After Ten Millennia in Hell

Side Story Chapter 42 - Kurosaki Yurie (1)

“Pardon?” Lilith stared at Kang-Woo, wide-eyed and confused. “But you just said—”

“Oh, forget all that bullshit I said earlier,” Oh Kang-Woo remarked.

A demon living as a human was so unthinkable that one would think the person thinking it had a gun to his head.

“Do we have to follow human values to live alongside them?” Kang-Woo couldn’t help but laugh. He called, “Lilith.”

He gripped Lilith’s shoulders harder as he suppressed his surging anxiety.

He continued, “Humans are an idiotic garbage race.”

They were illogical, violent, and disorderly. They were the cause of Earth’s environmental destruction for a reason.

“Learning their values won’t do you any good. We may live alongside humans but can never become them— no, we have no reason to be like them. So, uhhh... you should just use Kurosaki Yurie’s body.”

Kang-Woo stared at Lilith desperately, imagining what would happen if Lilith returned to her true form permanently after all this time.

‘F-Fuck no. Anything but that!!’

His face turned pale as he panted heavily, and cold sweats ran down his back. Transcendental fear took over him, causing him to tremble. He was more afraid than when he faced millions of demons in the Abyss.

“My king...” Lilith grabbed Kang-Woo’s hands, teary-eyed. “Of course, I want to keep using this body too.”

Back in Hell, Lilith had not ended up together with Kang-Woo because she continued to use her tentacles to entice him without realizing his abnormally twisted fetish, which was that he despised tentacles. The thing that realized her unrequited love, which seemed to last forever, was the body of Kurosaki Yurie.

This tentacle-less, plain, and ugly female body matched Kang-Woo’s tastes perfectly, hence Liltih did not want to give up the body that allowed her to become one with Kang-Woo.

“But if I continue to share this body with her... our consciousness will begin to mix.”

Even if they were to mix, the dominant one would ultimately be Lilith. No matter how strong-willed Kurosaki Yurie was, it would be difficult for her to dominate the Succubus Queen, who had lived for thousands of years.

“I’m... a little scared,” Lilith muttered as she carefully grabbed Kang-Woo’s clothes.

It was only natural that she would emerge victorious in a battle for control against Kurosaki Yurie. It was foolish to even consider the possibility of losing against a mere human— it was impossible for a demon who had lived for thousands of years to lose.

‘But...’

She knew someone who had come out on top against impossible odds. He laughed in the face of the despairing difference in strength and trampled on causality to emerge victorious.

“It’s highly unlikely, but... what if something like you had done in the Demonic Sea happens?”

Kang-Woo entered his consciousness and defeated Bauli, a Primordial Titan, who was trying to take over his body. The difference in power between Lilith and Kurosaki Yurie was nothing compared to what the difference between Kang-Woo and Bauli had been at the time.

“And... even if I manage to overpower her consciousness...”

Lilith would not be able to avoid a portion of Kurosaki Yurie’s consciousness mixing with hers since it was no different from two souls existing inside one body.

“I don’t want my feelings for you... to be tainted by someone else’s consciousness.”

Lilith looked at Kang-Woo, full of anxiety. Her love for Kang-Woo likely would not change even if the consciousness were to mix, but it would not be completely the same as long as a portion of Kurosaki Yurie’s consciousness was mixed with Lilith’s.

“Mm, so...” Kang-Woo slurred as he pulled on his hair anxiously.

He did not think Kurosaki Yurie’s consciousness would come out on top; his miraculous feat of defeating the Demon God was only possible because it was him.

‘But there’s no way to stop their consciousness from mixing.’

If two souls existed in one body, one would influence the other; it was just a matter of the extent.

‘What do I do?’

His thoughts were in a jumble.

“My king...” Lilith grabbed Kang-Woo’s hands and stared at him teary-eyed. She asked worryingly, “Would you still love me... even if I were to return to my original form?”

Kang-Woo could feel her hands trembling.

He gripped her hands harder and answered without hesitation, “Yeah, that’s a hard no.”

‘I would never have returned to Earth if it was something that could be overcome with love. I will never love tentacles even if were to be torn apart.’

“My king, you idiot!!”

Lilith slapped Kang-Woo in the face with all her might.

“Kurgh!” Kang-Woo grunted as he twirled in the air three times and fell on his face.

He could have blocked it using his Deific Essence barrier but lowered it because he had a feeling he should shut up and let himself get slapped in this situation.

“You’re supposed to tell me that you would, even if it’s a lie!” Lilith glared at Kang-Woo as she panted seethingly.

“Okay. I would still love you even if you return to your original form.”

“It’s too late!”

“What the hell do you want me to do, then?” Kang-Woo groaned as he got back up, scratching his head.

Just then, Lilith suddenly turned her head with blank eyes, staring into nothingness.

“Pardon...? Is that true?” she talked to herself. “Why...? Isn’t this your body, Yurie?”

It seemed she was speaking to Kurosaki Yurie’s consciousness. Kang-Woo simply waited with his arms crossed since not even he could eavesdrop on a conversation inside someone’s head. Their conversation continued for a while longer and stopped.

“What did she say?” Kang-Woo asked, tilting his head.

Lilith groaned as she twirled the ends of her black hair. She answered, “Yurie wants a different body.”

“What?” Kang-Woo did not expect such an answer. He frowned as he stared at the wide-eyed Lilith. “I mean... that would be good for all of us.”

Everything would be solved if the original owner of the body wanted to leave it. Their consciousness would not mix, and Kurosaki Yurie’s body would become Lilith’s.

“But why?” Kang-Woo asked.

It was no easy decision to give up one’s body.

“Well...” Lilith slurred then continued calmly, “I think you should hear it from her.”

Lilith snapped her finger and then her charming aura that naturally enticed others disappeared. A simple change in the body’s owner was enough for a woman who gave off bewitching energy to turn into a pure and innocent girl.

“Haaa... I believe this is our first time speaking face to face,” said Lilith— no, Kurosaki Yurie as she stared at Kang-Woo.

She gave off an elegant aura as she swept her hair behind her ear, one that couldn’t be felt from Lilith.

“Yeah.” Kang-Woo nodded as he locked eyes with Yurie. “So, why do you want to give up your body?”

His tone was cold, the opposite of when he was talking to Lilith. His gaze was fierce as if telling Yurie that he would devour her soul if she tried anything funny.

“There is no need for you to be so on guard,” Yurie remarked.

“I will be the judge of that. Stop beating around the bush and talk.”

Yurie sighed. “I’m not scheming anything in particular. I just...” She looked up and continued in an exhausted tone, “Want to live my own life.”

Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes. He could easily figure out what she meant by that based on her former position. “You want to give up your life as a celestial maiden[1]?”

“Correct.” Yurie smiled sorrowfully. “I was isolated from others since I was young. I couldn’t play outside like the other children nor did I have friends my age. As for my education... it was all from private tutors.”

“...”

“It got worse after the Day of Calamity. I was looked after by the government because of the special power I awakened. I was always accompanied by bodyguards and couldn’t even eat the things I wanted.”

Yurie’s clenched fists trembled.

She continued bitterly, “I... don’t want to go back to that life.”

Kang-Woo nodded, understanding her reasons.

“But that doesn’t matter anymore. Lilith has full control over the Japanese government, so no one can put a leash on you even if you decide to stay in that body.”

The first thing Lilith did after entering Yurie’s body was to gain freedom by forcing the higher-ups of the Japanese government to submit to her. It was only natural since she couldn’t be with Kang-Woo if she didn’t do that. In other words, Yurie would be free if she were to live on in her original body.

“No.” Yurie shook her head. “I’m different from her. As long as I’m in this body... I can’t be free.”

She bit her lip and embraced herself as if imprisoning herself.

Kang-Woo clicked his tongue. A person who never had wings couldn’t soar freely across the skies just because they were given wings. Yurie had been imprisoned her entire life, hence she had never experienced a life of freedom. That was why she desired to have a fresh start in a new body.

“Okay, I get your reason.” Kang-Woo nodded as he withdrew his bloodlust. There was no need to be wary of her now that their interests matched. “Then as for your new body...”

“Oh, please leave that to me.”

The elegant and pure air around Yurie changed as if a switch was flipped, changing into one bursting with charm and lust.

“A body perfect for Yurie to make her fresh start... One more beautiful than anyone...”

Lilith’s eyes shone as she smiled seductively.

“I will make one just for her.”

Kang-Woo flinched, chills running down his back.

‘Uhhh... just a fucking second. You’re going to make it?’

1. She was never called that in the main story but I guess that’s what we’re going with. ☜