The Beginning Of An End

Chapter 25

Shortly after that brief but unsettling encounter, we regrouped in Beelzebub's realm, one of the few places still beyond the Devil's reach. I hadn't returned to the human world. Not because I couldn't but because I didn't want to.

We sat in a secluded alcove, Belial recounting his descent into the Abyss while Beelzebub listened in silence. With every detail, his expression darkened. By the time Belial finished, concern had crept into his features—something close to unease.

"How did you even get Paimon to trust you?" Beelzebub asked at once. "He's not easily swayed."

"That was my question too," I admitted. Even now, the thought left a faint prickle of discomfort—tempered only by the usefulness of Solomon's seal.

"I got close to him," Belial said with a shrug. "He was a mentor, once I was promoted. Power makes demons honest. You just have to know where to press." He laughed softly. "Rank doesn't matter. They all break the same way."

Beelzebub frowned. "So you turned his ambition against him."

"Precisely. Recognition. Authority. The illusion of control." Belial smirked. "He handed me his trust."

"And if he'd seen through you?" Beelzebub pressed.

"Then I'd have adapted." Belial's tone was easy. "That's the game."

I leaned back, studying him. A part of me wondered if I'd been manipulated too—but whenever I searched for some deeper motive, all I found was bare desire. Still, something about him remained... sharp-edged.

"Well," Beelzebub said at last, offering a thin smile, "I'm glad you're on our side. We'll have to move quickly."

"There's no telling when the Devil will notice Paimon's absence," I muttered, rubbing the bridge of my nose. Paimon's body was still lying in Belial's quarters. As always, we were skating on thin ice.

"We need to catch him off-guard," Beelzebub said, leaning back. "This version of the Devil is colder. More precise."

He wasn't wrong. Without Lucifer, there was nothing left to temper him—no hesitation, no sentiment.

"Does he still spend most of his time in his office?" I asked.

"Sometimes," Belial replied. "He also oversees the training grounds outside the castle now."

That gave me pause. "Is that so?" I hummed. "With Paimon removed, striking should be easier," I said slowly. "But I don't want unnecessary casualties. His assistant needs to be out of the way."

Beelzebub raised an eyebrow, surprised by my restraint. Even I noticed the change. The Seal of Solomon was clean, decisive—no room for error. And with my luck, caution wasn't a weakness. It was survival.

"Fair enough," Belial replied. "I should head back. I'll let you know when it's safe to strike. Be vigilant." He rose from his seat, and we followed.

"Don't take too long," I said lightly.

His lips curved into a smirk. "Don't worry about a thing, Asmo." The sweetness in his voice was almost enough to make me nauseous.

When he left, Beelzebub and I exchanged a look.

"It's always the waiting that gets to me," I muttered.

"Yeah," Beelzebub said. "Feels like that's all we've been doing. Should we come up with a backup plan? Just in case the first one collapses."

"Well, if the first one collapses," I said, letting out a humorless laugh, "we might never make it back to Hell. So we don't get a second chance. This plan cannot fail."