The path leading down to the hideout’s underground level was blocked by a thick steel door.
Thick, black iron chains had been wound tightly around its handle, and several heavy cast-iron padlocks hung from them.
It took Saya quite some time just to undo all those locks.
“It is done.”
“I will take the lead.”
When Hess stepped down the pitch-black stairs, Saya soon lit a torch and followed after him.
“Lord Hess…. Are you truly certain this is all right?”
“Hm?”
“What might happen when we awaken the demon….”
Saya’s concern was only natural. If anything, it was strange that I had no such concern at all.
“Do not worry. You brought every fruit, correct?”
“Yes. I brought every last one.”
Saya raised a sack full of fruit.
“But are we not only able to feed him one fruit anyway?”
“I intend to remain cautious until the very end. I will see how Lucifer responds, then decide which fruit to feed him.”
At last, Lucifer’s Egg slowly came into view.
A large altar stood in the center of the basement, and atop it rested a white egg speckled with red.
This basement had been built from the beginning to awaken Lucifer.
The egg, as large as a grown man, emitted black energy as it repeatedly contracted and relaxed as though breathing. The sight was grotesque beyond measure.
‘All right, then. Let us begin.’
This was a basement that would appear again in Part Two as well.
‘I already know exactly what must be done here.’
Hess called to him simply, his voice deep and weighty.
“Awaken, Lucifer.”
The sound filled the enclosed underground space and created a great echo.
As though responding to that echo, the egg began to crack little by little.
Saya tightened her grip on the torch in her tension. Yet Hess remained at ease from beginning to end.
CRACK—
What emerged from the broken egg was a crimson demon who looked twice as tall as Hess.
“……Hmm, the human world.”
He had two horns on his head and a purple tail that burned with flame.
‘I thought the egg was quite large, but seeing his true form, I have to wonder how he fit inside such a small egg.’
Lucifer floated slightly above the altar and looked down at Hess and Saya. His head fell just short of touching the basement ceiling.
“Which bastard woke me?”
“I did. My name is Hess.”
“Hmph. Why would I care about your name? You are nothing but a small, insignificant human.”
It was not Hess but Saya who bristled at those words.
“…How dare you speak so carelessly.”
Just as expected of Saya. She had seemed worried about facing a demon only moments ago, but the moment I was insulted, her true nature came out.
“Ha! You are a stupid human if you are not afraid.”
Showing his hideous fangs, Lucifer continued.
“I like that long red hair of yours. It is a color that reminds me of Hell. I should peel off your scalp and take it with me.”
Lucifer smacked his lips as he looked at Saya. Hess lifted one corner of his mouth and answered calmly.
“You are going to take my subordinate’s hair? Where, exactly?”
“Where else would I go? There is only one place for me to return to. You are just as stupid a human.”
“You are the stupid one. You intend to return to Hell? Go on, give it a try.”
“Hmm?”
Still floating, Lucifer tried to move a little to leave the altar. Then,
CLANK—
“W-What…!”
With the sound of metal, his body stopped moving.
“What is this? Grrgh…!”
When he tried to forcefully move his limbs, something slowly began to appear in the air between the altar and his body.
“Damn it, why are there Sealing Chains in a place like this?!”
Lucifer’s entire body was bound in dark purple iron chains.
The more strength he used, the more clearly the chains came into view.
“Grrk…!”
When he gave up trying to escape and relaxed his body, the Sealing Chains vanished from sight in an instant.
“Who did this?!”
“I did.”
“You bastard, release me at once!”
“I gave you my name clearly.”
“Grrr…!”
Lucifer began to tremble and fume.
“…Tch.”
Then, as though he had no choice, he sat down atop the altar.
“Hmph, was it Kess?”
“Hess.”
“Whatever….”
Propping his chin on his hand, he continued.
“How did a human make an altar like this?”
“I am no ordinary human.”
“What a show-off.”
“I was told you would be able to recognize it.”
“Hmm?”
“The blood of demons.”
“…Could you possibly be?”
Lucifer’s yellow eyes turned black, as though he had put on a different pair of tinted glasses.
“Hah…. It is true. You bastard…. You are drenched in demon blood.”
When someone personally slays a demon and is showered in its blood, an indelible trace remains on the body.
Humans cannot see it, but demons can.
That was why a human who had slain a demon could never return to how he had been before. He would forever draw the demons’ notice.
“Thanks to that, I obtained the power to make a Sealing Altar.”
“What kind of idiot was cut down by a human like you? A disgrace to demons.”
“The Hell Gatekeeper.”
“Hmm? That fellow cannot leave Hell.”
“That is right. I went there. To Hell.”
“What?”
Hess’s expedition to Hell had been briefly covered in the novel, almost like a side story.
‘It was disappointing that it was not covered at length.’
Lucifer opened his eyes wide and stared at Hess’s face.
“An invitation to Hell is not something just anyone can receive…. A human like you, who looks so young?”
“I sinned day and night.”
Once the weight of one’s sins became enough to rival that of a demon, one received Hell’s summons.
One could become a demon.
“Yet you did not become a demon?”
“That is right. I brought back the egg containing you instead.”
“Ha! You went to Hell for spoils of war? And even cut down the Gatekeeper?”
“Something like that.”
When Hess answered calmly, Saya’s expression beside him grew proud for some reason.
“The pursuit party could not have left you alone.”
“They did.”
“That cannot be.”
“They only stood there and stared blankly.”
“What did you say?”
Lucifer rolled his eyes several times, then arrived at a likely explanation.
“…Damn it. They opened the way to drive me out of Hell altogether.”
“Lucifer, you were sealed inside that egg after coveting the position of King of Hell, correct?”
“…Hmph.”
Already aware of Lucifer’s sin, Hess had gone to Hell from the beginning with his sights set on that egg.
‘To make a demon his pet.’
Having realized his situation, Lucifer let out a deep sigh. The smell of burning charcoal filled the basement on that breath.
“…So why did you wake me up? You did not awaken me merely to mock me.”
In the novel, Hess awakened Lucifer because he considered him a trump card.
He needed insurance in case Nightmare tried to eliminate him someday.
To Nightmare, Hess was both his finest retainer and a potential rival who might one day surpass him.
Hess’s suspicion was correct. Nightmare truly did harbor such intentions.
‘But unfortunately, Lucifer could not be the answer to that.’
Hess secretly conducted research with Lucifer, but he could not discover a way to damage Nightmare.
He found no method other than the Forbidden Skill Lloyd could learn.
Lucifer’s full power could be exerted only in Hell in the first place. In the human world, he could use only a tiny fraction of the power he originally possessed.
‘Thanks to that, Hess only ended up with more work. Lucifer caused trouble every single day.’
So this time, I will take a different approach. I will make him at least useful.
‘Useful for raising Lloyd.’
“From now on, all you must do is serve me as your Master.”
“…Are you insane? You are pulling this bullshit out of nowhere. I cannot even laugh.”
“You cannot take a single step out of there. Naturally, you cannot make any attack whatsoever.”
“I will simply stay here forever. Get lost.”
“Even though I can send you back to Hell once I have achieved what I desire?”
“Could you possibly be….”
Hess placed a hand on the altar.
“I swear upon the altar.”
“You are asking me to form a Demon Contract with you?”
“That is right.”
“Hah…! What humiliation. Because of that dog bastard, the King of Hell….”
“If you want to slit that bastard’s throat, you have to go to Hell, do you not?”
“…Hm.”
Hess looked up at him with a wicked smile. For a moment, Lucifer thought Hess’s face looked like that of a demon.
“If you wish, then I may fight beside you in Hell as well.”
“Pfft, you truly will say anything, will you?”
For Lucifer to leave the altar and return to Hell, he needed the permission of Hess, who had made the altar.
But that arrogant fellow would not readily obey a human. He would not want to play the part of a human’s pet.
In truth, there was one option that suited a fellow like him.
“I know there is a way for you to leave this altar without my permission. You can wait here until I die.”
“You know quite a bit.”
When I die, the altar will lose its power. He is the sort of tenacious bastard who would consider waiting until then.
“But while you wait, the King of Hell will consolidate his regime, find every one of your hidden subordinates, and kill them. He will erase even your traces from Hell.”
“Hmph.”
“Furthermore….”
Hess smiled with a self-assured expression.
“If I die, you will lose a reliable ally who could fight beside you in Hell.”
“Keh-hah! That again. You truly are an arrogant human. Pfft!”
Lucifer began laughing loudly, as though the idea were absurd.
He clutched his belly and lay atop the altar, laughing for quite some time until tears even flowed from his eyes.
Yet Lucifer was not the only one smiling.
SMIRK—
Though they did not laugh aloud, one corner of Hess’s and Saya’s mouths had risen as well.
‘It seems Saya has caught on too. Now it is done.’
Hess, Saya, and Lucifer. Of the three, Lucifer alone was a demon by race.
But by human standards, Hess and Saya were demons enough as well.
The three demons in the basement. They recognized that they belonged to the same kind.
“Haa…This is amusing. It has been a long time since I laughed so hard. You certainly are no ordinary human. I like you, just a little.”
Having calmed down, Lucifer put on a serious face as though he had made up his mind and spoke.
“You have skills to match the way you talk, correct?”
“More than that.”
After glaring into Hess’s eyes for a moment, Lucifer soon slapped his knee.
“…Fine. Let us form a Demon Contract.”
Hess gave a light nod. Lucifer’s question soon followed.
“So what do you want? I will fulfill your wish and return to Hell as quickly as possible.”
“The death of a human named Nightmare. You do not need to kill him yourself. If he dies by any means, you are free.”
It was not particularly surprising news to Saya, who was listening beside them. Saya already knew all of Hess’s true intentions.
“Hmm? That seems like nothing much. If that is what you want, very well. But I have one condition.”
“What is it?”
Lucifer crossed his arms and struck an arrogant pose.
“I understand that you will become my Master under a Demon Contract. But if you want me to call you Master, I refuse.”
“That much is no issue.”
“Good. Then let us form a Demon Contract. Did you bring the fruits that grow on the Tree of Life?”
“Saya, take them out.”
When Saya upended the sack, fruits of various colors spilled out.
“You brought every kind of fruit? To think you obtained them all…. What sort of human are you?”
“I have connections far and wide.”
An item absolutely necessary to form a Demon Contract.
Meeting a demon with whom to form a Demon Contract was like plucking stars from the sky, but every one of these fruits was also an exceedingly rare treasure.
It had been possible only because every Dark Order hideout had pooled its strength.
“The more I look at you, the more astonishing a human you are…. So which fruit will you choose? I recommend that red fruit.”
The fruit Lucifer pointed to was the one he had actually eaten in the novel.
Depending on which fruit a demon ate before making the contract, the kinds of abilities it could use in the human world would be decided. Its appearance could change accordingly as well.
“If I eat that, I will gain even more splendid horns and fangs. And I will be able to burn humans with Hellfire. Hah…. I can already smell the burning stench!”
Lucifer smacked his lips. But then,
“Sorry, but do you happen to like healing?”
“Ah…? Ah…Agh….”
His jaw, hanging agape in alarm, dislocated and would not close.