The Academy’s Ankle Reaper

The faces entwined in the swarm grinned simultaneously, creating a rather grotesque sight.

A regular person would probably go mad at the first glance.

[[[Love..!!! Love!!! Your love is so passionate!!! Let this Asmodeus bless your fiery path!!]]]

Both Amy and I, who had been incredibly tense, deflated at the absurd first words uttered by Asmodeus.

What was a Great Demon of Lust doing prattling about love?

Yet, this was a hallmark of the demon Asmodeus.

[[[Oh… I came out too hastily and revealed my true form…

No… to think humans are facing my true form, not just a manifestation or a demon, and they’re completely unfazed…!! Is this the power of love??]]]

Asmodeus seemed fascinated by the fact that we were staring directly at him.

His exaggerated movements and frivolous voice were characteristics I had known from the original portrayal of Asmodeus.

As the Great Demon of Lust, he demands sheer debauchery from his worshippers, yet he also yearns for love.

“Unlike what I’ve heard… do you think we can actually communicate…?”

“Not at all, don’t let your guard down.”

It appeared that Amy, upon seeing Asmodeus’ desire for love, had some flicker of hope that he might not be so bad after all.

He longs for pure love above all else but also enjoys wild, promiscuous swapping—this duality is his defining trait.

He is not at all what Amy thinks he is.

‘What the heck is this guy doing here?’

I couldn’t help but be baffled by the absurdity of Asmodeus’ true form casually wandering in front of us.

‘Oh right, this is Hell! So that makes sense… but seriously, what a joke..!!’

What a demon who knows how to play with people.

He turned the already ridiculous room into a mini-world he couldn’t repeatedly use and connected it to ‘Tartarus’ after considering the people who could tear apart the space and leave.

Now it’s either do what he says and find ourselves in Hell, or to top it off, the Great Demon comes to greet us personally?

Isn’t this just a ridiculously layered trap to mess with people?

Anger surged within me.

I drew my sword and shouted at Asmodeus.

“Hey you con artist! You said we could escape but dragged us into Hell!!”

[[[Well, I did say you escaped the room, didn’t I?]]]

“See, this is why demons are such a troublesome bunch!!”

If there’s the dumbest person in the world, it would probably be the one who believes in demons.

It wasn’t that I didn’t anticipate this situation.

He said he would set us free, not that he’d send us back to where we were originally.

If we had been trapped in that old mansion’s facilities, it would have been one thing, but being stuck in this disconnected small world, where the exit is a mystery, is a whole different ball game.

In the worst case, we might fall directly into Tartarus the moment we open the door, I thought, so I guess we dodged a bullet there.

[[[Aren’t you supposed to be thankful to me? Thanks to me, you could confirm your love for each other, after all.

Oh, of course, you already mentioned you have a woman… but who cares? Heroes enjoy a bit of fun. I prefer the love that blossoms even amidst adversity!]]]

“You’ve been watching us the whole time, huh.”

[[[Yeah… Hell is boring, so the only thing I do every day is watch the outside.]]]

Hearing that Asmodeus had seen everything made Amy’s face turn bright red.

Sure, as he said, it ended up well, but I found it extremely displeasing.

What happened this time could have erupted at any moment.

It could be argued that the special circumstances hastened the outcome.

After all, there’s no way we could keep biting and sucking on each other for hours without any affection.

[[[Well… the room was set to send you back to where you belonged.]]]

“Then send us back!!”

[[[You wanted me to send you back instantly… but that would be boring. Hmm… let’s pretend I didn’t hear what you just said, and how about we have one last challenge before you go?

If you win, not only will I send you back, but I’ll also grant you one additional wish.]]]

That’s the devil’s proposal.

It’s not worth listening to a guy who casually ignores requests to send us back, but for now, I decided to go along with it.

As I spoke, I placed my hand on my sword to strike at a moment’s notice.

“What’s the challenge?”

[[[It’s simple… you two will overcome the trials I set using the power of love!

I’m always pondering what true love really is.

So, wouldn’t it be natural for me to be curious about how strong your love is?

It’s not a grand challenge either. Just something akin to the initiation rites of my followers who worship me.]]]

“!!”

I knew exactly what kind of initiation rites Asmodeus’ cultists underwent.

The followers of Asmodeus, the Great Demon of Lust, are all consumed by physical pleasures.

They erect the symbol of a goat in the center and without discrimination indulge in orgies every day, simply fulfilling their carnal desires according to their whims.

The initiation for such a deranged collective means… wiping away the minds of normal people.

When I say ‘wiping the brain,’ it’s not just an expression; it literally happens.

They consume fluids mixed with substances known as ‘aphrodisiacs’ secreted by monsters, and then the cultists are gang-raped until they lose consciousness.

The aphrodisiac secreted by the monsters possesses the trait of breaking down the safety mechanisms of brain sensations, leading to endless waves of pleasure and a damaged mind when violated under such conditions.

Once the morals and sexual taboos of their previous society are shattered, loyal followers who only pursue pleasure and obey commands are born.

In such acts, there’s not even a trace of human dignity.

Amy’s hands were trembling.

Having fought countless battles against the Demon Church, she understood what Asmodeus was implying.

While she thought about how to resist, she was confronted with the Great Demon’s true form and felt the disparity in power, instilling fear within her.

She seemed afraid of whether she could really resist against Asmodeus in Hell simply by opposing him.

From here on, it’s a battle of mental strength.

“It’s okay.”

“But… this is Hell and… that’s the Great Demon…?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find a way.”

I held her trembling hand.

Despite still feeling frightened, maybe my warmth reassured her, as she seemed to calm down a bit.

[[[Yes, that’s it. You humans often express that love transcends the body. You’re curious if that love will continue even when both body and mind are in shambles.]]]

Before Asmodeus finished speaking, I swung Squirette.

-Creak!!

A brilliant white flash erupted, and the swarm of creatures entwined around Asmodeus’ left side fell to the ground in a heap.

The heads of crocodiles, chickens, and snakes were severed, each screaming in different tones.

“The state of this demon is just disgusting… I can’t even stand being near him.”

Negotiations? No, he never had any intention to talk to us from the start.

That demon just wanted to fill his warped walls with something.

Asmodeus laughed uproariously as he looked at his severed minions bleeding out.

[[[Hah, you dare to fight me in the Hell I rule… How about caring for your life?]]]

Three heads were severed, but Asmodeus laughed as if it was nothing.

His every word came through layered sounds and was thoroughly displeasing.

[[[No matter how strong you are, this is my territory.

I could force this upon you, but I’m offering you a proposition. There will be a reward too.

Do you not realize how generous this is?]]]

Asmodeus muttered as if feeling truly sorry for me, yet I couldn’t fathom how declaring his intent to rape us from now on was in any way generous.

Only a brain-dead moron would think like that, someone with nothing but a phallus where their brain should be.

“As much as you may tarnish your body, at the end of the day, I want to see it lead to pure love… how devilishly filthy of you.”

The mere thought that we were included in that grotesque fantasy made my anger surge past endurance.

Feeling fury like never before, I forced my mind to cool down.

It was like a hot iced Americano, but it was already a familiar feeling to me.

With a roughened aura greater than usual, I aimed Aura Blade at Asmodeus.

“Amy, we’ll deal with this guy after he’s dead.”

“Okay!”