—Granuel PoV—

"This is it," I muttered to myself as I stared out the clear windows and towards the gathered crowd. It had taken some convincing and the greasing of palms, but with the help of my new friend Roma, I was able to reserve the entire street outside of my new business for one big event. And it was a street in the wealthier districts too, which made my job both harder and easier. They demanded more money, but it did not see as much traffic as other parts of the city.

"What? Nervous?" I felt a strong hand clap me on the back. It was Haell who had asked the question, with the usual confident expression on her 'demonic' face.

"No… Okay, maybe a little. I just didn't think this day would ever come. It's my own store! Mine!" I couldn't help but let the excitement and the anxiety bleed through to my voice. We were currently inside the aforementioned store that I had worked so hard on, surrounded by arms of war and common household items both.

"And you deserve it." Haell's terrifying gaze bore down on me. I had seen those eyes break a person's mind. But she was a great friend. I knew I could trust her. "I'm really bad at this, at reassuring people, but look into my eyes. Imagine that we are not friends and you are my prey. I am here to kill you." She gestured outside, to the many people I had convinced to attend this grand opening. "What are they compared to that? Ants. They cannot hurt you."

Okay… I trust her right? We're friends… right!?

I chuckled nervously and nodded. "I… think that actually worked. Thanks!"

And it did. It truly did. I opened the doors wide with a confident spring in my steps, only to finally find myself at the podium and underneath the scrutiny of hundreds of people if not more.

They were here to listen to what I had to say. They had come from far and wide, from the many towns and cities of The Great Republic of New Grandera. They valued my thoughts, my own contributions, and my time. I resolved to give back the same respect to them. I was a businessman, not a mere lackey of one, and I shall approach the wonderful position I had found myself in with pride. My mind was the one that moved the wheels of society, and allowed all its individual members to thrive!

"Good morning everyone. I thank you for coming here today upon my invitation. I stand before you today as a humble ishkawtan man who once lived in Edengar. But before I was a man, I was but a boy with a dream, and that place ground that dream down until I could only cry. I, a child, was made to feel like there was something wrong with me for wanting to run my own business someday!" I paused. I allowed the audience to feel the same indignation that I felt. They could sympathize. "But I wasn't wrong. There was nothing wrong with me. So I followed my dreams anyway and started my own company… but under the name of a friend. Because all the effort that I've toiled will never be acknowledged. They will never allow an ishkawtan like me to rise above my station. The business I created was never truly my own." I paused again. My face was a mask of barely held-back emotions, and the crowd could clearly see it. "It is a story I'm sure you're all familiar with. Of your hopes and dreams being denied, of your goals in life being determined by someone else. Of your freedom, your birthright as one single individual, robbed. But that has all changed. Since coming to the great Republic of New Grandera, I have been given a new lease on life. And in just a scant year since coming here, with the help of the honorable Roma of the Hoard Bank, I am proud to announce that my dreams have begun to truly be realized. This is the promise of this great nation, and to all of you who have made the perilous journey here, or whose parents have paved the way; I welcome you to the Angelslayer store! The place where comforts that would make those motherfuckers blush gather! A place that they fear, for our shields can resist them, and our swords can slay them!!!"

The crowd went wild. They clapped and they cheered and I screamed with them. Tables and chairs were set out on the streets, and the catering service I'd hired made sure everyone was fed. I then led people inside the store, a few at a time, in a small trickle.

I attended to my customers and observed their reactions closely as they perused the various things I had on sale. Some checked out our air-conditioners, heated mugs, or other everyday items with some of the most beautiful enchantments on them. Others dreamed of wielding the weapons and armor I had on display, and the veterans among them confirmed that they were of a quality that they had seldom seen. Most of them would not be able to afford anything here today, but just the word of mouth they could provide was valuable, and I was sure that many would return someday once they had saved up enough money. Our goods were simply some of the best quality that could be found on the market, and they were all packaged up to tell a story, from the architecture to the flowing togas with 'angelic' motifs worn by our staff. But of course, we weren't outright glorifying them in the way that they would want, but rather they were portrayed as… 'eldritch' beings as Haell would put it. Petulant, powerful, and unknowable tyrants, but a challenge that could one day be overcome. And who better to overcome these holy beings, than those who possessed items of the 'Angelslayer.'

The art community would have a lot of fun interpreting all of this. The design was even present in many of our merchandise. I hoped that they would make a lot of noise, and shout the name of the Angelslayers into the heavens. That would be a boon.

The many things I had on sale were made by a number of great crafters, all of which I'd secured some long-term contracts with. This ensured that there would be a consistent flow of goods to my Angelslayer store and all the other branches I intended to build, but one person's craft clearly stood head and shoulders above the others. Moonwash's creations had consistently been praised by the wealthiest and highest level of my customers today. Even people of little power or influence were drawn to her works. From simple clothes, to armor that could take any blow, and especially the cursed schimitar she had made with the help of Haell. New Grandera was a little bit less strict with those kinds of weapons, but I still had to hire a specialist to handle it, and anyone who wished to actually buy the item would need to prove that they had what it took to wield it and earn themselves a permit from the government.

Already, many have tried and failed, succumbing to the mental corruption of wielding such a weapon. Haell had volunteered as security for today, and she… had a lot of fun beating up and knocking out the people who failed the test, or just anyone who tried to make trouble. I'm happy for her. But I could see now that I would need to revisit the security for trying out this cursed weapon. Maybe keep it under lock and key, and then hire adventurers to oversee trials. I could also charge tickets for these trials, maybe even make an event out of them…

Now, Moonwash was well compensated for her work here, of course, and not just because Haell insisted on it. Her name was already known before, not only due to my own efforts these past few months, but now it would travel further than ever before, and the Angelslayer brand was set to ride that wave and become almost synonymous with her signature.

Moonwash had naturally given her full blessing for this plan, as I made sure to be fully transparent with my closest friends. I would make sure to get her all the materials she could ever want with her generous cut of the profits.

~~~

—Back to Haell PoV—

"What do you think about the katzis?" I asked Moonwash as I helped her with her mind magic experiments on one hand, and flipped through a book with the other. We were currently in the basement of our penthouse, where no one could hear our schemes as we delighted in all the forbidden things we had gathered. "I want its flesh."

The katzis was a typically underwater creature, but could theoretically survive in most environments. It could crawl through lava, wiggle under tons of rocks, or live through the conditions of high altitude. The only reason it stayed underwater was because it was still a fish. It was shaped like a fish. It would not be able to travel on land, it could only flap about.

"I'll have to identify it myself, but that does sound like a good candidate for your evolution," Moonwash agreed. She continued to sculpt and shape the pink metal-plastic-thing using fire magic, tools, and hands covered in extremely heat-resistant gloves. The final product was a large amulet that depicted a pink heart pulsing out waves of pink power, only to be canceled out by another set of opposing pink waves unleashed by the same heart. It made for some weird fractal geometric shapes that were hard to interpret. "What do you think?"

I looked at her third finished prototype, and then the other two that came before. This current one was my idea as the passive mental influence of the shepherds was actually tied to their hearts. We already knew thanks to our connections, but the entire build of the shepherds was common public knowledge here. People were downright giddy to share the information. "I think it looks good. I have no idea if it'll work though. We can really only speculate for now."

"I need test subjects."

"Yeah. We'll get some soon." The shepherds here would surely be desparate enough to agree. And it wasn't like we were hurting them! It was for a good cause.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

The problem was secrecy and finding someone we could at least somewhat trust. Or we could find someone that's too far gone, try out the prototypes on them, and then kill them.

…No one would really look too hard for a shepherd's death.

"Okay," Moonwash set aside her work and picked up one of our many bestiary books. "Let's talk more about your evolution."

~~~

"Oh, Haell?" One of the guards recognized me as I left the outer bounds of the city early in the morning.

"Going out again?" another asked.

"Get something for us!" one requested. "I'm in the mood for some bear tonight."

"Only if I come across one," I rolled my evil eyes, but smiled. Someone elbowed the guard for speaking out of turn, but I didn't mind. Soon, I had crossed the gates and was out of their sight.

Deeper and deeper into the rainforest I went. My senses grew sharper as my focus heightened, and I swung my greatsword wide when a staggerbeetle came barreling out of a bush. A staggerbeetle was like a stag beetle but wolf-sized, and it died with a splat to the confluence of my wrath.

I kept on moving. My magic flowed around me and annihilated anything that got close. I picked a fight with anything big and strong enough, and I used varying tactics for each one so that each power and each body part could get a proper workout. I had run out of ideas for new magics that I thought were feasible, so I decided to just hone to greater perfection what I already had. I was close to an evolution, and I would only get closer with every kill I make, and every swing I practice.

I felt the approach of some creatures. They were varied, they were strong, and they were organized. They were people.

Sure enough, after a minute longer, they showed up. Their group consisted of one harpy, two humans, and one ishkawtan; and all of them were wearing cloth masks over their faces. I immediately had a bad feeling about them, but I decided to at least hear them out before I started killing.

"Oh sweet! She's really here!"

"I told you already. Of course she is."

"Well, she wasn't here yesterday."

"And that's why I never said that she was! We didn't find her."

"I'm right here," I commented, keeping my voice neutral. "What do you want?" They were specifically looking for me. In the middle of the fucking wilderness. Where I was alone. I didn't need any further justification to kill them all right now. But, I should at least hear out their motives. Just in case.

"Oh, well I'm glad you asked, Haell Zharignan."

"Drop all your belongings and we'll let you live!"

"Your flight has allowed you to kill people with impunity," the harpy woman gestured with her wings. "But you are not the only one who can fly here. Surrender."

I blinked. Did they… think that I was only able to kill people because of my flight? What kind of idiotic–how the fuck did anyone ever come to that conclusion! I was genuinely fucking offended!

"I know you're angry," she… did not misinterpret the look on my face. I was fucking angry. I was fucking incensed at the fucking audacity! "But fighting here will only get you killed. Think of this as a lesson from your elders. Don't be so reckless as to venture into the wilds by yourself. If not us, then you would have been eaten by something far more dangerous. Your wings won't help you if you are already in the jaws of a warsymbol."

"No," I refused. That was never in question. But I gave them one last chance to call this confrontation off.

"Are you sure–"

"Yes. Leave me alone."

The harpy paused, an air of affronted annoyance about her. She studied my demonic face for a long moment. "It's unfortunate. But very well. If you cannot be convinced otherwise, and I see that you cannot..." She addressed her friends, "Kill her."

Her head disappeared from her body. My legs ached from the speed I just used, but the greatest threat had been eliminated before anyone else. Not that she was the strongest of them, the humans of their group were almost level 40, but I did not want to have her fly off on me. She might actually be able to escape. It was best if what happened here was kept between only me and the corpses they would leave behind.

"W-wha…"

"WHAT."

"NO!"

"AKILA!"

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"

The two human men attacked me, and I parried the blow of one, only for the other to actually slip beneath my guard and do some damage. It was superficial, my armor was good, and the vengeful reaction of my very magic surprised them, but the next exchange that followed was much of the same. They began to circle around me like hyenasso that I could not defend against every strike.

I swung my sword harder, but they were just powerful enough to escape lethal debilitating damage. I broke their guard and raked through their medium armor and then the flesh underneath, but the ishkawtan woman of their party was actually a healer and was shining a light upon her allies. I might actually lose if things continued in this way.

What a fleeting hope that would never come to pass. For them.

I took a stab to the gut that would not hit anything vital from one of the humans, and then I used that opportunity to activate my intimidation package and let loose the confluence of my wrath. The one I targeted was shredded, armor be damned, and their healer's light could do nothing to revive what was already dead.

"Shit! Jon! She killed Marcus! DO SOMETHING!"

"I'M TRYING! YOU FUCKING DEMON! DIE ALREADY!"

Tears streamed down his mask as he tried to bring me down, but hellfire surged forth from my body and enveloped him in agony. He hesitated, and I was disappointed to see that his rage was not strong enough to let him endure even just that much. I killed him with a well-placed slash to his neck that rotted and carved out the thin flesh.

"No…" The ishkawtan woman stepped back, fear evident in her eyes. "Please. Please let me go! I won't tell anyone! PLEASE! Is it money!? Uh, uhhh… You can keep everything they still have. And then everything I have with me! Just please let me live!"

I did not interrupt her. I allowed her to beg. It would have been cowardly to kill her instantly, and then say that she never surrendered. But even just stopping for this long already rankled me. I should not allow an enemy to live for this long. What if she had one more trick up her sleeve? Oh, why did I even fucking choose to listen!? I'd already made my choice! Her continued existence would be an inconvenience!

I spared both of us the pain and executed her.

I fell to my knees and took one deep shuddering breath.

I felt… bad. Worse than most kills I had to do. It was because I listened… and I should. I needed to be more aware of the weight of my actions. It wasn't like they knew any crucial information. I would no longer be killed if my secret got out. My… status was actually less than what it was before, as the grandchild of an imperial hero, but I didn't think the courts would fuck me over. I would have been fine.

I turned my head, and stared right at the corpses that I'd made. I saw a badge poking out, and realized that they had been adventurers. I considered for a moment, the many other options I could have taken. Should I have been more merciful, or perhaps I should have just run and avoided the confrontation altogether? But the former was too dangerous, I was not yet impervious. And the latter I could not accept. I just wanted to fucking train and practice in peace! The rainforest was big enough for all of us! Why did they have to choose to attack me!? WHY!?

"Forget it," I finally said and stood back up. "Fucking hell." I felt my throat constrict and my breaths came out in ragged gasps, but that only made me mad for I did not owe these people a single tear. They would never have spared the same for me!

I stomped my hooves, and did my usual routine for these sorts of incidents. I had progressively gone further away from the city as the morning turned to noon, but… I felt that I was still too close. I did not loot any of the bodies before I led the wildlife to consume them all.

I hoped they wouldn't be so stupid in their next life.

[Demon Brain has reached level 39!]

_________________

Name: Haell Zharignan

Species: Demon

—Mutations—

Wrath Heart: Level 40 (max)

Demon Brain: Level 39

Demon Skin: Level 37

Evil Eyes: Level 36

Demon Flesh / Demon Bones / Demonic Musculature(synced) : (All) Level 36

Demon Arms: Level 38

Demon Hooves: Level 37

Hyperdemon Gland: Level 20

Demon Horns: Level 37

Mana-infused Blood: Level 38

Regen Heart: Level 37

Demon Wings: Level 35

Hellfire Heart: Level 37

Memory Core: Level 35

Extradimensional Demon Blood Storage: Level 35

—Soul Feats—

Reincarnator

Progenitor

Imp Progenitor

Progenitor II

Demon Progenitor

Demon Harbinger

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