Damn Reincarnation

just the amount of power she received, allowing her to obtain just the right amount at the right time without overwhelming her.
She wasn ’t the only one with this ability, as all three Mages of Incarceration were capable of doing the same.

When one made a pact with a demon, there was always a price to be paid.
The most common currency for such deals was one ’s soul in exchange for power.
As soon as the contractee perished, their soul would be the property of the demon they made a pact with.
The contract between Amelia and the Demon King of Incarceration was no different.
Amelia was aware that when her time came to pass, her soul would be surrendered to the Demon King.

That wasn’t all.

The Demon Kings were unique beings whose power thrived on worship.
Just as faith and worship in a god made them divine, similarly, the awe and worship of the Demon Kings increased their power and made them who they were.
It was this fundamental difference that set the Demon Kings apart from other demonfolks.
The Demon King of Incarceration thrived on fear.
The very mention of his name was enough to strike terror in the hearts of people, and their reverence towards his existence only increased his power.
For the Demon King, fear was a sweet nectar, a different kind of worship that only served to strengthen his hold on the Devildom of Helmuth.

As such, if Amelia ran wild to fulfill her long-cherished goal, the world would come to know of her name and her identity as the black wizard who was contracted with the Demon King of Incarceration.
The fear it would strike into the hearts of the humans would be transformed into the power of the Demon King of Incarceration.
And once Amelia died, the soul of the black wizard who struck fear into the hearts of many would be added to the Demon King of Incarceration’s collection.
He would gain the great power she accumulated and the fear she represented.

Amelia shuddered at the mere thought of such a fate befalling her.
The image of her soul being owned by the Demon King, as was the case with all black wizards who had made contracts with demons, was enough to make her blood run cold.
She was not alone in her fear; every black wizard knew the horror of having their soul taken away.
Death offered no comfort to those who had made such pacts, and that was why so many of them desperately sought to change their fate.
Amelia was no exception to this rule.

“Is Molon here?” muttered the Demon King.

Boooom!

As soon as he finished speaking, a great force blew away Gavid’s tent.
But the only thing that flew away was the tent.
It was the result of Gavid immediately erecting a spell to protect the space.

”Unthinkable! ” Gavid bellowed, his hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of his sword.

His rage was palpable, a seething, simmering force that threatened to spill over at any moment.
Yet, he did not draw his blade.
The Demon King of Incarceration had not given the order, and Gavid knew better than to act without his ruler ’s command.
Still, the sheer weight of his fury was enough to fill the air, suffocating all those present.

Before anyone knew it, the Black Fog flocked behind Gavid, and once the fog lifted, the demon knights were kneeling in unison.
Located within a tendril of darkness was a crimson eye.
None of the Black Fog Knights had ever encountered the Demon King of Incarceration, but they instinctively knew who the eye and the darkness belonged to.

“Molon Ruhr,” said the voice from within the darkness.

The eye rolled, and Molon raised himself straight.
He had come straight from the top of the fortress castle.
He had been drinking happily with Eugene and Anise until just seconds ago, but his mind was completely clear right now.
The only things occupying him were great hatred and the will to kill.

“Incarceration…! ” Molon spat out the Demon King ’s name as if it were poison, his lips twisted in a snarl of hatred and fury.

He was the first to arrive, but others soon followed, drawn by his fierce determination and unwavering resolve.
Eugene landed behind Molon, wreathed in purple flames that danced and flickered around him like a living thing.
His eyes blazed with a fierce intensity, matching Molon ’s own in their unwavering focus.
Anise landed gracefully behind the two men, her Wings of Light unfurled behind her like a halo of pure radiance.

“I do not wish to cause a disturbance,” the voice spoke, and the darkness writhed in response.

Soon, others began to gather.
The first to arrive were the Blood Cross Knights of the Yuras Empire, their armor clanging and their weapons at the ready.
Raphael was in the lead, and he drew his greatsword upon seeing the darkness and the red eye before springing into the air as if ready to strike.

“Stop!” shouted Anise.

The cry contained a great deal of divine power, and it caused Raphael to stop in midair.
Raphael looked up at Anise with an astonished expression, then gave a slight nod before putting down his greatsword.

The Blood Cross Knights faced off against the Black Fog, and soon, members of the Lionheart family and Kiehl’s White Dragon Knights arrived.
The knights, who were continuing to increase in number, surrounded the Black Fog to prevent them from escaping.

But that’s only what it looked like on the surface.
Eugene glared at the darkness while clenching his fists.

Soon, the kings of the continent began to arrive, each with their own unique reactions.

The Pope of Yuras gasped in pain as he clutched his chest, blood seeping from his Stigmata, despite not having summoned any miracles.

The Emperor of Kiehl ’s bloodshot eyes remained fixed on the darkness, but his body betrayed him, his legs trembling uncontrollably as his instincts kicked in.
Despite this, he stood tall, refusing to let his fear show, but only barely.
Even though the opponent was his equal, the emperor of an empire, he was also the Demon King who reigned for an extremely long period.
In particular, the Demon King of Incarceration was special and more powerful, even among the Demon Kings.
The authorities of the emperors were meaningless in the face of the Demon King of Incarceration’s overwhelming power.

“I do not want to be misunderstood,” murmured the Demon King of Incarceration.

The darkness suddenly wriggled.

Ahhhh!

Gavid shouted in a voice filled with awe and kneeled on the spot.
Amelia could not stand any longer as well.
As arrogant as she was, she could not help but kneel.

“I am not here to break my promise.” The Demon King ’s voice echoed in the air, and the darkness took the shape of a human form, revealing the Demon King of Incarceration.
His bloodless pale skin and ruby-red eyes were striking, and his beauty was undeniable.
The Demon King of Incarceration continued while caressing the horn on his head, “If you are misunderstanding my visit and are wary towards me, I hope to resolve the misunderstanding.”

Molon glared at the Demon King of Incarceration with bloodshot eyes and spoke, ”I heard you warned the world. ” The appearance of the Demon King reminded him of the encounter he had three hundred years ago on the top floor of Babel, which had left him in despair.

The Demon King of Incarceration nodded and responded, ”Yes, I did. ” As he moved his hands, the chains wrapped around his wrists produced a metallic sound.
“But I gave another choice.
If you humans show me awe, then I will return it with respect.
As long as the goodwill I show is not violated, I will not take the initiative to end the peace.”

Suddenly, a voice interrupted the tense silence.
It was not one of the kings, but Gilead Lionheart, the head of the Lionheart family.
His legs trembled under the weight of the Demon King ’s pressure, but he gritted his teeth and stood his ground.
”Demon King of Incarceration, ” he said, his voice steady but filled with determination.
”I am Gilead Lionheart, head of the Lionheart family. ”

“I know your name.
Dear descendant of Vermouth, what would you like to ask me?” said the Demon King of Incarceration.

“I would like to ask you… about the warning.
You made my adopted son the receiver of your warning, and you said that the end of the Oath was coming,” continued Gilead.

The Demon King of Incarceration responded, tilting his head.
“The Oath wasn’t made to last forever.” His crimson gaze looked past Gilead towards Eugene.
“Three hundred years ago, your forefather, my dear Vermouth, made a promise with me, a promise for peace.”

“…..”

“I will not speak details of the Oath since that is not what Vermouth wanted.
But descendants of Vermouth, do not misunderstand the end of the Oath.
The end of the Oath is inevitable.
You may show respect and awe, and I may return the favor, but regardless, someday, the peace obtained by the Oath will end,” said the Demon King of Incarceration.

“Then…! Could we not renew the Oath? If needed, then I can—”

“Who could replace Vermouth?” said the Demon King of Incarceration with a smile.
His words weren’t only directed at Gilead.
It was a message to everyone who was standing in this place.
He continued while staring directly at Eugene’s face.
“No one can replace Vermouth.
The Oath was made, and it was only possible because it was Vermouth Lionheart.”

The Demon King of Incarceration suddenly stopped, then turned his gaze from Eugene and stared at Molon.

The Demon King of Incarceration ’s voice rang out with a commanding tone, cutting through the tense silence.
Molon Ruhr was struggling to control his breathing, his muscles tense and ready to spring into action.
But the Demon King ’s words seemed to reach him, and he hesitated.
”Don ’t be a fool, Molon.
Stop with the reckless bravado, ” the Demon King of Incarceration continued, his eyes fixed on the agitated man.
”Killing me here and now will not bring you what you seek.
It will only bring you more suffering. ”

“Krr…!”

“Don’t you have something else to do than kill me?” asked the Demon King of Incarceration.

Crack!

Molon’s teeth broke, and he stared at the Demon King of Incarceration with bloodshot eyes for a while, then took a deep breath.

“I see,” muttered Molon, nodding.
He blinked a few times, then took a step back with a scoff.
“I want to kill you right now.
I want to finish what I couldn’t three hundred years ago.”

“Do you really believe you can achieve what you failed to do three hundred years ago when you were with Vermouth, Sienna, and Anise?” asked the Demon King of Incarceration.

“No, I don’t think so.
I wanted to attack you, and I wanted to die,” answered Molon frankly.
“But I cannot die like that, at least not now.
So I will not attack you.”

The Demon King of Incarceration’s smile changed slightly at Molon’s answer.
He gazed at Molon with the same smile before nodding.
“I respect your decision.” Then he wiped the smile off his face.
“Molon Ruhr, I don’t mean just you, either.
Kings of the continent, knights who serve them, mercenaries who wander the battlefield, and other warriors.
I respect all of your wills.
I know why all of you have gathered here.”

He continued after lowering his voice to almost a whisper, “So I will take my leave now.
If you want war, come to my territory.
Just as your forefathers did three hundred years ago, come to Pandemonium, climb Babel, and point your blades at me.” The Demon King of Incarceration’s body began to scatter into darkness.
“If you wish to do so, I will gladly wait there.
Have I shown enough grace, Eugene Lionheart?”

The Demon King of Incarceration suddenly called Eugene’s name, then stared at him with narrowed eyes as he disappeared.
“Master of the Holy Sword, descendant of Vermouth.”

Eugene glared back at the Demon King of Incarceration without answering.

“Will you climb Babel?” asked the Demon King of Incarceration.

Eugene recalled the vision of Vermouth from the Dark Room.

—Just as I did, stand before the Demon King of Incarceration and meet with his true body.
What will happen after that are things you will have to experience yourself.

“Yes,” said Eugene as his lips twisted into a smile.
He raised his middle finger towards the disappearing figure of the Demon King of Incarceration.
“I don’t know when, but I’ll make sure to go.”

“You!” shouted Gavid angrily.

He had never imagined that anyone would be mad enough to show such a disrespectful gesture towards the Demon King of Incarceration.

However, the Demon King of Incarceration only laughed in response as if he found it entertaining.
He laid his hand on Gavid’s shoulder and stopped him from running forward.
“Don’t be rude.”

“But Your Majesty…!”

“He is my guest,” whispered the Demon King of Incarceration, and Gavid bowed with a grimace.
Just before he disappeared, the Demon King of Incarceration looked at Eugene with smiling eyes and spoke, “I look forward to the day you come to Babel.”

Then he disappeared completely.
Until the moment there were absolutely no traces of the Demon King of Incarceration, Gavid kept his head bowed and his knees touching the ground.

The Demon King of Incarceration had called Eugene a guest, and Gavid had no complaints.
The profanity that Eugene Lionheart showed deserved a thousand grueling deaths, but his lord had commanded him not to be rude.

‘Until you come to Babel, that is,’ Gavid thought.

Gavid soothed his mind while chewing on his lips, then stood up from the ground.
Or, at least, he attempted to rise up.
But just before he could do so, Eugene Lionheart’s blade suddenly fell towards his head.