I'm not playing that game this time. Screw my cover, at this range I don't need magic and I can use a single spike to impale his throat. I won't make the same mistake again by trying to talk things out peacefully. But the problem is that he's supposedly the only one who knows space magic in this nation, and killing him here will most likely cause everyone else to clam up and not tell me where I can find the scriptures on transportation magic.
"I won't ask how you saw through me..." I say in annoyance and undo my transformation, turning back into my human - and undressed - appearance. Our guide's expression fills with terror at the realization that he didn't mishear the old man calling me a demon. "Instead, I want to know where you keep your magic books." I notice a shiver running down Hestia's back as she sees my face, but I ignore it. Must be another one of those awestruck moments of hers.
"Hum... We do not keep any scriptures on magic. Our knowledge is transmitted orally over the generations." Abd al-Malik says without a care in the world. There's not a hint of tension in his voice, chatting as if he has nothing to fear from me. This reminds me of Thorvadis during our first meeting and then our last confrontation, and it pisses me off. "Unfortunately, the knowledge of transportation magic was lost four generations ago, when nobody had the aptitude to inherit it."
"Then what keeps me from killing you here?" If he was lying, now would be a good time for him to backpedal and admit that he actually knows space magic but is trying to hide it from me.
"I have lived a long and fulfilling live. Do you think I fear death? Hohoho..." Ugh, that pisses me off even more. Maybe he's hiding something, but it's true that he looks even older than Thorvadis, and unlike the principal, this one's a man of religion. At a certain age, one reaches a fundamental view of the world wherein life and death seem to become irrelevant. Threatening someone like that with death is pointless.
"That just means we'll have to continue on our journey as before. Now, is there any reason why I shouldn't just raze this entire city to the ground?" Still, as a man of religion, I think he won't stand by and watch his people get slaughtered. This should hold true for anyone in the world who isn't a complete psychopath.
"What do you have to gain from doing that?" There still is no tension in his words and it sounds like he's asking about what I would have to gain from ordering takeout, as opposed to going to the convenience store just around the corner. Is he one of those psychopaths who feel nothing for the people around him? Then this is going to lead us nowhere.
"Well, leaving now and doing nothing would save me a few hours of time. Razing the city and eating every single one of its inhabitants would means that I don't have to worry about rations along the way." I'm trying to state it in an as matter of fact way as possible. Even I wouldn't eat everyone in this town, least of all innocent little children. That much morality I still have left over from having been a human in my previous life.
"I see..." With a sigh the old man motions to stand up, but his body seems to be very frail from age. Mahir, who wasn't able to understand our conversation, and therefore, is unaware of its gravity, immediately motions to help him, despite being quite old himself. I ready myself to impale the both of them, should I notice even a hint of magic being cast. "... I have to admit that while I may not fear death for myself, I care deeply about my people." So is he going to fight? I feel like he could die from just walking a few steps.
"So you feel like talking now?" In the end, I hold all the cards in my hand. While I'm not sure whether it would only take a few hours or several days to raze this city in my current state, and I have no idea about how strong the mages in this nation are, the fact that I said it as if it was just a minor issue for me must have convinced him that I'm more than capable of it. Either I get what I want or I could make my threat come true.
"Unfortunately, I really do not possess the knowledge you seek." He looks me deep in the eyes and I can somehow tell that he's not lying. I mean, he must have something else to offer me at this point, since otherwise there's nothing holding me back. "... however, I may have something else to offer..."
Color me interested.
Abd al-Malik leads us through the building, down several flights of stairs, moving extremely slowly while being helped by several other great masters barely younger than him. He deliberately didn't ask for younger members of the caste, most likely because the danger of me killing him may still exist. The old masters are surely all like him, no longer having a fear of death.
I have to admit that deep inside me I'm feeling respect for them. While I may have only glimpsed the surface, these men are all great people in their own right, very unlike religious figures from my previous world. Scandals, politics and greed have always played a big role among those, and in the end few had anything real to show within their lifetimes. These men before me seem of a different kind entirely.
Still, I'd prefer they hurried up, since my patience points have been really low since getting separated from Kamii.
The arrow-slit like windows disappear from the walls and we enter an area that is unmistakably underground. Holding lamp crystals the size of baseballs, two great masters lead the way down a long straight corridor. It feels like we may have left the Hall of Spirits behind us already, but it still continues on for a long stretch. My sense of direction, normally pretty good, has been thrown into confusion after all the stairs and corridors we passed through.
Then we come upon a large wall that seems like a dead end. Now, this is reason for concern and I prepare myself for battle. It's possible that they lured me deep underground to try and eliminate me here, or maybe at least trap me. But I won't give them any time to do so. The instant anyone makes a wrong move, I'll go Hedgehog Mode. However, one of the great masters touches a pressure plate on the wall and with a loud roar, the entire dead end moves aside. A hidden passageway, like in those adventure movies!
What lies beyond is a large cellar-like structure. While it's nowhere near as vast, it reminds me of the dwarven city under the mountain, with parallel pillars supporting the ceiling above. However, I spot several rows of huge barrels, which must contain wine. In other words, we entered a wine cellar. I doubt he's trying to bribe me with alcohol though, and sure enough, we continue on through the underground halls towards the large gate at its end.
"Id Nbyohred tah nemukegna." One of the old men announces through the gate. A sound of confirmation is made from the other side and the gate opens towards us. Four armored guards come into view and welcome us, although their eyes are fixated on Hestia and me. Yes, I know I'm naked, and although I removed the important bits, as always, it leaves quite an impact. And yes, Hestia is an existence that has never been seen before, a fully corrupted Fata with black wings. Still, staring at girls like that is rude.
Our procession has increased by those four guards now, and while I doubt that Abd al-Malik is going to lead me into an ambush, I'm ready for battle at any moment. I'm holding onto Hestia's hand as we walk, so that I can pull her inside my body when things become heated. After all, the last thing I want is to get separated from her.
I think we might be under the huge palace here. The guards look like royal guards, all wearing richly ornamented uniform armor with an emblem of an eye in a sun on their chest plates. I think I've seen some soldiers walk around town with that same emblem before, too. What are we doing here? Don't tell me it's actually going to be an ambush? We're even going further downstairs into an area that makes me think of a dungeon, with blank walls and illuminated by traditional torches. Six more guards have joined us.
We come to an area with prison cells, although they're all empty. If they think of trying to inter me in one, they'll have something else coming for them. But it doesn't seem to be the case, as we go deeper and deeper, making me think that we might enter a huge underground cavern where lava flows. If this was a game, I'd be really excited about that possibility and would wish to explore all of this, but since I have somewhere to be, I can't just indulge in my fantasies.
Finally, we reach the end of the dungeon, and stop in front of a single cell separated from every other. With my night vision I can see that a lonely figure is sitting in the darkness inside, hunched over and unresponsive to the sound of so many people approaching. It's clear from this location that this must be an incredible criminal, so I have to wonder why Abd al-Malik brought me to meet this person.
The guards stand at the ready, but I can see a hint of fear in their expressions and stances, as their eyes are unable to calm down and dart towards the cell door repeatedly. So this must be an incredibly powerful and dangerous person. Although I have to wonder why someone that can instill such fear would even be here in the first place.
"You have visitor, demon." One of the great masters say in a broken accent. So it's a demon, huh? I hear fabric moving and the person on the other side stirs.
"... hurry up. I don't want to waste anymore time." I say and step towards the gate.
"... huh...?" I hear the demon inside breathing in a questioning tone.
"You're the alternative offered to me for the knowledge of space magic, so show me what's so special about you." I'm impatient, but the figure slowly begins to stand up. Now I can see that it's a girl, around my age. She steps forward and walks into the light of the lamps, and I notice that her hair is black, while her skin is really pale. She lifts her face, which had been hidden by her hair before, and our eyes meet. "Huh?"
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I'm looking at a reflection of myself.
Rewind
The last thing I can remember is the maou sending me through a teleportation magic circle. When I wake up again, I'm in a desert. The scorching sun is shining down on me and I feel... incomplete. I look down at my body and what should have been there isn't. My breasts are gone! My glorious breasts that were the envy of many members of the track and field club (and others)! They were needlessly large, and I had a lot of trouble keeping them in check during races, since they would bounce so much, though... Oh, and my entire body is quite a bit smaller than it used to be. Ugh, I feel hungry.
I try and undo my transformation, and find that I can do it. So I'm still the same as when I first woke up in this world. Yep, I'm a Crawling Chaos, so I didn't die and reincarnate again. Still, I remember getting ripped apart during teleportation, so I must have survived that experience. And I'm really hungry.
Ahhh, my thoughts are going in circles now! I'm too hungry to think straight. I need to find something to eat first. I'm lucky to have landed in an oasis, otherwise I would have died from dehydration pretty quickly. There's vegetation and I have a feeling that this body should be able to handle breaking it down. Considering it can dissolve a human's body within seconds - aside from the bones - organic matter shouldn't be a problem. And while there may be quite a bit of wildlife in deserts, they're hard to find during daytime.
I have to replenish my energy first and then find a way through the desert, to some inhabited place.
It's been two days. I left the oasis behind completely dead, every single plant consumed and the water siphoned out to the last drop. And I don't even feel bad about it: It was for my survival after all. I wandered in the desert for two days, covering myself in a few palm leaves I didn't eat, but there's not a hint of any life to be seen. I'm sure I've walked in a pretty straight line... I just hope I'm not going diagonally through the entire length of the desert.
At least the water and food will keep me going for a while, but if this continues, I'll seriously die.
Four days later, I finally come upon a very wide river. Along its shores plants are growing and I can see a herd of buffalo-like animals grazing or drinking from the water. Not a hint of hesitation in me: I'll make a meal of them... all of them! No need for trying to sneak up on them, I'm just a little girl and they won't be afraid of me. See, I walk into their midst and they look at me for a bit before returning to their previous activities.
Now, how to utilize this body to its full potential: I think I remember a certain story with parasitic alien life-forms taking over human's heads and turning them into amorphous weapons. They used organic blades, and since I can reproduce human teeth, I should be able to create sharp bones.
I undo my transformation and turn into the appearance that drained my SAN points this morning, when I looked in the mirror. My arms, made up of many tentacles, unwind and turn into sharp blades, which I use to swing around mercilessly, cutting off limbs and heads left and right. Within seconds, more than a dozen buffaloes lie dismembered or dying on the ground. Time to feast!
I can feel them filling me up. I had a man inside me earlier, and now I'm taking several bulls and their heavy meat at the same time. It's a completely different feeling from a human, but it feels more... fulfilling.
I want more~
I followed the river, randomly deciding that upstream is the best option, for the past three days. I could have transformed into one of those buffaloes to travel faster, but I somehow don't feel like it - they don't look too great. My appearance is now back to how I used to look before I died. Since I have no clothes, I'm using the hide of the animals I killed along the way, although I don't really feel the need to hide my body with nobody around.
But then I come upon a walled off town on the fourth day. I'm sure I can get some information regarding where I am here, and maybe get a map to find my way back to the demon castle. Maou-mama did say that I'd have three years, and while I don't have the faintest idea how many days make up a year in this world, I think it should be enough time, as long as I'm still on the demon continent.
Apparently I'm not on the demon continent. Everyone here is human, and they speak a language I don't understand at all. What's up with that? I know that the language maou-mama spoke isn't Japanese, but I could understand it right away. Why isn't it that convenient with all other languages? And considering all the people here have naturally tanned skin, it's safe to assume that I'll stick out like a sore thumb.
... and as expected, a group of six shady looking men notice me and begin to surround me. One of them says something but I don't understand at all. He pauses for a moment and then speaks again. "You lost, lady?" Ohhh, I understand you! But he has an awful accent.
"... I think so." But I remain cautious. If this is the human continent, I'm sure my kind is to be killed on sight. While I have the edge in surprise factor, I don't feel very strong. I may be able to overwhelm these and maybe outright kill them, but I will attract a lot of attention. Surely, this is part of maou-mama's trials for me... even though I don't even feel like vying for the demon throne.
"Come, I can show you way." Where to? I didn't even ask for directions, but he offers me to lead the way. It's quite obvious that they have some shady business in mind...
In an alleyway, I can take care of them without people seeing though, so for now I obediently follow along. However, instead of a dark alleyway, they lead me to the marketplace and to a large tent, in front of which people in chains stand, like on display. This is a slavers' market, and it seems I'm going to become their merchandise. I do admit that my appearance makes me look like a beggar, so surely, nobody would miss my absence - is what they think. Oi, don't underestimate me!
Click!
One of the men behind me puts a steel choker around my neck. I instinctively grab it, but am met with a searing pain in my hand. When I look down, it's blistering. What's with this anti-hamper mechanism? That's a magic item or something, right? I'm so going to kill them now...
They pull me into the tent, inside which many cages are piled up. Some are empty, while others still have inhabitants. Doesn't matter, they all look pretty much dead, their eyes lifeless from prolonged treatment as slaves. So I can just show myself in front of them without having to fear breaking some minds.
I release my transformation, turn my tentacles into blades, and in an instant, the men around me are dead. Their leader only turns around when he hears their bodies hit the floor.
"Wh-what are you?!" His voice is cracking from fear upon seeing my hybrid human-demon form. Oh, you haven't even seen my real face yet.
"Tell me, what country is this? And how far is it to the Demon Continent?" I ask the man, who looks at me in blank terror. "Also, remove this collar, or I'll remove your head." I demonstratively decapitate one of the already dead in a single motion.
"Khurut! You in the Khurut Sultanate! I not know Demon Continent how far!" He quickly speaks, his face going white when he sees his colleague's body defiled like that. "I get key." His hand motions into his robes carefully, as to not aggravate me. Good boy.
I leave the tent wearing a richly ornamented robe - one I took from the slave traders' coffers - and about six men weighting me down inside my stomach. Of course, I opened all the cages and signaled for the slaves that they could run away. As expected very few followed that call, while others must have tried and failed before, bearing no more hope to escape and no longer trying. Well, I don't have the leeway to take care of them, so I leave them be.
The next thing on my list is to find a place where I can get a map to show my position relative to my destination. I got quite a few purses from this little scuffle, so now I'm walking through the streets of the town while searching for any kind of store which may be selling maps. I see some men in soldier uniforms staring at me due to my expensive-looking clothes and white skin, but since I'm a foreigner, they don't think anything about it.
I happen to find a scribe's store, but since I don't know the language, it's incredibly hard for me to communicate. Their language sounds extremely foreign to me, especially considering how I can barely even speak a few words of English, and only with an incredibly bad accent. Of course, I never intended to leave Japan during my lifetime, so it's understandable. I was forced into this situation due to an unreasonable sudden death last night...
Finally, I spot a map hanging in the back of the store, although I can't read the words on it at all. I call over the store owner, gesturing and pointing, trying to bring across my intentions. The elderly man points on the map when he finally understand that I want to know our current location.
Spoiler :
http%3a%2f%2fi.imgur.com%2fadwKW5i.png [http://i.imgur.com/adwKW5i.png]
Alright, so that's the Khurut Sultanate. It has clear borders to its neighboring nation, but is surrounded by the ocean on three sides. Now where's the Demon Continent? Although, for some reason I have a feeling that it's the huge blurry spot that occupies a fourth of the map. Considering the humans and demons are at war, they wouldn't have the leisure to chart the demon lands, so it makes sense. While I don't know what the distance to it is, I somehow get the feeling that it's pretty far.
It took a while, but I learned that if I travel upstream, I can reach the capital of the Khurut Sultanate. I'm sure I'll be able to find someone who can speak my language better there and then find my way back to the Demon Continent. Thus, I set out on my path to the capital city, by walking along the river. There are boats traveling up and down the river, but since I can't speak their language, I can't ask them to bring me along. I could pay them for the service, but I don't know the worth of the coins I have, either. So walking is simpler.
I have a lot of food stocked up inside me and there's as much fresh water as I want next to me. While I do have my reservations about drinking directly from the river, I think my body isn't easily affected by anything. I mean, I'm dissolving entire previously living beings, including their stomach contents inside me, so there shouldn't be any problem with hygiene... Ugh, when I think about it this way, I don't feel so good...
One thing I notice along the way is that I don't seem to tire at all. While I used to be in the track and field club, it doesn't do anything for me in a new body. In other words, it's the body itself that's really convenient. After all, I can transform into various shapes with it, including recreating muscles and bones. I'll practice all sorts of things while traveling out of people's sight.
Four days later I spot a gigantic glowing circle in the distance. No, it's not the sun, that one's behind me. The circle rests on a massive, pyramid-like structure, and around it is a sprawling city. This is larger than the capital of the Demon Continent, which I saw from inside the demon castle. It's really impressive.
I'm sure there's someone who knows my language here and can point me in the right direction.