The 48th Seat Demon, Hagenti
A gate had suddenly appeared right in front of our house.
The damn thing ambushed the mala tang delivery guy and spilled the whole order.
We were furious at the thought of missing out on the mala tang we'd waited 90 minutes for.
"There's a demon inside that gate, my lady."
But that gate wasn't ordinary.
Gates normally only emitted mana.
Yet magi was leaking from this one.
That meant there was a demon inside.
"Have demons ever appeared from gates before?"
"No. People don't even know demons exist."
I only learned about them after awakening myself.
No gate had ever spat out anything demon-like before.
The gate radar glitching like this was probably a first too.
"How strong is the demon in there?"
According to Asmodeus, there was definitely a demon in the freshly spawned gate.
A demon from a gate? This was uncharted territory, and it scared me.
Oh, right. But I'm a demon too.
"The mana and magi are mixed, making it hard to gauge the magi's exact scale. We'd have to go inside to know who's in there."
Even Asmodeus didn't know who was inside.
"Mana too means there are monsters like in a normal gate, right?"
"Likely, my lady. Monsters and a demon."
"Didn't you say gates don't open in Hell?"
"Indeed. Something anomalous happened. We should enter and assess."
Asmodeus wanted to check inside.
I agreed.
We had to avenge my mala tang, and leaving that ominous gate by the house felt wrong.
Luckily, it was late.
No one around.
No one else had spotted it but us.
The delivery guy was knocked out after flying off his bike.
"Yeah. Can't just leave it there."
"One request, Lady Lucy. Would you enter with me?"
An unexpected ask from Asmodeus.
I'd just be dead weight.
Not that I was scared or anything.
"I can handle any monsters, my lady. But the demon inside is unknown. If it's higher-ranked than me, I might struggle alone. With you there, any demon will recognize your primacy and bow."
Huh, makes sense.
A higher demon might beat Asmodeus.
But I had Primordial Demon (EX).
No demon could ignore the 0th seat.
"Got it. I'll come."
"Your boundless grace humbles me. I'll clear the monsters—just watch."
Sending Asmodeus alone felt unfair anyway.
Still, the aura leaking from the gate creeped me out.
I stuck right to Asmodeus as we headed out.
"I've cloaked us with stealth."
No way we were getting caught on CCTV entering.
Asmodeus hid us both.
I'd already called 119 for the unconscious delivery guy.
"Then we're going in."
"Yeah."
Asmodeus and I plunged into the wavering gate.
"Oof, hot..."
Inside was a lava zone.
A wasteland of flowing lava under a volcano.
Glowing red fissures everywhere.
One wrong step, and lava would erupt.
"The monsters look manageable solo. Please wait here."
Asmodeus pushed me back and charged.
Huge lava rocks and magma slimes swarmed the place.
Heat didn't faze her as she dove in.
Splat—crunch—
Monsters shredded mercilessly.
Lava chunks and hot rocks flew everywhere.
"This way, Lady Lucy."
She cleared them fast.
Good thing the gate was small—few mobs.
"Monsters done, but magi lingers. That way."
Magi still pulsed.
Demon separate from the monsters.
I followed Asmodeus to a cave in the lava field.
As we neared, I felt it too.
Magi, but different from Asmodeus's.
—Wah, what's goin' on yuu... So dang hot, shonne could run around in me panties yuu...
A thick, rustic voice echoed from somewhere.
We froze.
"Did you hear that?"
"Yes, my lady. I suspect I know who."
"You know the demon?"
"Yes. If it's who I think, no worries. Shall we?"
Asmodeus relaxed.
A good demon she knew?
I trailed her onward.
Soon, we reached the cave.
And there, fussing "Aiyu... aiyu..." was a demon.
"Aiyu... What in tarnation happened yuu... Ain't Hell here. Shonne wants back home yuu..."
Compared to Asmodeus, she had an innocent face and wore work overalls.
Like she'd come straight from some rural farm, welding and plowing.
I whispered to Asmodeus.
"...You sure you know her?"
"Yes, intimately. I'll handle it—please watch, Lady Lucy."
Asmodeus crossed her arms and strode up.
"Hagenti. What're you doing here?"
"Aigoo! Wah, it's Lady Asmodeus! Where's this place yuu? Ain't Hell, but flash-bam, shonne tumbled here and got scared half to death yuu!"
"That's my question. What're you doing? You spilled my mala tang! Waited an hour and a half—how ya gonna fix it?!"
"Y-yes? What's mala tang yuu?"
"You ruined my mala tang!"
"Ack! Eek—why, why hit shonne yuu! What's mala tang anyway yuu! Shonne just woke up here—kee-yak!"
Thud—thud—thud—
Asmodeus beat the demon Hagenti with a venomous glare.
She said "handle"—and meant it literally.
She was extra mad over the mala tang.
But that demon looked clueless too.
Still, Asmodeus pummeled her over the spill.
"Ack! Ouch! Aigoo! Shonne's dyin' yuu! Ain't Hell, no insurance if shonne dies here yuu! Gonna say hi to Grandpa in the grave!"
"You! Ruined! My! Mala! Tang!"
Thud—thud—thud—
Watching this...
She's just venting over the food, isn't she?
At least, no danger from this demon.
She was getting pummeled too hard—I should stop it.
As I approached, a status message popped up.
Encountered Hell's 48th Seat Demon, 'Magician of Metals, Hagenti'.
The 48th seat demon, Hagenti.
One of the 72 demons, apparently.
When I summoned Asmodeus, it said "Summoned."
This said "Encountered."
So meetings with the 72 outside summoning trigger this.
"48th is below Asmodeus."
16 seats lower.
Asmodeus once said Hell was a strict hierarchy.
Like the old military.
Clueless, Hagenti just "aiyu"-ed under the beating.
"Enough, Asmodeus. She seems lost too."
"Hah...! As you wish, Lady Lucy. Your mercy is oceanic. Hey, Hagenti—thank Lady Lucy you're alive. She missed mala tang 'cause of you!"
I wasn't that mad.
Anyway, the beating stopped.
"Aigoo... aigoo... Hu, huff?! Y-you!"
Hagenti, writhing in pain, spotted me and prostrated flat.
"Y-you're the great Primordial Demon, Lady Lucy! Shonne was late greetin' 'cause of Lady Asmodeus—forgive shonne yuu!"
Hagenti recognized me too.
Bowed her head.
Primordial Demon skill effect, as expected.
I asked why she was here.
"It's fine. More importantly, Hagenti—how'd you end up in a gate?"
"Sh-shonne, Lady Lucy? What's a gate yuu?"
Hagenti was clueless too.
Until minutes ago, she'd been chilling in Hell as usual.
Suddenly, space cracked open.
Startled, she slipped in by accident.
Woke up here.
"A rift connecting Hell to a mortal gate... This is odd, Lady Lucy."
"Ever seen?"
"Ever happened before?"
"First I've heard. Probably her case is the inaugural one."
Definite anomaly.
First occurrence, confirmed.
No demons in gates till now.
For some reason, Hell linked to a gate interior.
Hagenti, poor victim.
"Shonne knows nothin' yuu... Wants back to Hell yuu."
Hagenti whined pitifully.
After Asmodeus's kicks and groveling, she looked pathetic.
"Get up, Hagenti."
"Aiyu, thanks yuu."
"And check the gate interior. Might be a rift back to Hell."
"Understood. Hagenti, you search too."
"A-alright yuu."
"Lady Lucy, just rest. We handle the grunt work."
Asmodeus and Hagenti scoured the gate.
Small gate—quick work.
They moved fast.
No rifts visible, no signs of more.
Hers must've sealed shut.
"Hmm... Let's head out then. Gate'll vanish post-clear. Hagenti, come too."
"Aiyu, thanks Lady Lucy. Such a kind heart yuu. All demons should emulate yuu."
"Why ya starin', Hagenti? Eyes down before Lady Lucy?"
"Aiyu, dust in me eye yuu."
We exited the gate.
Hagenti included.
Clear complete—the gate dissolved instantly.
We slipped inside the house.
"Hmm... Till we uncover the truth, better keep Hagenti close, Lady Lucy. Who knows what this fool might cause loose."
"Sure. No way back to Hell right now anyway."
Hagenti would bunk with us.
Summoned Asmodeus returns via skill release.
But rift-sucked Hagenti? Stuck.
Extra demon? Handy for me.
Like gaining one without summoning.
Hagenti had nowhere else anyway.
"And Hagenti has her uses."
Asmodeus added.
About the [Rusty Thunder God's Hammer] we'd picked up.
"She manipulates metal. Might fix that rusted hammer."