INTERLUDE: CONVERGING GAZES
Oh~ my dear friend Dantalian~♪
Then do you see this as fate too, a predetermined flow?
...
Ah~ Vepar~ that undignified fish~♪
His refusal to swallow defeat gracefully has blown the whole mess out of control~♪
...
The war between Dantalian's contractor and Halphas's contractor was a spectacle even the demons of Hell had watched with keen interest.
An unpredictable warmonger whose battles could veer anywhere. That incarnation of war was a perpetual headache in Hell.
A madwoman who waged endless wars using the souls of the fallen, invading the private domains of countless demons as a matter of course.
Other demons toyed with damned souls to their own tastes, but her domain of "war" routinely encroached on everyone else's turf.
Victory or defeat didn't matter, nor did life or death—she craved only infinite slaughter. A fanatic who believed true value lay in abandoning reason, succumbing to instinct, and killing every enemy in sight.
She'd wrecked Amdusias's gallery of art, torched Glashalabolras's lake of blood, shattered Dantalian's tower of faces. A lunatic demon who razed countless domains and palaces in the name of war.
If she weren't ranked 38th among the great demons, she would've been booted from Hell long ago.
The sole reason Halphas still lingered in Hell? She was just that strong.
While her contractor rampaged through the mortal realm, Dantalian's contractor made a rare appearance after ages—the chaos-bringer igniting fresh turmoil on the Central Continent.
The embodiment of war couldn't ignore the chaos incarnate. Her gaze turned mortal-ward, but the demons she'd tormented for years blocked her hunt for Dantalian's contractor over the past decade.
They couldn't stand by while she tried to smash their shiny new toy up to no good.
Time passed, and Dantalian's contractor emerged victorious from the clash with Vepar's contractor.
Who could've imagined the chaos-bringer—whom no one thought could match in experience or raw power as a demon contractor—would win?
Vepar, the sea demon, refused to accept it. He schemed to use Halphas for vengeance in his contractor's stead.
Out of affection? Hardly. Pirate King Samuel had offered countless human souls to the sea over decades via live sacrifices. Such a ruthless pirate made for prime contractor material, and losing him meant Vepar went soul-dry until he found a replacement.
Thus ignited the feud between Halphas's and Dantalian's contractors—a fresh diversion for Hell's demons, worth watching.
...
Ooooh~♪ What a tragedy~♪
Dantalian~ Even blocking that maniac is a stretch, but if the other demon lords step in, we're utterly screwed~♪
...
Dantalian, listening to Glashalabolras and Amdusias, now faced a fresh headache.
The forgotten ancient god, ruler of time. The demon king who once reigned supreme in Hell, revived.
Even Halphas, grown as strong as could be, couldn't lift her head before that one. Defying that one herself? Utter folly.
Her own contractor was already in that one's grasp.
She hadn't met her quota this fight, but soon—ten thousand faces.
The contract was absolute. She didn't want to lose her fun new toy, but all she could do was keep smooth relations with her contractor.
Yet deep down, she found the chaos thrilling.
Ah~♪ Has my friend Dantalian finally lost it~♪
What a shame~♪
...
Oooh~ How despairing~♪
Dantalian, I'll go meet your contractor as promised before. You said he'd give me what I want, right?
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...
...
"Phew~ I'm beat."
"Boss. Good work out there."
"Allen. What did I do wrong?"
"Beats me~ I dunno~"
...
After winning the bet with Halphas, I'd endured a hell of a different kind for the day.
'Boss! Didn't I do great?! Huh?! I handled it so cool, right?! That's gotta count for major points, yeah?!'
'Hey, move it! Boss! Today we're finally gonna—'
'Neither of you move! I threw my body in front of that bastard to shield the boss, so I get first dibs!'
'Oh my~ You guys are too much! Ignoring the boss's orders while throwing a fit~ Making our boss look all awkward like that.'
'Everyone out! Can't you see the boss is swamped with cleanup?! As the estate manager and secretary, I won't let you run wild anymore!—'
Why were all the women in my organization storming my office and causing chaos?
I was in the middle of doling out most of this month's take to Big Daddy's family and the smaller outfits as thanks—handling paperwork and all.
I got they did great and craved praise, but still...
"I'm the boss, right?"
"Obviously."
"So why am I suffering like this?"
...
Allen's silence stabbed deeper than words.
"Ah! Boss bro~"
"Hm?"
Thud! Thud!
"Hehe~ Boss bro~♥ Where ya headed?"
A hulking musclebound figure appeared in the mansion hallway with heavy footsteps, waving and grinning.
Shera, shedding her childish look, now sported a proper beauty's face. The issue? Below it, a thick neck of pure muscle and a massive frame packed with strength to pulverize man or building alike.
Still, one of our family's "cute"(?) little ones.
"Just~ takin' a stroll?"
"Oh—right! Boss, something came up I gotta handle, so I'm off first!"
"Huh? More work?"
"Yeah! Somethin' like that! Anyway, I'm out! Shera, you're on your own!—"
"Yessir~♥"
Allen bolted like he'd remembered something urgent, spreading bat wings and vanishing out a window.
Real emergency? Then why hadn't it reached my ears as boss...
Thud! Thud!
"Actor bro! Whatcha doin' with Shera over there?"
"Hey, Mira."
From the opposite side lumbered another giant muscle mass rivaling Shera—Mira.
Now I was sandwiched front and back between Shera and Mira.
Growth spurts? They were still shooting up—nearing 2 meters tall, muscles ballooning so much the wide hallway felt cramped.
Ogre essence straight from the source or not, at 15? That muscle, height, plus watermelon-sized chests? Cheat level.
In five years, they'd tower over Rina sis at 2.5 meters plus, even huger builds?
"Kids. I gotta get past—mind scootin' over?"
...
"Kids?"
Flex! Bulge!
"Actor bro! Check it out?! We've grown tons, right?!"
Mira posed hands-on-hips, flexing arms. Simple move, yet her biceps swelled visibly, veins pulsing under skin.
Squish! Jiggle!
"Sh-Shera?"
"Hehehe~ Boss bro~♥ We've gotten so big, huh? We're grown-ups now~♥"
"Ah! Shera, no fair! Me too, bro!~♥"
Squish! Jiggle!
"Mmph?!"
Perfectly smothered front and back, face buried in massive chests. Not soft—basketball-firm texture, plus callused paws unfit for "women's hands."
Mira and Shera rubbed my face against their chests, lifting me slightly with playful grins.
But oddly joyful expressions as they spoke.
"Actor bro~ Let's go play~♥"
"Hehehe~ Boss bro~♥ Got time? Like old times, let's hang out~♥"
Jiggle! Jiggle!
Ugh... Tough to say no here. Come to think, been workin' these 15-year-olds to death—feelin' guilty. Long-overdue stroll with the kids?
Couldn't ignore kids begging like this. If I'd had a daughter in my past life? Probably folded instantly.
"Alright, let's go. Where to, us three after so long?"
""Yay!~♥ Bro's the best!~♥""
Sometimes even I need a break.
These hectic days had worn me ragged.