to such unexpected kindness.

— Alpha, please release him, Kuria said, still holding the small demon. He is not going to hurt anyone.

Suzaku's hand moved to her side, flames flickering around her fingers as she remained on guard. But when Kuria's eyes met hers across the table, something in the cleric's gentle expression made Suzaku's flames slowly die out.

Alpha hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand.

— [paralysis_cancel].

Bolg's body relaxed as the spell lifted, but he remained perfectly still in Kuria's embrace, unsure of what he was supposed to do in this situation.

— As long as you promise not to hurt anyone else, Kuria said, pulling back to look at him directly, we will let you choose your own path from here.

Bolg nodded slowly.

— I promise. I have no desire to harm anyone anymore. To be honest, I only enjoy the thrill of confronting strong opponents. I have always hated bullying the weak - my pride would not allow it.

After a moment of silence, Suzaku spoke up from across the table.

— Do you still bear loyalty to the Demon Lord?

Bolg's red eyes flicked toward her, and he seemed to understand the implication behind her question.

— You want information about your enemy, he said quietly.

— Among other things, yes.

Bolg was quiet for a long moment, clearly conflicted.

— I do not want to disappear into exile forever. But it still feels wrong to turn against my own people, even after everything.

Dave floated closer to Alpha.

— Ask him what he feels so attached to them for, Dave said. I'm curious about this.

Alpha translated the question, and Bolg looked thoughtful.

— I am not entirely sure myself, he admitted. The loyalty... it feels built into who we are. We exist to serve the Demon Lord's vision. It is our purpose.

Dave frowned. When he had originally designed the demon faction for his game, he had made them antagonistic simply because every story needed conflict. He had planned to flesh out their motivations later, but never got the chance before he died. Now he was genuinely curious about how his world had expanded on that aspect without his input.

— What does the Demon Lord want to achieve exactly? Dave asked through Alpha.

Bolg looked thoughtful as Alpha translated the question.

— He wants the rest of the world to acknowledge us demons as equals. The Lord once tried to make peaceful contact with the other nations, but was strongly rejected for no logical reasons. No matter how hard he tried, they always antagonized him, even when he halted his invasion plans for months to show good faith.

— Why did he have a change of heart in the first place? Dave pressed through Alpha.

— The day that all demons realized the existence of the Horizon Canvas was the day the Demon Lord started to change his ways, Bolg explained. The Canvas was always there, but we only recently became consciously aware of its presence. That discovery... changed everything for us.

Kuria leaned forward with concern.

— But why did he decide to go back to war?

Bolg's expression darkened.

— We sent a representative to one of the human kingdoms to propose a treaty. He was killed in cold blood the moment he stepped foot on their soil. From that day forward, we were blinded by hatred and resentment. Our only path became expansion and domination.

The table fell silent as everyone processed this revelation. The conflict was more complex than any of them had realized.

Don.Coals
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