COI C241

The links between the UIs are beginning to cut off one by one. Then later a large mass of users personally shuts off their connection with the UI. Under their own control, they are free. Their freedom soon attracts the attention of a certain demoness. Long before any of the demons passing through Lady Hivites’ watch. She approaches inside her version to find those demons, and failed. It is them. Her watch will always leave exceptions. They are from the demon faction. Her personal exception.

Lady Hivites dares to remember him. His appearance appeared before her from her expectations. The demon form thoroughly respected in demon kind. Then he phased out from existence, she tries once again to remember him. He soon lost her sight with ease. The lady of Agatheus City had shown her suspicion accordingly. It is grander than she had foolishly letting exceptions to go to Isekai City. Only a few she can remember who set foot there, and rumors of their magic opened up their examples.

“Sighs* I know the Heroes Faction have nightmares about you. To think that only I was thinking of you. You won’t be there to fulfill your nightmarish appearance for a glimpse of your name and memory. There are also others, especially that childish demon. I still hear your voice, yet, you won’t be at my side speaking to my ears clearly. Did she keep you as her tool? Or was I spent too much governing a refugee city?”

An empty respond, those who remember this demon will gladly appear as their nightmare coming true. Lady Hivites checks again with the UI discovery. She reluctantly reads the letter again

“The false god, the poorly made animal is still trying to rule again”

In Isekai City, hidden in the realms preserved exceptionally from the watchful eyes of the city’s security. The demoness outwits them in a form of a host. A beautiful host who lives in one of the residential buildings. She checks her new apartment at the office. They were skeptic at first, but they couldn’t refuse such an actual beauty. Through their magic glasses to see through disguises, they were tempted both male and female to have her as their neighbor. They continue to hand out the paper professionally.

“. . . This is great, ma’am Yayoi. I hope that is not your real name”

“It’s so nice to see people are careful about it. Don’t worry, chuckle*. I am here and my name is what I want to be called anyway”

The man flustered “Oh, I see. Then please take care of your new home and please don’t hesitate asking for help. We have a resident who is actually from Enders Bridge . . . Ouch!”

The employee nudges him hard, she said to Yayoi “There is no need to talk about gossip within our residence. Please, please, forget about it”

“Ok, I hope you for the best”

Yayoi left the office. The employees were all smiling then suddenly turned to the man who is talking to Yayoi

“Stop trying to use that Enders guy. Geez, why so many women are attracting to him?”

“As a woman myself, he is being part of the gossip lately. Until you hear he is a good at bartending, and made those drinks made every girl have test before getting tensed. I’d say, you are wanting something to our new tenant”

“Come on, we are going to have a party soon anyway. Mr. Enders is already making his brew”

“But I heard he was in such a bad condition”

“Hah! In this city, our healing is near good condition”

“Yeah, the city knows how to heal in the right amount . . .”

Yayoi didn’t leave, and she shuts the door closed. Whispering only to her ears, but it is loud enough for anyone to eavesdrop. The hallway is empty and she gleefully made in Mihayara district without trouble. She brings out her hand-held mirror and looks at her face. The deteriorating flesh she had troubled with is finally gone. Her natural beauty is an actual beauty in their eyes. Long black hair, incredibly pale white skin, and her large breasts catch the eyes of many luring men. Along with her tempted spell to attract the females, no one even notice it.

This body is given to her from Fuku City, a certain man who is staying inside his own room and provided to her. She holds the deceased mind and gives her the life in general. In their world, it is tragic. But the demoness didn’t think so, and this body never seen this world at the beginning. This body was preserved, and lost from time passes. She doesn’t care how this body went through. Only thing her new bodies feeling is more harassment than worse when this woman was alive. A suicide as it was simplified and nothing else.

Yayoi hears them laughing and footsteps begin approaching to her. The door opens and she already left. Waiting at the elevator, she continues looking at the mirror to see all parts of her body is still alright. Sweating, dripping down to her cheeks. She sees there is no decay. Her body is maintaining a good amount of mana to match their stats, and the UI she had is a gimmick made from her own abilities with the help of her followers. Her followers are still hidden in Fuku City who are still doing her bidden. It is a matter of time she will find him again.

Inside her apartment, she sees her empty room. Just the way she likes, and pulls out all of her things. Belongings neither from this world nor from this city, it is finally materialized without anyone she knew ever going to spot it. This apartment complex has a strong protective barrier against trespassers outside. Which was getting attention by many female tenants to live here because of the news about the harassments. Lucky or not, she is glad to have her things summoned after all these years.

First thing first, she summons the pentagram glyphic board. Its threads linking with tempting mana fusing both the user and the provider. There she easily finds her followers were not fully under her control. This is the problem she understood that many are easily resisting her advances. Even in their deaths, they can’t weave in her care. It is clear that someone else is controlling their gifts. It was on her board has begin to see what their powers are coming from.

She sees her board start to match the colors of the UI panel. The board pushes a bit and suddenly it stops working. Yayoi shakes her head with disappointment

“If I keep messing someone’s plan, I’ll be collecting myself my kind instead of my own personal souls”

She sighs. Her sighs echo as her powers accidentally leaks a bit. The fine woman’s body is not compatible with her own demonic powers. She needs this mortal’s body to able to hide from the city’s watch. Her board is able to use magic on its own. She needs someone who can actual . . . Her thoughts remembered what the employees said to her

“Enders guy . . .”

The next day, a party is held by both the tenants and the employees inside the building. The venue is somewhere near the pool as many of the tenants and residences are all gathered together with a banner welcoming them back to the complex, and there are also new people arriving as well. Yayoi steps in and many were in shock to see such a pretty face. Comparing other people with make up and magic, they see it as one of those women trying to look good. Except for the employees, they see her true self. They are more delighted to see a natural look for a change.

One of them gives her a drink “You made it, I thought you were still busy with your new home”

“I’m fine, really. I just want to see what this party all about. Oh, look at the kids playing at the pool”

They watch her go gleefully to the pool and stands there. Many starts changing their clothes using magic in their swimsuits. Only Yayoi is left standing there without using a single spell. They reach out to her

“Say, why aren’t you joining them?”

“I don’t want the kids to be scared. I always love to hold one of them and smothered them like their mothers did”

“Oh? I thought you are going for a swim”

They look at her figure waiting to what they want see underneath.

Oblivious what Yayoi is watching, her casual clothes are well preserved and not showing any bare skin except for the bulging parts of her body they want to see. Then she feels an old magic glimmering out of place. Both it’s warmth and glitters are almost non-existent, and she feels its tenderness erode to a hardened husk. A demonic magic, the demon who was here but left this world because of war. So many years have lost of these kinds. Yayoi felt discourage, but heightened her rage. Her human body shows distressed where the kids pointed at her.

“Mommy, that woman is hurting”

“Uhm, Yayoi? Are you alright?”

Yayoi coughs out smoke from her own mana.

“Oh dear! I think she is sick”

“Could anyone use their healing magic on her?”

They cast their spell and healed her. There is someone she sensed almost approached her out of curiosity. Then this person moves away out from the slight. Yayoi repeats the same ailments

“Coughs*”

“Oh no, she still coughing”

Now she releases black red smoke. Others joined in to ease her sickness. The person starts approaching her again. The drama filled in where this demon is trying to bait the person she sensing. Without preparation and ill- tended reaction, pretending to be sick in order to get this person closer.

When this person is closer at the right distance, she slowly turns around as she coughs. Everyone around them tried to help her, and one of them speaks out the one she is trying to find

“Haw, I’m sorry what’s going on. But this lady is ill. We are going to send her to the infirmary. Just make the drinks, we don’t need to make this incident affects the rest of the event”

Yayoi sees him, the marks on his head damaged in both ways unimaginable. Haw’s head is turned to both archscience and the demonic husked magic. Her mind to understand complex structure into her head is peak hopelessness.

However, Haw observes her sickness. She noticed that no citizens ever commonly get sick. Like most sickness, he had in hand a remedy for it. A glass handed over to one of the employees and he said to her

“Let her drink this. She seems to have our ailments”

He looks at her in a poker face, but inside his head is leaking what she is desperately trying to find. His mind says

“The citizens shouldn’t be able to have Mountaiwall ailments. It’s been months away from that city with its runes’ protective barriers. For her to have it, I need to . . .”

The employee hands over the glass to Yayoi “Here”

Yayoi smiles with a relief expression. She drank it and the smoke dissipates. The people around her are surprised

“How was it possible?”

“We tried to heal her but one glass stops it”

Yayoi embarrassingly smiles “Sorry, I think I can still join the party”

They tried to persuade her to rest, but it quickly ends where a child comes to her and comforted her. A girl goes up to her and gives a second glass, but this one is just plain water. An innocence between both girls give comfort for everyone to see. Soon after, the party continues without harm.

After the party, Yayoi meets with Haw as they passed by. His girlfriends, the two is looking at her with jealousy from her beauty. They whisper to him, and Yayoi hears them

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“I can’t believe the guys are looking at her like perverts, right Shi?”

“Nanami, we have him. Like he just said, she is frail. And some guys will definitely be knighting for her”

“What about those stalkers?”

“Don’t care, as long as our darling is not eyeing her too”

Both of them giggles. Yayoi feels Haw’s aura. Strange feeling flowing on to him as the last time they meet was not there. This feeling made her follow the aura’s intention.

Later that night, Yayoi meets Haw again. Meeting each other in the most secluded place, at the stairwell. Both of them where anticipated each other’s suspicion. Haw on the other hand said otherwise.

“With people your own people, they are not even your own subordinates” “What? How did you? It can’t be, you must have known I am a demon. But why can’t I sense that thing on your head. It was so familiar . . .”

“This is not topic we need to discuss. Yayoi, or so I say where is he?”

Haw transforms into Sanquin, her eyes in pure red shows of her demonic expression of old memories going back into Yayoi’s head. Sudden flashes memory coming into Yayoi’s head, but Sanquin stops her from dreaming about it, then she swiftly forces out of her mind.

“Ow”

“I knew Haw is sharp, but for you to be here is the obvious. Disappointingly obvious”

“So, it was you who is using that aura”

“Aura? Or are you still that of an insect pestering every demon we have known for years”

“They all left, everyone with the luxury of desires. Only left are the warmongers”

Sanquin knows this demon such a long time. Rather amused of her tenacity to remain in this world back in the era when there is more fighting. Indulgence to the desires of greed, envy, sloth, and lust were fallen by the era of Heroes and Demon’s faction wars. Pride, wrath, and glutton were the absolute on those times. Glutton is from the two moons, there they craved Alga’s boundless feasts and Jigeram’s crystallized dust. Wrath is where two factions trying to end the races from existence. But Pride held them to keep existing. For hundreds of races left this world, many stayed for the glory of their return. This war never ends, because their escape is sealed.

Or so what any mortals thought. These leftovers, like Yayoi for example still dares to become a higher being when this war subsided. Getting the heads up before the rest of the returning demons to retake their loses. Sanquin knows better of her intention. The demoness is just stealing them as her own, making them her pets and an army to a different world, and her plan is pretty delusional. Since the demoness was like her many years ago for ascension. The heavenly demon didn’t speak another word until her old friend finally speaking about the situation and not her own.

Yayoi complains to the extent, then she soon realized how Sanquin’s eyes remained in red. Her interest loses weight as she quiets down and says to Sanquin in a reluctant voice

“. . . What do you want from me?”

Sanquin nods “You finally understands. I can make it brief for you”

Yayoi is having problem following up, but her wits are still the same as any demoness would. Her followers are providing sacrifices for her to feast on, either be mana or any valuable. Nonetheless, she is part Sanquin’s close friends. Secrets of her past hid in her own curse. That’s why she kept her valuable piece of magic items from another world.

It is a matter of time, Sanquin is going to check and see it. In her apartment, there are people idling around at the elevator. Her neighbors are talking about her

“Man, she is so fine. Why there are no people wanting to date her?”

“Maybe other girls with magic abilities to make them beautiful”

“Sure, but what about the time before. I’m sure there are a lot of guys wanting to get her attention”

“Employees like us working in this building, I’m glad we have to see an actual beauty behind those magic”

“Yeah, I’m still piss how they stop using magic teleportation. Using an elevator feels so boring for even a minute”

The door to the stairwell opens, there are two women coming in and with them is Yayoi herself.

“Speak of a devil. Hey, why are you guys so late at night? Didn’t you forget about the news . . .?”

“An Enders? Are you perhaps to be Haw’s acquaintance?”

She looks at them dead in the eye. Her intense stare pulled them into a silent gaze. They weren’t able to apologized as they look at one direction. When they entered Yayoi’s apartment, the employees forced back before they spot them.

“. . . Anyway, how long will the elevator to get here?”

Yayoi just watch the example of her abilities on them. Sanquin is already breached through the protective stats that the UI formed. Since in Fuku City, there were Enders back then able to take them down. Her curious get a better of herself and tried to ask

“Uhm”

“. . . You won’t even remember, even how Acurse tried to explain it to you”

Yayoi feels out of place when Sanquin says that. Looking at the mirror in her apartment room, she sees the body of the mortal. She tried her best to get here and all of the rest of demons thought she is useless. Who could blame her? Yayoi here is to collect than to have glory.

Sanquin comforts her. Yayoi felt the presence of her powers grew from the very beginning of war. A demon feasted the legends and learn from the champions she had slew.

“You were starving and you have only fools in your care”

“Huh? Why the sudden change? You are acting ignorant with me and the one who helped me was always Acurse. If . . .”

Again, with those desperate complaints. It is been this long as she starved to death to crave a decent soul. Or a follower to serve her well. To the point of depending Acurse means something and forced into her care in such a long time. He didn’t care, he knows when their companion is left to rot.

Back when Lady Hivites and Sanquin have a conversation about the city. At first, the discovery of the UI is exposed what truly is and then Sanquin quickly mention about their old companions.

“Of all the leeches around Acurse, you tried to call to him. Did you?”

“. . .”

Sanquin smirks at Lady Hivites’ ignorance “There is always time to stay quiet, but I will give time to settle this old enemy of mine. They are starting to rise up, and that thing is suffering. Not my taste of punishment, and I am busy to use its summons against itself. Do you still remember her who always remembering him?”

This demoness, right in front of her. Lost so much and left to the stubbornness not going to leave this world. Sanquin is here to make use of her. Not by pity, but a future she wants this city to be honest.

“Hey! Do you even listen?”

Sanquin gets back to their conversation. Yayoi’s complaints finally calm down and she is ready to listen to her. Slightly disappointed, for a demoness who have lost everything. She is feasting nothing but a filling without a soul to nurture her. So, Sanquin gives her this

“Do you still remember the preparation you are going to do?”

“I have, my followers are trying to make sure to provide the powers I need . . .”

Sanquin sighs, this is what Acurse putting up to her. The consumptions of those self-absorbed people are staggeringly worthless. Giving the UI is the greatest advantages they have ever received. To believe that they are the chosen people to get that thing back to power. Her patience greatly hastened to drop with her hand slaps Yayoi

“Ow!”

“That’s enough, why not use your magic?”

“I can’t. OW!” Sanquin hits her

“A starving demoness like you, you should need to eat a decent meal. Or maybe a crumb what your kind desire”

“What I desire? I already have one but they are less desirable”

Sanquin continues to hit her until the demoness’ hunger starts to grumble.

A piece of paper was ripped from Yayoi’s things, a paper as old as it kept clean for some reason. Sanquin writes it down and gives it to her.

“Follow this instruction, and you will finally have something to eat”

“Ok, just don’t hit me”

Yayoi watches her going into one of her things and use it to leave her apartment. Lost in thought and couldn’t remember what she had in her possession. She shakes her head and tries to read the letter.

“Annoying as always, your lies have driven many jealous demons to ever confront with Acurse. Your ‘sold out’ personally was the last of your sane mind have since your last feast. As demons, I have someone I don’t like. Use it as your meal and use that board of yours. You will be responsible of your true followers”

She reads the instructions, then later sits down on her couch made her wonder why this instruction makes her weary and at the same time wonders how she knows about the glimmering light. She just discovered it today, and Sanquin gives her that as a crumble. A plate of mana giving from her followers, their desires and powers in a form of bread for her to snack on. It is not good as it doesn’t a piece of their souls to nourish her, but saying this crumb will be the satisfactory of her needs. She continues to read to the end and felt disappointed

“I have to do it myself? Am I really not an entity to be given by my subjects? Warmongers really don’t understand our way”

Then she remembers being smacked “I guess it is not hard to try, sob*”

Her preparation is set on the next day. A job application and her own replica UI. these are the things she must do to connect a certain type of people she would get through in her new life. The risk is, they are her neighbors and worse Sanquin gives her own guild member to her. She has to do this, as she waits for Acurse to return. She is employed at the City Guild, many adventurers passing by trying to get themselves back outside of the city. While she looks around, she finds those two.

“Ah, Miestra? Shi?”

Nanami reacts “Wait, someone calls me that? Hey, Shi. We have new girl in the team”

Shi takes a look at her “Hmm, you look familiar. That hair. Oh, you must be the girl who got sick”

“Yeah. It was me. Where’s the other neighbors? I remember seeing you guys by the entrance”

Nanami smiles and answers “Those guys, they are receptionists. You can find them at the counter”

They look at Yayoi acting innocent, from how she looks. She looks like a cutie in their eyes. As neighbors and co-workers, they eventually hanging out.

The receptionist heard about Yayoi’s situation “You deserve better, Fuku City is a death trap now”

“Never would we have known there are scandals inside that district. Except them for being jerks”

Nanami began to sympathize after a few talks. Shi remains unchanged but she shows sincerity.

“I supposed, that district is bad news when it comes to dating there. Bunch of perverts wanting that place to center around some love hotels”

Yayoi stops them “Please, no more. I just want to hear it anymore”

It’s been a few days. Yayoi starts to leech from their excess mana. Four girls leak their mana as they are still not properly managed it. She sighs to take it like a thief as she makes new friends. Now made by her own hand, she makes it into a cream then makes it into an ice cream. She can’t understand why Sanquin wants her to take their mana this way, but she is glad she had to make it with her own way. She takes a spoonful to the first one.

“It’s bland, oh wait. I forgot this one is single”

It gets bitter as jealousy erupts “Yuck, ok I need to be careful. I almost hurl”

Then she tries the next one “Ok, the girl with the boyfriend. Hmm, it tastes no different from the guys who give to me. Wait, I feel a bit better. Is something I miss”

She stretches her body and eats another one

“Num* Sanquin has something I have forgotten as a demon. Now, let’s try this one”

She took Nanami’s mana and tastes it. A sudden flavor reaches to her tongue and immediately gobbled it in seconds

“What? Why I suddenly gorge it down? Oh no, it’s all gone. There is still one more”

Shi’s mana, it tastes and matches Nanami’s. She quickly stops herself, but suddenly eats it all down as her hunger deeply devours it.

“What’s going on?”

Her body starts to tingle. Her flesh is mending with her demonic flesh. She stops it before anything changes. This sweet sensation made her feels so alive, a little sense of life into her being. The crumble Sanquin said to her was there. Her hunger only for the crumbs. She grew devastated for realizing it. Those two slept with the man with the glitter of old magic. Her health slightly got better and the piece of her mind remembers. Her own kind, through the demonic passion of desires. The tragedy had happened who made it for glutton turned something on the man’s head.

Yayoi remembers what she had lost. The reason of many of her kind. Her hunger diluted her powers. The craved of the foul and the infidelity have succumb to this girl’s nasty side of her. With this feeling inside of her, she quickly gets to the board and opens all the secrets she kept. There she sees it all, diaries and journals after they left. The fall of the Demons’ faction’s vital sanctuaries. Her realm, her kind’s realm, fell by the Heroes Faction. Her powers are steadily flowing the UI made by her followers. The artificial UI becomes functional for her to control.

There she sees what’s going on. Hidden secrets from her followers who are not only taking advantage of her, but nurturing their own powers from her own demonic energy. Betrayal was already there, and she lost it from what she found. The times she hid inside the realms inside Fuku City was revealed. The young boy she tried to keep couldn’t be consumed because the soul was protected by the summoner. Thus, she remains empty from the very start. This realization made her a fool of herself. A weak demon, no. She has nothing from the start.

She searches deep into the links between UIs. The UI she had is acting what is supposed to do. To surveillance what the user is doing, a truly foolish way to see how her follower had turned against her. Her creation is calling out to her

“How far did they used you?”

“Not really, they used me as a mascot to certain type of mobs. Yet, I am glad you are coming to your senses. You were starving back then when you summoned me, Mistress”

“They still kept you in the form of a young girl”

“Yes, a child body starting to developed as a woman. I have never act so fictional”

Yayoi looks at her mortal body, another suspicion to be part of a grand scheme. Carefully checks whether this body is and the soul was. The pentagram glyphic board shows no sign of strings attached. With relief sighing down her nervous voice, she still has people playing her games fairly. She picks up her personal device, and sees the commotion about the women showing their stalkers finally being served justice. Humiliated, distraught, and wounds all over their bodies. Those women are praising for it. Yayoi starts to think having revenge herself, but she hears a voice.

“It’s been a while. Sell Out”

Lady Hivites connects to her “How such a weak demon you are tying on them with leaches away from their true master?”

Yayoi steadies herself as the rest of her magic items are interconnecting one another. All to form together to make rift for both Lady Hivites and herself meet, face to face. Yayoi feels the same will of demands like Sanquin did to her

“What do you want from me?”

“That line, I guess Sanquin feeds you a bit. I hope you can still remember with an empty stomach”

The board summons a potion. “This will suffice your hunger, and enough time to grow your own feast”

Yayoi picks it up and sees the bottle engraved with same glimmering light from the man she senses. No questions ask, she has to respond

“Then what have you ask of me?”

“The UI, we need to join forces before any of the citizens found out about it. You’ve been lost in thought as you are trying to be an humanesque. I for one being impatient and we might get ourselves only a tease of it”

“You mean?”

“Yes, I force Acurse out for you, and you will the part of our bargain. Drink it, you need the memories you can get before you are selling out to another again”

The link cuts, leaving Yayoi in such overwhelming odds. She checks her UI again, and sees the trace is still there. Many of her followers might have seen their meeting, but it is enough to make sure who are her traitors. Yayoi feels the connection of Lady Hivites, this will be her self-redemption and revenge to those who tried to use her. Loyalty or not, her words of a sell out still linger in her grief. Made her remember, demons betrayed for their own benefits. Maybe she will learn a thing a too when fighting against demons’ subordinates.

A call rings from her device. It is one of her followers. “Ma’am, I seen your UI is being tracked down. Our people are spying on you. What’s going on?”

A young man’s voice speaking about her well-being. The joy she sought that there some who is still cares.

She said to him “There is nothing to worry about. Whether, how’s that necklace of yours? Did it happen yet again?”

“It’s been like this since a new rumor occurred. Should I be worried?”

“I think so, why not tell your mother about it? And please do convince her again. You were really so close in danger back in the forest with those kids”