The Demon King's Karma Contract

The bodies of the demonic beasts from the Great Forest War were valuable magical ingredients, and the demon race's magic stones served as fonts of magical power. The weapons and armor they equipped were likewise precious materials.

Fwoooooosh!Shuuuuuuuu! Amid the countless scattering chunks of demonic flesh and bursts of demonic energy, a counterattack was unfolding. Giant flying demonic beasts with rock-hard shells endured the high elves' relentless concentrated barrage, breaking through at ultra-high speeds at the cost of innumerable sacrifices. Right behind them, mid-rank demons charged forward clad in heavy armor.

Kukukung!Kukukung! The instant the net of fire collapsed, the high elves proved exactly why they were the rulers of the Great Forest. Millions of elf knights linked to the World Tree merged with their contracted high-ranking elementals and began slaughtering the invaders. The high-ranking elementals stood over ten meters tall and yielded nothing in size, so the high elves fused with them butchered the mid-rank demons without the slightest fear.

Urrrrrung!Puuuuurk!Squelch!Squelch! The battle was so overwhelmingly one-sided it could no longer be called a fight between demons and living beings.

They're strong. As expected of the guardian race that's fought the demon race for ages. The Magic God of Dimensions was just forming that brief impression when a familiar, seductive woman's voice drifted from outside his magic tower.

The familiar voice calling his name made his expression twist beneath the robe.

His opponent was a succubus—a mental-type demon that fed on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠men's desires. Black hair, black eyes, and lips the color of fresh blood seemed designed to seduce men senseless. The female demon wore tight black leather that emphasized her overflowing breasts and hips. She was an old acquaintance. Around her, similarly dressed female demons twisted their bodies with seductive smiles, staring at him.

"That was a youthful mistake. Besides, human men are possessive. We hate women who keep both legs open in every direction."

The Magic God of Dimensions had been brought into the cave as a newborn baby and hadn't even known what a woman was. While practicing summoning magic, he had accidentally summoned a succubus. Somehow I ended up losing my virginity and experiencing something intensely hot. Fortunately the vitality she drained wasn't a serious threat to me at the seventh circle, but it had been extremely dangerous. Later Master found out, scolded me harshly, and after I learned about the chastity concepts of succubi and female demons, I immediately terminated the contract.

He pushed the sudden rush of youthful memories aside and asked while looking at the female demons gathered in the neutral zone.

"In the latest hundred-year battle, the seventeenth Demon King was defeated and faced execution, so we fled to the Middle World. We're placing all our trust in you alone."

"......"

The Demon Realm had one Demon God, three Great Demon Emperors who oversaw the Demon Kings, and nine hundred ninety-nine Demon Kings. In addition, nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine Demon Realm archdukes challenged for the throne of Demon King every hundred years. Those who survived defeat in the hundred-year battle to become a Demon King were all expelled through this place.

The position and ranking of Demon Kings rarely changed. But if a Demon King should lose to an archduke, an enormous number of demons would be executed as an example. The succubus who had spoken to him seemed bold, yet she was clearly anxious—most likely because she had barely escaped the purge.

"Because you like women, don't you?"

"......"

He regretted asking. Still, the old connection from his childhood made it impossible to simply turn ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them away.

"Until the next time the gate to the Demon Realm opens, we will serve you as master."

"As expected of a lecher like you. You can look forward to it."

"......"

He genuinely regretted the foolish mistake of his youth. To be called a lecher by a succubus? I really was a depraved creature back then.

Whether the intent to form a contract had been conveyed or not, the female demons—who had avoided the concentrated fire—gathered around the magic tower. At last the upper-rank demons began to join the assault. The only sounds nearby were the relieved sighs of the female demons. From atop the magic tower, he gazed down at the upper-rank demons.

These giant humanoid upper demons, each possessing at least two pairs of black wings and two or more horns, passed through the mid-rank demons who were being slaughtered and clashed with the elf knights fused with elementals. Damage finally began to appear among the high elves as well.

Only now is the exchange of casualties becoming one-to-one. The main fighting force of the Demon Realm truly is on another level.

Even though demons could only use one-tenth of their power in the Middle World, they fought on equal footing with high elves merged with upper elementals. At that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠moment the high elf mobile fortress known as the Walking Tree began bombarding while radiating elemental power.

The high elf queens are moving.

Kuuuung!

Seeing that he himself was included among the targets of the elemental cannons fired by the Walking Tree, he spread defensive barriers around both the magic tower and the neutral zone.

The tenth-circle transcendental magic he had created performed its duty faithfully.

Kuuuung!Claaaaang! It returned both the Walking Tree's activated Sanctuary of the Forest and its bombardment. Even afterward, the screams and casualties among the upper demons continued without end.

Yet the female demons staring at the barrier enveloping the magic tower and themselves could not hide the shock in their eyes.

They realized I blocked main-god-level authority with mere magic. All that remains now are the highest-rank demons and the foolish Demon King who lost her ranking battle?

The combat strength of highest-rank demons and a Demon King, even at one-tenth power in the Middle World, rivaled the dragon kings or the Dragon Emperor. What's more, having been driven from power and purged, they're desperate. That makes them even more dangerous.

If the five high elf queens fused with the Elemental Kings, they would reach nearly Dragon Emperor level. There should be no major problem, yet the fact that their next target was him drew a long sigh from his lips.

"You ill-mannered succubus. If not for the past, I would have thrown you back into the Demon Realm immediately."

Though he spoke harshly, he could not actually do it. This succubus was still one of the few pleasant memories from his past.

Kukukung!Urrrrrung! Before long the war between the demon remnants and the High Elf Empire approached its final stage. The ground-type demonic beasts that had crawled out of the great caves broke through the encirclement despite catastrophic losses and began fleeing beyond the Great Forest.

The high elves deal with any demonic beasts that climb the trees, but they are leaving the rest alone. It seems the other races have arrived.

The land-crawling demonic beasts were the responsibility of the high orcs, the naga tribe, and the dwarves. Of course, against millions of high elf troops the damage is negligible, but if these are their elite forces the situation changes.

If the orc clans and the other tribes did not suffer losses equal to what the high elves had taken, the balance of power could collapse. From the short battle earlier, the high elf clan's casualties already exceed two hundred and fifty thousand. They're deliberately sending them out to preserve the equilibrium.

Indeed, from the outer edges of the forest came roars mixed with the orcs' fighting spirit and screams.

It was truly irritating to see the high orcs occasionally coming all the way here just to provoke him. Demons, give it your all—! Please deal with those orc lord bastards who rush at me the moment they see me, screaming that they'll kill me—!

It was absurd that the high elves, even when they came to curse or kill him, would first have to get through their mortal enemies the orcs. While he was tracing old memories, beings appeared before his eyes through spatial movement. They were highest-rank demons and what appeared to be a Demon King.

The Demon King had the appearance of a child who had expended a great deal of power, as if she had been thoroughly beaten by other Demon Kings. Whether demon or god race, the higher the rank of the mental entity, the more beautiful they became. The higher their divinity, the more their bodies transformed into the most ideal form. Perhaps for that reason they looked even more beautiful than high elves. Moreover, because cloth was precious to the demon race, aside from armor covering vital points they wore almost nothing, creating a rather sensual sight.

The way to distinguish highest-rank demons is by three or more pairs of wings and horns. From the highest rank onward, gender loses all meaning. They become complete spiritual lifeforms and can freely alter their bodies. Of course many retained the gender they had possessed in their upper or lower days, but it could not be trusted. Strangely, however, they were all in female form. An ominous feeling crept over him. Well, female forms are stronger among demons. Is this their full combat stance?

The highest-rank demons and Demon King of the Demon Realm were truly powerful and therefore dangerous. For mere sentient humans to defeat highest-rank or greater demons, the only options are borrowing divine power or a mage of the seventh circle or higher sacrificing themselves with a forbidden spell. In the Middle World they were nearly invincible, which was why the gods had prepared the dragon race to stop them. Yet in this Great Forest, the twisted flow of magic power prevented the dragons from flying properly.

All the races sensitive to magic power are waiting outside the forest for these creatures to emerge. In other words, the Great Forest—where the dragon race cannot guard the narrow spatial gate and cannot use magic—has become the safest escape route from the Demon Realm.

The Great Forest was where the mightiest tribes of the Middle World had gathered to stop such demons. If I make any deal with a Demon King or highest-rank demon here, I will be buried by the entire Middle World. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠There is no reason whatsoever to contract with this greenhorn Demon King while being cursed. If my karma falls any further, it will give the god race justification to launch a subjugation.

Even without that, the notoriety the black mages here had accumulated had already slashed his karma tremendously. Just thinking about restoring it made his vision go dark.

This Demon King was persistent, as though she wanted to watch the god race swarm in to annihilate him.

The condition was so absurd it left his mind blank. What did I just hear? What kind of rumor has spread in the Demon Realm that the demons are telling me to become the enemy of the Middle World by offering me women? His gaze naturally shifted to the succubus. Seeing her hastily avert her eyes, his blood ran cold.

"Guh—!"

That detestable succubus was the Succubus Queen, famous even among the highest-rank demons for her pursuit of carnal pleasure. And she had spread rumors throughout the Demon Realm that he was a greater lecher than any color demon. No wonder my karma, which I checked after reaching the tenth circle, kept plummeting even when I did nothing. It was this female demon's doing. I should send her flying back to the Demon Realm right now and annihilate these ridiculous demons.

Though a Demon King would be somewhat difficult, he resolved to use them as fuel for a massive increase in positive karma.

A demon speaking of self-sacrifice? This is fucking ridiculous—!

Even though it came from a Demon King, the self-sacrifice for her clan and the implication of serving the God of Light somehow caused karma to classify them as good in this moment. A high-ranking Demon King! An enormous amount of positive karma has just been applied to this contract!

Karma was difficult to generate, and the greater the positive impact, the higher the reward it granted. Since the subject is a Demon King, the karma is displaying absurd compensation! Just how much is this?

The negative karma created by that detestable Succubus Queen and the black mages' notoriety was being wiped clean, and positive karma sufficient to aim for the next circle shimmered before his eyes. Even risking my life multiple times as a mercenary god, I could never earn this much. But if I accept this contract, I will truly become a public enemy of the Middle World. The high elves trying to kill me now are one thing, but even the dragon race—the guardians of the Middle World—will never tolerate it.

There was no further karma to lose because of them, yet he had no desire to become the worst villain in the world when he had never truly done anything evil. Still, just how much time would I need to invest to gather this much positive karma? I'd have to grind endlessly as a mercenary god.

Suddenly a memory from his childhood resurfaced. When he had reached the fifth circle and formally become a mage, his master had asked him,

"Will you walk the path of a black mage, or simply a mage? Choose."

"What's the difference?"

"If you become a mage, you will likely become a mage emperor. You will be respected and loved by all."

"And if I become a black mage?"

"You will be the strongest on the battlefield. However, you will be criticized by everyone and become an object of fear."

"Why did you become a black mage, Master?"

"I had no choice. But I want to give you one."

"I'll become a black mage. Being the strongest sounds cool."

It was a difficult path chosen from a mixture of affection and pity for his black-mage master and the recklessness of youth. But why is it coming to mind again now? Am I actually sympathizing with this Demon King and her highest-rank demons? Or have I truly gone mad for women?

He even began seriously examining his own mental state—an absurd thing to do. Yet he had always made choices that looked foolish to everyone at moments like this. The reward had always come before the trials that followed the choice.

Yes. I covet this positive karma. If I contract with the Demon King I will become a black mage who betrayed the Middle World, but it doesn't matter. My reputation is already the worst possible, so nothing will change. Besides, I've grown curious how far these beings can go with their impossible challenge.

Restoring their forces in merely a hundred years and challenging for the Demon King's throne again to achieve victory was nearly impossible. Still, he wanted to see how far these most wicked demons—who had just shown something akin to the noblest self-sacrifice—could reach.

The 'Karma Contract' was also known as the Contract of Fate. Even a main god must prepare for annihilation if they deny it. The Demon King, who understood exactly what a karma contract meant, wore an expression of pure shock.

Oooooooong!Oooooooong!

At the infinite wave of power generated by the karma contract, the highest-rank demons trembled in terror. The elves who had been finishing their battle against the demons were seen hurriedly retreating.

Now, just as when I chose the path of the black mage, there is no turning back.

A Demon King who descended to the Middle World could normally use only one-tenth of her power. However, because he—a tenth-circle black mage—had formed the contract, that restriction vanished. A Demon King exerting her full original strength would threaten the destruction of the Middle World. They will all come rushing. Now the war will not be limited to the High Elf Empire of the Great Forest but will engulf the entire Middle World.

Of course, he had his own insurance. Besides, I have no intention of fighting without compensation. I will expand the magic tower, remodel it into a self-sufficient survival-type magic tower, and live here. The dimensional barrier of my magic tower cannot be undone by any being below main-god level, and they will never be able to enter.

Moreover, when gods or demon gods descended to the Middle World they could exert only one-tenth of their power, so this place was safe. In the end, it is a perfectly profitable contract that earns me only enormous positive karma. I've gained a real benefit after so long.

Having finished all his calculations, the Magic God of Dimensions smiled with satisfaction as he watched the rapidly rising karma values.

In contrast, the races of the Great Forest—who had lightly repelled the millions of demonic beasts and hundreds of thousands of demons that poured out when the gate opened, just as they always had—could not hold their customary victory festival.