Chapter 174: Chapter 172: The Vassals
"Where did these two humans come from?"
"No idea."
"There are four now. Maybe we don't need this lunatic as our warrior anymore."
"Yeah, that guy seems decent."
"Then let me go!"
The six demons were still chatting back and forth when Harley suddenly jumped down and lunged at Kino.
"You bastard! How dare you hit my chest?! You almost flattened it!"
Harley tackled Kino from behind, locking his neck in a cross chokehold while yelling angrily.
"Hahaha, Harley, let me correct you—you're in soul form now. Your chest in the real world was flattened by our dear friend," Venom added, fanning the flames.
"F***! How could you?! My perfect chest! You ruined it!"
Harley tightened her grip further, her voice growing even more furious.
"There wasn't much to begin with. It'll grow back," Kino replied.
"What do you mean 'not much'? Are you blind?"
"I'm not. Pamela and Venom's are what you'd call perfect."
Pamela and Venom, playing along, puffed out their chests. Their impressive size made Harley even more furious, pushing her to use all her strength.
Kino remained calm. Here's a joke—Captain America trying to choke out Ultron.
At that moment, the six demons walked over.
"Human, we choose you as our warrior. You shall ascend the throne of Kambak, open the Gates of Hell, and obtain supreme power. Now, shout the name of the crown—Shabak!"
This time, it was a female demon speaking to Kino, her eyes full of both temptation and threat.
"Let me ask first—if I become your warrior, what happens to the three of them?" Kino asked calmly.
Pamela and Venom also looked at the demons. Pamela's face showed a hint of fear, and Venom timidly hid behind her.
Harley was still choking Kino, mumbling, "That's for hitting my chest. That's for flattening my chest."
"Of course, we'll devour them," one demon replied casually.
"I want the redhead. She has so much life force—she must taste amazing."
"I want the one with black hair."
"I'll take the crazy one."
"Then I want their souls."
"Just leave me the bones."
Listening to how they were being divided up, Kino raised an eyebrow.
"Can we... talk this over?"
"Human! You lowly ant dare to speak with us as equals? If you don't want to suffer, I command you—shout our name now!" the female demon roared. Her voice was deafening, shaking the very space around them.
Kino casually cleaned his ears.
"I'm a pacifist by nature. But this world only respects strength. If we can't negotiate, then we don't need to."
He snapped his fingers, opening a portal beside him.
"My lords, someone just shouted at me. Show them what manners look like."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Countless dark shadows poured out from the portal, surrounding the area within moments.
The six demons who were full of bluster a moment ago were now stunned.
Looking at the surrounding demons—each one more powerful than them.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"Wait! Let's talk this out!"
"I surre—"
Boom boom boom boom!
A barrage of punches cut off their words. Kino's demons attacked mercilessly, their blows brutal and unrelenting. The air was filled with screams.
"You done yet? If you don't let go, I'll make a move," Kino warned.
"Make a move? What do you mean—OWW!"
Harley snapped back stubbornly, then bit Kino hard—only to feel a painful shock that made her eyes tear up. She clutched her mouth and jumped off him, running straight to Pamela.
"Red, why'd you find a guy made of stone? My teeth hurt! Are they falling out?!"
Harley whimpered, mumbling through her aching mouth.
"There, there. It's okay. You're in soul form now—your teeth can't fall out," Pamela said with a chuckle, comforting her.
"Not necessarily," Venom interjected curiously, inspecting Harley's state. He pulled her hands away and poked her canine tooth.
"Oww! That hurts!"
Ten minutes later...
The six demons were now kneeling before Kino, their faces bruised and swollen. As Kino looked over at them, they forced flattering smiles despite missing a few teeth.
Once ferocious and imposing, their expressions now looked pitiful and ridiculous—filled with fear and desperation. All their earlier arrogance was gone.
"Introduce yourselves," Kino said, sitting in a chair with his hands resting casually on the armrests.
"Satan." —P1
"Aym."
"Belial."
"Beelzebub."
"Asmodeus."
"Clatis."
Kino raised an eyebrow after hearing their names and waved his hand dismissively.
What's next? Am I supposed to be Lucifer?
"You dare lie? Beat them again."
"Wait, sir, listen—AARGH!"
Bam bam bam...
Before they could finish their excuses, another round of savage beatings began. The sound of fists echoed again across the empty space.
Ten minutes later...
"So, you're Shabak's vassals? You can use your master's name and are stationed here to await the arrival of a warrior?" Kino asked, eyes sharp as he examined the six demons still kneeling before him.
"Yes, sir. We didn't lie!" Beelzebub nodded rapidly, sweat pouring from his forehead.
"Then why are you so weak? What if someone else had shown up and taken Shabak's power? What then?" Kino frowned, clearly unimpressed.
They couldn't even take on Black Adam. And these are supposed to be Shabak's guardians?
The six demons glanced up at him, silently thinking: Aren't you talking about yourself?
"Hmm!" Kino's eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing.
The surrounding demons sneered menacingly, their expressions suggesting they could devour the six any second.
The six vassals shivered in fear.
"Our masters said this is only a test. And this is merely a ritual circle. The master's power resides within us," Belial explained nervously.
If we could actually use that power, you'd be dead already.
By merging their master's powers through the ritual circle, they formed Shabak's strength.
"Does Shabak's power come with side effects? Or an obligatory mission? Once it transfers to the warrior, does the power belong to her or you?" Kino asked, probing every detail.
"No side effects. The only mission is to ascend the throne of Kambak and open the Gates of Hell. Once the power is transferred to her, it belongs to her," they explained.
These demons seemed far more honest than those conniving gods Kino had encountered.
It made him pause for a moment. Am I bullying these demons too much?
"We're just happy you're satisfied, sir," Belial said cautiously, sneaking a glance at Kino's expression, terrified he'd done something wrong.
[Trivia Note: The names—Satan, Aym, Belial, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, Clatis—spell out "Shabak" using their initials.]
Quote of the Chapter:"True loyalty is forged not by fear, but by the strength one commands in silence."
plz support me if you can
patreon.com/AZFANFICTION
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AZofficial
This fanfiction is 90-chapter ahead and also this fanfic is 90 chapters ahead there