37 Punishment - Acceptance

The sound of water dripped in Ryuji's ears, his hands bound by chains while forcing him to kneel in a damp puddle, each drop causing his mind to jolt back to the men standing ahead of him. 

'These bastards!'

Despite Alan's decision not to punish him, some sort of retribution would be necessary for the death of six knights to be forgiven. 

****

Two days before.

Alan stood on the opposite side of the small room, his face filled with frustration. He knew Ryuji wasn't the type to cause trouble, and after asking around, the knights were in the wrong. Yet, heroes lacked any importance to the kingdom until accepted by a patron.

He realised Ryuji was in a dangerous position. 

"Alan, stop being so nervous." Ryuji's voice seemed deeper and more raspy than before, as if the change was physical and permanent. 

Yumiko seemed to be worse—her hand held onto Ryuji's arm, barely able to grip it with her small hands while trembling slightly. 

Ryuji knew it was because she knew the reality, and he remembered her initial state.

In his mind, she looked beautiful and clean as they shared a bed. However, he remembered the truth and her bloody wounds and bruises. He was the one who cleaned them and helped her heal. 

She couldn't fight because of her injuries, not a lack of skill or knowledge. Somehow, his mind twisted many events in the past week, but now he could see the truth of this world and his actions.

"Don't worry, they will never harm you again. Or I'll kill them." Ryuji's low tone frightened Yumiko and Alan, their instincts causing them to shake, before seeing his smile, easing their minds a little.

They could not tell what was going on in his head, but the change was clear. He felt different—taller and larger, almost as if his aura expanded slightly, dwarfing them. It was like standing before a two-metre-tall demon, which caused Alan to feel terror and relief that he supported this boy over the holy knight.

Alan turned his head.

"Ryuji, do not worry—I will guarantee Yumiko's safety. But you cannot escape punishment."

"If anyone damages a single hair on her head, no matter how long it takes. I will destroy this kingdom and all who support it."

Yumiko's heart thumped; despite his changes, she knew demons were a very passionate and monopolistic race, unlike humans.

The Beastkin empire held an alliance with them for the longest period, so the humans enslaved them and treated the Beastkin badly.

Now the wars were over, an Alliance formed between humans and elves, the most populous races on the planet. Yet the Beastkin and demons remained in a strange state of neutrality.

"I will ask Alicia and Sheila to help take care of her. Is that alright?" Alan looked at her.

'Sheila? Maybe....' Ryuji realised he hadn't thought about those people. They were the only ones who didn't change between the two memories in his mind. "Those two are fine. I can trust them like you. Alan."

Ryuji found that quite a few people acted the same in his carefree memories and the proper memories, like Erika and Haruki, who still acted like a dick—even the king, queen, and princess were the same.

'Alan, I will not blame you or your knights. I can judge for myself. Though if you stand in my way, I will use you and then kill you. When I have taken all I can.'1

However, most of the knights looked at him, and Yumiko, with dirty, abusive, and offensive words, muttered under their breath, and their faces held a certain level of malice.

"So, are you just going to pretend nothing happened?" The rustling sound of armour moved the guard's attention toward a steel door. An old, raspy voice spoke, and a click from the handle followed as the door swung open.

Lord Qwass then entered with his arrogant gaze, looking down his nose, then snorted at Yumiko with a look of disgust. His figure was gaudy with slick back black hair and a thick beard while wearing armour instead of his noble outfit. "You filthy monster dare to kill knights of this kingdom! I will have your--"

"Lord Qwass! Hero Ryuji is my Chosen! Watch your mouth, and you will do nothing!" Alan's yell nearly shook the small room, leaving Ryuji surprised that such a booming voice could come from the polite, considerate, and shy man.

"Then I will have to talk to the king, and I would love to see him respond. A mere barbaric hero killed six knights in his kingdom." Lord Qwass arrogantly retorted, glaring at Alan as if he were a gnat.

Yumiko trembled and gripped Ryuji's hand tightly with tears in her eyes.

"The guards instigated the incident first. You cannot take his safety lightly, especially since we have gathered enough evidence!"

"That's not the problem."

Ryuji frowned, and his fists tightened, blood seeping between his fingers and dripping to the floor. Alan and Lord Qwass seemed to ignore them.

"Did I not just tell you? Watch your tongue, dog! Can you not see she is crying, you fucking moron!? Or does she not deserve any respect? Your piece of shit, human scum!"

Ryuji realised his old habits of anger rising to his head and becoming violent as if returning because he didn't have his medicine. However, he also felt different, like he could control them if he wanted to.

But why would he do that for this man?

Lord Qwass stepped backwards; Ryuji's shouting covered his ears, and he trembled as if the demon queen herself appeared in front of him.

'These ridiculous humans... I will just go with him. Alan will suffer if I do nothing, and I don't want to make Yumiko cry.'

"Alan, forget it as long as they swear not to kill me or harm her. I will accept their punishment." Ryuji's voice was still deep and powerful, yet for those he cared for, it was like a firm embrace or handshake.

'That's it. This guy has helped me since coming here. He gave me the elixir that cured Yumiko, even if it was a ploy to win me over. Alan also allowed me to meet that elf.'

Lord Qwass clicked his tongue under his breath, a smile of contempt appearing on his face.

"You can follow him obediently to his dungeon, and I will clean the rest up. I will get Sheila first." Alan didn't care for Lord Qass's smirk. Instead, he wanted to avoid losing this Chosen, who he knew would become something beyond a mere hero.

"Okay." Ryuji held Yumiko in his arms for a few moments before reluctantly letting her go. "Alan, please take good care of her and tell her not to worry about me." He pat Yumiko on the head, stroking her hair.

"R-Ryuji!? No! Don't go... I--!" She clung to his neck and begged while Alan's shoulders sank as he stepped forward to remove her.

"Come on, Ryuji. Lord Qwass isn't the patient type." Alan didn't have any enthusiasm, yet it was the kingdom's wish to bring the Chosen in, so he was already preparing his case with the king and taking Ryuji from Lord Qwass before a day passed.

"Haha, you're so cute. When I come back, how about I pluck that cherry you've been guarding?" Ryuji held her by her armpits, pulling her away, not wanting to continue hearing her cries.

"Let's just take him! Come, guard, follow me." Lord Qwass walked out of the room.

"Hey, hey, aren't you in a bit of a rush?" Ryuji kissed her nose before making sure she looked into his eyes before he placed her on the desk, turning to follow the guard. "I will not lose. Promise."

Ryuji was curious.

'Can I truly promise something like that?'

****

The sound of iron hitting flesh resounded; a man's groan, followed by the dripping of blood, filled a hollow stone's room while the man's head drooped, leaning down.

'I never wanted to become this way, but this is who I am... Will Others accept me in this world, or will it be like the past?'

Ryuji's memories were not complete. The simple-minded Chosen quickly figured out the duality of his personality when he was a young teen and became scared of how violent and hypersexual he became. He would fight every day, beat the ones he deemed enemies half to death, and sleep with girls he didn't know from different classes.

'I lost control, and mother was busy with work back then... It was hell. But it felt so good to beat and fuck whoever I wanted!'

He wanted to fix himself and pursued psychology and medicine.

Thankfully, his mother and father were rich. Thus, they could afford such support; however, on the medicine, he became withdrawn and almost neutered.

But with his best friend's support and the strictness of his mother, he pushed through the troublesome obstacles until one month later—the prescription was late, and his mother passed away.

'... I took the virginity of the girl my best friend had liked for two years. It was amazing, and she kept coming back for more! However, I regretted falling off and started going into the city to find people to fight.'

Thunk!

Another deep echo reverberated as a bone snapped, the male being beaten in the damp room, grunting as his arm twisted the wrong way. Another iron bar started hitting him in another spot.

Ryuji knelt, leaning against the damp wall of the cell, a burning flame in his abdomen as the three knights continued to abuse his body, beating him without mercy.

What confused him was that he had already lost most of his teeth.

Yet he felt new ones growing stronger as if made of a different material altogether, hidden in his gums as if waiting for his freedom.

'What would I do if I only had the power of a normal person in this world?'

'But I am not normal, am I?' Ryuji's face showed a twisted smile, missing teeth and thick blood oozing from his swollen lips."Freak!""Why is he smiling? Hit him again!""This fucker, we can't kill him, but we can cripple him! He's That ponce Alan's Chosen after all!"'However, if I act this way now, will this world consider me the enemy, or will they accept the true me? Who would accept a monster who can't fit in no matter what? Or should I turn the dial and become someone who forces them to accept who I am?''I am a human, no, I am a demon.'2