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170
Luciel slowly walked towards the secret underground space, unknown even to him who had spent his entire life in the imperial palace. His slow footsteps pierced the silence.
The stairs leading downward seemed endless. How deep had he come? The wall he touched with his hand was cool. His vision was also getting darker as he descended.
The only light he could rely on was the small lamps occasionally placed on the walls. He had even lost sight of the cat that had been leading the way at some point.
“…”
Dark, narrow, and unfamiliar. In this place full of elements that stimulated anxiety, Luciel took measured breaths. It was a consciously deliberate action.
Meow.
Then he heard it. The familiar cry of a cat, not far away.
The end of the stairs was approaching. Luciel instinctively realized that he would soon learn the secret of this underground space.
“…So you were here.”
As he expected, the stairs soon ended, revealing a wide cavern. The cat was sitting quietly in front of it, as if it had been waiting.
Its eyes of different colors still had a strange light. Luciel quietly reached out to stroke the small, mysterious creature of unknown origin.
After looking down at the cat, he raised his gaze and began to move as his heart directed. It was time to properly explore the surroundings.
***
Not long after examining the inside, Luciel came to one conclusion. This place was where something had been ‘experimented’ on. It was easy to tell from the various instruments strewn about and a brief look at the organized documents.
However, he couldn’t determine exactly what the research was for or what the experiments aimed to achieve.
The jumble of characters made his head throb. It was around this time that the cat, which had been curled up all along, slowly got up and began to roam around the laboratory.
“…! Hey!”
The fluffy black-furred paw began to push things off the desk one by one. Luciel, who had been blinking blankly, hurriedly reached out. Various flasks and objects of unknown use narrowly escaped being shattered.
If someone heard the noise and came looking… Although it was deep underground, this secret space he was encountering for the first time was enough to make Luciel’s nerves sensitive. Gritting his teeth, he quietly glared at the small creature.
However, the cat’s movements were not just confident, but haughty. Soon, its pink jellybean paw precisely pointed to a document lying on the floor.
Luciel sighed but checked it. No matter how annoying its behavior was, it was this cat that had led him here.
“This is…”
A date was faintly written at the front of what appeared to be an experiment report. About 30 years ago from now. It was quite an old record.
He naturally turned to the next page of the report. It was a section detailing the test subject.
[Test Subject | Demon Sword (hereafter Arpel). Suspected to possess the power of shadows.]
Ah. Luciel let out a short exclamation. An all too familiar name was there. In an instant, his vision blurred. Goosebumps began to rise all over his body.
Unable to properly grasp his wildly jumping reason, he checked the next page. The next page, and the next… Thus, Luciel took in the experimental records about ‘Arpel’ as if entranced.
And, at the last.
[The experiment failed.]
It was a terrible and lengthy record, but the end was disappointingly shabby. The single sentence announcing the failure of the experiment wouldn’t leave his sight.
[The corruption of the Demon Sword was successful, but its failure to respond to external ‘wraiths’ was fatal. Realized the need for a being capable of ‘resonance’ for manifestation. Further research unnecessary. Decided to hand over the result to the imperial family.]
[Question: Is ‘life’ necessary for ‘resonance’?]
At the bottom of the last page, someone had scrawled a note. Even traces of scribbling as if jotting down a sudden thought. Luciel, holding his breath, brushed it with his other hand.
“Ha… haha.”
A hollow laugh escaped between his teeth. He recalled the purple gaze that remained impassive even when confessing feelings, never revealing a shred of emotion until the end. Also, the eyes that became infinitely warm towards those close to him.
Luciel briefly self-deprecated. He was never in a position to hope for such things from the start. Arpel was a victim, and he was family of the perpetrator… No. Since he had ignored and turned a blind eye to what his father had been doing for a long time, he was no different from a perpetrator himself.
The fact that Arpel was not a person but a ‘Demon Sword’ was certainly surprising. But Luciel couldn’t focus on that. The written experimental records made his teeth chatter the more he thought about Arpel being subjected to this. His throat felt rough as he swallowed.
That wasn’t all.
Forcibly swallowing the terrible feeling, he read through the recorded details step by step. And he realized. This was also the place where the monsters that had tried to attack the palace were created.
He felt nauseous. It seemed as if he could smell blood.
[Test Subject | Oscar and 45 others]
The report was particularly descriptive about ‘Oscar’s’ experiment. But hadn’t he died? As Luciel frowned, he discovered a postscript below. It seemed to have been written quite recently.
[Disposed of due to Celestial God’s intervention]
Luciel, staring blankly at those words, let out a small sigh.
“Father…”
What on earth have you done?
He knew well that the Emperor hated the temple. But to directly go against ‘God’? To carry out such acts under the imperial palace. His breath caught at these unbelievable facts.
After that, Luciel turned the laboratory upside down like a madman. He examined and re-examined the research records as if not to miss even a single ant. What stopped this almost compulsive behavior was a small front paw.
“Ah.”
Only then did Luciel realize he had forgotten about the cat’s existence. He slowly lowered his gaze to take in the cat’s appearance. Its two eyes were still gleaming brightly.
The creature started to move again. Luciel tossed aside the documents in his hands and followed as if entranced.
Passing through spaces cluttered with experimental equipment and areas filled with the smell of blood. Holding down his churning stomach, he arrived at a space much narrower and darker than the cavern where he first set foot.
The cat’s front paw gently pushed a sheet of paper. Luciel now took in what it offered without even feeling doubt.
[Using the existence of the Demon Sword (hereafter Arpel) to enter the stage for the descent of the evil god. Anticipating failure. Will use ‘divine arrangement’ to lead the situation.]
It was a familiar handwriting. Luciel’s hand holding the paper trembled. He had to tightly cover his mouth with his other hand. Otherwise, he felt like he might vomit everything in his stomach right away.
Collapsing weakly in place, he moved his lips. Everything was confusing and shocking, but… he still couldn’t grasp what he should do.
“Why did you bring me here?”
Why did you show me these things?
He muttered in a low voice. His sunken eyes gazed at the fragile creature that looked like it might melt into the darkness at any moment. Although he knew how ridiculous he looked talking to a cat, he couldn’t stop speaking.
<You ask the obvious. It means don’t turn a blind eye to your father’s wrongdoings.>
…Well, he hadn’t expected an answer from the cat.
His mind, already tattered from shock, couldn’t think properly. Luciel stared intently at the cat lying in front of him with a dumb expression.
Even for a mysterious cat that had guided him to this underground space and selected documents for him to read. But for it to even speak… No. Is it possible? The more he retraced its actions one by one, the more certain he became. It might not be entirely impossible.
Then suddenly, a short phrase flashed before his eyes. The phrase ‘Disposed of due to Celestial God’s intervention’. After a silence, Luciel opened his mouth.
“…Are you a god?”
Yes. If it’s a god, it might be possible. If it’s a god… it could easily accomplish these surreal things. He swallowed dry saliva from the tension.
The cat’s jewel-like eyes blinked slowly. Then its mouth opened again.
<What if I am?>
“…”
The tone was more vulgar than he had imagined. There was a brief cognitive dissonance, but now wasn’t the time to focus on such things. It was enough that it didn’t deny it.
“What… should I do? I don’t know. How should I now…”
<It’s fortunate you’re thinking of fixing things.>
“…It’s a thought unbecoming of me, who has tried to carry on my father’s will until now, but I know at least that this is wrong.”
Luciel asked with a trembling voice. It felt like he had lost direction, not knowing where to go. His chest felt tight.
Looking at Luciel like this, the cat, no, the ‘Demon God’ spoke. This was also the reason why he had come here in person.
<Sometimes there are shackles that only blood relations can break. I think that should be explanation enough?>
“…I see.”
The answer that came back was clear yet cruel. Luciel gave a bitter smile. Shackles that only blood can break. As soon as he heard those words, one solution came to mind.
<Find your own way out of here. I’m busy.>
That was the end. In the blink of an eye, the cat’s form vanished without a trace. With the being disappearing like smoke right before his eyes, Luciel could finally realize it.
Ah, so that cat really was a god. Although he felt deflated for having encountered a god like this.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
