A few minutes ago.
“I told you to stay still!”
“Ouch.”
Auston grabbed Lang's scruff as he tried to escape again, avoiding his eyes. Lang grumbled in frustration at his failed escape.
“I’m telling you, it wasn’t me who pushed you. But could you please let go of my hand? That’s a very unpleasant position.”
“That’s the fifth excuse. Please stay still. If you keep wandering around like this and get caught, you’ll be decapitated right away.”
Auston lowered his voice to a quick whisper. Lang's shoulders flinched at the words, 'My neck is falling off.'
'That's true, but... '
Although he didn't really want to admit it, what Auston said was true. Lang was currently a 'demon' who pretended to be human and stayed in the human world using the magic potion he made. When he remembered that fact, the back of his neck suddenly felt cold. Lang looked around for a moment and eventually raised both hands as if surrendering.
“...I got it.”
“...Really?”
“Yes, this time it’s real. I’ll stay still, so please let go of your hand.”
Lang patted Auston's hand, which was holding the back of his neck. Auston, who had been looking at him suspiciously, swallowed a sigh and slowly let go of his hand. Lang, who had finally become free, straightened up by shaking off his wrinkled clothes.
'It's a shame, but...'
Lang looked at the stalls and people with longing eyes, but he didn't act like he was going to run out at any moment like before.
“I guess it’s real this time?”
“What do you think of the Demon Race... I told you when we first met. I said I wouldn’t lie when my life is at stake.”
“Okay, okay. Just stay quiet like this, please.”
Relieved, Auston chuckled and patted Lang on the shoulder. It was the moment when he found his composure and turned his gaze away from Lang.
“Huh?”
A passerby passed by and hit Lang hard on the shoulder. Lang stumbled violently, startled by the unexpected collision. He quickly backed away, barely regaining his balance.
“Hey, let’s pass.”
“Get out of the way, get out of the way!”
A group of people, each carrying their own load on their backs and loaded onto a cart, started walking in a hurry. Lang, who was suddenly swept up in them and started walking with them, was flustered and floundered.
“Hey, wait! Get out of the way...!”
However, Lang had to endure an accident where he got hit in the face by people's bags and got his foot caught in a cartwheel while trying to get back to Auston. He was completely tattered and finally managed to escape the group when he reached a place where Auston and his group were out of sight.
“Where is this??”
Lang looked around with a shabby look, just like when he first entered the human world. However, no matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn't even remember which way he had come. It was natural, since he was out of his mind, stuck between luggage and people.
'Hmm. Auston told me not to stand out in public....'
Unlike the streets he had walked with Randell, Sylvia, and Austin, this place was so deserted that it could be described as eerie. Standing alone in the middle of such a street, he felt like he stood out. Lang, who had been scratching his cheek awkwardly, found the alley and blushed.
“If you put it somewhere that’s not easily visible, they’ll come looking for it. I guess I should go over there.”
Lang walked lightly toward the alley. When he looked inside the alley, it was dark and looked very cozy.
“Okay, very good.”
Lang nodded with satisfaction and began to gather up the pieces of paper and cloth that had been rolling around the alley and pile them on one side. He was just about to lower his butt onto the makeshift cushion he had made.
"Hey."
"...Hmm?"
A sharp voice flew into his ear and stuck in it. Lang blinked in confusion and turned his head toward the alley. Then, he saw a boy who had been there for some time, glaring at him. The boy with fierce eyes glared at Lang.
“This is my territory. Get out when I say nice things to you.”
“District? In the human world, do districts exist even in alleys like this? Even monsters don’t have such strong territorial instincts, so this is truly amazing.”
“...What nonsense are you talking about? Didn’t you hear what I said? Go away!”
The boy clearly showed his discomfort when Lang muttered something softly and showed no intention of getting up.
'Hmm, what should I do?'
Lang recalled Auston's words: never, no matter what happens, be seen by people and never make a fuss. Lang tried to smile and soothe the boy.
“The group will be looking for me soon anyway, so why don’t you just sit here until then? I’ll clean up after myself before I leave.”
“...Huh, is that so?”
The boy's eyebrows twitched at the mention that the group would come looking for him.
'Who's giving medicine now?'
The boy, Jamie, glared at Lang with sharp eyes. When he first entered the alley, he wondered where a beggar like him could fearlessly enter his territory. However, upon closer inspection, he saw that the clothes Lang was wearing were shabby, but they were made of very high-quality fabric. This fact was what primarily irritated Jamie. If he were a 'real' beggar, there was no way he could afford such nice clothes. Even if he happened to come across such clothes, he would quickly exchange them for money to buy food.
...Why on earth does a guy like that come to a place like this?
Even though he seemed to have a place to go back to, he insisted on coming into the alley and settling down in his own territory, which was very annoying. So Jamie showed up in front of Lang to chase him away. However, Lang laughed brightly as if mocking Jamie and said that someone would come to pick him up. In front of a beggar with nothing to eat, no place to sleep, and no family to stay with, what? Is there anyone coming to pick him up? Jamie’s face distorted and he approached Lang threateningly.
“If that’s the case, then you should sit somewhere visible. Why are you in such a dirty place? Go away!”
“Well, actually, I have some circumstances I can’t tell you...”
“Trunk, trundle, really, really loud!”
Jamie, overcome with jealousy for what Lang had that he didn't, roughly shoved his shoulder.
“Don’t you think what people say is true? I told you to get out! Go! Get out!”
“No, wait. But violence...”
Lang awkwardly tried to stop Jamie as he continued to push his shoulder but was unable to do so due to the sudden pain that struck him in the middle of his words.
“Ugh...!”
Lang suddenly clutched his chest in a heart-wrenching pain and fell to the floor. As he lay on the ground, crouching and panting, Jamie hesitated and retreated into the alley.
“What, what is this? I didn’t even push that hard, what kind of show is this...!”
“Ugh...”
But Lang couldn't even hear Jamie's words. Lang clutched his chest and panted heavily. The excruciating pain was making him lose consciousness.
‘Could it be a side effect of the medicine?’
Even as his consciousness faded, Lang desperately tried to find the source of the pain.
"It's surprising that demons can take magic potions and receive the same effects as humans. But how did you know this?"
"... I don’t know either. It’s said that the same effect applies, but I can’t guarantee that there won’t be any side effects. The demons can’t handle or feel ‘magic’ at all. So if you think something is wrong, you should tell me right away."
"What are you saying? Are you saying that you fed me some unverified, poisonous substance?"
"Oh, then just die!"
The day after he came over to the human world. He remembered the fight he had with Auston over the magic potion and the conversation he had with him. And Lang's guess was right.
“Ugh!”
For a moment, his heart pounded so hard that Lang let out a loud groan. Immediately afterward, his appearance gradually began to return to its original appearance. His pale skin turned a dark purple, and the whites of his eyes turned pitch black. His well-manicured nails grew sharp and scratched the floor. The pain that had been squeezing his heart disappeared as if it were a lie as the effects of the magic potion wore off.
“Wh, what...”
Jamie, who had witnessed the scene in its entirety, muttered with a pale face. Lang, who had been gasping for breath, suddenly came to his senses at Jamie’s muttering. Even though he was unconscious, he instinctively raised his body and reached out to Jamie.
“People live...! Ugh!”
“Wait a minute. I won’t hurt you. So just stay still for a moment. Okay? Please.”
Almost as soon as Lang reached out, Jamie opened his mouth to scream. But the boy’s mouth was covered by Lang’s hand just in time. Lang tried to calm Jamie down as he thrashed around in fear, but just like Lang before, Lang’s voice did not reach his ears.
“...I said, get out!”
Bam-!
Auston's face turned pale as if the magic potion he had used on Lang had worn off. As soon as he heard that, Randall ordered the knights and Auston who had been waiting to search the streets to find Lang. Sylvia also went out to find Lang with her escort, Jeffrey. She glanced at her back with anxious eyes.
'Since there are eyes to see, it is difficult to summon ghosts..."
Now there was no choice but to run. Sylvia tried to move her throbbing feet to find Lang. With each step she took, her anxiety grew. Along with her anxiety, her heartbeat also grew louder.
"Baby, hurry..."
People's screams. The voices of her adoptive parents telling her to run away. Those things kept ringing in her ears. Sylvia bit her lip.
'No way.'
Surely he hasn't already hurt anyone. Lang clearly called himself a pacifist, but that could change at any time depending on Lang's will. If Lang were to wander around lost and encounter a helpless human. The demons tend to get more excited when they see blood, so if he were to see blood, would he be able to hold back his killing intent even at that moment?
'...No.'
That can't be. Sylvia, who had made up her mind, stopped walking as she turned the corner after Jeffrey. Her head snapped up toward the nearby alley.
“I told you to stay still!”
“Ouch.”
Auston grabbed Lang's scruff as he tried to escape again, avoiding his eyes. Lang grumbled in frustration at his failed escape.
“I’m telling you, it wasn’t me who pushed you. But could you please let go of my hand? That’s a very unpleasant position.”
“That’s the fifth excuse. Please stay still. If you keep wandering around like this and get caught, you’ll be decapitated right away.”
Auston lowered his voice to a quick whisper. Lang's shoulders flinched at the words, 'My neck is falling off.'
'That's true, but... '
Although he didn't really want to admit it, what Auston said was true. Lang was currently a 'demon' who pretended to be human and stayed in the human world using the magic potion he made. When he remembered that fact, the back of his neck suddenly felt cold. Lang looked around for a moment and eventually raised both hands as if surrendering.
“...I got it.”
“...Really?”
“Yes, this time it’s real. I’ll stay still, so please let go of your hand.”
Lang patted Auston's hand, which was holding the back of his neck. Auston, who had been looking at him suspiciously, swallowed a sigh and slowly let go of his hand. Lang, who had finally become free, straightened up by shaking off his wrinkled clothes.
'It's a shame, but...'
Lang looked at the stalls and people with longing eyes, but he didn't act like he was going to run out at any moment like before.
“I guess it’s real this time?”
“What do you think of the Demon Race... I told you when we first met. I said I wouldn’t lie when my life is at stake.”
“Okay, okay. Just stay quiet like this, please.”
Relieved, Auston chuckled and patted Lang on the shoulder. It was the moment when he found his composure and turned his gaze away from Lang.
“Huh?”
A passerby passed by and hit Lang hard on the shoulder. Lang stumbled violently, startled by the unexpected collision. He quickly backed away, barely regaining his balance.
“Hey, let’s pass.”
“Get out of the way, get out of the way!”
A group of people, each carrying their own load on their backs and loaded onto a cart, started walking in a hurry. Lang, who was suddenly swept up in them and started walking with them, was flustered and floundered.
“Hey, wait! Get out of the way...!”
However, Lang had to endure an accident where he got hit in the face by people's bags and got his foot caught in a cartwheel while trying to get back to Auston. He was completely tattered and finally managed to escape the group when he reached a place where Auston and his group were out of sight.
“Where is this??”
Lang looked around with a shabby look, just like when he first entered the human world. However, no matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn't even remember which way he had come. It was natural, since he was out of his mind, stuck between luggage and people.
'Hmm. Auston told me not to stand out in public....'
Unlike the streets he had walked with Randell, Sylvia, and Austin, this place was so deserted that it could be described as eerie. Standing alone in the middle of such a street, he felt like he stood out. Lang, who had been scratching his cheek awkwardly, found the alley and blushed.
“If you put it somewhere that’s not easily visible, they’ll come looking for it. I guess I should go over there.”
Lang walked lightly toward the alley. When he looked inside the alley, it was dark and looked very cozy.
“Okay, very good.”
Lang nodded with satisfaction and began to gather up the pieces of paper and cloth that had been rolling around the alley and pile them on one side. He was just about to lower his butt onto the makeshift cushion he had made.
"Hey."
"...Hmm?"
A sharp voice flew into his ear and stuck in it. Lang blinked in confusion and turned his head toward the alley. Then, he saw a boy who had been there for some time, glaring at him. The boy with fierce eyes glared at Lang.
“This is my territory. Get out when I say nice things to you.”
“District? In the human world, do districts exist even in alleys like this? Even monsters don’t have such strong territorial instincts, so this is truly amazing.”
“...What nonsense are you talking about? Didn’t you hear what I said? Go away!”
The boy clearly showed his discomfort when Lang muttered something softly and showed no intention of getting up.
'Hmm, what should I do?'
Lang recalled Auston's words: never, no matter what happens, be seen by people and never make a fuss. Lang tried to smile and soothe the boy.
“The group will be looking for me soon anyway, so why don’t you just sit here until then? I’ll clean up after myself before I leave.”
“...Huh, is that so?”
The boy's eyebrows twitched at the mention that the group would come looking for him.
'Who's giving medicine now?'
The boy, Jamie, glared at Lang with sharp eyes. When he first entered the alley, he wondered where a beggar like him could fearlessly enter his territory. However, upon closer inspection, he saw that the clothes Lang was wearing were shabby, but they were made of very high-quality fabric. This fact was what primarily irritated Jamie. If he were a 'real' beggar, there was no way he could afford such nice clothes. Even if he happened to come across such clothes, he would quickly exchange them for money to buy food.
...Why on earth does a guy like that come to a place like this?
Even though he seemed to have a place to go back to, he insisted on coming into the alley and settling down in his own territory, which was very annoying. So Jamie showed up in front of Lang to chase him away. However, Lang laughed brightly as if mocking Jamie and said that someone would come to pick him up. In front of a beggar with nothing to eat, no place to sleep, and no family to stay with, what? Is there anyone coming to pick him up? Jamie’s face distorted and he approached Lang threateningly.
“If that’s the case, then you should sit somewhere visible. Why are you in such a dirty place? Go away!”
“Well, actually, I have some circumstances I can’t tell you...”
“Trunk, trundle, really, really loud!”
Jamie, overcome with jealousy for what Lang had that he didn't, roughly shoved his shoulder.
“Don’t you think what people say is true? I told you to get out! Go! Get out!”
“No, wait. But violence...”
Lang awkwardly tried to stop Jamie as he continued to push his shoulder but was unable to do so due to the sudden pain that struck him in the middle of his words.
“Ugh...!”
Lang suddenly clutched his chest in a heart-wrenching pain and fell to the floor. As he lay on the ground, crouching and panting, Jamie hesitated and retreated into the alley.
“What, what is this? I didn’t even push that hard, what kind of show is this...!”
“Ugh...”
But Lang couldn't even hear Jamie's words. Lang clutched his chest and panted heavily. The excruciating pain was making him lose consciousness.
‘Could it be a side effect of the medicine?’
Even as his consciousness faded, Lang desperately tried to find the source of the pain.
"It's surprising that demons can take magic potions and receive the same effects as humans. But how did you know this?"
"... I don’t know either. It’s said that the same effect applies, but I can’t guarantee that there won’t be any side effects. The demons can’t handle or feel ‘magic’ at all. So if you think something is wrong, you should tell me right away."
"What are you saying? Are you saying that you fed me some unverified, poisonous substance?"
"Oh, then just die!"
The day after he came over to the human world. He remembered the fight he had with Auston over the magic potion and the conversation he had with him. And Lang's guess was right.
“Ugh!”
For a moment, his heart pounded so hard that Lang let out a loud groan. Immediately afterward, his appearance gradually began to return to its original appearance. His pale skin turned a dark purple, and the whites of his eyes turned pitch black. His well-manicured nails grew sharp and scratched the floor. The pain that had been squeezing his heart disappeared as if it were a lie as the effects of the magic potion wore off.
“Wh, what...”
Jamie, who had witnessed the scene in its entirety, muttered with a pale face. Lang, who had been gasping for breath, suddenly came to his senses at Jamie’s muttering. Even though he was unconscious, he instinctively raised his body and reached out to Jamie.
“People live...! Ugh!”
“Wait a minute. I won’t hurt you. So just stay still for a moment. Okay? Please.”
Almost as soon as Lang reached out, Jamie opened his mouth to scream. But the boy’s mouth was covered by Lang’s hand just in time. Lang tried to calm Jamie down as he thrashed around in fear, but just like Lang before, Lang’s voice did not reach his ears.
“...I said, get out!”
Bam-!
Jamie used all his strength to shake off Lang's hand. The recoil sent Jamie reeling and he fell to the floor of the alley. Lang, who was pushed away, grimaced as he noticed blood on his fingernails.
“Look at this. If you keep moving like that, it’s dangerous...!”
Knock.
“Look at this. If you keep moving like that, it’s dangerous...!”
Knock.
Right then. All of a sudden, all the surrounding noises seemed to fade away. Lang looked down at his hands as if he was possessed by something. To be exact, the red blood on the tips of his nails.
"Kill him."
As if waiting for it, a creepy murmur came to his ear.
"Kill him."
"Kill him and get drunk!"
"It is our instinct to kill, tear, and destroy."
"Kill him."
As if waiting for it, a creepy murmur came to his ear.
"Kill him."
"Kill him and get drunk!"
"It is our instinct to kill, tear, and destroy."
"He who rejects the given path will surely suffer harm."
"Just follow your instincts and seek pleasure."
Cursed whispers continued to tickle his ears. His whole body's senses were heightened, and the faint scent of blood tasted sweet.
“Ugh, ugh...”
Meanwhile, Jamie was able to see him properly only after shaking off Lang’s hand. It was the first time he had seen the demon so close, so close to his eyes. Overcome by instinctive fear, he crouched down in the alley and desperately moved his body away from Lang. His movements were small and weak, like those of a hunted animal. That caught Lang’s attention.
“...”
Lang stared at Jamie with unfocused eyes, then slowly stepped away from him.
'Shit.'
Sylvia was running down the street with her escort, Jeffrey, with her hood pulled down low. She muttered a curse under her breath. She had called Randall to come out and watch Lang just in case, but she never thought she would lose him in an instant like this.
"Lang, it's gone... He lost..."
"Also, since I can no longer feel the magical energy that was used in the magic potion, it seems like the potion’s effect..."
"Just follow your instincts and seek pleasure."
Cursed whispers continued to tickle his ears. His whole body's senses were heightened, and the faint scent of blood tasted sweet.
“Ugh, ugh...”
Meanwhile, Jamie was able to see him properly only after shaking off Lang’s hand. It was the first time he had seen the demon so close, so close to his eyes. Overcome by instinctive fear, he crouched down in the alley and desperately moved his body away from Lang. His movements were small and weak, like those of a hunted animal. That caught Lang’s attention.
“...”
Lang stared at Jamie with unfocused eyes, then slowly stepped away from him.
***
'Shit.'
Sylvia was running down the street with her escort, Jeffrey, with her hood pulled down low. She muttered a curse under her breath. She had called Randall to come out and watch Lang just in case, but she never thought she would lose him in an instant like this.
"Lang, it's gone... He lost..."
"Also, since I can no longer feel the magical energy that was used in the magic potion, it seems like the potion’s effect..."
Auston's face turned pale as if the magic potion he had used on Lang had worn off. As soon as he heard that, Randall ordered the knights and Auston who had been waiting to search the streets to find Lang. Sylvia also went out to find Lang with her escort, Jeffrey. She glanced at her back with anxious eyes.
'Since there are eyes to see, it is difficult to summon ghosts..."
Now there was no choice but to run. Sylvia tried to move her throbbing feet to find Lang. With each step she took, her anxiety grew. Along with her anxiety, her heartbeat also grew louder.
"Baby, hurry..."
People's screams. The voices of her adoptive parents telling her to run away. Those things kept ringing in her ears. Sylvia bit her lip.
'No way.'
Surely he hasn't already hurt anyone. Lang clearly called himself a pacifist, but that could change at any time depending on Lang's will. If Lang were to wander around lost and encounter a helpless human. The demons tend to get more excited when they see blood, so if he were to see blood, would he be able to hold back his killing intent even at that moment?
'...No.'
That can't be. Sylvia, who had made up her mind, stopped walking as she turned the corner after Jeffrey. Her head snapped up toward the nearby alley.
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