After watching Mashiro get into Hiratsuka's car, Raize carried Scarlet and headed toward a pet shop to specifically purchase some cat supplies.
He did not take the brief incident with Masuzu to heart. Even if he had been training for a long time, hunting ghouls to temper his killing intent until he was exhausted and wanted to relax, he still had no interest in developing a storyline with Masuzu.
"Welcome. Are you here to buy pet-related items, or do you need pet care services?"
As soon as he entered the pet shop, he noticed that none of the small animals inside were making a fuss. They all seemed rather gentle. When Raize walked in holding Scarlet, a kindly-looking young man in work clothes, also holding a chubby orange cat, approached him. It seemed he was either an employee or the owner.
Just as Raize was about to speak, when the gentle-faced young man drew closer, the holy radiance within Raize's body inexplicably stirred.
It felt similar to the discomfort and aversion he experienced when facing devils or fallen angels, though much weaker, merely a sense of resistance.
Meanwhile, the gentle young man holding the fat orange cat froze for a brief instant upon seeing Raize up close. This moment was completely imperceptible to ordinary people, but in this shop, aside from animals, there seemed to be no ordinary humans at all.
Only two unfamiliar anomalous beings facing each other.
"Thank you. I need a litter box, cat litter, a cat climbing frame, scratching boards, cat-specific shampoo…"
After briefly sizing up the other party, Raize concluded that he was indeed a special existence. However, since there was no immediate conflict, it did not matter. All Raize wanted now was to buy some proper supplies for Scarlet.
"All right. The red kitten you're holding is truly adorable. Would you like to customize those items for your cat? Our shop offers that service."
The young man in work clothes put down the fat orange cat, smiled warmly at Scarlet, and spoke to Raize.
"No need. Please just select suitable items for my cat. I've heard this shop's products and services are quite good."
One should not strike a smiling face. Although he did not know who the other party was, Raize had no intention of excessive contact or conversation. He only wanted to finish shopping and go home for dinner.
After acknowledging Raize's request, the young man began gathering the cat supplies.
After carefully selecting everything and packing it into a prepared box, he asked whether delivery was needed. Raize politely declined, then casually hoisted the heavy box onto his shoulder with one hand.
"Oh, by the way, sir. Our shop recently lost a special cat, just as cute as the one you're holding. Pure white fur, deep sapphire-blue eyes, and it rarely makes any sound. Have you seen it?"
Suddenly, just as Raize was about to leave, the young man mentioned the missing cat.
Raize was about to reply that he had not seen it, when he realized that the pet shop had fallen completely silent, aside from the animals' faint sounds.
Despite the bustling traffic and pedestrians outside, the interior of the shop felt frozen, as if cut off from the outside world.
A black, deathly aura invisible to ordinary people formed a barrier around the shop. Raize's expression instantly turned cold. He lowered his head, looked at Scarlet in his arms, and spoke gently:
"Scarlet, go to the harbor and play with the Manjuus for a while."
Meow~
Although Scarlet did not understand what was happening, she obeyed Raize without question. She rubbed against his chest, received a pat on the head, and was then teleported to the harbor area of the Minecraft world, along with the box Raize had been carrying.
With all other presences cleared away, Raize no longer concerned himself with the animals in the shop. A terrifying blood-red mist suddenly surged from his body. The whites of his eyes were stained dark red with killing intent, and his pupils turned dark gold.
Unlike the black death aura barrier, which the animals could not perceive, his killing intent manifested as a blood mist that even insects could sense. Those too close would be annihilated; those farther away would instinctively flee.
All the caged pets in the shop were now trembling, lying prone and letting out pitiful whimpers.
"What do you want, dark creature?"
Turning around, Raize fixed the man with eyes brimming with killing intent. The gentle smile was gone from the man's face. Now, he should be called the King of the Night.
The King of the Night narrowed his eyes slightly and met Raize's murderous gaze head-on without fear. This kind of tangible killing aura was something he had never encountered before. Though cautious, he felt no fear at all.
Someone who does not even fear death will not fear a mere killing intent.
"Didn't I say it? Our shop recently lost a special cat…"
"Stop speaking in riddles. I hate people who talk like that."
Faced with the evasive words, Raize clenched his fists. If this man did not give a proper explanation, Raize did not mind letting him experience the pain of body and soul falling into the eighteen layers of hell through Shun Goku Satsu (Instant Hell Murder).
He was eager to test his killing techniques on a strong opponent.
Anyone who dared to covet Eu deserved death. He was not a kind-hearted fool like Ayumu. If Eu was unwilling, anyone who forced her would die.
"Heh. Since you don't understand subtlety, I won't beat around the bush. Eucliwood—"
Boom!
This time, it was no longer mere blood-red killing mist, but blazing, tangible killing-intent flames. The floor beneath Raize's feet crumbled, dense cracks racing up the walls and spreading across the ceiling.
"What are you here seeking? Eu's immortal blood? Her vast magical power? Or do you want it all?"
Raize smiled at the man before him. It was an ordinary smile, yet under the reverse erosion of killing intent, it resembled that of a true demon.
He was ready to kill the man outright. His fists rose slightly. Unless the man possessed some extraordinary evasion technique, the next moment would be a thousand-strike blow that annihilated the body and soul alike.
The King of the Night, locked in place by the killing aura, listened to Raize's words and revealed an intrigued smile. A strange emotion flickered in his eyes as he looked at Raize.
"How frightening. Feels like I'd be turned into minced meat in the next instant. I didn't expect Eucliwood to attract yet another existence willing to protect her. So she really is with you. Just like always."
"But I have no interest in any of that. What I seek is merely death itself."
The King of the Night felt both relieved and helpless. Eu was always like this, never lacking people willing to protect her. Every attempt to die ended in failure.
He had once been one of those people. But now things were different. He could no longer endure it. He could no longer accompany or protect her.
He could tell that the man before him, carrying traces of Eu's magical aura, was the same type he once had been—someone drawn to Eu and willing to protect her.
In the past, he would mercilessly destroy any vermin that dared covet his friend, even sacrificing his own life if necessary.
But now, as a zombie…
He had spared this man only because he sensed Eu's aura on him and wanted to confirm the situation.
If this man had turned out to be a madman hunting Eu, he would not have hesitated to kill him.
Though he sought death through Eu, he had never intended to harm her. He held no goodwill toward those who greedily coveted her power.
"…The King of the Night?"
Raize paused briefly, carefully examining the man before him as the term left his mouth.
Those who sought Eu only to die were limited to one person—the King of the Night—and this man fit perfectly.
"Oh? You know me? Did Eucliwood tell you?"
The King of the Night was surprised. He did not recall ever meeting this man. How could a human know of his existence?
"No. Eu would never casually mention her past, and she avoids speaking of you altogether. Are you affiliated with some organization?"
Ignoring the needle-like killing intent, the King of the Night scrutinized Raize. Few could recognize him, and fewer still could remain composed.
"I'm not affiliated with any group. I'm just a free individual with some strength. I've heard of you. The recent increase in Megalos in this area is because of you, isn't it?"
Raize drew the killing-intent flames back into his body. His appearance remained demonic, the dark red sclera and golden pupils proving he had not relaxed.
This man was neither enemy nor ally to him—merely a being obsessively seeking death at Eu's hands.
Strangely, his personality reminded Raize of the Mercury Snake from Dies Irae.
Many could kill the King of the Night, yet he desired only Eu to do it.
"It feels like you're insulting me in your thoughts. Yes, the increase in Megalos is because of me. I really want to see Eucliwood. She keeps avoiding me, so this was a necessary measure."
The King of the Night had expected an attack, yet Raize stopped after confirming his identity. It seemed Raize knew something about him.
Likely about his relationship with Eu.
Raize clicked his tongue. Using Megalos—only a pure underworld being would do that. He truly spared no means just to force Eu to grant him release.
But the King of the Night had a bottom line. He would not fundamentally harm Eu. He had once been her friend and protector.
Even so, Raize did not want Eu to cry because of him.
To Eu, the King of the Night was one of her few friends and companions.
For such a person to demand that she personally deliver death—there was nothing more cruel.
Thinking this, Raize looked at him.
"I know about your immortality. If you want to die, I can grant it. I can make sure not even your soul remains."
Eu's immortality created by word magic was troublesome, but not insurmountable.
The Biblical lilo God at home could handle it. So could he.
"You really are a good person. You don't want Eucliwood to be sad, do you?"
The King of the Night studied Raize with interest. Despite his youth, he saw through Raize's intentions at a glance.
Age brings wisdom, after all.
"Enough talk. Are you dying or not? I'm serious."
Exposed, Raize showed no strong emotion. He merely spoke impatiently, fists raised once more.
"Well… though I pursue death, and I would accept it from you, I still prefer Eucliwood to do it. I also want to become a penguin after I die. I rather like penguins."
Hearing this candid reply, the King of the Night gave an awkward chuckle.
Raize's killing intent vanished, replaced by visible disdain.
The ancient monster felt oddly embarrassed.
Seeking death while being so picky—wasn't that what they called—
"A scumbag."
Yes. That was the word.
Raize recalled that Eu liked penguins too. On their first outing together, he had won her a penguin plush from a claw machine.
Perhaps he was beginning to understand what this picky scumbag was really thinking.
Hearing himself called that, the King of the Night twitched, but Raize showed no mercy.
"You might as well admit it. You just want to die by Eu's hand, to have a proper beginning and end."
Somewhere, the Lord of the Fourth Throne nodded in approval.
"Let me ask you something. When you died back then, did you ask Eu to save you because you wanted to live, or did she decide on her own to save you?"
"Uh… Eucliwood was the one who saved me. If I had to die for her, I wouldn't have any complaints."
Not quite understanding what Raize meant, the King of the Night still answered honestly. He had a bad feeling that if he did not answer properly, Raize's fist would come crashing down immediately.
"…"
Raize stared silently at the man before him, his expression dark. He thought of the original storyline, where Eu saved a certain Asian dance king. The fist he had raised was ultimately lowered again.
If the King of the Night had wanted to live of his own will, was saved by Yuu, and only after a long time regretted it and sought death, then Raize would not have wasted words. He would have killed him on the spot, or thrown him into Kirby's stomach—an independent and endless dimensional universe.
But the person in front of him was someone Eu herself had chosen to save. All cause and effect lay with Eu, and he… could not act on his own authority.
"…I'll take you to see Eu."
"Oh? So you're going to help me?"
The King of the Night sounded surprised, and faintly delighted. Was this man really going to help him obtain the "death" granted by Eu?
"Don't misunderstand. I don't want to see that expressionless face of hers show sadness. Don't move."
The murderous intent around Raize completely retracted back into his body. At the end of his sentence, he suddenly invoked a word command originating from Eu, binding the King of the Night in place.
As the blood-red mist of killing intent dissipated, it was replaced by a pink radiance of energy. Just as the King of the Night was shocked by this familiar power, a mysterious pink spherical creature appeared before him. To someone who liked small animals, it actually looked rather cute.
However, this cute creature opened its huge mouth. As if teleporting, it appeared above the King of the Night's head and descended straight down, activating its suction ability.
"Hey!! What are you trying to do?!"
By the time the King of the Night reacted, his vision darkened. More than half his body had already entered the pink sphere's mouth. Only his calves remained outside, flailing desperately, erupting with pitch-black deathly energy in an attempt to escape.
Raize's sudden shift—sheathing his killing intent, appearing harmless, entering an accelerated state, and using word command—caught the King of the Night completely off guard. They had been talking just fine. Why did he suddenly make a move?
And he had even used Eu's word power, despite having shown no hostility earlier.
"Hmph. You'll stay here for now. Death won't be far from you."
Sensing the violent surge of deathly energy from the King of the Night, the pink Raize let out a disdainful snort. Compared to Gatanothor's dark energy mist, it was laughably weak. Puffing out his cheeks, he swallowed the struggling King of the Night in one gulp.
He did not actively copy the King of the Night's power. He did not want Eu to notice anything amiss.
"Meow!"
Raize glanced at the other animals in the pet shop. Watching a zombie get swallowed alive had clearly frightened them badly. They trembled and whimpered, as if mourning for the King of the Night. That guy really did have an unusual affinity with small animals.
Casting memory-altering magic on the animals, Raize created a shadow clone and transformed it into the King of the Night's appearance, leaving the clone behind to look after them.
After returning to his original form, he left directly.