Chapter 111:The Devil and The Ghost Slayer
Sunlight slipped through the broken windows of the little house, painting thin golden lines across the dusty floor.
Yet neither of them had noticed.
Anna was still sitting on her bed, completely absorbed in Lucifer's story.
For hours, the Devil had spoken.
Stories of Heaven.
Stories of rebellion.
Stories of Hell.
Stories of angels, fallen ones, demons, gods, and the countless names humanity had given him throughout history.
To Anna, it felt like listening to a story that had never been told before.
Eventually, Lucifer stopped.
"That's enough about me."
Anna blinked.
"Already?"
Lucifer looked toward the window.
"It's morning."
Anna followed his gaze.
Her eyes widened.
"It is?"
"You've been listening all night."
She looked embarrassed but quickly recovered.
Lucifer smiled.
"Now tell me about yourself."
Anna immediately became cautious.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because I've told you about myself."
"You told me about the Devil."
Lucifer placed a hand against his chest.
"But I am the Devil."
"Yeah, yeah."
Anna rolled her eyes.
"But since you told me such an interesting story..."
She paused.
"I'll tell you mine."
Lucifer leaned forward.
"I'm listening."
Anna's expression slowly changed.
"My name is Anna."
She took a breath.
"I had a little brother."
Her voice softened.
"And my parents."
"For a long time, we lived happily. It wasn't anything special, but..."
She smiled faintly.
"We were happy."
Lucifer didn't interrupt.
"Until..."
Her hands slowly tightened into fists.
"Until she came."
Lucifer's eyes narrowed.
"Who?"
Anna's teeth clenched.
"La Llorona."
The name seemed to darken the room.
"The Ghost of the Lake."
Anna stared at the floor.
"She comes every night."
"She takes a child."
Lucifer remained silent.
"I'll never forget that night."
Her voice trembled.
"My parents knew she was coming."
"They tried to protect us."
"They gave their lives trying to save us."
Anna swallowed.
"My brother and I hid inside a closet."
"We thought she wouldn't find us."
"But she did."
Her fingers began shaking.
"She took my brother."
Anna touched the side of her head.
"Before she could take me too, she struck me."
"I remember falling."
"And when I woke up..."
Her voice nearly disappeared.
"My brother was gone."
Silence.
Lucifer stared at her.
"So that's why you hunt her every night."
Anna nodded.
"Yes."
"And you won't stop?"
"Never."
She looked directly into his eyes.
"Not until I kill her myself."
She stood.
"So don't try to stop me."
Lucifer suddenly laughed.
Anna frowned.
"What's funny?"
"Why would I stop you?"
"You wouldn't?"
"You lost your family."
Lucifer's expression became serious.
"Revenge is rightfully yours to take."
Anna stared at him.
"I thought you'd lecture me."
"About what?"
"That I'm a child."
"That I should leave this to adults."
"That revenge is wrong."
"That I should forgive her."
She looked away.
"Everyone tells me something different."
Lucifer slowly walked toward her.
Then he dropped to one knee.
He gently patted her head.
"Revenge is the purest form of justice."
Anna looked at him.
"And nobody can give you that justice unless you take it yourself."
Lucifer smiled.
For some reason, those words hurt more than anything else.
Tears suddenly gathered in Anna's eyes.
She quickly tried to wipe them away.
Nobody had ever told her that before.
When her family died, people told her to move on.
The villagers called her foolish.
The priest told her to forgive.
Others told her that what she was doing was pointless.
Everyone wanted her to forget.
Nobody wanted to understand.
But the Devil had looked at her and said—
It wasn't pointless.
Her tears finally fell.
Lucifer stood.
"If you really want to defeat your enemy, you need to know her better."
Anna wiped her face.
"Is there somewhere we can find information about her?"
Her confidence returned almost immediately.
"Follow me."
Lucifer smirked.
"Were you crying a moment ago?"
Anna glared at him.
"You're horrible."
"That's what I've been told."
The place Anna took him was unlike anything Lucifer expected.
An enormous, abandoned building stood at the edge of the village.
Its walls were covered in cracks.
Several windows were broken.
Vines crawled across the entrance.
The sign above the door had almost completely fallen apart.
Lucifer looked at it.
"This is a library?"
"The oldest one in the village."
Anna pushed open the door.
"It existed before the village itself."
Lucifer stared into the darkness.
"You sure we're in the right place?"
"Yes."
"If we want information about urban legends, this is the best place."
"Why?"
"Because it's the only library in the entire village."
Anna smiled proudly.
"And I know the librarian."
Lucifer raised an eyebrow.
"You have connections here?"
Anna puffed out her chest.
"What? Didn't think I had connections?"
"No."
Lucifer nodded seriously.
"I thought you lived in exile."
Anna's smile vanished.
"Hey!"
"That's a great achievement for an introvert."
"Shut up!"
The ancient doors groaned behind them.
Creeeeeeak...
Both stopped.
Something moved somewhere inside.
Then came a strange sound.
Hrrrrr...
Anna's expression changed.
The sound came again.
Hrrrrrr...
It grew louder as they walked deeper into the library.
Anna quietly moved behind Lucifer.
Then she grabbed the back of his coat.
Lucifer glanced backward.
"What happened to the legendary ghost slayer?"
"I'm not afraid."
"Then why are you hiding behind me?"
"I'm not hiding."
Anna pointed ahead.
"I'm making you the vanguard."
"Why?"
"Because you're older."
Lucifer chuckled.
"Right."
They followed the sound.
Eventually, they reached a massive reading room.
There, beneath a mountain of books, lay an enormous old man.
He had long white hair.
A thick beard.
Round glasses.
A large stomach.
And a body so wide that he appeared to have swallowed half the library.
He was sleeping peacefully.
Using several books as a blanket.
Lucifer stared.
"Who the hell is this fatso?"
"The librarian."
Lucifer pointed at him.
"That creature?"
Anna crossed her arms.
"He's the librarian."
"He doesn't even look human."
Anna glanced at Lucifer.
"Then what is the Devil doing in human form?"
Lucifer paused.
"...Fair enough."
He walked closer.
"So how do we wake him?"
"Wait."
Anna stepped outside.
A few minutes later, she returned carrying a basket.
She placed it directly in front of the sleeping librarian.
The smell of freshly prepared food immediately filled the room.
The man's nose twitched.
His eyes opened.
He sat upright.
And then—
He attacked the food.
Not ate.
Attacked.
He devoured everything in seconds.
Lucifer stared in disbelief.
"Yeah."
He nodded.
"He's definitely not human."
Anna sighed.
"Shut up."
The librarian finished the last piece and released an enormous burp.
Then his eyes wandered around the room.
He spotted a bottle of alcohol.
His eyes lit up.
He grabbed it.
Gulp.
The entire bottle disappeared in one breath.
Lucifer's expression changed.
"You know what?"
Anna looked at him.
"I'm starting to like this guy."
"You really are weird."
Anna walked forward.
"Librarian!"
The old man's head snapped toward her.
His eyes widened.
Then a huge grin spread across his face.
"Well, well, well!"
He reached down and lifted Anna off the ground like she weighed nothing.
"If it isn't little Anna!"
Anna struggled.
"Put me down!"
"You brought me food again!"
He laughed.
"So, what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?"
He suddenly glanced toward Lucifer.
His smile disappeared.
"Or..."
The librarian placed Anna down.
"...is this man bothering you?"
He stepped forward.
His entire presence changed.
The playful old man vanished.
A powerful aura filled the library.
His eyes met Lucifer's.
Neither moved.
Neither spoke.
For the first time since entering the library, Lucifer's smile became genuine.
"Interesting."
The old librarian wasn't afraid.
Not even slightly.
And Anna suddenly realized something.
She had brought the Devil into the oldest library in the village.
But perhaps...
She had also brought him face-to-face with something far more mysterious than he expected.