Myths Reawakened

“What is this? Where did you get it?”

Pride looked at the Law in his grasp in horror. Such direct corruption was how a higher lifeform created vassals, and the six pieces of trash wouldn’t be able to resist it. If such Law spread in Hell, all demons other than him would become its slaves.

“I found it in the human world. Gluttony and Wrath have also acquired it...” Wayne said in a warning tone. “Do you understand now? I’m here to save Hell. If Gluttony and Wrath are left unchecked, there will be no Hell soon.”

Do you think Hell needs you as a savior?

Pride laughed. Ideally, the Anointed One should love all lives without discrimination, including demons, but someone who was as realistic as Wayne... no, his depravity was beyond reality.

“Before you speak of your noble cause, I’d like to remind you that your words would be more believable if you pull out of Lust first.” Pride huffed. “Then I might just believe you.”

“Whether you believe me or not, it’s the truth. You think I’m the one lost in Lust, but is that really the truth?” Wayne grabbed her handles with both hands. “She’s the one driven by her desire, and she’s the one initiating this. Ever consider the possibility that I’m saving her?”

“Impossible,” Pride said with certainty.

He wasn’t blind. Lust was driven by her desire, but Wayne was, too. He wanted Lust’s body!

“...”

True.

Wayne tried to play an Anointed One walking in the dark while facing the light, as Hesione had described, but his performance was lackluster due to a lack of confidence. Not even he believed his own nonsense.

“Spare me the excuses. I have no interest in your goal, and I know everything you’ve done in the mortal realm. You’ve shown even less restraint after coming to Hell...” Pride scoffed. “I just want you to become one of the Seven Deadly Sins and then corrupt all of Heaven with it. I don’t care about anything else.”

“I’m an Astral life.”

“So? Something is etched in the soul. With you around, Heaven will fall into corruption sooner or later.”

“...”

Wayne couldn’t argue with that. Pride was right about everything except for the part about him being the Anointed One.

Was this the level of the head of the Seven Demon Lords? Pride seemed more competent than Śār Auriel and ŚārHesione.

Thinking of that, Wayne smiled. “Heaven managed to defeat you even though you’re so good. It was all because of the other six, wasn’t it?”

Pride refused to answer the question.

“Then, I look forward to working with you.” Wayne finished things off quickly and tossed Lust aside, extending a hand. “I want a territory and the Cantos of Pride. You must be too proud to personally take care of Gluttony and Wrath. I, on the other hand, am willing to do it with the sacred mission of saving Hell.”

“You’ll have it!”

Pride pulled out a Book of Hell from the void. A pale mask was lodged in the center of the pitch-black cover, inscribed with the runes of the Divine Comedy of the Seven Deadly Sins. Sinful energy permeated the air and weighed it down.

Lust propped herself up on the table, fixing her greedy gaze on the Book of Hell. Wasting no time, Wayne grabbed the book and devoured it with the Book of Greed.

The entirety of the Book of Hell consisted of Laws. After the Book of Greed feasted on it, the false form disappeared.

Wayne was surprised to find the smaller eye of Hell overflowing with information, and a great amount of strange information blended into the book’s cover. It showed how much Pride had given him.

Pride was truly prideful!

“Surprised?” Pride swirled the red wine in his glass. “I told you, I wanted to make you part of the Seven Deadly Sins and one of the Seven Demon Lords. I don’t care about anything else.”

“You will regret it.” Wayne clenched his fists, feeling the surge of his power. He had a feeling that he could now destroy Envy’s Authority even without a territory. He once again marveled at Pride’s generosity.

He felt the urge to find out whether he or Pride was stronger now, but he decided against it in 0.25 seconds. There was no rush. He would spar with Pride after taking care of Gluttony and Wrath.

With him, a spy, allying with the head of Hell, the story suddenly became much simpler. He couldn’t help but laugh. “We have the three Bs of victory: the brain, the brawn, and the boobs. Even I want to say that we already have this in the bag.”

Lust stared. Why are you looking at me? Am I supposed to contribute boobs?

“Don’t celebrate just yet.” Pride pointed at Lust. “I will not go after Gluttony and Wrath, so she’s your only ally.”

He laughed out loud. “You’ll see how frustrating it is to work with these incompetent fools. Do your best. If you can surpass me one day, I won’t mind letting you take over as the head of the demon lords.”

...Why are you looking at me? Lust glared. Do you take me as an incompetent fool?

Wayne frowned. “You’re strange, very strange. Are you really not a spy from Heaven?”

“I’ve invested in you, a sorry excuse of an—” Pride almost spelled it out. “Do you still think I may be a spy?”

Right!

Wayne nodded. Were he the Anointed One, Pride’s investment in him would obviously be a plan to sabotage Heaven. Thankfully, he wasn’t the Anointed One, so Pride’s investment would ultimately be in vain.

So where was the real Anointed One? They weren’t going to take out Wayne along with the other demon lords because he was pretending to be one of them, right?

“Let me ask you one more question. Your generosity gives me an ominous feeling.” Wayne raised an eyebrow. “Is it possible that you’ve gotten tired of these fools and have long wanted to leave, only you haven’t found the right scapegoat? Aren’t you supporting me to make me stay in Hell and shoulder your misery?”

Oh, is that possible? Pride lowered his head to hide his pleasant surprise. What a wonderful idea. Why hadn’t he thought about that?

He couldn’t care less about Hell. If the Anointed One stayed in Hell and took over him, Pride could very well go to the human world and kill Forest to replace him.

Wonderful!

“Hey, speak!”

“You’re overthinking. I cannot trap you in Hell, and you cannot replace me.”

Pride huffed, breaking out of his reverie. He had to stay in Hell no matter how reluctant he was. The most he could do was send a replica to the human world for entertainment. He had to stay until... he completed his mission!

There is something strange about Pride! Wayne observed Pride and tried to figure him out from different perspectives, but couldn’t come up with an explanation for Pride’s actions. The most likely answer would be that Pride was a spy planted by Heaven, but that didn’t make sense when Pride felt such a distaste for Heaven from the bottom of his heart.

If he didn’t represent Heaven or Hell... Was he a spy planted by one of the goddesses?

Wayne pondered. Sun and Moonlight were out of the question. Death seemed unlikely. Darkness might be capable of it. Nature... Was Pride a spy planted by the Goddess of Nature?

“I won’t give you territory. Lust will. With your current power, she cannot resist you.” Pride laughed darkly. “You can do whatever you want with her, even take the Lost Paradise for yourself. Moreover, you’ll be impersonating my replica, so whatever trouble you make will be my responsibility. Isn’t that an offer you cannot resist?”

“...” x2

Lust glared at Pride. She was about to say something when she saw Bat Demon wordlessly lower his head in contemplation. Her composure fractured.

“I’ll say no to the Lost Paradise," Wayne finally said. “You may not believe me, but I don’t actually like women.”

“...” x3

Wayne didn’t believe himself, either. He shrugged at Lust and said, “We got on well enough. Give me the Cantos of Lust now, and I’ll consider it a friendly gift. If I have to take it from you, there will be no relationship between us.”

Lust huffed. Her clear blue eyes radiated blinding red light. He wanted her to hand over her power? Only over her dead body!

“Lust, share your knowledge with him,” Pride said.

Lust’s expression darkened. Glaring at Pride, she snarled, “Damn you, Pride. That wasn’t what we agreed on!”

“Such are demons. You pay for your trust in one.” Pride swirled the red wine that seemed inexhaustible, speaking unhurriedly, “Do you want a friendly deal with Wayne and your dignity, or do you wish to tear the veneer of diplomacy and hurt our feelings? Don’t make me choose for you.”

Although they were both part of the Seven Demon Lords, Pride’s statement made their hierarchy clear.

Lust hesitated. Looking at Pride’s unhurried manner and then at the way Bat Demon rubbed his hands together, she squinted and said, “Ah, you’re on the same side to begin with. There is no Wayne. Bat Demon is your replica.”

“Are you done? If you are, give it to him.”

Do you think I won’t dare do it?!

Lust sliced open space resentfully and retrieved a Book of Hell. Unlike the book that recorded the Cantos of Pride, her book was noticeably lighter. Holding it in her arms, she shot Wayne a glare. The way she looked like a defeated demoness at the mercy of her opponent would make one neglect the treasure in her arms, herself drawing all the attention.

“Give it now!” Wayne grabbed the book and devoured it. “There’s so little. Haven’t you held back?”

He pursed his lips. The gap between Lust and Pride was so large that he found it hard to believe both were Deadly Sins, supposedly equal in status.

“No, that’s all I have,” Lust said darkly.

She had indeed held back, handing over only a third of her knowledge. Knowledge was power—raw power. Without raw power, demons could not survive in Hell for long. She wasn’t going to hand over her life.

Wayne could guess it, but he didn’t push. He was dealing with Lust. Whether she went for a hard approach or a soft touch, she would be the one taking it in the end. He just had to use both the carrot and the stick, and he might just manage to fool Lust into giving her knowledge away.

In fact, with his expertise in fooling women, Lust might fall for him one day and voluntarily hand over all her knowledge.

Pride could also tell that Lust was holding back, but he wordlessly looked at her with a smile. He had high hopes for her.

Do your best. This bat—no, this pervert is the Anointed One of Heaven. I’m entrusting you to keep him in Hell!

“Kekekeke—”