Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

A certain suppression permeated the surroundings, swiftly altering the expressions of the seven humanoid demon beasts.

They were stunned to discover that Kalen was the source of this suppression, their faces contorting in irritation and anger upon hearing his words.

However, before they could retaliate, Kalen advanced, allowing his Individuality to dominate the minds of all the demons present.

Swoosh. Zoom. Suppress.

From low-ranked demonic minions with D or D ranks to high-level demons akin to Grandmasters in Ranker terms, all felt this suppression deeply within their psyches.

It wasn't merely a result of any Skill or Ability, but the imposition of dominance by someone at the pinnacle of the demonic hierarchy.

An unimaginable scene unfolded before the Eldric Force team members. They watched in utter shock, a blend of emotions washing over them, as the demonic entities abruptly halted their advances and turned their gaze towards Kalen with trepidation and fear.

Even the flying demon beasts dared not remain airborne. They swiftly descended to the ground, heads lowered. Those already on the ground, particularly affected by Eren's Individuality, emitted growls while bowing. Yet, this wasn't a challenge, but a primal expression of frustration and fear for their lives.

The seven humanoid demon beasts, supposed leaders of their hordes, fared no better. They too descended to the ground, keeping a cautious distance from Eren, their actions betraying a newfound awareness of their own mortality, their hearts pounding within their chests like war drums.

"Are all of you deaf?" Eren, possessing Kalen's body, spoke in a cold tone as he looked at the seven demon beast leaders with narrowed eyes.

"Don't fucking give me that look. Seven demon beasts coming together out of their respective regions to attack six Practitioners? I don't believe this coincidence.

This is clearly an organized raid. Who has been put in charge of this raid by your bosses? Come forward now or I'll fucking devour every single demon present here."

The butcher said in a deliberate tone as he surveyed the horde of demon beasts surrounding him.

Despite being clearly outnumbered, Eren didn't feel any fear facing so many opponents.

In fact, a part of him wanted to devour all of the demons present here for their Faustian Rune Fragments to bolster his demonic divinity. One could say that Eren was controlling his urges as he gazed upon all sorts of "food" walking on their legs in front of him.

For some reason, the demon beast leaders believed in Eren's threat. Six of them couldn't help but look at a particular demon beast among their midst simultaneously, inadvertently singling her out.

'These bastards,' Nyxus cursed her six demon beast allies as she stepped forward.

She couldn't help feeling a little overwhelmed when she gazed into Eren's eyes, which seemed to have suddenly turned mysterious as if they held their own world within them after Eren had successfully possessed Kalen's body.

Nyxux had a tall and lithe figure. She was draped in a cloak of midnight-black fabric that seemed to absorb any stray light that dared to touch it.

Her skin was a deep, obsidian hue, smooth and unblemished. Glowing crimson runes traced intricate patterns across her body, pulsing with demonic energy.

Nyxus's eyes reflected the depths of the abyss with their black pupils and black sclera. They held a mesmerizing allure, drawing in those who dared to meet her gaze.

Her long, flowing hair cascaded down her back like a river of midnight. It seemed to move of its own accord, twisting and writhing like serpents of shadow.

"I… I am in charge of the raid. You… are you the true Inheritor of the Elder Ichor bloodline? The successor to the Lord Demon Emperor?" Nyxus asked carefully, her voice trembling slightly with apprehension. It was her instinctual fear, a primal response ingrained deep within her demonic nature.

The demons were masters of intent-based demon magic, yet this mastery also made them vulnerable to their instincts. A demon lower in the demonic hierarchy would almost never betray their superiors unless they were backed by someone of greater power and influence.

Nyxus wasn't foolish. Eren clearly wasn't one of the Demon Princes' avatars, nor was he associated with one of the 72 Ars Goetia Demons.

Otherwise, her superiors would have informed her beforehand. Why would they attack potential allies when the onset of Hvergelmir Springs was drawing near?

Eren had to be someone outside the well-established demonic order. Nyxus could only think of a certain Elder Ichor inheritor who had been causing a stir in Agora with his radical remarks over the past few years.

Only someone who had legitimized their claim to God Aleph's divine throne could instill such fear in Nyxus.

Eren neither confirmed nor denied her guess. He smiled at her before slowly advancing in her direction. The demon beasts began to growl louder, yet they dared not take a step forward. Most started to retreat, yet none dared to flee the scene entirely.

Even Eldric Force members were left aghast as Eren began walking with deliberate steps toward the enemy camp. They exchanged uncertain glances, their emotions a tumultuous mix of fear and confusion.

"Kalen… no… whoever is possessing Kalen right now, what… what the hell are you doing?"

Sariah couldn't help but voice her concern as she watched Kalen's retreating form. She couldn't bear the thought of their team leader falling into the hands of the demon beasts surrounding them.

While she sensed the demons' fear of Eren, she also understood the potential dangers of the situation.

Desperation could drive even the most fearsome adversaries to fight with unexpected ferocity, and she didn't want Kalen—or Kalen's body—to become collateral damage in the ensuing chaos.

"Sariah, isn't it?" Eren halted his steps and addressed Sariah without turning to face her.

After a brief pause, he continued, "Stay where you are. Let me handle this my way."

Eren's tone was firm and resolute.

He cared little whether Kalen's team members listened to his words or not.

His priority was avoiding unnecessary conflict before confronting the masterminds behind the organized raid.

Step. Step. Step.

In the heart of the forest, where the demon beasts had encircled the members of the Eldric Force, Eren's slow and barely audible footsteps reverberated with an ominous weight, echoing through the stillness of the surroundings.

The demon beast leaders had reined in their respective hordes, halting any impulsive movements. They observed in silence as their representative faced Eren alone.

Before long, Eren stood beside Nyxus, casting her a wicked smile. 'Damn! That's one fine body,' he mused to himself before addressing her. "What's your name?"

"It's… it's Nyxus, my lord," the demoness replied honestly, though her voice betrayed a hint of stuttering, despite her efforts to maintain composure.

"Hmm. Nyxus is your name after you possess your current shell. I can see your true demon name with my eyes," Eren remarked, his gaze lingering on her. "In fact, I can clearly see the Faustian Contract you have signed with this mortal shell right on your forehead," he added, licking his lips with a hint of longing and greed as he observed Nyxus' forehead.

"My… my lord," Nyxus faltered, a surge of fear coursing through her. If Eren could discern her true demon name and the Faustian Contract she had forged with her current form, he could easily nullify the contract and consume her essence.

"Don't worry, Nyxus. You have no reason to fear me as long as you obey my commands," Eren reassured her coyly, seizing her arms to prevent her retreat. Drawing closer, he encircled her waist with his arms, his tone tinged with seduction.

"I am in complete control of my instincts, my dear. Why would I devour someone willing to serve me?"

"What… What do you want from me?" Nyxus asked, her voice trembling with trepidation.

"First of all, I want you to call off this raid," Eren said casually, meeting Nyxus' completely black eyes and seeing his own reflection within them. "Secondly, I want you to tell me who put you in charge of the raid."

Nyxus opened her mouth to respond, clearly intending to reject Eren's request as politely as possible. But before she could speak, Eren cut in, as if anticipating her thoughts.

"Don't worry about disrespecting your current boss," Eren said, smiling.

"From this moment onward, I am your boss. I am the only one you should fear and respect. Other demons are irrelevant—

whether they are your friends, subordinates, or enemies.

Only my commands and actions should concern you. Do you understand?" Eren's words were almost a whisper as he leaned in close to Nyxus' ear.

At this moment, the six demon beast leaders lowered their heads in submission. The demonic hierarchy was absolute, and even if Eren was supposedly among their enemies, he possessed the Demonic Authority they could not contend with.

Eren had revealed his ability to see the Faustian Contracts on the mortal forms of the demon beasts for precisely this purpose—to demonstrate that he had the means to carry out his threats.

Nyxus' heart pounded like a relentless drumbeat in her chest. In a split second decision, she yielded to her instincts. "I… I understand," she murmured, submitting to Eren's Demonic Authority.

As soon as the words left her lips, Nyxus' body ignited in an illusory fire, a demonic trap triggered by her former boss upon her submission to Eren's Authority.

"Aaaaaah!"

Nyxus cried out in agony as her demon soul writhed in the blue flames. Before she or anyone else could react to her plight, Eren took action.

Biting his finger, Eren drew his blood and inscribed countless demonic symbols on Nyxus' forehead, each one absorbed by her body. Within moments, the flames that had threatened to consume her were extinguished as if they had never existed.

In a matter of seconds, Eren had successfully altered Nyxus' Faustian Contract, making her his subordinate. Her willingness to submit had made the modification effortless.

The original contract, established between the mortal vessel's owner and the demon, contained a clause set by Nyxus' former boss. By removing the encrypted name and replacing it with his own, Eren effectively became Nyxus' new master.

Just as the demonic hierarchy imposed strict bindings, so too did the restrictions inherent to these contracts.

Lower-level demons lacked the authority to alter established Faustian Contracts—only those at the level of the Demon Princes or the 72 Immortal Ars Goetia demons possessed such power.

Eren's ability to replace Nyxus' former boss and amend her contract with ease spoke volumes about his standing in the demonic hierarchy. It was clear that he feared no demon present, except perhaps Nyxus' former boss, who stood as his only potential adversary.

"Now, tell me, who is your former boss?" Eren inquired, his hand resting on Nyxus' posterior, slightly pressing it with his hands. Without hesitation, she responded, "It's Demon Earl Furfur, my lord."

"Furfur? Not Bifrons? And he's here in the Shadowed Grove as well?" Eren mused to himself, a smile playing on his lips.

"How many of them are present here exactly? And how many of them can I convince? This… this should be interesting."

The butcher remarked, glancing toward a particular direction where a broken Faustian rune had earlier flown.

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AN: Sorry for the delay. Had to spend nearly 12 hours spread across two days reading through various fantasy demonic literature to come up with details for each Ars Goetia Immortal Demon. Although I enjoyed the process, it took a toll on my usual writing schedule. Things should get back to normal within a day or two.