From the great ruler at the pinnacle of the Demon Realm to a mere curse, the fallen 15th Demon King, Tanuin.
He had been sealed in this unknown temple for a very long time. Thanks to his self-destructive last resort right before he was completely subdued, he avoided being immediately exploited, but it was only a temporary reprieve, not a complete escape, as long as his opponent didn't give up.
Demon Dragon Duke Crushire was renowned as the world's foremost expert in black magic and all things related to magic. But even as he steadily carried out his plans, the fallen Demon King could do nothing. All he could do was nurture his resentment, desperately clinging to his fading consciousness, and helplessly watch.
"Ugh… W-where am I…?"
But perhaps it was fate.
One day, when he felt he was nearing his limit, an unexpected opportunity arose. He discovered that one of the humans brought in as a sacrifice possessed a very unusual ability.
'That's not magic or shamanism. It's a very strange power, as if the world's laws don't apply to it… Perhaps that's why it's even more promising.'
The ability to separate one's consciousness and imbue it into another being. It was an ability that even he, a former Demon King, only barely noticed thanks to becoming a curse, the epitome of malice. The busy Demon Dragon Duke didn't seem to notice anything, and the somewhat incomplete temple didn't react to the power either.
'This is my last chance. Even attempting it will consume all my remaining strength, but it's worth the risk.'
So, the 15th Demon King, Tanuin… no, the remaining thoughts of what was once Tanuin, made a gamble. He scraped together the last of his consciousness and mixed his curse into the human's outwardly projecting consciousness. Perhaps due to their similar circumstances, the process was easier than expected.
In retrospect, it wasn't a bad outcome for Ken, the owner of the ability. Thanks to that, 「Thought Transference」, which should have dissipated without a target, gained direction, and he even obtained an excellent body—a part of the Demon King's remnants that the Demon Dragon Duke failed to recover.
"Ugh, my head… Where am I? Who am I…? Ah? Ahh! Those demon followers!"
He had to endure some minor side effects in return, but it was inevitable. Thus, reborn with a body made from the Demon King's remnants, he instinctively headed towards Dark Nest's headquarters. Even with his incomplete memories, the desire to save his original body, which he held when he first used 「Thought Transference」, still lingered in his heart.
…Of course, the influence of the curse also played a part.
The Demon King's curse also had similar intentions. The only difference was that it intended to devour Ken whole upon his return to the temple. If that happened, it could not only regain a part of its lost body, but also use his ego as fuel to revive its depleted consciousness and shake the temple's seal, which targeted 'Tanuin', by deliberately mixing the impurity 'Ken' into itself.
Of course, no matter how weakened he was, he was still a Demon King, so he wasn't worried about his will being overtaken in the process.
[————!]
And now, over twenty years later,
His scheme was finally coming to fruition, albeit a bit late.
'Become one again. Devour. If we become a complete whole!'
The moment Ken, unknowingly influenced by the Demon King's curse, entered the temple,
A disruption occurred in the seal that bound the curse, and it finally escaped the depths of the underground. It couldn't completely leave the temple yet, but if it could absorb Ken, that problem would soon be solved.
'Finally, again. Revenge! Kill, Dragon! Resurrection. Demon King!'
The fragmented thoughts of the curse writhed, moving rapidly to obtain the final key to its liberation. It instinctively knew that if it wasted time and the Demon Dragon Duke returned, everything would be ruined, so there wasn't a hint of hesitation in its movements.
For its complete resurrection! To exact bloody revenge on those who reduced it to this state!
"Hmm, I thought it would be tough, but this is even more…!"
Whirr Whirr!
Whoosh!
…Of course, encountering such an unexpected variable in the process was unavoidable. A heavy mechanical sound accompanied by a human-like grumbling. The Demon King's curse, advancing like a tsunami, turned its attention to a mosquito buzzing around, absorbing its curse. At first, it tried to ignore it like an insect stepped on along the way, but 'it' couldn't be ignored so easily. It seemed like it would cling to him like a leech and suck away his curse if he left it alone!
Of course, the amount of power lost wasn't significant, but its very existence was irritating. In the end, the Demon King's curse decided to deal with it first, even if it was a bit troublesome. An ominous feeling emanating from the small creature also played a part in its decision.
But the other party was also in a difficult situation, perhaps even more so than he was annoyed by Hesperon.
"Ahaha… This was a blind spot. Well, it's absurd to think I could instantly absorb all that power with a few counter-skills when there's such a huge difference in rank and density."
Hesperon, flying around with the titanium suit and controlling the Black Flame Dragon, chuckled wryly. In short, his idea wasn't wrong, but the difference in their levels was too great. It was like expecting a single leech to drain a hippopotamus of blood, even though a leech could suck several times its weight in blood. It was even worse when the blood didn't flow easily, like trying to suck thick honey through a straw.
'It's theoretically possible, but… it would take a long time. Ken won't last that long. Should I look for another way?'
He had hoped to power up by using it as a stepping stone. The gains weren't bad, considering the opponent's level, but the priority was to neutralize it quickly. He thought Hesperon was the right person for the job, but things weren't going as planned.
[————!]
Perhaps he was too complacent, thinking he had the advantage due to the favorable matchup. The rapidly changing situation didn't give him time to think.
"Huh?"
In the blink of an eye.
The black smoke swelled and engulfed Hesperon, who was flying around in his titanium suit. Ignoring the suit covering his entire body except for his right arm, a will that formed the core of the Demon King shot into Hesperon.
-Die.
A single word, more of a thought than actual language, disproportionately short compared to the terrifying power it contained. A dark emotion, too primal to be called a curse, seeped into Hesperon, a bottomless malice.
'I can't block it at my level. But…!'
Death coursed through his body. The 「Craving Right Arm」 and 「Curse Devourer」 devoured the intruding curse as if waiting for it. 「Clear Mind」, which stabilized his mind, protected his body and soul, and various skills like 「Toughness」 and 「Super Recovery」 activated in succession. As he had anticipated and prepared for it, the curse couldn't harm him.
"Curses don't work on me… Huh? What's this?"
…Well, that would be true if the attack was purely a 'curse'. Even though he was now reduced to a mere mass of curses, he was still a former Demon King! His attack proved fatal to Hesperon, who had been complacent, relying on his immunity.
"Individual has suffered fatal damage. 「Instant Death Immunity」 activates, nullifying death."
"「Instant Death Immunity」 will be sealed for one day."
"Cough!"
Crimson blood trickled from his lips.
***
"Ugh! Haa."
He coughed up blood. A splitting headache and pain throughout his body, as if he had been severely beaten. Hesperon, barely managing to keep his balance, frowned.
"Ugh, this is troublesome…"
He wiped the blood from his lips and groaned, glancing to the side.
<······.>
'Instant death for me, and this much damage to the titanium suit, from a single blow?'
Various message windows popped up in his vision. They were all warnings, but they were meaningless now. If he was hit by the same attack again, it would truly be the end.
'…A command-type ability? That's absurd. It's been hundreds of years since he became a curse; only his instincts should remain. Does he still have the mind to use such an advanced technique?'
He frowned and shook his head. He had made thorough calculations before dispatching Hesperon. He thought the combination of 「Craving Right Arm」 and 「Curse Devourer」 would be enough, but it seemed he had underestimated the power of a 'Demon King-level curse'.
'If I hadn't been wearing the titanium suit, curse immunity or not, I would have been pulverized. Well, a Demon King-level being reached quasi-godhood before falling; it was greedy of me to think I could handle it without even reaching Transcendence.'
In any case, this incident served as a harsh reality check. That even with a favorable matchup, a significant difference in rank rendered it meaningless. It was embarrassing to have been so confident and end up like this.
"Tsk, I shouldn't have come… This isn't a fight I can win."
Hesperon looked at the Black Flame Dragon, coiling around his arm and emitting black flames, and clicked his tongue. Unfortunately, now that he had realized the reality, his role here was over. It was best to escape quickly before he really died, now that he had no safety net.
'Phew, I feel bad for this guy, too. I practically brought him to a top-tier buffet and only gave him a plate of dessert.'
Hesperon and the Black Flame Dragon, linked by 「Chains of Oath」, shared their growth. If he had reached Transcendence… or even a proper peak level, the gains would have been much greater. He couldn't help but feel disappointed…
Clank
Just then.
A faint sound of chains echoed in his mind,
'Wait… 「Chains of Oath」?'
Something began to tickle his mind. At the same time, a sense of déjà vu strongly stimulated his instincts.
Rumble! Boom!
The curse fog rampaged and attacked again, but he didn't have the time to deal with it right now. He maximized the titanium suit's boosters, avoiding the fight as much as possible, and struggled to grasp the something tickling his mind. Carefully analyzing what he had missed.
'「Chains of Oath」 is reacting. Why now? Why?'
It was a skill that connected a subject and an object, regardless of whether they were a person, an object, or even energy. He had Crown Princess Riley, the titanium suit and sealing tools, and the Black Flame Dragon of the 「Craving Right Arm」. That should be all, so what did he miss…
'Wait. Hesperon is the user of this skill. But although I have multiple bodies, I have only one soul. Then what's the standard when I make a contract with another body?'
Clang Clang
His highly developed instincts screamed. That the solution to this situation was right here. He just wasn't aware of it. His thoughts accelerated, and the world began to slow down.
'Contract, soul, subject, avatar…'
In the near-frozen time, Hesperon's eyes deepened. And with that, things that were previously invisible began to appear faintly.
'Right, there was no need to overthink it. I was always just 'Han Sunghyun'.'
But why did 「Chains of Oath」 react now? It was a simple question.
'Miyamoto Ken and that mass of curses are practically one.'
And Ken had pledged loyalty to Hela. A loyalty reinforced by various skills and dominance, preventing him from having any other thoughts. The only reason he was still holding on was because of those intricate constraints. Although he hadn't anticipated this, he was practically indebted to her, his soul mortgaged.
'And Hela and Hesperon are the same person…?'
A master-servant relationship between Ken and Hesperon naturally formed. And on top of that, that thing causing all this commotion to become one with Ken…
'It's practically my subordinate!'
It was forced. But what could he do when such causality had been established? And in the realm of 'mystery', causality was sometimes the strongest binding force.
Hesperon, fleeing at full speed, stopped. The distance between him and the fiercely pursuing black fog rapidly closed, but he didn't care anymore.
Clank Clank
The sound of chains echoed in his mind. The sound of connection, audible only to him. As Hesperon recognized it, a chain of causality connected them. Rank wasn't always absolute. Sometimes, rank was also determined by a relative relationship based on connections. Right now,
Despite the vast difference in rank, a firm master-servant relationship was established. And as long as that causality remained…
Clank
The moment he used 「Chains of Oath」, he instinctively knew. That he now held the leash of that terrifying monster. Of course, this alone wasn't enough to completely subdue and control the Demon King-level curse. Even with the established hierarchy, the difference in their rank was still vast.
But he could do other things.
"Now, I think I can finally have a proper meal."
A grin spread across Hesperon's lips. The Black Flame Dragon peeking out from behind him also smiled ominously.
[————!]
Immediately after,
A super leech, capable of swallowing even a hippopotamus whole, swept across the space before him.