Another World Reincarnation Chronicle

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“Indeed, it was good to have captured it…”

Haiven said this as he handed me the artifact containing the demon, placing it on a small table.

The demon, who had been observing cautiously, seemed ready to flee, but it was futile. Its power was far too weak to escape the artifact crafted at the Mage Tower.

[Kyahhh!]

The creature drooled as it banged against the transparent Mana Barrier. Leo, watching the scene, furrowed his brow.

“Based on the properties of its Mana, it’s the same one that put a hole in my chest. However…”

He trailed off, placing his hand over the artifact. He flicked his massive finger, sending a shock to the demon inside.

Thwack!

[Kyahhh!]

“Has it shrunk and its intelligence degenerated?”

“Are you saying this demon had enough intelligence to hold a conversation?”

Leo nodded lightly to my question.

From Leo’s words, it seemed the demon had once possessed a larger body and sufficient intelligence to converse.

I tilted my head in curiosity.

“But this demon hasn’t answered any of my questions so far.”

After Haiven handed me the demon, I returned to the Base Camp and started throwing various questions at it.

Of course, I received no reasonable answers. It only responded with a “Kyahhh!”

At this point, I had started to perceive the demon as a beast so unintelligent it couldn’t even converse. I guessed Haiven, who was watching the spectacle nearby, thought the same.

“I suspect it’s just putting on an act. Unless its intelligence has truly degraded, that has to be the case.”

Leo said this and stood up. I looked up at him curiously as his massive arms pulled back, as if he was about to throw a punch at any moment.

“If I hit it with that…”

Bang!

I couldn’t finish my sentence. Leo suddenly swung his fist.

Though it was pure physical prowess without the use of Mana, Leo’s enormous punch had enough force to obliterate the small table.

[Kyahhh!]

The demon atop the table fell to the ground and rolled about, as if this was completely expected.

“Ugh… Its physical condition isn’t ideal… Normally, I would’ve smashed it in one hit.”

Leo remarked as he hoisted his fist once more, this time evidently determined to crush the demon.

Whoosh!

Without any special signal, Leo’s massive fist began flying at the demon once more. A fierce wind burst forth from his punch as it smashed the demon along with the artifact.

Crack!

“Wow…”

Leo’s punch was indeed powerful, but it was merely the raw strength of a human devoid of Mana. The artifact itself remained intact.

However, the demon’s body trapped inside had become nothing more than a bloody pulp.

[Ky, Kyah…]

Considering it hadn’t died despite being completely squashed, it was definitely not an ordinary creature. Of course, it wasn’t dead just yet, but if left like this, it looked like it would perish.

“It’s not afraid of death…”

Haiven’s words rang true. If the demon truly feared death, it would have opened its mouth before Leo’s fist came flying in. If it was indeed pretending, as Leo suggested.

“Sorry about this. It was a specimen of considerable research value.”

Leo said this to Haiven, sounding genuinely apologetic. However, Haiven didn’t seem too concerned.

“What? It’s not a big deal. There are plenty of demons lying around this land, aren’t there? When we go back…”

Haiven trailed off mid-sentence, and I could see a spark in his eyes as if a good idea had struck him.

“Hmm… Seris?”

“Yeah?”

“Could your healing magic work on demons as well?”

Healing magic on a demon? It didn’t seem impossible. Demons too essentially wield Mana. Since it wasn’t divine power—something opposed to demons—there should be no rejection.

I furrowed my brows and placed my hand on the artifact.

[Cough… Kyah…]

Boom!

As I had expected, the moment I used the healing magic, the demon’s body began to return to its original state. Once the demon was restored, I nodded and stood up.

[…]

The demon was glaring down at its now intact body with an unhappy expression.

“Indeed… Seris, that healing magic… How many more times do you think it can be used?”

Since the demon’s body was rather small, the amount of Mana consumed wasn’t too great. At this rate, I could probably use the healing magic several times. Estimating the recovering Mana, I spoke up.

“Unless something special happens, I can keep going?”

“Leo, did you hear that?”

“Ah, indeed I did.”

Bang!

As soon as Leo heard my response, he once more unleashed his fist. The artifact was flattened again, and naturally, the demon’s body within was once more crushed.

[Kyah…]

It seemed the demon didn’t fear death, but it certainly felt pain as it emitted low whimpers.

Realizing this, I grasped Haiven’s intent. It appeared he planned to keep inflicting pain until the demon answered using my magic and Leo’s punches.

“Want me to heal it?”

“Please do.”

I used the healing magic again at Leo’s request.

Bang!

After that, the sequence of actions just repeated. I would use the healing magic to restore the demon, and Leo’s fist would fly.

Not once did he ask a question. There were no breaks either. Even when the demon’s screams leaked outside the tent and people came to investigate, Leo’s punches never halted.

How much time had passed? After I had used the healing magic about a hundred times, the demon finally spoke in a dying voice.

[St-stop… please…]

Bang!

Yet Leo didn’t stop. He had made clear expressions conveying that the demon was no longer pretending.

“Mr. Leo, the demon finally spoke…”

I looked up at Leo, wondering if he hadn’t heard the demon’s voice amidst his concentration on punching.

“I heard it. But it’s still lacking.”

“Hmm… Should we continue then?”

“Please.”

What was still lacking? I tilted my head in confusion at Leo’s response but continued to use healing magic.

[St-stop now… please…]

Bang!

[You damn bastards!]

Bang!

[Ahhhhh!]

Bang!

[Ask me a question!]

Bang!

How much more time had passed? After surpassing a hundred uses of the healing magic, I started counting anew, nearing a total of one hundred eighty uses.

Suddenly, Leo, who had been throwing punches without hesitation, abruptly stopped.

[Hii-eek…]

The pitiful sight of the demon caught my eye. It curled up in a corner of the artifact, trembling in anticipation of the shock that was about to come.

[I-Is it over…?]

As the expected punch did not arrive, the demon cautiously peeked its eyes open. It no longer seemed to hide the fact that it could speak, starting to chatter away quite a bit.

In that moment…

Bang!

Leo’s fist once again crushed the demon’s body.

[Hi, hihhh… so cruel…]

I used healing magic again to fix it up.

Eventually, the demon sat back down, restored to its normal state. Leo seemed like he finally intended to stop punching, dragging a chair over and sitting in front of it.

“I hope you answer my questions sincerely.”

[I-I will answer… everything, everything. My name is Simon… I live here…]

The demon, Simon, began a self-introduction without being asked. It appeared utterly broken by Leo’s punching, shivering as it gauged the atmosphere.

Watching this, Haiven asked Simon a question.

“I want to know why you attacked us humans…”

[W-Well, recently demons with magic books told me… that soon many humans would come to this land. They said if you want fresh blood and meat, and human souls, you should come here… I—I also came here to create a magic book…]

“Are you just here to obtain blood and meat? Not to scout our forces at someone else’s command?”

“It seems he’s lying. A few more punches should…”

Haiven questioned Simon with a frown at his response. However, it seemed Leo was displeased with the answer. He grimaced and raised his fist again.

[P-Please believe me! I’m not lying at all! Among demons, we’re equal! There are differences in power, but we cannot harm each other, so there’s no need to give commands or follow them!]

Seeing Leo’s fist, Simon screamed in panic.

It was indeed true that when I summoned the two demons, Skasha and Elder, from the Lower Realm, their relationship seemed tense, but there was no apparent hierarchy.

With that, I had my next question. Leaving Haiven and Leo, who were deep in thought, behind, I asked Simon.

“Do you happen to know a demon named Skasha?”

[Sk, Skasha!]

Simon looked taken aback by my question. He glanced around cautiously, then slowly began to speak.

[They say she’s a demon born from the oldest death. Having lived long, she possesses a lot and has vast knowledge.]

“Where is that Skasha now?”

I narrowed my eyes and asked again. It would have been nice if I could gauge Skasha’s location using the Guiding Star, but since I had never seen her in person, the star couldn’t detect her position.

[You’re not really trying to find Skasha, are you? That’s insane. If that’s the case, then you’d be better off just giving me the blood and meat…]

At Simon’s overstepping remarks, Leo clicked his tongue and raised his fist. Upon seeing that, Simon flattened himself to the ground in fear.

[I-I misspoke!]

I crossed my arms and frowned. Simon’s reaction made it clear he was unaware of our reason for coming here.

“You don’t know why we came here?”

[Of course I don’t. I don’t have a magic book, so I don’t know what’s happening outside this island…]

“Fine not knowing. But you know Skasha’s location, right?”

[I do. Are you asking me to guide you to Skasha’s territory?]

I turned to look at Haiven and Leo. The two Vice Tower Masters nodded in response to my gaze.

“Yes.”

[Once the guidance is over, you’ll be relieving this unpleasant barrier, right?]

“Let’s see how you behave.”

[Ah, understood…]

Just because we had promised Simon guidance didn’t mean we could set off immediately. The injured still hadn’t awakened and night was deepening.

After that, Haiven and Leo bombarded Simon with numerous questions.