Chapter 38: Moment of Demonic Truth

_________________Name: Haell Zharignan

Species: Human

—Mutations—

Human Heart: Level 10 (Max)

Human Brain: Level 10 (Max)

Human Skin: Level 10 (Max)

Human Eyes: Level 10 (Max)

Human Flesh / Human Bones / Enduring Musculature(synced) : (All) Level 10 (Max)

Dextrous Hands: Level 10 (Max)

Flutter Feet: Level 10 (Max)

Adrenaline Gland: Level 10 (Max)

—Soul Feats—

Reincarnator

It was all set up. Arrayed around me in the middle of my mother’s basement were all the materials that would enhance my Mutations and propel me into demonhood, including the arms of an ogre which Luine had delivered earlier. She’d reassured me that the person… deserved it.

And I was sure they did. Luine’s morality was broadly similar to mine, and there were surely no shortage of terrible people to hunt and kill. It’s why I always found the moral dilemma of suddenly being a vampire or whatever to be kind of dumb. Just go after the worst of us, or hell, pay for it. Many people would sell their blood if they could… rather, they do that back on Earth.

Even if this operation fails to propel me into demonhood, then I’d still both look the part and have the power to watch so long as the enhancements to my Mutations take hold. It didn’t matter much if my Status Screen disagreed and still called me a human. I’d be a demon in every way that mattered.

one

“Haell! Your friends are here!” Mom called out from above. I had of course invited my party, they knew what I was planning. Not all understood, some were even worried because of how this go wrong, logically speaking, but they all accepted my decision in the end. Because they knew that they could do nothing else, as I always did as I pleased.

Moonwash and I went up to meet them, and the first to face me was Therick. The boy sighed. “I know I’m not about to convince you… so just make sure to succeed, okay?”

“Of course.”

“You’re so strong already… why do you need to…”

I pretended not to hear his further whispers.

I continued into the living room, and Angerly’s voice boomed the moment she saw me.

“Haell! Congratulations! Ahhh… I thought you’d look different? Is this demon??”

I chuckled. “No, no. Not yet. I’m just about to do it. Preparations are done.” I nodded to my mother and Baston, who were both in their full adventuring garb.

“Well then get to it!” Granuel announced. He had utmost faith that I would not fail. In fact, the boy probably still saw me as invincible… despite the many unfortunate examples to the contrary. It could really become a problem if this continues…

“You got it! Leave it to me!” I didn’t have it in me to refute his expectations.

We settled in for some board games, with food arriving midway through. They had delivery here, albeit only for the wealthy. It could be my final supper.

I went back down to the basement with my parents, Moonwash, Baston, and Luine. My mom and Moonwash began work on a massive ritual utilizing a wide variety of elements, from light to water to nature. They used all the healing elements that they understood, and my mom had even procured a very miniscule amount of life mana that could barely be contained in a massive nature repository. It was legitimately the largest repository I’d ever seen, and it was crushed and turned into paint just for this single-use ritual. I knew just how rare and valuable the element of mana was, and I teared up a little at seeing just how willing they were to sacrifice something that normally couldn’t even be obtained. All for my sake.

They had grilled me for days on all the details about demonhood and what I wanted to accomplish, all to incorporate each and every concept into this one massive ritual. My family wished only for me to survive, and that’s what I wanted too, so I cooperated with all my might. Grandpa had confirmed to us that the angels probably didn’t use such methods in the creation of the fountains or the ishkawtans. Too many died for that to make sense. They couldn’t have prepared a ritual of healing and transformation for everyone. There was no way they would’ve bothered to waste so much precious resources.

The ritual began to take shape. The materials for enhancing my Mutations were scattered at key points, and fountains of water and plant were artistically incorporated into the design to fully make use of the various elements. They drew my human form, they depicted its transition into a demon, and they perfectly captured the sheer desire that pushed me to make this momentous decision. Sprawling paintings of all things healing came to life, from keeping me alive to holding all the changes together. I saw myself laid bare on the masterpiece of a painting that would soon disappear and I cried yet again. My plan was a stupid plan from the start, but through the help of those that I loved and who loved me back, I may truly accomplish my more-than-lifelong dream.

Hours passed, with most of the work admittedly done by my mother. Moonwah was at art, but she was still only 17. She didn’t have the same breadth of experience, nor the Mutations and levels to help elevate her abilities further.

“It’s almost ready! Get into position, Haell!” my mother commanded. She still looked so impossibly worried, but I knew that she wouldn’t back down now.

I stepped forward into the ritual circle, the pressure upon me already palpable from the edges. The universe itself bore witness and I met its attention with an unflinching gaze.

“Rite of Demonic Ascension!”

Their voices chorused at the same time that I focused on my Mutations, willing them to evolve.

[Would you like to evolve the following Mutat—

The gathered materials flickered, and the ritual circle flashed in a rainbow of myriad elements. The world held still for a moment, and then it snapped. Everything, everywhere, all at once overlapped my existence and I was swallowed whole by a tide of reality far greater than my meager own life.

“AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

A guttural scream tore out of my throat as I fought to keep my ego intact. The effort brought only pain, unlike any I’d ever felt before. Not even the countless surgeries and treatments that I experienced in my past life could compare. Where I once suffered from the indifference of the world, now I felt its true malice. Even the crushing despair of my previous childhood was nothing to the true weight of all that lived, decayed, and more. I was the ground under my feet, the air that I breathed, all of existence was me and was in pain.

The whole world was chaos and nothing made sense anymore.

Messages appeared within the haze of my mind. I could barely think, but there was yet a single image in my mind, an idea that remained sane and conscious.

That of a red skinned woman, with black curving horns, and a cruel greatsword.

“Yes! Yes, make me a demon!” The words came roaring out of my mouth. Something impacted my face and sunk into my forehead. The prior feeling of being torn apart shifted, and my being was pulled into entirely different directions, but not in an unpleasant way. I spent an eternity in stasis, I witnessed the rise and fall of the universe in purgatory.

And then all of a sudden, the world came back to clarity. My perception returned to focus, the wrongness of the world was right once more, and the pain abruptly disappeared and turned into sheer ecstasy.

“AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!”

I screamed again, but this time it was in joy. There was no pain in the change, no discomfort. The shifting of my cells, the twisting of my flesh, the stretching of my bone; it all felt To the point that it was almost overwhelming!

But I was not overwhelmed. I rode the high. My body accepted the change like a pupa finally blooming into a butterfly.

What I was previously was a mistake, and now I had finally become what I was always meant to be.

I smirked at the system message, feeling the absolute best I ever had. The smile on my face threatened to split my jaw in half the moment I caught sight of the hand and the properly red skin within.

That was all the time I had until I was tackled from all sides… by the people who were supposed to be my allies!

I should pay it in kind, now that they’re this close and defenseless. The adults here were probably still too tough, even for my evolved self, but Moonwash was weak. She had many Mutations above level 10, but humans weren’t known for being durable. It would be so easy to just snap her neck from here. I could feel the power already from my new arms!

…What?

What the fuck?

Moonwash was my friend, I would never hurt her.

Mom, Dad, Luine, Baston. I loved them, and they loved me. I could still feel the healing energies flowing from Baston and my mother. The area was bathed with light, and the soil placed underneath my feet was overrun with greenery.

I knew that. I knew all that. Yet my mind still took a weird fucking turn.

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

And I knew what.

One of them was mind-controlling me. I trusted them, and they pounced when I was at my lowest, my most miserable. It wouldn’t be my fault then, if I fought back. Perhaps if I used some psychological tactics, I could force a win even two whole evolutions behind.

I snapped at my friends and family. I hissed and snarled at them to keep away.

“H-Haell, what’s wrong?” Mom asked, worried. “Was it not successful? Did something go wrong?”

I almost spoke to reassure her, but the mind control could be her fault. And even if she’d been an exemplary mother otherwise, I will not tolerate any attempts to take that freedom away from me!

I focused, and felt the mana around me. There was nature and light. I already knew that was from the healing I was receiving, I was familiar with the sensation. I’d been mind-controlled before, and I what the mana form felt like. I searched for it, but found no trace. Not just of mind mana in general, but of any mana other than the ones meant to heal me.

“So it’s you!” I growled at the woman who I thought was my ally and lunged. She raised a brow and pushed me away, raising two brows when my force seemed to have exceeded her expectations.

Not that it did me much good.

“Get out of my head!” I shouted, skidding back. She tried to say something, when I chose to pounce again.

I was aware of my failure the first time, and I didn’t think trying the same thing for a second time would work. So I used the trickle of mana within me, and used it to enhance my body.

My muscles pumped. They moved without regard for their own safety. I barreled against Luine, and the arm she used to block… actually failed. I crashed into her guts, and the woman was forced to back away!

There were other voices now, urging me to stop. I could use that as a distraction, to maybe get some attacks off at them. But I couldn’t beat them, not really, and it would be a problem once they decided I was too much trouble to keep alive. Moonwash was still at the back, watching with an interested gleam in her eye. Fucking creepy girl.

…Wait. Hang on. Back up.

No, not that.

Further back!

Mana! Trickle of mana! What the fuck! There another source of mana here! Only that it’s… within me!? How did it get there!?

What the fuck?