Chapter 13

Demen glanced over to Kyosuke and noticed how hard he was gripping his bow. His nails were fixed into the wood without him even realising, just because of how fixated he was on Kira.

‘For Kyosuke to be this worked up over a simple demon… this is quite troublesome indeed.’ Father Demen thought.

“Alright then I will humour you, does that mean you are a human?”

Father Demen didn’t seem to be genuinely curious but it was obvious that he was just playing into what Kira had threatened before.

“Not exactly but I am not a demon!”

“Well you said that we shouldn’t call you a demon but you act and behave demonically, talking about burning down a holy structure that we call home. Then there’s those dark flames of yours, do you deny them too?” He pushed.

The atmosphere had focused onto Kiramaru and father Demen’s conversation, Kyosuke had slowly lowered his weapon and Arista caught her breath again.

‘That’s a good question; I never took a moment to think whether I was a demon or a deity. When I am in a fight and get too invested I almost lose sight of where I am and what is happening. My characteristics aren’t too different from Moto though, he was able to summon and manipulate his power at will just like I can…’

“I- I am neither a demon nor a human. I am a deity born to kill those bastards!”

Father Demen wasn’t pleased by that answer, he had already made up his mind about Kira so anything he would have said other than ‘I am a demon!’ would have gone the same.

“A deity…”

Kira looked to his side and was surprised to see that Arista was star struck from what he had said, she had given off the impression that she saw someone turn to gold or something as miraculous.

‘What's with that face, you’re supposed to be against me…right? Wasn’t this girl with them not too long ago?’

“Enough of this farce, it appears it was too hopeful to think that you could carry out the task. There really isn't a place for you in the order then-”

“So that’s what your group really is then, it makes more sense this way!”

Kira chimed in with a more relaxed and comical tone, it was reminiscent of his previous self before all the demon and deity drama had begun.

“Here I thought a kid from the boons like me was in the midst of a grand order of religion like the stories my sister had told me as a child but you’re pretty disappointing- you’re just another selfish person like anyone else.”

Kira leaned as far as the chains around his waist and arms would allow and forced a large smile for his finishing blow.

“We’re not so different then, are we- father?”

Father Demen had completely erased any trace of his regular superiority and was now reduced to the same enraged state as any of the villagers in Sator. That repulsed grin looking back at Kira was engrained into his eyes forever after being scorned for his time there.

He tried to hide it with every ounce of strength available to him but minor twitches slowly collected in the corner of his scowl.

Right before he was able to snap, Arisa stepped forward and planted herself down on one knee to speak to him.

“Father Demen…please I beg you! Allow me to prove myself, I don’t believe that this man is a demon and it would go against our studies to enact righteousness over an innocent!”

The room fell silent and even the calm and collected Kyosuke had been at a loss for words, in their group it was nearly unheard of for someone to go against the elder’s words. As the right hand man, Kyosuke was ready to impale her for her disrespectful actions.

‘He should be ready to burst at any moment; if he orders the kill then I should try and break these chains using that bow guy. Will I be able to do that in such a short time though, he does seem really skilled, possibly even stronger than me.’

Kiramaru ran escape scenarios in his head instead of reacting to what Arisa had just done; even though she had done the bravest act imagined within her group he was still cautious of her. In his eyes she was still the woman that tricked him and was part of a group that has chained him up, calling him a demon.

The tension was ripe and father Demen certainly looked as if he was about to explode with orders for them both to be executed. He clapped his hands together in a slow fashion and smiled deeply and sincerely.

“All this time has just been a waste hasn’t it, you really aren’t too different from those dogs you called parents- Arisa.”

Those words crippled her in that moment; she stood back and resumed a blank subservient posture. The flicker of light in her eye had been snuffed out and replaced with the pale obedience.

“I guess there isn't much left to do with this beast, Kyosuke make sure to place a few watchers on him until tomorrow.”

“Understood father.”

‘Tomorrow, what do they mean by that? Am I missing something what do they do to people in churches the next day??’ Kira thought as he panned his stares between the people in the room.

Arisa’s expression especially stood out to him as she was left completely destroyed, there was clearly some weight behind those words but even he found it strange to have affected her this greatly.

‘I don’t even have to hear it for myself…they mean my execution.’

Kiramaru flexed a frustrated expression, having heard hurtful comments and been ridiculed his entire life he found that the entire situation left the same sour taste in his mouth.

“…all of you. I…all…” Kira muttered quietly.

He raised his head and gazed at Demen with a hateful scorn. “When did life decide to brand me the demon?”

Not much later than that everyone began to leave the room towards the speaking chambers where Demen would plan the following day.

Arisa was the first to leave and did so willingly, she seemed to be supressing her grief toward the situation but upon turning her back to Demen she felt an overwhelming urge to speak and addressed him from the room’s entrance. “I’m not a young child anymore; I can see the darkness that the light brings more clearly than ever.”

‘I feel bad for her, at the end of the day this is still her home… but I have more pressing things to worry about.’ Kira examined the empty room where he remained chained up.