Adam's eyes flashed with annoyance seeing Agri's state.
"How can you let someone leave you in such a state? Your appearance is pathetic," Adam reached down and grabbed Agri by her hair before forcibly pulling her up.
"I'm sorry. I'm willing to take any punishment!" Agri, beaten and bruised, still looked straight into Adam's eyes.
Her unyielding expression reminded Adam of a crazed gambler, someone who refused to acknowledge her mistakes. Even when in pain, knowing that he could kill her, understanding that her appearance was anger-inducing, she still crawled and begged to Adam.
The words leaving her mouth were that of begging, but her facial expression belied her true feelings.
Seeing this, finally, a hint of satisfaction displayed itself as a small smirk on Adam's lips.
Restraining his anger slightly, Adam brushed his free hand across the cut on Agri's face, her eyes twitching from the pain as a response.
"Why did she do this?" Adam asked, his gaze like a boulder on Blair's trembling back.
At first he didn't care why they fought, as no reason could excuse their faults, but now his curiosity had won out. He already had a faint idea from understanding their nature.
Agri could feel her pain wash away as hope built up within her.
She quickly recalled the last time she lied and decided against it; she felt that last time was a light punishment, and if she lied this time, she felt that the punishment wouldn't be so lenient.
She quickly recounted what had happened, from the moment she felt Blair's killing intent to what had transpired in the forest. She had conveniently left out the lie of her being 'subdued' by Adam and her fantasy, reasoning that omission wasn't lying.
"Basically," Agri looked at the still-prone Blair, "She is jealous of my connection with you and wants to get rid of me; to replace me!" Agri's expression was that of a wronged innocent bystander, yet a contradicting vicious gaze was directed at Blair.
"Oh, really?" Adam's voice drifted into Blair's ears.
On the cracked, blood-soaked ground, Blair's confused and unwilling figure struggled to stabilize herself.
Earlier, she had tried to go forward and apologize. Her initial thoughts were of regret for failing to deal with Agri, but she had still thought that the whole ordeal wasn't going to be a big deal.
Infighting and killing one another a common occurrence amongst demons, even devils did such things often within their kind.
Blair had long lost count of the demons she had killed, and in her view, Agri was just going to be another addition to the long list of souls devoured.
Yet!
Adam had struck her fiercely with his demonic aura attack; her overwhelming arrogance and casual take on the matter were easily seen by Adam, and such an appearance had filled him with fury.
Her demeanor lacking complete respect and fear for a royal of hell.
Although Blair's outer appearance looked mainly unharmed, she had felt many of her internal organs shift and rupture when Adam had lashed out. Her eyes went hazy as she struggled to breathe, as blood profusely dripping out from her mouth, alongside small chucks of meat.
Her focus blurred and faded with every passing second.
Each word spoken by Adam and Agri only served to hammer into her head with a nauseating pain, but her will fought to focus and hear what was being said.
'What did he mean?' Blair tried to understand why she was punished.
Her pride had blinded her, made her forget that one should know their place when dealing with a devil. It was only when she saw Agri crawl over and beg that she realized her mistake.
Her naturally prideful character made her want to walk forward towards Adam with her head held high and her gaze unwavering. Her heart harbored no regret or repentance.
As a devil, Adam was easily able to see that her submission wasn't genuine. That's why Adam had been angered.
Prone on the ground, hearing Agri's recount, Blair felt a cold gaze grace her once again.
Death's sickle seemed to rest on her nape and hell's heat was replaced by a cold gust of wind.
Her survival instincts as a demon of hell kicked in, and with a burst of energy, Blair quickly scuttled on the ground towards Adam; her pride wounded, but her life was more important to her.
Each movement of her body felt as if her insides were being torn apart. She quickly put her head onto the floor in front of Adam, the little red gem on her forehead gently touching Adam's bare foot.
"I apologize for my actions, my lord!"
Seeing the pathetic state Blair was in, and seeing the wounded Agri, for some reason, Adam couldn't find much twisted, sadistic enjoyment.
Instead, he felt as if his anger was washed away by helplessness and boredom.
He now realized that a single show of force wouldn't keep these chaotic demons in check at all times. There was even a great probability that they would never stop.
Infighting, violence, and the seven sins that their bodies consisted of were never going to truly disappear. Their chaotic nature was perpetual.
Adam let out a sigh and let go of Agri, her figure hurriedly kneeling next to Blair's.
He knew that he couldn't change them, as many devils had tried and failed before him, but he could do his best to implement laws and rules; a basic guiding path to force some form of order.
Thinking thus far, his gaze swept towards Roh.
"Next time, you stop this."
Roh felt as if his entire being had been seen through, he quickly knelt in acknowledgement as cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
Adam finally turned, his crimson eyes sweeping over the horde.
"You will all listen. Your lives are no longer your own. Your purpose is to serve me, to build my fortress, and to defend it against those who seek to take it from us. The next demon who kills amongst themselves will be a sacrifice, understood!"
The demons knelt and grunted in response.
Adam rubbed his weary head. He had been awake, moving, and constantly doing something since he had been reborn here in hell. He had no time to enjoy toying with the demons, nor dealing with their petty fights.
Creating the runes took a great deal of mental energy, and Adam hadn't had any sleep nor meals yet.
He looked at the horde one last time.
"You will be the first of my followers, and will be rewarded for your loyalty. Succeed, and you will grow stronger. Fail, and you will become the very materials you were meant to be rewarded."
Adam, although tired, knew that having the attack rune set up would be of great assurance.
Resting now was not an option.
"You two, come with me." Adam ordered the two injured demonesses as he walked off to the platform.
Their aching bodies struggled to keep up with his figure, a bloodied trail of dark blue and blazing red following their path.
Adam stopped and looked towards a pile of obsidian like rocks, before waving his hand and shattering them into a pile of smaller, jagged-like shards.
"You two will wait here, clean and tend to your wounds," Adam pointed at a patch of sharp, jagged rocks, "While kneeling."
The two obediently acknowledged.
It was a simple punishment thought of on the fly.