SSS-Ranked Demon Hunter: The Prodigy
Chapter 45: Half-Blood Demon, Part 5

Chapter 45: Half-Blood Demon, Part 5

Below, on the ground, my friend Junho ran into the open street. He was worried about me—fighting in the sky.

"Kihyun... Please, survive."

Next to him, a black-haired girl and a grown man stepped out from behind a vendor’s stall. One look in their eyes was enough to see—they feared for Zeno’s life, the boy who hadn’t listened to them.

"Why, Zeno..." the girl muttered with desperation in her eyes. "Why?"

Above, I stood across from Zeno in the sky. Our wings hovered, ready to clash at any moment.

"Tell me... why are you doing this?"

Zeno lowered his gaze, lost in thought. He looked out over the city beneath us.

He despised the faces of the frightened people recording us with their phones. Every last one of them.

"This world is rotten to the core," Zeno said, casting a cold glance at me. "Humans call demons murderers, yet even sharing this Earth with us, they never stopped killing each other."

The weapon in his hand vanished.

"Fighting you made me realize—we’re the same, but we grew up on different sides. You were taught that demons are evil, that we must be exterminated. But how can we be evil if it’s you who keeps killing us?"

"What are you talking about? You killed my comrade right in front of me! Your kind came to this land and started a genocide... You eat humans just to satisfy your hunger!"

I couldn’t make sense of his words. Was he insane? What was he saying after killing Yushin?

"You think we came to this world by choice? I’ve never even seen the demon realm with my own eyes. I was born here, do you understand? Among humans. Unlike the others, I don’t ease my hunger by eating people. Just like you... because we’re both half-bloods."

"No... I’m not a demon. I don’t believe you. That can’t be true. It doesn’t add up..."

"Demons can sense the presence of another demon—by scent. And you... you smell like one."

"Then why can’t I sense any demons myself?!"

"I don’t know. Maybe that’s what makes you different. But I still can’t stomach the idea that the Association accepted a half-demon into its ranks. What a desperate move—to use a demon against other demons."

The Association... accepted a demon? He means me... And thinking about it, no test ever confirmed I was fully human. It all adds up.

But Hizumi always insisted I wasn’t a demon. Was she lying?

Kang Su-won... You’re the one who welcomed me into the Association. Did you do it out of friendship with my father? Out of obligation? Or... did you not know either?

Father... Mother... If what Zeno says is true—does that mean one of you... was a demon?

"Look down," Zeno said, pointing at the panicked crowd below. "You’re fighting for people who see you as a weapon. To them, you’re neither human nor demon—they couldn’t care less. All they want is a victory for humanity, chasing a false freedom. A world without demons? Ha. Impossible. We’re everywhere, and they’ll never kill us all."

"They will!" I shouted in defiance. "Everyone believes we can! And if it comes down to it, I’ll kill every last demon myself!"

Zeno cut me off, grabbed me, and dove toward the ground:

"Open your eyes! Are these the people you’re fighting for?!"

He dragged me down. I couldn’t break free. We flew down the street, and I saw a sea of terrified people scattering before us.

"No, let go... What are you doing?!"

In seconds, we plowed through hundreds, cutting them down in our wake.

They died instantly, their bodies flung across the asphalt. The road ran red with every soul we struck.

"Look at them! So fragile! These are the ones you protect? From us?! They don’t care about you, the hunters. All they want is to live in peace while you die for them. Not a single one deserves life!"

"Let go! Stop!"

We tore through the masses—hundreds crushed beneath us, maybe more.

He pulled me upward again, and we soared past a skyscraper. Workers inside watched as we flew past their windows.

"Demons are no worse than humans anymore! And those who evolved... the humanoid ones... we can replace humanity! But for that, we need powerful allies. You’re a demon, whether you accept it or not!"

"No! I don’t want to hear any more!"

I grabbed Zeno’s hands and crushed them, catching the moment perfectly. He released me, his palms mangled and bleeding.

Still, with fury in his eyes, he shouted:

"Thanks to humans, we can evolve into beings like them! Why can’t you see it? Demons are the most flexible species on Earth. From nothing, we grow stronger every second! It’s all thanks to our blood!"

"What are you trying to say?! I don’t understand anything anymore!"

We landed on a window ledge.

"Join us!" Zeno reached out his bloodied hand. "You’re killing your own kind! To humans, we demons see you as one of us. Without you, it’ll take centuries to evolve and dominate Earth. But with you, we can rebuild the world! No more oppression, no more war—"

"I don’t want that," I replied bitterly. "I don’t feel like a demon. I just want to be human. All my life, I’ve hated demons. One of them killed my mother. My comrades are dying for this cause."

"None of that matters while this cycle continues! Don’t you get it? Humans and demons can’t live together. One side will always lose. But demons... we can become better than humans in every way!"

"Enough talk!" I lunged forward, Kenketsu forming in my hand. "I won’t listen to another word!"

I drove the weapon into his torso and dragged him down with me. We crashed into the ground, cars flying from the shockwave.

Yanking the blade free, I grabbed him by the shoulders and launched us back into the sky.

Zeno, barely conscious, broke free and reinforced his body. Two blades formed in his hands, and he came at me with a furious flurry of attacks.

"All my life, people pushed me away," he growled, his eyes reddened. "You know what? You’re worse than demons! The real villains on Earth are humans! You know it, Kihyun! So why are you on their side?!"

"Because I’m human!!"

I drove my sword into his neck and kicked him away. He couldn’t speak, choking on his own blood, but his wounds began to heal mid-air.

"Why did you kill Yushin?!" I shouted. "What did he do to deserve such a death?! He wanted freedom—he wanted to live!"

"He was in my way. You’re Ki-hyun, right? Humanity’s great hope? What a joke."

"Shut your damn mouth!" I slashed at him with a flurry of strikes, too fast for the weary demon to dodge.

"You want to kill me for your friend? How pathetic. You’re not fighting for humanity—I saw that from the start. Tell me, are you doing this to protect those you love? What will you do when there’s no one left?"

"I fight... so no one else has to die!"

"You talk about freedom, but you don’t even believe in it. If everyone you love dies, you’ll have no one left to protect. You don’t care about the people below—you fight because you want revenge for your mother!"

"Shut your filthy mouth!!" I roared and sliced his body in two with a powerful swing.

His legs crashed to the ground. I grabbed his upper half and dragged it across the pavement.

This was murder—before everyone’s eyes. For Yushin. For my mother.

Yushin... all you ever wanted was to find yourself... in a world drowned in blood.

"Zeno. You should never have shown yourself. I’ll paint this city with your blood."

Blood gushed from his shredded back. He couldn’t regenerate anymore.

If I tear out his heart, it’s over. Why, Zeno... why did you do all this?

"Even if I die," he said, barely alive, "I’ll hope that you save us. One day, you’ll understand. My death won’t be in vain. You’re the demons’ last hope, Ki-hyun. Don’t let us all disappear..."

Why... I don’t get it. I want to kill you, and you still speak of your dreams...

A world without humans—do you really think that’s better?

"Ki-hyun..." His bloodshot eyes lost their light. "You can do it..."

Climbing higher, I landed on a tall building and looked down at Zeno. He was already dead.

It was over.

But for some reason... it didn’t feel like a victory.

Inside, there was only emptiness. I stained this city with blood fighting a boy who simply wanted a better life for his kind.

Ordinary people, witnesses to his death, approached me. The fear in their eyes had turned to light.

So bright that they straightened their backs and applauded, looking at us, drenched in blood.

"Well done!" some shouted.

"We knew it all along!" others said. "You’re our savior!"

"Glory to the hunters!" more cried.

They were ecstatic, completely forgetting that I still held half the torso of a boy.

Why are you clapping for me? Do you all really enjoy this?

Is this... hell?

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