"Well."
Rin waved his hand, indicating it didn't matter, and asked, "Tell me about their situation."
"Yes!"
Minotaur got up from the ground, then pointed at Leonard and said, "Rin-sama, this kid is really stubborn. I've been beating him for a full day and night, and his mouth is still shut tight!"
Rin didn't make any strict demands regarding the punishment of the Saints.
He let the demons do as they pleased.
The only restriction was that they couldn't cause true harm.
What did "true harm" mean?
Things like irreversible physical disfigurement, mental or emotional breakdown, or permanent soul damage...
Those were forbidden.
Everything else, Rin didn't care.
"Stubborn, huh?"
Rin asked, "What do you mean? I don't remember asking you to interrogate him for information, did I?"
"Ah, that..."
Minotaur scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "Wasn't trying to dig for secrets or anything. Just wanted to crush his arrogance a little."
He was interrogating Leonard, trying to make him spill information about the Holy Empire of Lubelius.
Of course, those so-called secrets weren't even important.
Rin already had full knowledge of the Holy Empire of Lubelius's internal workings. There was no need to ask.
What Minotaur really wanted was to break Leonard's psychological defenses.
If Leonard spoke, if he revealed secrets of the Holy Empire, it would mean betrayal.
A traitor.
That was Minotaur's real punishment.
To shatter Leonard's noble, righteous image. To drag him into the mud, so he'd no longer be able to call himself a holy warrior.
"Not bad."
Rin nodded. These demons really had a talent for handling prisoners.
Leonard feared nothing.
Not death, not pain, not torment...
But disgrace, that would make him wish he were dead.
"Keep going."
Rin didn't interfere with Minotaur's actions, nor did he care if Leonard realized the demons' real intent.
He walked past the cell with Carrera.
"Hey~."
"Wait a second!"
Leonard suddenly shouted, "What did you do to the Captain?!"
'This guy's got a loyal heart.'
Rin understood Leonard's mindset. His admiration for Hinata was genuine, not some sappy romance.
In fact, no one among the Holy Knights didn't admire Hinata.
"Hey!"
"You, don't get too full of yourself!"
Minotaur was furious that Leonard dared to speak directly to Rin, ignoring him completely.
He had just made a good impression in front of Rin.
Then Leonard came in with a slap to the face, basically telling him his punishment had been completely useless!
Splat!
Splat splat splat!!
Not just the whip, even branding irons and other cruel torture tools were pulled out.
For a while, Leonard's screams echoed through the fifth level of the prison.
"..."
Rin had his back to the scene, showing no intention of turning around.
With his status, there was no need to say anything to Leonard.
"Let's go."
Rin called to Carrera, who glared coldly at Minotaur. That single glance made him break out in cold sweat.
'You damn bastard, how dare you embarrass me in front of Rin-sama!'
'Minotaur, I'll remember this!'
Carrera didn't say a word, but Minotaur was already trembling in fear.
Among demons, hierarchy was absolute.
Lower demons must use honorifics when addressing higher demons, and could never refer to them by name.
Carrera was a Demon God level existence.
She had first evolved into a Demon Duke (Demon Lord), and later into a Demon God (Awakened Demon Lord).
In front of a monster like her, Minotaur didn't even have the courage to meet her eyes.
"Damn it!!"
"You bastard!! How dare you, how dare you..."
"I'll kill you!!"
Luckily, Minotaur still had some self-control.
He couldn't go against Rin's orders, and he really didn't dare tear Leonard apart.
"I'll have that idiot Minotaur ramp up the punishment."
"Yeah."
Rin replied indifferently, then sighed, "This guy is actually pretty impressive."
"If he can truly endure to the end, this might become a trial for him."
After that, Rin went on to inspect the others—the Wind, Fire, Earth, and Air Saints.
Each of their situations was different.
For example, Fritz of Wind, who had the wildest personality, was being tortured by a woman who looked like a succubus.
Don't get the wrong idea.
This was a prison, not a brothel.
The succubus wasn't there to seduce him, but to use special skills to bewitch him.
Telling him his companions had betrayed him, Hinata was dead, and even showing him a projection of Leonard being decapitated, eyes wide open.
Then there was Bacchus of Earth, the most mentally stable.
He was being targeted by a dream demon who infiltrated his spiritual world, weaving all kinds of illusions to drag him into depravity.
In short, the demons' methods were all-encompassing.
(To be continued.)