Deimos was genuinely surprised by his own actions. This entire situation was part of a plan devised by the supreme Great One. Moreover, what the Great One had commanded was strictly the protection of Lady Laila. By all rights, he should have stood by and watched in silence.
Especially since this youth had insulted their supreme master, Lord Kai. He had not a shred of obligation to save him. Standing aside should have been the correct choice. And yet, having intervened, he felt no regret—only a strange, refreshing clarity.
"What are you, an undead? An intelligent one, too. Some kind of new breed of skeleton...?"
The bald man with a skull tattooed across his scalp narrowed his eyes, muttering the question almost to himself.
"Shut that filthy mouth of yours."
Why was this happening? He simply could not bring himself to tolerate these men.
In the past, Deimos had abandoned his humanity to master the magical arts. In doing so, he had undoubtedly cast aside his human heart as well. There was no question about that. For the sake of his arcane experiments, he had committed atrocities hardly any different from what these men were doing. Anyone who had known the Deimos of the past would surely scoff at him, asking what right he had to preach high-minded ideals now.
His time with Ruby had been especially vile. He had claimed countless innocent lives back then. It was no exaggeration to say the Deimos of those days was of the exact same cloth as fools like Tokotsu and Tamuri.
Yet that very same Deimos was now overcome with intense disgust. And he knew full well why.
It was because of Lord Kai—a Transcender of such overwhelming power. Normally, a being like that would not harbor the slightest interest in the common folk of the lower realm, like Deimos and the rest. Yet Lord Kai would rage against cruelty, and at other times share drinks, eat, and laugh alongside everyone as equals. He did this not only with fellow Transcenders, but with ordinary humans, and even with outcasts who had once been human, like Deimos. Witnessing such an unpretentious demeanor made it obvious that this was the Great One's true nature.
It was nothing like the rare, whimsical benevolence a god might display. It was a bond akin to family. To Deimos, it was profoundly novel and full of wonder. And why wouldn't it be? It embodied the very humanity that Deimos had thrown away.
Surely Lord Girimehkala's deep fascination with humans stemmed from the fact that he, too, was powerfully drawn to the human qualities Lord Kai constantly exhibited.
Though it was the ultimate taboo to even ponder, Deimos could not help but wonder if Lord Kai had originally been human, just like himself. If not, how could he understand the human heart so deeply? How could he empathize with others so closely?
The reason Deimos could now feel this boy's pain so acutely had to be that the soul that was once human was fiercely asserting itself.
Besides, had Lord Kai been in his position, he would have done the exact same thing. Deimos was certain of it.
"For a mere skeleton, you're talking pretty big, aren't you?"
Tokotsu flashed a sordid grin, licking his lips as he spat out what should have been the ultimate insult to Deimos.
It was strange. The word skeleton, which he had once loathed so bitterly, barely stirred his emotions now. Instead, a quiet yet fierce rage swirled within him over the countless acts of disrespect directed at Lord Kai and Lady Laila. And so—
"Hmph. As if the words of a third-rate—no, a faux necromancer carry any weight with me."
He spat the words back venomously.
"Hah? Did you say faux?!"
As Tokotsu bared his canines and snarled in fury, Deimos cut him off.
"Stop your barking, small fry."
Deimos channeled mana into the ring on his left index finger. A sword with a pitch-black blade materialized out of thin air. Gripping the hilt, he fell into a stance.
"All that big talk, and you're just a skeleton playing swordsman? Tch, what a buzzkill. Hey, you handle him."
Losing all interest, Tokotsu waved his right hand dismissively and slouched into a chair in the corner of the room.
"Good grief! What a selfish bastard. But disposing of the undead falls under my duties as a Guardian Knight anyway. I don't mind."
Beside him, Tamuri, the blond youth clad in pure white armor, drew his sword.
"Spare me your excuses. Come. I will be your opponent."
Deimos raised the black sword into a high guard and sank his center of gravity.
"You've got quite the mouth for a damn skeleton!"
His face twisting in irritation, Tamuri raised his longsword and charged, slashing down at Deimos.
Wielding his black blade, Deimos parried the strike with minimal motion.
"Wha—?!"
As Tamuri's eyes went wide with a gasp of shock, Deimos spoke.
"Crude. But I will show no mercy."
Swinging his black sword, Deimos commenced the farce—the battle.