Soul Contract
"Do… ha… sir…"
Han Jeong-soo's eyes grew steadily more unfocused. At first he had merely looked drowsy; now he seemed fully anesthetized.
"Ah… I… I'm sorry."
The girl who had just emerged from the cocoon, still dazed, finally collected herself and began suppressing her aura as hard as she could.
As mentioned before, Hell was not home only to demons and Demon Kings. Ordinary people of the Demon Realm lived there as well—just as people of Heaven existed in the celestial realm.
A soft hiss of power slipped free.
Then it burst.
"Ah… let me try again…"
The moment her restrained aura flared once more, she flinched and scrambled to rein it in.
Do-ha and Canteas exchanged a look.
She can't control her own power, can she?
You see it too?
Unable to handle an aura this overwhelming… she must have been treated like a walking disaster even in Hell.
The power radiating from her did not affect humans alone. It worked on the denizens of Hell and Heaven—and even on monsters. If she simply walked around freely, everyone nearby would lose their minds.
Do-ha extended a hand and laid down a formation. Instantly the aura pouring from her vanished.
In truth it had not vanished; it merely continued to swirl, trapped inside the formation.
"Huh…? My power…"
"I blocked it."
The formation was one he had originally designed to seal demonic energy. Sealing someone's power through pressure points would eventually cause it to run wild and kill them. Since he had no intention of killing Baal's daughter, he had chosen a formation instead.
"I've sealed it, so you don't need to strain yourself trying to—"
A tear rolled down the girl's cheek just as Do-ha folded his arms.
"Why are you crying? The power isn't gone. I only blocked it for now."
"Thank you… I… I hate this power of mine."
"Hm?"
Do-ha tilted his head at her words. She hated the power she possessed?
"My name is Eilas… This power is a curse to me."
She introduced herself and began to speak.
Hundreds of years earlier, Eilas had been born to Baal and the Flower Demon known as Molly. From the moment of her birth she had carried an aura that entranced living beings. The problem was its sheer strength. It barely affected her parents, yet every other creature fell under her spell—even monsters that could not normally be controlled. Exposure to Eilas's aura left them so thoroughly bewitched that rational thought became impossible.
One being had found this utterly intolerable: Asmodeus, the Demon King of Lust. Consumed by jealousy and envy of her power, he had attacked Eilas the moment Baal left her side.
"When I was on the verge of death… Father spent a portion of his own soul to heal me."
Afterward Baal had hidden the cocoon in which his daughter recovered near his heart.
Canteas sent a private message to Do-ha.
He valued his daughter enough to burn part of his soul for her, yet he barely reacted when you took her?
What did you see back then? He was screaming. Besides, he was bound and couldn't move.
Even so, his reaction felt weak… He should have been howling in despair.
He already knew I wouldn't harm her.
When two people fought long enough on the battlefield, they eventually came to understand each other—not merely attack patterns or habits, but character itself. In the martial world there was even a term for it: "battlefield comrades." Fight often enough, meet often enough, and you began to read your opponent the way you would a friend.
Do-ha and Baal had been much the same. They had never grown fond enough to call each other comrades, yet as enemies they had learned each other's natures. That was why Baal, though furious enough to shout when Do-ha took his daughter, had not thrashed about as if his life depended on it.
He looked completely panicked when you said you'd turn her into a ghoul. You even finished by saying you'd bring her back as a Dullahan.
He panicked at the idea of me taking her. He knows full well those threats were just that—threats.
In the past Baal had interfered with him; a little intimidation in return had soothed Do-ha's temper.
"From what you've told me, Baal didn't fail to heal you. He deliberately left you like that."
The cardinal's demonic energy had allowed Do-ha to cure her in an instant, yet Baal, living in Hell, could hardly have lacked demonic energy of that level. Baal's own power alone far surpassed that of dozens of cardinals.
So that's why he left her. He was searching for a way to control that aura.
And then he had been captured.
"Thank you. Because of you, I finally feel free."
"Don't get the wrong idea. I didn't do it for your sake."
"Ah…"
Eilas's face fell. Her appearance alone was enough to entrance people, yet Do-ha remained completely unaffected.
"I know you're not a demon but one of the people of the Demon Realm. I can tell just from the way your power feels. Still, I hate every living thing that comes from Hell."
"Wh… why…?"
"Because I'm Hell's enemy."
"Pardon?"
"Once I kill the Demon God, Hell is finished anyway."
"Y-you can't mean… the Absolute Being, Baek Do-ha…?!"
Eilas recoiled in shock. She had only ever heard of him from her father; she had never met him in person.
"You know me?"
She was hundreds of years old. If Asmodeus's attack had happened only a few decades ago, that would be one thing—but if her injuries dated much further back, how did she know his name?
"I heard about you from Father."
"So you still had consciousness inside the cocoon."
Do-ha nodded, understanding. That made sense.
"Most of the time I was in a deep sleep, but whenever Father fought, I woke. Every time, I felt him get hurt."
"If you want to resent me, go ahead."
"No. I don't resent you."
She shook her head. The man before her was human; the people of the Demon Realm were his enemies. Fighting for one's own side was something every living being did. Even mindless monsters fought for their kind and their territory. It was an inescapable fate shared by all who possessed life.
"Would you still say that if your father had died by my hand?"
"I would have been angry and sad. I would have wanted revenge and attacked you. But I would have understood as well. If our positions were reversed, it would have been the same. So I understand you. I've heard how many humans the demons have slaughtered."
"…"
Do-ha narrowed his eyes. Judging by her words alone, she sounded almost like an enlightened monk.
He gave Canteas a light shove.
"Hey. She's better than you. More mature."
"Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden?!"
Canteas snapped. He could feel it too—how grown-up she was.
"Ugh…"
"You awake?"
"Ah, I… I'm sorry. Did I fall asleep for a moment?"
Han Jeong-soo, who had collapsed on the floor, came to and sat up. Once Eilas's aura vanished, the intoxicated manager had simply passed out. Since he wasn't injured, they had left him to rest.
"Ah… and this person is…?"
Han Jeong-soo tilted his head at Eilas. He felt certain he had seen her before, yet he could not remember.
"Introduce yourself. She's a demon's daughter."
"…?"
"Think of her as a Demon King's daughter if that helps. Baal is basically Demon King level."
"Excuse me??"
Confusion flooded Han Jeong-soo's face.
Do-ha rose from his seat. Canteas looked at him.
"Where are you going?"
Do-ha was already gathering his outer coat.
"You stay here with Eilas for a bit. I've got somewhere to be."
"Ah—to Baal?"
"Th-then I'll come too…"
"You stay. You've got things to do. Manager Han, head back as well. I'll contact you."
"Yes, understood."
"Ah, wait."
"?"
Do-ha pulled out his phone and snapped a photo of Eilas. She tilted her head, puzzled. What had he just done?
"I'm heading out. When I summon you later, bring her along."
"?"
Photo taken, Do-ha opened the front door with Han Jeong-soo and stepped outside.
Flames crackled and roared.
"The Flame Spirit Sword has vanished."
"…"
"It must have returned to you. Hand it over."
The assistant bishop of the Demon God Cult stood before the bound Baal, flanked by his followers. When the bishop Fallen died, the Flame Spirit Sword he had carried disappeared from the scene. A weapon born of demonic power would naturally return to its master. Now it was the assistant bishop's turn to claim it.
"…I've told you countless times that a human who holds the Flame Spirit Sword goes mad."
"That means nothing. Our minds exist for the Demon God. For his sake we would gladly go mad a hundred times over."
A truly fanatical answer from the assistant bishop.
"You are a demon. If you serve the Demon God, surrender the Flame Spirit Sword at once."
"Haa…"
Baal hung his head and let out a long sigh. Bound in this place—what a miserable state of affairs.
Then—
"…"
Still sighing, Baal lifted his gaze toward the distant sky.
"What are you looking at? Can you not hear me? Behave like a proper demon and cooperate with our cult."
"This… an unwelcome guest is approaching."
"Guest?"
The assistant bishop turned to follow Baal's line of sight.
In that instant—
Baek-bo Myeol-hwang Gong
First Step: Cheon-roe — Heavenly Thunder
A blinding flash.
Lightning crashed down in a continuous, searing barrage. The cultists standing before Baal were struck simultaneously and burned to ash.
A soft rush of air, then a light landing.
"What are these insects?"
Do-ha glanced at the charred corpses. He had spotted cultists from a distance and killed them on sight; Baal's expression suggested the archduke had been thoroughly tormented by them.
"Glad to see me, are you?"
"Hmph. As if."
Baal snorted. Who would be glad to see whom?
"Where is my daughter?"
"She's safe. Don't worry."
"Is that all you came to say?"
"No, not exactly…"
Do-ha flicked his hand. The burned corpses began stacking themselves neatly one atop another.
He dropped onto the pile.
"Sitting on a heap of corpses—truly the work of a mad Absolute Being."
"There weren't any chairs. What was I supposed to do?"
Do-ha settled onto the bodies and looked at Baal.
"If I heal your daughter, what will you do?"
"Hmph. You cannot heal her."
"Why? Because you need demonic energy?"
"…"
At Do-ha's words, Baal's brow twitched for an instant. He tried to hide the reaction, yet he could not fully meet Do-ha's eyes.
"You know I controlled the Hellfire, right? That means I can handle demonic energy to a certain degree as well."
"…"
"Which means healing your daughter is well within my power."
"Do you actually believe I left her untreated because I lacked demonic energy?"
"Who knows? I wouldn't. So I'll go treat her later. I've already figured out the method—I should be able to pull her out of that cocoon soon enough."
The chains rattled violently as the bound Baal thrashed.
"You must not!"
"You must not heal my daughter!"
"Got it."
"?"
Do-ha merely shrugged and agreed. Baal stared, thrown off balance. Why was the man accepting so readily?
"In exchange, you're going to make a soul contract with me."
Do-ha's eyes glittered with a dangerous light as he regarded Baal.