Chapter 11: Thank you .
"Don't lower your guard…"
"You bastard."
Zagred tilted his head to the side quickly:
"You almost got me…"
"Chirichichichichi…"
Zagred: Why are you ignoring my question? How do you know my name?
Naz: You are one of the twenty moons. You are Moon 19. The order is in my ears.
Naz swings the katana toward Zagred's head.
Zagred quickly disappears and reappears behind Naz, places his hand on Naz's head, and slams Naz's face hard into the ground.
Zagred: You know my name and my rank? How is that? You humans are suspicious.
Naz cannot move. Zagred puts his foot on Naz's head and says: What is wrong with you humans? Chirichichichichi… Weak. You push yourselves. You want to protect everything you love.
Naz: Emotions… love… giving… that is what keeps us alive.
Zagred: Emotions? Chirichichichichi… Mere nonsense. They are the reason for your weakness.
He raises his foot high and begins to smash Naz's head. Once. Twice. Three times. An infinite number of blows.
Zagred: Chirichichichichi… Chirichichichichi… Weak. I will free you from your suffering and from these emotions.
He raises his foot for the last time, laughing: "Chi chi chirichichichichi…" before crushing him.
Naz begins to see his life flash before his eyes, as if he has surrendered to death. An internal dialogue with himself:
My whole life was nothing. I was raised in an orphanage. I was alone most of the time. No one cared if I ate or not. Did I sleep or not? My entire childhood was nothing but running away from the beating of my classmates at school. Bullying. Loneliness. Every night I wonder why I am here…
At age 15, I was expelled from school. I was forced to work in the dirtiest places: cleaning chimneys, shining shoes in the streets. For what? To feed my hunger. Sometimes I envy those my age. They live with their fathers. They come home, food is there, they sleep in comfort. And yet they complain. What fools they are.
I went through a great emptiness. If I had not spent most of my time reading books, novels, magazines, I would have committed suicide by now. I always asked myself: Do I deserve to live or not?
Naz closes his eyes with a smile. It carries no trace of happiness, but traces of exhaustion. Because he is tired. And finally… everything will end.
At that moment, Naz feels the glow of the katana that had been thrown far away after the last attack. Naz, with his eyes closed, waits for his death.
A voice from within him. Deep. Rough. As if emerging from an old wound. It calls out strongly:
"Weak… weak… but you… you deserve to live."
A loud crash against the wall. Then a voice rises in the place:
"No one has the right to judge whether you deserve to live. Not even you. Everyone must live."
Zagred gets up from the rubble, dusting off his body:
"Damn… I went too far."
Zagred: "Heeeeey… wait a moment… a demon tail? Are you a demon host?"
Naz is still lying on the ground. At the bottom of his back, a demon tail has grown. But his wounds are deep, with fractures on his face. He cannot move.
Zagred: "Chirichichichichi… Even if you are a demon host, you are weak compared to me. You are no match for me."
A white, misty smoke rises from Naz's body.
Then… Naz stands on his feet. Every bone in his body screams. But he stands.
Zagred stares at him with admiration… and disgust.
Zagred: "Hey… I think I will have a lot of fun. Hmm… very interesting. So you have a healing ability? Chirichichichichi… Chirichichichichi… Chirichichichichi… Then I will not go easy on you."
Naz stretches his hand into the air. The air is empty. But he calls out:
"Kataaanaaaaaaaa…"
Fwootfiftftft…
Naz catches the katana that answered his call.
He closes his eyes and says:
"I know that from the first day, you have been with me. I do not know how, and I do not know who you are. But you are the reason I have stayed alive until now.
Can you lend me some of your power?
But before that… I want to tell you…"
Naz, in a loud voice… almost breaking:
"Thaank yooouuuuuuu…"
Zagred: "Thanking a demon? Chirichichichichi… Chirichichichichi… I do not know who it is, but this is the first time I have fought him. I did not even know he existed."
In a place like a red space, a roar of anger rises:
"Disgusting thanks… but my power will not last long. Because your body cannot endure more of this power."
Naz transforms into that demonic form.
Naz rushes toward Zagred, who does not know how to counter the attack. So he begins to quickly flee from one place to another. But Naz matches his speed and blocks every attack.
But suddenly… Naz stops, closes his eyes, and concentrates.
"Oooo… ffffff…" (Deep inhale and exhale)
Naz: "The Cutter."
In a fraction of a second… he splits Zagred.
Zagred: "What? What?!"
Naz's power begins to wane. He breathes with difficulty.
Zagred's body begins to stick back together. It returns to its shape. The attack did not affect him.
Zagred: "You cannot defeat me. You are weak. Chirichichichichi… Chirichichichichi… There is only a little time left until sunrise. This fight with you will not end."
Naz begins to return to his human form. His transformation gradually fades.
Zagred: "But… it will end another way."
He glances at Chimini with a savage look. Then he disappears.
Naz turns around… and is shocked: Zagred is holding Chimini.
The sun begins to rise.
Here Naz realizes: Zagred will take Chimini with him and escape.
He hears the sound of a gate opening. Naz turns toward the sound: a small black gate has opened in the air.
Zagred: "Goodbye… Chirichichichichi… Chirichichichichi…"
Before he reaches the gate…
Naz: "Stop… stop… Zaaaaagreed!!"
His scream tears his throat. But it is useless.
The gate begins to close.
And she disappears.