The Ambush (Part 2)
Wait... what?
Why was he completely unharmed?
He was radiating the exact same demonic signature as the lingering traces left behind on this continent, so I was certain he was the culprit monopolizing all the mortal souls. That was why I had poured every ounce of my destructive arsenal into teaching him some manners, but... to say he was undamaged would be an understatement. He didn't even have a single scratch.
The magical power rolling off him had felt like that of an ordinary, mid-ranking demon, but... uh...
"Aaaagh!"
"A demon!"
"Run! Everybody run!"
Noisy gnats were buzzing and screeching in an attempt to distract me, but right now, I had neither the time nor the luxury to savor the terror of such insignificant pests.
The ground beneath his feet wasn't even gouged. Given that the surrounding earth was charred pitch-black except for the pristine circle of dirt where that demon and the ancient elf stood, it wasn't as though my spell had misfired. Ugh.
I need to run.
I had to get out of here immediately.
On the surface, his demonic energy felt utterly unremarkable—hardly exceeding that of a mid-ranking demon—yet contrary to all expectations, the situation had taken a grotesque turn. Misjudgments happened from time to time, but when reality didn't just deviate from expectations but shattered them completely, that was another story altogether.
In times like this, the golden rule was to retreat first and assess the situation from a—huh?
...What?
I turned to flee and spread my wings, but the scene before my eyes didn't shift in the slightest. The robed demon and the elf were still standing in the exact same spot, staring right at me.
"What... What is this...?"
Aghast, I spun around once more, but the very same sight greeted me again. It wasn't an illusion. My body had definitely moved, and more importantly, a demon—a creature composed of pure magical energy rather than mortal flesh—could hardly succumb to cheap hallucinations. It wasn't as if I was trapped in a hall of mirrors, so what in the world—
"Who are you?"
"Ghk..."
The moment the robed demon opened his mouth, the atmosphere mutated in an instant. No, it wasn't merely the atmosphere. Space itself was warping.
Though neither of us took a single step, the distance separating us contracted at terrifying speed. At the same time, the fleeing gnats receded into an unreachable horizon. That monster was compressing the space between us while stretching the void between me and the mortals.
How... How was this even possible...?
"Th-This cannot be..."
And naturally, the caliber of magic power felt from afar versus point-blank was night and day. The closer we drew, the coarser and denser the ambient magi became as it seeped into my skin, until it was crushing down upon me from every conceivable angle.
This was no mere metaphor.
My very skin was crumbling under the sheer weight of his passively radiated mana. It was cracking, tearing, flaking apart, sloughing off my flesh to disintegrate into ash. Granted, a demon like me was a creature composed purely of magical energy rather than mortal flesh and blood, making me far more susceptible to mana—yet even so, this wasn't a spell! It was nothing more than his passive radiance!
How could power of this magnitude have felt so weak from a distance? Was he... Was he intentionally suppressing it all along...?
"You offer no answer."
I had provoked the wrong monster. I couldn't fight back. I couldn't run.
No. I was going to die. I was about to be slaughtered. How... What could I possibly do to sway the mind of such an entity...? Ghk, yes.
"If such is your will—"
Thud!!
"...What is this?"
"I pledge my eternal loyalty! Please, spare my life!"
From the instant the thought of surrender crossed my mind, I didn't hesitate for even a tenth of a second. The horns atop my head dug deep into the dirt, an unsightly and humiliating dogeza, but pride meant nothing now. Shame was a fleeting triviality when weighed against one's life.
Of course, even groveling in such an unsightly manner to beg for my life, I couldn't imagine an archdemon of his stature would ever have any use for someone like me. If our positions were reversed, I wouldn't care for the loyalty of a lowly imp either, would I? And yet, even so, this was the only chance I had to survive. When resistance was futile and flight was impossible, begging was all that remained.
"..."
The silence dragged on.
...Is he considering it?
An archdemon like that... considering me? Though I was the one who had begged, bewilderment washed over me. Why would such a monstrous entity actually contemplate what to do with a wretch like me?
"Follow. We shall relocate."
He was really... sparing me...?
Was he lying just for sport? No, that wasn't it. Judging by his nature, he didn't appear to be a pure demon; perhaps because of that, I could faintly detect the subtle traces of emotion typical of mortals radiating from him. He genuinely intended to let me live.
Just... why?
This world bore an uncanny resemblance to Noah, yet subtle discrepancies lurked everywhere. Not only did various spells like Dementia fail to manifest the exact effects and mechanics they had possessed in the game, but aspects glossed over vaguely in the game's lore had been fleshed out to match physical reality.
Consequently, I desperately needed broader, more concrete knowledge about this world. Naturally, going around asking random strangers would raise far too much suspicion, so I had intended to investigate slowly—until I realized I could simply exploit another demon.
"—Therefore, I, Aigokeros, dedicate the realization of my very existence to serve Lord Faust."
Wuuuung—
With that resonance, the pact was forged.
Focusing my mind, I could clearly perceive the tether of the contract binding me to Aigokeros. Of course, this wasn't the usual mortal-demon trade of bartering away a soul. It was merely a Subjugation Contract struck with this demon, Aigokeros, in exchange for sparing his miserable life.
Even if he's my slave now, I still can't afford to lower my guard.
Don't demons always grant their contractor's wishes through all manner of bizarre, twisted interpretations? After all, Faust—the very raid boss I now inhabited—had fallen into demonic depravity precisely because a demon twisted his wish into a horrific curse.
Granted, what we forged wasn't an equal pact; it was a Subjugation Contract—an absolute slave pact. Aigokeros couldn't deliberately enact any plot against me with malice. Above all, Aigokeros knew better than anyone that attempting such treachery would instantly reduce his head to pulp. Even so, remaining vigilant was an absolute necessity.
By the way, what kind of ridiculous name is 'Aigokeros'? It sounds like some alien frog crying out 'Aigo, aigo!'
Seeing that I'd never once encountered that name in Noah, it only reaffirmed that while this world mirrored the game, countless differences ran beneath the surface. At any rate, that wasn't what mattered right now.
"Aigokeros. Your first order. Why did you attack me?"
"That is... It was merely out of petty jealousy upon seeing Master monopolize all the souls for yourself."
"...?"
Monopolizing souls? Me? This is news to me.
"...Have you not maintained an absolute monopoly over all the livestock who sought a pact with a demon, Master?"
A monopoly? I never wanted anything of the sort! Desperate fools who wanted to sell their souls to achieve their petty desires just kept summoning me day in and day out! I loathed going every single time, and having them yank me out of my daily life over and over made my blood boil. Worse still, once a summoning circle engaged, I couldn't cancel it or escape, giving me endless headaches. What on earth was he babbling about?
"Lord Faust, I implore you, do not test my loyalty. Even if it was an oath offered while begging for my life, you are my master now."
Yet Aigokeros clearly thought otherwise. Now that we shared a master-servant bond between demons, I could vaguely sense his emotional state; Aigokeros genuinely believed, without a shred of doubt, that I had intentionally cornered the market on souls.
...The flow of this conversation is bizarre. It felt as though we were talking completely past each other, missing some crucial prerequisite context.
For now... let's probe a little deeper.
"Aigokeros. When someone seeks to forge a contract by selling their soul, how do demons typically act?"
"...Pardon? Why, we form a contract, grant their wish, and claim their soul in return, do we not?"
"And before granting the wish?"
Aigokeros's expression turned... well, how should I put it? Right, like a person watching a grown adult genuinely ask what seven times three was. Oddly enough, even on a goat's face, the utter disbelief was crystal clear.
Hey, someone can not know things! Why are you looking at me like that?
I knew demons responded to mortal desires because that was part of Noah's lore, but the exact mechanism of how they manifested was never explicitly explained in the game, so how was I supposed to know?
"...Ah. I see how it is."
With that bizarre look on his face, Aigokeros suddenly nodded in self-satisfied comprehension, behaving like someone placating an eccentric fool.
What do you mean, 'I see how it is'? What the hell did you conclude?!
I was dying to grill him on what he was thinking, but Faust's haughty demonic physiology flatly refused to let me voice anything that might bring disgrace upon myself.
"Ahem. If a soul is too low in quality, it does not warrant the effort of granting the wish. Thus, higher demons pay no heed to inferior souls, leaving them to lesser demons. If multiple demons seek to respond simultaneously, they vie for supremacy through force."
"Is answering a summons entirely voluntary? Are there never instances where one is summoned against their will?"
"...Why, of cour—cough. Yes, Master. Responding to the call of soul-traffickers is entirely at the demon's discretion. While forced summons do occur on rare occasions, they almost exclusively happen to lower-class demons."
That settled it.
Unlike me, other demons possessed the freedom to accept or reject summons as they pleased. To make matters worse, forced summons were reserved for bottom-tier, low-class demons.
Then... why in the absolute hell was I being forcibly—
Kiiiiing—
Holy fucking shit.
—summoned every single day?!
An overwhelming surge of nausea assaulted me, accompanied by the vile sensation of having my hair violently grabbed and yanked across dimensions. It felt utterly disgusting. To top it off, I never even formed contracts or granted wishes properly!
So why the hell was I the only one—blaaargh...