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Although I was expelled when I was ten years old.

Still, I am a proud Gaia-born individual living here.

Given that, I had a decent understanding of the common sense among the Gaian people. Not to mention, I also grasped their perception of demons.

If a Manifestor is a ticking time bomb just about to explode, then demons are already the detonated bombs.

Like a spreading wildfire, they mercilessly massacre humans—a calamity made up of violence that offers no means of communication.

Honestly, that was not too far from the truth.

History proves it. Every time they show up, hasn’t history been stained in blood?

Moreover, the recent demons are just as indiscriminate in attacking people, just with slight differences.

To be honest, I thought that getting rid of demons was undoubtedly the right answer.

No, beyond mere thought, I was convinced. They were clearly enemies and obviously a different breed from humans.

In my mind, demons were nothing but wicked creatures like Seere, that gay bastard.

“In short, this place is boring and dull. If only I could eat and drink to my heart’s content, that would be great, but I can’t even do that…”

But what’s wrong with this one…?

What on earth is it that’s clinging to me and whining?

At the very least, the guys I know seemed to have something going for them, but this dude… just seemed pathetic.

“Of course, I had prepared myself for this…! Rather than having to deal with annoying power struggles back in the Demon World, I thought it easier to just come to the human realm and expand my influence… It seemed all right to be temporarily locked away as a means of relaxation.”

The reason for this situation is simple.

As I had previously thought, I stepped outside to check the weather briefly and came back.

And upon returning, perhaps feeling quite moved, this guy started rambling on and on while holding onto me.

“But I never expected it to take this long…!”

“Hmm, I see…”

And thus, it had been for several hours.

It seems that after spending many years alone, he was in need of someone to talk to.

He mentioned that he sometimes summoned monsters to alleviate his boredom, but I figured those guys wouldn’t be able to hold a conversation.

I quietly listened to his stories. It felt like I was becoming an emotional trash can… but to be honest, I felt a sense of camaraderie with him.

That lonely heart… I know it better than anyone. Maybe not as intensely as he does, but I’ve spent quite a long time alone here too.

And there was another reason. Surprisingly, there was quite a bit of information in his whining.

First off, since he mentioned “power struggles,” it didn’t seem like the Demon World was particularly unified. And listening to his tales, he looked somewhat tired of that Demon World.

Although he claimed this place was boring, the very fact that he wasn’t going back suggested an answer.

Isn’t it odd that he fears the other demons giving him the side-eye?

Of course, it seemed that while he had his guard up now, he was hiding most of the information…

But eventually, as we kept talking, it would slowly come out.

Having listened for a while, I felt a yawn creeping up on me.

Night was approaching. Hence, I interrupted him.

“That’s enough. I’ve heard enough.”

“Uh, um? Why is that…?”

“It’s late. We should get some sleep soon.”

Upon hearing that, she looked momentarily anxious but then let out a sigh of relief.

But that was just for a moment, as she soon raised her head arrogantly and spoke to me.

“Truly a weak and frail human you are. To waste part of the day on sleep.”

“Then are you not going to sleep?”

“How do you see me? I am the great demon revered even in the Demon World, an transcendent being. I could be perfectly fine without sleeping.”

Though she said that, I could see it.

The faint traces of weariness around her eyes.

That made her look quite laughable, but I loosely ignored it and lay down on the floor.

“Yes, yes, the frail human needs to sleep. So please be quiet now.”

“You insolent…!”

I thought it best to sleep on the altar.

Although there was a demon right in front of me, it didn’t seem particularly dangerous, and above all, the underground seemed safe.

I preferred to sleep in a place with a roof over my head rather than recklessly outside.

Even monsters didn’t matter too much. My instincts were reliable; they warned me whenever there was a dangerous moment.

Even if they did attack, I was confident I could handle it.

Thus, I drifted off to sleep, hearing Barbatos’s complaints.

It was the moment when a bizarre cohabitation between me and a demon with just a neck began.

*

Days went by just like that.

If it had been about twenty days since the battlefield, after that, things were relatively peaceful.

Monsters didn’t readily jump at me, and having reached the end of the Deep Layer, my objectives were also concluded.

I would have to wait until the rain came anyway, so I decided to keep her company on her altar.

During this time, I learned a few things. Firstly, she is definitely a being far removed from humans.

She feels hunger, but it’s not a big deal if she doesn’t eat. Likewise, even though she feels tired, she sleeps significantly less than others.

Quite an enviable physique.

Another characteristic I could point out… was her incredible arrogance, despite being just a neck.

“Ha, ha ha.”

Once, I woke up to find her smiling meaningfully.

I asked her, “Why are you smiling like that?”

“You should be thanking me.”

“…Huh?”

“I can summon monsters to this cave anytime. However, I have not done so.

If I had called them, you would have died a hundred times over. Thus, I am silently bestowing mercy upon you.”

Then she said this.

“So, you should always be grateful to me and show your respect.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that. It seemed like she was quite displeased to be called “hey” or “you” at all.

Of course, I wasn’t going to quietly go along with her.

“Try calling me.”

“Wha-what?”

“Do you really think I came all the way here by chance?”

“Uh, that’s… just luck in avoiding the strong ones! If you had run into Tichi on the way here, you wouldn’t even be alive!”

Her words made me tilt my head.

There was an unfamiliar term in what she said.

“…Tichi?”

She answered my question.

“Tichi is a beast I supported since I was little. Since it had potential, I supplied my magic especially eagerly. It’s a particularly large tiger, haven’t you seen it?”

At her words, a memory popped into my head—the Mountain Lord Tiger I captured a few days ago.

So that’s why it was so big.

“I think I caught that one…?”

“What?”

At my words, she had a dumbfounded expression on her face.

“Don’t joke around! That beast cannot be easily caught even by other demons; how could you possibly have caught it?”

“No, really, I’ll show you.”

As I said this, I pulled out the claw of the Mountain Lord Tiger from my pocket. It was hurriedly cut, so there were still traces of the tiger’s striped fur on the end.

Seeing this, Barbatos looked shocked.

“That’s impossible. How could you have caught the one I raised…”

Then she started scolding me.

“You wicked little…! You terrible one…!”

Though, it seemed her vocabulary had degraded a level or two.

“Shut up.”

I put my finger in her mouth. Honestly, I was quite displeased by her earlier arrogance.

“Ugh, cough…!”

Her expression contorted at the sudden intrusion.

Then she seemed ready to bite my finger right off. Feeling threatened, I immediately withdrew my finger. As expected of a demon, her grip felt quite strong.

Spitting out some saliva while grimacing, she said, “You insolent brat…!”

Looking at her, I felt my malicious intentions dissipating.

Although there were such happenings now and then, we were somehow getting along quite well.

From her perspective, I was a good listener, and for me, she was a good source of information.

As time passed, the stories I heard became numerous.

Sometimes, I would ask her what I had in mind first.

“By the way, why are you demons trying to invade here?”

“…For a simple reason. The Demon World kings have started feeling that the world has become too small.”

While spending time together, perhaps my guard had lowered as well, she frequently answered my questions.

“…Kings?”

“Yes. In the Demon World, there are four kings, one in each direction: North, South, East, and West.”

This was something new to me.

I had thought there were ranks even among demons, but I had no idea there were multiple kings.

“Of course, they don’t get along well. They’re too busy fighting over territories every day, and since their powers and influences are relatively similar, it’s not easy to gain the upper hand. And then, one of them came up with a brilliant idea.”

She continued.

“Instead of competing like this, how about we expand our influence into another world? The kings unanimously agreed.”

Is that why demons are popping out?

Suddenly, the history of this world came to mind. The story of Deckerabia, a demon that appeared 600 years ago. Their plan must have begun back then.

“Thanks to that, we are left with no choice but to follow. We cannot defy the king. …But honestly, I don’t understand it. The Demon World isn’t that small when you think about it.”

She sighed as she said this.

Somehow… she resembled a frustrated office worker tired of corporate tyranny.

It seemed she had complaints but couldn’t easily voice them due to the disparity in scale.

“…”

I quietly observed her.

The situation in the Demon World, the fact that there were multiple kings, surprised me, but I was also curious about her thoughts.

“What about you?”

“…Huh? What do you mean?”

“I mean, how would you act if the invasion happens? What do you think of sticking around like this?”

That was something I hoped for deep down.

If she acted like other demons, I’d inevitably have to fight her.

Honestly, she was someone I didn’t want to oppose.

She lowered her head for a moment at my question.

But that moment was fleeting, as she soon spoke with a resolute expression.

“What are you expecting by asking?”

With a somewhat solemn expression. Yet, it seemed almost like she was reluctant.

“Of course, I would conquer you and take your territory. It’s inevitable.”

Hearing that, I let out a sigh.

I glanced at the altar where her neck was attached. I was still contemplating whether I should break it.