A long-haired man was carrying a young child on his back. That description could fit for an ordinary father and child, but this man was not ordinary in the slightest. His hair was black, which was a rare trait in this world, not to mention that it was as long as a woman’s. To boot, he was clad entirely in black. Some would only think of a devil or Death upon seeing him.
“The Shrine of Wishes, was it? So, what? Do you throw some money in there and pray or something?”
“I don’t know much about it either, but I’ve been told that the Wise Angel used the strength of the shrine to seal away the King of Devils.”
Hearing this, the Demon Lord mumbled ‘That’s some voodoo.’ He was expecting the shrine to be something similar to Shinto shrines, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Phrases like ‘the Wise Angel’ and ‘Devils’ didn’t mean much to him, either.
Akira Ono, the man trapped in the Demon Lord’s body, had no particular interest in religion, almost to the point of atheism. If Hakuto Kunai were asked what God meant to him... he would answer ‘I am God.’ Neither character seemed at all suited for surviving a fantasy world. If an inquisition or the like were to take place, they would be the first to be thrown into the pyre.
“I’m starting to doubt there’s anything there worth looking for...”
“O-Of course there is! Legend has it, the shrine grants the wishes of those who visit.”
Aku said, tightening their arms around the Demon Lord’s neck. The Demon Lord was walking with incredible speed. He assumed the child was holding on tighter to keep from falling off, but there seemed to be another reason.
“I-I’ve never, um, been so close to someone.”
Aku said, burrowing into the Demon Lord’s back. Upon hearing this, the Demon Lord raised a brow.
(I still have no clue if this kid is a boy or a girl...)
“I-If you go to the shrine, Master Demon Lord, I think it will grant you powers to conquer the world or something!”
“Nope! No, thank you!”
His façade of maturity was beginning to crumble with every line of conversation with Aku, but now, they had finally arrived at their destination. In an even more remote corner of the forest that was already sparse of humans, in a large, rocky hill, there was a gaping cave.
(Dude, this smell...)
Noticing the stench as he approached the cave, the Demon Lord scrunched his nose.
“Aku, wait here. It might be dangerous in there.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
The source of the stench soon became apparent. A pile of human corpses were strewn about in the cave. Some looked torn apart with giant claws, some were torn to bits, and others were burnt to a crisp. Combined with copious amounts of blood drained from them and the feces spilling out of their guts, the stench was stinging.
(What is this, a black magic ritual?)
The Demon Lord jeered, but he was also surprised at how calm he was in the midst of so many bodies and such a stench. The normal reaction would have been to panic, surely. In contrast, the Demon Lord remained unmoved facing the tragedy in front of him. In fact, he even felt a sense of familiarity, somehow.
(Where have I seen... a sickening sight like this before?)
His attempt for recollection was met with a heavy fog on his mind. There was no reason he should have come across such a sight during his ordinary life. He brushed it off.
(Maybe I saw something online.)
Nowadays, a quick search online can pull up endless imagery of dead bodies. One could even browse painful scars of war with the press of a button.
(Whatever. The bigger problem here is that thing over there...)
A stone statue stood among the corpses as if to gaze down upon them, carrying a vile air around it. The Demon Lord would not have been surprised if this statue had moved on its own to kill these people. The name ‘Shrine of Wishes’ was so far off from this sight.
When the Demon Lord took another step forward, the eyes of the statue glowed red. Instinctively, the Demon Lord reached for a knife, but the statue remained motionless. In fact, it seemed to be observing the cave’s latest intruder. Impossibly, the statue opened its mouth, and murmured:
“I see... You really are the Demon Lord.”
“...Huh?”
“I have granted many a wish, but I fear this will be my last.”
“H-Hold on a minute... How much do you know? I’m getting a feeling that you’re the one who summoned me here.”
The statue remained silent for a while before speaking again. Its response was incredibly significant for the Demon Lord, but it didn’t seem to carry the same weight for the statue.
“Not I... These humans, here. ‘Summon the Demon Lord,’ they said.”
“These guys...? Did they summon that monster out there, too?”
“That one resurrected itself with ease... Because of that creature, my powers are nearly depleted.”
“Depleted... Then, send me back to my world before it’s all gone.”
The statue’s answer was simple.
“I can’t.”
The Demon Lord clawed at his head at the terribly conclusive tone.
“Why not? You want money? An offering or something? Don’t tell me to offer you human flesh like these guys here.”
“Those were killed by Greole, King of Devils. I can not grant a wish that contradicts a wish.”
The summoning of the Demon Lord was wished and granted... The statue seemed to refuse any wish that would negate another, like sending Akira back to his own world. In a way, it was honorable.
“Still, I expect you to be my last visitor... I grant you this.”
A menacing ring materialized out of the statue, and flew onto the Demon Lord’s finger. A perfect fit. Seeing the heinous design, he tried desperately to yank it off, but to no avail.