Chapter 46 - The Demon King’s Name (3)

4

Fear.

The most human of all emotions.

“Eek...”

That was the emotion coloring the fallen constellation’s face. Anxiety over an unknown future. Terror that it might die like this.

The creature feared me. As I took another step forward, it moaned in terror. But a mere moan could not stop someone’s footsteps.

“I’m really glad you became human,” I said. “Imagine if you’d stayed a monster instead. Even after all the trouble of killing you, you wouldn’t qualify for [Summon a Hundred Ghosts], would you? No, it’s [Rebirth of a Hundred Ghosts] now. Not that the skill’s name matters...”

“Aaaaaah!”

It staggered, resisting its fear one last time. The Demon King’s red sword. A blade now too heavy for it even to lift properly. In one final desperate struggle, it seized that greatsword. Its utterly weakened arms raised the red blade and swung wildly at me.

“Hmm.”

Of course, such wild swings could never hit me. I stepped lightly out of the way. Once, twice, three times. The fallen constellation trembled as it swung its sword.

The attendant spirit muttered bluntly, “Hopeless.”

His brows were furrowed.

“Even its stance is sloppy. Its feet aren’t planted properly, and it’s swinging a sword without even looking straight ahead. There’s no conviction in the path of its blade. Hey, what are you going to do after that swing? What’s your plan?”

He grumbled, “Tsk. A textbook swordsman who relies entirely on skills and aura. No, it’s not even a swordsman.”

He had remained silent ever since we cleared floor nineteen, but the farce the fallen constellation was performing before us seemed deeply offensive to the Sword Emperor’s discerning eye.

“Look, Zombie. Look at that. This is exactly why I keep telling you to stick to the fundamentals. In the final moment, all you have to rely on are your own hands and feet,” the attendant spirit said. “Show it how this ends.”

I did.

With a single swing of my sword, I broke another.

CLANG!

The blades rang fiercely as they collided. The fallen constellation’s eyes flew wide in apparent shock.

“Ah.”

Split in two with a single stroke.

The red greatsword had cleaved into two pieces before its eyes.

“Ahh, uh... aaah...”

Along with its shattered sword, the fallen constellation’s last shred of defiance broke. The slender beast slumped onto the road, crushing acacia petals beneath its small bottom.

‘So this is the Demon King’s end.’

I calmly looked down at the creature sitting in despair on the ground.

‘One who harvests death...’

Suddenly, I remembered what the Tower had said when it gave me my epithet. Honor to the king who harvests death. That was what the Tower had proclaimed. For some reason, it seemed to fit this situation, leaving me with a peculiar feeling.

‘Yes, it wasn’t wrong.’

I slowly tightened my grip on the hilt. I was about to bring the blade down and take the fallen constellation’s head.

“Uh, Zombie? Hang on a second.”

“...”

“Sorry to interrupt while you’re striking every cool pose you can think of. Actually, no, I’m not that sorry. I just said that because I was bored. Anyway, don’t kill it yet. Wait a little.”

As always, the Sword Emperor was being the Sword Emperor.

“Ah, shit. Why?”

I was so irritated that I answered out loud instead of in my head. I hadn’t brought the Sword Star or the Witch to floor twenty anyway. There were no hunters here to mistake me for a madman.

“It’s just that you seem to be taking something for granted.”

“What, exactly?”

“Listen. Let’s say it’s definitely not a monster anymore. Does that make it human? I mean, is it treated as the same kind of human as you, Zombie? Maybe it’s just become an ordinary NPC.”

“What does that matter...”

“Are you sure killing an NPC adds it to [Rebirth of a Hundred Ghosts]?”

I stopped my sword.

“Uh... wouldn’t it, probably?”

“You’re such a fucking sucker that you’ve never killed a single NPC. We know monsters don’t get added to [Rebirth of a Hundred Ghosts], but we still don’t know whether the same goes for NPCs.”

“...”

“What if you just ride the mood, only to end up with [Sorry! NPCs aren’t valid skill targets!] afterward? Huh? Will you take responsibility for killing the mood?”

“No, but...”

“Hey, Kim Zombie. Get a grip! I know from experience—the Tower is cold as hell about this stuff.”

Goddammit.

The fallen constellation was still watching me warily, its face fearful. Its eyes were steeped in the terror of death.

Swearing under my breath, I checked the skill card again.

+

[Rebirth of a Hundred Ghosts]

Rank: SSS

Effect: Summons those you have personally killed. The dead do not inherit their abilities from life. However, if you wish, the dead inherit their memories and appearance from life. If you do not wish it, they are summoned only as monsters.

※However, you can summon only once per week.

+

“Look. It says ‘those’ you have personally killed.”

The attendant spirit pointed at the card.

“How do you know whether NPCs count as ‘those’? Huh? Can you be sure?”

“N-NPCs are people too. People.”

“Ohhh, that’s your opinion, Mr. Kim Zombie.”

The attendant spirit spoke with a stern, solemn, utterly serious face.

“Negotiate with the Tower before you cut that thing’s head off.”

“Negotiate with the Tower...”

“Why not? What’s the problem? You did just fine on your own earlier. You’ve already done it once. Why not twice?”

“Hmm...”

He had a point.

Feeling a little awkward, I looked up at the sky.

“Excuse me, honored Tower...?”

[The Tower listens to your words.]

Fortunately, I was spared the disaster of being completely fucking ignored at this point.

Earlier, I had heard a notification granting me limited “authority as an apostle.” Perhaps that was why? At least for the time being, it seemed I could communicate freely with the Tower.

“There’s something I’d like to ask.”

“Hey, you were talking to the Tower all casually earlier. Why the sudden scramble for manners? You’re a funny guy.”

“I got carried away by my emotions and spoke casually without thinking... Oh, forget it. Please shut up!”

Even as we bickered, the Tower answered faithfully.

[The Tower asks what your question is.]

“Let’s see. Hmm, does Rebirth of a Hundred Ghosts recognize NPCs as dead people when I kill them too? Or does it only count hunters like me?”

An unexpected answer came back.

[Requesting confirmation from Zrakua.]

[Unable to confirm.]

[This question exceeds the Tower’s authority.]

“What?”

That wasn’t the end of it. The voice that followed surpassed my expectations even further.

[The Tower checks the questioner’s authority.]

[Passed. Death King currently holds the status of temporary apostle.]

[The Tower recognizes the issue raised by Death King as a formal agenda item.]

And then.

[The Tower requests a majority-vote council of the Six Pillars of All Life.]

WHOOSH!

White light flooded my vision.

* * *

‘... Huh?’

A moment passed, and when I blinked, I was already in a secluded place. It wasn’t unfamiliar. Its very familiarity made it all the more bewildering.

The Underworld. My dark hell.

The starting point I returned to every time I died. In other words, a place I would never come to unless I died.

‘Why am I here...?’

At that moment, a voice brought me to attention.

[Confirming participants.]

No. It wasn’t only the voice.

[The Sixth Pillar. ‘The Primordial Staff’ is in attendance.]

[The Fifth Pillar. ‘The Princess Who Walks Through Mirages’ is in attendance.]

[The Fourth Pillar. ‘The Moon That Contemplates Blindness’ is in attendance.]

[The Third Pillar. ‘The One Who Legislated the Beginning’ is in attendance.]

[The Second Pillar. ‘The God Who Dances in the Void’ is in attendance.]

‘...’

I held my breath.

No matter where I looked, there was only endless darkness. I could see nothing. But even if I could not see them, I could feel them.

Their presence.

[Confirmed that the Six Pillars of All Life are in attendance.]

[The Tower shares the issue raised by temporary apostle ‘Death King.’]

I felt presences all around me. Presences far too overwhelming to call mere signs of someone nearby.

They were quietly watching me from beyond the darkness.

[Sharing complete.]

A voice flowed through the space, where their gazes made my skin crawl.

[Proceeding with a majority-vote council on the agenda item.]

[Are NPCs included among the targets of the skill ‘Rebirth of a Hundred Ghosts’?]

[If you agree that NPCs are included, please vote in favor.]

[If you disagree that NPCs are included, please vote against.]

Softly, the formless beings began to speak.

“Gesh... la... ZaquA cho... Deo...”

An unknown language.

“Sato, yovela? Weloyo-na Shu...! Deo phenta...”

“kunto, nyola Gesh-ve-Nail na? Nai-Gesh-Nail na?”

It seemed like a language made of shadows.

Invisible snakes filled this place. To my left and right, above and below. No, they hissed right before my nose.

HISS... HISS...

Their voices were serpents’ tongues. Long and red, those tongues flowed into my ears and touched a corner of my brain. Licked it.

“Gesh... Mula-Gagamia... cho Gretehen Weloyo...”

“Nail.”

I felt faint. Dizzy.

Surely I was nothing but disembodied consciousness now, yet nausea surged within me. I wanted to vomit. Anything would do. I wanted to spit something, anything, out. Grease seeped into my stomach... no, into my brain.

The sensation of tongues licking my soul all the way to its depths.

“Layo na.”

At that moment, the voices stopped all at once.

“Gesh. Nail. Nai-Gesh-Nail.”

“...”

“...”

“Deo zakun.”

Stillness.

Stillness settled over the void. None of the beings opened their mouths. They were silent. The voices that had flowed into my ears, licking and drinking my brain matter... those had finally stopped too. Only then did I feel as if I had barely managed to breathe.

‘These beings aren’t inside the Tower!’

With difficulty, I gathered my wits.

‘Whatever language beings in the Tower use, I hear it translated... But these are different. They live outside the Tower. They’re beings the likes of the Demon King of Autumn Rain can’t even compare to!’

Perhaps they were the very ones who had designed this Tower. Beings lurking somewhere I could not yet even imagine.

After a long silence,

[Proceeding with a vote on the agenda item.]

A familiar voice rang out. Hearing it put me at ease, as though I had finally come home.

[The Sixth Pillar, ‘The Primordial Staff,’ votes against.]

[The Fifth Pillar, ‘The Princess Who Walks Through Mirages,’ votes in favor.]

[The Fourth Pillar, ‘The Moon That Contemplates Blindness,’ votes in favor.]

[The Third Pillar, ‘The One Who Legislated the Beginning,’ votes against.]

[The Second Pillar, ‘The God Who Dances in the Void,’ abstains.]

Two votes in favor.

Two votes against.

One abstention.

‘...’

I hesitated.

I still couldn’t tell who these beings were or where they came from. I didn’t know. But one thing was clear: they held the right to decide matters concerning my skill, [Rebirth of a Hundred Ghosts]. Yet their vote had produced neither approval nor rejection.

Why?

What did they want from me?

‘... Wait.’

I realized something. I looked around the space, now free of the snakes’ hissing.

‘There’s still... one being who hasn’t voted.’

Yes. When I was summoned to this place, I had heard it clearly in my head.

「The Tower requests a majority-vote council of the Six Pillars of All Life.」

And it hadn’t only been then. Just before the serpentine voices began hissing, I had heard similar notifications.

「Confirming participants.」

「Confirmed that the Six Pillars of All Life are in attendance.」

‘Yes, it said six!’

The Tower had guaranteed that six beings were present. That made the vote we had just witnessed strange. Two in favor, two against, one abstention. Only five in total.

Where on earth had the remaining vote gone?

And.

“...”

“...”

Who was the remaining one, that everyone else fell silent?

‘...’

One who had no need to attend this space.

One who had been here from the beginning, and therefore had no need to come.

One who was always here and knew everything.

The master of the Tower.

‘... I...’

I stared straight into the dark space. The weightiest presence lurked there.

‘I believe voting in favor is the right choice.’

I thought as calmly as I could. Quietly, I voiced what I had been considering.

‘Suppose NPCs aren’t included in the skill. Then how did the Demon King summon so many monsters? The people of the empire and the kingdoms that the Demon King slaughtered must all have been NPCs too.’

Their gazes watched me quietly.

‘Of course, I can guess what you’re worried about. You’re concerned I’ll kill NPCs indiscriminately and use them as summons... But I’m confident I’ve shown you enough of what kind of person I am.’

In the dark space, I looked toward each presence in turn. And I said,

‘I’m not that kind of person.’

“...”

‘And I won’t live that way in the future, either.’

In the end, it was the same.

However powerful the other being might be, my options were fixed. The same two as always.

Fight them, or persuade them.

‘The Demon King can kill NPCs and use them as summons, but I can’t? That’s unfair.’

“Not bad.”

At that moment, something spoke.

A voice.

It seemed to whisper right beside my ear, yet also sounded as if it came from very far away. It sent chills through me. With every break between syllables, a current ran down my spine.

“But it’s too convoluted.”

The voice held a hint of laughter.

“Death King, speak with your heart, not your head.”

‘...’

I remained silent for a moment.

Then I said what I needed to say.

‘That Demon King is prey I caught.’

What I could say.

‘... It’s mine. Keep your hands off it.’

The voice burst into laughter.

[The First Pillar.]

[‘The Master of All Life’ votes in favor.]

It was laughter that shattered the darkness into pieces.

[Voting is concluded.]

[Three votes in favor. Two votes against. One abstention.]

[NPCs are included in Death King’s skill ‘Rebirth of a Hundred Ghosts.’]

CRACK! CRACK! CRRRACK!

At the laughter, the darkness fractured like a pane of glass. Empty fissures opened once more in the hollow hell. White light streamed through them.

[Death King’s temporary apostle authority is revoked.]

Enveloped in dazzling light, I realized—

[The council is adjourned.]

—I had succeeded in persuading the Tower.

[May good fortune be with you.]

* * *

“Zombie? Hey, Kim Zombie?”

I blinked.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw acacia petals, the attendant spirit, and the fallen constellation once called the Demon King of Autumn Rain. The acacia petals made no sound, and the fallen constellation dared not make one.

Only the attendant spirit spoke, peering around in midair.

“Why are you suddenly spacing out? I told you to ask the Tower.”

“...”

“Mr. Kim Zombie? Hey, Zombie King. Can you hear me?”

It felt strange.

It seemed only the time it took to blink had passed... yet at the same time, it felt as though an eternity had gone by. Truly peculiar. Even my memories of what I had just experienced were rapidly growing hazy, and I couldn’t quite recall what we had discussed.

“Mr. Sword Emperor...”

“Wow, finally a response. Maybe teasing you about being a zombie all the time is making your brain turn into a real zombie’s.”

“You didn’t hear it? Didn’t see it?”

“What?”

“Well, the Tower summoned me to the Underworld... something about all life and some pillars... Then a being like the master of the Tower appeared and laughed... You don’t know?”

The attendant spirit frowned.

It was the face of someone looking at a rabid dog.

In short, he was looking at me like I was insane.

“Zombie, I’m sorry. I pushed you too hard into being a zombie. I’ve never felt sorry toward anyone in my life, but suddenly I’m feeling really sorry... I’ll ease up on the teasing from now on, so hurry and come to your senses.”

“...”

He didn’t know.

Even the Sword Emperor, who had conquered the Tower through floor ninety-nine in another world—the legend before me who had thus gained the name ‘Sword Constellation’ and become an attendant spirit... didn’t know what I was talking about.

A chill crept over the back of my neck.

‘Who did I just meet?’

The chill wrapped around my neck and spread to my shoulders. Finally, it ran down my spine.

‘What on earth...’

I forced myself to grip the hilt tightly.

‘... No. Calm down, Kim Gongja.’

I swallowed, then looked ahead.

The road I had to take still stretched before me.

‘There’s still a lot I don’t know.’

The fallen constellation sat in the middle of that road.

‘But there are things I do know for certain.’

Slowly, I raised my sword.

‘Right now, I’m delivering the final blow to my prey.’

Perhaps someday, when I reached the Tower’s hundredth floor, I would learn something.

The attendant spirit tilted his head.

“Uh, Gongja? You’re just going to kill it? Are you sure you don’t need to ask the Tower?”

“It’s fine,” I said. “I’ve already received my answer.”

The fallen constellation reached out a hand.

“W-wait...! Spare me...!”

I swung my sword.

This sword was the weapon I had received as a reward for laying the souls of floor ten to rest. It was the sword that had moved the soldiers’ hearts when I first challenged the eleventh stage. Dozens, hundreds, thousands of times. When I was trapped in the twelfth stage like a prison, this sword had always, always been in my hand.

A blade that shared my time and bore witness to it.

With that sword, I cut down the fallen constellation.

“...!”

There was the faintest scream.

As it broke off, the fallen constellation collapsed.

Blood flowed. It spread, staining another acacia petal. Looking down as the white of a single petal was dyed by a dot of red, I slowly opened my mouth.

“Hundred ghosts, be reborn.”

My shadow writhed.

A pitch-black hand thrust up from the otherwise flat shadow. Strangely, that hand, which looked as though it were emerging from a pit of hell, resisted as if it did not want to escape this hell. But its desperate struggle was useless.

“Stand.”

The shadow could not defy my command. It spat a head out of the darkness. Spat out a chest. A waist was spat out, then legs.

“Ee... hic, ah... aaah...”

Its limbs trembled like those of a newborn antelope. No matter that it had the body of a fully grown adult, it was merely a life that had only now, at last, been born.

And.

“Estelle is nothing but a name you stole. It isn’t a name you have any right to bear.”

One who brings life into this world always bears responsibility.

The first of those responsibilities is to give a name to the life I have taken upon myself.

“Hungry Ghost.”

Its long hair spilling down, it looked up at me.

“From now on, your name is Hungry Ghost.”

“...”

“Live, and serve me as your master.”

The one once called Estelle,

praised as the Saintess of the Borderlands,

and held in fearful awe as the Demon King of Autumn Rain, trembled at the shoulders.

“Yes...”

The one who had deserved none of those names finally received a name from me and bowed its head. A white petal fell from an acacia tree and settled in its hair.

“I will obey your commands...”

On the final day of the promised five days.

“... My liege.”

The Death King and the Demon King.

Of the two kings, one fell like a blossom.