The Game Before the Fall

Chapter 71: The story after the End. (Part 1)

Crozen looked to the others and let out a wistful sigh before turning back to me, "No. Not all demons returned to normal. It's strange, I can still fill my connection to the Faceless King, but I'm not feeling compelled to do anything. You might not understand, but being a demon, we were stuck in this loop of depravity. Each time we committed a heinous act, even to fellow demons, we were bolstered. I can still remember the terrible things I did..., I can still remember the elation I felt, but now... now my stomach is sick at the thought."

"We're the same," one of the others spoke up, her eyes downcast. A stream of tears began to fall from her eyes, "I... I killed my younger brother. I crushed his neck in my hands and all the while... we were both smiling." She shivered. "I can't ever forget it. It feels like I might go insane."

"But something is stopping that," another said. "The connection we have to the Faceless King, I think it's also keeping us from going crazy from regret. When I think I want to kill myself, suddenly I feel calm."

A third laughed spitefully, "It's ironic isn't it?"

Crozen sighed, "We're all in a bit of a mess here."

I looked to him, "You said not every demon became sane again, what happened to the others?"

"They're still the demons you know...."

"And how many are like you?"

"About a quarter I think, but when it happened, a fight broke out between the two groups. We managed to make it out and hide, I'm not sure about the others." He frowned, brow curled in thought.

"You..., you look like you know something more," I questioned him.

"It's a theory," Crozen breathed out tiredly and looked to the others in the room who nodded. "You see, demons, we're barely unified. The heinous acts we committed, when we couldn't find survivors, we did it to ourselves. Demons sacrificing weaker demons. Thing is, I think it was the weaker demons that were more sane, they still had some morality."

"And they died out because of it...."

"Exactly, and the ones who are still 'demons', I think they're the ones who truly enjoyed what they had become. When our two groups began to split, they realised, and the hunt started. We became new targets. Truly ironic."

"Hmmm," I nodded. It meant that Kazu and the Old man were partially correct. Despite fighting against them, I ended up doing exactly what they wanted. That explosion of power that had erupted from my arm had destroyed the core and the Witch with it. Demons were no longer victimised by the World's will and lost part of the loop that plagued their minds. For the unfortunate majority however, they were already too far gone, they were the ones who truly enjoyed the suffering they committed.

"Umm," Crozen began, "this may be a bit much, but since you're friends with the Isles, could you help negotiate with them for us? We don't want to be their enemy."

"I see, so that's why you saved me."

"I won't lie that it wasn't a part of it, but I'd like to think I did so because it was also the decent thing to do. It's been a long time since I felt so compassionate."

The other demons in the room looked at me hopefully, their eyes were tired, many red from crying. They regretted what they became, and I had to wonder, if I had destroyed the World's core earlier, would Kazu and the Old Man returned to normal. It was a depressing thought.