Chapter 24: Prejudice?

The city was comfortably settled into its everyday routine. The weather was fair, nothing out of the ordinary. Everybody on the streets wore, to some extent, bright faces. It was only two hours until noon, so the day was still quite fresh.

Moving through the masses, as they went about their usual lives, a young man in black was reviewing his own life.

Kuro Kurosu.

He’d decided to take a walk through Shinjuku, although, to no place in particular. Wandering through random areas was a great way for him think.

His footsteps slowed as he gazed into the clear skies.

Hmm… It’s been rather eventful, these last few days. Of all the things to try and ruin the life I’ve built… An asteroid. Kuro clicked his tongue, and resumed his normal pace. I sure gave it a taste of its own medicine, huh?

If the asteroid was going to try and ruin his life, he would just ruin its life instead. That was Kuro’s resolve. But, after thinking some more, he started to wonder if it was petty to hold a grudge against a space rock.

Nah…

He grinned to himself, hands in pockets.

People kept staring at his face from time to time. Their gazes were a mix of lust and envy. Without the immunity he’d developed from experiencing this for several months, he might have started to feel a little self-conscious.

Less sophisticated buildings began popping up along the horizon. He’d followed the residential backstreets absentmindedly until he’d arrived in Nakai. As Kuro strolled down the walkways, he took a few seconds to admire the Myoshoji River.

Some wooden houses that were densely packed together lined the streets. Signs from many dyeing studios hung proudly on their walls. Colorful fabrics that were likely Edo Sarasa and Edo Komon were on display in a gallery.

Kuro glanced at the vibrant fabrics and nodded, comparing it to his almost monotone color palette. He shook his head at the thought.

Further into Nakai, Kuro had now stepped foot into Otomeyama Park. There was a noticeable drop in temperature as a result of the dense forest canopy. Climbing up subtle slopes and ridges, he saw the murky green ponds.

A grey heron perched on a mossy rock located in the center of one of the ponds.

Nature’s really pretty… mused Kuro, passing the still bird.

Noise fit for a forest echoed through the trees. It was so relaxing, that Kuro began having an odd level of mental clarity—

Chrrck!

—until the sound of crushed bone distracted him.

He was standing on top of a ridge, so only slopes and bushes filled his vision.

But Kuro could feel the presence of two distinct auras. One was a Demon’s, and the other was…

A Hero’s.

● ● ●

Cut off from prying eyes, a man loomed over a child crawling forward. This child looked no more than a nine-year-old. And the reason for the child’s unusual choice of movement was straightforward—both his legs had been crushed.

“Hnngh…” the boy grunted, clawing at the forest floor. “—Ack!”

He grabbed his side which had been kicked, sending a wave of pain through him.

“Filthy Hellspawn,” the man sneered. “How stupid can you be, coming all the way out here?”

“Ack!!” the boy was kicked again and rolled onto his back. On his forehead, the mark, I, was present. He was a Stage I—the lowest Stage.

The casually dressed man walked over the young Demon with short, dark-brown hair sullied with mud. The boy had a hard gaze, but tears could be seen at the corners of his eyes—he wouldn’t shed them over someone like him.

“Lively one, ain’t ya?” Licking his lips, the Hero’s eyes began to glow a hot yellow. Magic was gathering in his eyes. “Might as well give you a quick death for your bravery.”

This Hero loved taking the Demon lives. Old or young, it didn’t matter. Getting to see the faces they made before death was euphoric to him.

His eyes glowed even hotter. With a hand, he lifted his auburn hair off his forehead. He wouldn’t want to singe its tip during his attack. “Next time, either you don’t come out unguarded, or get strong enough to put up a decent fight.”

The young Demon grit his teeth.

After his generous words of advice, he was ready to fire his spell—

“Hey…”

“Huh?!”

Hearing the emotionless voice calling him from behind, he spun his head around—

A fist?!

“MMMPH!”

A sickening sound of flesh struck at high impact, and multiple things cracking. The Hero’s body was launched through the dense forest canopy, and out of the park like a missile.

Powerful winds ravaged the forestry, birds cried as they took flight due to the disturbance.

The young Demon looked up to see a person in black reaching a hand out to him.

“Are you okay…?” Kuro asked, but soon realized, Of course he’s not! Both his legs are smashed in! Why would I even ask that?!

Kuro wasn’t too worried about the boy, though. Injuries like this wouldn’t take even an hour for someone at his level.

“T-Thank you, sir!!!” the Demon wailed as the tears he fought back broke free and cascaded down his cheeks. “I thought I would never get to see them again!!!”

He’s…crying…

Kuro reached down as he squatted, gently grabbing both his legs.

“Rapid Healing.”

At Kuro’s command, crunchy noises and movement came from within the Demon’s mangled legs.

“Waaaah!”

“Sorry, I forgot to mention that it might sting a little.”

He cast the most effective healing spell he had to quickly heal the boy’s injuries.

Kuro was now escorting the boy to his home. He’d asked the young Demon to lead the way, and he did so with excitement. But Kuro was concerned about something different. Something that should have happened, but didn’t.

● ● ●

Following the young Demon’s lead, Kuro patiently waited to see if what he’d been expecting would eventually happen. Suddenly, Kuro glared sharply to his right and into the distance.

Aura Pulse… Kuro expanded his aura in an instant, and it spread out in a large radius around him.

Bwoosh…

Empty cans rattled, rolling across the ground. Paper bags were whisked into a strong gust.

The young Demon seemed oblivious to what was going on around him, continuing to move ahead happily.

What was happening was an occurrence commonly referred to as an Aura Clash.

When two opposing auras collided, there’d be a brief struggle for dominance. This part of Nakai, from what Kuro could gather, housed many Demon families. And the young Demon’s parents were one of them.

He’d been informed of Talmarius on how they coexisted in such a setting.

Usually, there’d be at least a Demon who’d gotten to Stage III, assigned the duty of guarding a specific district, and warding off attempts to locate and hunt them down—like what was happening now.

The need to survive was a truly formidable change driver.

Kuro’s aura easily dispersed the opposing one, which he believed to belong to another Hero lurking around the vicinity. He’d handled the threat, but felt that the Demons living here were getting too lax with their defenses.

“Aren’t you coming, mister?!”

He didn’t even notice… Kuro resumed walking, and called out, “Coming.”

Kuro was impressed by the boy’s trusting attitude. Although, he couldn’t say the same with whoever is training him. Their kid was leading a stranger right to their house.

“Mom! Dad!”

Kuro watched the person he’d been escorting run off to a small wooden house a few meters ahead.

“Sena!” the lady who appeared to be his mother ran up to him and picked him up with a hug. “You ran off by yourself again?! We were so worried.”

The man, still at the sliding door, released his crossed arms and smiled.

Kuro gazed at the family of Demons. In front of their home, many exotic plants were lined up. One of his parents must’ve loved gardening.

What caught his eye next was stunning.

He could sense they were all at Stage I.

There was a little theory of his. Demons who found something they were passionate about, tended to be less violent and more emotional. The family he stared at further strengthened his belief in it. They were like any “normal” family…

“That kind mister over there saved me from a bad person.”

Both parents now immediately noticed Kuro standing a few steps away.

They couldn’t tell who he was, only giving him confused stares.

But Kuro was stuck reminiscing about his younger years. The years that were always filled with the joy and warmth of his own family—

The shackles holding back the bulk of his aura…slackened…

The entire family’s faces went pale.

“Y-Y-YOU’RE THE DEMON KING!!!” the father shouted, lowering his head till it crashed to the ground.

His partner did likewise, hurriedly putting their child down and assuming a similar posture.

Strength left the young Demon’s legs, and he stumbled to the floor. An innate fear seizing his entire body —

“Please! No need to do any of this! Please raise your…”

Haaa… Maybe Yuka and Talmarius were right…

Kuro now had reason to believe that he’d somehow managed to completely suppress a part of the power that came with his position as the Demon King…

“That’s great!”

This discovery made Kuro’s heart sing. He had gotten even closer to getting a life of normalcy. His people wouldn’t cower in fear whenever he was present—so long as he kept his aura in check.

He excitedly headed back to his apartment in Waseda.

As the Demon King went home, wedged into the side of a tall high-rise was an unconscious Hero, with a battered and bruised face…