Part 1

I have lived an extremely long life and I know what killing intent feels like – the feel of a cold sword being pressed against your neck. It is cold and sharp.

There is someone here who is giving off a terrible killing intent. They aren’t even trying to conceal it. Who dares to blatantly give off such a killing intent in front of the Demon Lord? Reveal yourself!

….no this…It isn’t being directed at me but…this blood lust is too terrible…..it is shallow and malicious….the kind of evil in the world that is born in the most deplorable regions of darkness…

Where is this blood lust coming from? From my years of battle experience….this feeble yet intense killing intent is definitely the signature style of a depraved human. Having fought many humans, I know this feeling – the weak and coward. Those who resort to sly trickery….those who fall into depravity and lose their minds….only such weak willed humans have such a disgusting killing intent….

If it is a human then it must be someone amongst us….no….no one around me appears to be suspicious.

All I see are women and children….

*Whooosh!*

“Ara? Does Shin-kun not like the slide?” The woman accompanying Sui asked as she helped Sui, who was holding on to Shin, get up from the slide.

“I don’t know…” Sui replied with a frown. “He seemed so excited seeing Tatsuya and Tomo on the slide….I thought he wanted to join them.”

Right now the little baby had a very quiet and solemn expression.

“Maybe he is just too excited?” The other woman suggested. “The sudden rush downwards must have stupefied his senses.”

“You think so?” Sui asked as she stared at her baby with a concerned expression. Aren’t babies supposed to laugh or smile when they experience a rush of falling or something like that? Yet, Shin-kun had a very serious expression on his face? Can babies even make such an expression?

Before Sui could give the matter anymore thought, a little girl came running and hugged the legs of her friend.

“Mama! Take me on the slide too!” The tiny girl cried out as she pointed out to Sui who was holding Shin.

“Aren’t you old enough to go on the slide on your own?”

“No, I want to go with Mama!” The girl insisted. She was clearly jealous of Shin-kun being able to ride the slide with his mom.

“But didn’t you tell me yesterday you are a big girl now?” The woman began teasing her daughter.

The three year old girl made a complicated expression - she wanted to ride the slide with her mother at the same time she wanted to be treated like a big girl.

Her mother began laughing as she picked up her daughter. “Sui, I will be right back. I need to ride the slide with my big girl.” She spoke with a fond smile as she kissed her daughter’s cheeks.

Just then Shin-kun began acting weirdly – he desperately tried to wiggle free out of his mother’s grip.

“What’s wrong with you now? You didn’t even enjoy the slide? Where do you want to go now? Just sit still.” Sui replied back with an exasperated tone – she was exhausted.

However, Shin-kun refused to sit still. He seemed intent of breaking free but his mother’s grip was firm.

Seeing that his Okasan was refusing to let him go, Shin-kun burst into tears and began wailing. This was the only way he could communicate his displeasure at the moment. In Maou-sama’s words this was the only way his Okasan could understand

“Sarah!” Sui called out. “Shin-kun is becoming a handful. I think he has been out long enough. I’ll be heading back.”

The other woman simply waved back to her.

“Tomo! Tatsuya! Let’s go back!” Sui called out to the other two.

“No!!!!” Tatsuya cried out as he walked out of his hiding spot. He was currently engaged in a game of hide and seek.

“Haven’t you played long enough?”

“I don’t want to go home!!!” Tatsuya cried out in frustration.

Seeing his brother throw a tantrum, Tomo joined the fray. “No!!!!! I don’t want to go home!!!” He copied his brother’s words and actions – poorly.

“Tatsuya! Don’t be like that! You are teaching your brother bad manners!” Sui scolded her elder son.

“No!! Don’t copy me!” Tatsuya angrily replied as he pushed Tomo away – making Tomo fall to the ground.

Tomo took a whole second to process what happened and then tears began welling up in his eyes. “Okasan! Ni-san pushed me!!” He cried as he slowly stood up, walked over to his mother and embraced her legs with his small body.

“Tatsuya!” Sui cried out in a stern voice.

“He always copies me!” Tatsuya defended himself. “I never get to do anything I want because of him! And you always scold me because of him!!”

Sui sighed. She was right now struggling to hold on to Shin - who was hitting her with both his hands. Then, there was Tomo who was hugging her legs and Tatsuya refusing to come home.

Sui caved in. “Okay then. Stay with Sarah Oba-cha and come back home with her.”

Tatsuya had a huge smile on his face as he rushed back to join his friends.

“Come Tomo. Let’s go home. I have prepared pudding for you.” Sui whispered to Tomo.

“Pudding?” The little one asked as he wiped his tears and snot against his mother’s skirt.

“Let’s keep it a secret between you and me, only.”

“No, pudding for Ni-san?” Tomo asked suspiciously and at the same time conflicted. Tatsuya was his idol. He would share everything with Tatsuya.

“No!” Sui flatly stated. “Children who don’t listen to Okasan don’t get pudding.”

Tomo stood with a conflicted expression. True he idolized Tatsuya but then pudding was more delicious. And didn’t Tatsuya just push him to the ground. So pudding it is!

“Tomo wants pudding!” Tomo excitedly replied as he held out to the hand his mother gave.

Sui grabbed her handbag and told Sarah to keep an eye out on Tatsuya, as she began heading out of the park.

“Seriously, why are you crying so much?” Sui asked Shin, as she looked at him worriedly. He had been crying non-stop after the slide ride. “Could it be you were scared of the slide? Or are you hurt?” She asked with a worried expression.

A second after they exited the park, a huge fiery explosion ripped through the park.

Part 2

Sui was blown three feet from her initial position as the shockwave of the explosion ripped through the air. As she fell, she instinctively clutched Shin with both hands, tightly. She used her body to shield him from the shockwaves or fall.

Tomo-chan was always blown away by the explosion. Although he was holding his mother’s hand when they walked out of the park. When the explosion happened, the two were separated by the force of the shockwave. Tomo-chan flew fifteen feet off.

“TOMO!” Sui cried out as she helplessly watched her son blown away.

It happened also quickly, one moment the air was filled with children laughing and shouting and the next it was filled with crying and screaming. The bright sunny sky which once loomed over the lush green park, was now a black haze. The green park was reduced to an infernal blaze.

Time appeared to have slowed down. Sui could not hear anything except for a long high pitched hum – the aftermath of the deafening explosive bang. She was temporarily deaf. She quickly checked if Shin in her arms was fine. He was okay – surprisingly quiet.

Sui scrambled to her feet and then rushed to where Tomo lay. She gave no regard to her own battered and bruised body as she ran towards Tomo. Even Sui’s dress was torn in various places. However, right now the only thing running through her mind was her children’s safety.

She turned Tomo over, to make him face her.

She sighed a breath of relief – he was breathing. Other than a few scratches he was largely unscathed.

Sui then felt her heart tremble. A wave of worry gushed forth and overwhelmed her.

Tatsuya – Tatsuya refused to come back home….he was still in the park.

Sui quickly placed her handbag, which was loosely hanging around her shoulder, under Tomo’s head, Sui then placed Shin beside him.

With her body trembling in fear, Sui staggered towards the park.

“Tatsuya….” Her voice was meek and hoarse. Sui began feeling dizzy as all the strength vanished from her legs and she collapsed to the ground.

There were steam sizzling black charred bodies of children and parents strewn all over the playground, as the fire continued to play havoc with the grass and trees.

“TATSUYA!!!” She cried out mournfully, as she collapsed completely on her knees. Sui did not realize it – but her back was stained in red. She had been injured by flying shrapnel.

“TATSUYA!!!” She cried out once more as she knelt at the edge of the park, with tears blurring her vision. She prayed and hoped in her heart, her son was alive and alright. She prayed that Tatsuya was not amongst the children that lay in front of her. Her heart was tearing up and she hand no more strength to move.

After that everything turned black. Sui lost consciousness.