~Chapter 13~
The public prayer room was too crowded, so I needed a private one.
Wandering through the robes of priests, I finally stopped, my legs aching, and grabbed one as he passed.
I dabbed spit under my eye, furrowed my brow, and drooped my eyes down as far as they would go.
“Hing… excuse me.”
“Oh? What’s wrong, little one?”
“I wanna pray. Where do I pray… alone?”
“Alone? Ah, a private prayer room… you can only enter with a registered adult member of the temple.”
So there was a restriction.
I pinched my thigh hard under my robe.
Tears welled up instantly.
‘Hurts so much…’
Maybe I shouldn’t have used magic in my fingers too.
“M-My daddy in heaven… he wants to pray… He said if he prays, they’ll all hear him…”
I decided to sell out the father I’d never even seen.
It wasn’t like he’d know I was here anyway.
“Ah…”
Time to cry. I forced my eyes. Forced them… forced them…
‘Tch.’
Nothing.
So I buried my face in my palms instead, shoulders trembling just slightly. I heard the priest sigh awkwardly.
“There… is an empty prayer room, but…”
Perfect!
“I’ll only stay a little bit! Just wanna pray to Daddy!”
Looking around and sighing, the priest finally led me to a small room.
He flipped the hourglass on the table.
“…Not too long, understood? You must be out before all the sand falls.”
“Yes!”
I raised both hands and beamed.
When I hugged his leg for good measure, the priest coughed and patted my head.
“Ahem. Only until the sand runs out.”
He left after reminding me again.
The instant he was gone, I dropped the act, hopped up, locked the door, and dashed across the room, stomping right over the prayer cushion.
High above, a huge statue loomed. Beneath it, offerings and candles crowded the altar.
I kicked the offerings aside, sat down on them, and began crunching the snacks I’d brought.
Only after finishing every bite did I grab a small statue from the table’s center.
“Nirgama, kukkurassu.”
(“Come out, you bastard.”)
Speaking demon tongue, I hurled the delicate marble statue onto the floor with a burst of magic, grinning wide.
Time to blow off some steam.
CRASH!
I smashed everything on the altar, finally dropping to the floor with a sigh.
The claim that prayer brought gods was all a lie.
In truth, no matter how long you prayed, they never came.
They enjoyed basking in the adoration of mortals, steeped in their superiority complex.
The only real way to drag them down?
Exactly one.
Cause trouble.
“Hah… still not coming? God, God, when will you show yourself? If not now…”
Then I’d just have to smash the statue above.
I had little magic, but enough to break a man-made idol.
I began gathering my pitiful magic—
when suddenly, light burst before my eyes.
From outside, deafening bells rang until they filled the prayer room.
I covered my ears.
‘My precious ears… if they break, I’ll never fix them.’
Why did gods always arrive so noisily?
As the bells faded, a column of light shot down from the empty ceiling.
I lowered my hands from my ears only to shield my delicate eyes instead.
From within the beam, a figure descended, white robes fluttering.
“You still make a scene, I see.”
Dodging the flying debris, I slouched into a chair, muttering.
Teeth ground audibly within the light.
[You still lack dignity, and know nothing of propriety, Demon King.]
The words—familiar.
Ancient tongue.
That I could understand. That I could pronounce.
[Dignity? Why would I cling to such trash? A Demon King exists only for destruction. Especially toward the god who dared curse one as kind as me.]
I sneered.
The old man-shaped god gave a short laugh.
Clearly, my childlike appearance amused him.
I dangled my legs off the chair, swaying them.
[Ha! The so-called mighty Demon King—look at you. How does it feel, living in the body of a fragile human you once despised, born in a land drenched with divine blessing?]
He smirked, baiting me.
I raised a tiny fist.
The god’s shoulders flinched.
[Coward.]
I grinned.
Of course, with my sealed magic, I couldn’t actually fight even a stupid lesser god.
But look at him shrink anyway.
[Pathetic.]
[What?]
I chuckled, turning my head lazily.
Strange… it’s unusually noisy outside.
I thought I sensed movement just beyond the door.
But clearly, this idiot god had thrown up a barrier to keep people from entering.
[Do you know how many temples you destroyed in the past?]
[No.]
[…]
He hadn’t expected me to be this brazen.
Honestly, I truly hadn’t kept count.
You don’t count toys as you break them.
[The weight of your sins is immense.]
[Oh dear, is that so?]
[You…!]
[Enough rambling. Where is the god who cursed me? Why send a petty underling?]
No point talking with a bottom-feeder.
[…How dare you insult a god! I am not lesser—I am greater!]
His face flushed red. He clenched his fists, trembling.
[Really? Weren’t you doing grunt work last I saw?]
I widened my eyes, tilting my head, finger pressed to my lips.
The god’s shoulders jolted.
[Th-That was long ago! Now I…!]
[Oh, so I guessed right. Interesting.]
I smirked.
[You… how dare a lowly demon mock me! How dare you!]
Light whipped into a storm, surging with his anger.
[Planning to kill me?]
[Yes! Trash like you should never exist—]
[I’ll have you know, I’m human right now.]
At once, the idiot froze.
His eyes widened, blood vessels bursting red.
He forced his rage down.
The storm of light subsided.
The heavens had rules.
Foremost among them: a god punishing a human out of personal emotion was the gravest of sins.
So was interfering in mortal affairs.
[Enough games…]
I lowered my voice for effect.
It came out like a child’s—thin, with a faint lisp.
‘Damn it.’
No fixing that.
[Better summon the real one. Before I call my magic beast and tear this place apart.]
Of course, that damned squirrel had no such power.
At best, it could fetch acorns, not wreck temples.
This was pure bluff.
[A magic beast? You’ve already summoned it?]
[Yes.]
(A squirrel, I added silently.)
The god’s face paled.
[Th-That being would never waste time on a wretch like you—!]
Hook, line, sinker.
Maybe gods were ranked by stupidity.
I sighed. The god flinched.
Then—
The light exploded, blindingly bright.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
And then—
[Kirsallium, return. From here, I will deal with her.]
Finally.
I straightened up.
The trembling fool of a god stumbled back, grinding his teeth before vanishing into the light.
[It’s been a while, Agreas.]
From within the glow, golden hair cascading to the waist, a new figure appeared.
