He froze because he was told the truth because he was told the most disgusting truth about himself because he was lying to himself.

"You were lying to me Crake," Ray squeezed a sentence to defend himself, but his face was never able to look at Crake's eyes.

"Why he's saying the truth and I'm spitting lies? Why are you believing in an ugly man you have never seen before instead of believing a demon you knew for over a year?"

Ray’s face sweated like a fountain, his heartbeats got heavy and deep and a headache struck his head.

Crake was only saying the truth. He had just sided with a man he had never seen over a demon he considered a friend.

"Then..." Ray muttered,

"Then how should I know the truth?" Ray said and turned at Crake, to see a sneer on his face.

Crake Pulled Ray's shoulder closer to him, "We just have to create the mood for a mentally broken person to talk…" He looked at the man and added, "Do you know what this man seeks right now?"

Ray negatively gestured.

"He seeks safety."

Ray didn't understand but didn't say anything as well because Crake was about to continue.

"Just tell the man what I tell you."

"will it work?"

"If he says that he isn't the one then you are free to frame me."

"I won't do such a thing..."

"Yea, true I believe in you," Said Crake sarcastically.

"......"

"Now let's start."

Then Crake said the first sentence.

And Ray followed, "Do you want to live?"

The man uncovered his eyes and stared at Ray, his tears flowing down as his pupils shifted toward the half-eaten head.

He nodded yes.

Crake said his second sentence and Ray repeated after him, "The demon who ate her can read your thoughts, he knows all of your past and know what you're thinking rights now."

The man's eyes gradually got wider as his breath became short.

"And the demon is saying that he wants you to tell the truth because he hates liers, if you answer all of the questions truthfully, the demon will generously let you go, but if lie he will eat your head instantly."

As Ray completed his sentence his eyes widened at the man. He witnessed some of the man's hair locks losing their color along with his face color.

And then Crake said his first question.

"Were you the one who raped the child and choked her to death?"

The man’s eyes trembled and blinked, his heartbeat became clear to Ray's ears and he stammered across his words "y-" he shut his lips again.

"The demon is opening his mouth, hurry!" Ray followed Crake's words and applied the element of scarcity.

"Yes!" He said quickly.

Ray pupils shrank as he looked at the ground… Crake didn't lie, this man had committed two disgusting crimes and he defended him.

"Wait, Ray, I won't ask you to kill him now, just ask him this question" Said Crake, and told Ray his second question.

Ray froze on his place, his eyes wide and wrinkles piling upon his forehead.

"W-" It was hard, saying that was really hard. Ray was so scared of the answer itself, but he needed to know the answer, at least to know how wrong he was.

"How many kids have you raped and killed before?"

"......" The man couldn't talk.

Crake looked at Ray and said another sentence for Ray to repeat, "The demon says he's satisfied with your first answer and he isn't hungry. So if you answer the questions truthfully he will spare your life."

The man looked up at Ray with more of his hair turning white.

"Five."

Ray was struck, his legs trembled and he felt how heavy he was for the first time.

"Still not enough," said Crake "we need to ask one last question."

And then Crake told Ray his question.

Ray dropped on his knees unable to withstand the words that came out of Crake's mouth.

"No, I can't," said Ray his eyes sparkling into tears, "That's really a lot."

"But it's the truth..."

Ray looked at Crake and then turned at the man.

"Was this girl… your daughter?"

The man gasped, his face lost its color and his tears flowed stronger than before. But he looked at the boy again and forced out his words, "No..."

At that second, Crake used his tail to penetrate the wall beside his head. The man's eyes trembled and kneeled on the ground instantly.

"She's my daughter, I was lusting for her for so long. She kept on getting older, she kept on getting uglier every year and I couldn't withstand my fetish of raping and choking little girls any longer… I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I will stop so don't kill me."

The man snapped no longer rose his head. Crake looked at Ray and said, "They have similar faces and both of them have moles on the same places, we were told by a ghost about the kids this guy was bringing from time to time."

Ray said nothing, of course, he couldn't say a thing, hatred for this man grew inside him... But he didn't move.

Crake ordered, "Ray, kill him… In the most disgusting way."

Yea, this man deserved no less than death. No, he probably deserved severe torture before execution or worse torture till death, in the middle of the day, where everyone can see him clearly and take him as an example.

Ray was sure with all of that, he accepted that this man shall die… But he couldn't touch him. Even though he tried to extend his hand, a flick of his fingers on the head should be enough to end this man’s life…

"Ray," Said Crake having Ray's attention, "Why did you lie to Lord Marshal? You should have taken another goal that you will enjoy."

Ray looked at the man, looked at his own hands, and then he looked at Crake, "I didn't lie," Ray's tone was trembling, every word got out with a deep heartbreak and his own tears supported that

"Then why don't you kill him already?"

Ray paused for a second but then wore a broken smile and said toward Crake, "Because we told him that we will let him live if he was honest."

Hearing that Crake didn't even get surprised, he sighed and said: "Just look at the man."

The second Ray looked at the man Crake's tail smashed his head and blood splashed all over Ray. Something flew into Ray's mouth but he instantly spat it out to find it was a brain's piece.

Ray trembled, covered his face with both hands turned away. His legs tried to run but after a few steps they stumbled and he dropped on his knees again.

"Even though with one of your lightest punches you can finish me, you're running away as if I'm stronger and scarier," Crake giggled, "For us, archmages like you are the scariest humans."

Even though what Crake had said was a valuable piece of information for Ray, he wasn't able to even process it.

Crake Approached trembling Ray and stopped before him shouting, "Ray!"

And then Ray returned back to his senses. Even though his heart was still pounding fast, his face was still flooding with sweat, a part of his sense came back, enough for him to at least stop being embarrassingly rampant.

"I'm really curious about something, so I will appreciate it if you answer me."

Ray looked up at Crake, no words coming out of his mouth but his focus and attention pouring.

"What do you really want?"

Ray paused for a bit, bit his lower lip, and in a few seconds said: "I want to help both the demons and the humans."

"I see," said Crake, "I shall go then, some demons will appear in a few hours to eat those people and clean the area. I think eating the dead is pretty light compared to what humans do."

Ray said nothing. 

He remained in his place for some time. His head kept thinking with confusion. He would never lie to the old man, he really wanted to help the demons along with humans… But he just wasn't lucky today. He looked at the dead bodies around him, it was still disgusting but he was no longer scared.

A day will come when he will be fully neutral, and the old man will be thrilled when that day comes, the old man might even pat his head again…

Ray looked at the dead bodies again, and tears started coming out…

Getting used to killing people?

This kind of life, this kind of  future… Surely isn't the future I'm looking for.

Ray’s eyes couldn't stop.

The girl beside him had just lost her life, had just become food to demons. And  back in her life she was just a sexual instrument for a crippled dad…

Stepping on those people, killing people, or eating people…

There was no good race, both of them were bad...