Chapter 15: The completed one

“Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to check the left hallway?”

“Yeah, but I heard a strange sound halfway through, so I came to you.”

Her voice was the same as usual, but something about it felt subtly off.

Her tone was slightly lower, and the way she broke her words was different from normal.

I felt a chill run down my spine and stared at her intently.

“……What sound? I didn’t hear anything.”

Sia tilted her head slightly and replied.

“It just… sounded like you were calling me. Did you find anything?”

At that moment, a warning light went off in my head.

Her gestures, her expression, even the timing of her breaths—everything felt forced, as if she were pretending.

“I haven’t found anything yet. But… are you really Sia?”

I asked cautiously.

As soon as I said that, her face changed for a brief moment.

For an instant, her smile disappeared, replaced by a blank expression, before returning to a forced grin.

“What are you talking about? Of course, it’s me.”

She slowly stepped toward me.

Her footsteps made no sound against the floor, and there was something unnatural about the way she walked.

I took a step back and gripped my flashlight tightly.

“If you’re really Sia… then tell me what you saw in the left hallway earlier. What was there?”

She hesitated for a moment, then tilted her head and answered.

“Nothing much. Just another similar hallway. Why? Are you doubting me? I really am me.”

I didn’t respond and just stared at her.

Her gaze grew sharper, and the forced smile seemed harder to maintain.

“Then, when you did the cat pose to squeeze through that gap—what was I doing at that time?”

“Oh, that? Well, you were cheering for me while I was trying to get through…”

“……Sia never did a cat pose.”

“Ah.”

At that moment, her body began to tremble unnaturally.

Her form seemed to blur like a silhouette, and something beneath her skin appeared to wriggle.

“You’re… not Sia, are you?”

As soon as I said that, she suddenly stopped and tilted her head slightly.

Then, in a low, eerie voice, she muttered,

“You caught me.”

That voice was no longer Sia’s.

My heart sank as I tightened my grip on the flashlight.

“Come here quietly. I’ll make it worth your while.”

The fake Sia spoke with a soft smile.

The voice mimicked Sia’s, but there was an eerie undertone mixed within.

She curled one finger, motioning me forward as if beckoning me.

Then, with her other hand, she brought it close to her chest, as if twisting something.

Her fingertips bent abnormally, and an unnatural sound came from the movement.

“Are you trying to show me some kind of finger magic trick?”

I spoke in tension as I took a step back.

Every single one of her movements was so grotesque that I couldn’t look away.

“No, you’ll really feel good. If I poke you with these fingers, it’ll be warm, cozy, and make you feel amazing.”

She lowered her voice, pulled out a mask with a joyous expression from her chest, put it on, and smiled slightly.

That smile was so cold it sent chills down my spine.

Suddenly, the doors along the walls swung open on their own, and countless identical fake Sias poured out from inside.

They all had the same face and gestures, walking toward me in unison.

Each one wore a forced smile, donning different masks, beckoning me forward with a curling finger.

“What… the hell is this…?”

Frozen in place, I instinctively stepped back.

The fake Sias slowly closed in on me, tightening their encirclement.

Their voices merged into a haunting resonance that filled the air.

“Where do you think you’re going? No one leaves this place.”

“Just give up and accept it. It’ll hurt less that way.”

“We’ll make you feel good, so come to us.”

Their eerie voices harmonized into a grotesque melody that sent vibrations through the air.

Clutching my flashlight tightly, I frantically scanned my surroundings as they closed in.

“If this keeps up… I’ll be caught…!”

I took a step back, desperately searching for an escape route.

But there were too many of them, and the hallway was already filled with their presence.

I was being pushed toward the wall, and the fear tightened around me like a vice.

“There’s nowhere left to run.”

The leading fake Sia murmured as she approached me slowly.

“Just give in and come here. Struggling won’t change anything.”

Gritting my teeth, I swung my flashlight.

But they either dodged with a smile or simply let their bodies sway unnaturally.

The moment one of them reached for my hand, I abandoned all hesitation, twisted my body, and bolted with all my strength.

“Go ahead, run all you want. We already know where you’ll end up.”

Even though they had missed me, their eerie smiles never wavered as they continued to approach me slowly.

Panting heavily, I pushed forward, sprinting toward the center—The Great Hall.

Soon, I reached the central space and saw someone running toward me from the opposite hallway.

It was unmistakably Sia.

The real Sia.

“Sia!”

I shouted, rushing toward her.

“Here! Run over here!”

Sia’s face lit up the moment she saw me, but as soon as she turned around, her expression was overtaken by shock.

Behind her, countless versions of ‘me’ were sprinting toward us.

Creatures identical to me, all wearing eerie masks, were reaching out their hands as they chased after her.

“What… What the hell is that?! They all look just like me!”

I was overwhelmed by shock, but the instinct to help her kicked in, and I immediately dashed toward Sia.

Sia reached out her hand as we met.

“We have to move fast! If they catch us, it’s over!”

We grabbed each other’s hands and ran with everything we had.

Behind us, the fakes flooded the hallway in pursuit.

From the left corridor, duplicates of me emerged, while from the right, fakes identical to Sia came pouring in.

They wore our familiar faces, but their eyes and expressions were disturbingly unnatural.

They were smiling, yet their grins looked like stiff masks, forced and devoid of warmth.

“There’s no way out…”

I desperately searched for an exit, but every path was blocked.

Behind us, the impostors closed in, and ahead, nothing but an endless corridor.

But at that moment, my eyes landed on a chair in the center of the space.

Someone was sitting in it.

At first, it appeared to be just a shadow, but gradually, its form became clearer within our field of vision.

It was the figure of a towering woman.

Long black hair draped over her face and cascaded down, while her entire body was bound tightly to the chair.

And yet, she sat with an air of regal composure, showing not the slightest hint of fear.

Her gaze was cast downward, watching us like an audience observing a play.

“What… is that?”

Her face remained obscured, but an eerie presence radiated from her.

She was staring at us in silence.

Her gaze was heavy, carrying an oppressive weight that dwarfed even the terror of the pursuing impostors.

“It’s like… the queen of a masquerade ball.”

Sia whispered.

She looked as though she was enjoying the chaos unfolding before her.

Even as the sound of the fakes closing in grew louder, she remained completely still.

She simply watched us, savoring the spectacle in silence.

Hmm, that sounds strange when I put it that way.

Anyway, we were exploring the interior of the womb—

…

Somehow, the Korean side’s atmosphere had taken on a lighthearted tone.

But in stark contrast, the Japanese side’s situation was, of course, extremely dire.

The Tennouji clan, considered to be one of the great noble families, had been annihilated.

And now, the Korean Special Operations Division, suspected to be responsible, was moving toward Tokyo—toward the headquarters of the Official History Compilation Committee.

With this, not only Erika and Mariya but everyone in a position to voice an opinion had no choice but to convene for an emergency strategy meeting.

However, the majority of them were already steeped in the intoxicating allure of the king’s radiance.

Though they gathered in the conference room, all they did was parrot the same words like mindless birds.

“As expected, Lord Kusanagi must take action—”

“Indeed.”

“This is the perfect opportunity to showcase the power of our king.”

“It will serve as an undeniable lesson to the Korean side as well.”

The Demon King was meant to be humanity’s final line of defense against a battle with the gods.

He was never meant to intervene in mere human conflicts.

The moment a Demon King stepped into human warfare, it would no longer be a battle.

It would be nothing more than one-sided slaughter.

For that reason, it was only right that the Special Operations Division’s invasion was to be handled at their level, without involving the king.

And yet, no one in that room dared to say it out loud.

Because deep down, they all knew.

Even though the Special Operations Division consisted of only around thirty individuals, they were the very heroes who had shaped modern Korea’s most elite force.

If they joined forces, they could win without Kodo stepping in.

But the damage would undoubtedly be severe.

“So, in the end, they just don’t want to suffer losses themselves…”

“The Official History Compilation Committee, the noble families—they may exist within the framework of Japan, but in reality, they are entirely separate factions.”

Erika and Mariya let out deep sighs as they watched the scene unfold.

Still, they couldn’t outright criticize them.

After all, prioritizing one’s own life and the survival of one’s group was an inherent human instinct.

People talk about sacrificing their lives for the country in times of crisis, but how many would actually do it?

That aside, regardless of their reasoning, involving Kodo in this battle was unacceptable.

Of course, it was Erika and Mariya who had decided to use a bit of shock therapy.

But that “shock” was never meant to involve Kodo in a massacre of humans.

“If the king steps in over something this trivial, don’t you think the ‘dignity’ you all speak of will actually diminish?”

“If a boy wielding overwhelming power loses control and goes on a rampage, that infamy will spread worldwide. Other Demon Kings will surely look down on our king.

That’s why we believe this situation should be resolved without Kusanagi’s involvement.”

In the end, the two of them opposed Kodo’s participation through indirect means.

Truthfully, since Korea already had a Demon King, it was inevitable that Kodo would have to step in at some point.

However, Tennouji—despite losing a significant portion of its elite forces—was still a threat the Special Operations Division could handle on their own.

No one in the room, including Erika and Mariya, was aware that Korea had a Demon King.

For this reason, Mariya and Erika proposed to meet with the Special Operations Division representatives themselves.

As Kodo’s closest aides, they were confident that even those from the Special Operations Division wouldn’t dare to kill them.

If they could resolve the issue through diplomacy, that would be ideal.

But if it became clear that persuasion was impossible, they would then consider alternative countermeasures.

“That’s not a bad idea. With Erika’s abilities, even if negotiations fail, she could at least escape with Mariya.”

Shinomiya Kaoru, Commander-in-Chief of the Official History Compilation Committee, nodded in agreement as a representative of the committee.

Since the committee primarily wanted to avoid conflict and minimize their own casualties, they had little objection to the proposal.

Moreover, Kaoru happened to be an acquaintance of Mariya, making it even easier for them to align on this decision.

However—

“We cannot agree to this.”

“Neither can I.”

“Talking, after we’ve already been given a declaration of war?”

“That’s ridiculous!”

The noble families voiced unanimous opposition.

As they pointed out, Korea had already exterminated the Tennouji clan.

Even if the retaliation against the Korean envoys sent by Tennouji was a separate matter, the fact remained—Korea had invaded Japan and wiped out Tennouji.

And now, they were supposed to negotiate?

That was unthinkable.

“Negotiation can come later with the Korean government.”

“But at the very least, those who have crossed into Japan must all be killed.”

“We can’t just sit back and do nothing!”

“Yes, negotiations can come after their deaths.”

Despite their eagerness to kill the Special Operations members who had entered Japan, none of the nobles seemed willing to wield the sword themselves.

Watching their behavior, Erika couldn’t help but wonder—why were they acting this way?

Then, a sudden realization struck her.

She finally understood the nobles’ true intentions.

They were desperate to eliminate the Special Operations Division’s key forces—those who had invaded Japan this time.

“These lunatics… Even after witnessing the destruction of Tennouji, they still refuse to give up on Korea?!”

Their real plan was to use Kodo to massacre the Special Operations elites.

Then, with Korea stripped of its strongest warriors, the nobles could slowly carve up the weakened country for themselves.

“This is actually the perfect chance to showcase our king’s majesty!”

“By exterminating these vile invaders, we will have a hero who saves the nation—a great Demon King who demonstrates his overwhelming might!”

“Our king has already fought to a draw with the Sword King of Italy, who is widely recognized as the strongest Demon King—”

“The hero who survived even the battle against the Marquis of Burn.”

“Who would dare look down on our king?”

Erika could see the greed overflowing in the nobles’ eyes, mixed with their twisted faith.

Yes, she had heard of this before.

Japan, a country obsessed with geniuses, was ironically known as the graveyard of geniuses.

Their near-blind devotion to Kodo—who was not just a genius but now a Demon King—would persist until their object of worship crumbled on its own.

And the moment that genius experienced failure for the first time, they would discard him mercilessly.

As if to say, “This is not the genius I had expected.”

“I was too soft. Far too soft. I was a complete fool to think of these people as allies, even for a moment.”

Forget about shock therapy.

Once this was over, Erika swore she would make Kodo wipe them all out.

If Kodo refused, she would override his will for the first time.

As a knight who serves and protects her lord, she could not allow such a ‘disease’ to fester.

Even if the cure meant cutting out a piece of flesh.

“Fine. That does make some sense. Then, I shall ask Kodo to subjugate the Special Operations Division.”

“Eh… Erika?!”

“Oh? This is unexpected. Erika Blandelli, I didn’t think you would accept so easily.”

“It pleases me to see that you have, at least a little, become one of us Japanese.”

For now, Erika chose to accept the nobles’ demands.

Mariya was shocked and tried to stop her, but Erika quietly asked her to trust her judgment.

After all, what would happen to the Special Operations Division was ultimately up to Kodo.

She would simply report the situation to him and frame it as an act of mercy.

“Besides, if I want to eradicate those parasites, the Korean Special Operations Division must remain intact.”

Thus, the meeting came to an end.

In the end, Kodo’s participation was decided.

Of course, the moment Erika and Mariya explained the situation to Kodo, he frowned deeply.

“What the hell are you talking about? War? That’s ridiculous.”

However, after a serious discussion and persistent persuasion from both women, he reluctantly scratched his head and got up from his seat.

“You guys always come up with weird schemes behind my back… So, I just need to go and intimidate them, right?”

“Yes. They know the terror of a Demon King.”

“I think this whole thing is just an explosion of pent-up resentment. If you show some understanding and make a small concession, they might back down.”

“But… those people. They did invade our country and wipe out the Tennouji clan, right? I get that they struck first, but still…”

Even as he tried to process it, Kodo struggled to understand why such a catastrophe had erupted over something as trivial as a flute.

Doubt clouded his mind.

Seeing this, Erika spoke in an icy tone—a tone even Kodo had never heard from her before.

“Kodo.”

“Huh…? Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

“…….”

“Unless you intend to personally kill all of them with your own hands, your words mean nothing right now.”

“That’s…”

“Don’t be mistaken. We are not going to stop a war. We are going to end a war that has already begun. Tennouji? Let’s be honest—they deserved to die. If this had happened in Italy, the Sword King himself would have killed them.”

“Donny? No way. Sure, he’s reckless, but he wouldn’t just kill someone—”

“You’re free to think whatever you want about him. But let me make one thing clear. He became a Demon King, and within just one month, he brought the entire Italian magic order and noble houses to their knees.”

A reckless troublemaker.

A self-indulgent wanderer who called himself the ruler of Italy, yet behaved more like a carefree drifter.

And yet, he undeniably ruled over Italy.

He reigned, but he did not oppress.

“The knights and mages of Italy all understand this. That’s why, even when they invoke his name, they never commit acts that are dishonorable or unbefitting of chivalry.”

“Because doing so would tarnish the name of the Demon King.

“Of course, I don’t expect you to be like him. That would be an unreasonable demand. Besides, your circumstances are different.”

Before becoming a Demon King, the Sword King had been a knight of the Italian Templar Order.

Though he had been a failure as a student, unlike Kodo, he at least understood the ways of this world.

And because of that, Erika also understood that Kodo could not be like the Sword King.

However—

“After this is over, think about it for a bit. I’m sorry, but… I might not be able to keep my promise to ‘wait for you forever’ after all.”

She sincerely prayed that Kodo would awaken as a king through this experience.

Because if he didn’t—if he remained the same—then, despite herself, Erika felt she might end up disappointed in him.

Perhaps her prayers reached the heavens.

Fortunately, the encounter with the Korean Special Operations Division left Kodo in complete shock.

But then—

“What the hell? No way… Are you seriously the King of Japan?”

“You… Who the hell are you?!”

Even though they were both Demon Kings, the sheer difference in power was incomprehensible.

The overwhelming quantity and density of energy made any comparison meaningless.

The warrior’s presence, breaking past human limits and opening the gates to divinity, was something Kodo had only ever felt from the Sword King.

The eyes of a warrior who had seen countless battlefields, piercing through everything with insight beyond reason.

The moment Kodo faced him, his entire body began to scream.

His instincts roared at him.

This was impossible.

He could not win.

Run. He had to run.

This was a being who had overcome trials far beyond anything Kodo had ever faced.

The knight—no, the warrior—the king standing before him was—

“This is ridiculous. To think I was so scared that I even prepared to descend… for something like this.”

A ‘completed being’ who had already written his own legend.