"Hohou? So you are my opponents?"
Around the same time as Exa and Yomi were starting to fight.
Ophir and Turbo came face to face with an old man who was likely another demon.
The old man was small in stature and was using a cane as support. At first glance, he seemed to have no powerful lifeforce that was the defining characteristic of demons, but they were in the "World of Oblivion: Black"—the middle layer of "World of Oblivion"where 'filth' abounded.
Further, this space they had been teleported into was clearly a laboratory, albeit slightly unusual.
There was no chance an ordinary and weak old man could be here. Without hesitation, Ophir pointed her axe at the old man—no, at the demon.
"Yo, old man. I've got something to ask you. Where are you guys holdin' our companion captive?"
"Fuhihi, are you referring to that saintess who kept crying 'it hurts, it hurts', perhaps?"
""—!?"" Ophir and Turbo widened their eyes.
A beat later Ophir directed a furious look toward the demon. "You…"
"Fuhihi," the demon revealed a creepy smile, but, as though finding it somewhat unfortunate, he said, "You were just a tad bit late. That little girl is no longer around."
"Decrepit old shit, did you kill her!?"
Crush! Ophir smashed the stone floor with her axe. Turbo, next to her, pacified her, "Calm down."
Yet, Ophir paid no heed to her. The demon's words implied that Elma was dead. It made Ophir's anger blaze furiously, about to reach the limit, but—
"Fuhi, I wish I could have killed her. But unfortunately, Patty interrupted me just as I was about to do so. Honestly, he's such an annoying brat…"
It appeared that Elma was still alive.
"The heck, you had me worried for a second there…" Ophir patted her chest in relief.
"But," the demon twisted his face and said, "In exchange, you appeared. Fuhi, not only a saintess, but also a goddess… fuhi, fuhihihihi."
"I-I dunno why, but this old man kinda creeps me out…" Ophir was somewhat put off by the demon who kept grinning vulgarly.
Then.
――Bang!
""!""
Turbo blasted the floor right next to the demon into pieces with a wind blade and said, "Beat it, you're an eyesore."
"…Hou? May I take it that you are showing mercy to this Tougen?"
――Tougen.
That appeared to be the name of the demon.
At Tougen's words, Turbo declared in a terribly cold tone, "Mercy? Don't make me laugh. I'm just saying you're not worth killing. Now you get that, scram. And never show that ugly mug of yours in front of me ever again."
"O-ohh, the old hag is more fired up than usual today…" Ophir winced unintentionally.
But Tougen suddenly gave a happy smile, "Fuhi," and said, "What a benevolent goddess. I myself would rather not die here as well. However, I have to give you something as a thank you for letting me live. –Ah, I know. I will let you free. Come out."
""!""
As Ophir and Turbo narrowed their eyes, from the inner part of the laboratory came a boy who, at a glance, seemed to be 5 to 6 years old.
They felt dubious as to what the boy was doing here, but the demon probably had brought him over for some sort of research.
No, perhaps he even had done some kind of experiment on him already…
Regardless of Ophir and Turbo's doubts, the boy approached them with a blank look.
As such, Ophir readied her axe just in case, but Turbo stretched out a hand in front of her to stop her and said, "Lower your weapon. He's just a normal child. I don't sense any presence of demon from him."
"B-but…"
As they argued, the boy came to stand before Turbo.
He looked up at her with his unchanging blank look.
"I'd brought this child from a human town for research, but I hadn't been able to find a way to use him, see. I'll give him to you as a gift for letting me live. Please take him," said Tougen.
Ophir raised an eyebrow, "Please take him? That's so generous coming from someone who's highly likely kidnapped him."
"Fuhi, that's beside the point, red-haired saintess. But of course, if you don't want to take him, I'll just bring him away with me. Now, what would you do?"
At Tougen's question, Turbo looked at the boy for a while before nodding, "Very well," and said, "I will take care of this child. If you have no more business here, then hurry up and get out of my sight."
"Yes, I'll do just that." With a nod, Tougen turned his back on Ophir and Turbo and started walking away.
He appeared to really have no intention to fight.
"I mean," A disappointed Ophir slung her axe on her back and said, "Yer seriously plannin' to bring the kid?"
"Of course. How can I leave such a young kid in such a place?"
Turbo got on her knee, paying no more attention to Ophir, who sighed in an annoyed manner. "Can you tell me your name?" she asked the boy for his name in a gentle tone, but—
――Bang!
""!?""
At that moment, the boy exploded, sending a rain of blood to the surroundings.
"—Fuhyahyahyahyahyahyahya!"
At the same time, a burst of jarring laughter reverberated in the laboratory.
Yes, it belonged to Tougen.
As Ophir and Turbo stood in stunned silence, Tougen, who should have left, came back while being surrounded by a large number of children.
"Fuhihihihi, did you like it? My meat puppet?"
"You rotten geezer…"
"It appears that even a goddess isn't able to notice it. Well, it's a matter of course. After all, my superpower—"Necrosis Marionette"can assemble those who have been cut into pieces into a puppet with the same appearance as they have when they were alive. Did you honestly believe that he was alive? What a shame! I've cut him into pieces long ago!"
Fuhyahyahyahya! Tougen laughed maniacally again.
In the meantime, Turbo, who had been dyed red from head to toe with the blood of the boy, slowly got up to her feet.
Then.
――SWOOSH!
""!?""
She clad herself in a windstorm, sinking the floor beneath her feet. She then said, "…I take back my words, demon. What you lack is neither 'worth to kill' nor 'worth to let live'. What you truly lack is—'worth to exist'."