The Beginning Of An End

Chapter 25

Shortly after that brief but rather intriguing encounter, we had gathered in Beelzebub's realm—a place that, for now, remained beyond the Devil's reach. I could no longer go to the human world, or rather, I couldn't bring myself to.

We were sitting on a couch in a secluded alcove while Beelzebub was listening intently as we recounted Belial's descent into the Abyss. His expression, initially unreadable, gradually darkened with each detail. By the time Belial finished retelling the event, Beelzebub's frown had deepened into something close to genuine concern—perhaps even something resembling unease.

"How did you even manage to get Paimon to trust you in the first place?" came his immediate question right after Belial finished speaking. "He doesn't seem like someone who can be easily swayed."

"That was my question too," I admitted. Even thinking about it again made me feel a bit uneasy, despite also being grateful that Belial managed to find something as useful as Solomon's seal.

"I got close to him." Belial shrugged. "He was a mentor to me in a way ever since I'd been given a higher rank. You'd be surprised how much honesty you can extract when you play on a demon's thirst for power." He laughed condescendingly as he shook his head. "And I've tortured a lot of demons. They all have that weakness, no matter their rank."

Beelzebub frowned, trying to process his words. "So, you used his ambition against him?"

"Precisely," Belial replied. "Paimon, like many demons, craves power and recognition. By presenting myself as a trustworthy ally and leveraging his desires, I was able to gain his trust."

"But wasn't that risky?" Beelzebub asked. "What if he found you out?"

Belial smirked. "That's always a risk, but it's one I'm willing to take. In this game of power, the rewards outweigh the dangers."

Listening to Belial, I couldn't help but think if he had managed to manipulate me as well. But no matter how much I prodded through his true desires, I came out with nothing but bare lust. I clenched my jaw slightly as I leaned into the couch, observing Belial's demeanor. Maybe he really was twisted in his own way.

"Well, nonetheless, I'm glad you're on our side." Beelzebub said through a small smile. "I suppose we have to act fast now."

"Yeah, there's no telling when the Devil is going to notice Paimon's absence - if he hasn't already." I sighed as I rubbed the bridge of my nose. Paimon's motionless body continued to lay in Belial's room the entire time so we were playing a risky game, as usual.

"We need to catch him off-guard but the current Devil is more dangerous and calculated than ever," Beelzebub suggested through a sigh as he leaned back into his seat. And he was right - ever since Lucifer had been no longer in the picture, the Devil didn't have much sympathy left and there were much less emotions clouding his judgement in general.

"Is he mostly in his office as per usual?" I asked. I highly doubted his routines had changed as he always loved everybody else doing the dirty work for him.

"Sometimes," Belial replied with a shrug. "He sometimes even comes to monitor the trainings held outside the castle's walls."

"Oh, is that so?" I hummed, rubbing my jaw. I was actually surprised that had been the case.

"Although since Paimon is no longer our concern, it should make it easier to strike. However, I don't want any unnecessary casualties, so I'd want the assistant out of that area," I sighed, leaning back into my seat. Beelzebub raised an eyebrow at my statement, probably not expecting me to consider others. But even I had to learn at some point. Solomon's seal was more straightforward than any other method we might have used, and there was little to no possibility of messing it up. But given how easily things went awry when I was involved, it was better to be safe than sorry.