kscans

Chapter 210 - The Cheat vs. the Villainess

Let me teach you a trick for dealing with demons, knowing full well that’s what they are. Do they look no different from a human? Do they seem like a nice person once you talk to them? Well, there’s no need to deny those things outright. After all, figuring out if that affability is genuine is the same even in communication between humans. But, there’s one part of them that is fundamentally different from humans. So you just need to keep this one thing in mind.

But at the end of the day, they’re a demon.

Whenever you find something you like about them, just add this one phrase afterward. That way, you won’t get completely sucked in. You can maintain some distance in your relationship. Oh, I’m not saying you shouldn’t associate with demons. You can have a genuinely fun time with the ones who are fun to be around, even if they’re demons.

But it’s what you might call a demon’s nature. They have a certain danger to them, like they might be chatting with you one moment with a smile, then stab you with a knife the next. Among humans, I guess you’d call someone like that a psycho. But a demon’s nature is different from a psycho’s. A human psycho is hard to understand because they act based on their own internal set of rules, but demons are easy. I mean, isn’t it obvious? They go out of their way to hang up a sign that says "evil demonic being." In other words, you shouldn’t try to measure a demon using only a human ruler.

"First, I wanna get something straight. Like I said a minute ago, I am willing to cooperate."

"Yeah."

"I mean, come on, even I’d have a problem if the world got destroyed."

Yeah, that’s a lie. Or maybe I should say she’s only showing half her true feelings. It’s true she’d have a problem if the world was destroyed. Any small-time demon would think so from the bottom of their heart. But Lucifer is different. If the world were to be destroyed, she’d find that interesting in its own way. It is a demon’s nature to abide by contracts, and she is quite strict about that. But that isn't because she prioritizes profit and loss like a human. It's more like she enjoys the act of contracting itself. At least, in her case. That’s why she can even accept the world’s destruction.

"But, I’ve got my pride too. A demon lord showing absolute obedience to a human, I mean, what’s up with that?"

That’s also a lie. She has pride, but her own amusement is her top priority, so if she found something interesting, she’d wag her tail without a second thought.

"Also, this is a very, very personal thing, but."

"What is it?"

"The villainess, was it? I feel a sense of sympathy for her."

This one is true.

"We’re similar, right? You and me."

If you just look at the part about drawing a bow against God, she’s certainly right.

"True enough. Even your names are similar."

"Right! Lucia and Lucifer… with similar upbringings and even similar names, it feels like fate, you know."

And with that, Lucifer gave an embarrassed smile.

"I’d hate for the world to be destroyed, buuut, you know. I kinda feel like I want to cheer for her a little too?"

"I see."

"You get it?"

"Yeah. It’s amazing how you can just rattle off a string of things you don’t mean."

Alright, let’s point them out one by one. That’s how you make a contract with a demon.

"It would be a problem if the world was destroyed? Yeah, that’s not exactly a lie, but it’s not what you really think either. You think it would be fine if it was destroyed, so don’t you dare act like you’re on my side. Being trampled helpless by unreasonable malice is the kind of thing that would make you hold your sides and laugh, isn’t it?"

She would die too, but the being known as the Demon King Lucifer would be laughing her head off right up to the moment of her death.

"You might cooperate, but it’s not because you purely want to protect the world."

It’s because there’s no loss for her whether it continues or ends. That’s why she’s offering the bare minimum of cooperation to lean toward protecting the world. By not getting involved more than the bare minimum, she’s also leaning toward letting the world be destroyed.

"And pride? Hey, hey, hey, don’t make me laugh. If you had something like that, you should have died here and now to protect it. Because you’re weaker than me. If we fought for real, you wouldn’t be able to land a single scratch, you know?"

Is a Demon King like that worth anything? If you’re going to bring up pride, you would have slit your own belly a long time ago. Or maybe led all the demons to pick a fight with me.

"Well then, what does that make you, asking for help from little old weak me-chan?"

"Aren’t you misunderstanding something?"

"Misunderstanding?"

"I don’t want your help. I’m telling you I’ll let you help."

Pulling something like this in a business negotiation would break it down instantly. However, against a demon, or more accurately, against a strong demon, this is the right answer. Look, the corners of Lucifer’s mouth are turning up even more, and the sparkling effects are getting stronger… it’s too bright, so cut that out.

"Let’s get back on topic. Now then… right, sympathy for the villainess, was it?"

"Yep. You agreed with me there, right, Satou-kyun?"

"On the point that you’re similar. But the feeling of wanting to cheer for her? Hey, hey, hey, are you serious?"

"Is it so strange to want to support someone who’s like you?"

"Do you really think you have that good of a personality?"

If she does, then color me shocked.

"A woman who can’t live without being jealous of and looking down on humans. By destroying countless worlds, she must have grown even more arrogant. Thinking that humans are inferior after all. For a woman like that to ultimately lose to a human at the very, very end… ah, what a miserable end that would be, wouldn’t it?"

Even now, Lucifer is probably looking down on the villainess quite a bit. The villainess doesn’t count me as human. But it’s not that she believes that from the bottom of her heart, it’s that she can’t stay calm unless she thinks that way. She must have felt so humiliated when she demanded a reset in the sea of nothingness. But she had to do it. To deny humanity. She has to win no matter what, so that she herself is not denied. I was shaken up in that moment too, but once I calmed down, I understood immediately. She acted all composed, but her insides were probably boiling over.

"You want to see her miserable state. You want to see the despair of those who live in this world. For you, there’s no loss no matter which way it goes, but… the scales are leaning just slightly toward the former, aren’t they?"

When I told her that, she replied.

"Wonderful. I’ll give you a gold star for that."

"Your idol mask is slipping."

"Oopsie."

With a small cough, Lucifer continued.

"It’s just as you say, Satou-kyun. But it’s only slightly. Just slightly. Not enough to make me support this world any more than I am now. So, Satou-kyuuun… what are you going to do for me now?"

Do you have what it takes to shift the balance of the scales? I ignored her gaze, which was akin to a sneer, and said to Lucifer.

"You’ve gotten soft."

"Pardon?"

"I’m saying that for the great Demon King Lucifer-sama, your malice is pretty pathetic."

Maybe doing this whole idol thing has made you get attached to humans?

"The villainess hitting rock bottom isn’t being killed by me."

"Oh?"

"Lend me your ear for a second."

I beckoned her over, and when she obediently came closer, I told her.

"When I beat her, I’m planning to…"

Her eyes went wide.

"...What’s the time limit?"

"Until she… At that moment, for the first time…"

How about it? I asked with my eyes, and she replied.

"Ahhahahahahahaha! Yes! That’s perfect! If I can see that… I see, you are indeed worth betting my entire fortune on!"

After a hearty laugh, Lucifer said with tears in her eyes.

"Hah… Fine. The Morning Star shall become your dog. And what the hell. I’ll even throw in the seventy-two pillars, including Bel and Luci, as a bonus."

"Oh? That’s mighty generous of you, but the guys next to you look like they’re thinking ‘is she serious?’"

"It’s fine, it’s fine. Because I’m Lucifer, you see."

So ‘Demon King’ is just another way of saying ‘Power Harassment King,’ is that it?