695 Azazel’s Secret

Azazel dropped to the ground in a hurried prostration, his tone desperate. 

"Please! Give me food! I'm so hungry!"

Silence hung heavy in the air before the group erupted in unison.

"THAT's WHAT YOU WANT?!"

Azazel tilted his head to the side, displaying audacious indifference as he stared at Ren and the others as though they were utter idiots. "What else would I want?"

Ren sighed, feeling utterly drained. He couldn't fathom the sheer obnoxiousness and peculiarity of demons and devils. 

Was this truly the Nether Realm, rumored to be the dwelling place of sinister demons and cunning devils?

It dawned on him that Azazel was a demon, his two small horns perched on the sides of his head serving as a clear identifier. 

In the Nether Realm, demons and devils were distinguished by their horns, and the number of horns they possessed indicated their strength.

"And pray, tell us, why should we give you our food?" Elena questioned the boy, her skepticism apparent.

"That's right! I'm not sharing this," Princess Lorelai declared, sticking out her tongue and swiftly devouring the remaining meat. 

Ren flashed her the side eye. Could she not display even a modicum of proper manners? She was a princess, for heaven's sake.

Princess Lorelai was renowned throughout the Renais Empire as the most beautiful, elegant, and refined woman. 

If only the public knew the truth about her real demeanor, Ren thought bitterly. The players would be shocked if they witnessed her true nature, and a lot of hearts would cry at this information. 

"Come on now," Azazel whined, desperation seeping into his voice. "I'm so hungry I could die. Please spare me some. Do you really want to see me die here?"

"We don't care," Elena stated bluntly.

"You can die now," Nori added, her tone cold and unforgiving.

"Don't be so mean," Azazel shifted into a sitting position and said, a sly smile playing on his lips, "I will tell you a secret that only I know in exchange for that meat."

Princess Lorelai raised an eyebrow. "Who are you kidding?"

Nori's ears perked up in intrigue. "A secret?"

Elena crossed her arms. Skepticism was etched on her face. "Are you trying to trick us?"

Ren and Evie considered the possibility that it might be part of a story or quest, and they could gain something valuable by feeding Azazel and helping him . . . or so, that's how that story always went. 

"Very well," Ren tossed a large chunk of meat in Azazel's direction, and the boy jumped and caught it with his mouth.

"Are you a dog?" Ren remarked while slightly shaking his head.

"Ren, are you sure?" Elena asked, her concern evident. "He might be trying to trick us."

"That's right," Princess Lorelai chimed in. "It's a waste of good meat on him."

Ren remained silent, his gaze fixed on Azazel, who swiftly devoured the meat within seconds.

"More!" Azazel demanded, reaching his fingers towards Ren with an open palm.

Princess Lorelai swiftly struck him on the head. "Enough of your games! Tell us the secret if you want to live."

"Alright, alright," Azazel gave up, and his demeanor changed to one of seriousness. "But can I at least have one more piece of meat before I spill the beans?"

"You . . ." Princess Lorelai was on the verge of slicing his head off, but Azazel managed to dodge just in time.

"I'll tell you," he said hastily, sensing the danger. "Just stop attacking me!"

"You better tell her before she chops off your head," Elena chimed in, her tone impatient.

"Fine, fine. You surface dwellers are so serious," Azazel complained, sitting on the edge of Tiki's tail once again. 

He crossed his arms and legs, preparing to reveal the secret that could change the Nether Realm forever.

Princess Lorelai sheathed her weapon when she felt that the atmosphere shifted and focused her attention on Azazel. 

Ren and the others watched, curious, waiting for Azazel to continue.

"The secret is . . ." Azazel began, hesitating for a moment before finally deciding to spill the beans.

The tension in the air became almost unbearable, leaving Nori feeling a lump in her throat. 

"The secret is . . ." Azazel paused, his eyes shutting briefly before reopening, revealing red veins coursing through them. With an air of grandiosity, he proclaimed, "I am the true King of the Netherworld!"

Silence hung in the air for a moment before Princess Lorelai and Elena lunged at Azazel, unleashing a flurry of kicks and punches upon him.

As Azazel endured the blows, Ren let out a sigh. "Well, at least he knows how to get our hopes up for nothing."

"That kid really is the devil," Evie commented dryly. "He could spin a tale out of thin air."

Nori let out a heavy breath. "It's nothing new. Ever since the king of the Netherworld died, there have been thousands pretending to be him."

"I'm different, you know," Azazel said through swollen lips and lumpy face, a hint of pride amidst his battered state. Despite his injuries, he managed a defiant smile, pointing to himself. "I'm the real deal."

Princess Lorelai snorted in frustration. "This devil really infuriates me."

"I won't believe anything he says from now on," Elena added firmly.

Azazel smirked, and crossed his arms despite his pain. "Heh. You'll regret not believing me. Once I regain my powers, you'll be sorry."

Opening one blackened eye, he forced a grin that twisted into a grimace due to his injuries. "But I'll overlook this transgression and forgive you . . . for another piece of that meat, of course."

"You wish!" Princess Lorelai and Elena chimed in unison, their voices filled with scorn.

Azazel spat on the ground defiantly. "Stingy lot, aren't you?"

"Shut up," Elena growled, clearly irritated. "What a waste of time."

"And a waste of precious meat," Princess Lorelai added, echoing her sentiment.

At least he knew how to infuriate two Princesses. Ren mused to himself before they ignored Azazel completely. 

After a few minutes, Evie tugged at Ren's clothes and pointed at Azazel. "Hey, what's wrong with him?"