A Bargain with Sloth

Raon forced his spine straight, swallowing the urge to collapse then and there. For the people behind him, he had to hold on until the very end.

For the first time, Sloth's advance toward the walls came to a halt. He stopped in his tracks and fixed a slow, heavy gaze on Raon.

"Wrath..."

Sloth's half-lidded eyes rose like a moon at dusk. He wasn't fully convinced, though. Suspicion still glimmered in those pupils, drowning as they were in sheer lethargy.

Why in the world would This King claim a cesspit like this as his land?!

It's not over yet. Keep your mouth shut.

Y-you little—!

Out loud, Raon used the most reverent honorifics imaginable. Internally, he crushed Wrath under his heel.

Hoo...

Just as Wrath had sensed Sloth's presence from afar, if Wrath's emotions flared now, Sloth would surely feel Wrath's existence in turn.

"You... are Wrath's... vessel...?"

"That's right. Lord Wrath is furious with you for trespassing on his domain. He said a Sleepyhead like you doesn't know his place."

"......"

The moment the word Sleepyhead left Raon's mouth, Sloth's shoulder gave a visible twitch. Thank goodness he had gotten Sloth's information out of Wrath beforehand.

The suspicion hadn't vanished completely, though. It was time to cut that last sprout of doubt off at the root.

Don't listen to him, Sloth! This is not This King's domain, and this wretch is not This King's subordinate! He is an enemy!

He can't hear you. Talking is useless.

What Sloth could sense was not Wrath's voice, but the aura of wrath embedded in this body.

Raon let out a long, slow breath. He expelled the murky energy of battle from his lungs and filled them with cold air. The clean chill, mixed with the taste of blood on his tongue, sharpened his vision.

This is what I took ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the wrath for.

Wrath wouldn't know it, but the reason Raon had struck that bargain wasn't merely to stay on his feet.

The original ten points of wrath he already possessed, plus the fifteen he had just received—together, they were meant to convince Sloth.

I have to stir up the wrath.

And for that, there was only one thing to think about.

He pictured Derus Robert and clenched his fist until the knuckles cracked. The pain of his nails digging into his palm felt almost welcome.

"The aura of wrath... You... truly are Wrath's..."

A distinct look of annoyance settled over Sloth's lifeless eyes. He had finally understood. The Monarch of Wrath really was dwelling within this human.

"I will relay Lord Wrath's words exactly as he spoke them. 'To trespass upon This King's domain—you must have a death wish. Take one more step and This King shall ensure you never sleep again for the rest of your days. You sleep-addled wretch.'"

W-when did This King ever say such a thing?! This lunatic, I swear—!

Of course Wrath had said no such thing. Raon had simply pieced together the information and speech patterns Wrath had given him so far.

"Mmh... n-not being able... to sleep..."

But it landed perfectly. At the mention of never sleeping again, Sloth's gaze wavered so badly it was obvious even from a distance.

"L-Lord Wrath, please restrain yourself!"

Raon bowed his head toward the ice-flower bracelet.

What—what are you trying to pull now?! Stop this at once!

"That bracelet..."

Sloth's eyes flew even wider at the sight of the flower bracelet around Raon's wrist.

Just as I expected.

When Wrath had first transformed into the flower bracelet, he had called it a matter of taste. Raon's guess that Wrath had worn similar accessories even in the Demon Realm had been correct.

"You must not descend now! The power you've gathered isn't meant for fighting Sloth, is it? You have to place this continent beneath your feet, Lord Wrath!"

Raon put on a grave expression as he looked at the dazed Wrath.

The continent? What are you babbling about now?!

"Pardon? You mean you won't simply fight him—you'll follow him around and keep him from sleeping? Lord Wrath, that's a bit..."

He stared down at the flower bracelet, eyes wide with manufactured alarm.

You deranged little—! When did This King ever say that?! This King is going to lose his mind!

Wrath clutched his head and howled in sheer frustration.

"Follow... me around... and keep me from sleeping...? Wrath would...?"

The words hit Sloth hard enough that his body swayed.

"Lord Wrath! You must restrain yourself! Look to the distant horizon!"

Would you shut up already?!

"You could torment Sloth, yes—but the conquest would take that much longer!"

He was calling him Lord Wrath, but in truth he regarded Wrath as something even lower than dirt.

"Y-you mean we have to fight because they laid hands on your subordinates, Lord Wrath...?"

He bit his lip, gazing at the flower bracelet with a look of deep emotion.

"Khh... so it was... real..."

The corners of Sloth's mouth drooped. He seemed to know that Wrath treasured his subordinates.

Bullshit! This is complete and utter bullshit! You monster! What in the world is even inside that head of yours?!

"Lord Wrath. For now, please trust me!"

You little—!

Raon bowed to the flower bracelet from which Wrath was screaming, then stepped forward to stand before Sloth.

I'm going to die. My heart's barely holding on.

Just enduring Wrath screaming and erupting with rage beside him, and Sloth pouring out that overwhelming aura in front of him, was enough to drive a man insane.

He had no idea how he had ended up sandwiched between two Demon Kings, but he could not fall here. One way or another, he had to see this through to the end.

You! Raon Zieghart!

Wrath, of course, could not contain his fury. His emotions exploded, and a terrifying wave of frost and wrath rolled through Raon's entire body.

I have to let him see this as it is.

He did not block Wrath's assault the way he usually did. He took the outpouring of wrath exactly as it came.

"Wrath's... aura..."

Sloth frowned and lowered his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠chin.

"Allow me to introduce myself again. I am the Vessel of Wrath—the body Lord Wrath will soon descend into."

"Mmh..."

"I know why you came here. The sounds of war and the black magic woke you from your sleep, didn't they?"

"That... is so."

Sloth nodded, very slowly.

"But you picked the wrong target. The ones who kept making noise around you are a group called Eden, the ones who wear monster helmets. We were only defending against their attack."

Raon explained the situation calmly, swallowing a pain that felt like a blade being driven through him.

"E...den... Where... are they...?"

"I don't know."

"Then you lot... have nothing... to do with it..."

"That's right."

"Then there's... no need... to fight Wrath..."

Sloth took a step back. If anything, he looked relieved.

"Sloth. Where do you think you're going?"

"Since this... has nothing... to do with you... I'm going back..."

"Going back? That's— hk! Lord Wrath!"

Raon leaped in place and seized the bracelet.

"Y-you must restrain yourself! You cannot come out yet!"

Huh? What?

"Ah, yes! I will relay it exactly as you said! Please wait!"

Raon bowed again and again toward Wrath, who was floating in the air with a look of utter vacancy.

"Sloth. You laid hands on This King's servants, and you think you can simply leave?"

"Wrath... I didn't know... you were... here..."

"That makes it worse. Had This King not been here, you would have slaughtered what belongs to This King."

Raon pretended to listen to Wrath as he spoke, deliberately drawing the moment out. He left Sloth not even a sliver of room for doubt.

This King never said any of that! This King's insides are bursting! Bursting, I tell you! Now This King understands why humans die of rage-sickness!

Wrath's eyes spun like a top.

"You are a demon yourself, so you know. A life for a life."

Raon pointed to the soldiers who had died in the battle against the monsters.

"I... haven't killed... a single one... yet..."

"Do not argue with This King. The monsters drawn here by your arrival killed This King's servants."

"That's..."

"Did you not try to hold completely unrelated people responsible simply because they woke you from sleep?"

"Mmh..."

Sloth closed his mouth, with nothing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to say. Or rather, looking at his eyes, reasons of any kind simply seemed like too much trouble. His face said he just wanted to go back and sleep already.

Now.

The groundwork was laid. It was time to get to the point.

"That said, even This King knows that taking your life would not be reasonable."

"Wrath..."

"This body, a lofty Monarch of the Demon Realm, shall grant you a chance. Choose. Will you abandon the sleep you hold most dear, or will you pass your power to this one? Henceforth, this one shall be This King's... huh?"

Raon's mouth fell open as he stared at the flower bracelet. Of course Wrath wasn't in it—he was floating in midair.

"L-Lord Wrath!"

S-so this was your aim all along. You devil of a human!

Wrath, a Demon King himself, screamed that Raon was a devil and a fiend, and flared with the aura of wrath.

"You need not grant me such an opportunity. Lord Wrath alone is enough for me!"

Raon bowed until his head nearly touched the ground. He bit down on his tongue, using the pain to push through Wrath's interference.

Sloth! Kill this wretch! He is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a human who brings nothing but harm to the world! Just swing your hand!

"Sleep... or passing on my power...? That's... simple enough..."

Sloth nodded sluggishly, as if wondering why anyone would even ask such a thing.

N-no! Don't do it! You fool! You are being deceived by a human worse than any demon! Stop!

Wrath flailed his arms and shrieked, but Sloth merely lifted a finger and pointed it at himself.

A pitch-black aura bloomed from that fingertip and drove straight through Raon's heart. No—not his heart. An enormous power began to inscribe itself along one axis of his soul.

It was like a branding iron searing into his back. But the pain only made his mind clearer.

T-This King is going to die here. Die of rage-sickness, of all things. Aaaah...

Wrath collapsed onto the ground and trembled from head to toe.

"Then... I'll be... going... So sleepy... Just want to... sleep..."

"Wait."

Raon raised a hand and stopped Sloth as he turned to leave.

"We're not done yet."

"...What?"

Killing intent gathered in Sloth's eyes. If anyone interrupted his sleep any further, he looked ready to fight regardless of Wrath.

"I have something to give you."

Raon unwrapped the black cloth he had been carrying and drew out the Goblin King's magic stone. The heat radiating from it loosened fingers that had gone stiff with frost and tension.

"That is..."

Sloth felt the warmth of the magic stone as well, and his eyes rounded.

"Take this magic stone."

He tossed it to Sloth without the slightest hesitation.

"Warm... With this... I could... keep sleeping..."

The killing intent and irritation that had clung to Sloth vanished in an instant. He stared at the magic stone as if bewitched.

"But... why... would you... give this to me..."

"From now on, no matter what noise you hear from this place, do not come down. And if a large number of monsters start to move, control them as you see fit and make them stop."

He had no intention of monopolizing the profit after putting everyone else through something this terrifying. He would use Sloth to ensure that a Wave never rose again.

"What a bother... But it's... not that hard..."

Sloth gazed at the Goblin King's magic stone with rapturous eyes, then looked back at Raon.

"Is this... Wrath's... request as well...?"

"No. This is a deal between you and me, unrelated to Lord Wrath. Do not appear here again."

"A deal...? Compared to this... it's trivial. So..."

He looked the magic stone over once more, then raised a finger again.

A black tendril bloomed from the fingertip and coiled around Raon's wrist, right beside the flower bracelet.

"What—!"

"Don't... worry... It's just... the remainder... after the deal."

Just as he said, there was no malice in that black light.

A sound like metal locking into place rang out, and a black flower bracelet of a slightly different form appeared on his wrist beside the ice flower.

"What is this?"

"It will... be of use... to you... someday..."

"But why a flower bracelet..."

"I matched... your master's... tastes... Before you... bother me again..."

With that, Sloth turned his back and headed for the mountains once more.

As he withdrew, the darkness began to recede. The endless night faded, and the sun that had been put to sleep awoke.

"Hoo..."

Raon let out a breath that came apart in ragged threads.

At this rate I really might die.

He wanted to collapse on the spot. But not yet. He had to hold on until Sloth was completely gone. The fortunate thing was that Sloth seemed to like the Goblin King's magic stone—his steps were far faster than before.

A flower again, of all things. Wrath, this bracelet is...

Grrrk! Ra-Raon, you son of a—

Wrath had actually succumbed to rage-sickness. He was out cold, blue foam bubbling from his mouth.

"Ha."

Raon let out a hollow laugh and swept back hair soaked with cold sweat.

Still. Somehow, it's over.

It had all come down to a single hair's breadth. If he hadn't had information on Sloth, if Wrath hadn't agreed to the bargain, if everyone in the castle hadn't fainted—none of this would have been possible.

As Sloth's retreating figure began to fade, messages rose before his eyes.

There was a great deal of content, but his vision was too blurred to read it properly.

Raon closed the messages and poured the last of his strength into his buckling legs. He held the wall alone until the Monarch of Sloth vanished into the mountains, and the golden sun erased the dark.

And so the nightmare of a single night came to an end.