Little Pink Starfish

Bearer of the Cursed Grail.

A high-ranking demon known to have manifested in the East Sea through an SS-class Gate.

He was so well-known that I’d learned about him in textbooks back in elementary school.

That made sense—he was the only high-ranking demon to have manifested via an SS-class Gate within Korea.

Unlike Muddorok, Abrilah, and Geahrzimen who came through S-class Gates, the Bearer of the Cursed Grail had no proper name.

That was because he was fundamentally different from those other demons.

[Connection established.]

[The Bearer of the Cursed Grail welcomes you.]

A man’s voice, completely flat and devoid of tone.

Jeong Noeul flinched, retreating from the corrupted planetary organ he had been trying to purify.

As he did, a massive eyeball emerged from within the organ.

‘…Is that the Bearer of the Cursed Grail?’

I instinctively thought so. The crimson-drenched pupil, the grotesque blinking—no matter how you looked at it, it was something straight out of Hell.

“…The Bearer of the Cursed Grail?”

Sweating nervously, Jeong Noeul turned to the Star.

“What’s going on here, Star-nim?”

<What else? We’ve come to visit a caged specimen in a zoo.>

The Star chuckled.

<It is both a living being and not one. A demon and yet not a demon. And while it can corrupt the planet more easily than any other demon, it is also less harmful to the environment than even a common one.>

“Now’s really not the time for riddles.”

I nudged the Star with my elbow.

<I’m not joking. Just stating the facts.>

From what I knew, the Bearer of the Cursed Grail had manifested in the middle of the East Sea and nested deep in the ocean floor.

He had used an outer shell—shaped like a crystalline grail—to shield himself while sending tendrils into the Earth’s core.

<Correct.>

The Star picked up on my thoughts.

<I imagine the Hunters had a tough time trying to subdue him. No matter how hard they attacked, they couldn’t break the shell.>

Exactly.

That crystalline shell was said to be impervious to any known attack.

Which meant—

<If they couldn’t destroy it physically, they likely turned to magic. Perhaps they erased its conceptual existence… or froze its biological clock for eternity.>

That was the story.

Hunters from all over the world, backed by magical Constellation blessings, had gathered to confront him.

Photos of thousands of Hunters casting spells above the East Sea had gone viral.

In the end, we were taught that the Bearer had been defeated not through death, but by being conceptualized as “nonexistent.”

<That’s incorrect.>

The Star replied firmly.

“Well… I figured.”

I’d already seen plenty of S-class Gate beings still alive. Jeong Noeul, standing right here, had inherited Abrilah’s power.

<The Bearer of the Cursed Grail cannot be defeated. Only his functions can be shut down. The Hunters must’ve mistaken that cessation for death.>

“Shutting down his functions?”

That phrasing felt wrong for a living creature.

Sensing my thoughts, the Star smirked.

<If I had to explain it in your human terms…>

He stepped closer to the Bearer’s massive eyeball—its “tail,” gnawing at the Earth’s organ.

<…He’s more akin to a system of Hell.>

As soon as the Star finished—

[Correct, Primeval Sinner.]

The massive eyeball quivered as a voice emerged from it.

[I didn’t expect to encounter you in the human realm. Your manifestation probability was calculated at 0.245%.]

<Probabilities are just numbers. Didn’t you once claim the success rate of your invasion was 89%?>

[An 11% failure chance is larger than expected. We lost fairly, according to those odds.]

<Whatever. I’m not here to discuss your usefulness.>

The Star scoffed.<I just have one question.>

Why are you—he looked up seriously—

<…purifying the corrupted zones on Earth?>

“What?!”

Jeong Noeul shouted in disbelief.

“You’re saying that demon is purifying the contaminated area?”

I was just as shocked.

I had assumed it was like Muddorok—nesting in the Earth to regenerate while eating away at the planet.

[Greetings, reincarnation of Abrilah.]

The Bearer turned its eye toward Noeul.

[I am the Bearer of the Cursed Grail. A bio-system created to simulate the environment of Hell.]

“What do you mean by simulating Hell’s environment?”

I asked, arms crossed.

[Greetings, contractor of Kim Star.]

<…How do you even know that fake name of mine? Just answer the question.>

[Understood.]

As the Star had said, this being was both living and not. More accurately, it was a biological computer.

A massive computational construct using dying demons’ brains as nodes. Its purpose: to use those high-functioning minds to simulate Hell’s environment within the human realm.

[By combining my computational abilities with the magical energy stored in the Cursed Grail, I can corrupt Earth’s environment more efficiently than any demon.]

“What exactly is the Cursed Grail?”

To this, the Bearer replied calmly:

[Perhaps it’s easier to describe it as a terraforming system designed to simulate Hell.]

“…That makes things crystal clear, thanks.”

So the Bearer was created to simulate Hell’s environment.

Which meant his body was designed more for defense than offense.

[Correct. Therefore…]

“…you could also reverse it—purify the land contaminated by Hell’s magic.”

Jeong Noeul said seriously.

[Also correct.]

“So Mr. Bearer of the Cursed Grail… you’ve been helping purify the land?”

[Yes. Not only here, but my functions extend to other contaminated zones as well. The Purification Priests alone would take too long.]

His answer came so readily that I was speechless.

To think the very being that once corrupted the East Sea was now helping cleanse Jeju Island. What was I supposed to make of that?

“You attack the human world while the Gate is open, then help purify the land once it’s closed? How does that even make sense?”

I frowned.

[It makes perfect sense. I follow orders.]

The Bearer answered with no hesitation.

His voice carried no emotion.

I hadn’t expected an apology—but the lack of even self-justification was unsettling.

<So you mean to say…>

The Star sighed.

<You were ordered to help restore Earth’s environment.>

[Correct.]

<…Why.>

The Star looked visibly shaken.

<Why would the Demon God issue such an order?>

“…Wait, what?”

Now I was confused.

“Didn’t you say the Demon God was dead?”

According to the Star, the Demon God had been a low-ranking demon.

Unlike Muddorok, Abrilah, and Geahrzimen, when he died, that was the end.

“You’re not saying he’s resurrected, are you?”

That would be absurd. If that were true, what had humanity even been fighting for?<He cannot resurrect on his own.>

The Star spoke flatly.

<The Demon God, as a low-level demon, is like any other creature—once he dies, that’s it. The only difference is that demons’ souls are destroyed immediately upon death.>

Human souls move on—either to Heaven, Hell, or reincarnation. Demon souls, however, are obliterated upon death.

Could it be they failed to kill him?

I pressed a hand to my forehead.

If not that, then…<I heard it from Papa. The Demon God is in the human world.>

The Star stared at the Bearer.

<…Papa personally revived him.>

…What the hell was he saying?

That The Savior Who Is One and All had brought the Demon God back?

It made no sense—but if the Demon God was in the human realm, and couldn’t revive himself, then Papa’s involvement was the most plausible answer.

The one who once plunged humanity into its worst crisis was now alive and active?

I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

On top of that—

[I am merely a bio-organic system. I cannot comprehend His will. I was simply ordered to assist in Earth’s restoration.]

…Ordered to purify Earth’s environment?

Was this some kind of belated atonement?

It felt like a bad joke.

Muddorok was evil until the very end, getting devoured by the Star. Abrilah had to be altered entirely. Geahrzimen wasn’t on humanity’s side, but at least he wasn’t on the demons’ either.

“Ha.”

I let out a hollow laugh.

The one responsible for Earth’s corruption was now living somewhere, revived by the so-called Savior Who Is One and All.

<…Where is the Demon God now?>

The Star narrowed his eyes.

[Unknown. He simply came to me.]

<Alone?>

[He was accompanied by a woman.]

<Did he say anything else besides the order?>

[No.]

<…Tch.>

Grinding his teeth, the Star let out a low growl.

“…Can you explain what’s going on?”

I looked at him.

“Yeah, I really don’t get any of this either.”

Jeong Noeul pressed him too.

<What do you want me to explain? I don’t even know where he is.>

The Star sighed.

<After I executed Enoch and was dragged to the Celestial Realm, Papa told me the Demon God was in the human world. I’m the only Constellation who knows. No, I suppose there are two now.>

He looked at Jeong Noeul.<The Asteroid boy must be listening in as well. I let him join because he tends to be careful.>

“…The prince is also pressing for answers.”

Jeong Noeul said blankly.

<…Pressing for my intent, huh.>

The Star gave a thin, twisted smile.

<To right all that has gone wrong. That’s all. Trust me.>

Just like the vow he once made to me during the third prelims in Jeju.

<…That is the only reason I descended.>