RE:volt! Chapter 49: In The Presence of Your Betters.

 

“So, I take it you’re the one tracking me.” Ark said, eyeing the butler with white hair and glowing purple eyes, the man’s irises denoting him as a purple core mana user.

Shit.

“Ah, so you noticed. Bravo. Bravo indeed!” The man said, clapping his gloved hands together. “You are as sharp as you are deadly, a fine fruit that’s fortunately fallen far from your predecessors.”

My predecessors? Ark narrowed his eyes, wondering who this butler was and the faceless black-clad men who flanked his rear.

The two stared at each other for some time, neither saying anything as Ark stalled for time. 

“What do you want?” Ark said, taking a deep breath and trying his best not to groan under the strain of his fatigued muscles.

“You.” The butler responded immediately, licking his lips. 

“Yeah. Sorry but I don't swing that way.” Ark said, crouching low with his blade held at a horizontal line and the hilt even with his head. A stance that would be used to activate a Sword Art. Something Ark wasn't sure his body could do but given the circumstances, it was better than nothing.

The man was five tiers above Ark, the best he could do was pray he’d get lucky.

The butler chuckled. 

“Please, you wound me sir. My desires are nothing so crass.” The man said, his head cocked to the side. “My wish is simply to fulfill your every desire.”

At the man's words, it finally dawned on Ark what he was dealing with. 

A mephisto. Or a djinn. Some variant of demon that made bargains with humans. Both were dangerous, but dangerous for different reasons.

While djinns granted wishes to a certain limitation, they always twisted them, making what would seem to be a good omen a bad one through some form of fowl play.

A mephisto on the other hand followed contracts, making rare pacts that usually resulted in the price being that of one's soul. Parasites that slowly ate away at their Master’s being until they were nothing more than a shell.

Ark eyed the men clad in black that surrounded him. 

Or puppets.

Mephisto it is…

“Piss off Mephisto. I want nothing to do with you.” Ark said, drawing a wide-eyed and shocked expression from the demon which quickly turned into a crazed smile.

“Oh! Incredible! That SIMPLY won't do! You know what I am! You know what I am!” The butler moaned in jubilation, clutching his sides as if his body was wracked with ecstasy. 

Suddenly the demon was standing before Ark, an inch away from his face and bearing down on the teen with sharp fangs arranged in a smile. 

“If you know what I am you must know that the word No just makes me want you more!” The butler yelled before reaching up with hands that nearly caressed Ark's face but hesitating, visibility shaking from excitement. “Your soul must be exquisite…”

“Touch me, leech. And I'll cut off your hands.” Ark said, a feeling of disgust and discomfort taking hold as his draconic desires began to flare up.

“Oh! Talk dirty to me! I love it! I LOVE YOU! I CAN'T RESIST! I CAN'T!” The demon reached out, suddenly lifting Ark into the air as Ark activated his Sword Art: New Moon. 

Suddenly the world changed, with Ark standing in the field of sand and underneath the familiar crimson sky, somehow pulled into the reality sphere. However, what was even more surprising, was that Ark wasn't pulled in alone.

“Huh?” A humanoid being made of smokey shadows let out, confused as he turned to the fully armored man staring at him with a demonic blade in hand. “HUH?! Who? Where? A REALITY SPHERE?!”

The demon began to look left and right, taking in his surroundings with confusion until he gazed upon the massive golden throne where Irelix sat.

Her expression was one of utter disgust, her golden draconic eyes with their slitted pupils stared down at the demon, her mouth twisted into a frown with her nose scrunched up.

“A-a dragon?!”

“Kneel.” 

Suddenly the entire world rumbled, responding to Irelix’s command and sending a heavy weight that that brought the haunty mephisto low on all fours.

“WHAT?” The shadow let out, its head planted into the sand, unable to resist against the power of the Empress.

“Do you know whose property you're touching?” Irelix asked, the dragon exuding an aura that was near suffocating even to Ark who had grown accustomed to the mind invasive power. 

“F-f-forgive me! It was not my intention! I did! I d-d-d-didi-” the demon stuttered, unable to formulate and finish its sentence.

“Did? Did what? What were you planning to do to my property?” 

Ark’s jaw clenched at being referred to as “property” but he said nothing, standing to the side to observe the spectacle. 

“Forgive me! Forgive me!” The being cried, parts of its body suddenly dissipating.  

“Forgiveness?” Irelix said, her head held high as she slowly stood up, a stairway of gold forming in front of her. “To beg for forgiveness is to admit that you’ve committed an error. As a demon, you are more than aware of the punishment of baring your fangs against your betters, no?”

‘P-p-please! It was not my intent! I did not know he was yours!” 

Irelix began walking forward, each step upon the gold stairway shaking the very world.

“I swear! I’ll leave him alone! I didn’t mean to!”

*Step*

“Please! Spare me! Take my legs! My Arms!”

*Step*

“My services are yours to command, O'great One! Oh merciful benefactor!”

*STEP*

“Do you want souls? I can fetch you souls! I have many within my collection!” The mephisto continued to beg to an indifferent Irelix.

*STEP*

Irelix was now in her dragon form, her massive black and white scaled body bearing down atop the shivering demon who's form had tinified, no longer a humanoid shadow on all fours but a gaseous ball crying in the dirt.

In a way, Ark began to feel a bit bad for the demon as Irelix placed a large black talon on the ball and pressed down.

“P-p-p-please your highness! It was not my intent to offend you! PLEASE!” The demon squalled, its voice high pitched and wailing as Irelix squished the ball against the sand. “I can give you anything you desire!”

“How cute.” Irelix giggled in a demeaning manner, releasing steam from her nostrils as she began bouncing the tiny black ball. “As if you could possibly possess anything I could want.”

Irelix stopped bouncing the demon and began to press down, ignoring the cries of the mephisto.

“Enough.”

At Ark’s words, the dragon reared her massive scaled head, staring at Ark with her slanted pupils unmoving.  

“Let him go.” Ark said, putting aside his numerous questions for later. 

Irelix’s eye visibly twitched.

“Why should I?”

“Because he may be useful.” Ark countered with the mephisto affixing it’s unseen gaze toward Ark. Although just a gaseous bulb, Ark could tell it was looking at him.

“Yes! Useful! I can be useful!” The mephisto yelled before quickly mumbling something indiscernible to Ark.

“Would you repeat that? I didn’t quite hear you.” Irelix said, applying pressure against the ball until it appeared it was close to popping.

“UNLESS IT GOES AGAINST MY CONTRACT WHICH I AM SWORN TO ABIDE BY OR BE DECONSTRUCTED AND CAST INTO OBLIVION! PLEASE DON’T SQUISSH MEH!” The demon screamed in a high pitched shrill and panicked voice. 

“Oh, I see.” Irelix said, turning her head. “You still want him?” 

Ark gazed down at the featureless gaseous ball. Despite having no face, Ark could clearly see a sniveling man crying with snot and tears flowing down its face.  

“Oh, I might have a use for him.” Ark said as the world peeled back and he was cast back into his physical body.