Chapter 42

The body of a seagull-shaped mustache, famous in the Demon Realm, glistened with cold sweat trickling down Suvva’s neck.

Instinct screamed. Run.

But Suvva’s legs wouldn’t obey the brain’s commands. They just trembled heavily as if carrying an impossible weight.

Overwhelmed by the terrifying sight before him or perhaps because of the powerful blow he’d just received—there was no blame for his legs failing him. The fault lay solely in Suvva’s weakness. In the wild, the fault of prey encountering a predator isn’t about offending them or being careless—it’s simply about being weak.

However, Suvva couldn’t admit his own weakness.

“Gr-r-r…”

“C-crap! Don’t come any closer!”

In the wild where he’d thrived, Suvva was undoubtedly one of the strong. He was a seasoned hunter of Demon Forest, and his spear never missed its mark unless intended to.

Even when facing a pack of wolves alone, Suvva had thought nothing of it. His initial plan was simple: sell their pelts for living expenses.

It wasn’t difficult either. Poisoned rabbit carcasses placed along wolf trails or smearing poison on fat cows at farms they often raided did the trick effortlessly. Everything went smoothly.

Then came the unexpected twist. One of the cubs he caught turned out to be from the legendary lineage of the Wolf King.

At that moment, Suvva plotted something big. Sell the cub at an auction house in the Western part of the Demon Realm, make a hefty profit, then track whoever bought it, steal the cub back, and repeat the process several times.

It seemed like a foolproof plan. Suvva believed he could hold his own against most demons, and the auction house would surely agree since they could double their money. Confident, Suvva proceeded without hesitation.

Until Lilith Clanaein, the sole heir of the Western Duke of the Demon Realm, appeared at the auction to compete in the werewolf king contest.

Among the vast hierarchy of power in the Demon Realm, the Western Duke ranked among the top five. No common demon like Suvva would dare cross the daughter of such a figure.

Thus, as Suvva floundered in despair…

“Ta-daaa!”

A young boy appeared.

This boy now stood behind Suvva and the anthropomorphic adult wolf, grinning with his hands on his hips.

“Hehehe, Mr. Spearman. What do you think of my present? Isn’t it amazing?”

“Y-you… all this…!”

“You were so easy to follow, I wanted to take out both you and your clueless buddy, but who knew you two were the same person? Truly, nothing in life is certain.”

“…When did you start planning this?”

“Planning? A jester doesn’t bother with plans.”

As he spoke, the boy raised a trembling finger to tap his temple.

“Just using my head, ya know. How else would I survive in this harsh Demon Realm?”

There it was.

The thin finger pointed directly at the culprit—a round head responsible for all the chaos. The boy’s cunning had ensnared Suvva. Though humiliating, Suvva felt no resentment.

Because it was too overwhelming, too absolute. From the moment he followed the boy after seeing fifty million gold coins at the auction, there was only one thought: “What a waste.”

“At the auction, those fifty million plus one gold coins weren’t meant to buy the Wolf King.”

“G-grk…”

“They were to tame him. If it hadn’t been such a huge sum, neither you nor the other demons would’ve fallen into this trap, and I wouldn’t have been able to redirect Aru’s rampage like this, right?”

The youthful jester, Oscar, mocked with a sneer. His breaths came in ragged gasps.

“AAAAAAHHHHH!!!”

Ignoring Oscar completely, Aru shuffled toward Suvva, sharp claws and fangs glinting under the moonlight.

An overwhelming roar shook the forest. Trees swayed, mist dissipated, and a gust of wind howled.

And there stood Suvva, surrounded by all that pressure.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

In the next instant—

Aru’s solid, rough fist struck Suvva’s face again.

The moment his face collapsed inward.

—

Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch!

The satisfying crunch of flesh and bone filled the air.

Gurgling blood spilled from his mouth due to the piercing spear blade. Ow, this hurts like hell.

My head spins with dizziness, but I can’t lose consciousness. I can’t miss this spectacle.

Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch!

Perhaps overcome by sorrow over losing her family, Aru relentlessly beat the motionless Spearman Swarlin.

Blue eyes streamed crimson tears as her once proud face flattened like paper. Aru’s punches showed no mercy.

What a beautiful sight. The victim gaining strength to exact revenge—a classic scene, yet one of my favorites.

Revenge, revenge, revenge! The madness of slaughter consumes the mind. With the full moon enhancing her primal instincts, Aru couldn’t contain her overflowing energy.

They say violence intoxicates. So, Aru, how does it feel to stand as the predator? Do you want to flaunt your overwhelming power?

Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch!

Fist after fist rained down like a torrential storm, reducing Swarlin the Spearman to shattered pieces. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from this mesmerizing scene, as sweet and honey-like as an angel’s wings.

“AAAAAAARRRRGGHHHH!! DIE! DIEEEE!!”

Aru! Don’t stop! Don’t hesitate! There’s nothing here that can stop you now! Release every ounce of frustration from your heart!

Ah, what should I do? If this keeps up, I’ll die soon, and I haven’t even finished taming Aru yet.

I’m too excited. The allure of blood and torn flesh makes me reluctant to stop Aru from sinking deeper into the swamp of savagery.

“Cough!”

Oh, she stopped on her own.

After reducing Swarlin the Spearman to a mangled corpse, Aru retracted her fists and rose. She glanced around anxiously before rushing toward me in panic.

Oh dear, I woke her. To care for me so earnestly is touching indeed.

Clack-clack-clack—her hurried steps approached. Her azure gaze locked onto me, trembling like an earthquake.

So different from the hateful look she bore moments ago. It almost seems like she’s deeply worried about something…

“Haa, ultimately, we’re back to the original purpose.”

Under the waning moonlight, Aru stood before me. Before me, lying awkwardly with a spear embedded in my abdomen.

Now’s the time to use my words wisely. I swallowed the blood pooling in my throat.

It’s said that dogs and wolves share a common ancestry. However, through time and evolution, these two species diverged into separate paths.

Wolves living freely in the wild.

Dogs coexisting peacefully with humans.

Through this, dogs learned to conform, to obey, to follow orders. Hunt when told, run when ordered, sit upon command—all ingrained in their bones.

As a result, dogs became the most pampered animals among those unable to speak.

The noble wolves chose differently. They opted for freedom in the wilderness, hunting alone, refusing orders, overcoming obstacles independently. When a unifying presence like a Wolf King emerged, they occasionally submitted, but they could never genuinely respect another species.

Thus, wolves developed larger brains, massive bodies, and razor-sharp teeth.

Of course, gains come with losses.

The wolf species became incapable of domestication, able to submit only occasionally to figures like a Wolf King, never truly respecting another species.

But I will tame them.

Turning impossibilities into possibilities.

Guiding what others pessimistically mock into reality.

That’s what a magician does.

That’s what Joker is.

Isn’t this exactly what I’ve prepared for?

It’s time to conclude.

“…Why?”

Aru questioned me.

“Why… why did you throw yourself in front of me…?”

I remained silent.

“How… why does a young demon not see me as anything real…?”

Let her stew.

“You hit me… you kept hitting me…”

Make her suffer.

“You treat me like some insignificant beast…”

Throw her into confusion.

I am the one who pierces through confusion.

The more her mind collapses, the more cracks I find to exploit.

“Why…! Why are you protecting me?!”

Aru squeezed her lips and shouted, her eyes tightly shut.

Hmm, perhaps now is the time to interject slightly.

“Cough! Cough!”

“DEMON! YOUNG DEMON!”

“Ugh… ah, it hurts. Too much pain. Haa, haa…”

I emit enough groans and coughs to convince anyone I’m on my last breath. Of course, none of this requires actual effort.

I appear utterly exhausted. Perfect for instilling sympathy in Aru’s heart.

“Why, why are you doing this…? Exactly…”

Already kneeling before me, Aru’s sharp blue eyes brimmed with moisture.

“You’re not supposed to be like this… Aren’t you always arrogant…?”

“Always cheerful…?”

“Forever laughing… teasing… manipulating… wicked… beating anyone who disobeys with a club… heartless demon…?”

Is this how I appear through Aru’s eyes? Quite accurate.

“But why… why are you struggling so unlike yourself?! You’re not this kind of demon!!”

Biting her lips, Aru asked—not really a question, more like a demand. Or perhaps a plea.

Begging me to open my heavy lips, to utter words audible to her ears.

Such a demand, or plea? Or threat? Or question?

Whatever it may be, it doesn’t matter. All I need to remember is that it’s time for me to speak.

“Why…?”

“DEMON? Are you alright? Are you alive?”

“I said I love you, didn’t I…?”

“DEMON! DEMON! YOUNG DEMON!! Don’t close your eyes! Open them!”

Agitate.

Strange emotions sprout amidst a disturbed mind.

“Ruff ruff ruff! Wake up! Ruff ruff ruff!”

Feel.

Feel the poignant love while dying in front of a demon.

“Auuuu- Auuuuuu-.”

Bark.

From the depths of your soul, let out a mournful howl.

“Auuuuuu- Don’t die-! You can’t die-!”

I closed my eyes.

To me, it’s merely a brief blink. But to this wolf girl watching and crying over me, it feels like the grand finale of life descending heavily.

Ripples disturb Aru’s azure irises. Like a winter breeze shaking aspen leaves, or lightning striking the center of a blue lake.

“I-I told you to follow me! Ruff ruff!”

“…”

“I’ll follow! So don’t die! Now you’re my leader! The sole leader of the Wolf King!”

Follow.

As I follow the Saintess.

You follow me.

“Ruff! I-I said I loved you!”

“…”

“I’ll love you! Truly, I’ll love you! No, I already do! Truly, I love you!”

Love.

As I love the Saintess.

You love me.

“I said I’d kill you! I’ll cancel it! I won’t kill you!”

“…”

“So…! Open your eyes! Don’t die! I-I’ll lick your blood!”

Adore.

As I adore the Saintess.

You adore me.

Aru understood. The moment she pulled the spear from my abdomen, my faint breath would cease.

Leaning close, she extended her long tongue to lap up the blood soaking my stomach. Her posture was desperate and pitiful.

“Unh…! Hold…! Just hold on a little longer… I’ll try to do something….”

“…”

“Please…! Look at me…!! Sniff, sniff, sniff….”

Hot tears streamed down Aru’s face. Her azure eyes were red with exhaustion. Despite losing too much blood, my consciousness remains clear—it’s not yet time.

Ah, it’s so enjoyable. While my life hangs in the balance, controlling the Wolf King fills me with exhilarating pleasure.

“Huh… hup…! Au- auuu- auuuuu-.”

She sobbed, hiccupped, and howled to the night sky.

Aru cried bitterly. The pain of losing her family resurfaced.

Though it was only a few days, even this short, violent relationship carried occasional kindnesses, like , offering warmth and love.

Aru’s only family. That’s me, Oscar Lucifer.

But I won’t remain merely family. I will be Aru’s master, her psychological guide, and the sole beacon leading her way.

“Did you like this…? Didn’t you enjoy it… stroking my head…?”

Kneeling on both knees, bowing low, Aru reached for my limp arm, inching slowly toward the end.

“You liked having your hand on my head… right? F-factually, I enjoyed it too…! I thought I shouldn’t get used to it, but n-now it’s fine! It’s perfectly okay! You can touch my head anytime you want!”

Finally reaching the soft, horned appendage on my hand, the inevitable action followed.

Swoosh—swish—

Against my palm, Aru rubbed her forehead. Unseen by her, I opened my eyes slightly to observe the scene.

Swish-swish-swish—

Her fluffy fur tickled my fingertips. Thanks to the growing mane, it felt coarse rather than soft.

“Woah, whenever you want! Anytime you can touch! Since you like it…! So…!!”

“Please…! Please don’t die! Sob…”

Such a humiliating position for the Wolf King, yet it highlights Aru’s desperation clearly.

Tamed.

The Wolf King, by me—a spectral demon.

The power to turn impossibilities into possibilities.

Something I learned from Saintess Maria.

“Hehe.”

“? Young demon…?”

“The romance fantasy of a lone wolf girl I thought would end tragically and beautifully.”

“Young demon? Are you regaining consciousness? Don’t talk! First, what needs to be done is…! Rest, rest! And we need herbs!”

“Changed by the most special, most noble force in the world.”

“DEMON…? What are you saying right now…?”

“That force is called love.”

Swoosh—

Pulling my hand from beneath Aru’s head, I extended it toward the distant staff.

Aru stared at me with moist eyes, like an audience member endlessly amazed by a magician performing miracles.

Woosh—

Magic power rose from my fingertips, brushing against the staff’s interior. Soon, a small vial floated gently toward me.

Aru watched it dumbfounded.

Swirling the vial before her eyes,

While suppressing the surging pain within my body,

I drew the curtain call on the show.

“Ta-daaa!”

“!”

“Surprise!”

Huge drops of relief cascaded from Aru’s eyes like a waterfall.

Today’s magic trick:

A magic trick transforming a girl’s heart.

*

Annoying.

Bad.

You teased me again.

You played with me again.

But I feel good.

Luckily.

Very luckily.

This time,

it was just a trick.

The young demon didn’t die.

I am the king, king of all wolves.

The true king leading all wolves.

And the young demon,

the mischievous, wicked, naughty young demon,

is my leader.

My one and only leader.

---