Chapter 008 — Two Divine Beasts
SLAP!
“This one is for the poor souls swallowed by dmons.”
SLAP!
“And this one is for the crime of being a weak little shit who still dared to resist me.”
SLAP!
Michael’s aura-covered palm smashed across Valefor’s cheek.
Michael kept listing one crime after another as he slapped him, while Valefor silently endured the beating without even daring to complain.
At this point, it was impossible to tell which one was the priest and which one was the demon.
“Cough… cough… S-Stop.”
Blood trickled from the corner of Valefor’s mouth, and his entire face had swollen up.
Feeling like he might actually die at this rate, he desperately begged Michael to stop.
Instead, Michael summoned white flames and brought them right beside Valefor’s face.
“You won’t die permanently anyway. Want me to purify you?”
The 72 Demons were protected by the Seven Deadly Sins.
Even if they were purified or killed, they would eventually revive in Hell.
Of course, the process came with unimaginable agony.
But that wasn’t something Michael cared about.
“J-Just tell me what you want. You came looking for me because there’s something you want from me, right?”
Whether it was because of the white flames or pure fear, Valefor’s face had turned unusually pale.
He tried negotiating for his life.
Michael looked impressed.
“You really are quick on the uptake. Fine. We’ll stop here. How about we finally have a proper conversation?”
Thud.
Michael released Valefor’s hair.
Valefor collapsed onto the floor like a corpse.
Michael sat on the sofa Valefor had been using, crossed his legs, and arrogantly looked down at him.
“You told me to say what I want, right? Then guess what it is. That’s my demand.”
Michael grinned after making such an absurd request.
How the hell am I supposed to know what you want?! This fucking lunatic is trying his hardest to torture me!
Valefor trembled with rage at the unreasonable demand.
He cursed Michael endlessly in his mind, but if he wanted to survive, he had no choice but to play along.
Carefully, Valefor began guessing.
“Money?”
Michael dug at his ear.
Apparently, that wasn’t the answer.
“An errand?”
Spit.
Rub, rub.
Michael spat into his palm and rubbed his hands together as if preparing to beat him again.
Fuck, what the hell am I supposed to do? What can I even give him…?
Feeling sweat gather on his forehead, Valefor suddenly remembered the high-ranking figures he had recently established connections with.
“A-A connection to important people?”
Crack. Crack.
Apparently, that was wrong too.
Michael loosened his neck with a vicious expression.
If I get the next one wrong, I seriously think I’m going to die.
Then suddenly—
Several clues began coming together in Valefor’s head.
Michael had completely disappeared for 250 years.
He had personally come all the way here while tracking one of Valefor’s subordinates.
And now he was telling Valefor to guess what he wanted.
Therefore, what Michael needed most right now was—
“…Information?”
Michael’s arrogant and vicious expression instantly relaxed.
Gulp.
Seeing Michael suddenly look so gentle, Valefor swallowed hard and let out a relieved breath.
But the crisis wasn’t over yet.
Valefor still had no idea what kind of information Michael wanted.
Anything about the remains or the offering is out of the question.
The great undertaking Valefor was preparing had to remain hidden no matter what.
If Michael, a priest, learned about it, there was no telling how he might interfere.
Valefor needed information that would help Michael while causing no harm to himself.
“I heard you were missing for 250 years. Is it related to that?”
Valefor threw out a provocative topic just to buy some time.
Apparently, it worked.
Michael’s gentle expression immediately hardened.
“I like asking questions. I don’t like being asked them.”
Valefor decided this was his chance and strongly pushed his proposal.
“Then let’s make an official deal instead! This place is V.F, a tavern for demons. All kinds of information gathers here! If there’s something you want to know, I can find it!”
Valefor was now convinced that Michael had only recently become active again.
Michael clearly lacked information.
That was why he couldn’t even decide what exact question he wanted to ask.
Believing he had found the perfect solution, Valefor sprang to his feet and held out his hand.
BAM!
Michael slammed his fist down onto Valefor’s head.
“Sorry, but I have a rule against making deals with demons. And what we have isn’t a deal anyway. It’s one-sided exploitation.”
This fucking lunatic.
“Besides, if you die and go back now, you’re screwed anyway, aren’t you?”
There was a reason Valefor refused to die no matter how badly Michael humiliated him.
“Wouldn’t returning now be way too early?”
In the past, the other Great Demons had quickly been purified by Michael and sent back to Hell.
Valefor, on the other hand, had been useful in many different ways, so Michael had kept him alive for a long time.
Among the demons who faced Michael, Valefor had survived the longest.
Because of that, various misunderstandings had piled up.
Despite only being an intermediate demon, the others had begun to acknowledge him.
“If you die now, the others will get suspicious. After all, out of all 72 Demons, you’d be the first—and fastest—to lose in nearly 250 years.”
Once suspicion began, it would only continue to grow until it eventually swallowed Valefor whole.
From that point on, instead of remaining one of the 72 Demons who commanded lesser demons like he did now, he might become nothing more than another item in Greed’s collection.
His freedom could be completely taken away.
Michael, having understood that weakness perfectly, patted Valefor on the shoulder.
“So start talking. Give me something useful.”
Valefor’s pupils shook as if an earthquake had struck them.
If I can’t escape Michael’s grasp anyway, then I’ll find a new way forward.
If he couldn’t get out of this situation—
Then he had to use it to survive.
“…There are two Divine Beasts.”
“Divine Beasts?”
“You should know them. The dog and cat that used to follow you around every single day.”
Michael nearly choked on his own saliva.
Those two are here?
The animals Valefor was talking about were creatures Michael had personally looked after long ago.
He didn’t have to worry about their lifespan, so there was a high chance they were still alive.
Michael had already planned to search for them whenever he had the time.
He simply assumed he would have to look overseas.
He had never expected them to be here.
“…Keep talking.”
Apparently liking the information Valefor had provided, Michael demanded more details.
“Hagenti’s subordinates currently have them. I heard they’re preparing some kind of ritual using the Divine Beasts. Is that enough for you?”
Hagenti…
Looks like I’ll be smelling cow shit again.
