Two Divine Beasts
SLAP!
"This one is for all the poor souls swallowed by demons."
SLAP!
"And this one is for being a weak little shit who still had the nerve to resist me."
SLAP!
Michael's Ahura-covered palm smashed across Balephor's cheek.
Michael continued listing one crime after another as he slapped him, while Balephor silently endured the beating without daring to complain.
At this point, it was difficult to tell which one was the priest and which one was the demon.
"Cough... cough... S-Stop."
Blood trickled from the corner of Balephor's mouth.
His entire face had swollen beyond recognition.
Feeling that he might genuinely die if this continued, Balephor desperately begged Michael to stop.
Michael responded by summoning a small white flame and bringing it close to Balephor's face.
"You won't die permanently anyway."
His eyes narrowed.
"Want me to purify you instead?"
The 72 Demons were protected by the Seven Deadly Sins.
Even if they were purified or killed, they would eventually revive in Hell.
Of course, the process came with unimaginable agony.
But Michael couldn't care less about Balephor's suffering.
"J-Just tell me what you want!"
Balephor's face had gone pale, whether from the white flames or pure fear.
"You came looking for me because you want something, right?"
Michael looked impressed.
"You're surprisingly quick on the uptake."
He extinguished the flame.
"Fine. We'll stop here."
Then he smiled.
"How about we finally have a proper conversation?"
Thud.
Michael released Balephor's hair.
Balephor collapsed onto the floor like a corpse.
Michael sat down on the sofa Balephor had been using, crossed his legs, and arrogantly looked down at him.
"You told me to say what I want, right?"
Michael grinned.
"Then guess."
Balephor stared at him.
"That's my demand."
How the hell am I supposed to know what you want?!
This fucking lunatic is trying his hardest to torture me!
Balephor trembled with rage at the absurd request.
He cursed Michael endlessly in his mind.
But if he wanted to survive, he had no choice except to play along.
Carefully, he began guessing.
"Money?"
Michael dug at his ear.
Apparently, that wasn't the answer.
"An errand?"
Spit.
Rub, rub.
Michael spat into his palm and rubbed his hands together as though preparing to beat Balephor again.
Fuck.
What the hell am I supposed to say?
What can I even give this bastard?
Sweat began forming on Balephor's forehead.
Then he suddenly remembered the influential people he had recently established connections with.
"A-A connection to important people?"
Crack. Crack.
Wrong again.
Michael rolled his neck, his expression becoming increasingly vicious.
Balephor swallowed.
If I get the next one wrong, I'm seriously going to die.
Then...
Several clues suddenly connected inside his head.
Michael had disappeared completely for more than two hundred and fifty years.
He had personally come all the way to V.F after tracking one of Balephor's subordinates.
And now he was demanding that Balephor guess what he needed.
In that case...
There was one thing Michael would desperately lack after being absent for so long.
"...Information?"
Michael's arrogant expression instantly softened.
Gulp.
Seeing his face suddenly turn gentle, Balephor swallowed hard and breathed a sigh of relief.
He had guessed correctly.
But the crisis wasn't over.
Balephor still had no idea what kind of information Michael wanted.
Anything about the remains or the offering is out of the question.
The undertaking Balephor had been preparing absolutely had to remain secret.
If Michael, of all people, learned about it...
There was no telling how badly he might interfere.
Balephor needed to give him information that would be useful without harming his own plans.
"I heard you disappeared for about two hundred and fifty years."
Balephor carefully tested the waters.
"Is this related to that?"
Apparently, that had been the wrong question.
Michael's previously relaxed expression hardened instantly.
"I like asking questions."
His eyes narrowed.
"I don't like answering them."
Balephor immediately changed tactics.
"Then let's make an official deal!"
Michael raised an eyebrow.
Balephor quickly continued.
"This place is V.F, a tavern for demons. All kinds of information passes through here!"
He pointed toward himself.
"If there's something you want to know, I can find it for you!"
Balephor was now convinced that Michael had only recently become active again.
That meant Michael lacked information about the modern world.
Perhaps he didn't even know enough to decide exactly what he should ask.
Believing he had found the perfect solution, Balephor jumped to his feet and held out his hand.
BAM!
Michael slammed his fist onto Balephor's head.
"Keh!"
Balephor collapsed again.
Michael looked down at him.
"Sorry, but I have a rule against making deals with demons."
His expression became shameless.
"And what we have isn't a deal anyway."
He smiled.
"It's one-sided exploitation."
This fucking lunatic.
Michael leaned back into the sofa.
"Besides, if you die and return to Hell right now, you're screwed anyway, aren't you?"
Balephor froze.
There was a reason he had endured Michael's humiliation without choosing death.
Michael knew it too.
"Wouldn't returning now be way too early?"
In the past, most great demons Michael encountered had been purified and sent back to Hell relatively quickly.
Balephor was different.
He had been useful in numerous ways.
Because of that, Michael had deliberately kept him alive much longer than most demons.
Among all the demons who had encountered Michael...
Balephor had survived the longest.
That had created certain misunderstandings.
Despite Balephor's actual strength being around that of a middle-rank demon, other demons had gradually begun acknowledging him as something greater.
Michael smiled.
"If you die now, the others are going to get suspicious."
Balephor's face stiffened.
Michael continued.
"After all, out of all 72 Demons, you'd be the first and fastest one to lose after nearly two hundred and fifty years."
Once suspicion began...
It wouldn't stop.
Eventually, it would swallow Balephor completely.
Instead of remaining one of the 72 Demons who commanded lesser demons as he did now...
He might end up becoming nothing more than another item in Greed's collection.
His freedom could disappear entirely.
Michael understood that weakness perfectly.
He leaned forward and patted Balephor on the shoulder.
"So start talking."
His smile widened.
"Give me something useful."
Balephor's pupils trembled.
If I can't escape Michael's grasp anyway...
His mind raced.
Then I'll find another way to survive.
If escaping wasn't possible...
Then he had to make himself useful again.
"...There are two Divine Beasts."
Michael stopped.
"Divine Beasts?"
Balephor nodded cautiously.
"You should know them."
His gaze sharpened.
"The dog and cat that used to follow you everywhere."
Michael almost choked on his own saliva.
Those two are here?
The animals Balephor was referring to were creatures Michael had personally cared for long ago.
Because they were Divine Beasts, he hadn't needed to worry about their natural lifespans.
There was a very good chance they were still alive.
Michael had already intended to search for them when he had enough time.
He had simply assumed they would be somewhere overseas.
He had never expected them to be nearby.
Michael's expression became serious.
"...Keep talking."
Seeing that Michael liked the information, Balephor continued.
"Hagenti's subordinates currently have them."
Michael's eyes narrowed.
Balephor added,
"I heard they're preparing some kind of ritual using the Divine Beasts."
He cautiously watched Michael's reaction.
"Is that useful enough for you?"
Michael frowned.
Hagenti...
A memory immediately surfaced.
Looks like I'll be smelling cow shit again.
Hagenti.
One of the 72 Demons.
A true great demon known as the Demon of Transformation.
Hagenti was associated with a bull and was far more powerful than someone like Balephor.
Michael wasn't particularly fond of the smug expression on Balephor's face.
But the information itself was much more valuable than he had expected.
So he suppressed his irritation.
"Hmm."
Michael leaned back.
"What kind of ritual?"
As far as Michael remembered, Hagenti had always been obsessed with experiments.
It suited his title as the Demon of Transformation.
And rituals performed by demons like Hagenti rarely ended harmlessly.
If possible...
It would be better to stop whatever he was planning.
Unfortunately, Balephor shook his head.
"I don't know the details."
Michael frowned.
Balephor quickly explained.
"I'd have to infiltrate much deeper to obtain information like that."
Michael couldn't argue with that.
