226

Chapter 226 — The World Is (11)

[Deceiver, do you really think I’ll simply let you stay hidden in there?]

Mammon stared at the land buried beneath lava and gathered Demonic Energy into one hand.

[If you refuse to dodge, all the better for me.]

Then Mammon fired it.

The concentrated power repelled against itself, forming a straight beam that contained heat greater even than magma.

The lava it pierced exploded with a BOOM.

[You found me.]

As expected.

Mammon swung a hand as Mephistopheles emerged alive and intact.

The lava spread across the ground erupted upward in numerous places.

It looked like the sight of water dripping from a cave ceiling—

turned upside down.

KRAKOOM!

Lightning struck through the narrow gaps in the air left between the pillars of lava.

Around forty pearls remained.

Mammon had to conserve those as well.

SLASH!

But would that compare to Mephistopheles?

[Having more resources really does make life easier.]

The amount of Demonic Energy was not everything, but it could play a fairly significant role in deciding victory and defeat.

Satisfied that this was one category in which Mammon possessed an undeniable advantage, Mammon manipulated the lava.

Stone spears shot out from the rising pillars.

Volcanic bombs rained down.

Once again, Mephistopheles was forced to spend Demonic Energy.

At that, Mephistopheles curled their lips crookedly.

[Really? From where I’m standing, you look like someone with lots of capital and terrible investment instincts. You can’t take profits, can’t cut your losses, and just keep eating into your starting funds.]

The sword, wrapped in no Demonic Energy at all, merely changed shape and sliced through everything.

Its chaotic yet dynamic trajectories ground apart everything surrounding Mephistopheles.

For someone of human origin, the skill with tools was certainly impressive.

Mammon watched Mephistopheles resolve the entire situation using nothing but a tool, without expending Demonic Energy, despite Mammon’s attempts to force exactly that expenditure.

Then Mammon flicked a finger.

Dozens of spikes burst from the surging lava and aimed at Mephistopheles.

Thk, krk-krk.

Mephistopheles swiftly escaped the building they had been standing upon, shrank the sword that had expanded several meters in length, and threw it.

[Bite.]

Ratel changed shape in midair and raced toward Mammon’s true body like a black dog.

There was no reason to simply allow that attack.

Mammon covered the Magic Tower behind them in lava, concealed it, and began forming a ritual array within.

Meanwhile, the true body hid inside the lava.

SNAP!

Ratel’s teeth closed on empty air where Mammon had been.

[Looking at you now, I think you’re the guinea pig.]

[Do you find me that cute?]

[Whether those things are cute or not is beside the point. Obviously I meant you’re timid. You look exactly like one, unable to survive without preparing a little hiding place for yourself.]

At the same time, a hand suddenly plunged into the lava.

The crimson eyes inside the goat skull were, as always, filled with mockery.

[Weak, cowardly, stupid Mammon.]

Mammon retaliated against the one who had forced a hand into the lava with spikes, heat, and a contest of overwhelming mass.

The distance between them had not properly opened, so Mammon could die here.

But a crisis could sometimes become an opportunity.

[If you think you’re any different, I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Mephisto.]

SHHK!

Spikes rising from the lava pierced Mephistopheles’s entire body, and lava engulfed the spot.

But this couldn’t possibly be the end.

There was no chance that Mephistopheles would simply allow an attack like this.

Mammon’s instincts screamed a warning.

They hurriedly retreated.

KABOOM!

A spherical explosion erupted by a hair’s breadth.

Around Mephistopheles, who had thrown their entire body forward as bait, black flames gnawed through magma like fire consuming paper and annihilated it.

Srrr.

Within that, crimson flame blossomed like a flower and scattered embers like drifting cherry petals.

The softly spreading sparks devoured absolutely everything they touched.

[Hmm. Is that really so?]

THUD!

A tremendous impact suddenly shook Mammon’s true body.

Ratel, which Mammon had believed had returned to its master, had instead remained hidden behind them and driven straight through the heart.

Devious bastard.

Mammon clicked their tongue at the move, which had made perfect use of their lack of combat experience.

Grab.

Even now, Mephistopheles’s body—punctured all over, with portions torn away as though bitten out of existence—seized Ratel.

The sword was still piercing Mammon’s true body.

Dangerous.

At that instant, Mammon immediately fled.

It did not matter what had to be sacrificed.

The choice was made solely to preserve their life.

SLASH!

For an instant, the world turned pure white.

What remained where everything had vanished was a fan-shaped gouge in the earth—

and Mephistopheles standing there half a corpse.

[See? You’re always the one running away, Mammon.]

Yet Mephistopheles spoke perfectly well even in that state.

And there was a reason.

The essence of Mephistopheles was Wrath.

The power they wielded was flame.

And fire……

could always swell again so long as an ember and fuel remained.

Most demons possessed recovery abilities approaching regeneration.

But because of Mephistopheles’s essence, the speed and extent of that recovery were overwhelming.

At times, it was enough to make one wonder whether the thing Mephistopheles truly deceived was not fellow demons—

but death itself.

[Coward.]

Crk-crk-crk.

Mephistopheles whispered leisurely while recreating the missing left cheek and right hand.

Mammon, who had barely escaped by sacrificing an arm, clenched the remaining fist.

[…Fine. It can’t be helped. I’m not accustomed to fighting like you are.]

But even that fist soon relaxed.

[So I’ll have to fight like this. What else can I do? I can’t simply let you kill me.]

Far in the distance, the Magic Tower melted away and lent its power to Mammon.

The Demonic Energy that had been wasted in vast quantities began filling again.

[Isn’t that right?]

Leisure returned to Mammon.

By contrast, Mephistopheles, sensing everything that had happened, narrowed their eyes.

That reaction was only natural.

An opponent they had been fighting had suddenly replenished a large quantity of Demonic Energy from somewhere.

[Sacrifice.]

Still, what had happened had happened.

Rather than becoming irritated by the altered situation, Mephistopheles calmly began analyzing it.

Several possibilities existed, but one was overwhelmingly likely.

A sacrificial offering.

[What? Jealous?]

[Ha.]

When had Mammon prepared the sacrifice?

Well.

With Mammon’s Demonic Energy spread everywhere, hiding the preparations would not have been particularly difficult.

The problem was what came next.

Mammon had replenished their Demonic Energy.

Mephistopheles had now reached a point where every scrap of Demonic Energy mattered.

Even Mephistopheles could not endure for long under those conditions.

A plan was needed.

[If you want, you can do the same. Though naturally, I won’t stand by and watch.]

Should Mephistopheles perform a sacrifice too?

But what was there worth offering?

Most substances making up the world were so common that they possessed little sacrificial value.

The energy spent performing the sacrifice would probably exceed whatever power was returned.

[My, my. At this rate I could hand the title of Deception and Trickery over to you.]

[Oh? You’d give it to me? Then I’ll accept it gratefully.]

At least things like gold and jewels, which possessed clearly recognized and universally acknowledged value, returned a reasonably reliable reward when sacrificed……

But would Mammon have left any gold in this city?

Enough gold to overturn the current situation?

Impossible.

Mephistopheles quickly abandoned the idea of precious metals and treasure.

[Not that I couldn’t give it to you… if you paid a suitable price.]

[Haha. Of course. Wouldn’t shattering your vessel be enough payment?]

Still, sacrifice rituals were undeniably convenient……

Mephistopheles’s crimson eyes shone even brighter.

Should I sacrifice that snake?

Their gaze shifted toward the turtle that had not moved from the shoreline.

The snake hiding inside the turtle’s shell was destroying everything along the coast in search of what had been stolen from it.

Even before the offering itself, merely taking its head would require time.

Then should I sacrifice the humans?

Next was the corner of the city where the humans had steadily evacuated and gathered.

Thousands of presences clustered together like cockroaches.

Disgusting.

Yet rather tempting.

Sacrificing living creatures was more complicated than sacrificing inanimate objects……

and with no preparation beforehand, with Mammon currently attacking, Mephistopheles doubted it would be easy……

But if it succeeded, the reward would be significant.

It might even be better than wasting strength subduing that snake bastard.

It wasn’t as though killing Mammon required that much Demonic Energy.

[…What the hell? Weren’t you on the humans’ side?]

But when Mephistopheles’s gaze settled on the humans, Mammon was the one who became confused.

Mammon knew perfectly well that humans would make effective sacrifices.

What they had not expected was for Mephistopheles—who had just saved the Hero—to seriously consider using humans.

[That is an extremely offensive misunderstanding. Why would I ever take the humans’ side?]

[Then why the hell are you fighting me??]

[Because you pissed me off.]

…Lunatic.

An actual lunatic!

Only then did Mammon finally understand why Mephistopheles had rejected the word betrayal.

That bastard had not sided with the other god.

Nor had Mephistopheles taken pity on humanity.

Mephistopheles was simply—

simply doing whatever the hell they wanted, exactly as they had in Hell.

Living as they pleased, precisely according to the rights Satan had promised.

Of course it wasn’t betrayal!

[You really are……!]

It was utterly absurd, but fine.

Whether this was betrayal or merely an attempt to kill Mammon for causing anger, the fact remained that Mammon’s neck was on the line.

In a way, it was even reassuring.

Truthfully, Mephistopheles trying to kill Mammon because they couldn’t control their temper suited them far better than fighting for humans.

[Enough. Die!]

Putting that aside, Mammon gathered power to oppose Mephistopheles.

The target was the humans Mammon had ignored as flies until now.

If there was even a chance that Mephistopheles might devour them and recover power, then naturally they had to be eliminated.

Lava began surging like a tsunami toward the humans who were only just finishing their evacuation.

Read only on MUGEX

「Are you planning to break your promise?」

Meanwhile, Mephistopheles found themself inconvenienced in a different way.

Immediately after the conversation with Mammon, the one who had remained silently withdrawn began invoking the promise and tightening it around Mephistopheles’s neck.

I saved the four humans exactly as promised.

「You were about to use civilians as sacrifices! And now you’ve put them in danger on top of that!」

As long as the humans I promised to save don’t die, what’s the problem?

Red hair.

Green hair.

Two-tone hair.

Platinum hair.

Every one of them had been saved.

As for dying afterward—

well.

Those people possessed more than enough power to avoid that wave of lava.

If they failed to avoid it and died anyway, wouldn’t that be their own fault?

Then why would it be Mephistopheles’s responsibility?

Why?

Mephistopheles had already paid the proper price.

At the contractor’s insistence that Gretchen not suffer, Mephistopheles had even tolerated being reduced to a hunting dog.

So why!

Why was this still somehow Mephistopheles’s fault?!

Irritation became anger.

Anger became fuel.

And the flames burned even more fiercely.

They stabbed directly into the opening Mammon had created while attacking the humans.

「…After you asked whether He was going to stand by and let innocent people die!」

Even then, the contractor continued shouting deafeningly inside Mephistopheles’s mind.

It was ridiculous.

You believed that, brat?

There was hardly anything more foolish than expecting good faith from a demon.

Especially when the demon in question had once been called Deception.

「…You!」

Stop annoying me. You already knew, didn’t you? There’s no chance I’d sincerely care about humans.

If taking control away from Gretchen required saying whatever lies best suited the other person’s nature, then Mephistopheles would gladly say them.

After all, this had not been a proper contract that bound both sides.

If a few words were enough to seize control of the vessel, why would Mephistopheles refuse?

Once obtained, the world would belong entirely to Mephistopheles.

Once the vessel was secured, promises made only in words could all be ignored!

So accommodating Gretchen or the contractor for the sake of profit had never been difficult.

Until now.

「…Right. Of course that’s what you’re like.」

When Mephistopheles made no attempt to conceal the shamelessness, contempt entered the contractor’s voice.

Mephistopheles did not care.

The disregard was mutual.

「But you can’t do whatever you want.」

And yet at times like this, it was infuriating.

Mephistopheles’s brow twisted violently.

Anger accumulated every moment toward everything in existence and burned even hotter.

KABOOM!

An explosion erupted from the collision with Mammon.

「Keep your promise.」

I kept my promise!

「Keep it. If you don’t want to die.」

Damn it!

Why humans?!

Why the hell should Mephistopheles protect humans?!

There could hardly be anything in life more worthless, meaningless, or useless than those things.

So why should Mephistopheles protect them?!

Do you actually think anything will change if I protect that trash?!

Even if one intended to use them as sacrifices, the calculation was ridiculous.

The power spent protecting them and the power gained by sacrificing them—

after breaking through Mammon’s interference—

would amount to nearly the same thing.

In the end there was no profit!

Nothing Mephistopheles gained!

So why should Mephistopheles move?

If those things were weak enough to die, then that was ultimately their own fault.

Why should Mephistopheles volunteer to make sacrifices for them?!

「Protect them.」

But there was no choice.

Forced action.

Or death that had to be watched helplessly.

Between those two, Mephistopheles’s choice was obvious.

Fine. Suppose I concede a hundred times over and protect them.

Survival.

If it was necessary to stay alive, Mephistopheles could lower their head as much as required.

How exactly am I supposed to protect them? You don’t think stubbornness alone can make anything possible, do you?

But unreasonable demands would not be accepted.

Naturally.

Killing Mammon alone already required being willing to make sacrifices.

Protecting that many humans at the same time was realistically impossible.

Let’s compromise, child. If you demand nothing but one-sided losses, I’ll start feeling hurt.

Survival mattered.

But bowing too low only invited exploitation.

Knowing that, Mephistopheles restrained the anger and sneered.

The contractor remained silent for a while.

KABOOM!

During that time, another explosion erupted between Mephistopheles and Mammon.

「…There’s already a prepared sacrifice, isn’t there?」

Ha. Where the hell would there be a sacrifice here—

Is this bastard mocking me?

Mephistopheles’s body suddenly froze.

There was a sacrifice.

Yes.

There definitely was.

「Don’t use all of it.」

It had not been prepared for a situation like this.

It had originally been set aside because of Gretchen……

But still.

There was a device that could be used.

Hah.

Hahaha!

Mephistopheles’s lips curved smoothly upward.

[Humans really are incredibly foolish.]

[……?]

But enough mockery.

A foolish contractor, seen another way, was increasing Mephistopheles’s profit.

[Not a single person will ever know about your devotion and sacrifice.]

[What the…….]

Mephistopheles clashed with Mammon once more and used the recoil to retreat far away.

Mammon grew wary at the action, so different from the previous attempts to close the distance.

[What? Planning to sacrifice the humans?]

[No. Ah, perhaps you could say that’s partly right?]

Mammon did not believe Mephistopheles’s denial for even a moment.

If Mephistopheles did not intend to protect the humans, there was no reason to deliberately place themself in front of the incoming lava wave and risk being swept away.

[Go ahead, Mephisto.]

But Mammon made no attempt to forcibly stop the action.

Even Mephistopheles would have to spend an enormous amount of Demonic Energy to burn away all that lava.

Perhaps Mephistopheles would fail to destroy it completely and merely waste every last bit of Demonic Energy.

[I’ll enjoy watching your desperate struggle.]

And even if Mephistopheles managed to burn it all away, what then?

Sacrificing living beings required restraints to bind their souls and preservation magic to keep the value of their bodies from being lost.

Carving the ritual array itself would not be difficult with fire……

But did Mephistopheles really believe Mammon would simply stand by and allow everything else to happen?

Ultimately, Mephistopheles would waste Demonic Energy and still fail to offer the sacrifice.

Nothing but profit for Mammon.

Though still wary of Mephistopheles’s unreadable intentions, Mammon watched with relative ease.

You’ll regret it.

Had Mephistopheles not muttered those words, Mammon might have maintained that attitude until the end.

[O ancient magic.]

[……?!]

Mammon’s eyes widened.

[O supreme law.]

[You……!]

Using that magic without a sacrifice?

No.

Before even that—

there wasn’t even a prepared magic array.

How?

[O scales of the universe.]

Contradicting the claim that they would enjoy watching, Mammon immediately charged.

Old instincts screamed that Mephistopheles must not be given even the slightest opening.

That made Mammon move even faster.

[Grant the rightful price.]

But the process was too fast.

A sacrifice ritual clearly possessed several stages.

Yet Mephistopheles had skipped every last one.

As though everything had already been prepared.

As though reusing something employed once before.

As though fulfilling an existing contract!

Wait.

Reusing?

A contract?

Before Mammon could fully understand, the ancient law answered.

Power purchased with a portion of a natural lifespan blossomed above Mephistopheles’s hand.

Ratel.

The sword mixed in black and white was swung.

And in that instant, silence descended upon the turbulent world.

At the center of that silence—

the fire, the 火, of rage against the world, which nothing had ever managed to extinguish—

erupted.