This Author Has Gone Demonic; It's a Demonic Work

As the ice and snow melt and all things revive, it's time to visit the Sabzeruz Festival once again.

In the vibrant Sumeru City, a lone wolf was freely spreading its scent in front of a shawarma stall, trying to attract attention.

However, in this dark forest called Sumeru, it is not a wise move to casually reveal one's location.

Countless eyes were fixed on the reckless lone wolf.

Unbeknownst to the lone wolf, a powerful predator was silently watching him from behind...

"Hey, the street vendor didn't do anything wrong, and you're throwing a tantrum and acting like you're in the right?"

"Hey? Isn't this the famous Traveler and her Pokémon? What are you doing bullying someone as insignificant as me?" Even though he had heard of the Traveler's name, Scott seemed somewhat emboldened.

"Ugh! Who are you calling a pet! She and I are partners! Best partners!" Paimon stomped her little foot in the air, responding angrily.

"Partner?" Scott chuckled, his sunglasses sliding down to his nose as he glanced sideways at Paimon, who was floating in mid-air. His words were full of mockery. "Best partner, huh? Ha, listen to that."

He raised his chin, his gaze sweeping over Paimon before settling back on Ying. "In my eyes, she's nothing more than a little brat who freeloads off you. She's all talk and no action now, but who can guarantee she won't turn on you when disaster strikes?"

Paimon immediately stood with his hands on his hips, puffing out his cheeks. "Hey! What nonsense are you talking about! I would never abandon Traveler!"

"Oh? That's easy for you to say." Scott spread his hands, his face full of disdain. "Partners are just a burden. The so-called bond of being together day and night is nothing but shackles that bind your hands and feet. If you rely on her now, she will become your weakness in the future, waiting to be manipulated by others."

Ying gripped her Dull Blade tightly, pointing the tip at Scott: "Paimon would never do that!"

"Oh, look at you, getting impatient! You want to fight?" Scott spread his hands, leaned forward, patted his cheeks, and smirked. "You want to hit me? You want to hit me? Why aren't you? Standing up for your so-called buddies? Hahahaha—I think..."

Snap!

A crisp snap of fingers suddenly reached the ears of everyone present.

Scott seemed to have been suddenly put on pause, standing frozen in place, clutching his head.

"What happened to him?" Paimon asked, completely bewildered.

"It's nothing, I just didn't like how arrogant he was." Xingsu slowly pushed through the crowd and walked up to the group.

"Xingsu! You're back! What did you do to him? What did you do to him?"

"Hmph, watch closely, this is going to be a good show."

"Awooo! Howl! Awooo--" A wolf's howl suddenly exploded out.

Scott, who had been standing frozen, suddenly dropped to the ground, howling like a wolf, his limbs pushing against the sand, assuming a poised and ready-to-attack stance.

"Awoo!"

"What... what's wrong with him?"

"Could this be a savage demon?"

Passersby took a few steps back and began to whisper among themselves.

Scott suddenly leaped up and pounced on Xingsu and the others, his mouth wide open as if he were about to bite them.

Snap!

Xingsu raised his hand and gave Scott a solid slap as he lunged at him.

The slap completely stunned Scott. He fell to the ground, staring blankly at Xingsu.

"That slap must have caused him so much psychological damage..." Paimon covered his eyes, then peeked through a few cracks.

Xingsu took a few steps forward.

"Waaah--" Scott crawled backward on all fours, shrinking into a corner and cowering timidly to one side.

Xingsu Su didn't even glance at him again, and walked straight to the stall.

"Boss, four servings of shawarma, please. And do you have any extra bones? Could I have a big one?"

"Great, sir! This meat was freshly processed this morning, and the bones weren't too far off. Please wait a moment."

Xingsu took the shawarma and handed it to the Traveler, Paimon, and Dunyarzad.

"Try it, it's my favorite snack from when I worked at the Akademiya."

"It's delicious, but..." Paimon pointed to Scott was huddled to the side with clear eyes, "Is he... alright?"

"Oh, he's fine. I just magnified the most twisted side of his heart in my memory. I doubt he can break free from my control anytime soon."

"You can control minds!?" Paimon darted behind Ying. "Wow, how terrifying! You... you... you can't..."

Ying also tensed up, looking at Xingsu with a wary expression.

"Alright, I certainly can't just control others like that. Traveler, you've tried this shawarma, how did it feel?"

"It's a... strange feeling. I've never eaten this before, but the taste feels so familiar."

"Very good, it seems you've finally realized it."

"Realized about what?" Paimon asked, puzzled.

"We... have probably experienced this more than once before," Ying calmly analyzed the current situation.

"Bingo! You finally realized!" Xingsu snapped his fingers again. "Unfortunately, there's no reward. To be precise, you've been stuck in a loop of a dream called the Sabzeruz Festival."

"A dream? But why do we know we're dreaming yet can't wake up? And why are you..."

"After you've finished telling me about Paimon, I'll explain. My ability is rather unique; I retain memories from each cycle, and in my dreams, I can do things I can't normally do, such as..."

Xingsu snapped his fingers, and an ordinary old man taking a stroll appeared in their field of vision.

"Zhong, Zhongli?" Paimon and Ying stared wide-eyed in surprise.

"And what else?" Xingsu lightly tapped the ground with his toes, Tartaglia suddenly appeared out of thin air, standing in front of everyone.

"Just some projections of memories, huh... Do you guys want to see ten thousand Tartaglia versus an ordinary old man walking his bird?"

"Huh?" Ying stared blankly at Xingsu, then her eyes lit up with golden light. "Really?"

"Alright, alright, that's definitely impossible. I've never seen that old man fight." Xingsu waved his hand.

"Getting back to the main point, the reason I didn't tell you directly is because I wasn't clear about the consequences of doing so."

Just as you can't wake a sleepwalker, forcibly waking you could cause irreversible damage to your brain.

As for why you realize you're dreaming but can't wake up, I still need to do some verification.

However, it is certain that this matter is inextricably linked to the Akademiya and Dottore.

You guys continue showing Dunyarzad around the Sabzeruz Festival, I still need to verify some ideas."

Xingsu's gaze shifted and landed on Scott, who was huddled in the corner with a blank stare. His eyes gradually turned cold, and he snapped his fingers again.

Scott immediately entered his octogenarian form, but when he saw Xingsu walking towards him, he chickened out.

Xingsu grabbed the large bone, raised his hand, and threw it forcefully into the distance.

Scott used all four limbs to dash out and retrieve the bone, then obediently handed it to Xingsu's feet.

"Wow, this savage has become intelligent; he's a Homo sapiens."

Xingsu scoffed lightly, then turned and left with Scott, disappearing into the bustling crowds of the Grand Bazaar.

"A Sabzeruz Festival that never ends..." Dunyarzad watched Xingsu figure, her eyes lowered, and repeated softly to herself.