Fine-Tuning (3)
The moment Oris's protection of Shirone was confirmed, the shock that swept through the demons was beyond imagination.
"W-what... how could you—"
Even aside from their hatred of Yahweh, the Seventh General had been the most respected demon in the city.
It must have been an unbearable choice; Oris's eyes were wide with terror.
'I hate Yahweh too. I really do.'
But Yupi.
Even if she'd deceived them, that lie that let her laugh alongside Yahweh was so precious.
"Go."
Oris shoved Shirone.
"Just go anywhere. If I'm going to die like a dog here, I'd rather die fighting."
The demons roared.
"What are you doing, Oris! Do you even know what this is going to do?"
Against the common sense, order, and righteousness that held this world together, she had no real argument—yet.
"I'll trust you."
There are logics that defy explanation.
"You must have your reasons too."
Even when you try your best, sometimes everything turns to shit.
"So please... just go." Damn this world.
There's no way to make everyone happy; that sort of thing doesn't exist in the human realm.
"Oris."
Wasn't it intoxicating just to imagine?
That vision was so beautiful and so thrilling that Shirone couldn't let it go.
"Sorry."
A surprised smile touched Oris's lips for a moment. Moments later, light flared behind her and hellfire burst from her back.
"Hurk!"
Flames spread in an instant and her body was consumed before she could do anything.
Lethe's voice drifted through.
"How shameful, my child."
Without even looking at her, Shirone reached for where Oris's memories lingered.
There was nothing to grasp.
Only when Shirone slowly rose did a terrifying plume of golden smoke begin to pour from his body.
"Lethe, do you really have to go this far?"
"What do you mean? Oris was, in the end, one you killed. Doing nothing is the only way to protect ourselves."
Lethe was an Administrator. Unlike the other demons, she bore no special hatred for Yahweh.
Which made Shirone angrier.
"Lethe."
As Shirone ground his teeth, the demons around them stepped forward to block him.
"Grrr. Yahweh—how far will you corrupt us? How far will you look down on us?"
"I don't want to fight you." That was exactly what Oris had left Shirone with, even as she accepted her own annihilation.
"Hah! Nonsense. You always say that, and then you'll slaughter us again."
"Move. I want to speak with Lethe." Shirone's voice was pleading, but the demons only felt more inclined to ignore him.
They exchanged glances, then, as if on cue, charged.
"Kraaa! Kill Yahweh!"
To Shirone, wrapped in Miracle Stream, every motion was clear, but—
'Again?'
His heart would not be easily swayed.
'How long? Killing and killing until there's no one left to argue with and the world has no opposing voice.'
'Is that victory?'
Is that the fulfillment of conviction?
In Shirone's clear eyes rose the faces of demons convulsing with rage.
"Dieeeeee...!"
As the lead demon hefted a maw of an axe over two meters long and brought it down—
KRAAA-BOOM!
A pit of falling flame exploded from the sky, incinerating the surrounding demons wholesale.
"Kraaaaa!"
As a demon's limbs were blown away by the shockwave and it screamed, Lethe's expression hardened.
"...You?"
A woman burned like a stone heated through stood there, clutching a red club in both hands.
Shirone tilted his head.
"Son Yujeong? What are you doing here?"
She burned almost to blinding white and shouted, baring herself.
"You called me! What are you doing now? You chant Gingoju at me like it's nothing, and then you're groveling before demons?"
When Shirone faintly frowned, Son Yujeong flinched as if coming to her senses.
"No, well... that's how it came out. If I speak my true feelings, that's what happened, right."
"Hah! Hah! Mistress Son Yujeong! It's unbearably hot!"
Richera's face at Shirone's waist groaned, but the heat didn't lessen.
'This is real.'
Lethe was powerful enough that Son Yujeong had unconsciously clenched her blade. The hair-ghost beside her, Itaka, was formidable, but this woman was on another level.
Shirone felt an urge to get closer.
"Going in!"
As Son Yujeong bared her fangs and amped her firepower, Shirone spoke quietly.
"Stop."
Just the sensation of the Gingoju tightening around her throat made Son Yujeong flinch and look up.
"Ugh!"
As the incarnation of ferocity weakened and the heat ebbed, Richera finally exhaled.
"I want to speak with Lethe."
"...Yes."
Son Yujeong withdrew without resistance, and Shirone approached Lethe.
"Lethe."
His voice was gentle, like calming a child, but Lethe's eyes did not waver.
"Don't keep calling me. If you have something to say, say it. Fine, I'll hear one thing."
"Let me ask just one thing."
Shirone's eyes hardened, and the Miracle Stream that had wrapped him rose like an ascending pillar.
Lightning—
"Who am I?"
As the pillar of light widened in radius, the demons took cautious steps back.
"Groooo!"
The presence that appeared bore no resemblance to the Yahweh they had imagined; an entirely different temperament overwhelmed the whole city.
Itaka craned her head and stared up at the light piercing the clouds of fire.
'Was it this much?'
Like the other Seventh Generals, she abandoned any thought of fighting Yahweh in that instant.
"Answer."
All eyes focused on one point, and Lethe simply kept her mouth shut.
Depending on her answer, Raviet City could be purged in the blink of an eye.
"In the end it's blackmail—"
"Lethe."
Shirone cut her off.
"I asked who I am." As the ascending flow of light grew wilder, the demons felt burning pain.
"Groooo!"
Only Lethe could hold out; at last she spoke.
"Yahweh."
Knowing it wasn't a perfect answer, she curled her nose and added, "...It is."
"Lethe?"
The residents and even the Seventh General blinked at her using an honorific for Yahweh.
But it made sense.
"The Buddha is gone. The balance of the world is broken and Hell is now mine. No matter how much you try to corrupt me, there's nothing left that can sway me."
Lethe understood exactly.
"With the Chief Administrator gone, you have to summon one to replace them. What do you want from me?"
"Purge the demon world."
"Impossible. Kill all my children?"
"At least wipe out the Demon Lord's domain. Then I won't rummage through the inner worlds."
Lethe's duty was to maintain Hell's system, so it wasn't a bad suggestion.
'Not a good one either.'
Dismantling the demon realm would be complicated and would even weaken Satan's power.
If she accepted outright, Shirone's fury would shake Hell to its core.
Just then a pig-bleating voice sounded.
"Oink. Boss?"
Hearing that unbearable tone, Lethe turned sharply.
Monoras, looking like a beggar, stood there with Deputy Director Void.
"You little—...!"
Seeing the sparks in Lethe's eyes, Void hurriedly bowed.
"Sorry! I said it was urgent, but they dragged me to the gambling city against my will..."
Everything clicked into place.
"Boss!"
Monoras waddled forward with a wronged expression.
"I was scammed! Damn it! Those bastards are pros! How could that hand beat two-percent odds when I put all my shares on the line? Oink oink!"
As Monoras flapped about, Lethe stared blankly; Void squeezed his eyes shut.
"Sorry! I should have stopped it then, but the Chief of Staff even put company shares on the line so—"
Suddenly remembering, Monoras continued.
"Right, my shares! I lost all the shares I'd gathered by crooked means! Boss, can you get them back?"
"Monoras."
Lethe stepped forward slowly.
"Yes. Oink oink."
Her face drained of color as she stared at Monoras. She held out both hands, pressed her palms to his chest, and, still looking dazed, murmured,
"I'll get them all back."
"Really? Oink oink."
"I will. Good thing you came quickly. I'll let you have your fun—just do me one favor."
"...I don't feel like working."
"I'll even let you come into my office. You can barge in whenever."
"Ooh?"
Monoras's eyes sparkled for the first time, then he shrugged.
"If it's painfully annoying, I won't do it."
"See that Yahweh over there?"
Monoras turned his waist and stared at the light-wrapped Shirone.
Lethe said, "Kill him."
Monoras's narrow eyes brightened and the corners of his mouth rose.
"Ah, thank goodness."
Before the first tremor had even ended, Monoras charged at Shirone.
Kukukukukuku!
The whole city shook; feeling a chill, Shirone stepped back with incredible speed.
"It'll be easy."
At that moment, a fire-engulfed Son Yujeong stepped in front, her face contorted.
"Kiiiiii!"
For no one in particular.
It was the combat-monkey's instinct firing faster than reason.
'How strong is he?'
Dizzy, Son Yujeong's blade blossomed like petals and surged forward.
"Kuuuul!"
Monoras struck out and a crack split the stone-monkey incarnation.
"??????huh?"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
When Shirone briefly came to his senses, he was bouncing like a ball across kilometers.
'Imir?'
If one had to compare, that was it.
Having bounced Son Yujeong away, Monoras caught up to Shirone's speed and threw a punch.
"Kuuuuuuul!"
The air pressure was visible; the massive fist distorted space as it surged.
'Hand of God!'
A clustered light-fist from the sky met that pressure and a spherical shockwave rolled outward.
Aaaaaahhhhhh!
Half the city was blown away and the demons' screams drifted faintly.
"Groooo!"
Experiencing that clash, Shirone had the same realization Son Yujeong had.
'Imir.'
But as Yahweh, he could probe a little deeper.
'Imir's demonic essence.'
Just as in the real world, there were mysteries in the inner worlds left undiscovered.
'One of the great mysteries. Countless demons searched for Imir's demonic essence, but none found it.'
Lethe had been monopolizing it.
"Boss's office... boss's office..." Monoras snuffled and muttered, then howled as if his jaw were falling off.
"I'm going innnnnn!"
From his crude, impulsive manner, Shirone sensed something more.
'Is this Imir's emotion?' Giants cannot reproduce.
'No way?'
As Shirone's eyes widened at the sudden realization, the second blow landed.
KRAAA-BOOM!
A force more than ten times stronger than the first swept the broad hellish plain.
One of Monoras's eyelids flicked.
"Ooh?"
He was surprised because he hadn't expected anything his fist couldn't break.
"Shirone, are you okay?" Rian, who had stepped forward, suddenly blocked Monoras's punch with his sword.