Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Their Circumstances
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# 11
2. What is this? It's scary. (3)
#3 Their Circumstances: The Plight of a Certain Enslaved Sucker
The final giant who burned a mythology to ashes.
The supreme great demon who commands fire.
On a level far beyond ordinary demons, the master of the blazing realm of Muspelheim, feared even by the gods of heaven.
That being is me, the great demon Surtr.
And I am extremely...
"Bored."
So bored. Way too bored!
How long do I have to sit on this throne?
Sitting here all the time has my back aching like crazy.
Honestly, as a great demon, I train diligently every day to maintain my imposing presence, but what's the point?
No one calls for me.
Well, I get it. If I make a move, history itself would flip upside down.
My subordinates say that a few years ago, there was this massive war on the continent where humans fought tooth and nail, but the moment I stepped out, that war would turn into child's play.
After all, I'm one of the top-tier demons with a track record of incinerating an entire world.
That's why I always wonder: Could a mere human even summon a being like me?
From the era humans call ancient times, they've been scattering spells to summon me, but humans—especially those who believe in gods—have diligently collected and burned them all.
To stop demons that threaten the world, they figured they had to block the summoning methods from the start, right?
Thanks to that, for demons of my caliber, getting out into the human world has become as tough as plucking stars from the sky.
How many of the so-called great demons that humans fear even have active contracts right now?
I can only think of two off the top of my head. Even if I add in the ones I don't know about, it probably wouldn't fill one hand.
What kind of contract rate is this? Isn't this outrageous?!
At this point, upper demons are better off.
When we get our first contract, they've already racked up fifty.
They're just strong enough and weak enough to make contracting easy.
What kind of absurd phenomenon is this?
I used to be the gatekeeper of Muspelheim until Ragnarok, but after that, I've had nothing but free time!
Even so, my last trip to the human world was 5,000 years ago.
5,000 years ago, you say? Not knowing when a contract might come, I spend almost every day parked on this jade throne!
Try sitting in a chair for 5,000 years—it's boring enough to kill you!
"Right now, I'd even do a massive discount: half off on souls..."
This is a deal even upper demons wouldn't offer! And yet, I'm Surtr, pulling off this insane sale!
Why aren't there any customers lining up?!
If another 1,000 years pass like this, I'll be so bored I'll do contracts for free!
"Huh?"
Did my desperation finally get through?
Unfamiliar ripples form around the jade throne.
Th-this is a summoning response!
Could there still be a human in the mortal realm who knows how to summon me?!
I check my form.
Perfect. I'm in top condition, ready to battle gods anytime.
I clear my throat.
Ahem!
Good. A deep, powerful voice brimming with strength.
To make a strong first impression for easier contracting.
Even with humans, I can't afford to be casual.
It's been 5,000 years since my last contract.
If they look useless and I pass, that's a loss for me.
So, I prepare thoroughly.
Just seal the contract.
Once it's done, I'll take everything from the contractor and burn the continent to the ground in peak form.
Alright, heading to the contractor in 3 seconds.
To amp up the impact, I'll wrap myself in white flames.
2 seconds.
Chest out, proud posture! Expression: dignified as a great demon!
Never let on that I've been waiting for this contract.
1 second.
Finally, my signature pose. Raise my hand high.
0 seconds.
Boom!
"Those who have summoned Surtr, master of Muspelheim—are you the ones?!"
I descend slamming the floor amid blinding light! The shattered stone fragments flying up around me are perfect.
What a cool summoning. The summoner must be shocked.
They probably never imagined summoning a magnificent great demon like me!
Now, what kind of summoner is the one who called me?!
I don't show it, but filled with anticipation, I gaze at the summoner.
Young. No, a child.
But through my eyes as a great demon, I see their overwhelming talent.
This is what they call a genius. A human who transcends humanity.
An undeniable existence who will etch their name into history.
Perfect. I'll carve my name alongside theirs.
So no one forgets this kid and me, I'll burn our names into history with fear and despair!
But first, the contract!
"The price of the contract is your sou—huh?"
Huh? What's this? My palm is hot?
For a fire giant like me to feel heat is weird.
My eyes drop involuntarily.
The floor is glowing.
Summoning circles glowing is normal, but the color's off.
I infuse mana into my eyes and look down. Beneath the summoning circle, something's shining.
"Yeah, soul. Zero. Nothing there."
As I voice my doubt looking at the floor, a man's voice reaches my ears.
Soul? Zero? What nonsense is this? And at the edge of my vision, some text appears.
[Contract between Demon Surtr and [Ria El Nermia] - Geass Roll]
Under the world's witness, Surtr, master of the blazing realm Muspelheim and great demon, acknowledges contractor [Ria El Nermia] as his master.
He shall obey any command without question, take no action without the contractor's word first, and pledge to the world to lend his infinite power to her talents without any compensation whatsoever.
Fuck. What the hell is this?
***
Ahh. Success.
What a terrifying brain!
Am I really a genius?! It's a waste to use this genius mind in an evil organization, but too late now.
Ahh. Damn it. Cursed fate!
If only my parents hadn't died in the hero-villain war.
Or if that idiot lord hadn't gambled his life away and gotten crushed by the empire!
Then I could've been one of those overpowered protagonists from isekai novels!
Ahh, calm down. That's just hypothetical.
Back when I was alive, the trend was protagonists rolling in the dirt anyway.
Just be content with the fat paycheck.
As I spin my happy thoughts, I see the great demon staring into space in confusion.
"Wh-what is this?!"
Probably seeing the Geass Roll.
It's pricey, sure, but it's a world-certified contract.
A contract forged with the creator's authority, beyond even gods.
I stocked up on a few from the one place on the continent—neutral even to demons, who hate humans like oil and water.
Of course, I'll submit the receipt to accounting later.
"Th-this is fraud!"
Yep. Totally fraud.
Got the idea from a demon.
We mainly contract mid-tier demons in the organization, and this one always showed up smug, arms crossed, spewing green smoke.
So I asked when the chance came.
-Why the green smoke every time?
The demon replied:
-That's how I make my grand entrance!
He said other demons have their own flair too.
Got the details by politely summoning a low-tier demon with my disciple.
The giant wolf Fenrir from Norse myth howls at the sky for a minute.
Major vampire, Count Dracula, merges from hundreds of bats.
And three suckers ripe for bait, one being Surtr, master of Muspelheim.
Apparently slams his palm on the ground.
Fitting for a world-destroyer, a destructive entrance.
Heard one summoner got buried in a collapsing cave.
Anyway, demon-human contracts—or most summoner-human ones—are verbal.
In my past life, they held weight, but they never benefited me against tough opponents. Here, verbal deals trade souls.
So what if we add a formal contract? With their print?
Prepped a stone slab, imbued it with Geass Roll, stamped No. 17's print.
Step one done. Then placed the slab at the bottom, special ink layer above, normal-looking floor on top!
This dumb giant announces "I'm Surtr!" and slams the floor on cue. The thin floor shatters under his power, perfectly stamping the slab below.
"Such a contract—!"
He smashes the slab with his print, but the Geass Roll's already activated, etching the terms into No. 17 and Surtr's souls. Slab's irrelevant.
Honestly, I wasn't sure it'd work.
But folks, it actually happened!
"Obey? Can't act first? And no compensation?"
Raaaaagh! The giant who burned a world howls!
Surtr was seriously strong.
Strong enough to chomp Frey, Norse myth's last hope, and torch the world!
But so what.
Now he's a slave demon under slave contract.
"No. 17, tell him to shut up."
"Please shut up."
I nod to No. 17 as Surtr opens his mouth with a wronged look.
"Seems to have worked."
Of course, fraud contracts weaken manifestation power.
And with a slave contract, a prideful great demon like him won't go all out anyway.
But he's a great demon?
One who wrecked a mythology?
Even if Odin and Thor, Norse main gods, died to Ragnarok monsters, he's a world-burner?
A guy like that roaming free? How's a mana-less small fry like me—no, small villain—supposed to live?
If the world burns, where do I spend the money I slaved for in the evil org half my life?
Thus, seal him.
Weaker's better.
No. 17 might backstab me later.
Disciples can stab masters—especially here.
This is the evil organization!
So I save my safety, and the world's too!
...Mom, Dad. I've become the hero who saved the world!
#4 Their Circumstances: The Plight of the Hero Who Will Truly Save the World
That day, as usual, I was locked in a desperate battle just to eat.
"Block them all, Surtr!"
But unlike usual, with No. 17's shout, a massive giant wreathed in blazing flames appeared.
And the giant declared:
"I am Surtr, master of Muspelheim and great demon! By my master's command, I shall guard this place. Defeat me if you wish to pass!"
...Deceased Mother.
To eat once, I have to beat a great demon.
What a filthy world.