On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

"Let us cut to the chase and skip the chit-chat. I will do what you want me to do, but I have a condition for you," Teanosvera says with his heavy and echoing voice.

"What do you think we want to ask you?" I ask.

"Locating all of the remnants of Iorael's army, am I right?"

"You also need to convince the citizens who are actually wrong," I add. "We need to remove any variables that may spark rebellion in the future."

"Are you telling me to go as far as showing myself?"

"That is not necessary. I just want you to let them hear your voice and feel your presence, so none of them argues what we do is wrong."

Teanosvera just looks at me silently with his black eyes. I can't tell what he is thinking about, but I am sure he is not thinking about harming us.

A few seconds passed; Teanosvera tilts his head as he says, "That can be done easily. Now, it is time for you to hear what I want." The mood became solemn, causing me to wait for what he is going to say in anticipation. "Establish a Spiritual Bond with me."

When I hear it, I am as baffled as I am ecstatic. The only reason why I could establish a Spiritual Bond with Luxia was our circumstance at that time; no normal Forest Spirit will casually ask someone to establish one with them.

I was already glad when I managed to establish one with Luxia, so hearing that Teanosvera wants to establish one with me too brings joy to me. Still, I show nothing that shows my excitement.

Teanosvera must have a reason and I want to hear it first. As tempting as it is to have a Spiritual Bond with the protector of Amizanima, I can't make him feel superior, otherwise, the Spiritual Bond will be no different than a Geas.

"Hoh? You say some funny things too, huh, Spirit?"

"It is Lord Teanosvera for you, Demon."

"It is Master Layland for you, little Spirit."

Haletha, whose gaze has been planted on Teanosvera ever since we met him, turns her eyes to me. I don't need to turn around to tell she is looking at me ridiculously.

I am aware of the crazy stunt I have just pulled, but there is a need to take a risk. I am absolute, for some reason, that bowing down to Teanosvera will not make things go as what the two sides wanted.

I don't know what Teanosvera wants, obviously, but I don't think Teanosvera will see me that fondly if I just nod at everything he says. Other than that, of course, my pride doesn't allow me to bow to the bird that is going to be my subordinate soon.

"I am genuinely asking—what makes you think it is a good idea to establish a Spiritual Bond with me?" I ask calmly. "Are you just curious about how it feels to establish one with a Demon?"

"For a Demon, I must say you are rather humble, Layland," Teanosvera remarks. "I was genuinely surprised you didn't brag about how awesome you were earlier."

"I am the type to show rather than say," I respond, slightly surprised by the fact that he just called my name

"Interesting. Very interesting indeed!" He exclaims. "Do you know why I chose to stay here, Layland?" I shake my head. "It is because I like darkness. This forest isn't dark because of my presence—I am present because it is dark."

He extends one of his wings and points it at me. "I am intrigued by the darkness you have in your heart, Layland. As an existence that controls darkness, I want to figure out the darkness that I can't control."

"I believe you are talking about my partner's Corrupted Heart. Is it your first time seeing one—even after how long you have been present in this world?" I quirk my eyebrow curiously.

"Of course not, child! I know about Corrupted Spiritual Hearts long ago. I have also seen many of them, so none of them attracts my interest any longer," emphasizes Teanosvera. "Your heart, Layland, has very thick and suffocating darkness. I don't know what it is and I want to know."

"Have you ever heard about Demon's—"

"I know everything about your Demonic Essence and I am sure it is not that. There is something more than terrifying lying dormant in your heart."

Hearing that, I don't feel surprised at all; I already had a feeling that something was wrong when I met Lucifer in my Awakening. I knew he wasn't supposed to be there.

I could clearly remember the ominous aura he was giving off when I first met him. It is simply impossible to forget it.

Talking about the darkness in my heart, I can only think of one explanation for why it is there: the power Lucifer is still hiding from me.

"You know what happens, don't you, Layland? I want to know what kind of future you will make with that much power in your hands," Teanosvera says solemnly. "If destruction is what you are aiming for, I wish to be on your side and watch as the world crumble before us."

"What a terrifying thing to hear from a Forest Spirit," I remark in amusement. "Don't you think you should show some care towards the world? That's what being a Forest Spirit means, isn't that?"

At that, Teanosvera laughs deeply.

"Ku-Ku-Ku… have you heard what the other Forest Spirits used to call me? The Spawn of Doom. I carry darkness with me everywhere; I am the only Forest Spirit that is detached from the world. I am the Forest Spirit that shouldn't have been born!"

Teanosvera's heated exclamation echoes throughout the forest. It may sound eerie to most; but, for me, the melancholy hidden behind his passionate speech makes it a call for help.

'The Forest Spirit that shouldn't have been born; just like the Dark Elf. Maybe, this is the reason why he chose to let them stay in this forest,' I muse.

Focusing my attention on Teanosvera, I take my mask off. I look at Teanosvera with a smile and extend my right hand forward.

"You sound interesting. Why don't we immediately proceed with the ritual?"

Whoosh!

Teanosvera jumps from the branch that he has been perching on and glides through the air until he reaches the ground. He stands mightily before me, chest pushed forward.

He extends one of his wings and touches my extended hand with it. Foreign yet pleasant energy enters my veins and quickly travels to my heart.

When Teanosvera retracts his wing, my connections with his is already established. I feel a lot closer to him and I can even tell what he is currently feeling—ecstasy.

Much to my surprise, he suddenly bows before me and exclaims, "Master, light my way with your darkness!" He sounds so compassionate that I wonder whether I should feel good or cringe.

"Mind your image, Teanosvera. You are still the protector of this Kingdom—it won't end up well for you if they find out what you just did," I warn.

"Kuhahaha! I don't care what others think about me. You know what? I am going to announce my affiliation with you. This world shall know that Teanosvera has just found the master he deserves!"

"…"

Knowing how powerful Teanosvera's ability is, I still feel grateful for being able to establish a Spirit Bond with him; however, the fact that he is actually quite eccentric is something to feel unfortunate about.

With his personality, I am afraid everyone will know my name, Layland Kleinhaus, even before I become a Demon King. Of course, I am not complaining.

"Now that it is sorted, I need you to tell us where the remnants of Iorael's army are. We need to locate and take them down as soon as possible."

"Ah, let me take care of them. You just wait patiently and expect the result, Master," Teanosvera says casually. "Nothing can escape my darkness."

"Ah, I see. Make sure to tell them who you are."

"Of course."

Teanosvera spreads his wings and grows bigger at an insane speed. At the same time, his body is becoming one with the darkness.

Boom!

When he has completely disappeared, an overwhelming pressure descends upon us. I don't feel suffocated at all, but Haletha seems to have a difficulty in breathing due to the pressure.

I immediately wrap her with my arms and shelter her from the pressure with my Mana. She can breathe normally afterwards, but she seems to be very scared since she hugs my body tightly.

"Do you think it is a great choice to establish a Spiritual Bond with Teanosvera?" Haletha asks calmly, making me wonder if she is really scared.

"I gain people's attention, but I gain immense power. For me, it is a fair trade," I answer simply. "Now, I know there are a lot of strong people out there, but even if they come after me, I will always persevere. Because of that, I will always get stronger."

Fighting small fry makes me bored to death. I can no longer rely on a strong opponent to grow—I need an absurdly powerful opponent.

Upon maturing as a Demon, I realized it is time to take the risk and go wild. I already have enough cards under my sleeves and it is time to use them to become everyone's nightmare.