Chapter 13 Another Soul?

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“Wake up!” A voice that Zerha hasn't heard before tried to wake her up. “Wake up.” The voice got pissed and shouted. “HEY! WAKE UP!”

The voices jolted Zerha awake. Huh?!

“Master! Are you okay?” Garren asked, his voice laced with concern.

“Master…” Foxy was worried as well.

“Huh? What just happened?” Zerha tried to stand up though pain suddenly shot through her back. Urgh...Why does my back hurt?

“One of the demons earlier attacked you,” Foxy said.

“But don’t worry, I already killed that f*ck*ng demon!” Ecanus declared.

“You did?” Zerha asked, doubting Ecanus.

“Of course! That demon is too weak; he’s no match for me!” Ecanus said.

“You mean, Sage killed the demon,” Garren corrected him. Ecanus was stunned by these words. “W-what? I-I helped him!”

“Yeah, right. You became the bait; that is a big help. Pffft.” Garren remarked.

Ecanus’ face suddenly flushed with embarrassment. “You… I’ll kill you!” Ecanus and Garren started to attack each other. Ecanus used his light magic on Garren, who easily dodged the attacks. “Oh? Try to hit me with your light magic if you can!”

“Don’t dodge it!” Ecanus shouted when he didn't even hit Garren with his magic.

“Are you dumb? Of course, I will dodge it, or my body will be full of holes!”

“Then that’s even better!” Ecanus throw another light magic but Garren right now didn't just dodge his attacks, he's using his fire magic. Ecanus' eyes get wide open when he saw a fireball coming toward him. “Aahhhhh!!" Ecanus barely dodge the attack. Garren laughs at Ecanus nonstop. “Pfft BWAHAHAH!"

Zerha and Foxy merely sighed in disbelief as they watched them.

“Foxy, for how long was I out?” Zerha asked while massaging her right temple where she suddenly felt pain.

“Twenty minutes, Master.”

“Oh...Where’s Sage, by the way? And the kid! Is she safe?” She asked quickly as the image of the little girl flashed in her mind.

“Yes, she’s fine. The demon hunter Aiden brought her back home after we defeated the demons. As for Sage...he’s right over there…” Foxy pointed to the tree not so far from them where Sage was sulking.

“W-what happened to him?” He looks so pitiful. He’s squatting on the ground as if he’s carrying the whole world. Zerha thought.

“He keeps blaming himself for what happened to you, Master,” Foxy answered. He keeps saying ‘Don’t die in front of me, Milady’ or ‘Please do not die’. He’s exaggerating, though I was surprised to see Sage panicking since he usually looks so cold and well-composed, Foxy thought.

“I will kill you!”

“What a lousy angel you are! You didn’t even hit me once! Pffft, bwahaha!”

“You f*ck*ng bastard!”

Ecanus and Garren still attacking each other. When Garren dodged the light magic of Ecanus, it went straight to Sage. They were taken aback by this, and Sage didn’t notice the oncoming light magic.

“Light magic from archangels can kill a demon in an instant,” Foxy said.

Even though a large portion of Ecanus’ magic had been sealed by the higher-ranking archangels, his light magic could still deal a great deal of damage to demons.

“What?! We have to warn Sage!” Zerha shouted to Ecanus and Garren.

“I-it’s too late,” Ecanus said nervously. The light magic was about to strike Sage. Though without turning his head, he let out his black wings as a shield for his body. They were all astonished, especially Ecanus, because it was his first time to witness a demon being unaffected by light magic. Is it because he’s an archdemon? That’s why he wasn’t harmed by my light magic? Well, it makes sense, since naturally, archdemons are powerful.

“Are you okay, Sage?” Zerha asked while running over to Sage. The sound of Zerha’s voice startled him, and tears suddenly began spilling from his eyes as he looked at her. Everyone was surprised to see Sage crying. “Milady! It is all my fault! I deeply apologize for not being able to protect you, Milady.” Sage apologized while sobbing. “I-it’s alright. It’s not your fault…” Zerha was taken aback by Sage’s behavior. He usually looks cold and calm but right now he’s crying like a kid. Oh my gosh, he’s so cute. Zerha thought and wrapped her arms around his figure to comfort him. “It’s alright. I have not hurt anymore. Stop crying.”

“Hmph! He’s acting like a weak demon now?” Ecanus remarked.

“Pffft, bwahaha!” Foxy broke into laughter.

“Why the hell are you laughing?” Ecanus asked.

“Are you jealous of Sage because Master is hugging him?” Foxy asked teasingly.

“W-what? Who’s jealous? I’m not jealous!” Ecanus’ face turned red while he started fuming and walking quickly.

“Idiot,” Garren remarked and Foxy chuckled. “I think we should go now, Master,” Garren said.

“Yes. Sage, get up. Let's go.”

Sage didn't say anything and walked. What he acted on earlier wasn't fake. He really felt scared and nervous when he saw Zerha lose consciousness. He doesn't want to witness that kind of incident again, just like what he experienced in the past.

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On their way back to the guesthouse Ecanus suddenly asked Sage a question. “Hey, why doesn’t my light magic affect you?”

“Isn’t the answer obvious? Because you’re weak.” Garren said.

“Shut up, f*ck*ng useless dragon!”

“My wings are special. They can dispel light magic from angels.” Sage explained calmly.

“I’ve never heard of that before. Can all archdemons dispel light magic?”

“No, I am the only one.”

“Hmm...” Ecanus was confused why Sage was able to dispel light magic from archangels. As far as he could remember, he had never heard of any demons that could dispel light magic.

“Thank you. Thank you so much for helping to save my daughter.” The landowner suddenly bowed her head in front of them once they arrived.

“How is your daughter?” Zerha asked.

“She’s fine; she’s resting in my room.”

“Glad to hear that.”

“I have prepared your meal. Please follow me to the dining room.”

“Yes! I’m hungry! Let’s go and eat!” Ecanus rushed to the dining area and quickly forget the incident that Sage was able to dispel his magic.

As they entered the dining area, they found Aiden already eating his meal. Aiden gazed at Zerha as she took a seat. Now I’m sure that these two are demons. He used dark magic earlier. But this girl… I’m sure she’s a demon, but strangely, her magic is not darkness. Why does she possess magic similar to that of the spider from the cave in the forbidden forest? Her identity as a demon is very strange. She’s probably dangerous. I should assassinate her before she hurts anyone. Aiden thought while staring at Zerha intently.

“I do not like the way you stare at my lady,” Sage said coldly as he noticed Aiden watching Zerha.

“Tsk.” He’s cautious of me. Maybe I should kill him first, Aiden thought.

After they ate their meals, Zerha told them that she’d be going to her room first. They all nodded at her, except for Sage who was planning to follow Zerha. “Ah. You can stay here with them if you want, Sage.” Zerha told him. “No. Let me guard you, Milady.” Zerha sighed. “Alright.”

“Hey. Just stay outside her room. Don’t disturb Master. Let her rest!” Garren shouted.

“I know,” Sage replied.

As Zerha entered her room, she lay down on her bed. I can’t feel any more pain in my back. Is it because I have healing powers? Does it just heal itself? I must be invincible, then. Mwehehe! Zerha let out a maniacal laugh.

“Stop laughing like an evil witch.”

Zerha suddenly stood up as she heard someone talking. She looked around the room but there wasn’t anyone in sight. Who was that?

“You cannot see me.”

I-is it a ghost?!

“W-who are you?” Zerha asked nervously thinking that it was a ghost.

“A weakling does not have the right to know my name.”

“What? Show yourself! No! I mean, don't show yourself if you're a ghost!"

“I'm not a ghost. I am a soul inside of your body.”

“What? Then please get out!” Oh my gosh, how can another soul be inside of my body? Wait, wait. Calm down. This is a fantasy world, so it is impossible, she thought.

“You dare to order and raise your voice at me? Me, the Great Demon Queen? You, insolent little demon, need to be punished!”

“D-Demon Queen?”

“Huh? How did you know?” Zerha was stunned by these words. Is she stupid? “You’re the one who gave away your own identity,” Zerha said with a poker face.

“Oh. Ahem. So since my soul is in this body, you need to be strong! I do not want to have a weak body!”

“What? Why do I need to be strong? And this is my body, not yours!”

“It is my body as well since my soul is in here!”

“Why did your soul get stuck inside my body, by the way?”

“Well, if I remember correctly… I was killed by my father. I don’t know why my soul is inside this body.”

“W-what? Your father killed you?” How can he do that to his own daughter? Zerha suddenly felt her blood boil.

“Hmmm...I forgot the reason.”

“What? T-then when did you die? And since when did you enter my body?”

“Hmm… I think...I think 99,999 years have passed since I died. And I do not know why I am suddenly entering this weak body.” The soul spoke calmly, without any sense of anger or despair. Noticing this, Zerha asked, “But don’t you feel angry about your father...WHAT?! 99,999 YEARS?!” she shouted all of a sudden. Is that even possible?! That long?! And her soul didn't even perish?!

“Shut up. Of course, I feel hatred towards him and the people who betrayed me! I do not understand why...why they all have done that to me. I am very angry that not a single day goes by where I do not think of taking revenge on them. Those scoundrels! They just wait, and I will take their very lives!”

Zerha’s heart suddenly started to race as she felt the anger of the soul towards her father and all the people who betrayed her in the past. “Um… S-so you want to take revenge. But how will you do that if you are just a soul? And if it’s already been 99,999 years since you died, maybe they are already dead as well…”

“Demons live longer than humans, especially if you come from one of the noble families. Are you sure you’re a demon? Even a five-year-old demon knows this.”

Do demons live that long? Zerha thought.

“What is your name, weak little demon?”

“Zerha.” Weak? I’m not weak!

“Well then, Zerha. I, the Great Demon Queen Alice, will appoint you to become my knight! Now prepare to become stronger! And you will help me take my revenge!”

“Wait… What?” No, please. I don’t want to put my life in danger again. This is a fantasy world. There are demons, beasts, and humans with superpowers. This is different from the gangsters I fought in my past life. I helped to find the daughter of the landowner earlier because I couldn’t stand watching her even though there might be a danger, Zerha thought.

She hesitated to decide since this was a different world full of demons and beasts and she could die at their hands anytime soon. Moreover, she had doubts if the soul could truly be trusted. She was the Demon Queen and therefore undeniably dangerous.

“What? So you do not want to help me get my revenge…”

Why do I feel that the soul is pouting right now? Zerha felt a little sorry for her. At first, she is shocked and angry about learning what happened to her. Though she still felt reluctant about helping her get her revenge, since it was dangerous, and as much as possible, she wanted to live a normal life, at least in the world she was now in. “What if… What if I won’t help you get your revenge?” Zerha asked.

“Then I will take over this body and remove your soul. Or maybe it will be better if I just devour it.”

Zerha gulped as she could feel the soul smiling sinisterly at that moment. “Are you able to possess this body and r-remove my soul?” Zerha asked nervously.

The soul didn’t answer. Instead, she suddenly possessed Zerha’s body and made an evil grin on

her face.

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