On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

[Layland’s POV]

After kicking the old Dark Elf’s head until it flew off, the Guardians who have been just watching come at me. They all look enraged, of course, at their Elder’s death.

Divinity. Although there is only a miniscule portion of it in my daggers, what it can do is still astounding. I didn’t need to swing my daggers even once to defeat Rohan. As soon as Luxia helped me utilize it, my odds rose instantly. What a terrifying power.

Clank!

‘Those Priests … They use a similar Energy, don’t they? They call it Holy Power, but it’s just the diluted version of Divinity,’ I think as I trade blows with the annoying Guardians. ‘No wonder they act so irritatingly, their God really treats them like the chosen people.’

What I am worried about, of course, are not the Priests or the Temple that moves them. Call me a dreamer, but I am thinking about how much of an obstacle their God will be in the future.

Demons live long; I have a strong will to put this whole world under my feet, so I will definitely come to the point where the God of this world finds me annoying. An existence that utilizes Divinity—I wonder how strong he is.

“Kahak! Y-You Demon!”

“Yeah, I am Demon—so?”

I am starting to wonder if starting the obvious before dying is a trend in this world. Just like this Guardian whose chest I have punctured, my previous opponents also reminded me of what I was like I didn’t know it.

“There are better words to say as your last words, you know? Very stupid of you to waste—oops! Chill, buddy. You will get your turn.”

Maybe, I should learn to talk less, in the sense that I should learn how to convey my thought with fewer words. I often get interrupted by my other opponent just before I can finish giving the ‘talk’ to the opponent before me—it is annoying.

Bam!

“Keuk!”

I kick the Guardian who interrupted me right in his solar plexus. He immediately keels over and I use that chance to decapitate him.

With a swing, the Dark Elf’s head falls to the ground. I immediately dash to my left, towards the direction where the Guardian who hasn’t heard my teaching completely.

I managed to catch up to him in less than two seconds, causing the Guardian to widen his eyes in surprise, much to amusement. He should’ve seen how well I have fought, so it is very idiotic of him to be surprised.

“N-No, please—kuhak!”

“You should have used your bow and arrows instead of greeting your death,” I whisper. “Never fight in the way that you are not good at.”

It is still a bit long—my message—but it’s shorter than it used to be. Anyway, stabbing someone in the chest is more fun than decapitating their head; hearing their painful scream as their leaking heart pumps out blood is a symphony to the ear.

Weird it is, of course, but it is one of my perversions that I have accepted. I am a Demon, so being fond of such a thing is not that weird.

‘Ah, why do I have to justify my perversion? You have accepted yourself, Layland—you don’t need justification!’ I think as I stab my daggers into another unfortunate Guardian.

When you enjoy your time, it moves so fast that you wonder if the clock is ticking as it has always been. After undergoing my maturation, killing Iroael and the weakened Rohan; my power is already on the level where I can act leisurely on the battlefield.

The Guardians are not that strong after all of the power-ups I have received and now I know why Ilschevar said the Dark Elf had never been a threat.

Although we don’t have that many people who are on the same level as the Elders in our rank, having more than one of them already indicates how inferior the Dark Elf is.

Had we been serious from the beginning, the entire Kingdom would’ve been taken down hours ago. Eliseus, Velucan and Jovenus—all three of them should have been able to take the entire Kingdom down by themselves.

“Ha-ah, this is why I hate this ‘let the juniors grow’ thing. We are wasting so much time.” I smile softly and mutter, “But, thanks to them holding back, I can reap a lot of power-ups in this battle. I have to thank them later, don’t I?”

Tapping the ground with my foot, a simple throne made out of stone comes out in the next second. I sit down and then watch the chaos that is presented before me as I lean my cheek on my left cheek.

Amizanima Forest, the forest that is eternally enveloped in darkness, is now covered in fire. The surroundings are illuminated by the fire, allowing those who don’t have keen eyes to see the gore and the beauty of the forest.

Corpses from both sides littered the ground. Some of them are intact, meanwhile, some are disfigured. Some of them are just covered in blood, meanwhile, some of them are charred. The scene perfectly depicts what you will expect from a battlefield.

“To have peace, bloodshed is required. Bloodshed begets hatred and hatred evokes the desire to take revenge.” I stand up and walk toward Rexorem. “What a boring and ironic cycle.”

The aura Rexorem is exuding is heavier than before. I feel it can even cut skin by just standing before it.

“There is actually an easy way to break the cycle and prevent it from happening again forever: an absolute existence who can directly interfere in the affair.” I grasp the hilt of Rexorem. “I am going to be that absolute existence.”

Willing Rexorem to stop absorbing blood, I pull it out of the ground immediately. Just that simple gesture produced a shockwave that sweeps over the entire battlefield, attracting the people’s attention.

Boom!

‘Heavy,’ is what I think the moment I raise Rexorem above my head with one hand. The blade has turned as red as blood; it is humming as it resonates with the Mana in the air.

“You have absorbed more than you should, Rexorem. I am glad you have become more powerful, but you will still be useless if I can’t lift you,” I remark.

‘Don’t worry, Master. I know what is your limit, so I will adjust my growth to it,’ Rexorem replies calmly.

“You want to push me past my limit, eh?”

‘That is about it.’

“Let us just hope that will not backfire on us in the future and cost me my life.” I smirk. “That will never happen though.”

Grasping the hilt of Rexorem with both of my hands this time, I channel as much of my Mana into it. I stop when I feel I can’t handle the power anymore and then swing it with my full power.

“Skill: [Wave of Death]!”

CRASH!

After Rexorem is brandished to the point where I almost lost my balance, tens of ethereal waves sweep the battlefield before my eyes. The ground rises like a tide; the Rebel Army is disintegrated.

Some of the big trees are also cut down and that surprises me as much as it terrifies me: I don’t know how Teanosvera will react to this. I watch as they fall with Rexorem on my side, tip planted in the ground.𝚘𝔳𝓵xt.𝓬𝑜𝓶

Boom!

Whoosh!

‘What a chaos I have made—incredible,’ I think. What is presented before me is the fruit of my hard work and the hardships I have endured. I can’t help feeling something. ‘What is this? Satisfaction? No. This is excitement.’

I have got the information about how to reach all of the Heroes, my “classmates.” As soon as this is over, I am going to look for them, take my revenge and move on.

,m There are many things I want to experience and I realized it after having this power. First and foremost, I want to keep growing stronger; I want to experience how it feels to make every existence in this world squirm under my feet.

“Ah, it must feel go, mustn’t it?”

Deep laughter comes out of me. My vision darkens—looking at the battlefield makes me feel like I am looking at a vignette.

“Let’s be absolute once again, shall we?”

My voice overlapped with someone else’s. My vision instantly clears up; I widen my eyes as I scan my whole body to see if I am possessed.

I am not possessed.

I have a possible explanation for what just happened. There is only one existence who can pull something like that.

“Lucifer … I thought I had fully absorbed him, but he is still alive inside me, huh?”

It is uncomfortable, but I know he can never take control of me. He is, in a way, already me; our souls have become one and I am the one in charge.

“Eliminating him will be the same as destroying a part of me—my Origin.” Therefore, I will embrace him and use him as much as I can. “Lucifer, let’s see what kind of future you will bring me to.”

My maturation was caused by that power that I tapped into. It is buried so deep within me and it feels so much like Lucifer.

‘You can’t hide that power from me for long, Lucifer,’ I muse with a smile as I look at the destroyed battlefield.