"Information... status... condition..." Malron grumbled.
Nothing happened. The strange writings Malron saw didn't reappear, nor did the mysterious voice he heard in his ear. For almost ten minutes, Malron crouched and thought about what to do. He needed some facts to understand things immediately.
"Data... FAQ... Q and A..."
Still nothing.
A word pops up in Malron's head.
"Counsel."
[Greetings, The Damned One]
[How may I serve you?]
"Who are you really?"
[The Demonic Curse System]
"Why is this happening to me?"
[Fate]
"Do you have no customer service or complaint department? I need an explanation!" The emotional Malron shouted.
[Continue Your Duties, The Damned One]
[Hell always awaits you]
Malron roared loudly. This was not the answer he wanted!
Until the demon's attention was drawn to the moaning near where he sat. The boy seemed to be waking up after ten minutes of unconsciousness.
"Oh, Lord," his voice sounded so weak.
Malron approached the youth and crouched down beside him.
"Are you awake, human?"
"Who's there? I can't see you. Am I blind?" His voice was loud and shrill.
"No, this room is very dark indeed."
"Oh... I thought I was blinded."
"Because you fell off the roof?" Malron asked. The young man remained silent, saying nothing. "I don't understand why people always have destructive tendencies. Yet they always deny it and claim nothing is wrong."
"I-I don't understand what you mean, sir."
"I'm sure you'll say 'it was unintentional' because you fell from the roof, and caused someone's death."
The boy cried out in shock. "Oh, Lord! Is that true?!"
Okay, I was wrong, Malron thought.
Malron opened his palm, and the trident appeared, which he immediately grabbed. With a sweep of his hand, the trident unleashed a massive burst of fire.
The boy jumped in surprise, his body sliding back to keep Malron at arm's length. Horror was in his eyes. There was a proud smile on Malron's lips, for he was a great demon. Indeed, emitting fire from the trident was an easy task.
"How did you do that?" the trembling youth asked.
"I—"
Before Malron could explain, the young man's panicked voice cut off his words: "Oh, no!!"
Of course, the boy was shocked to see blood splattered, fingers severed, and heads separated from bodies strewn about. An absolutely gory state.
Malron had no time to waste cleaning up the mess that had just happened. After all, he was a De-mon, not a De-tergent.
"W-what happened? Why is everyone..."
The boy did not finish his words, as he immediately vomited heavily and then choked.
Malron analyzed; perhaps the lad had suffered a brain injury when he fell from the roof. The human body is fragile, and a severe impact could cause various symptoms.
But Malron remembered that the boy had fallen right into his lap. It was the master who was crushed by the debris, his head now resembling scrambled eggs.
"Did I cause the death of these people?" the young man asked with a startled look on his face.
"You only killed their leader," Malron pointed to the body, which was primarily covered in debris. "And that was unintentional."
"I am so sinful!" the boy cried, burying his face in his hands.
Malron pounded the bottom of his trident into the ground until the trident disappeared from his hand. Quickly, Malron grabbed the collar of the young man's shirt and pulled him up. The young man seemed disoriented, and even standing, he was wobbly.
Irritated, Malron slapped the boy hard on the cheek to make him snap out of it.
"Stop being so weak, idiot!" Malron shouted.
Suddenly, there was silence; the only sound was a muffled sob.
"What's your name?" Malron asked.
"Kieran, sir."
Malron looked at the boy named Kieran again. Too pretty to be a boy, but impossible to be a girl.
"Are you a drag queen?" Malron accused.
"I am a man, sir."
"Then don't cry in front of me!"
Kieran just nodded without saying a word.
Malron's attention was immediately diverted. Although he had taken on a human form, his strength hadn't simply vanished. He could still see from a considerable distance. His senses were attuned to human emotions, even when they spoke silently.
So, when a group of people moved toward where Malron and Kieran were, the demon was already aware of it.
"We must leave immediately," Malron ordered.
"Where to, sir?"
"Outside." Malron sighed in annoyance. "People are coming, and I don't want to explain what happened. So you're coming with me, understand?"
"Yes, sir."
Malron ran ahead of Kieran, but after a few steps, he heard a scream from behind.
"Sir, I can't see!" Kieran whimpered.
"Oh, damn it!"
Then Malron approached Kieran again, dragging the innocent young man with him.
Malron traversed the rather long corridor until he finally saw an exit. Two doors made of old wood with abstract carvings on the leaves. Classic.
As soon as the door opened, Kieran hugged himself, feeling the cold wind chill to the bone.
The atmosphere outside was brighter, lights illuminating some corners of the building. Malron released his grip. Then, the two of them ran along the sidewalk that ended in a park with tall pine trees. The trees stood side by side with an equally tall fence.
Malron's next goal was to jump over the wall and leave the building area.
The demon quickly jumped onto a branch, his leap light and agile so that he was already outside the fence. Meanwhile, Kieran stood there, staring at Malron with a pitiful expression.
"I can't climb," Kieran whispered.
Malron gritted his teeth in annoyance. "You fell from the roof! Why can't you climb a tree?"
"My body hurts a lot, sir."
"Should I feel sorry for you?"
Kieran began to sob.
But the sound of footsteps in the residence came closer. Malron sensed danger, not for himself, but for Kieran.
Malron did not want to get involved with the humans again, and a minor incident resulted in fighting. Malron did not enjoy battling mortals. There was no feeling that made him feel challenged because, in Malron's eyes, humans were weak creatures.
Without much thought, Malron's hands grabbed the fence. He pulled the fence aside with a single thrust, creating a gap large enough for Kieran to pass through.
Kieran just stared in disbelief until his mouth dropped open in amazement.
"Oh... that's amazing! How can you do that?" Kieran asked.
In a short time, Kieran witnessed incredible things from Malron.
"Just get out!" Malron ordered irritably.
Kieran stepped through the gap in the fence and stood next to Malron. They both dashed along the dark path away from the palace-like building. Malron didn't have a specific destination; at least, he was looking for a safe place.