C931
Although he appeared to be just a handsome merchant, this man was surrounded by an absolute aura that even Transcendants couldn't possess. Facing those golden eyes that openly revealed his desires, a fear and tension that stopped your heart took hold of Raon.
'The Monarch of Greed, Greed...'
Raon clenched his lips tightly as he looked at the young man with black hair and golden eyes.
'Why is he here?'
That man, who looked like a wealthy merchant, was Greed, the Monarch of Greed who had descended upon the Holy Kingdom of Suphren. Seeing the monocle that supposedly reflected one's true nature and his carefully ironed shirt, Raon recalled the overwhelming strength he had displayed back then.
'This is dangerous.'
Greed is a demon king that even Wrath recognizes as a formidable opponent. As one of the highest-ranking lords of the Devildom, they couldn't have defeated him even if Raon and Chamber were in their normal state. But now, Raon could barely move a finger, and Chamber was being treated by Saint Olga after using magic to the brink of death.
Karoon was also exhausted from holding back Black King Sigel and the high-ranking demonized humans. There was absolutely no chance of winning in a fight.
-I was hoping he wouldn't show up...
Wrath frowned deeply as he looked at Greed.
-As expected, that gold-obsessed bastard was connected to this tower.
'What do you mean?'
Raon just rolled his eyes to look at Wrath.
-Don't you remember? A while ago, someone claiming to be from this tower came out and tried to kill you and my subordinates. He forced me to intervene personally.
'The Flame Demon General Orgoth?'
-I don't know the name. Anyway, when I fought him, I could smell Greed's stench. I had a hunch when we entered this place because of the smell of money, and it turns out I was right.
Wrath clicked his tongue briefly, saying that Greed seemed to have nurtured the Black Tower.
'I don't remember.'
Raon frowned deeply. Since he couldn't remember, it seemed that this conversation had happened while he was unconscious.
'No, whatever the case, that's not important now.'
Now that Greed had revealed himself, it didn't matter if this was his faction or not. They needed to focus on finding a way to escape. With a crunch, Greed shattered the frozen Devildom Pathway with his true power and stepped out beyond the dimension.
Upon meeting his eyes, a chilling sensation crept up Raon's neck as if death itself had arrived. The overwhelming presence made him feel as if his own soul was being distorted.
'Of all people, why him...'
If it had been Envy, there might have been a way to deceive him, but deceiving Greed was impossible.
'Because of that monocle.'
That monocle Greed wore was a special artifact that revealed the essence of one's existence. Unlike other demon kings, he would know through that monocle that Raon wasn't Wrath, making it impossible to act.
"It's you again."
Greed slightly raised his monocle and twisted his lips.
"The vessel of Wrath."
Despite having shown himself fighting as the Monarch of Wrath, Greed didn't think of him as Wrath, but called him a vessel. His voice, seemingly disgusted, made Raon's chest ache as if he were being stabbed with needles just by hearing it.
-It doesn't matter who you are, deceiving that gold-obsessed bastard is impossible.
Wrath snorted as he looked at Raon.
-Not only because of that monocle, but the very idea that I, the great me, would end up in such a state because of that worm is absurd to begin with.
He shook his head, saying that this time, acting wouldn't work.
-Besides, even if you summoned me, it wouldn't be easy to reject him.
Wrath lowered his eyebrows, looking disgusted.
-With your mind and body shattered, even if I descended, it would be difficult to exert all my power. Of course, my own strength isn't at its peak either...
He sighed, saying that the situation itself was the worst.
'No, this could actually be good.'
-What?
Wrath opened his blue eyes wide, as if asking what Raon meant.
'If he accepts me as a vessel, I must act like one. It's not that I'm underestimating you.'
If Greed had accepted the current Raon as Wrath, that would have been more problematic. It would have revealed that Wrath had been weakened, so it was much better that he saw him as a vessel in this way.
'Today, it's best that you don't come out and that we drive Greed away.'
With Raon's body and mind currently damaged, if Wrath descended, the shock his soul would have to endure would be much greater. Since the previous wounds hadn't fully healed, Raon didn't want to burden him further.
'I have a plan, but I'm not sure if it will work.'
He had come up with a method to drive Greed away, but there was a crucial part needed for it to succeed. If the attempt failed to create the desired situation, it would become truly dangerous.
'I'll have to buy some time first.'
Raon took a deep, slow breath as he began the preliminary work for escape.
"So, this was indeed your faction."
Suppressing his trembling heart with the power of the Fire Ring, Raon met Greed's gaze.
"Really? Did you know?"
Greed frowned, seeming surprised.
"The Monarch of Wrath has been saying that your nauseating stench has been flowing through this land for a while. He frowned, saying it smelled like dirty money."
Raon conveyed to Greed what Wrath had said, with a slight embellishment.
-Eh?
Wrath opened his eyes wide, seemingly surprised by Raon's words.
-Y-You, what are you trying to do now...?
He trembled his jaw, seeming nervous.
"The last time I saw you, you were acting as Wrath, but have you given up now?"
Greed narrowed his eyes, as if trying to assess Raon's intentions.
"You can't summon him in that state, I presume?"
"That's impossible."
Raon shook his head with a calm expression.
"He sees everything and feels everything. He simply doesn't think it's worth dealing with a coward like you."
He lowered his hand with an elegant gesture, praising Wrath to a great extent.
-W-Why are you suddenly praising me! What are you trying to do! I'm anxious! So anxious!
Wrath shook his head, jumping up and down.
[Don't tremble before such a monster! As expected of my master!]
Zircon nodded his head to a great extent, as if in admiration.
-Shut up!
Wrath smacked the back of Zircon's head, looking disgusted.
[Ack...]
Zircon bowed his head deeply, rubbing the back of his head that now seemed to have a bump.
'As expected...'
Raon clenched his fist, taking a deep breath inside.
'Greed doesn't want to face Wrath.'
If Greed really had nothing to fear, Raon's head would have been cut off or his entire body would have exploded before Greed even stepped out of that gate. But he spoke first, trying to assess the situation. This meant he was wary of Wrath, who could appear at any moment.
'It's going as expected. If I keep pressing his psyche like this, I might be able to reject him.'
Greed, in keeping with his title of Monarch of Greed, seemed to have a merchant's psychology. If Raon could make him realize that fighting Wrath would result in a loss, there was a high probability that he would retreat on his own.
"See and feel everything? That brute?"
Greed snorted, as if he found it ridiculous.
"He has mastered everything. He doesn't need spells or incantations. His path is the path itself."
Wrath had said before that he didn't know much about formulas or magic, using his power instinctively. Raon rephrased this with reverence, stimulating Greed's psyche once more.
"Hmm..."
Greed frowned, as if he felt Wrath's presence through Raon's words.
-Hearing your praise makes me cringe! There's not a drop of sincerity in that!
Wrath swung his arms, saying that if Raon was going to say such things, he should at least put a drop of sincerity in them.
'It's not for you. Just ignore him.'
Unlike Wrath, it seemed to be working well with Greed, which was satisfying.
-No, you praise me and then say it's not for me! What kind of nonsense is that!
Wrath gritted his teeth, saying he didn't understand, but Raon didn't even look at him, fearing he might break his concentration.
"Is the Black Tower Master a vessel you have nurtured?"
Raon gestured with his hand as he looked into the Black Tower Master's golden eyes.
"Nurtured? Vessel?"
Greed snorted, as if he found it absurd.
"Of course not. He's just one of my business partners."
He shook his head calmly, saying that the Black Tower Master was neither his vessel nor someone he had nurtured.
"It should have been 'that guy' who nurtured the human..."
Greed frowned, as if remembering something. It didn't seem like he was talking to Raon.
"That guy?"
"Don't you know? It seems your master, who knows everything, didn't tell you."
He curved his lips, as if mocking Raon's previous words.
"The Monarch of Wrath doesn't concern himself with trivial matters. He simply accepts everything as it is."
Raon straightened his back, looking directly into Greed's golden eyes.
"If you have any complaints, feel free to challenge him. The Monarch of Wrath says he's ready to come out right now."
He lifted his chin and threw out a bet.
"Hmm..."
Greed's eyes became calm, as if trying to read Raon's thoughts.
* * *
"What is that..."
Karoon's jaw trembled as he looked at the young man with black hair and golden eyes who stood in front of the Devildom Pathway.
'How can a monster like that...'
The Black Tower Master's demonic energy was already shocking, but the being standing above him surpassed even that. Just looking at him made it hard to breathe, as if his soul was being crushed. It felt as if this entire world was in the palm of that man's hand.
"Ugh..."
"Grr..."
"Aagh!"
The swordsmen of the Light Wind Palace and the Central Martial Palace fell to their knees, gasping for air under the absolute pressure emitted by the young man with black hair and golden eyes. Many fainted due to the overwhelming difference in power. (N/A: good reminder of how Raon needed Wrath's power to even stand in Sloth's presence)
"Who the hell is that bastard?!"
"Damn it. I can't breathe..."
"Ugh..."
Martha, Burren, Runaan, and the other Grand Masters were barely able to stand, but it seemed they couldn't hold out much longer either.
'He's definitely a demon.'
And a demon king at that. Most people think that sacred power is the natural enemy of demonic energy, but in reality, demonic energy can also be the antithesis of sacred power. Seeing how the Holy Knights couldn't even resist him and immediately fainted, this man was clearly at least a demon king-level demon.
The only fortunate thing was that Saint Olga hadn't fainted and was still healing Chamber. If she had also fainted, many things would have been at risk, so that was something comforting.
'Comforting? Fortunate?'
Is that right? Chamber was unconscious, and both he and Raon couldn't even exert half of their true strength. There was no way to stop this demon.
'No, it would be impossible even if we were in perfect condition.'
It seemed that no one could face someone of this level unless Glenn arrived. The word "despair," which he had forgotten until now, appeared in his mind.
'What should we do... Hm?'
Wanting to at least save the children, he looked back and saw Raon. He was standing proudly, unfazed, and conversing with that powerful demon. Even from this distance, where his hands were trembling due to the demon's aura, it was amazing to see Raon not backing down in such an exhausted state.
'Is he buying us time?'
Raon seemed to be drawing the demon's attention to himself as they conversed, as if telling them to escape.
"Saint."
Karoon nodded as he grabbed Olga's trembling shoulder.
"Get out of this place as quickly as possible."
He entrusted Chamber to her and ordered the other subordinates to move to the outside as quickly as they could.
'Raon...'
Karoon raised his sword-wielding hand as he watched Raon standing unwaveringly.
'At least I'll make sure you don't die alone.'
* * *
"Hmm."
Greed briefly licked his lips as he looked at Raon.
"..."
Raon raised his fingertips as he received Greed's brazen gaze.
'He's judging me.'
No, he's probably wary of Wrath, not me. The previous Greed had dismissed Raon and had suffered heavy losses when Wrath suddenly appeared. Having spent over hundreds of millions of gold coins and suffering serious injuries himself, he now seemed more cautious, unlike before.
'I need to keep letting him know that Wrath is still active.'
To be honest, with his body and mind damaged, it might be impossible to even summon a demon king. But Greed doesn't know that. I needed to create a situation where Greed would retreat on his own by exploiting this difference in information.
"What is Wrath doing right now?"
Greed rolled his eyes as he tilted his chin to the side.
"He says he wants to tear that nauseating face of yours apart."
Raon nodded, as if he had actually looked at Wrath.
-When I did! But that was well said! Your face is too ugly!
Wrath nodded, saying he liked that statement.
-But, will this be alright?
He briefly licked his lips.
'What do you mean?'
-It seems you think of Greed as a merchant, and he acts like a merchant, but his essence is that of a demon. And not just any demon, but the most greedy one in the Devildom.
Wrath shook his head, saying that it could be dangerous if Raon thought too simply.
"Actually..."
Greed licked his lips as he looked at the collapsed Black Tower and the dead demons below.
"Now that the war is over, and with Wrath behind you, starting a fight here wouldn't be a good decision. Even if I killed you while avoiding Wrath, it wouldn't reverse the flow that has already collapsed."
He moved his hand up and down, making a merchant's judgment contrary to Wrath's words.
"But I..."
Greed's eyes flashed like lightning illuminating the night sky.
"Desire you."
"What?"
"It hasn't been many years since I saw you in Suphren, but to reach that level... Even for Wrath's vessel, it's an incomprehensible growth rate."
The words "desire" burned in his golden eyes.
"It might not be bad to invest properly, even if it means facing Wrath's wrath."
Greed extended his hand with a grotesque smile.
-Duck!
'Ah...'
Although Wrath told him to duck, Raon couldn't help it. Greed's gesture contained an absolute flow that he couldn't escape even if he had been in perfect condition. It wasn't fast or slow.
'Damn it...'
No matter how he moved, it seemed impossible to avoid that hand. He already felt as if his soul was in Greed's grasp.
-You're frustrating...!
As Wrath gritted his teeth and tried to move forward, a fragrant scent like flowers, but chilling to the bone, floated on the wind. Just as that scent clouded his mind, a sweet scent like ice cream drizzled with juice followed. Boom!
Suddenly, a pink-haired woman and a white-haired girl appeared before Raon's eyes, deflecting Greed's hand.
"You two are..."
Greed frowned as he looked at the two women protecting Raon.
"You remind me."
The pink-haired woman turned her body, ignoring Greed. Her light pink eyes, shining gently, belonged to Lust.
"To think you would put my authority into your technique, now I can die without regrets."
Lust smiled, unable to express her happiness with words.
"Money..."
The white-haired girl grabbed Raon's sleeve with her finger in her mouth. It was Gluttony, the Monarch of Gluttony.
"I'm tired..."
Gluttony blinked with her reddish eyes, saying she needed money to buy ice cream again.
-Aaaaargh!
As soon as he saw Lust, Wrath forgot to try to stop Greed and screamed, stepping back.
'I didn't expect both of them to come...'
Raon curved his lips as he looked back and forth between Gluttony and Lust.
'If so...'
He might be able to obtain Greed's power.
-
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