Trash of the Count's Family Vol 2. Chapter 491: Death of a God (3)

What the hell?

Why was it suddenly acting shy?

It missed him? Very much, at that?

Goosebumps rose over Cale at the demon god’s voice, which had spoken shyly and carefully.

—What’s wrong with that thing?

The Water that Devours the Sky grumbled as if she found it utterly revolting.

Then the demon god’s voice sounded again.

—I have... been waiting only for you... desperately—

It was shy this time as well.

Cale’s face turned grave.

Should I just go back?

The gray light had not seemed to have any real side effects and had upgraded his ancient power.

He had come because he thought he might obtain some of that.

But now he simply wanted to go home.

It was then.

“...As expected.”

The priest of the Gray Tree clan.

The old woman spoke to Cale with a sharp gaze. However, her voice was still cautious.

“You can hear the voice after all?”

Cale did not give any particular answer.

—...Haah... I waited only for you... come to me quickly......

Crazy.

This voice was seriously irritating.

He did not think he had ever met anyone this perverted before.

“......”

Cale could not bring himself to tell the priest that he could hear a pervert’s voice.

However, from his silence, the priest was able to know the answer without hearing it.

A solemn gaze.

And, furthermore, an expression as though he had fallen into some grave concern.

The priest could not hide the feeling that surged up within her as she thought of the gray light that had risen from the ancient site of the demon god, and the human who had carried that gray light, fought against the third Emperor’s enormous sea, and ultimately prevailed...!

That tremendous majesty!

And after saving everyone, after vomiting blood several times and collapsing, even upon waking, he had immediately looked around him and visited the ancient site of the demon god—this human!

Yes, human!

He was not even a resident of the Demon World. He was clearly an outsider. And yet this great savior had sacrificed himself for this world. She could not hide the emotions welling up in her. No, in truth, she did not want to hide them.

“As expected, the savior can hear the demon god’s voice.”

“Mm. Is this voice, mm, really the demon god...?”

At Cale’s grave voice, the priest nodded.

“It most likely is. In truth, I have never heard the demon god’s voice. I still cannot hear it now. But if some voice is being heard by the savior right now, then it must be the demon god’s voice.”

The priest pointed by hand toward the center of the ancient site of the demon god, guarded by the four wooden towers.

“Because the ancient site has been waiting for you, savior.”

Just as she said, despite the late hour, a faint gray light was flowing from the ancient site.

“And for the first time, water has risen within the ancient site.”

Her gaze turned toward the sky.

“And that lake holds a full moon.”

Tonight was a night without a moon.

“Please come.”

The priest and several demons stepped forward, guiding the way for Cale.

Glance. Cale looked at the Demon King following behind him. Aside from greeting the Demon King at first, the priest had not spoken to him separately.

Still, it’s different.

He could feel an atmosphere between them that was different from before.

Midi, Mika, and the ancient site of the demon god.

They had been negative toward the current Demon King. But perhaps because they had gone through the Dragon King and the gray sickness, the atmosphere between them was not as bad as it had been before.

At the very least, they seemed to recognize one another and to consider themselves existences standing together.

Well, they have a common enemy now.

Everyone had recognized the existence of an enemy targeting the Demon World itself. And gods were included among that existence.

Even the heavenly realm was on the same side as that enemy.

The Demon World is alone.

From the standpoint of the Demon World, which had believed it had allies only to realize that it was effectively alone, the external enemy came before the enemy within.

Hm?

At that moment, the priest stopped walking before the stairs leading into the ancient site, the temple.

Then she turned around.

Ah.

Cale realized why she had done so.

I suppose I have to get out of the wheelchair.

Previously, he had been relying on the wheelchair because he had no energy. But now his indigestion was resolved, and his body was in very good condition.

—I think I’ve gotten even stronger!

He pretended not to hear the Water that Devours the Sky.

Even if she’s stronger, I’m still the same.

He had no idea what would happen if he used all the power of water. Cale might experience more than just fainting.

Cale placed both hands on the wheelchair’s armrests and tried to stand with effort.

“......?”

A back appeared in front of Cale.

“Huhu.”

Clopeh’s laughter could be heard.

Clopeh, who had handled their external activities so far, had decided to accompany him to the ancient site of the demon god this time. It was late at night, so the average ten-year-olds had been left to rest. The other companions had also been told to sleep.

“I shall carry you.”

Cale quietly stared at Clopeh’s back.

If it were Choi Han, perhaps, but he somehow did not want to be carried by this bastard.

“No. I can stand on my own.”

Cale lightly ignored Clopeh and rose from his seat.

“Oh dear.”

However, he could not avoid Clopeh’s hand, which immediately came forward to support him.

“......”

“You must not overexert yourself, and yet you are still trying to show proper courtesy.”

At Clopeh’s gentle voice, emotion filled the demons’ faces. Cale simply pretended not to notice and turned his gaze to the priest.

Hm?

Then Cale realized that the reason the priest had stopped was not because of him.

“Demon King.”

The priest spoke calmly.

“From this point onward, you may not accompany us.”

Mm.

The moment she said those words, Cale could feel that the demons with the priest were warriors. The solemn look on their faces and the aura their bodies exuded, as though they would protect Cale and the priest at any moment, were far from ordinary.

“......”

The Demon King quietly looked at the priest.

“There is nowhere in this land I cannot go.”

“!”

At his words, the priest flinched and opened her mouth.

However, the Demon King was a little faster.

“I do not covet the power left behind by the former demon god.”

“......!”

The priest’s pupils shook as if her inner thoughts had been seen through.

Ah.

And Cale let out a sound of realization.

He had wondered why the priest had blocked the Demon King, and now he understood the reason.

Soon, the priest composed her expression and cautiously opened her mouth. Her gaze was quite cold.

“The Demon King desperately wished to become the demon god. Enough that he would do anything.”

Unlike her courteous voice, the priest had not cast aside her suspicion.

However, the Demon King replied calmly.

“I did? Which Demon King are you speaking of?”

“!”

“Priest.”

The Demon King was entirely composed.

“I do not fear the blood and death created on the path I walk myself. Those things create no impression in me.”

The current Demon King truly did not fear blood or war. He treated even those things with indifference.

“And I do not walk a path someone else has made.”

“!”

“That is the Demon King that I am.”

“I see.”

The priest’s expression changed.

“Please forgive my discourtesy.”

The priest deeply bowed at the waist. A slightly different atmosphere from before flowed between them.

“......”

The Demon King quietly looked down at her before opening his mouth.

“The demon god is not a god.”

“!”

“......!”

The priest and the rest of the Gray Tree clan flinched. They had already heard about the “demon god” and the “law of the hunt” through Strategist Ed.

It was not information being revealed to all demons, but these people were among the core members of the Gray Tree clan.

Those who served the ancient site of the demon god had to know this information.

“There is no such thing as the demon god.”

At those words, the warriors other than the priest flinched, and their expressions stiffened. After all, the existence they had served until now had been the demon god.

However, their expressions began to change at the Demon King’s following words.

“But there was a demon who killed gods.”

“!”

“!!”

A smile formed at the Demon King’s lips.

“And I find that far more interesting.”

The Demon King found the demon who killed gods more interesting than the demon god.

The priest’s gaze sank deeper. However, it was different from being encroached upon. Rather, it looked as though she were trying to hide some kind of expectation.

“That is the Demon King that I am.”

The moment the Demon King’s calmly spoken words felt like a declaration to everyone here—

Woooooo—woooo—

A vibration could be felt from the temple above the stairs.

As though welcoming those words.

“Ah.”

When one of the warriors let out a gasp, the priest smiled, turned around, and climbed one step.

“Let us go.”

She spoke to everyone.

Including Cale and the Demon King.

“I shall escort you.”

The Demon King accepted those words as though they were only natural and took a step forward.

“?”

Then he noticed Cale, who had not moved at all. Cale, whose eyes met his, gave an awkward smile and slowly took a step.

The temple’s vibration.

It had not reacted to the Demon King’s words. Cale knew that fact, but he did not say it.

Because the contents were somewhat awkward to say aloud.

—...Haah... my dear one, hurry and come to me......

—I desperately... await... only you... I miss you......

—Even when I close my eyes, the sight from that time remains vivid... Beautiful, truly beautiful... Please know this heart of mine......

This bastard was gradually losing all shyness.

Instead, only his breathing grew heavier.

But this—

—...Those blue waves. That momentum, as though it would beat a god to death... Haah... truly beautiful......

It did not seem to be directed at Cale.

Somehow. Not at him, but—

—What the hell! What is this lunatic! He sounds like some crazy pervert. Still, we need to figure out how to take that strengthening light!

The Water that Devours the Sky clicked her tongue even as she fumed. The power that had strengthened her severalfold without side effects. The water that had experienced that seemed unable to give it up.

—...I missed you... an existence like you... Haah, the talent to kill gods is truly, no matter when I see it, haah, so beautiful—beautiful—

Step, step.

For now, ignoring the pervert’s voice, Cale headed toward the temple.

“This is it.”

And at last, the temple they reached atop the stairs.

There was no statue there, nor any altar.

There was only a small lake at the center of the temple.

“Originally, there was no water in this lake. There were only traces that a lake had once existed.”

However, the moment the gray light had poured out before—

“Water filled the lake.”

It was ordinary water.

As if fitting the late hour, the dark water reflected the moon.

“And a full moon rose upon it.”

Even though tonight had a crescent moon.

“There are records that say the final demon god was like the moon.”

The moon and night.

There was not much information related to the demon god, but they said the words used to describe him always included the moon and night.

There were also claims that the priest receiving prophecies through dreams had some connection to that.

—...Come... come quickly......

“Please go.”

Cale looked at the people who stopped without approaching the lake, then approached the lake alone.

Of course, Clopeh tried to follow while supporting him.

Wooooong—

The instant Clopeh stepped forward, the temple vibrated violently as though rejecting him, and in the end, only Cale headed alone toward the lake sitting in the center of the temple.

Woooo—woooo—

The lake gave off a soft gray light.

It was not large. It would be more accurate to call it a fairly large pond.

Glance.

Cale looked at the people standing at the temple entrance, then carefully spoke in a small voice toward the lake.

“Hello.”

For now, he used polite speech. Last time, there had been no time and he had spoken casually, but he still ought to show respect for a predecessor.

—...Haah... my dear one, one with the talent to kill gods—

The voice could not hide its overwhelming emotion, as though it were delighted. The instant it released a trembling voice, as though it had waited only for this moment—

“Ah, yes. I understand that you missed me and you’re happy and glad to see me.”

Cale poured out words with an indifferent face.

He also wanted to return to his room and sleep soon. Starting tomorrow, he would be going around for a Demon World tour performance—no, a national tour—no, to purify the Demon World. He wanted to sleep well tonight.

So he acted according to his purpose.

“I’m a bit busy, you see. Can you hand that gray light over to me? I want that power too. You called me here because you were going to give me power anyway, didn’t you?”

—...Huh?... Busy?... No, I did call you to give it to you, but... uh... um......

“You said there weren’t any side effects, right?”

—That is true...? This power is a kind of enhancer that I, I left behind before I died—

“Then just give it to me quickly. You were going to give it to me.”

—...Huh?

Of course, Cale was not a shameless person.

“You know I’m currently saving the Demon World, right? I also have to fight the God of Chaos from now on. You know that the God of Chaos was trying to make a mess of the Demon World and devour it, right?”

Cale spoke calmly and evenly in an indifferent tone.

“So, hand it over quickly. If there’s some power-transfer ritual, please skip that part. Simple and accurate. Efficient handling like that is nice, isn’t it?”

—...Huh?

“Let’s take care of this quickly, all right?”

Cale crouched at the edge of the lake and looked down at it with a fresh smile.

Woooong—

In that instant, the full moon rippled.

—...You... uh, mm... did you only want to see me?

“No. I wanted to see you too. So please give me the power.”

Cale very confidently reached out toward the lake, toward the full moon upon the water’s surface.

Like someone retrieving something he had left in storage.

“Give it to me.”

—.......

“Please.”

The demon god spoke carefully.

—...That is a little... lacking in style, is it not?

“Excuse me?”

—...Should it not have presence?

Mm?

For some reason, Cale was thinking of the dominating aura right now.

The demon god. Did this bastard care about style and bluff?

—...How can... one who possesses the talent to kill gods, haah, one who possesses such beautiful power, fail to understand... the importance of presence...? That beautiful wall of water... surely... had presence......!

“......”

Cale felt something ominous.

Wooooong—!

The vibration stopped.

—...I shall give you a trial......!

Swaaaaa—

The lake’s current surged upward.

Dark water resembling night.

Gray light still flowed from that water.

It was like stars, or a galaxy.

The gray light, which reminded him of the galaxy he had created during the purification ritual, moved along the current.

The dark water spread out like a curtain.

—...If you pass the trial, I shall give you the power of I, God-Slayer Jenust......!

A curtain of black water carrying a gray galaxy rushed toward Cale.

—...Create a moment of power-transfer ritual that I can acknowledge...! With great presence! With great style! With great beauty!

At that moment, Cale thought.

And without realizing it, he spoke aloud.

“Ah. What a hassle.”

—......!

The demon god, and the curtain of water, trembled.