That Crazy Troublemaking Demon King Bastard!
{So, what do you plan to stake this time? Your soul's already in my grasp... Emotions? Memories? Or perhaps your entire life?}
Asmodeus pulled out the contract, a dark smile curling her lips—like she wanted to devour everything.
"......"
I pondered for a moment. What could I offer to protect my lady? What would pique this demon king's interest?
But nothing came to mind quickly enough.
"...I will."
I decided to stake the greatest thing I had.
"Stake my very life."
My world was my lady. If she died, my world would crumble that very day. So this life I'd chosen to live for her sake—I'd wager it to save her.
{Oh my.}
The smile vanished from Asmodeus's lips. She seemed to mull it over for a second before flashing that grin again.
{Simply borrowing my power wouldn't match the value of your fate. So I'll take just one thing—does that work for you?}
"Tell me."
{I want to take your hope from your life. I'm curious what your existence would be like, stripped of all hope.}
A demon king through and through. Wanting to witness a life devoid of hope—such a vicious notion.
But I had no right to refuse her here. In this contract, I was always the one at a disadvantage.
"...I'll make the deal. Take my hope."
{Is it really okay to say it so lightly? The moment I take it, your life will be filled with nothing but despair. Every breath will be agony.}
Asmodeus spoke in a playful tone, as if utterly convinced I'd regret it...
But I had no intention of backing out.
"Doesn't matter. As long as it saves my lady, I'm satisfied."
{I like that about you. That destructive love—ruining yourself while loving someone else.}
Asmodeus reached out and touched my forehead. At the same moment, a black magic circle etched itself beneath my feet, and shadowy hands rose to wrap around my body.
{Second contract established, Rita.}
Strength drained from my entire body. Then something like black liquid oozed from me, forming into a sphere that floated straight toward Asmodeus.
{A satisfying contract once again.}
"Please save my lady now."
{So curt. Don't worry.}
Asmodeus strode forward, her voice brimming with confidence.
{From the moment I stepped in, Kyle was as good as saved.}
The air shifted. A gut feeling that something had gone wrong.
Naberius whipped his head around—and spotted Asmodeus approaching from afar.
{Asmodeus? What brings you here? Come to enjoy the slaughter?}
Naberius snickered, clutching corpses in his hands.
{Nah, not quite. I just popped in because my contractor's here.}
{Oh? Then go ahead and pass. I'm having fun right now.}
{Heh, sorry, can't do that.}
Asmodeus tilted her head with a grin.
{I did say my contractor's here, right? And get this...}
Asmodeus's eyes narrowed slightly, gleaming with mischief and a hint of killing intent.
{My darling contractor asked me for a little favor. To block you.}
{...I'm here to crush the seed that could kill Baal.}
{Oh? Is that so?}
Kwaaak! Asmodeus's hand clamped around Naberius's throat.
{Kgh! Asmodeus...!? What the hell is this?!}
{What else? You know my personality. Using my contractor as an excuse to stir up some trouble.}
{Didn't you hear? I'm here to crush the seed that kills Baal!}
Asmodeus kept squeezing Naberius's neck, even tightening her grip further.
{I heard. Don't care.}
{Are you betraying Baal right now?!}
{Hmm. Kinda? Baal's too boring and pretentious. Doesn't align with us Seven Deadly Sins at all.}
Only then did Naberius grasp her intent and swat her hand away.
{So you Seven Deadly Sins really are protecting the prophecy's seed to kill Baal!!}
{Took you long enough. Demon kings can be so dense sometimes.}
Asmodeus clicked her tongue, her playful smile widening.
{You, stuck at 32nd rank...!! You think you can block me?!}
Naberius roared. A shockwave erupted, flinging demon hunter corpses outward from the center. Black hands surged from the ground toward Asmodeus.
But—
Snap—
With the flick of her finger, the hands lunging at Asmodeus burst into flames and crumbled to ash.
{Naberius. Do I really seem weak just because I'm 32nd?}
Asmodeus vanished in an instant, reappearing right in front of him. Before he could react, her fist slammed into his lower abdomen with blinding speed.
{Heeeuk!?}
The impact pierced straight to his womb beyond, sending Naberius crumpling to the ground, legs trembling.
{Too bad. If you'd known me better, you wouldn't have tried this.}
Generally, lower realm numbers meant higher demon king rank. But that was just the norm.
Asmodeus was the exception. She ignored ranks entirely, acting solely on her whims. The previous 32nd demon king had died because she toyed with him like a plaything after finding his reactions amusing—until he couldn't take it anymore.
{That crazy troublemaking demon king bastard!!}
{Yup, that's me.}
Despite the insult, Asmodeus shrugged with a laugh.
{Demons are supposed to be like that, after all.}
Thwack! Thwack!
Asmodeus pummeled Naberius's lower abdomen again as he lay there, her face lit with an irrepressible playful grin.
{Urk! Hek! Haaaak!!}
{The last guy passed out on the millionth hit... How long will you last?}
Thwack!!
{Kghoooook!!}
{You're higher-ranked, so you should hold out longer, right?}
{Pl-please... st-stop...!!}
{Nope♡}
Asmodeus replied sweetly, putting more force into her next strike.
Pwaaak—!!
{Oooooook!!}
Another massive blow hammered Naberius's gut. His womb-covering muscles bruised and caved in. He dug his nails into the ground, grinding his teeth.
{...You insane bastard...}
{Yeah, guilty. But hey.}
Asmodeus met his gaze head-on, her lips twisting into a mad grin.
{This lunatic's way stronger than you.}
{You damn trouble...}
{Shut up and take it.}
...I could breathe.
My consciousness hadn't fully returned yet. My ears rang incessantly, my eyelids heavy as lead weights. My body was soaked in cold sweat, and my chest... still throbbed like something had pierced it.
My last memory was passing out while facing Naberius...
"How the hell am I still alive...?"
I lifted my head to survey the battlefield, but what I saw defied understanding even more than that question.
Thwack! Thwack!
Two demon kings were fighting. Or rather, one was brutally beating the other.
{Urk! Oof! Ah, hooooook!!}
Naberius—the demon king who'd painted this place in slaughter just moments ago.
Now he lay collapsed on the ground, face streaked with tears, taking merciless blows from another demon king.
Splack!
His abdomen caved again, his back arching. Red blood frothed from his mouth amid beastly groans.
{Are you insane, Asmodeus?! Do you even know what you're doing?!}
{Of course. Beating your ass.}
The demon king trampling Naberius...
...Asmodeus smiled. A bright, innocent one—so natural and childlike.
"......Is this... just a game to her?"
To me, it looked exactly like playtime. No real malice or rage. Just a deranged demon king, like a kid with a fun new toy, messing around with another demon king.
A scene so surreal, even seeing it firsthand felt like a dream.
As I stared blankly, Asmodeus seemed to notice and turned her gaze to me.
{Oh, you're finally awake?}
Our eyes met, and she slowly lifted the corner of her mouth.
{How's it feel? Coming back from the dead. Watching demon kings duke it out.}
"......Why are you doing this?"
{Why?}
Asmodeus sauntered toward me slowly.
{Because I made a contract with Rita. A very entertaining one.}
"Contract...?"
{Oh, right. Want an interesting tidbit?}
Still smiling, Asmodeus leaned in close to my ear and whispered.
{...This isn't the first contract with Rita.}
"What does that...?"
{Aren't you curious what kind of contract your lovesick maid made?}