On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

"Seed of Darkness?" I asked the tall man standing before me.

"Yes. At least, that is what I think it is." The tall man shook his head before smiling softly. "Either way, that is the reason why you didn\'t get the System. It corrupts you, as those people like to say."

I frowned, thinking about who could be responsible for putting the seed in me. I immediately assumed it was the old man from the Temple. He might have had a grudge against me from the beginning. I was the only one who felt pain when he covered us with that golden light. It might be the time when he planted the seed.

"Ha-Ha-Ha," the tall man laughed, awakening me from my thought. "No, Shizuru. Someone didn\'t plan it inside you—you were born with it. The Seed of Darkness is given to the chosen person. You are lucky enough to have it inside you."

"This shit ruined my life—why should I be happy?"

"You entered the wrong environment, Shizuru. You wouldn\'t suffer if you had joined our side since the very beginning." The tall man extended his hand. "My name is Ilschevar Verniculos. I am the Ninth Demon King."

I already knew the identity of the tall man even before he introduced himself, but I didn\'t call him his name because I didn\'t consider him an ally. Those bastards betrayed as easily as breathing; who knows what a Demon King might do if I trust him?

"There is no need to pretend like a good person. Just tell me what you want."

Ilschevar\'s smile faltered. He retracted his hand after a few seconds. Looking at me with a contemplative look, he hummed to himself. That made me tense since he looked like he was going to kill me. After five seconds that felt forever, he spoke again.

"Be my ace. You currently possess something that we have been anticipating for years. We will do our best to nurture you as long as you agree to be my ace. If you refuse, I am sorry, but I have to kill you. I can\'t let you fall into the hands of my siblings."

"What is so special about this Seed of Darkness?"

"It is believed to be the remnant of the power of the Demon God. It gives a huge advantage to Demons, so everyone wishes to have it." Ilschevar\'s gaze turned solemn. "Unfortunately, it is hard to control. It clouds your heart with darkness once you lose control over it, bringing the end to this world."

"Am I…"

"Not yet, but you will be powerful enough to do that."

Ilschevar once again extended his hand. I gulped as I looked at it and then grasped it after giving it some thought. I didn\'t care about how strong I would become in the future. I only wanted to take revenge on those bastards. At that time, this was my sole motivation.

My trainer was a goddess named Valeria Koschinum. Everything about her, bar her emotional sensitivity, was perfect. She was a great teacher and an interesting friend. I hated her when she became my teacher but liked her when she became my friend. Through all the torturous training she gave me, I grew stronger rapidly.

I never thought much about it, but Valeria made me realize that I was talented. I could learn new things quickly and even imitate something that I just saw once with ridiculous accuracy. I wondered if it had anything to do with the Seed of Darkness. Valeria confirmed that it did, but not entirely.

The Seed of Darkness only let me comprehend Dark Magic, the Magic that Cursed Creations used, faster and increased my physical strength. Therefore, I could consider myself a genius who was born once in a thousand years.

Two months passed quickly and came the time for me to become a Demon. Ilschevar told me to drink his blood from the goblet he had prepared. I did it and immediately lost consciousness. I didn\'t remember what happened, but everyone looked at me with stunned looks on their face when I regained consciousness.

As I touch my forehead, I can feel a pair of horns. I had become a Demon and it was one of the most amazing experiences I had ever had. The look Ilschevar and Valeria gave me made me wonder if I looked hideous. I confronted them about it and they asked me a question instead.

"Do you know what your Origin is?"

"Uh…wait…" I scratched my head as I tried to say the word that was already at the tip of my tongue. I didn\'t even know how I could have that word at the tip of my tongue. "Disaster. Yeah, that is my Origin."

Ilschevar and Valeria looked at each other. The former smiled wryly meanwhile the latter got rigid. I could instantly tell something was wrong. I wondered if I did it wrong. I was worried that I had missed a procedure.

"Shizuru, I think I have finally figured out the identity of the power inside you. It is not the Seed of Darkness. It is not as impressive but still a terrifying thing to possess."

I won\'t lie. The revelation disappointed me slightly; I thought I was special. Now that I recall it, I want to punch the younger me for thinking about something so embarrassing. Putting that aside, I looked at Ilschevar inquiringly, prompting him to tell me what made him concerned.

"The reason why Origin: Disaster is not as special as the Seed of Darkness is that it is a loose cannon. It instills the thirst for destruction into the mind of its possessor. It corrupts the possessor ever so slightly and there is no way to stop its effect so far."

"In other words, I am going to bring chaos into this world sooner or later," I conclude with a bitter smirk. "Great. Can\'t a single good thing happen in my life? Do I have to die now? After everything that I have done? Can\'t I take my revenge on those bastards!?"

I was having an emotional breakdown. Both Ilschevar and Valeria were realists, so none of them came to comfort me. They just stared at me as I wept. By the time I was done weeping, five minutes had passed. The two were already before me as I straightened my posture. They put their hands on my shoulders as they looked at me with regret.

"We could have let it remain dormant in you. I am sorry for telling you to become a Demon."

Ilschevar was genuinely apologetic. It made me laugh in disbelief because I had never expected a Demon King to be a genuine person. He then offered to seal my Origin which, in turn, would also seal my Demonic Power. I refused that immediately because I needed the power to exact revenge.

Ilschevar nodded his head but warned me that I had to have it sealed by the end of the day unless I wanted him to kill me. My Origin had set my path. I was going to bring chaos upon this world. I was the disaster.

Time flew faster than an arrow when you enjoyed it. Many things happened in six months. I had already become a Tenth Wing Warrior, making me on the same level as the Demon King\'s Generals. I had also killed every one of those bastards but one—Nagato.

As I ran through the plain, I wondered what look he would have when I hacked his skull. I was on my way to end the bastard—his turn had come. Seeing his shocked look at the battlefield four months ago was exhilarating but not enough. As his friends did, I hoped he would show me an interesting look as he registered the fact that he was going to die in my hands.

He had expected my arrival, surprisingly. He looked at me solemnly as if he was ready to die to atone for his sin—it was hilarious.

"Tell me…whom am I facing right now?"

"People call me Crimson Maiden."

"I see. Agatsuma Shizuru truly died that day, huh?"

"Agatsuma Shizuru died in Hiroshima, killed by the Shinobi that the Shogun sent to kill her."

"…I am sorry."

The look on the bastard\'s face told me he was truly sorry, but I didn\'t waver. I kept my face expressionless as I swung my greatsword, Rexorem, which had reaped tens of thousands of souls. The fight broke out afterward. Much to my disappointment, I had become too strong. Nagato couldn\'t even make me sweat.

I wondered what I would feel after I killed him. Revenge was my main motivation to keep alive. I honestly didn\'t know what I would do after I killed him. Despite so, I didn\'t hesitate to kill him just so I could keep my reason for staying alive.

Bam!

By the time I realized it, Nagato was already sprawled on the ground, bleeding from all places. For the first time, I could spot fear on his face. A smirk immediately crept up my flat face. It was what I had been waiting for. He should have shown me the look from the very beginning.

Overwhelmed with ecstasy, I raise my greatsword and swung it down at him. Much to my absolute distaste, he disappeared right before my greatsword made contact with his neck. Livid, I looked around for him. I kept looking for him even a week after his disappearance.

When I still couldn\'t find him, I quickly accepted the fact that I could never find him. It was the moment when my life as Shizuru Agatsuma ended. She had achieved her goal, so it was time for the new her to start a new journey. That way, Millonia Trelova was born.