"Oh my! I'm so sorry to trouble you! Look at my forgetful memory!"
Azazel instantly scrambled up, his face replaced with an extremely fawning smile, and he stumbled closer to the Ghost.
"You're truly my good father… Ah no, my good Creator!"
The Ghost didn't speak, only extended the demon book towards him.
"Is it really… okay to just give this to me?"
Looking at the demon book before him, Azazel feigned refusal, but the wild joy on his face couldn't be hidden.
As he spoke, his two short little hands fiercely grabbed the demon book!
The moment his fingertips touched the book's cover—
"Ah—!!!"
A scream a hundred times more piercing than before erupted instantly!
Azazel was as if high-voltage electricity had coursed through his entire body, every pore furiously spraying tiny beads of blood!
He thrashed and bounced violently on the ground like a fish out of water.
His screams formed a terrifying echo chamber in the basement.
The Ghost looked at the plush toy on the ground, still spewing blood and twitching, its voice carrying a hint of cold amusement.
"I am your creator."
"You wouldn't be so naive as to think I wouldn't leave a backup plan, would you?"
He lightly poked the still-bleeding Azazel with his toe.
"If I couldn't have you firmly in my grasp, why would I summon you?"
The Ghost leaned close to Azazel's ear, as if whispering a secret.
"To be honest, when I was drifting in that Soul Sea, the moment I saw you all, I already knew how I would use you."
"After all,"
Its voice became clear and cold again.
"Only by completely controlling you all do I have a chance… to snatch my soul back from that damned place."
The Ghost squatted down and extended a translucent hand, gently stroking Azazel's still-bleeding head.
Azazel was as obedient as if he had just been fed Dragon fruit by Chang.
The moment he felt that cold touch, Azazel's body couldn't help but twitch.
"Stop pretending."
The Ghost's voice was colder than the basement floor.
"Yes!"
Azazel shot up with a carp-like leap, the blood on his body instantly drying. Aside from the puddle of blood on the ground, everything just now seemed like an illusion.
"Come, let's sign the contract."
The Ghost shook the demon book in his hand.
"Al… Alright…"
Circumstances were against him; Azazel knew he couldn't resist anymore.
Now he only hoped the contract's duration wouldn't be too long.
He still planned to use his cute appearance and special abilities to charm beautiful older sisters.
Although it was hard to accept his body being like this, upon closer thought, it was actually quite exciting.
The Ghost turned the demon book to the last page.
Azazel curiously stretched his neck to look.
On the blank page, lines of distorted but clearly legible text slowly emerged, the content as follows:
Demon Contract
Party A: Azazel
Party B:
Terms:
1. Party A shall unconditionally obey all commands of Party B during the contract's duration.
2. Regardless of the command's content, Party A must execute it and shall not resist, delay, or feign compliance in any form.
3. Each time Party B summons Party A to fulfill obligations, appropriate sacrifices shall be offered based on the situation (sacrifice standards shall be unilaterally interpreted and enforced by Party B).
4. This contract shall take effect on June 6, 1991 AD.
5. Contract termination date: None.
Two signature spaces were left below.
The air seemed to solidify.
After three seconds of dead silence.
"Are you crazy or am I crazy?!"
Azazel's furious roar cracked.
"You don't think I'd sign a contract like this, selling myself until the end of the universe, do you?! Don't even dream of it!"
The Ghost said nothing, only looked at the enraged Azazel with its faceless visage.
"Looking at me won't help either!"
Azazel felt a chill from the silent gaze but still shouted defiantly.
"I wouldn't sign terms more devilish than a devil even if it killed me!"
"Of course, I know you wouldn't sign easily."
The Ghost's voice was unexpectedly calm, even with a hint of understanding.
"Although I created you, you are, after all, an intelligent life form with independent consciousness. The pursuit of freedom is innate, and it's very normal."
"Then why do you…"
Azazel was about to question when the Ghost gently interrupted him.
"Why don't you ask me,"
The Ghost's head seemed to flicker slightly, its tone coaxing.
"What I intend to give you?"
"After all, to dare to write a contract like this, I must have leverage that you cannot refuse to have such confidence, don't I?"
"Wh-What leverage?"
Azazel's expression was extremely strange.
Reason told him this was definitely a trap, but his damned curiosity still made him ask the question.
He finally couldn't hold back and asked cautiously.
The Ghost slowly raised a hand, made a peace sign towards Azazel.
Then, in a flat tone, it said,
"As long as you sign this contract, I promise not to erase your consciousness."
Boom!
These words were like a bomb exploding in Azazel's mind!
"Im… impossible!"
After a brief daze, Azazel let out an even more frantic shriek, his voice distorted by fear.
"I… I, as the aggregate of the concepts of lust and chastity, cannot be erased! Unless these two concepts disappear! Otherwise, I won't die!"
Azazel pointed at the demon book and roared.
"Although that book is my anchor in the material world! My two fundamental powers also influence it!"
"It is indestructible! Trying to kill me by destroying it is impossible!"
He excitedly waved his short little hands, trying to prove his point.
"The only way to kill me is to completely destroy the fundamental part that constitutes me!"
Azazel panted, glaring fiercely at the Ghost.
"No one! No one can do such a thing! And no one would be crazy enough to do such a thing! That's equivalent to erasing a concept! I represent procreation! Without me! New life would not be born in this world! If you could do it! You wouldn't…"
His roar abruptly ceased.
Because he saw that the Ghost's hand, still making the peace sign, remained steadily in the air, unmoving.
That faceless head was terrifyingly calm.
Azazel's orange-red fur instantly lost its luster, his face turned ashen, and a terrifying thought emerged.
"C-Could it be…"
His voice trembled uncontrollably.
"Those knowledge and memories you instilled in me… are fake?!"
He stared intently at the Ghost, trying to find a flaw in its face.
"Don't be nervous~"
The Ghost's tone carried a hint of flippancy, and it waved its hand.
"I wouldn't stoop to such tasteless things; false advertising gets reported."
"You can feel it, right? The book, and you, still have a fundamental connection."
The Ghost spread its hands.
"Whew…"
Hearing this, Azazel felt inside, and his tense nerves relaxed slightly.
"I just…"
The Ghost's voice suddenly turned cold.
"Concealed a part."
"Or rather… you just haven't realized it yet."
Azazel's heart, which had just settled, leaped back into his throat.
"Guess what."
The Ghost's voice was like the hiss of a venomous snake, slow and clear.
"What would happen if… I threw your demon book into that Soul Sea?"
Buzz!
Azazel felt a chill shoot from his tailbone straight to the crown of his head!
The Soul Sea… the ultimate destination of all souls and consciousness…
As an aggregate of concepts, it knew better than anyone what being thrown in there meant.
Cold sweat instantly soaked all his fur, and the sweat that poured out merged with the blood on the floor.
The basement floor was covered with Azazel's blood and sweat.
"See?"
The Ghost's voice took on a hint of amusement.
"Isn't this very simple?"
"At that time,"
It pointed at the demon book with its hand.
"I only need to collect materials again and make an identical demon book."
"Although the newly summoned guy will have the same voice, appearance, personality, and even memories as you…"
The Ghost turned to the little demon, who was trembling like a sieve, and asked gently,
"But, Azazel,"
"Will that demon… still be you?"