C812
"My authority..."
Lust swallowed dryly as she looked at Raon's wrist.
"Will you really accept my authority?"
She asked again with a dazed look, as if she couldn't believe it.
"This king doesn't speak with a forked tongue."
Raon remained vigilant until the end, speaking words that Wrath would likely say.
"I will accept your authority as a token of our promise."
"My authority that even I hate..."
Lust's blue eyes began to fill with emotion. Now she seemed truly convinced that he was Wrath.
"Thank you..."
Lust drew a slight smile on her face that resembled Wrath's, as if she was truly happy.
"No need to thank me."
Raon shook his head calmly.
"I can't believe this is actually working..."
To think that he would be the one acting magnanimous while receiving the authority of a demon king, it was absurd even to himself.
"Grrrr..."
Wrath let out a groan like a hungry puppy.
"W-why is this happening?! I'm really going crazy!"
They yelled that they still couldn't understand.
"Why do demon kings become so meek when they meet this guy?!"
Wrath frantically shook their hands, saying they were about to go crazy.
"Among them, you're the meekest."
Raon smiled and gestured to Wrath.
"Eeek!"
Wrath could only bite their lips, seemingly unable to refute.
'But why are you angry?'
Raon tilted his head as he watched Wrath turn into strawberry-flavored cotton candy.
'I helped you get away from Lust, just as you wanted.'
"W-wanted? When did I want this?!"
Wrath opened their eyes in disbelief.
"You made promises pretending to be me! And you ask why I'm angry? Do you have a hole in your head? Sword psychopath!"
Their jaw trembled, asking if Raon had gone crazy from training only with the sword.
"Ugh! Take responsibility! Take responsibility for Lust and all the other demon kings!"
Wrath shook their head and said they would never fulfill those promises.
'I will.'
Raon nodded calmly.
"Huh?"
Wrath widened their eyes in surprise.
"I feel guilty too, but the most important thing was that you didn't go."
"W-was she that precious to you?"
"Of course. We've been together for over 10 years, through thick and thin."
Raon gave a slight smile as he looked at Wrath.
"I've grown a bit fond of you too... Gasp!"
Wrath rolled their eyes and moved their lips before slapping their cheek.
"That was close! If I had let my guard down even a little, I would have fallen for that silver tongue!"
They touched their reddened cheek and exhaled forcefully. They were truly a demon king who beat their own drum.
"You don't need me, you need my skills!"
Wrath narrowed their eyes and said they knew everything.
"It would be a lie to say I don't, but more than that, I think I'd be quite bored without you."
Raon briefly shook his head. He had gained a lot from Wrath and would gain more in the future, but he felt it would be far more regrettable to lose this cotton candy-like fellow than to lose those benefits.
"I don't trust your tongue! How can I trust someone who spins dimensions in their mouth?!"
Wrath shook their head with their ears covered, saying they would never be fooled by him.
'As you wish.'
Raon shrugged and looked at Lust.
"Then I'll prepare myself."
Lust clasped her hands together as she looked at him.
"Prepare?"
"I can't transfer my authority in this state."
She shook her head, saying she needed to reveal at least some of her power.
"Do it like this."
Raon nodded and clasped his hands behind his back.
"I must not be caught in the trance."
If Lust revealed her true form and used the lust authority, he might fall for the temptation no matter how large his soul was. To avoid being enchanted by her, he spun the Fire Ring at full intensity.
When Lust lowered her hands from her chest, her sea-colored hair began to turn light pink.
She grew taller until her eyes were level with his, and the robe, previously loose, now revealed curved volumes. Finally, her blue eyes, which had resembled Wrath's, glowed pale red, and a subtly pink aura spread around her.
'This is...'
Raon swallowed dryly as he looked at Lust's pale red eyes.
'Is this the true Monarch of Lust, Rust?'
The moment he met Lust's eyes, he felt as if his soul was being sucked in. His mind went blank, and only the urge to embrace her welled up in his chest.
"How fascinating."
Runaan, Martha, Merlin, Denning Rose, and Siyana were incomparable beauties, but Lust radiated a unique beauty. No, it seemed she was managing to make herself appear that way. It felt like looking into a mirror that read his inner thoughts and reflected an ideal beauty.
"Not only is her appearance mysterious..."
Her scent is even stranger. A remarkably diverse fragrance emanated from Lust.
Not only the fresh scent of fruit, the relaxing scent of trees, and the pungent smell of spices, but also the heat of summer and the coldness of winter: surprisingly, all these scents harmonized, erasing thoughts and moving only the heart.
Tsk. Raon bit his inner lip to regain his senses just before he was deeply immersed in Lust's fragrance. If he hadn't been operating the Fire Ring at full intensity, he would have immediately lost his reason and approached Lust to embrace her.
"Control your movements!"
Wrath shook their head.
"If you fall for the temptation now, you might really die!"
They frowned and said it was still a dangerous situation.
'I'm sorry.'
Raon lowered his gaze as he calmed his breathing.
"You're right. It's not time to let our guard down yet."
It's true that Lust had fallen for his words, but the situation was still dangerous. He had to maintain a perfect act until the end, as showing any weakness could make her suspicious again.
"..."
Raon nodded calmly as if Lust's appearance was familiar to him, then extended his wrist again.
"I hate my power, but I hope it has meaning for you."
Lust smiled slightly as she extended her long, slender fingers. As she drew a circle with her white finger, a pink flower bloomed and wrapped around his wrist.
'It's beautiful.'
While the flower bracelets of other demon kings like Wrath's ice flower and Sloth's black flame were also beautiful, the most visually impressive was the one Lust had created.
[The authority of <Lust> seeps into your soul and body.]
[The ability will activate after a period of adaptation.]
Raon narrowed his eyes as he read the message.
"The content is slightly different."
When he received it from Envy, it was described as a "part," but now it simply said "authority." It was most likely the difference between being forced to give certain authority and giving it willingly.
"It seems you like it."
Lust smiled deeply as she watched Raon examine the bracelet.
"You remember this flower, don't you? It was the first flower I liked, thanks to you."
She nodded as if to say, "Of course you know."
"..."
Raon calmed his rapidly beating heart while maintaining a serene expression.
'What is this?'
What kind of flower is this? Thanks to Sylvia, he knew many flowers, but he had never seen one like this. It seemed like a flower that only existed in Devildom.
'Wrath!'
"Hmph..."
Wrath lowered their fierce gaze as if they had no intention of answering.
"Why do you think I would tell you anything?!"
'Huh?'
Raon blinked as he looked at Wrath.
"If something goes wrong here, we'll all sink. You know that too!"
He was dumbfounded by the sudden change in attitude from the one who had been warning him of danger moments before.
"I know. It's dangerous. It'll be really dangerous. But..."
Wrath raised their chin and their eyes burned.
"I'm so angry! The more I think about it, the more my anger grows, and I can't take it anymore."
'Oh...?'
"Your all-manipulating tongue makes me so angry that I'd rather die together!"
They turned their head and told Raon to do whatever he wanted. Their eyes were spinning in circles as if they had truly lost control.
"They've gone crazy."
Raon's fingertips trembled. He was nervous; he hadn't expected such petulance in that situation.
"You won't have forgotten, will you? Or..."
Lust's eyelids fluttered. Whether it was suspicion or disappointment, he felt a sinister sensation, as if the lust authority she possessed was squeezing his throat.
'Don't panic.'
There is always a way out of any situation. Recalling the words that Lust and Wrath had said so far, he naturally looked at the pink flower bracelet.
"Forgotten?"
He shook his head with a slight smile.
"Do you think so?"
"T-then..."
Lust's eyes began to sparkle with anticipation.
"I haven't forgotten anything from the day you entered the Ice Castle until now."
Raon looked at the air with a slight smile.
"This king doesn't forget anything about you."
"Ah..."
Lust's lips trembled with excitement as soon as she heard him say "you" specifically.
"Isn't this the flower that was with us when I gave you the advice?"
Raon stroked the flower bracelet that Lust had created, his voice full of conviction.
"This must be right."
Wrath had said they had given Lust some words, and Lust said those words were a great comfort. Since she said she started liking flowers because of Wrath, it must have been around that time.
"Mmm..."
Lust's eyes became dreamy and unfocused. That meant his prediction was correct. Now was the time to end it all.
"This king likes flowers. I think all flowers suit him best, but this flower suits you better than me."
Raon smiled as he drove a sword sharper than a Soul Weapon into Lust.
"Gra-thank you..."
Lust stroked his cheek with an expression that seemed to transcend satisfaction. Her face turned red like an apple.
"W-what...?"
Wrath blinked foolishly, as if they couldn't understand the situation.
"How did you know they tore down the wall and offered the flower?! Were you there too?"
Their chin trembled and they asked if Raon had ever been to Devildom.
'Thanks to you.'
"Huh...?"
'You told me with your own mouth that Lust broke into the castle.'
Raon lowered his hand as he mentioned the part that Wrath had mentioned.
"I deduced it from there. If it's your castle, there must be a flower garden, and there must be many flowers."
Wrath likes flowers even more than Sylvia. Surely, that's where the connection between the two demon kings began.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!"
Wrath yelled "hey" abruptly, as if they had become an alleyway thug.
"Why are you training with a sword?"
'Huh...?'
Raon blinked.
'What are you talking about?'
"With that damn tongue of yours, you could swallow not only this world, but also the Heavenly Realm and Devildom, so why the hell are you training with a sword?"
Wrath yelled at him to drop everything and go conquer the world with his mouth.
"...Would that work?"
"It would! Of course!"
They shook their head, insisting it couldn't fail to work.
"Your martial arts talent is on the level of your wallet, but your talent for talking nonstop is on the level of your grandpa!"
Wrath glared at him and said the difference between Raon's talent for martial arts and for talking was as big as the difference between Dorian and Glenn.
"I was trying to drag you to Devildom, but I was wrong!"
Wrath's lips trembled.
"You're the kind of person who would swallow the entire demon realm! Get lost in the Heavenly Realm!"
They shook their head and said they should ban Raon from entering Devildom.
"I think I can trust Wrath now."
Lust revealed bright eyes that were not her own, saying she would trust the promise and wait.
"I will take this flower that I planted for you that day."
Raon nodded calmly, pointing at the ancestor's flower.
"I'll be waiting."
Lust clasped her hands together, saying she would wait forever.
"By the way, are those humans over there your subordinates too?"
She lowered her eyebrows as she looked at Rector and the others watching from among the trees, who had stopped approaching her.
"They are."
"Mmm..."
Lust narrowed her eyes as she examined not only Runaan and Martha but everyone.
"...As expected of Lust."
He had thought she was suspicious of Runaan and Martha because they were so beautiful, but it was fitting for the Demon King of Lust to be suspicious of everyone, regardless of gender or age.
"Wrath."
Lust smiled brightly like an innocent child.
"I'll be waiting. And..."
She looked at Raon and blushed slightly.
"I like you no matter what form you take, but I like your current face better."
With those words, Lust disappeared in pink smoke.
"Gasp..."
'Oh...'
Raon swallowed hard as he watched Wrath take a deep breath.
'I-it's okay...'
"Hey. Bring a knife."
'Huh? W-why a knife?'
"I just want to die like this! I've lost my power, gained responsibility without pleasure, and even become ugly, so why should I live?"
Wrath yelled that if Raon didn't bring a knife, they would bite their tongue and die.
"Die! Die everyone! Let the demon realm and the Heavenly Realm perish!"
***
As Raon barely managed to dissuade the suicidal Wrath, Rector, Burren, Runaan, Martha, and Dorian came out. Zalek and Lawrence were also there, seemingly worried about him.
'Did everyone come out of concern for me?'
They had all been downstairs with Darkan, but it seemed they had come here for him after seeing Lust approach. He felt grateful to feel everyone's concern.
"Then express it!"
Wrath gritted their teeth.
"Don't use that tongue just to fool others, use it in everyday life too!"
They opened their mouth wide and asked what Raon was doing.
'You're right.'
Thinking that he should talk more, not just in dangerous moments but in everyday life, as Wrath said, he turned his body.
"Thank you."
Raon bowed his head sincerely towards the approaching people.
"Why are you thanking us?"
Rector gently shook his head.
"You handled everything yourself."
He exhaled softly, seemingly feeling both apologetic and grateful at the same time.
"I don't know exactly what happened."
"What was that woman from a while ago? She didn't seem human..."
Zalek and Lawrence frowned as if they still didn't understand.
"Are you alright?"
Burren shook his head as he looked Raon up and down.
"Curiously, you seem very satisfied?"
Dorian widened his eyes and said that Raon seemed to need nothing.
"Mmm..."
Runaan lowered their eyebrows deeply as they looked at the new Lust bracelet on his wrist.
"Don't you have five bracelets now? Did you like accessories that much?"
Martha tilted her head, unable to comprehend.
"My body is fine for now."
Raon shook his head and said he was alright. Everyone expected him to give them an explanation someday and didn't ask too many questions. They were people he was grateful for.
"And the bracelets aren't something I wanted to get..."
He looked at Wrath as he said those words.
"Why are you looking at me?!"
'Because you said it was your taste and made it that way, then all the other demon kings followed your example!'
He ended up wearing five flower bracelets, of different colors and shapes. Even he thought it was ridiculous, as he wasn't any noblewoman.
"If you hadn't talked so much, this wouldn't have happened!"
Wrath yelled that Raon was turning the situation around and shook their head.
"Raon, is it over already?"
Rector slightly narrowed his eyes, seemingly still tense.
"No."
Raon slowly lowered his gaze and licked his lips as he looked at Darkan lying on the ground with his legs spread out.
"There's still one thing left."
***
After Raon and everyone else returned to the Holy Sword Alliance village, Lust appeared again in front of the flower planted by the Zieghart ancestor. Lust looked at the red petals with dreamy eyes, as if she were in a trance. The flower that brought vitality to this land seemed to give her intense vitality and vigor as well.
"Wrath..."
As Lust slightly bit her lip and extended her hand towards the flower, a cute sound like bouncing on the ground was heard, and a squirrel holding an acorn jumped in front of the flower.
"What are you going to?"
Sparks flew as the squirrel's purple eyes met Lust's light pink eyes.
-
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