Chapter 96

EP.96 Fairy Tale, Demon Realm

At a café on Han-da Street.

Sehwa and Yuria met early in the morning.

– Sehwa, how have you been?

– Yes, unnie.

A strange atmosphere flowed between the two sitting at a corner table far from the counter.

Like friends who fought and made up but still had emotional scars.

Sehwa, just act. Now’s not the time for that.

– Unnie, are you uncomfortable somewhere?

Sehwa’s question.

It was pointing out how Yuria had fidgeted when she sat down.

Asking like that even though she knows everything… what a sly fox.

Breath stuck in her throat.

– No? Why?

– No, but why did you call me?

– I’m curious about something. I might ask a rude question… but I’d like you to answer.

– Yes. Since it’s you, unnie, I’ll answer.

– Thank you. I’ll ask directly. What do you… think of humans?

At that, Sehwa tilted her head.

– Humans?

– Yeah.

– Why are you asking that all of a sudden?

– Ah… I saw a lot of sexually harassing comments online. So I was worried if you might feel bad…

She didn’t mention eavesdropping on their conversation in the lab.

– I really hate them.

At the immediate response, Yuria let out a shallow sigh.

– Because of the hate comments?

– Yes. It seems like they don’t even know who’s protecting the peace. Instead of being grateful, they just leave comments that make me frown… It’s pathetic.

Sehwa sipped her coffee angrily.

Yuria looked at her with an understanding expression.

Sehwa continued.

– There’s more. Some people from the World Union approached Jihyuk and Dr. Cash. They said they’d give them all sorts of benefits in their country if they’d prioritize dealing with demons when they appear.

– Really…?

– Really. But that’s not why I started hating humans. There are still good people in the world.

– Then…? Why did your feelings change?

– The incident in Syria… do you know about it?

– Syria? What about it?

Sehwa stared at Yuria, who looked puzzled, and began to speak.

About the terrorist group in Syria that conducted human experiments.

She started pouring it all out to Yuria.

As the story progressed, Yuria’s face gradually hardened.

By the middle, when Jihyuk almost became a test subject, she was shocked, and by the end, she clenched her fists in anger.

Sehwa, who had told the whole story, just sipped her coffee in silence.

It was an act to give Yuria time to think.

– …..

Yuria, completely frozen, was lost in thought for a long time.

It was hard to believe humans could do something so against nature.

After staring at the coffee table for a while, Yuria finally spoke.

– So the reason you started hating humans was because of the incident in Syria…

– Yes.

– But still… you still want to protect them, right? Aiter is that kind of power. If your heart breaks, you might not be able to transform again.

– No. Aiter is related to the desire to protect, but fundamentally, it’s the power to punish evil. As long as my heart is firm, I can transform just fine. I think we need to dominate so humans can never defy us again.

Oh ho, Yuria was about to ask about homework, but Sehwa struck first.

So cute, I could die. I should give her a reward.

A somewhat sinister light flickered in Sehwa’s eyes.

Yuria, who noticed it, was shocked.

– W-wait…! Don’t tell me…

– I’ll get going now. Talking about this isn’t making me feel good. Sorry, unnie.

Sehwa pushed her chair back, stood up, and left the café without hesitation.

Yuria stared blankly at Sehwa’s retreating figure.

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“Haah…”

On her way to the lab, Yuria, feeling stifled, hit her chest.

At the café, Sehwa tried to define humans as evil.

No, not tried—she already thought of them as evil.

Moreover, when she said we need to dominate so they can’t defy us, the word “us” somehow felt like it was from the demons’ perspective.

Though that couldn’t be.

Normally, she would’ve scolded Sehwa for saying such things.

But Yuria couldn’t.

Because she, too, was starting to think of humans as evil.

The decisive factor was the incident in Syria.

People who tried to transplant demon body parts into humans.

She couldn’t even imagine such a horrific act… she didn’t want to believe it.

Perhaps… as her father said, domination through overwhelming power might be okay.

‘That’s right… demons… follow Tairat’s orders, risking death, somewhere out there. I’ve never heard of them causing trouble…’

Even the strongest demons show immense loyalty before Tairat.

The power of the name “Demon King” binds their hearts and minds.

If humans were like that, they wouldn’t even think of doing terrible things.

Lost in thought, Yuria arrived at the lab and lifted her head to scan her face on the sensor.

With a whirring sound, a massive door slid open.

“You’re here?”

Dr. Cash, in the middle of developing equipment, greeted Yuria.

“Yes, hello?”

“You didn’t sound well on the phone… but you seem fine now? Why did you want to meet?”

“I have something to ask.”

Dr. Cash took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

After taking a sip of an energy drink, she pointed to a chair beside her.

“Sit.”

Yuria obediently sat down, and Dr. Cash smiled and asked.

“Want some coffee?”

“No, I already had some.”

“Oh? Then let’s get straight to the point. What’s on your mind?”

“Actually… this is a personal question…”

“Yeah.”

“If you had the power to rule the Earth, what would you do?”

At Yuria’s question, Dr. Cash’s eyes widened, and she chuckled.

“Sounds nice just thinking about it.”

“Really…?”

“If you were powerful enough to rule not just a ‘country’ but the ‘Earth,’ there’d be no hostile nations… no need for politics… you could maintain peace for a long time.”

“Is that so…?”

“That’s what I think. It’s a bit result-oriented, but that’s my take.”

Yuria was quite surprised that Dr. Cash also gave a positive evaluation of this idea.

But Yuria didn’t realize.

That her question was flawed.

Originally, she should’ve asked what Dr. Cash thought about iron-fisted rule through power.

Then Dr. Cash would’ve opposed it, citing examples like the Soviet Union.

But Yuria, after hearing Kim Taegon and Lee Sehwa’s opinions, gradually changed her mindset.

Also, in awe of Jihyuk, she altered the question, wondering what it would be like if he ruled the Earth.

Dr. Cash, unaware of Yuria’s inner thoughts, simply answered the question.

“Why are you curious about that all of a sudden?”

“Ah… just. I was talking to my father, and this topic came up.”

“I see.”

“But… Dr. Cash. Do you know about the human experiments in Syria?”

At that, Dr. Cash’s smiling face suddenly turned pale.

She sighed and said.

“You heard it from Sehwa.”

“Yes.”

“Right… horrific human experiments were being conducted. Song got suspicious, infiltrated secretly, got caught, and asked for help. He almost died. Thankfully, we caught them all… but Sehwa was shocked and struggled for days.”

Dr. Cash subtly avoided Yuria’s gaze.

Yuria, seeing this, was convinced there was more shocking information she didn’t know.

“I see…”

“Let’s stop talking about Syria. It’s already over.”

“Ah, okay…”

“Anything else you’re curious about?”

“No. I’ll get going now.”

“You came all the way to the lab just to ask this? You’re a bit of a space cadet, like Song.”

Yuria felt a bit pleased at being compared to Jihyuk.

After saying goodbye to Dr. Cash, Yuria left the lab, took a flying taxi, and fell into deep thought.

Except for Seunghyun, all three viewed rule through power positively.

Though Seunghyun had an idealistic side, and since they weren’t planning to meet again, treating him as nonexistent… it was a unanimous result.

“Sigh…”

Yuria let out a stifled sigh, feeling like she was wrong.

Everyone else sees this topic positively… it seems her resentment toward Tairat narrowed her perspective.

She suddenly remembered Jihyuk’s appearance yesterday.

Getting caught on a date with Seunghyun and being punished at the council.

When he wielded the whip, it hurt so much she couldn’t even think of resisting.

She only sincerely reflected on her mistakes.

She feared Jihyuk and respected him.

The saying that respect comes from fear resonated deeply.

Truly the demeanor of a tyrant. A perfect example of a powerful ruler was right beside her.

‘Huaah…♡’

Thinking of Jihyuk made her body heat up.

Seeing Jihyuk’s attitude, she felt admiration, and now she wanted to unconditionally submit to him.

It’s natural to submit to a predator.

She even felt happy.

Then… wouldn’t humans also be happy under rule by power?

They wouldn’t resent the ruler as a tyrant but praise them as a sage.

Just like how she now revered Jihyuk.

Yuria mistakenly thought her position was the same as humans’.

But she didn’t realize her mistake.

She only held awe for Jihyuk.

Yuria closed her eyes and organized the homework Jihyuk had given her.

Tairat and Jihyuk are similar types of tyrants.

Jihyuk is a bit more merciful, but their nature is the same.

Ruthless rulers who desire obedience through power.

‘Did Tairat invade to peacefully rule a troublesome kingdom?’

Thinking about it, some nobles were dissatisfied with her father’s rule.

Outwardly, they followed, but inwardly, they might’ve planned to cause discord.

Tairat, knowing this trait of humans, might’ve started the conquest to protect the peace of the Erandel galaxy.

Perhaps… if we hadn’t resisted and submitted, he might’ve only killed the problematic, deceitful humans and made the rest a vassal state.

Did the kingdom resist to protect its power? My father sought peace and desired obedience, but he might’ve been played by the sinister nobles and temporarily lost his mind.

It’s not that Tairat isn’t resentful.

But… hearing various opinions, I understand the reason for the invasion.

Even Earth is like that. There are many countries, and they cause problems, whether openly or secretly.

All the wars so far were caused by the greed of those in power.

To prevent this… we need to suppress them with power so they can’t sow discord.

To pursue peace, we need power.

Like Jihyuk, like Tairat, only by ruling with overwhelming, brutal power can problems be eliminated.

Is this what it feels like to break through stifling fog? It feels like things are finally becoming clear.

I should quickly report the homework Jihyuk gave me.

The moment Yuria reached this conclusion,

Crack-!

The crack in Yuria’s heart, created by Jihyuk’s manipulation, grew larger.

Through that crack, evil seeped in, corroding Yuria’s pure heart and mind.

Despite the immense turmoil within, Yuria only thought her body was heating up from thinking about Jihyuk.

Sss…

Then, dark evil rose from Yuria’s body, entering her lower abdomen, creating a demon gate.

If Sehwa’s demon gate keyword was a sacred confession of love, Yuria’s was assimilation.

Breaking down the heart that stood against Jihyuk and Tairat, assimilating into his tyranny, this lewd and evil symbol appeared.

This demon gate, made invisible by Jihyuk’s machinations, would grow darker the more Yuria committed immoral acts.

‘It’s cold…’

Yuria rubbed her arms.

She felt a chill and thought she heard eerie screams.

Wondering what it was, she looked around and found the taxi’s air vent.

Whoosh!

Cold air blew out vigorously.

It was cold because of the AC.

The sound of the wind was annoying too.

Yuria irritably closed the vent.

Only then did the taxi quiet down.

She smiled happily and took out her phone to message Jihyuk.

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