Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2.1

Valen’s heart pounded wildly as if it would burst out of his chest. Nearly decapitated by an axe, he had to gather all his patience to conceal his agitation.

“A needle? Dropping one drop at a time might not finish the wedding until next year! I promised my wife we’d have a campfire this year in the Land of Ruins for our vacation.”

“Hmm.”

“Please reconsider! If I can’t get my vacation again this year, I might get divorced!”

The demon’s confident voice trembled. Soon, cries spread around, and in no time, the demons surrounding Valen began to sob as well.

“Fine.”

After some hesitation, the bride made her decision.

“Should we still use the axe? We’ve got maces and a guillotine, too. Just give the order!”

“Avoid the arteries. Use the dagger.”

“Eh?”

“My groom is a human. Fragile and easily broken. Humans suffer from the slightest wounds and perish easily.”

“…That’s true.”

A cold fingertip gently brushed Valen’s forearm.

“Just inflict this much injury. It will take time to fill with blood. But we won’t wait until next year.”

“Understood!”

The rounded fingertips clamped onto Valen’s wrist with a clumsy, unsightly grip, sending a shiver of discomfort up his spine, urging him to withdraw.

“Huh? This guy looks like he’s putting on an act… Agh!”

Oops, caught.

Valen’s eyes snapped open as he forcefully jerked his head to headbutt the demon holding him. The demon’s grip loosened, and the knife they held slipped from their hand, falling to Valen’s feet. He stomped on the blade with all his might, pushing it towards his palm.

“The groom is escaping!” the demon shouted.

He cut the ropes that bound him in a single, swift motion, then leaped from where he lay.

What the… a coffin? Although briefly in disbelief at the sight of the coffin on the altar, Valen wasted no time. He grabbed one of the goat-like demons as a hostage and pressed the knife to its throat.

“Aaah! Aah!”

“If you want me to spare this one, guide me to the border,” Valen demanded, the demon squirming and retching in his grip.

But no other demon intervened; they only watched with pitiful eyes, not sympathy for Valen but for their fellow demon.

‘They don’t seem to mind the death of one of their own.’

Valen sneered. He spat out a bitter laugh. If this hostage was worthless, he’d have to aim for another. Perhaps someone like that succubus.

Valen whirled around, scanning the area.

“Let the goat go.”

A voice came from behind him, imprinted in his head. Valen turned around and found the woman staring directly at him. Blood gushed from her partially severed neck, staining her once-white dress crimson.

Despite losing so much blood, she wore an impassive expression devoid of pain.

Disgusted and horrified by her grotesque appearance, Valen cursed himself for mistaking her for a human.

Valen pressed the blade closer to the hostage’s throat.

“You will guide me to the border yourself.”

“Goats are allergic to humans… Hives are already breaking out all over its body.”

“Aaah! Ahhh! Hey, bring me some medicine!”

The hostage cried out, and someone rushed out of the door of the hall in panic.

“You’ve been hosting for us even though you have allergies.”

“I, I’m fine… huuh. When will the medicine come?”

The sound of grinding teeth came from Valen. None of the demons here, including this hostage, felt any danger. After all, what threat could such a dagger pose to beings who remained unscathed even when their arteries were slashed with an axe?

But Valen couldn’t give up. He had to find a way somehow. Surrounded by demons, there was no escape with just this dagger. What to do… how to…

Then, a giant, deeply sunken eyeball came into Valen’s view. Inside the eyeball swirled a shimmering pool of blood.

That’s it.

With a swift motion, he plunged the dagger mercilessly into the goat demon’s throat and darted towards the iris. The pupil dilated as if in fear.

“Oh, no!”

One of the demons cried out urgently.

Indeed, this one seemed to hold more value than the goat demon…

“Kaak—”

The moment his fingertip touched the iris, he felt excruciating pain, as if his insides were being squeezed. Blood spurted from Valen’s mouth, and his body collapsed helplessly.