“H-how?”
There was no denying it.
There was no way to ask what he meant.
Yurian’s eyes held certainty. He knew something.
Shekina’s body trembled.
When the cat pointed out Shekina’s humanity, it was surprising but not frightening. It seemed unlikely that the demons would take the cat’s words at face value, and the cat itself didn’t seem eager to reveal the truth.
But now, it’s different.
Even if Shekina manages to defeat Yurian somehow, she can’t survive. She’ll die because she’s human.
“How could I not know when you’re using artifacts like that?”
Artifacts?
Shekina was too shocked to continue speaking.
“I have one too, an artifact.”
Yurian smirked, pointing to the brooch on his chest.
“This, it only reacts to humans. I learned about it at the academy.”
It’s unbelievable.
You shouldn’t know. You can’t know.
The fact that artifacts only react to humans is something that demons learn very late.
But how did Yurian find out?
Shekina’s eyes flickered.
“Why am I even bothering to explain this in so much detail?”
Yurian spread his palm wide. The same wind that had rushed through the door earlier now manifested in his hand.
“Well, since you’re going to die here anyway, I might as well tell you.”
I’m going to die.
I’m dying.
‘…No.’
I’m not going to die here.
I absolutely won’t die.
Shekina clenched her fist tightly and raised her voice.
“Yurian!”
The rushing wind dispersed in an instant.
“Aaagh! What’s this?”
Didi had arrived. Didi, responding to Yurian’s name.
Shekina sank down as soon as she saw Didi’s face.
“Master Yurian? You’ve returned? I’m so happy to see you! How long has it been! Oh, I’m truly overjoyed!”
Didi, initially delighted, grabbed Yurian’s arm and then finally looked around.
“B-but what’s going on here?”
Didi’s gaze shifted from behind her hair to Shekina.
“Why… are you trying to kill Shekina?”
Didi held onto Yurian’s arm tighter.
“You can’t! You know! She’s using summoning spells! It’s the only way we can return to the demon realm! You can’t kill her!”
Shekina breathed heavily, looking at Yurian.
Calling Didi was partly a gamble.
Yurian returned from the academy without giving a clear reason. Yurian erased all traces of presence around the room. Yurian seemed to avoid leaving any evidence of murder, not even a drop of blood on his clothes.
‘Yurian is trying not to get caught trying to kill me.’
So if Didi came, she thought he would retreat.
Would the gamble pay off?
Retreat, or continue to try to kill me.
Shekina bit her lower lip tightly.
“Haaa…”
Yurian sighed deeply, touching his forehead.
“Yeah, I guess so. I was mistaken.”
Then he approached Shekina with a bright smile.
“Sorry, Shekina. Does it hurt?”
After wrapping Shekina’s neck, he activated healing magic. Although there was certainly healing magic flowing, his palm was overly cold.
“Let’s have dinner together soon. I have a lot to say.”
Yurian smiled and then pulled Didi’s arm.
“Didi, I’ll take you to your room. Let’s go.”
“Ah…”
Didi still looked at Shekina, who was still sitting on the ground. Shekina noticed the gaze and gestured with her hand, indicating to go quickly.
“Yes, okay.”
With that, Didi hugged Yurian tighter and left the room.
Thud.
As soon as the door closed, Shekina collapsed onto the floor.
“Wuaakh…”
Then she closed her eyes tightly.
“That was close.”
That’s terrifying.
***
Yurian, returning to the room after seeing off Didi, unbuttoned his collar and let out a sigh.
“I still feel uneasy.”
It feels like there’s still blood on his hands.
The smell of acrid blood fills his lungs.
Lying on the bed, Yurian pressed his palm against his forehead and clenched his teeth.
“Shekina…”
She must be killed.
She must be killed, without fail.
Because she’s human?
No. Yurian knew his own position as a homunculus very well, so whether someone was human or demon didn’t matter to him.
He had known about the artifact from the beginning. If he wanted to kill Shekina because she was human, he would have done it three years ago.
The reason he wanted to kill Shekina now is because…
<Kill Shekina Daimon.>
That’s the note he received.
At first, Yurian ignored it, thinking it was someone’s silly joke.
But the next day, Yurian’s roommate disappeared.
And then another note arrived.
<If you want to find him, kill Shekina Daimon.>
He ignored it again. It couldn’t be true. That girl was a talented magician; she wouldn’t fall easily.
The next day, the professor Yurian relied on disappeared.
And another note arrived.
<If you want to find the professor, kill Shekina Daimon.>
He couldn’t ignore it anymore.
But how? How could he kill a person?
The next day, the senior Yurian admired disappeared.
Another note arrived.
The librarian who used to study with Yurian also disappeared.
Another note arrived.
The cafeteria waiter who always took care of Yurian disappeared.
Another note arrived.
Disappearances, notes, dissappearances, notes…
She must be killed.
That’s the only way to break free from this cycle.
He wished he had decided a little earlier. If he had, there would have been fewer missing people. They wouldn’t have died.
“Damn it.”
He was angry.
So angry.
But there was nothing he could do. No matter how strong a magician he was, he was just a kid. He tried to trace the sender of the notes, but failed every time.
Could he ask someone for help?
He tried to tell the academy. But he couldn’t say who sent the notes. People around Yurian kept disappearing.
Could he talk to the demons?
No. He couldn’t.
The demons would just ask, ‘What’s wrong with a few humans dying?’
So Yurian had to make a choice.
The choice to kill Shekina.
“Hahhh…”
Today, I had to let it go because of Didi, but not next time. Next time, I will definitely kill Shekina.
Because I don’t know who else might disappear.
Because I don’t know who else might be gone.
“So annoying…”
Yurian’s tightly clenched eyes sparkled.
***
“Hey, System.”
Shekina, now fully alert, stroked the cat’s head and stared into the empty space.
“You know something.”
Silence met his inquiry.
“So when you told me to run away when he came, that’s what you meant, right?”
Throughout the previous brushes with death, the system had never blatantly issued a warning like this. So why suddenly for Yurian? For what reason?
‘There’s something.’
It must be related to the system. Shekina raised her voice.
“Spill it. I’m really in danger of dying.”
Ring!
[SYSTEM]
I also want to speak, but I can’t.
Ugh, seriously.
“Ah! Are you going to take responsibility if I die? Are you?”
As Shekina yelled in frustration, the system window appeared above her.
[SYSTEM]
Clean up your temper…
The system window was shaking back and forth, as if it were in shock.
[SYSTEM]
Don’t expect me to show up for a while. And don’t curse.
“You know something, so spill it. Where…”
Although Shekina felt like she heard a sigh, she ignored it.
Ring!
[SYSTEM]
‘Yurian’ is moving for the same reason as ‘Han.’
And with a pop, the system window disappeared.
There was no disturbance in the air.
It disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place.
“Ah.”
Shekina let out a bitter laugh.
“What do I even know.”
These damn bastards are really…
She quickly got up.
