This devilishly clever bastard...
Wrath trembled his pale blue lips in disbelief.
-Did you calculate everything from the beginning? What the hell did you eat to make your brain work so well?!
'As if that's possible.'
Raon calmly shook his head.
'It's all just coincidence.'
Zircon following him, Wrath making a bet on his own, and two demon kings coming all the way here - it was all coincidence. Not even the gods or demons Wrath cries about could calculate all of that.
'Stop wasting time and keep your promise already.'
Raon tapped Wrath's head lightly.
-W-Wrath I could understand, but to hand over even the realm of the soul...
Wrath rolled his eyes subtly.
-If I give all of that, I'll become a mere pawn of the Devildom instead of its Monarch!
He shook his head vigorously, saying that handing over even the realm of the soul was too much.
-F-For old times' sake. Just Wrath alone...
'No.'
Raon cut off Wrath's words firmly.
-You evil demon! Do you have no conscience? This won't end until you bury me...
'Who said I'm taking it all? I'm borrowing it. I'll return it when the job's done.'
Wrath seemed to be greatly mistaken, but of course, Raon had no intention of taking his Wrath and soul. He would return everything as it was after deceiving Greed.
-Hmm? Wouldn't it be better for me to descend upon you then?
Wrath shook his head as if to say that would be safer and more certain.
'I have things to say to Greed, and descending would put too much strain on you.'
In his current state, having absorbed Zircon and Peridot, he could probably use the Demon King's Descent, but using it alone would put a great burden on Wrath. He didn't want to make him use any more power since he was already in a weakened state.
-Hmm...
Wrath let out a low groan, as if he didn't expect Raon to consider his well-being.
'And I have no intention of becoming stronger through someone else's power. I'll stand at the highest point with my own strength and my own sword.'
Becoming stronger than anyone else - that would be the fastest path to revenge against Derus. For that, he had to climb to the highest point with his own power.
-Becoming stronger with your own power? Bullshit!
Wrath jumped up, furrowing his brow.
-If that's the case, spit out all the abilities and traits you've devoured! All of those were created by my power!
He swung his hand as if demanding Raon to keep his word.
'...'
Raon stared at Wrath intently before lowering his hand.
'They say it's not possible.'
-Ah, not possible? Who did you ask!
'I asked the System, and it says no.'
He shook his head with a calm look in his eyes, as if he had really asked the System and received a reply.
-You've really lost your mind! I can't even contact it, what nonsense are you spouting!
Wrath gritted his teeth, telling Raon not to lie.
'It's true. We resolved it well between us.'
Raon smiled faintly, saying he had finished a cordial conversation with the System.
-The party in question is right here! You, the System, you're all playing with my power!
Wrath pounded his chest as if he was about to go mad and jump.
'Anyway, it's not possible. Hurry up and send your Wrath and soul.'
-Grrrr, if only you couldn't speak, you wouldn't be so hateful...
Wrath gritted his teeth and settled on Raon's shoulder.
-You have to return everything? You must keep this promise!
'When have you ever seen me break a promise? I don't lie much.'
-Hah...
He looked at Raon with eyes that seemed to ask "What is this?" before shaking his head.
-How did I end up meeting such a lunatic...
Wrath let out a long sigh before sending
'Ugh...'
Upon receiving Wrath's
As he received Wrath's Authority and soul, an uncontrollable explosion occurred in his body and mind. It felt as if his soul itself was soaring to a higher level. He felt as if he had transcended humanity and reached true Transcendence.
'Now I need to suppress it.'
Raon forcibly suppressed the suddenly strengthened realm of his soul, hiding his presence. Having taken quick action, he wouldn't appear much different from before on the outside.
-Huh? If you're going to hide it, why did you ask for it?
Wrath shook his head as if he couldn't understand.
'What Greed wants isn't a fight, it's me.'
Raon licked his lips as he watched Greed deflect Lust's sword.
'If he finds out you can descend now, he'll run away immediately.'
-T-Then...
'Yes. I'll deliberately show a weakness, and the moment his escape is cut off, I'll reveal everything I received from you.'
Imagining the expression Greed would make at that moment, Raon drew a chilling smile.
'Until then, I need to keep it tightly hidden. So for now...'
Raon slightly raised his chin and crossed his arms.
'Let's watch the battle of the demon kings.'
-Huh...
Wrath blinked rapidly as if he couldn't understand.
-Where on earth did a guy like this come from...?
He shook his head, utterly unable to comprehend.
'Don't look at me, watch the fight over there.'
Raon turned Wrath's head and focused on the battle before them. Lust pressured Greed at close range with her sword imbued with the Authority of
'Lust's swordsmanship is the real deal.'
Wrath had said that Lust's martial prowess came from
'How should I describe Gluttony? She fights as if her energy is infinite.'
The energy contained in the white light Gluttony shot out was each on par with a Transcendent's ultimate technique. It seemed as if the demonic energy she possessed from eating so much was endlessly gushing forth.
'But even if you add up everything from these two demon kings, Greed is still above them.'
Greed seemed accustomed to both close combat and long-range battles, deflecting Lust's sword and deflecting Gluttony's attacks while emanating a golden radiance from his hands.
He seemed to be a step above Lust and Gluttony, fending off their chaotic offensive without much damage. Of course, none of the three were at full power, but it seemed that even if they were to draw out all their strength, the difference wouldn't be significant.
'This is quite educational.'
Raon activated the Ring of Fire. He bit his lip, scrutinizing every aspect of the battle as if determined not to miss a single detail of the fight between the three demon kings.
-You started this fight and now you're watching it?
Wrath drooled as he watched Raon.
-You truly are a madman beyond imagination...
* * *
Greed narrowed his eyes as he deflected Lust's sword behind his shoulder.
'This certainly isn't easy.'
No matter how much higher his level was, dealing with Lust and Gluttony simultaneously was no easy task. If Wrath's vessel hadn't caught his eye, he would have left without looking back. The losses would have far outweighed the gains.
'However...'
That's why he wanted to possess him even more. There were more Transcendents in the Devildom than in the Human World, so this human's strength itself wasn't that impressive. However, as far as he knew, there was no other being that grew as rapidly as this human.
Moreover, having fought life-and-death battles in this war, he would have grown once again, making Greed curious about how far he could rise.
'Of course, there's something even bigger than that.'
Wrath's vessel was wielding the Monarch of Lust, Lust, and the Monarch of Gluttony, Gluttony, like swords through natural acting. In other words, obtaining this human would be no different from gaining two demon kings, so he had to capture him here and now.
'This is the only chance.'
A moment ago, the Wrath and realm of the soul this human possessed had suddenly surged and then subsided. He must have tried to call Wrath but failed. If Wrath were to descend, the chance to capture this human would completely vanish, so this was the only opportunity to obtain him.
'To do that...'
Greed narrowed his eyes as he pushed back Gluttony's
'I need to find an opening between these two.'
Gluttony and Lust were focused more on defense than offense, protecting Wrath's vessel. Even for someone like himself, breaking through that defense to capture the human wouldn't be easy.
'If there's no opening on their side, I'd better create one on mine.'
Greed curled his lips as he deflected Lust's fierce sword strikes that came at him like a storm.
"No matter how much you beg, Wrath won't look back. He's just using you."
He provoked Lust with a sneer.
"Just look at how he sent you forward and hid behind. It's all calculated."
"Shut up! What would someone who buys love with money know!"
Lust, seemingly angered by the insult to Wrath, unleashed a powerful sword strike while generating a deep pink aura.
"Tsk..."
Gluttony smacked his lips loudly and caused a white light explosion behind Greed. Greed suffered a severe injury to his shoulder from the combination of Lust's space-rending sword strike and the explosion caused by Gluttony's
"It's over!"
Lust, seemingly excited, broke from her original position and lunged forward. Her sword fell towards Greed's neck.
'Finally!'
The moment Lust's sword came down like lightning, Greed's golden eyes emitted a chilling light. As if he had never been injured in the first place, he deflected Lust's sword and dove inward.
"Black Mouth."
Realizing the dangerous situation, Gluttony spread her hands, unleashing a terrifying amount of Authority. The sky above Greed's head tore open, and a brightly glowing red demonic mouth materialized.
"To think you'd use even that, you must really like that human!"
He chuckled as he looked at the gaping red mouth.
"Greed!"
Lust, seemingly realizing she had been tricked, charged at Greed with a pink aura burning all over her body. She threw her sword and summoned an intense
"It's already too late."
As Greed raised his finger, countless gold coins fell from thin air, suppressing Lust's pink energy and erecting a golden wall that blocked the mouth summoned by Gluttony.
"Watch from there."
Greed approached Raon as if everything was over, reaching out his hand.
"Let's see how this guy changes..."
"You worm."
Raon uttered the word Wrath most frequently used on others as he unleashed the Wrath and realm of the soul he had received from him. As his soul and Wrath's soul mixed smoothly like paint, an aura even more intense than the Monarch of Wrath's original presence exploded forth.
The dark red aura spread endlessly, distorting the dim sky and causing the ground to crumble.
Despite the presence of three Monarchs who ruled the Devildom, it was a single human who displayed the greatest realm of the soul.
"What is this..."
Greed's golden eyes wavered like a sailboat overturned by a tsunami, as if he had never even imagined such a situation.
"In the playground I created..."
A fighting spirit even more intense than the Demon King of Wrath's blazed in Raon's red eyes.
"Did you enjoy yourself, merchant?"
* * *
During the battle, Raon had sent an aura message to Lust, telling her to show an opening as if she was excited. As he expected, Greed didn't miss that brief opening and dove in. When he was about to reach out his hand, Raon opened the Wrath and realm of the soul he had received from Wrath, completely reversing the situation.
By hiding his own soul inside and covering it with the realm of the soul received from Wrath, he would appear as Wrath even to Greed's monocle.
"Ha..."
As expected, Greed froze in shock, seemingly seeing Wrath in Raon.
"How...?"
Greed's angular jaw trembled, as if he still couldn't believe the situation.
"How?"
Raon shook his head, mimicking Wrath's manner of speaking.
"You were dancing in the palm of my hand from the very beginning."
He sneered, pretending to have predicted everything.
"Didn't I tell you? This is Wrath."
Lust licked her lips, pointing her sword at Greed's back.
"Yeah. Wrath, who buys me Bead Ice Cream..."
Gluttony also spread his hands, summoning a mouth that looked ready to devour Greed.
"How much did you foresee?"
Greed bit his lip and glared at Raon.
"Everything."
Raon raised his chin, pretending to have planned and calculated everything.
"You weren't supposed to be this cold-blooded, were you?"
"I don't need to be. But my subordinate is different. He read all your thoughts."
He nodded, praising himself along with Wrath.
"Haa."
Greed fidgeted with his fingers as if contemplating battle, then let out a long sigh.
"I give up. Something feels off, but fighting any further would be too costly."
He raised both hands, saying this was as far as he'd go. It seemed to be a gesture of surrender.
"State what you want."
Greed, seemingly curbing his desire and reverting to his merchant demeanor, acknowledged his defeat and asked Raon to state his demands first.
"You're admitting defeat so quickly? After taking such a loss?"
Raon looked at Greed. He remained tense, knowing Greed might do something crazy suddenly.
"If I push further, I'll incur even greater losses."
Honestly, Raon had expected him to fight at least once, but his immediate calculation of profit and loss was astounding. He truly was a dangerous one.
"My condition is one. Infuse your Authority into this body."
Raon raised his hand, tilting his chin. If it were him, he would have demanded money too, but since Wrath would never think of money, he only demanded the Authority.
-I knew this would happen!
Wrath raised his head, grinding his teeth as if he could finally read everything.
-You bundle of desires! You should have taken the title of Monarch of Greed!
He shook his head vigorously, unable to tell if Raon was human or demon king.
'What's so difficult about it.'
Raon grinned, reading Greed's eyes that seemed to have already decided on an answer.
'We can just do both.'