Under the destructive force of Starlight Prairie Fire, the demon's torso shattered in an instant, leaving only a relatively intact head about to be swallowed by scattered flames.
Why?
Why had it turned out like this?
Ten minutes ago, he had still been wondering how to earn Lord Kibutsuji's favor as Rui had. Ten minutes later... he was going to die?
Who exactly was this swordsman?
"Well, you seem to have a lot of questions." Haruto turned around, reading the look in the severed head's eyes. "Unfortunately, you're about to die, so could you answer my questions first?"
The swordsman crouched down and asked curiously, "Where do the other two demons live? That guy who lost his challenge but didn't get devoured must be pretty popular with everyone, huh?"
Rokuro didn't want to answer him.
He prided himself on not being some little brat, not some weakling who became too frightened to speak just because a demon-slaying swordsman held a blade to his neck.
Besides, he was going to die. Nothing he said now would make any difference.
But the swordsman's words caught his interest. Rui? Popular?
No, among the Lower Ranks, that brat was the most unpleasant of them all.
And so, his disintegrating head answered coldly, "Not at all."
"I don't like him. I really don't like that brat."
Rude, conceited, and most importantly, he had taken all the love Lord Kibutsuji had for the Lower Ranks.
If not for him, Rokuro might have... perhaps he might have qualified to compete for an Upper Rank position too, if only some of the blood given to that brat Rui had gone to him. Just a little would have been enough...
What right did Rui have to keep living? He relied entirely on Lord Kibutsuji's mercy.
In the moment before