Chapter 1272
"A gamble...?"
Pride arched a single eyebrow at a peculiar angle.
"Are you suggesting that Wrath is presenting a challenge to this sovereign at this moment?"
He rested a hand on his hip and let out a hollow, incredulous laugh, appearing completely taken abaft.
"The audacity of a creature like Wrath!"
Pride grimaced as if he didn't even view Wrath as a legitimate arch-rival. That simple furrow of his brow triggered a surge of heat so intense it felt capable of pulverizing the entire planet, radiating in every direction.
"Absurd! A degenerate who has failed to best this sovereign even a single time!"
Pride emitted a booming scoff, dismissing Wrath entirely. Given the demeanor he displayed, the sense of rivalry between the two demon kings felt even more palpable.
—Never bested him once? What sort of idiocy is he spewing!
Wrath thrashed his head back and forth, insisting it was total fabrication.
—This sovereign has never suffered a loss to that scoundrel either!
The small figure’s face flushed crimson as he claimed he had never been overtaken by Pride. Piecing together the testimonies of both demon kings, it appeared their encounters had resulted in a stalemate every time.
"That is correct."
Raon gave a composed nod, absorbing Pride's colossal pressure with his entire frame.
"He claims he wishes to enter a wager with you. Furthermore..."
He gestured with a finger toward Pride, adopting an insolent posture.
"He asserts that he has never been defeated by you, not even once."
He relayed Wrath's declaration verbatim, tilting his chin upward slightly.
"Hmph!"
Pride cast a derisive look at Raon, as if the notion were laughable.
"That's just the moron's habitual rambling. I was the clear victor in our hundredth clash."
In a manner somewhat beneath the dignity of his title, Pride smirked while fixating on these petty specifics.
—Lies!
Wrath shrieked while glaring at Pride.
—If we are keeping score like that, this sovereign nearly ended that bastard's life during our ninety-ninth engagement!
The entity flailed his limbs, urging Raon to retort immediately.
'Good grief...'
Raon suppressed a weary sigh internally.
'Are these truly demon kings?'
The Monarch of Pride had made a grand, unparalleled entrance, yet his behavior was indistinguishable from the childish Wrath. It felt less like a clash of primordial powers and more like watching two toddlers squabble over their status.
'Then again, their fundamental natures are wrath and pride.'
Since neither emotion would ever concede to another, it wasn't entirely shocking that they were bickering so vehemently.
"Wrath claims he intended to slay you in the ninety-ninth bout but chose to show mercy."
Ignoring his internal judgment, Raon spoke Wrath's words with an unwavering gaze.
"Indubitably."
Pride’s eyes glowed with a ferocity that seemed capable of incinerating anything they touched.
"Wrath’s plaything. It must be true that he is lurking nearby."
He lifted his head, radiating a suffocating majesty once more, as if he had merely been playing around until now. Still, he didn't seem to suspect that Wrath was standing directly beside him.
"Who in this existence would have the gall to fabricate a lie using his name?"
Raon spoke of Wrath with feigned reverence, slowly closing and then reopening his eyes.
—Wait, what...?
Wrath's jaw dropped in disbelief.
—Who is lying? You are the one spinning tall tales right now! Your soul must be as thick-skinned as a beast's hide!
The creature wailed, questioning how one could be so brazenly deceptive.
"You should be aware, shouldn't you?"
Raon maintained a steady gaze on Pride, implying he should know Wrath's temperament better than anyone.
"That is a fair point."
Pride nodded, folding his arms across his chest.
"That fool does have the loyalty of those under him."
He offered a faint smile, acknowledging Wrath's standing. True to his name, he seemed capable of recognizing merit where it was due.
"Nonetheless..."
Pride's massive eyes narrowed into thin slits.
"This sovereign has no obligation to heed that bastard’s messengers. Inform him to present himself personally if he desires a gamble."
He ground his teeth together, looking ready to rip Wrath's throat out the moment he showed his face.
"Are you feeling intimidated?"
Raon threw out the provocation, staring into Pride's crimson eyes, which burned like those of a predatory animal.
"He mentions that it is perfectly fine for you to retreat if the prospect of a wager frightens you."
Though Wrath had uttered no such thing, Raon looked down slightly while delivering the exact words guaranteed to trigger the Monarch of Pride.
—Hey! When did this sovereign ever say that!
Wrath clutched his own collar, protesting against the fabrication of his words.
"What did you just..."
Pride's aura shifted violently. Intense flames erupted beneath his boots, incinerating the lingering lightheartedness. It felt as though the collective heat of the cosmos was converging on this spot to crush Raon.
"Repeat yourself."
Pride leveled two fingers at Raon. Embers capable of cindering the world flickered at his tips, turning the horizon the color of charcoal.
"I asked if the bet makes you feel afraid."
Raon remained unmoved, his expression stagnant even in the face of heat meant to dissolve flesh and bone. It was a temperature that would force a Transcendent to collapse in agony, but he endured it because he had attained the Absolute realm and his Ring of Fire had reached its tenth star.
"Ha!"
Pride retracted the crimson fire from his fingertips and lifted his chin with supreme arrogance.
"Very well. Had you been attempting to deceive me, I would have erased you with these flames. But since it appears Wrath is truly the one speaking, I shall overlook your insolence this once."
He licked his lips, seemingly impressed by Raon's fortitude.
—K-kill! Just slay him!
Wrath seemed pushed to his limit. Forgetting his earlier promise to assist, he screamed at Pride to execute Raon.
—This brat is the type who will drain you of everything you own! There will never be a better chance! End him!
Naturally, these frantic outbursts were audible only to Raon.
"Speak. Describe the gamble Wrath has proposed."
Pride gestured with a thick finger, signaling his willingness to listen.
"Wrath says..."
Raon spoke slowly, not even glancing at the fuming spirit beside him.
"He wishes to witness a contest between the humans you and he have respectively cultivated."
He stated that Wrath desired a duel between himself and the Heavenly Demon, resting his palm on the hilt of Heavenly Drive.
—Eh...?
"What...?"
Wrath and Pride both stared at him, stunned into silence.
"Has that idiot lost his mind? He knows he stands no chance."
Pride scowled, doubting Wrath would ever suggest something so lopsided.
—Listen! Have you actually gone insane!
Wrath flew right into Raon's face, eyes bulging.
—Regardless of how much power you've gained, that Heavenly Demon freak is on another level!
The spirit waved his arms in a panic, insisting—much like Pride—that the matchup was impossible.
"Wrath issued the challenge..."
Raon kept his gaze fixed on Pride, his eyes reflecting a calm certainty.
"I am merely the one carrying out his will."
He gave a small nod, leaving the choice of whether to believe the lie entirely to Pride.
—Sigh...
Wrath exhaled deeply, looking utterly defeated by the audacity.
—Truly, there are monsters in this world who can lie without a single tremor in their voice.
The entity shook his head, amazed by the sheer shamelessness he was witnessing.
"A bet he is guaranteed to lose. A setup where his own tool will surely perish..."
Pride scanned Raon’s body, his expression shifting into one of blatant suspicion. Unlike some of his peers, he appeared more discerning.
—Dumbass! Pride isn't a complete fool.
Wrath noticed the shift and snorted.
—Because he is this sovereign's nemesis, he understands my mind better than anyone! Right now, he's calculating the best way to kill you.
The spirit sneered and waved a hand dismissively.
—In the end, your only choice will be to invoke this sovereign!
Wrath tugged at Raon's sleeve, urging him to activate Demon King's Descent.
"Wrath stated that if he loses this gamble, he will formally admit his inferiority. It would mark either his definitive first triumph or his first true surrender."
Raon invoked Wrath's name once more, refusing to look away from Pride’s piercing stare.
—Hmph! I’m telling you, it won't work—
Just as Wrath was dismissing the attempt to manipulate Pride.
"Truly!"
Pride's voice boomed with renewed intensity.
"Did Wrath actually say those words?"
He leaned his bronze-hued face closer, demanding confirmation.
—N-no way...
Wrath stared at Pride, dumbstruck.
'Just as I thought.'
Pride was indeed more perceptive than the other monarchs, but his greatest vulnerability was his obsession with never having decisively beaten Wrath. By poking that specific wound, Raon watched Pride's suspicion vanish instantly. It was exactly what one would expect from the Monarch of Pride.
"Indeed."
Raon blinked slowly, maintaining his composure.
"Wrath says that since a clear winner never emerged between the two of you, the matter should be settled by the subordinates who represent your respective ideologies."
He nodded, tailoring his words to ensure Pride's ego would leave him no choice but to agree.
"Ha! Precisely! There has never been a final conclusion with that scoundrel. However..."
Pride’s red eyes scanned Raon once more.
"I fail to see why you would propose a wager you are doomed to lose. What secret are you harboring?"
He tilted his head, unable to find the logic in the situation.
"Will you accept or not? Give a straight answer."
Raon gestured for him to stop stalling and make a commitment.
"Of course I accept. This sovereign has never turned his back on a challenge!"
Pride slammed his palms together, officially agreeing to the terms.
—Have you lost your marbles!
Wrath shoved his blue face into Raon's, frantic to know what he was planning.
'Who can say?'
Raon offered no reply to the spirit and took a long breath.
"Then bring that man forward."
Pride smirked and snapped his fingers, causing a gateway of roaring flames to manifest behind him.
Rumble!
The fiery portal swung open, venting oppressive heat, yet the space beyond remained vacant.
"Hmm..."
Pride scowled at the empty gateway.
"One moment."
Frowning, he concentrated and manifested the flaming door once again.
Thump!
This time, the door burst open immediately. Out of the inferno stepped a massive figure clad in a dark-red dragon-styled helm.
Kuguuuuuuu!
His physical presence matched Pride's, but his Fighting Spirit was even more overwhelming. An undisputed sovereign of the earthly realm, looking more like the physical manifestation of Martial Will than a mortal man, he stepped through the flames.
"What do you want?"
The Heavenly Demon spoke with a scowl, clearly irritated that his meditation had been disturbed.
"Engage this brat in combat."
Pride pointed a thick finger toward Raon.
"This boy is the representative of my rival, Wrath—"
He began to explain the stakes.
"I decline."
The Heavenly Demon cut him off with a blunt refusal and turned to walk back into the fire.
"Wait, what...?"
—Huh...?
Pride and Wrath both stood there with their mouths hanging open, completely caught off guard.
'Perfect...'
Raon allowed a faint, knowing smile to cross his lips.
'Everything is going exactly as I envisioned.'
