99-100

Chapter 99: Rebellion 8

Demon King

Rebellion – 8

I had formed an incomplete connection thanks to the Domination skill. It was only natural because I dominated him with force, but I began to talk to him before he was fully under my control. The mana of Jinma was connecting us, so it was possible to do so.

[Are you sane?]

[…I don't know. Have I found my mind? If I were sane, what would the world look like?]

[I think that you are.]

He was no longer stunned but didn't move. He was out of energy physically, and even his mind was pushed to the limit.

[Why didn't you kill me?]

[If I wanted to, I could've, but I don't make a hobby of killing humans for no reason.]

I didn't know if he would be hostile to me, but at the very least, he was a Fallen who was hunted by humans. He was silent for a moment, contemplating my words.

[You are really strong. How can I be as strong as you? Did you have a strong partner?]

[No, but I was lucky. I was born with good abilities.]

I may have been reborn as a goblin and suffered tremendously as a result, but I had a good family and a good partner. After the Great Fusion, I had also been blessed with useful abilities. But more than that, my environment wasn't normal. I had Predation and the Ebon Heart and Rain and the others who stood by me. Without them, I wouldn't have made it this far.

[I was weak at the start, though.]

[…Are you Fallen too? But how is such a human…no, are you really human?]

[It's okay to talk about it more later, but I don't have time now. So let's focus on what we need to do now.]

[…What?]

I decided not to beat around the bush.

[If you want to live among the monsters, I will unlock your skills now and take you someplace safe.]

[…]

[But if you're determined to go back into human society somehow, then become my subordinate. You won't be able to laugh and chat with other humans, but you'll at least be able to stay.]

[Is that possible?]

[It is.]

There was only one type of monster that humans weren't hostile to, and those were the ones that had been tamed by humans. My ability to dominate was actually slightly different from that, but it was similar enough that it was indistinguishable to humans. If this ogre became my subordinate, he would no longer be a prey, but a part of someone's army. My army. Touching him would be like stealing- a rebellion against the morality and order that humans were desperately defending. It wouldn't be a forgivable offense, so he would be safe enough.

Humans hadn't been hunting the Fallen because they were monsters that were threats to humanity, but rather as a way to level up. Even though that motive couldn't be openly revealed, it still lurked below the surface. The moment the large guilds couldn't justify their actions, everything would become too complicated for them to try and hunt this Fallen in secret. It was only really a valuable monster to hunt when anyone could go after it without worry.

[But…what does it mean to return to human society if we can't mingle with humans?]

[Currently, you would only be talking to them as they die.]

[…]

[You have to find the purpose in it, not me. I can only promise you one thing.]

I thought of my past up until now, and of the people I had met. I thought of the future, the things that I may face, and the path I would take.

[By being my subordinate, you will have the chance to find the reason behind all of this.]

[I felt angry, but I never thought I could do anything about this.]

The ogre raised his head. I could tell that, despite Lee Chan-yu's monsters, humans kept flocking to the surrounding area to see what was happening.

[But now, I'm sick of living with the monsters, breathing the same air as them.]

I couldn't help but laugh at that, a bloody and dry laugh.

[If there is a way to live other than as a monster, even if it leads to death, I would be more than happy to choose it. And I will follow the one who made it possible.]

[That's enough for now.]

The conditions were perfectly established; the Domination skill was able to express itself completely in a way that no one could cut through the relationship that bound the ogre and me as master and servant. I could feel his presence completely, the destructive power he had in him, and the deep sorrow and anger in his heart.

[My name is Fate.]

[I am Cain Russell. I'm British, originally.]

I stopped briefly, curiosity rising in me about how in the hell he had gotten from England to Korea. I decided to postpone that question for later. Right now, I needed to focus on clearing up the situation that was unfolding here.

[Khahahah!]

Once the domination was established, the mana of Jinma began to flow into him. Although it wasn't enough for him to evolve, the wounds on his body began to recover immediately, and I could tell he was stronger. I was convinced that Cain could become a higher-level entity if he took a step forward, which also meant I had to train Lee Chan-yu as well, so he wouldn't be pushed around by the new recruit.

[Whoo…]

He opened his mouth, his voice filling the air.

[I feel a lot better now.]

"The Fallen has recovered!"

"Damn it. I knew that guy would do something like this…!"

"Now, this one belongs to me." Before the surrounding humans could grow too courageous, I declared this.

"From now on, if you touch Cain, I will consider it a declaration of all-out war against Rebellion."

"What…?"

"Don't listen to him!"

"Cain, bow down."

[Okay.]

He leaned down slowly, and I kicked off the floor to climb up onto his shoulder. He was well over six meters tall, so when he stood up, I could look over all the people here. It had a different feeling to it than floating in the air. Solas excitedly descended onto Cain's head, acting like a child. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to play with him now.

"I'll say it again: Cain is a monster owned by the guild Rebellion. Anyone who tries to harm our guild's assets should be prepared for the consequences."

"Taming the Fallen…"

"Nonsense. A Fallen in town…?"

"If a guild war occurs, this is a matter that cannot be excused!"

A strange atmosphere settled on the crowd, thousands of emotions mixing among them. All sorts of intense and contradictory emotions swirled together, aimed toward me.

"An asset…what the hell do you think the Fallen are?!" My sister cried out, tears in her eyes. If there were anyone here who cared about human dignity, it would be her. I admired what she had shown today and could only imagine how much effort she had put in so far to fight through this world until now, how much pain she had gone through. I couldn't let her do such dangerous things anymore.

"If you have complaints, bring them to me later. I'll explain then."

"You…?!" Today, she almost became an enemy of both human and elf-kind. Fortunately, I stopped her before it escalated that far, but tomorrow wouldn't be the same for the guild Erkindra. A change was needed for all of us.

"Lee Chan-yu, let's go."

"Okay, Captain." He let out a cheerful laugh and called all of the monsters to him. He could've let them wander back off, but he aligned them to show off Rebellion's power and stepped in line with Cain. I patted Cain's shoulder lightly, and he began to walk forward. The already damaged road collapsed a little bit more under his steps, but the humans around us were frightened enough to ignore it and let us pass.

"Cain, can't you get a little smaller?"

[I don't think so.]

"Is it not possible yet?"

We continued on together, not a single human stopping us. They were convinced I had the right to Cain after the battle and had to accept that the Fallen could be tamed.

"Please wait, human."

The time for talking with humans was over.

"Are you claiming to have tamed this… thing?" An elf suddenly appeared before us. Or rather, an Elakatra had, not just an elf. It was a high-ranking entity that was no way inferior to the Red Blood clan, with a familiar type of red muffler around his neck. I stood on Cain's shoulder and looked down at the elf, not thinking even in my wildest dreams would an Elakatra confront me here with a deferential attitude. Maybe that was the approach they took toward humans, to deceive them.

"Yes."

"It is impossible."

"Why?" The male elf of the Knights of Elakatra drew his sword and pointed it toward me.

"Because it is even impossible for our Elyos."

"If you can't do it, you think others can't?"

"But…impossible!" The elf's eyes were burning with anger, and looking closer, I could tell he was soaked in sweat. I remember one of the human's telling me it wasn't common to see the elves. Maybe they were moving more openly because of what had happened on the Rookie's Battlefield? If that were the case, I couldn't help but be happy about it. I jumped off of Cain's shoulder and landed in front of him, looking straight into his eyes.

"What will you do to determine my abilities?"

"…None of the humans have the skill to control a monster with the intelligence of a fallen."

"How do you know that?" The elf closed his mouth at the words I threw back at him, frowning. The tip of his sword shook a little bit and began to descend. All of the attention of the humans around us was focused on him, and he had a pitiful expression on his face. He must've been in a rough situation, so hurried to get here that he was soaked in sweat. Maybe he couldn't withstand physical exertion despite being a higher-ranking entity.

"…It is commonly known, even by humans."

"Just by logic and reason?"

"That's right." The tip of the sword was almost fully lowered, still trembling. He was angry with me, and I felt like I knew what he was thinking. 'He wants to call me inferior, no doubt.'

"What a mistake, unlike the heavenly people." I laughed lightly. I knew that, from today on, the Elakatra would be watching me. It had been something I was prepared for from the start. What mattered was how fast I could grow.

"You don't need to make a mistake today." I tapped him lightly on the shoulder, but just firm enough to push the tip of his sword fully to the ground. He gave me a look like he wanted to strangle me, but I ignored it.

"Even if you think you are in full control… the Fallen are more dangerous than any other monster. I have to kill it."

"Thank you for the advice. I'll take care of it myself." I turned away from him.

"Come on, let's go."

"It's hard after something like that.

[I like this.]

"Myu."

I could tell my sister and her guild members were chasing after us, but I didn't dare stop them. I knew that the conversation would be necessary anyway, and it would be better to solve it now before that guy showed up again.

'We need more information about the relationship between the humans and the elves.'

That was the day I got Solas, a new member of Rebellion, and made my first contact with the Elakatra on Earth.

It was the day Rebellion took its first step.

Chapter 100: Rebellion 9[End of Volume 4]

Demon King

Rebellion – 9 [End of Volume 4]

[It's incredible…!]

"But there's not much room in it." I responded to Cain, who was admiring the castle made of only natural stone and mana.

"I'll build a temporary lodge inside the walls."

[Why temporary?]

"Until the next evolution, shrink down enough to get inside somehow."

[Evolution…will I be able to evolve again?]

No matter how strong his current body was, he must've gone through countless changes over this year and a half. If maybe not as much as I had, but still, he must have evolved several times.

'Will there be a next? Or am I facing the limit here?' There was no room for such a question.

"Don't worry about it. You're following me, so I bet it'll be the best evolution ever."

"Myu."

[…There are so many secrets here…]

He shrugged and sighed at my words. It was quite the sight, given he was a six meters tall ogre.

[But I trust you.]

"Good." After speaking to him, I turned my head to look at the forest outside the walls. A group was approaching from the front without trying to hide.

"Captain, they're coming. I also have three subordinates ready."

"I knew they'd come." My sister Kang Si-yeon, guild master of Erkindra, was moving forward to protect the fallen. She was approaching our castle with a group of high-level people, moving fast in a straight line.

"I showed up like you said!" The inside of my head was burning up. I checked my sister and the people following her, and then brought them all inside. Cain, who was leaning against the wall, bowed his head as soon as he saw who it was.

[Thank you for saving me.]

"…" My younger sister looked at him quietly for a moment before responding.

"Did I really save you?"

[If not for you, I might've died before he arrived. So yes."

"But you're still treated as a monster…by this man…! He's manipulating you."

[He's not moving my mind with an ability. My gratitude is real.]

"But…!" High-school students had such rich emotions. I decided to step in, thinking it wouldn't end if I didn't.

"Is Erkindra's purpose to save the fallen?"

"Yes!" She turned around on me.

"I don't like this hatred for the fallen! They're the same people- they just died during the Great Fusion because they had no luck…!" Her angry eyes drew me in. I wondered if she thought of me when she said that; the me who had lost his life in a Chinese restaurant during the Great Fusion.

"These people are all crazy. Experience, money, items! Some people would even kill their own families for those things!" However, I couldn't imagine why she would go so far as to create a guild and engage in these activities. Or rather, even be able to. Maybe it was because she had a bandit's daughter as a partner? Could she have acquired something that surpassed all these other factors?

"And you! You're acting like a monster. I thought I felt something different about you, but I was wrong. You are like everyone else after all…" I really didn't know. Everything about her had changed, yet at the same time, it made me instinctively recognize her. I smiled bitterly and shrugged.

"So, you've chosen to stop people using force?"

"There's no other way. We tried to talk it out with them again and again, dozens of times, but they never listen…!" Her shoulders trembled weakly. Lee Chan-yu, who was standing next to Cain, had an expression of surprise on his face as he listened.

"My brother too…I need to save him. I don't know how to do anything, but I'm trying my best…" My sister looked up at me with an expression of sadness, not unlike the elf man from earlier.

"…Such useless words…"

"Then, it's my turn to speak." I looked around at Cain and Lee Chan-yu. Solas let out a little cry as if not to be forgotten as well. I smiled and looked back at my younger sister.

"Your way is wrong."

"What the hell are you saying…my way?" She tilted her head.

"Are you saying there's another way?"

"There you go."

"I'm done asking!" She ground her teeth while grasping her dagger.

"If you had saved Cain earlier, then what would you have done?"

"Protect him in our guild. Then find other fallen and protect them too."

"So, you'll accumulate the most threatening monsters in your guild."

"A monster…!" I ignored her retort and continued.

"At least humans think so. Clearing that perception will have to come later. The risks will continue to pile up, and they'll be on the lookout for you. Sooner or later, whether it's your guild or the other humans that start it, it will only result in a battle. When that happens, the perception of the fallen will only get worse."

"You think that'll happen?"

"More than that…" To this high-school girl who only thought of saving the fallen, I told her the truths of this harsh world he was in right now.

"You don't have any justification. You just want to do it, so you do it." Her eyes opened so wide I was afraid they would pop out.

"Justification?! Do you need a justification to save a human?"

"You just said everyone here is crazy. So if you want to save them, you need a reason. For example, the fallen person is dangerous, but when tamed, they will aid humanity. It's a much better way than just killing them.

"You mean…!"

"Make it so that it's better for humanity not to attack the fallen." She clenched her dagger, her mouth dangling open like a fool.

"They won't be able to attack a fallen under the control of one of their own. If there is a guy who doesn't like it, maybe he'll attack, but then it's just an individual. If you kill them, it would be no problem."

"So what you're saying now…"

"If you're determined to do something like this, you should at least limit your enemies. Think about the future of the fallen you save."

"…I need you to promise something." She closed her mouth and stared at me seriously.

"The fallen that are saved in your way. Is that really salvation?"

[I already said this, but I don't think there was a better way to go about it. I'm satisfied with how it went down.]

Cain intervened, and she looked up at him blankly.

[Talking with another person was something I couldn't even imagine until now. Everyone was forcing each other to recognize the fallen as bad, but Fate recognizes that they can be on the same side. It's not the same, but I'm happy to be able to connect with human society in this way.]

"That…yeah…" She dropped her head.

"I want to save the fallen."

"…"

"I'm going to gather them and make a group that will never have to bow to anyone again." Among the humans, the only ones I could trust were ones who were similar to me. Of course, there were those who didn't fit in and wanted to belong in human society again.

"I can't help but establish a subordinate relationship. It makes those foolish people nod along, and it's the condition to achieve what I want. I can't help it if you're not convinced this is salvation, but it's unfair to consider it bad for the fallen."

"…No matter how much I consider it, I don't like your way." She raised her head and looked at me. Her face was red, and her cheeks were swollen.

"But I think it's the best option."

"Alright."

"I never thought of being a leader before. I didn't even think it was possible, and I wouldn't have done it even if I did. But…when I think about their safety, nothing better comes to mind." Her eyes were filled with moisture, threatening to spill out over her face. Those who followed her were silent but seemed to be in a similar state of emotion.

"I tried so hard up until now…but the result has only been negative."

"What nonsense. He said it himself." I pointed at Cain while looking straight at my sister.

"Without you, he would've died before I arrived. The price of your hard work is clear."

"…" I tried to show off my cool side to my younger sister, passionately defending the effort she had put in until now. It wasn't like the usual me, but it would be enough if she could feel relieved by my words alone. She wiped her tears away and nodded.

"Thanks…"

"You're finally not starting at me like you're going to kill me."

"Forget about that." I almost let out a loud laugh at the sight of her, but I barely managed to stop myself. I had to be careful around her still.

"So, I have a suggestion."

"Suggestion?"

"Do you want to save the fallen?"

"Yes, but this way…"

"So." From the moment I checked out the potential of her guild today, I had only one thought in my mind.

"Let's make an alliance. An alliance to save all of the fallen."