The [Primordial Demons] all possessed strengths that were either similar, completely opposite, or some fitting blend of both.
To give a simple example, if [Jonne] solved most things through overwhelming innate might, then Ria solved most things through exceptional cunning.
And [Viole], standing somewhere in the middle, was the type who possessed both strength and cunning in balanced measure.
Compared to those whose single advantage had been pushed nearly to the extreme, a mixed set of strengths did have the drawback of seeming a little less specialized, but for a [Primordial Demons], that was hardly a real weakness.
In other words, even if it looked middling among their own kind, on the scale of the world as a whole it was still an absurdly overwhelming advantage.
And naturally, that included [Viole] as well.
...If she really called me and Ria out here just to say hello, there's no way she would've gone through all this trouble.
Even if she fell short of Ria, [Viole] was still far more cunning than [Jonne]. Would someone like that really summon us all this way over a greeting? Absolutely not.
She definitely wanted something from me or Ria... or she was planning some kind of prank.
"......"
As I stayed tense, convinced she was about to pull something, [Viole], wearing a smile full of mischief, spoke first.
"Hahaha! That look on your face says you don't trust me, doesn't it~?"
At the center of the drifting remnants of [Lesser Demon]s floating around like leaves, [Viole] scattered her violet deadly poison through the air.
Aside from the demon remnants and the poison, it would have been a rather beautiful scene, but the words that came out of her mouth were not nearly so pleasant.
"Well, you're right~ Just like you're thinking, I didn't come all the way here over something as small as a greeting."
Openly admitting she had another purpose, [Viole] gave off an air every bit as playful as her smile.
"Originally, I was going to enjoy being back in the material world for the first time in a while, have a light duel, and tell you little by little... but all three of you seem pretty strong, so... today I'll make a special exception and just tell you~"
[Viole] kept speaking as she stared straight into my eyes with those gleaming golden ones.
Her whole manner was still playful, but for some reason, there was something subtle and complicated hidden in her gaze.
But those emotions vanished again so quickly that it almost felt like I had imagined them alone.
"The truth is, you know? For a long time now, there's been something I've wanted to make a deal with [Blanc] about~"
"...?" "...With me?"
As if she had never expected [Viole] to propose a deal to her instead of me, Ria tilted her head slightly.
The way she did that with her usual lofty expression looked surprisingly cute, but this was not the time to be noticing things like that.
...[A deal from one [Primordial Demons] to another, huh...] If it were [Noir], it wouldn't be that strange, but with Viole... this feels suspicious.
Most [Primordial Demons] were the kind of demons who could casually ignore even deals formalized through a [Contract].
Rain and [Jonne] were prime examples. And [Viole] belonged to that group too.
Misery, Ria, and Guy tended to honor deals made through a [Contract] whenever possible, but all three were brilliant enough to exploit loopholes whenever they found them.
Which meant the only demon who truly kept contracts and deals faithfully was [Noir].
Even in ordinary deals that did not involve a [Contract], he was the type to deliberately ignore loopholes and let things pass, simply because that amused him.
"I never thought you'd be the one asking me for a deal. I have to admit, that does make this a little interesting."
"I knew you'd say that~ So? Want to give it a try?"
With that, [Viole]'s gaze shifted to Ria, and Ria rested her chin on one hand as she fell into thought.
Just as I had, she clearly understood that the odds of [Viole] not honoring the deal were much higher.
Even if they made a [Contract] here to guarantee she would carry it out, someone of [Viole]'s ability could probably break it without much difficulty.
"...First, I'll decide after I hear what your deal is."
Ria decided to at least hear [Viole] out.
Since this was not just any demon but a fellow [Primordial Demons], she seemed to think it was worth listening once.
There was no harm in deciding after hearing the offer first.
"Haha, that's fine too~ If it's you, then once you hear this deal, you'll definitely accept it."
[Viole] showed complete confidence in response to Ria's answer.
A moment later, she unfurled pitch-black demonic wings from her back and slowly drew a meaningful smile across her lips.
"But I'm only telling you the details of the deal. Not Hairo, and not that human either. It's not really something I can let them hear~"
There was something deeply unsettling about her unreadable words and that smile.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register