Chapter 373: A Second Demon
"If… I said I regret it—if I don't want to make a deal anymore… would that be possible?" Frank asked cautiously, looking at Abeni.
"You tell me," Abeni tilted his head, smiling.
His crescent-shaped eyes glowed faintly red as they fixed on Frank.
"…."
Under that gaze, Frank's words caught in his throat.
It felt as if the moment he spoke, his head might separate from his body.
He didn't know what other demons were like—but he was certain of one thing:
Abeni held grudges.
Deep ones.
Back when Frank had banished him, Abeni had spewed threats—things about grinding him to dust and worse.
And even though he now acted like it was all water under the bridge…
Frank didn't believe it for a second.
If he actually made a deal—if he handed over his soul—there was no telling what kind of "revenge" would come afterward.
And right now—
Frank had nothing.
No holy water. No tools. No way to fight back.
Of all the possibilities… he had never imagined that the demon he summoned would be the very one he had wronged.
In his current state, he was completely at their mercy.
"Look… we could say we're… acquaintances," Frank tried, forcing a smile.
"Here," Abeni interrupted, extending his hand.
A scroll of parchment appeared out of thin air, along with a feather quill.
"Sign this. Then tell me your wish."
Frank glanced down at the parchment.
The text was written in crimson script—something he had never seen before, like a language from hell itself.
But as his eyes focused on it, the meaning became clear in his mind.
Simple.
Abeni would grant him one wish.
In return, Frank's soul would belong to him.
All he had to do… was sign his name.
"I… refuse," Frank said through gritted teeth.
"Oh?" Abeni raised a brow.
A chilling aura instantly filled the room.
In that moment, Frank felt as if he had been thrown into a frozen wasteland—cold piercing through his very bones.
"I won't make a deal with you," Frank said, forcing the words out. "I won't sell my soul. Not to you—not to any demon."
"That makes things difficult," Abeni said, frowning slightly.
"Then just kill me," Frank replied.
Abeni didn't answer.
Instead, his gaze shifted—to Sammi, who was sleeping nearby.
"She's your child, isn't she?"
Frank's pupils shrank.
"What are you planning?"
"Her soul… nothing special," Abeni said lightly. "Doesn't smell particularly appealing. But I'm not picky."
"And if I remember correctly… you have quite a few children."
His finger extended—his nail lengthening into a sharp, unnatural claw.
He traced it gently across Sammi's cheek.
The threat didn't need to be spoken.
"You—" Frank's composure cracked, panic flashing across his face.
Abeni's meaning couldn't have been clearer.
If Frank refused the deal—he would go after the children.
A forced transaction.
Frank's mind raced, desperately searching for a solution—but there was none.
"What do I do… do I really have to sign it?" he thought, staring at the parchment.
If he refused, he couldn't protect them.
If he agreed… he would lose everything.
For the first time in a long while—
Frank regretted it.
Why had he been so foolish today? Why had he let himself be tempted into performing that ritual?
"Ah… ah…"
Just as the tension reached its peak, a third voice suddenly echoed through the room.
Light. Almost playful.
"Who's there!?"
The one who reacted most wasn't Frank—
it was Abeni.
He had already sealed the room off, turning it into a separate domain. No one outside should have been able to enter, and no one inside should have been conscious except him and Frank.
Yet—
someone was sitting on the sofa.
A man.
Not particularly tall—around 1.7 meters. Average build. Early thirties. Dark hair, pale skin, slightly rounded features. Dressed in an expensive, tailored dark suit.
"!!"
Abeni's pupils shrank violently.
"Cr… Crowley…" he stammered, his voice trembling with fear.
Frank immediately caught that tremor.
This wasn't just fear—
it was terror.
"Abeni," the man on the sofa said calmly, "how exactly are you addressing your superior?"
"I—I'm sorry, my lord! Great King of the Crossroads!"
Without hesitation, Abeni dropped to one knee, head lowered, his entire demeanor filled with dread.
Frank watched, stunned.
He didn't fully understand what was happening—but one thing was obvious:
This man—Crowley—was also a demon.
And far above Abeni.
"Please forgive my offense," Abeni continued hastily. "I never expected to encounter you here."
"Well, now you have," Crowley replied lazily, inspecting his fingernails.
"Thank you for your forgiveness. I was in the middle of making a deal with this human—"
"I told you to stand?" Crowley interrupted.
"!!"
Abeni immediately dropped back down, kneeling again without hesitation.
"And when exactly did I say I forgave you?" Crowley's gaze shifted toward him.
"You think you can speak on my behalf?"
"I wouldn't dare!"
Cold sweat began to bead across Abeni's forehead—thick, unmistakable.
"You know the rules, Abeni," Crowley said lightly. "The rules I set."
"…Yes."
"And yet, you still chose to ignore them." Crowley tilted his head slightly, his tone almost curious.
"I believe I've made it very clear—"
"When doing business, fairness matters."
"No coercion. No forced deals."
"Reputation is everything."
"Even for demons."
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