On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

As days passed by, we are getting closer to Axheria March, the place where I am going to kill yet another Hero. More and more territories are liberated, making Nobles even more paranoid each day.

Some cities are burned to the ground. This causes terror among the people; they fear that they will wake up to a flaming, gigantic oven one day. They demand an increase in security but the Nobles are too focused on Shadow to mind their demand.

An unreliable ally is more fearsome than an outstanding enemy, they say. The Nobles get their priority right by focusing on quenching the people's thirst for rebellion. They hunt for Shadow and do everything their best to stop their people from rebelling. That is, by suppressing them even more.

The rules made to prevent a rebellion from happening are harsh. One can point a finger at the other, claiming the other is a rebel and it will get one executed. In a way, it does its job of shying people away from the idea. Unfortunately, though, the resentment the people hold toward them gets bigger with each passing day.

Burst!

Roar!

Looking up to the sky, I find Genelos shooting out fire from his mouth. He is burning down buildings, trees, vehicles, and anything that his fire can turn to ashes. He is enjoying what he is doing. I can tell by how brighter and hotter his fire has become compared to three days ago.

"Koff! Koff! .... What is your aim, Demon?"

Turning my gaze back at the Viscount whose territory I have almost burned down, I observe his pathetic state. Just a few minutes earlier, together with his men, this man stood proudly, seemingly invincible; now, he looks no different from a burning-out candle.

He is trying his best to look unfazed and fearless. He stares right at me, carving each detail of my mask and horns into his mind. It is meaningless still; I can sense his fear. His eyes also can't stay still. They are moving about, looking for the other living human nearby.

There is none, so he is desperate. "Is this the end? Is there no one going to save me? Where are my men?" his eyes scream as they are frantically rolling around.

I snap my fingers, gaining the attention of the dying Viscount. "You are asking for my aim, aren't you? What will your answer be if I ask you the same question? What is your aim for hunting down Cursed Creations?"

"For humanity's prosperity!" the Viscount answers with absolute conviction.

"There you have it--my answer."

"Huh? .... Cursed Creations wanting prosperity? Parasites don't deserve prosperity! This world is bound to meet its unfortunate end shall parasites be given prosperity."

"Heh...I wonder. What have you done to ensure this world's survival?"

The Viscount opens his mouth, very eager to say something. He closes it back immediately, though, as he frowns. I am sure he was about to say eliminating us was his way of ensuring the world's survival. He has realized how ridiculous it sounds; so, now, he is pondering what he should say.

Burst!

The air is getting hotter with each passing second. Genelos' fire has turned quite a lot of the buildings to ashes. The surroundings are colored crimson. Ashes are blown into the air before falling like black snow. Uncaring to the depressive and bleak mood, the Viscount takes his time.

"I don't care about the world's survival..." he speaks after some time. "I only care about my kin's survival. Your kin is a threat to mine, so it is a must for me to kill all of you!"

"In what way does my kin threaten yours? Simply existing? Do you also think about the other races this way, I wonder?"

"...."

He is the fourth ruler I have asked the same question and, like his fellows, he also can't answer my question. I think it is in the nature of humans to play the victim. They poke a beehive and blame the entire swarm when they fight back. The way they treat us is the same.

We are not even bees. We are intelligent enough to exchange opinions and discuss. Despite so, humans still decide to hunt us down under the pretext of us being a threat to the world. Oh, I have mistaken; God is the one who tells them to hunt us down. Humans are blessed with intelligence but they forego it when it comes to us.

This world only has one God. He claims to have created any lifeforms in this world including us. For some reason, however, he sides with humans most of the time. The summoning of the Heroes and the bestowal of Holy Energy. All of them are privileges that only humans have.

The other races do just as much as the humans for God but they are given nothing. I am sure a day doesn't pass without the other races wondering if they have the same God.

Is their God even God? Well, I can't tell. I am not going to preach about how ridiculous the idea of the God they believe in is. I just want to exact my revenge while smoothening my way to the throne along the way. I don't care what they believe in but there is bound to be an absolute ruler in this world soon--me.

"Humans kill humans, meanwhile, dogs eat dogs. We, Cursed Creations, embrace each other," I say, awakening the Viscount from his deep, endless contemplation. "If you want to glimpse at a different outlook, I suggest you come to Brontes Dukedom."

"What...am I going to do there?"

Putting my hand on his forehead, I cast [Inis Imperium]. "Indulge in the harmony or reject it and die."

The command activates the Temporary Geas. The only way to be freed from it is by going to Brontes Dukedom and becoming another avid Demon's advocate. He will die if he rejects the idea. If he is ready to embrace it, although we don't get his territory, we will get his people.

Letting go of his forehead, I stand up straight and return Rexorem to our Bond Seal. Genelos dives down, prompting me to jump onto his back.

The girls are already there, covered in soot and some splashes of blood. My eyes are focused on Lunea and Winerva. They are as solemn as usual but none of them has that haunted look that was present a few days ago. They have seen enough darkness to know which should haunt them.

"Layland, can I talk?" Winerva taps my shoulder as I sit down.

"Sure."

​ Sitting before me, she leans her body on me. "The Viscountcy looked normal when we first came. I thought it would be a shame to destroy it...that was until we began burning down the place. A particular house attracted my attention. I went inside and found...chopped up children inside."

At the end of every arson, one of the girls will sit before me and talk about the shocking things they found. They can't believe that their fellow humans still can surprise them with their cruelty, so they feel the need to talk about it to keep their sanity.

They are having an existential crisis. They are humans but what they have found out about humans makes them sick of humans. They know that not everyone is the same but being exposed to the same merciless reality makes them question themselves: "Should I reject humanity?"

When I talk to them, implicitly, I always tell them to accept themselves. Hating humanity is something they may do but rejecting the fact that they are human is not a good thing. If they want to kill humans, they have to kill humans as a human. Throwing their identity as a human away will only make them killing machines.

They may revel in the sensation of being one for some time but it will come back to bite them. Without an identity, they will question what they are doing and for whom they are doing it; it is a slow way to destroy oneself.

"The world has never been black and white. There is no absolute evil or absolute kindness. Every story has two sides. Whether you are wrong or right is for you to decide. Your job is to provide the reason why your choice is just."

"...I see. You are good at this, aren't you?"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah.... You never say what I want to hear--you always say what I need to hear. Thanks to you, I can always get out of my muddled state."

Humming to myself as a response, I focus on riding. No conversation is initiated until we land in the nearest forest to Axheria March, which is 5 Absitan away from it.

It is a quite significant distance to cover but no one is complaining. Running has become a habit for all of us. We even compete in who can reach the March the fastest. Winerva has undergone significant growth lately, so she is on par with Lunea who is growing at a fast pace.

Millonia has the most explosive growth. The more she fights the looser her Seal gets. She is still nowhere near as strong as me but she can already take a group of Paladins on her own now. Even the fact that we can reach Axheria in five days is thanks to her.

"Tell me your purpose, sir!" the guard stops me before the gate.

Gesturing at the soot-covered girls, I say, "Selling these pieces of meat."

He wants to "check" the girls but a gold coin is enough to stop him. We step into the March, find an inn, clean ourselves and then meet Abigail and Gabriela, the Hero bait duo.

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