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Just as Veldora and Guy Crimson were about to unleash a battle that might have leveled entire nations, a calm voice interrupted the growing storm.
"Now, now... both of you. Let's not go blowing up the continent."
The pressure of their clash eased slightly as both heads turned.
Standing a short distance away—cloak fluttering in the wind and a satisfied grin on his face—was Karlos. In one hand, he casually carried Reinhart slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Behind him, lying unconscious and battered, were Rain and Misery.
"Karlos!" Veldora grinned. "Oh, so you and Reinhart took care of business? That's great!"
"Wait, seriously?" Guy raised a brow, amused. "You beat both of them?"
Karlos scratched his cheek modestly.
"Well… technically, I beat Misery. As for Rain, Reinhart managed to hold her to a draw—which is honestly kind of amazing."
He casually dropped Reinhart beside the unconscious Misery and Rain with a thud, dusting off his hands like he just finished gardening.
"So, Primordial Red, Guy-sama…" Karlos added, his tone ever-so-slightly sarcastic, "You do realize you're kind of... outnumbered now, right?"
"Hmph." Guy crossed his arms. "I may be exhausted, but I'm not afraid of you all."
"Of course you aren't. I wouldn't expect less," Karlos said, smile still sharp. "But... I'm offering you a better option."
[Karlos' Deal]
"A deal?" Guy asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Yeah. Simple one. My lord Velsun didn't send us here to destroy you or your comrades. He just wanted the rampage to stop."
Karlos motioned at the ruined wasteland surrounding them.
"This mindless destruction... it's beneath someone like you. I mean, come on, you're not some lesser daemon throwing tantrums. You're Guy Crimson—the one who seeks worthy opponents, right?"
Guy tilted his head, intrigued.
"Go on."
Karlos was thinking with a smirk.
"And now… it's done." "This is the power of my Ultimate Skill—Devil's Contractor: Mephistopheles."
"It lets me subtly twist the emotions of my target. I just nudged his pride... then fed his greed for power and desire to battle stronger foes. With those emotions primed, slipping in a contract-binding suggestion was as easy as breathing."
"No matter how strong the individual... once this deal is made under Mephistopheles, they're bound by absolute magical law. Not even a Primordial Daemon can escape."
Karlos's polite smile never broke.
"Poor Guy… so busy puffing his chest, he didn't even notice he was being led by the nose."
"You stop the indiscriminate chaos. We hand Rain and Misery back to you. You go challenge stronger folks instead. Like…"
Karlos raised a brow meaningfully.
"Say, Veldora-sama here is already tough—but imagine how strong Veldanava-sama, the eldest of the True Dragons, must be?"
That got Guy's full attention.
"...Veldanava, huh?"
He folded his arms, seriously thinking.
"That's... actually a damn good idea."
He nodded to himself. "Yeah, why am I wasting time with kingdoms and small fries when the top dog's still out there?"
[Devil's Trickery—Ultimate Skill: Devil's Contractor "Mephistopheles"]
Karlos, meanwhile, maintained his polite smile, but his inner monologue told a different story.
"Heh. Fooling even a primordial isn't that hard. Didn't even notice I slipped in my contract seal mid-sentence."
Behind the scenes, the Ultimate Skill: Devil's Contractor—Mephistopheles had activated silently. By feeding Guy's ambition and cloaking his intent as "reasonable compromise," Karlos had laid the bait—and the contract was sealed.
"Such a pity... Veldanava won't even need to raise a finger. This fool's own pride will destroy him the moment he tries."
[The Pact Sealed]
"Alright," Guy said with an innocent, dangerous smile. "I accept, Karlos."
Karlos smiled back, ever so innocently.
"Wonderful. Let's all pretend none of this ever happened."
As the invisible magic of the contract binding wrapped itself around Guy's soul, the voice of the world softly echoed:
[Unique Contract Established—Subject: Guy Crimson. Terms Irrevocable.]
With the deal sealed and contract complete, Karlos gave a sharp whistle. His magic flared gently—not threatening, but authoritative.
The unconscious bodies of Rain and Misery levitated slowly, floating toward Guy Crimson, who crossed his arms as he observed them.
"Tch. Can't believe you two got handled like that," he muttered, though there was no real malice—just faint amusement. He extended a hand and nodded once toward Karlos. "Fair's fair. I'll take 'em back. You held up your end."
Karlos nodded, still polite as ever.
"And so did you. Let's call this a… diplomatic success."
Without another word, Guy snapped his fingers. A red-black magic circle flared beneath the three Primordials, and in a heartbeat—they vanished.
[The Silence After the Storm]
As the winds finally settled and the battlefield grew quiet, Veldora let out a long, theatrical sigh.
"Tch. What a waste…"
He plopped down on a floating rock chunk midair, arms behind his head, scowling at the sky.
"I got all excited thinking I'd finally get to throw hands with a real monster. And then you guys just solve the problem. Like, what was even the point of me showing up!?"
Karlos, ever composed, looked up at the grumbling dragon with an amused expression.
"Veldora-sama… Surely, you jest. If you hadn't shown up when you did, Zalario would've perished for real. And trust me…" "If Zalario had died, Velsun-sama would've been… less than pleased."
Veldora blinked. Then blinked again.
A slow smile crept onto his face.
"Ohhhh... yeah. That's true, huh?"
He floated down, landing beside Karlos, now with a puffed-up chest and hands on his hips.
"Yep! I saved Zalario's butt. Aniki's gonna be super proud of me!"
"Absolutely," Karlos said with a nod. "You were the turning point."
"AHAHAHA! I knew coming was worth it!" Veldora laughed, tossing his golden hair back dramatically.
[Karlos' Inner Monologue]
"Honestly… he didn't even throw a single punch." "But hey, keeping a True Dragon's mood up is part of my job too."
Karlos exhaled softly, glancing at the sky where Guy had vanished.
"And thank the abyss that worked out... Manipulating a Primordial and bluffing through a three-way war in one afternoon… Velsun-sama would be so proud of me," he thought with a worshipping smile. "
The throne room was filled with tension. Ornate golden sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows, but despite the warmth, the atmosphere was heavy.
Velsun sat calmly atop his obsidian-and-gold throne, legs crossed, chin resting lightly on one hand. His other hand idly tapped the armrest in a slow rhythm. His cloak fluttered gently even though there was no wind indoors.
Arrayed below him were his trusted council members—each carrying various degrees of concern and anxiety.
Darius, the former king and now prime minister, took a step forward. Though composed, his eyes betrayed personal worry.
"Lord Velsun," he asked, his voice steady but firm, "what is the status of the battlefield? Especially… Reinhart. My nephew. Please, tell us."
At his side, Seris Halden, the vigilant head of border defense, stepped up, her posture rigid.
"Should we prepare the army, my lord? If war is on the horizon, we'll meet it head-on."
All eyes turned to Velsun, who slowly opened his eyes—glowing with faint draconic light.
He smiled gently.
"No need to worry."
A beat of silence. Then he spoke, voice calm and regal.
"We've won."
Gasps and murmurs spread across the hall.
"Zalario and Reinhart are currently unconscious," he continued, "but alive and victorious. Veldora and Karlos should be returning with them any moment now."
Darius released a long breath, his hand going over his chest.
"Thank the stars… That boy…"
Halden visibly relaxed, though her arms were still crossed defensively.
"I see… So, the crisis has passed."
"For now," Velsun added. "But we must not grow complacent. The world is changing faster than ever."
He leaned forward, resting both arms on the throne's wide rests.
"We now have in our ranks the first true hero in history… and the first Daemon Emperor. The Primordial Angel still stands with us. And Veldora… well, you know how dramatic he is."
There was a chuckle from some of the council.
"But," Velsun's tone deepened slightly, "do not forget who we faced today. Three Primordial Daemons, awakened as Devil Lords. We may have defused this conflict, but the balance of the world is shaking."
Just then, the massive double doors to the throne room creaked open.
Everyone turned.
Karlos entered first, his usual smug grin in place, holding Reinhart over his shoulder.
Veldora followed behind, casually floating beside a floating, unconscious Zalario, arms crossed proudly.
"We're back~!" Veldora called with a grin.
Darius rushed forward, relief flooding his face as he took Reinhart from Karlos.
"You reckless boy… but I'm proud of you."
Velsun simply smiled, eyes flickering between each of them.
"Welcome home, heroes."