Heaven Be Kind

3: Divine

Everyone’s face soured except Yu when the smile on the demon’s face fell. Even the wind that blew that night paused to aid the silence.

Nothing moved.

No one breathed.

Fear took charge and everyone asked within themselves this question.

A great demon that can hide as an ordinary demon and can move about freely without being detected?

If that was possible, just what else are they oblivious to?

The demon laughed.

The sound of her laughter resonated loudly along with the other loud instruments playing beneath them as they welcomed more guests to the wedding.

Yu calmly pulled out a pin with the sharpest point and silenced the demon’s insane laughter by lowering the tip close to the demon’s left eye.

‘’Tell us.’’

‘’Why is no demon attacking any human but simply wondering about the capital, planting dead flowers around and being unusual?’’

The demon’s eyeballs moved restlessly and enlarged each time the tip of the pin moved close enough to puncture.

‘’How did you manage to tear down the barriers so easily before the wedding?’’

‘’How was it only after the celebration began that we were able to detect any trace of your existence within the walls?’’

The pin touched her eyeball and the demon went completely still.

‘’What demon brought you all in and where is it?’’

The eyeball moved toward the demon slayer. A slight puncture and blood pooled like tears at the corners of her eyes. No one cared but what she had to say to them before putting her out of her misery.

‘’So many questions. I can’t answer all of them without receiving anything in return—’’

The pin sank deeper by an inch, and the demon felt the pain right from her dislocated body. She tried to blink and tears ran like blood down her ashen cheeks.

But the slayer beside her looked determined to give her an unforgettable ending. One she would carry along with her to the afterlife and fear ever being reborn again.

‘’I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know… please spare me—’’

Her cries grew as Yu lowered the pin, blinding her immediately without blinking. The demon gasped and trembled at the pain that seized her lifeless body in waves.

Yu tilted her head to the side to see if the demon truly wanted this kind of death before she talked.

The demon let out another breathless cry and she decided the suffering wasn’t worth keeping her mouth shut. She had done her part anyway and the demons that died building the formation all over the capital for days now had also died while doing their part.

If there was any chance of her making it alive, then she would be foolish not to grab it and run.

Her eyes now ruined beyond any cure turned to the demon slayer repentantly and said with quivering lips.

She just needed to hint to them enough for her to keep her alive. Who knew, they might even be more interested in letting her reconnect to her main body peacefully and heal to tell them more about the disaster they had been planning and executing since three months ago. If she’s even lucky, they might take her back and heal her properly and protect her from whatever consequences would follow her betrayal. She might even see a chance to escape and flee back to the dark comfort of Fate Heaven.

She should have known that trusting and helping an Earth demon out was a big mistake. Close to a death sentence.

‘’He…’’

She struggled now to even construct a single word as something strange within her tightened.

‘’He wears a beautiful dress.’’

Yu blinked and the others moved in subtle alarm.

‘’And,’’ Another tear rolled and dripped down the side of her face like raindrops.

‘’You have all seen him before.’’

Boom—splash!

Yu and the others stumbled back in shock and a young demon slayer was quick to pull Yu to himself and prevent the poisonous blood of the dismembered demon from reaching her.

The aftermath of the explosion was horrific. It left a shadow of blood, bones and the cracked skull of the demon behind. Nothing tangible to gather, recover or save.

The demon was gone. Right before their eyes and without any warning.

It made everyone panic and a few demon slayers were at full alert to try and see who or whatever caused the demon’s sudden death.

Yu pulled away from the slayer that jumped in to protect her from the explosion and moved to stare at the remnants of the demon in morbid horror.

In her twenty years of being a reputable slayer and imperial demon slayer of the Capital, she had never seen anything like this before. She raised her head quickly, pulling down her mask immediately and turned in all directions to see who had just attacked the demon without warning.

But there was no one.

Only the colorful explosions of fireworks danced before her eyes and the shouts of celebrations and joy echoed all around her.

Yu turned again, breathing heavily this time. Her left ear twitched when she remembered what the demon said underneath her breath just half a second before her sudden death.

If she wasn’t wrong, she mumbled ‘’love’’…

What does that even mean?

Was the demon a great demon disguised as an earth demon like they originally suspected?

Or was there more to this?

Yu hated situations that stressed her. Things she couldn’t control or dared to challenge her reputation of being the best demon slayer in the entire capital.

Even if that abomination was an earth demon… still, their demon revealing compass would have fished him out as well.

How did he remain hiding in plain sight for three whole months?

'He wears a beautiful dress…'

Yu looked disturbed as she tried to make sense of everything.

If the demon hadn’t died right before them…

Yu’s eyes widened as a thought hit her like a thunderbolt. Her teammates trying to understand the multiple expressions on her face followed her when she moved all of a sudden to the edge of the roof they all stood on and stared down at the packed streets of dancers, magicians, guests and cheerful commoners.

The food stalls that sold desserts, cakes and wedding bands and charms.

The families that hurried after the golden carriages. The nobles that were guided into bronze carriages and the imperial guards sitting stiffly on dark horses, their gaze sharp to take down any threat.

Yu stared and observed closely. A loyal and close confidant of hers turned to stare at her when he didn’t understand what she was looking for.

‘’A–Yu, what is it?’’

Her friend in the mortal realm since birth asked, saying what the others dared not say.

Yu’s eyes followed the children that chased after a wooden dragonfly, and, as if being divinely led by a mystical force, her gaze paused at the venue of the wedding—the Silk Jade Court. Where the emperor rules the world with an iron fist.

‘’A–Sheng,’’ she said without taking her eyes off the red, ancient building that dominated the entire Capital with its complex and impressive structure.

‘’I want you and every demon slayer you can mobilize right now to seal up the entire capital with all types of barriers you can find and plant as many soldiers as you can find at every corner of the street and be on guard for anything.’’

Sheng Meng nodded even though he still couldn’t tell if she had spotted where that demon was hiding.

‘’Use talismans and utilize as many artifacts as you can. Both ancient and new.’’

‘’Guard every wall and do not let any guest or citizen leave until we capture that demon.’’

‘’What’s the matter?’’ Sheng Meng asked again after receiving her orders. Yu sighed as she faced them, not knowing how to tell them this but it was best if they knew beforehand what this was about so they could put in their very best into this mission.

‘’It’s not an Earth demon or a demon from Fate Heaven.’’

She said, scaring them even more.

One slayer blinked from behind Sheng Meng and wanted to ask what it was then.

‘’It’s divine.’’

Their hearts missed a beat.