She looked very different from how Asmodeus remembered. Her glossy and beautiful hair shone like the night sky, now dry and brittle with split ends. Her fair and creamyplexion looked pallid and pale and it was obvious she lost quite some weight despite being light as it was.


    Yet despite this, She''s eyes were still vibrant with the desire to live. Their colour was now pitch ck after losing the blessing of the goddess, almost like a curse devoid of any light. However, Asmodeus didn''t mind about something like that. It just proved to him she was no longer affiliated with the goddess Lumina.


    ''She really looks horrible right now.''


    Her eyes narrowed, looking at Asmodeus with a sense of fear, but the lingering hope in her heart stopped her from giving up. She''s body adjusted, recovering from the fearful action of him hitting the wall.


    ''Ah... He looks so different. His face shines with life, and his eyes are deep and piercing. As if he can see into my soul and knows all the sins I havemitted.''


    "What can you do, as you are? Without the blessing of a goddess or an apostle. You are just a weak priestess, unable to offer me anything. Why should I let you stay with me?" He growled while walking towards She, pushing her to the bed and gazing down from above her, She''s weak arms above her head as she felt too sore to move.


    Her thoughts were interrupted, and she became shocked at this new position he put them in.


    ''What do I do? What can I say to make him ept my words?!'' Her thoughts were filled with constant doubts and questions towards herself.


    "Lord... Lord Asmodeus... I am sorry-"


    "I don''t need your apology. Tell me what you can do as a priestess."


    A quick interruption shocked her once again as if to cut the past grace off with no mercy, making She''s tears fall to the side. She felt ashamed of herself for believing this to be easy and that she could take her spot back after being yelled at and sobbing a little. Her weakness was on full disy with no dignity left.


    "I can you healing magic... and bless my allies, if we face the undead... then I can smite them," she said with conviction despite her weak body, "I would die for you willingly at any time and even kill those who are against you. No matter how many times you hurt me, I will not hold it against you."


    "You expect to do that as you are now? I could kill you with a p. The enemies we face would eat you without a second chance."


    Asmodeus closed his eyes. Over the past four months, even the knights were slowly exposed to his blood. After their agreement and permission, The entire group began to intake the blood of Asmodeus once a week.


    Thanks to this, their strength began to increase beyond normal humans, though they didn''t transform into demons or be monsters. Their bodies, if cut open, would be no doubt different from a normal person—their bones, blood, and muscles are all likely closer to demons than humans.


    ''Well, even those who could barely use magic before were now stronger and had more mana than the average mage.''


    "..." She remained silent. She couldn''t say anything at all. What could she say when she was this weak, unable to resist at all?


    ''Why is this so hard? I never should have epted her offer. If I knew that, I would meet everyone... Things would be different!''


    "Can you give me everything, devote yourself more than you would have the goddess?"


    Asmodeus didn''t hate She herself, but the actions she had done and decisions made. Thus, instead of bringing emotions into this choice. He nned to treat her this way from the start.


    He would treat her like a demon king might treat a human who sought power.


    "I can... everything if you will allow me to live."


    "She, can you cast healing magic and basic divine spells right now?" He asked quietly. His Sapphire-blue eyes looked over She''s weak state and her wounded body. "That''s not enough."


    "..."


    "What about yourbat skills?"


    "Not much...but I can try-" She paused, looking up into the beautiful blue eyes of Asmodeus and feeling guilty about her lies, knowing he would find out eventually if she tried to hide them, "-No. My body cannot recover from the loss of bing an apostle and may never be the same again."


    Asmodeus sighed and turned away. ''I don''t even feel bad for her, though, at the very least. It doesn''t matter if she is this pathetic now. As long as she epts and signs the deal.'' Asmodeus thought without looking back at She, whose hand still tried to reach out toward him despite having little energy.


    "If you want to live, I will offer you a deal. However, you will never betray me or leave my side again. If you prove yourself, I will guarantee a certain amount of freedom. Just know you will suffer greatly if you ept."


    A cold gaze met She''s teary eyes as Asmodeus stepped further away from her bedside towards the room''s door before checking it was locked, grabbing the double dressing table and dragging it across the door. He didn''t n to do anything serious, but Paul and Simon might try to get involved when hearing her screams.


    ''Since she was an Apostle, then She can handle more than the normal humans.'' Asmodeus reasoned in his mind.


    Asmodeus faced She, whose ck eyes stared into the air without focus before she seemed to notice his figure once again.


    "What must I do, I will ept anything, any punishment." Her voice trembled, hoping maybe she could earn his trust back. If even a little, and maybe this time, things would be different.


    Asmodeus scoffed at She''s hopeful eyes before speaking directly to her, making sure his words were clear and precise:


    "If you want to remain by my side and live. You will need to ept this one thing." Asmodeus spoke coldly before opening up his palm and taking a small de normally used to skin monsters.


    Then, using it, he cut a line through the middle of his palm, causing deep red blood with strange sparkling specks floating inside as it began leaking onto the floor.


    She felt her breathing stop as she realised what this meant.


    ''Will I be a demon?''


    ''Her eyes are full of fear—well, she made this choice.''


    "You wanted this—don''t me me, She," Asmodeus spoke with a slightly warmer voice before covering her face with the bleeding palm, his other hand covering her nose, to force her to breathe with her mouth. She gasped and struggled from under his grip, coughing and shaking terribly from the fear of her mouth being covered.


    ''It''s taste... is so sweet... and delicious.''


    There was a sudden shock in her eyes that widened, and as the thick blood began oozing down her throat, she began drinking to survive.


    "Ngh.... Mmmph?!"


    This action caused the eyes of Asmodeus to glow brightly as the connection between them both began forming. However, there wasn''t only one effect.


    ''It hurts... something is strange, my insides feel hot...''


    Unlike the other women, She wouldn''t surpass him, and she couldn''t evolve without his permission. If she tried to hurt any of his women, then she would be tormented by the blood inside her body and die an agonising death.


    "She, you will be a demon, my demon and will never betray me."


    ''Though if she earns back everyone''s trust, I can remove these negatives if needed.''


    Asmodeus wondered what type of demoness she would be. Because with other demons, it was rted to their talent, skills and desire. However, he didn''t give the same benefit to She. The demon she would be was only rted to her talents and not her desire.


    Her body suddenly contorted in pain, a ck aura exploding around her frail form. The transformation into a demon took shape slowly as her bones began to crack, the sound like firecrackers erupting. A slow scream escaped her lips before she copsed, writhing in agony.


    "Haah... No! Stop... It Hurts! Help... someone help me...."


    Asmodeus did nothing except ce his hand on her head.


    As She''s soul and mind became flooded by his power like a sh flood, it tore apart the lingering remains of divine power and her shattered blessing of Lumina, which the goddess had given her, even though it was currently dormant and less than a fraction of its former amount.


    "Asmodeus.... I can''t.... I''ll die!"


    The blood from Asmodeus didn''t care and began to devour everything, the body of She slowly being wrapped in a cocoon of pure ck, pulsating energy that seemed like thousands of hands were trying to w their way out.


    Slowly, She''s consciousness drifted away in exhaustion as the pain subsided after some time.


    He could only watch her with a cold gaze, the pretty face fading into the cocoon as it sealed her inside. "Sleep, if you wake up, we will talk..."


    Although the loud sounds of her body deforming and transforming continued. Asmodeus didn''t show any concern, nor did his face change as he sat on the bed beside the cocoon.


    Well, he could remove these shackles if she ever earned his trust...


    ''It depends how she behaves, however...''