The Lifelong Contract
The door burst open!
"Hey, everything wrap up okay?"
"...Baek Do-ha. Just because we made a contract does not mean you may come and go from this place as you please."
Metatron, who had been handling his work, looked at Do-ha and let out a long sigh. Because of the soul contract binding them, Baek Do-ha could locate him instantly no matter where he was. That was how he had found his way straight into the office.
"We're not strangers. Don't be so petty."
Do-ha dragged a chair over with a scrape and dropped into it.
"It is not pettiness! This is not some public place anyone can just barge into!"
The word "petty" made Metatron bristle. This was the very heart of Heaven, not some open plaza—how could anyone call it petty?
"Anyway, how did you even get in here?"
"I told them I had something to discuss with you, so they let me through."
"Do not lie to me."
That was pure nonsense. If it had been that simple, they would have done the same the last time he came.
"It's true. The angels know my face."
"Ugh... When you leave, I will have to re-educate them."
"Come on, no need for any education. Don't go harassing innocent angels."
In truth, they had not simply let him in. Just like last time, he had threatened to turn the place upside down unless they stepped aside, and they had wisely complied.
"And who was it that attacked those 'innocent' angels before?"
"Hmm? Who was that again?"
"...Haa."
Do-ha shrugged, and Metatron sighed again. Conversing with this damned man always left his stomach twisted. No—more than twisted. It made his blood boil. What an aggravating bastard.
"And now, speak."
"About what?"
"How long exactly did you set the contract period for? You ran off without telling me."
"Ran off? Angels were dying, so I moved in a hurry."
"So tell me. How long is the term?"
"Why do you even need to know? I set it for a reasonable length."
"..."
Metatron narrowed his eyes and stared hard at Do-ha. There was only one reason people usually said things like that.
When they had pulled a scam.
"Huu... Fine. There is no way you set a 'reasonable' period. A hundred years? Two hundred?"
"Nope."
"Shorter than that? So you do have a conscience after all."
"I set it for the rest of your life—until the day you die."
"What?!"
Metatron shot to his feet in pure shock. Had he ever seen such a lunatic?! For life?! He had assumed it was merely a slave-level contract, but it was a lifelong one?!
"You... you swindler..."
"Swindler? You never stated a period, so I had no choice but to decide it myself."
Metatron clenched his fists until they trembled. He wanted nothing more than to punch the man, but the contract forbade him from harming Baek Do-ha.
"From now on, you and I are going to get along just fine."
Do-ha grinned.
"E-even so, the contract terms were limited. It only said I would assist in every process of fighting the Demon God."
"Ah, did you know this?"
"What now..."
Metatron's expression turned uneasy. Whenever this bastard spoke like that, nothing good followed.
"If I want, you have to set my meal table for me."
"What nonsense is that? Why would I..."
"Because the reason I eat is so I can fight the Demon God. It's part of the process."
"..."
"Or if I tell you to dance, you have to do it even if you hate it. Why? Because improving my mood is one of the steps toward fighting the Demon God."
"This is absurd!"
Only then did Metatron realize the enormous mistake he had made, and he shouted. This was invalid. Such an unfair contract had to be invalid!
"That's why you should have read the contract carefully and revised it."
Metatron collapsed back into his chair.
"O God... why have You given me such a trial..."
Drained of strength, he stared up at the ceiling. What in the world was this... Of all people, a lifelong contract with a madman like Baek Do-ha.
"If the Heavenly God heard you, He'd be furious. You made the contract yourself, so why are you suddenly calling it a trial?"
"Shut up!"
"What a temper."
Do-ha shook his head. The man had agreed to the contract of his own free will, and now he was complaining.
"Still, don't get too depressed."
"...R-right? It isn't that unfair of a contract, is it?"
"What are you talking about? Sorry to rain on your little happiness circuit, but the contract is exactly as I said."
"This dogshit..."
"Whoa?! An archangel swearing."
"Shut up. Then why did you tell me not to despair?"
"Because you're not the only one who made a soul contract with me."
"What kind of idiot..."
"Well, one of the two idiots is you."
Do-ha jabbed a finger at him. Metatron squeezed his eyes shut. He had just spat in his own face.
"Huu... So... who is it?"
"Baal."
"Baal??? The Baal I know?"
"That's right."
"From what I know, Baal was the one who obstructed you the most..."
He had heard that when Baek Do-ha invaded the Demon Realm, Baal had bought time for the Demon Kings to arrive. That had drained Do-ha's strength, leading to his defeat by the Demon God. And yet instead of killing Baal, he had formed a contract?
"Baek Do-ha... you have changed a great deal."
Decades ago, Baek Do-ha had tried to solve everything alone. What humans called a lone wolf—that had been him exactly. Just look at how he fought the Demon God. He had left all his friends behind and crossed into the Demon Realm by himself.
But now he's different.
Metatron had sensed it since last time. Do-ha now moved far more calculatingly. He was even contracting angels and demons and using them. Metatron knew full well that Baek Do-ha despised both Heaven and the Demon Realm. Yet he was using them for his own ends.
He means to stop at nothing.
A chill ran down Metatron's spine. What kind of monster had the Demon God awakened? If Do-ha were still the self-righteous man of the past, dealing with him would have been easier. That was no longer possible. Nothing was more terrifying than an absolute being who refused to choose his means.
"Why are you staring like that?"
"It is nothing. Ah, right—there is something I wanted to ask."
"What?"
"Mammon. Did you kill him?"
Metatron himself had seen Mammon's corpse just before the battle ended. He simply had not seen who delivered the killing blow. A sudden fog had blanketed everything, making it impossible to tell.
"No? I thought you did it."
"You truly did not kill him?"
"I was in the First Sphere at the time."
At Do-ha's words, Metatron nodded. After returning to Heaven he had read the reports, and it was true—Baek Do-ha had been in the First Sphere at that exact moment.
"Very well. I understand."
"The Demon Realm bastards still don't know I helped, right?"
"Fortunately, no one does."
If they had known Baek Do-ha assisted in the battle, they would have confronted him on the spot. Yet no one had mentioned his name.
"That black mask worked well."
"Of course it did. Anyway, I'm leaving."
"I suppose we will see each other from time to time."
"I'll summon you even when I'm taking a dump."
"...Do not joke..."
"Sounds like a joke, doesn't it? Look forward to it. I'll summon you soon."
"Hey... hey!"
Thud.
Metatron's face went deathly pale.
Official ceremony commemorating the reclamation of the ghost cities.
"The hero of the Republic of Korea! Our pride! Thanks to Mr. A, we have reclaimed every last ghost city!"
Waaaaaah!
When Assemblyman Park Seok-jun raised the microphone and shouted, the surrounding citizens erupted in cheers. How deeply had it rankled them to possess ghost cities at all? Other nations had none, yet Korea alone had four. Now, thanks to the Cheonwaecheon known as A, every city had been reclaimed.
"Of course we cannot forget the other heroes! Hunter Kang Ji-hwan and Hunter Han Se-ah also lent their strength!"
Clap clap clap clap clap.
The citizens applauded as one.
As Park Seok-jun's face was broadcast live, the chat window ignited. Lately, wild rumors about dragon packs had left citizens anxious, so reclaiming the ghost cities so spectacularly only fueled their frenzy.
"Now then, let us invite the protagonists of the city reclamation!"
Park Seok-jun clapped and stepped aside as Kang Ji-hwan and Han Se-ah mounted the stage.
"Kang Ji-hwan is so handsome!"
"Han Se-ah is gorgeous!"
"Se-ah noona, marry me!"
When the three hunters representing Korea lightly waved, the surrounding citizens roared even louder.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Kang Ji-hwan of the Meteor Guild."
"Hello. I'm Han Se-ah, guild leader of the Doksa Guild."
Waaaaah!
Even a simple greeting drew thunderous cheers. Yet most people soon tilted their heads in confusion. The schedule had clearly listed A as attending today, hadn't it?
With only the two of them on stage and no Do-ha in sight, both the comment section and the people on site grew puzzled. And then—
Step. Step.
From the edge of the stage, A—no, Baek Do-ha, mask removed—was climbing up.
"Huh...? Someone's..."
"Who's that coming up?"
"A staff member?"
"No way..."
The people on site began dropping their jaws one after another. As Do-ha drew closer, Han Se-ah smiled and handed him the microphone.
"Hello, everyone. I am A. Baek Do-ha."
The murmuring that had filled the air while he walked onto the stage vanished the instant he spoke, as if someone had doused the entire crowd with cold water.
Zwoong.
The Association President standing nearby already knew what was about to happen, so he immediately cast a shield spell around the stage.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
The moment the Association President's magic unfurled, every citizen on site surged to their feet and charged toward the stage, roaring their cheers.