Chapter 111: CH 107

May 14th, 2023

The stage where a tense battle is taking place is reaching its climax. Sakran was exerting all his power, now exhausted, to pressure Xenon, and Xenon is also giving his all to give Sakran eternal rest.

At one point, when it seemed that Xenon was losing ground, a demon presumed to be Jin belatedly joined in. Since Volume 5, Xenon and Jin have fought together as a duo, so it was the perfect timing.

“Huaaaaa!”

Finally, Sakran started to release all the devil’s power that he had been suppressing. The black energy began to flow out of him, showing how much power he had been restraining.

Along with this, Xenon and Jin also opened up all their power in preparation for the battle. Eventually, when Sakran finished his devilization and ran towards them, as the Lirus Orchestra performed another piece.

The high-pitched sound of the violin concluded it just like before, but then a new song followed.

-Ah, demons. Those who were born in darkness and crave for light.

The solemn and mournful chorus of the choir that had been waiting silently until now. At the same time, the final battle continued, directly expressing what “Life” is.

I sincerely admired the collaboration between the theater and the choir, and the preparedness of the Lirus Orchestra. I now understand why Lirus said that it was just a taste.

How much effort did they put into showing this collaboration? As someone who only writes, I dare not even imagine.

-We will overcome the waves of tragedy and share our will.

-Resist the darkness and move towards the light.

-O God, grant us hope.

-O God, grant us rest.

-May we hope to die as humans.

-Aaaaaaaah.

The choir continued slowly, ending with a chorus that sounded like a scream. Despite this, the Lirus Orchestra responded by repeating the chorus once more.

Usually, during a battle, one cannot take their eyes off the intense situation. However, this stage was so engrossing, as if it contained a person’s entire life, that one could not take their eyes away even for a moment. The immersion was beyond terrifying, and it made one wonder how these two groups were a gathering of the most talented individuals in this era. With this level of skill, they could have easily dominated the cultural world even in my past life.

Thunk!

“Kuhh! Kuuaaahhh…”

The tragic battle that had made their palms sweaty was finally coming to an end. Thanks to Jin’s efforts, Xenon had discovered a gap and deeply sliced into Sakran’s torso with his diagonal attack. Due to the accumulated damage, despite the demon’s regenerative abilities, the wound on Sakran’s body had not healed. Xenon did not miss this opportunity.

After tightly gripping his sword with both hands, he accurately stabbed the struggling Sakran’s heart with it.

Puuuuck!

“…Cough!”

Sakran coughed up black blood as the sword had been plunged into his heart. Trembling, he looked at the sword piercing his heart and then lifted his head up calmly.

As Sakran raised his head, Xenon met his gaze and, maintaining a stern expression, forcefully removed the sword that had pierced his heart. With a sound, black blood spurted out.

Thump!

“Sakran!”

“Sir Sakran!”

Sakran was a hero who had protected the demons, even if he had become a devil himself. The demons who had been watching the battle rushed towards Sakran when he fell to his knees.

However, they too must have known that there was no hope for Sakran once the sword had pierced his heart. He would ultimately die as a devil.

And no one knew this better than Sakran himself. Coughing up black blood, he barely lifted his head and looked at the complex expressions of those around him before speaking in a whisper.

“Hunters… remember this…”

“…”

“Do not be afraid to become a devil yourself to protect those who are precious to you.”

Sakran was a person who had sacrificed himself to protect those who were precious to him, even if he had to become a devil. He was worried about his fellow demons until his very last moments.

How noble and sacred this destiny is. It’s my own character, but there are not many people as dedicated as Sakran. As tears inexplicably welled up in my eyes, I wiped them away with the back of my hand, and Sarkran spoke in a strained voice. 

“That is the true courage and sacrifice of a human… I am dying as a human, not a devil.”

Sakran’s sacrifice has an enormous impact on the protagonist and his companions, particularly Jin. In the latter half of the story, in order to completely obliterate the soul of the Great Devil, Jin willingly sacrifices himself.

In essence, Sakran’s tragedy indirectly expresses Jin’s fate and can be considered a kind of foretelling. As the story progresses, Jin frequently thinks about Sakran.

Anyway, that’s the end of Sakran’s sacrifice. Shortly after turning into bright particles and approaching the end of his life, Sakran asked Xenon. 

“Young man… I have one question.”

As the original work did not have such a conversation and Sakran was only meant to disappear without a word, as the original author, I was slightly taken aback. I wonder how other people might feel about it.

Meanwhile, half of Sakran’s body turned into light and dispersed into the air. However, he exerted his will and asked Xenon the question he wanted to ask.

“Do I… look like a devil?”

“…No.”

Xenon, momentarily surprised by Sakran’s question, shook his head vigorously without hesitation and delivered beautiful words to him in a firm voice while staring directly at Sakran, who was gradually disappearing.

“You are more human than anyone else. Sakran.”

“…Hahaha.”

Sakran’s laughter sounded somewhat relieved. In the original work, Sakran never laughed.

But when someone like him laughed, it felt like he had let go of everything. It was an amazing character interpretation even for the original author.

“Well, that’s a relief…”

Finally, Sakran slowly raised his head to the sky and muttered…

“I’m really… glad…”

He smiled happier than anyone else and became a particle of light, completely disappearing.

Shaaaahhh-

“…Huh?”

When I was staring blankly at the stage, even transcending the original work, something fell from the sky. I regained my senses and looked up.

Light was falling like snowflakes. It was not a metaphorical expression, but the light was really falling from the sky like snowflakes.

As if particles of light that occurred when Sakran disappeared were falling, the sight of the light fluttering like flower petals from the audience seats was truly magnificent.

“ah…”

“wow…”

Not only me but also the women sitting on both sides of me had a mesmerized expression on their faces, each showing a different reaction to the beautiful performance. 

Marie blinked her eyes and reached out her hand towards the light, while Cecily neatly clasped her hands together to catch the light on her palms. I also tried to make the light descend onto my palm, but it turned into dust and scattered into the air. As the light disappeared, I lifted my head and faced the beautiful sight once again.

“It’s beautiful…”

What kind of director was he, to show such breathtaking beauty until the very end? How much preparation did he have to make to prepare for such an unrealistic performance in the scientifically-lacking medieval era? Even if he was just a visionary ahead of his time, there was no explanation of his brilliance.

Clap – clap – clap –

When everyone was so mesmerized that they couldn’t even react, someone started to applaud. Then, one by one, others began to clap as if they were possessed by the sound of the applause.

Clap clap clap clap –

At first, the applause sounded small, but it gradually grew louder.

Clap clap clap clap!

“Woo-hoo!”

“Awesome!”

“The best! The best!”

After a moment, the sound of thunder grew to a size that could make it go far away. It wasn’t a simple applause, but a standing ovation from all the audience, which added cheers and created a fanatical atmosphere.

I also stood up slowly and clapped my hands, but with a soulless feeling. I couldn’t distinguish if I was dreaming or if this world was Earth because the directing was so great. It was an indescribable emotion to see such performance not in a movie, but in a play.

“That’s really amazing. How did they create such a stage?”

“Oh, it was really cool…”

Marie and Cecily gave their evaluations while applauding. Marie was impressed, while Cecily wiped her tears with my handkerchief and was sobbing.

‘Are they really a reincarnated person like me?’

Of course, even if Christopher Nolan or Steven Spielberg were reincarnated, it’s doubtful they could direct such a performance. As Cecily mentioned, the scene where the devils poured out was done with magic.

This means that there are members who are proficient in magic, but it was strange why a magician would participate in a play. Whether it was through persuasion or if the magician was the director, there was no doubt that their ability was remarkable.

Clap, clap, clap, clap…

The applause that felt like it would never stop gradually became less frequent as time went on. The light that was falling from the sky had also almost stopped.

After the applause had nearly died down, at a moment when Lirus, who had been conducting ‘Life’ until the end, turned around and spoke to the audience.

“Did everyone enjoy the show? I may be biased, but I can say with confidence that it was undoubtedly a moving performance. I myself was impressed after seeing a play by the Matrics theater group when I was collaborating with them.”

Lirus humbly conveyed all the credit to the Matrics theater group, but in reality, the performance by the Lirus orchestra was also outstanding and certainly not inferior.

If we compare it to cooking, the Matrics theater group’s performance was the main dish, and the Lirus orchestra’s performance was the sugar, salt, and various spices used to add flavor. If the ‘Life’ had continued without the orchestra’s performance, there would have been a sense of dullness.

“It was truly an honor to be able to show you this performance. I am Lirus, the conductor of the Lirus orchestra, and I will continue to present wonderful performances.”

After finishing his words to the audience, Lirus politely bowed with a slight bend at the waist. As expected, thunderous applause erupted when he bowed.

Now that Lirus had taken his bow, it was time for the Matrics theater group to appear. As soon as I had that thought, the actors began to appear one by one from behind the orchestra.

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Thump, thump, thump…

…except for one person who slowly walked to the center of the stage. I looked at the man with a curious expression, unable to recognize his face since he was wearing a robe that covered it. However, judging from his sturdy build, he seemed to be a man. But he exuded an indescribable sense of gloom and ambiance, and certainly did not look like an actor.

I wasn’t the only one who thought that way. The audience around me started murmuring with questions about who he was, and some even expected another play to unfold.

I too had similar feelings, so I was slightly looking forward to what would unfold. 

“…Ahem.” 

In the meantime, a man who arrived at the center of the stage refreshed the atmosphere with a cough. Naturally, the audience’s roar also stopped.

Then he looked around the left-center and, after coughing again, he slowly opened his mouth with a low-pitched voice. 

“Hello, everyone. Nice to meet you. I am Scar, the director of the Matrics theater group.”

“What?”

“The director?”

“Is that for real?”

The audience’s roar grew much louder at this shocking declaration. Not only the audience, but I was also equally bewildered.

Until now, the director of the Matrics theater group had always been a mysterious figure, hiding his identity behind a veil. With such mystique and brilliant performances, they had become world-famous. And even when they made deals with other groups, they sent representatives. Just a few days ago, when the Matrics theater group came to our mansion, they communicated through a representative, not the director.

So it was unexpected for him to suddenly reveal himself today. It was undoubtedly a shocking event for everyone, and no one knew the intention behind it.

“You may all be confused. You must be wondering why the director, who has always hidden his identity, has appeared here. By the way, it is not an impersonation but the real director, so there is no need to doubt.”

“… …”

“The reason why I am showing you my appearance today is simple. I just wanted to ask if you really enjoyed the performance. So, how was it? Did you enjoy the show?”

“””Yes!”””

The enthusiastic response burst out from the seats of ordinary people, not VIP seats. To maintain their dignity, the VIPs responded with applause instead of words.

The director nodded his head, seeming satisfied with the audience’s reaction, and spoke slowly. 

“I’m really relieved to hear that you enjoyed the performance. To be honest, I was a little nervous because I made some modifications to the original work. But I think most of you here love Xenon’s Biography, so you’ll probably know where I made changes.”

He was referring to Sakran’s last will. In fact, the character interpretation was so excellent that it went beyond the original work. 

“I’m not sure if he’s here, but if Xenon is here, I would like to express my gratitude and apology. He wrote such a wonderful novel, but I was only able to express it in this way. I even interpreted it in my own way.”

“… …”

Not at all. I would rather prostrate myself before him. Only the director could transform a novel that was merely written into such a splendid performance. 

“Until now, my plays could only be seen by wealthy people or nobles. But looking at the audience today… I wondered if this is what a culture that everyone can enjoy looks like. Working with the Lirus Orchestra was also a good experience for me.”

“… …”

“Well… anyway, what I want to say is this.”

Swish-

After saying that, the director took off the robe that he had been hiding his face in. I was focused on him, so as soon as he took off his robe, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes.

Because…

“Horns? No way…”

“He was a demon?”

“No way…”

Black hair, devil horns sticking out of his head, and eyes shining bright red like blood.

Despite his low and gentle voice, the director, with his cute and innocent appearance, was nothing other than a demon.

The audience went wild when they found out that the renowned director of the theater was actually a demon. As if he had expected it all, the director smiled wryly and spoke in his usual gentle tone.

“As you can all see, I am a demon. A demon who was persecuted before Xenon’s Biography appeared in the world.”

“… …”

“But, my dear audience. What did you feel when you saw my performance? You may have been curious about who designed this stage, but you probably never thought it was a demon.”

There was a subtle power in his unique gentle tone. The noisy audience quieted down as soon as the director began to speak, and listened to his story.

I briefly paused in surprise at the part where the director said she was a demon, then glanced at Cecily with a smirk. She didn’t seem particularly surprised, perhaps she had guessed it from the part where she mentioned they used magic.

“… Sniff.”

She was just crying. I found myself looking at the soaked handkerchief in her hand before looking up again.

“What kind of race do you think of when you hear the word ‘demon’? Before the release of Xenon’s Biography, demons were seen as nothing more than devils or ticking time bombs. That’s actually true in some respects. We demons are a race that is born with the tragic fate of always having to struggle against our inner demons.”

“…”

“But things have changed completely since the appearance of Xenon’s Biography. Xenon’s Biography gave us demons hope, not despair. It also gave us the courage to move towards the light without fear of the darkness.”

Wow, he’s really eloquent. I feel so embarrassed that I want to curl up and die.

While I was writhing in shame, the director looked around the audience once again before continuing his speech quietly.

“I, too, can say that I gained courage from it. And though I am a demon, I am nothing more than an ordinary artist who loves art. I hope that you won’t see us demons as devils, but rather as ordinary people living in this world.”

“…”

“That’s all I have to say, and if Xenon is here, I would like to express my sincere gratitude. This is Scar, the director of the Matrics Theater Group. Thank you!”

Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap!!!

As Scar bowed deeply and politely greeted, the sound of applause erupted once again, it felt as if my ears were ringing. Eventually, a few people approached Scar, who seemed to be actors from the theater company.

Surprisingly, they were ordinary humans, not demons. The Matrics Theater Group had been famous long before the publication of Xenon’s Biography, and seeing them together until now, they seemed to be people with keen minds.

Thus, the memorable performance came to an end. However, people couldn’t easily stand up from their seats. They were immersed in the afterglow, enjoying the lingering emotions.

I was the same. The emotions I received from the performance didn’t easily dissipate. On the contrary, it continued to linger in my head, making me imagine and envision it repeatedly.

‘…I have to write about this, even if it’s just out of gratitude.’

Their performance aroused an urge to write. Frankly, with such quality, any break should be disregarded as repayment. Although it would probably take at least two months per book due to academic reasons, it’s necessary to show such effort. I closed my eyes and imagined the future development.

“That was a really great stage. Wasn’t it?”

“…yeah.”

“When will you leave?”

Marie asked me a question from beside me. I weakly waved my arm and answered vaguely.

“You go back to the mansion first. I’ll be here for a moment.”

“Pfft. How much do you have to like it to be so completely drained of energy? You’re so cute.”

After hearing my answer, Marie smiled briefly and pinched my cheeks lightly. I didn’t have the energy to react, so I just let her do as she wanted.

“Oh, and… Isaac.”

“Yeah?”

“When can I go to your bedroom?”

Oh right, I forgot about that. I thought about it for a moment and gave her a suitable time.

“Maybe around 9 o’clock.”

“9 o’clock… okay. Can I look forward to it?”

Look forward to what? I looked at Marie with a puzzled expression.

She was smiling, but her blushing cheeks showed she was a little embarrassed. This only made me more curious.

“What?”

“Um… it’s nothing. I’ll go now.”

Marie quickly got up and ran away. I watched her go and murmured to myself.

“…What was that all about?”

At that moment, Cecily, who had been crying the whole time, came up to me.

“Isaac… Can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Sure.”

“Sniff… I’m sorry. Can I borrow your handkerchief?”

I looked at Cecily with a bewildered expression. Despite crying the whole time, her beauty was still intact.

“Oh, of course.”

‘…I hope she’s not going to get dehydrated from all this crying.’

I couldn’t help but worry as I looked at her soaking wet handkerchief.

I alternated between looking at Cecily, who was sobbing, and the handkerchief, and quietly replied.

“Okay.”

“Sniff… Thank you…”

After Cecily said that, she gently took my hand and opened her mouth, her voice trembling.

“There’s something… I really want to say to you… sniff.”

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