The demon stared at the Silent God young man before him. Though the youth appeared calm, almost mild—someone who didn't look like he could fight—he had heard enough from William to know that this man was anything but ordinary.
His abilities, at the very least, were formidable.
So the demon decided to stall for time, exchanging idle chatter with Colin while quietly gathering fear to fuel his strength. Once he absorbed enough, he believed he could take Colin down in a single strike.
William, too, was struggling to keep up the conversation, desperately spinning empty words just to fill the silence.
But Colin spoke up bluntly.
"If you can't find anything to say, then don't. I'll give you three minutes."
He already knew how demons worked—their power came from feeding on fear.
And Colin… was confident. Confident enough not to worry that even a fully empowered demon could defeat him.
In truth, he hoped the creature would grow stronger.
Otherwise, where was the fun in this?
The demon bristled at Colin's words, feeling the sting of contempt—pure, cutting disdain.
Him? A demon? Being looked down upon by a human?
Unthinkable.
His fury burned hotter than hellfire.
He swore that once those three minutes were up, he'd rip Colin to pieces.
Never before had any human dared treat him so insolently. Even the one who once sealed him away had done so at the cost of his life.
William, meanwhile, thought Colin was being arrogant—but perhaps that was good. Once the demon killed Colin, he'd stomp Colin's head into the dirt himself.
Just imagining it thrilled him.
The demon turned toward Colin and hissed,
"Arrogant human, you'll pay dearly for your pride."
Colin took a few steps, then leaned casually against a tree.
"Maybe," he said lazily. "But not today."
He could feel the demon's aura shifting as time passed—growing denser, heavier.
Soon, the three minutes were up.
William, barely able to contain his excitement, shouted,
"Kill him! Now!"
"Yes," the demon said. "But first, I need a little help."
He glanced toward William.
Originally, he had planned to slaughter everyone on this island, to complete his metamorphosis. But with Colin here, that was no longer possible.
He needed blood, flesh, souls—to evolve.
And so… his target changed.
William was evil enough to serve as nourishment. Even a small metamorphosis would grant the demon a chance to flee, should he fail to defeat Colin.
Blinded by his own ambition, William roared,
"As long as you kill Colin, I'll do anything you ask!"
The demon grinned.
In the next instant, a claw pierced through William's chest.
William's eyes went wide with disbelief as the demon slowly lifted him into the air.
"Then offer me your life."
Colin barely reacted. He found the whole thing dull—cliché, even.
It might've been interesting if William somehow turned the tables, but clearly, that wasn't happening.
He didn't intervene.
Neither of them counted as human in his eyes anyway.
So he simply watched as the demon devoured William whole.
Dark fur began to sprout from the demon's torn flesh, its body reshaping itself into a monstrous, beastlike form. The black fur looked soft, oddly enough. Colin wondered absently if it was warm enough for winter.
When the transformation was complete, the demon looked at Colin again.
"You know," it said, "there's no need for us to fight. I'll leave this place peacefully."
His rage had cooled. He realized there was no sense in provoking Colin—and Colin didn't seem particularly righteous either.
Colin gazed at him quietly.
"You're afraid?"
The demon clenched his jaw but kept calm.
"We're both strong beings. This world is big enough for us both. Whatever you want—money, women, anything—I can give you."
Colin chuckled.
"If I wanted those things, I'd take them myself. Why would I share the world with you?"
The demon stood straighter, eyes narrowing.
"You must be bored, human. You want a rival, don't you? Let me live, and I'll become that rival."
Colin shook his head.
The demon sneered.
"What's wrong? Afraid I might kill you someday?"
Colin laughed softly.
"Heh… Go on then."
The demon's eyes widened.
He turned and soared into the sky, his wings cutting through the clouds.
If he could just reach a populated area, he could grow strong again.
But behind him, Colin's smile widened—showing teeth as pale as bone.
In the next heartbeat, Colin shot upward.
The speed was blinding.
The demon sensed something—turned around—just in time to see Colin's fist driving straight through his chest.
"You… you said you'd let me go…"
As the demon's strength drained away, Colin said quietly,
"I'm a man who does whatever he pleases. When I said you could go, that meant you could walk as far as I allowed."
The demon's eyes went wide with horror.
All his life, he had prided himself on being a creature of chaos and deceit.
Yet this human… was worse.
This man was the real demon.
"A demon…" he whispered.
The air around Colin ignited.
Flames burst forth, engulfing the demon's body until it was nothing but ash.
By the time it hit the ground, it was gone.
A demon calling him a demon—what irony.
Then again, perhaps it wasn't far from the truth.
Still, Colin thought, he wasn't cruel to ordinary people.
He only destroyed those who deserved it.
"You killed him…"
A voice came from behind. Clark had arrived, eyes wide. He hadn't expected Colin to actually do it.
"Yeah. Too weak though. Died in one hit," Colin sighed, sounding disappointed. "I thought he'd at least last a few rounds."
Clark frowned.
"Then why tell him he could go? If you give your word, you should keep it. Breaking your promise—it's wrong."
He had thought Colin spared the demon out of mercy, perhaps because he deemed the creature unworthy of his effort. But instead, Colin had turned around and slaughtered him without hesitation.
It felt… wrong. Dishonorable.
Colin tilted his head.
"He did walk away, didn't he?"
"He did," Clark admitted, confused.
"Exactly," Colin said with a faint smile. "He walked away. So killing him afterward isn't a problem, is it?"
Clark stared at him, exasperated.
Colin always found ways to twist logic.
"You're not worried your reputation will suffer?"
Colin laughed.
"Not at all. I live by my own rules. I couldn't care less what people think—so long as it doesn't ruin my mood. Maybe I really am more of a demon than he was…"
He murmured the last words almost fondly.