— Aaah… Why is my body burning?!
Igris exclaimed, rolling on the ground in pain.
The pain he felt far exceeded that of his deep wounds.
The demon, who was supposed to be dead, coughed and weakly said:
— A deal is a deal… I promised you that if you won, you would get my powers… As agreed, they are yours. The pain you're feeling is just your mark appearing… Nothing more… I wanted to warn you before I left… You've become a half-demon… But don't worry… You won't go to hell…
Then, he finally died for good.
Igris, still screaming in pain, murmured:
— Tss… You got me good, damn it…
His wounds began to heal on their own. As he recovered, he felt a strange sensation, like a release, an evaporation from his body… As if water was being poured onto his skin. In just a few moments, all his injuries, even the deepest ones, disappeared.
He stood up. He no longer felt any pain.
Looking around, he saw that all the street residents were watching him in astonishment. He then fixed his gaze on the demon's corpse and, with a satisfied tone, declared:
— Finally… I avenged him…
Then, closing his eyes, he said:
— Well… It's time to get stronger.
Suddenly, he heard voices in the distance. But when he looked around, he saw no one. It puzzled him.
— The demon has been located on Gombe Street.
He immediately understood: the demon hunters were coming. Thanks to his enhanced hearing, he could perceive sounds from very far away, even the faintest whispers.
The hunters arrived and saw the scene: the dead demon and Igris standing next to its corpse. They quickly grasped what had happened.
Igris shot them a cold glare and declared:
— Cowards…
Then, he headed home.
His mother, returning from church with his brother, saw several people gathered in the street, prevented from approaching by the hunters.
— Do not move forward! This is a secured zone! the hunters shouted with authority.
Seeing her neighbor, his mother approached and asked:
— Mr. Yong, what happened here?
The man, visibly excited, replied:
— Mrs. Luzolo, I was just about to come get you… Your son… What he did was incredible!
— My son?! she panicked. What did he do?!
His brother, mocking, sneered:
— I knew he'd end up a criminal, I just knew it…
But Mr. Yong burst into laughter and said:
— No, no, your son… He killed a demon… All by himself!
Everyone was left speechless before shouting in unison:
— Igris killed a demon?!
His mother ran home, calling for her son at the top of her lungs.
— IGRIS! IGRIS!
His brother glanced toward the basement.
— He must be in the training room…
They went downstairs and found Igris, still just as thin, lifting dumbbells.
His younger brother, Christ, exclaimed excitedly:
— Hey, big bro! They told me you crushed a demon all by yourself!
His mother, worried, asked:
— Are you hurt?
He smiled and replied:
— Don't worry, Mom. I'm indestructible.
But his mother, still concerned, scolded him, both angry and relieved:
— Don't say that! You're not a hunter, you don't have a mark! It was too dangerous, you just got lucky!
Igris looked at her for a moment, then declared:
— Mom… I stopped that demon to avenge my best friend… And also to become a hunter.
He took off his shirt, revealing his back. A black cross had appeared there, proof that he had become an E-rank Slayer, the preliminary level.
His mother dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face:
— This is incredible… But why now? You're already 23… Normally, the mark appears at birth… But please, don't die like your father…
Igris placed a hand on her shoulder and murmured:
— Don't worry, Mom…
Then, he flashed a big smile and raised his fist.
— I'm immortal!
His mother, still in tears, looked at him silently.
— I'm going to register as a Demon Slayer… So let me train.
His mother wiped her tears, gave a faint smile, and nodded before going upstairs with her youngest son.
Igris continued his training.
The next day, at 8 AM…
Christ, Igris' younger brother, woke up yawning.
— I'm hungry…
He opened the fridge and grabbed a juice can.
— One for me too, please.
He grabbed another can, but as he turned around, he jumped in surprise.
A man, shirtless and incredibly muscular, was standing there, wiping his face with a towel.