Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer?
Chapter 224: This World Is (9)

Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer

Chapter 224 This World Is (9)

The Inquisitor gritted her teeth as she stared at the Demon stepping on her neck. The barrier she’d desperately tried to maintain had already shattered.

The one she’d raised to stop the Demons from reaching the city, the one meant to assist that troublemaker.

All of it.

“Kurgh.”

The barrier breaking was the only reason she was still alive. The power she’d been using to maintain it had returned to her, which allowed her to prevent her neck from snapping.

Well, not that it would last much longer.

“O Lord.”

Would she die like this? Without a single soul to save her?

“Please…”

But even so, this was fine. Someone… someone might have survived because of her struggle.

“Have mercy…”

So now, all she could wish for was just a bit of luck, that the lives she’d protected wouldn’t be lost in vain.

That they’d have enough time to regroup and fight the Demons…

> [No!]

Then, a beam of light blocked out her vision. The moment it collided with something, the earth started to shake tremendously. The pressure on her throat weakened, and her own Divine Power threw her back.

Since her opponent had withdrawn their force, she might’ve consequently been flung back.

In any case, she was free. She immediately gasped for breath, coughing endlessly, but unfortunately, her body hadn’t any strength left to move.

Rustle.

Then, a tickling sound brushed against her ear. It seemed to be the quiet crumbling of shattering rocks. Thud. Or maybe it was just the sound of her heart plummeting.

Thud.

Thud.

With every heartbeat-like sound that reverberated through the area, the Demonic Energy grew stronger.

The Inquisitor widened her eyes. A vortex of Demonic Energy swirled violently, consuming the spot where the Demon Knight had once been restrained.

> [What the hell did those wretched bastards do?!]

Thud.

It was like a storm. The visible streams of Demonic Energy condensed into a singular point, like a hurricane raging on the ground.

> [Dammit…!]

But was there anyone left who could do anything to stop it?

Thud.

No. She, and even the Demon trying to kill her, could only wait helplessly before that storm.

Thud.

The sharp Demonic Energy was like a weapon itself, and the force that pooled onto the ground like a swamp was an undeniable warning.

Thud.

The pounding grew ever louder, resounding like the synchronized marching of an army or the rhythmic pounding of drums meant to boost morale.

It was an orderly and disciplined sound, yet it seemed to burn with an overwhelming passion.

Boom!

And when the sound finally stopped—Whoosh!—a hand emerged inaudibly from that pit of Demonic Energy.

Craaaack.

A pitch-black right hand, coated in Demonic Energy, pressed against the ground, dragging up the attached body. Like a corpse buried underground clawing its way back to the surface, or like a drowning person performing their final struggle for air.

> [Ah, finally.]

A figure wearing the skull of a mountain goat lifted their head. Long, white hair cascaded down from beneath it.

> [I can finally use my power properly.]

That was the last thing the Inquisitor’s mind took in.

She lost consciousness, her only consolation being that the suffocating heat in the air that had made it hard to breathe finally disappeared.

* * *

Cruuunch. Crack.

Mephistopheles tried to move her ruined body, which was covered entirely in Demonic Energy.

The hem of her clothing sticking to her skin vanished as if it had sunk into her flesh. What remained soon followed suit.

They’d only looked like clothing, but in reality, they were nothing more than remnants the size of a mortal’s fingernails. Destroying them and creating something new wasn’t that big a deal.

Crunch.

Her wounds healed in the same manner. The eye, which had been cooked beyond recognition, regenerated, starting with the optic nerve, then the muscles, the sclera, the vitreous body, the lens, the iris, and finally, the cornea, pushing out the remnants of the old eye. It dissolved into the air like mist instead of tears.

Snap.

Her broken leg also began to realign itself, twisting back into place. The charred, shrunken muscles melted away entirely. Shhhh. New muscles spread to fill the vacant space. The same happened with her skin and internal organs.

The body, having returned from death, stretched what had shrunk due to muscle contractions. The reconstruction process slightly altered her physique, making it closely resemble the form Mephistopheles originally used.

…It wasn’t exactly the same, so there were still some imperfections scattered throughout.

However, any further changes would be problematic when she had to return the body later. Perhaps she could’ve changed more if she were in complete control, but in her current situation, since this body was more of a loan, this was the limit of what she could do.

She clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction and stood crookedly, her new physique slightly leaner than before.

Clack. Her symbol, the goat skull covering her face, rattled slightly. Her tattered clothing, destroyed in the regeneration process, had been replaced with a new set that covered her entire form.

Faint traces of her long-forgotten homeland manifested in dark patterns.

> [How generous.]

Finally, she was fully restored. Mephistopheles casually adjusted the sleeves of her clothes, gesturing in a languid voice.

> [Thank you for standing around and letting me recover in peace.]

Her fingers, covered in black gloves that extended further up their wrists, moved almost mockingly to adjust the cuffs. A pointless action meant to taunt the other person.

> […I know how you killed Asmodeus, so did you really think I’d be foolish enough to close the distance?]

However, Pandemonium, or Mammon, didn’t take the bait. Whether out of wisdom or cunning, it was a wise decision; had they decided to launch a surprise attack while Mephistopheles was still restoring herself, they would have been decapitated instantly.

But that opportunity had already passed. There was no chance Mammon would fall for her words.

> [You’re smart.]

So, Mephisto neatly abandoned their desires and moved to another topic. After all, she still had plenty of ways to mock Mammon.

A lukewarm smile floated on the lower half of her face, which wasn’t covered by the goat skull.

> [By the way, what a world we live in, huh? Mortals have actually proven to be quite useful this time around. If not for that, breaking the seal would have taken a bit longer.]

She didn’t really think the mortals knew what they’d done. However, it was true that as a result, she’d conserved power that would’ve been used to break the barrier and had even avoided being attacked by Mammon.

If that light hadn’t shattered the seal in that instant, there would’ve been no way for her to get free this easily, right? Mammon wasn’t stupid enough to miss her escape attempts and certainly wouldn’t have just stood by and let her escape!

> [Wouldn’t you agree?]

> [Dammit… I really was an idiot to hope you wouldn’t wake up.]

> [Well. Can we really just call it idiocy?]

Ultimately, all credit went to the mortal who’d shot that cannon from far off in the distance. Although said mortal was probably trembling considerably right now, having realized what it’d just unleashed! What it’d achieved, though, was so incredible that Mephisto was even considering sparing its life at least once.

> [You say you don’t underestimate, you say you don’t let your guard down, but in the end, aren’t you just another arrogant, complacent fool?]

Of course, that didn’t mean she was about to reassure the mortal of its safety or something. However, she wouldn’t actively target it either. That much, at least, should be enough to be considered a reward for freeing them and screwing over Mammon.

What happened after this wasn’t any of her concern. She didn’t particularly value the lives of mortals.

「Keep your promise.」

…But this once, she had to make an exception. Damn it.

> […You’re the last person I want to hear that from, considering you were locked up until now because you couldn’t even beat one mortal.]

And like that, Mammon’s taunt completely changed Mephisto’s mood.

Her lips curled in irritation as that single sentence directly struck their biggest sore spot. The massive, twisted horns of the skull she wore sliced through the air with the slightest movement of her head.

> [Actually, I’m surprised. I thought you’d run.]

> [Now that’s a funny thing to say. Why would I run away from you?]

> [Because that would’ve been the wiser decision. Vessels that can house you aren’t exactly common, right?… Isn’t the possibility of me devouring you threatening enough?]

> [Just because a body breaks doesn’t mean I can’t escape. I’m not that incompetent.]

Losing a vessel wouldn’t mean the soul would die with it. If it shattered, all she had to do was escape before anyone could grab hold of her. Of course, the damage would still affect her, and she’d need about a century to fully recover.

> [Oh, that would normally be true. But you realize who’s watching my back this time, right, Mephisto? Do you really think he’ll just let you slip away?]

Yeah. That was definitely a problem. If she ditched the body before it broke, she wouldn’t risk being caught in soul form. She also wouldn’t have to spend the next hundred years healing and being chased around. And it wasn’t like finding a new vessel would be that hard.

But…

> [You’re right. He won’t, but who said that opportunity would ever appear though?]

That wasn’t even an option. Mephisto smirked, not showing any of her thoughts.

> [You’re the one who’s going to die!]

Instead of the eyes hidden behind it, the goat skull mask’s eye sockets flared with a red light. Mammon flinched.

> […Instead of this, why not just come back? It’s not like you’ll lose control to those mortals again, right? There’s no reason for us to fight each other. Isn’t that advantageous?]

> [Hah, are you scared?]

> [Yeah. Honestly, I’d rather not go up against you right now. Maybe if you were still weak, but now that you’ve fully revived… I’d be the only one to suffer losses.]

> [So basically, you’d stab me in the back the moment I ever got weaker. How bold.]

> [That’s how we all are, you know?]

> [Satan won’t like that.]

> [No way. If you come back, he’ll welcome you with open arms. Sure, we took quite the hit because you lost control of your vessel, but… if you go all out, that should be fixable. Just blow up a few cities, and he’ll forget all your past mistakes.]

However, Mammon wasn’t some cowardly merchant who’d back out of deals just because they got scared. Mephisto chuckled at their calm offer.

Her dark, bottomless pupils, like an empty void, appeared right in the middle of the crimson glow that had replaced her eyeballs.

> [No doubt. That guy would act like that.]

It was incredibly ominous. Mammon calmly stepped back as Mephistopheles’s hair rippled. Demonic Energy lashed all around her, stirring up wind.

> [But how should I put it? Fucking over Satan is kind of my favorite hobby, you know?]

It was a clear sign of hostility. Mammon had no choice but to raise their power as well.

> […So you’re really betraying us?]

Even so, they still pushed for negotiation, with every choice they made concerning just their own safety and profit, even if their wording was pretty wrong.

> [Pfft, bahahaha! Betrayal? Me? Betrayal??]

Mephistopheles burst into wild, mocking laughter at that ridiculous choice of words.

> [This isn’t betrayal! How could it be when I was never once on his side in the first place!?]

The hand she waved had fingers that were slightly longer than its palm. Shhhk. Dark energy coiled around her fingertips before sharpening into claw-like blades.

> [Isn’t that right? Satan! Come on, you’re here too, right?!]

She was really pushing it now…

> [Oh, almighty King of Hell. are you mad? Does it piss you off when I act like this? Then break the contract! Destroy this vessel so I can return to my real body!!]

…

> [Let’s fight again when I’m in my original body!!]

A maddening shout taunting Satan left her mouth.

However, no one responded to it. Not Satan, who was trapped, locked away, and unable to intervene in any way, and not Mammon, who stood right in front of her.

Neither showed even the slightest reaction to Mephisto’s half-impulsive, half-calculated words. At that moment, the fury simmering beneath the surface vanished, replaced by a bright smile that hid her ferocity.

> [Coward.]

A dark current surged behind Mammon at that unhurried taunt.

* * *

* * *

Kill her if you want all the gold in Hell.

> [I want to say that should be incentive enough, but I’m about to die here.]

Mammon’s Demonic Energy flared a bit more. Satan probably did something. It was as predictable as it was expected.

> [Good. This should be tough to handle, even for you, Wrath.]

> [Oh, you want to bet on that?]

But was that really such a big problem for her? No, not really.

Mephistopheles’s lips twisted into a grin as she gathered Demonic Energy, expanding and refining it.

This area had already been temporarily Demonized, which made things easier for her. She was a Demon, after all, and as infuriating as this would be for Satan, the benefits of such areas were something every Demon could enjoy.

Well, she was only a soul right now, though, and between Gretchen having already used her power during their battle and the sheer amount of energy it took to restore the vessel, she wasn’t exactly at her peak, with only about a fifth of her original strength remaining…

> [I’ll bet on you dying, though…!]

But that didn’t mean she was weak.

Dark flames exploded in all directions. It was a fire that couldn’t be put out unless she willed it, a flame that would consume everything in this world.

> [Die! Wrath, you bastard!]

Even lava was nothing before her black flame. Knowing that, Mammon immediately stepped back.

Baboom! Lava exploded across the whole battlefield. Even while fighting against Wrath’s vessel or the Hero, Mammon hadn’t used so much power.

Lightning summoned through Leviathan’s tears rained down in an endless barrage.

> [Where do you think you’re going, Mammon? You should stay and play with me, okay?]

However, the moment Mephisto ignited a spiral of flames around her, all of that became utterly useless.

The torrent of Demonic Energy allowed nothing to touch her, burning away all the enemy’s attacks.

Shing!

And then, the one in the center of all that, white hair fluttering in the heat, drew her sword.

It was a blade made from her own ribs, which she’d personally ripped out, forged, and imprinted upon her soul before a contract robbed her of her body.

A sword she could summon from any vessel, reshape into any form, and contain any sort of power. Ratel.

Gretchen, who’d been using it until now, had only ever wielded it as a sword… but its true power wasn’t just in its strength or invulnerability.

> [Even Ratel wants to play with you.]

The sword, disguised as a Zweihänder to deceive the mortals, melted into the ground before rising again.

Swiiish. Something which had taken a humanoid form stood next to her. It was a doll that perfectly matched her.

> [I’m going this far, so you’d better play with me!!]

> [Tsk!]

Mammon clicked their tongue.

> [Then…!]

「Before that, keep your promise. Save the Hero. And those two over there as well.」

> […Yeah, yeah. I know already.]

However, Mephistopheles wasn’t exactly in the best situation. She bit her lip. Even when she thought she’d won her freedom, she was still restricted.

She couldn’t break her “promise.” The moment she did, she would instantly lose the opportunity she’d barely gained.

> [If killing that bastard means saving a few mortals, so be it!]

At their command, Ratel, her clone, leaped toward the fallen Hero, who lay abandoned in the other direction.

> [Ah, since I’m already saving people, I might as well also take a reward.]

The Demons who tried to stop it were torn to pieces before they could even raise their claws. Ratel didn’t have its own will, so each kill had to be commanded, but in this case, that wasn’t such a bad thing.

> [You!]

> [Haha, feels good, doesn’t it, Mammon?! You just bought yourself a bit more time to live!]

Her clone had finished tearing through all the trash and was now carrying the unconscious Hero. It would now probably retrieve the other two mortals since one of the conditions allowing them to fight was “making sure those three stayed alive.”

> [Hah, you. Do you really think sucking up to the Hero will help you break your seal?! How pathetic! You’re nothing but a miserable mutt, wagging its tail at the very hunter who’s going to skin you alive!]

Mammon scoffed at her actions and moved the lava giant they’d kept on standby to one side.

That colossus, lacking any special powers beyond its massive size and weight, swung its arm.

> [Right, that might be true. But at the very least, I can still kill you. Isn’t that right?!]

Wouldn’t it be a crying shame if a being who once shook all of Hell were to meet her end at the hands of something as inferior as a lava golem?

Cooly ignoring Mammon’s words, Mephisto created a temporary sword using her Demonic Energy.

Swish!

And then she swung it. The condensed Demonic Energy stretched momentarily, slicing through the lava giant like a whip.

Without a shred of waste, the blade compressed to its absolute limits was so sharp that it didn’t even leave a scratch on the golem’s body.

However, the central nervous system controlling it had been severed without a doubt. Half a beat later, additional sword slashes appeared on either side, slicing through what could only be called its “core.”

Boom!

The moment the Demonic Energy sustaining the massive lava giant was severed, it exploded on the spot, spraying lava flying in all directions. The rest melted down, consuming the building it covered below.

Boom!

Amid all that, Mephistopheles thrust her arm forward. A massive pillar of fire shot forth from her fingertips, aimed directly at Mammon’s body.

> [Dammit!]

Splash!

Muttering a curse, they quickly evaded the attack by diving straight into the lava.

Boom!

Half a beat later, an explosion erupted where the pillar had struck, burning away the lava. Dark flames clung to the ground, crackling like dying embers.

> [Creepy bastard!]

Mammon let out an irritated laugh at that sight. As they rose from the lava, Mephisto’s scattered flames, which she’d been spreading everywhere since their battle started, flickered all around them.

> [Detonate.]

At her command, the flames swelled, forming a circle, and prepared to explode.

> [Pathetic trick…!]

Rather than panicking at what was unfolding, Mammon smothered the flames beneath a fresh wave of lava containing Demonic Energy.

They then used the distance they’d gained to gather even more power. A boulder that was more like a meteor than a volcanic bomb hurtled toward Mephisto, and countless spikes burst from the surrounding lava.

> [Fine, let’s make this fight as dirty as possible! Mephisto!]

They had more than enough Demonic Energy to spare. They spread lava to every place where Mephisto stepped.

The erupted magma dyed the battlefield red, and the gas that appeared and rising ash painted the scene of a world on the brink of destruction.

> [I have many more cards to play than you!]

Mephisto, who’d been creating walls of dark flames to block the attacks, furrowed her brows slightly.

The amount of Demonic Energy they possessed. It might have been quite different under normal circumstances, but she was at a considerable disadvantage in that regard right now.

> [Yeah, this is starting to piss me off a bit…]

But so what? Mephistopheles never even imagined her own defeat. Instead, this difference only served to fuel her rage even more. A lot more.

Rage toward Satan. The body stolen from her as the price for her loss. The endless wandering in search of new vessels. The enraging fact that a mere mortal refused to surrender control so easily, even forcing her into a contract. The soul she had to share with someone completely detached from wrath. The borrowed body she’d have to return the moment their agreement ended.

There were far too many things that could enrage her.

> [To the point where it’s beyond infuriating.]

Fueled by that fury, the black flames around her roared even more, enveloping her entire form. Whoosh. And within that blaze, a crimson redder than anything in this world began to rise.

> [I will erase you.]

Just then, the sword that had fulfilled its mission returned to her hand, and without batting an eye, she swung it.

____