These Demons Do it for Free

Chapter 16

“What power of the contracted demon will you borrow? That’s where we need to start.” “Only one?” “Usually, yes. A demon's price increases exponentially. If you want more powers, you’ll need to offer a much greater price in return. As a demon warlock, you should already know this, right?”

Sorry. I don’t know anything about that.

“So, creating magic by borrowing the demon's power begins with choosing which of the demon’s abilities you want to mimic. Recognizing the true power of the demon is the first step. Try that.” “And after that?” “Then, you negotiate. You tell the demon what kind of magic you’ve come up with and how much you’re willing to pay for it to work. Don’t worry. Demon magic isn’t as complicated as other forms of magic. Complex formulas or magic circles can be left to the demon—you only need to prepare the payment.”

I see. So that’s how it works.

It was advice that would stick with me for a long time.

[Oh, really....]

But isn’t that something you, Seir, shouldn’t be just accepting like that?

[...Irreverent.]

§

Despite all the time I’ve had, I still haven’t completed my magic.

Why is it that even though I’ve learned how to create magic from Fiona, I still can’t make any?

The reason is simple: Seir’s powers are incredibly diverse.

Depending on which power I choose, the concept of the demon magic created through my contract with Seir is determined.

Wealth that guarantees material abundance, detection that finds what is hidden, or domination that controls a winged steed as a servant...

According to Seir, her abilities are so vast they’re close to omnipotence.

So, of course, I struggled.

But at this very moment—

I no longer had to hesitate.

‘I’ve made my decision.’ [Speak, my contractor.]

I don’t have the means to dodge that attack.

I’ve put up a magical barrier, but I instinctively know it won’t be enough to block it.

So, what I need now is...

‘I want the power of teleportation.’ [A wise choice.]

Right after Seir responded.

I felt as if her hand touched my back.

Cold yet warm. Heavy yet light. Still yet moving.

The magic flowing through the contract surged into my body, weaving something within me.

It didn’t stop at just flowing through my nerves—it seeped into my brain as well.

A bolt of lightning flashed through my brainstem. The brainstem is the fastest-reacting part of the brain, responsible for maintaining vital functions. It’s also the part that regulates states of awareness.

My mind raced.

I realized what I had to do, and how to do it.

And the moment that realization struck, I acted.

Skaaah!@@@@

“Huh?”

The dumbfounded voice echoed through the chamber.

It’s no wonder.

The strike that they thought would definitely land missed.

On top of that, they lost sight of me for a moment.

This wasn’t just a fast movement.

It was something on a completely different level.

Teleportation.

No matter how keen one’s reflexes are, they can’t keep up with that.

The fragment of power Seir allowed me to use was an unfathomable mystery in itself.

Even though I was the one using it, I couldn’t comprehend how it worked—magic that was almost miraculous.

And then I thought of a name for it.

‘A name....’

Magic needs a name.

A name defines the mystery, giving it form and anchoring it in the world.

Once a spell has established its identity, it can replicate the same mystery again and again.

And as for the name I would give this magic, it could only be one thing.

“Blink...!” [La Traviata!]

Wait, what?

Compression alone isn’t enough. Even though I’ve focused on firing from my fingertips instead of my palm, it still doesn’t penetrate.

‘I can’t reduce the number of fingers right now.’

Then—

‘Rotation.’

The magic bullet’s image is that of a gun.

And a gun’s power changed dramatically with the introduction of rifling.

By adding spin, bullets could travel farther and strike harder.

It’s the same principle here.

I added rotation. Out of the four fingers, two remained straight, while my index and ring fingers twisted slightly, creating a rifling effect.

The magic bullet, now spinning, flew straight toward him.

Bang!

The sound was different.

Unlike before, when my attacks had been weak like eggs smashing against rocks, this time, his magical barrier visibly took damage.

It was enough to make him feel threatened.

If I hit the same spot repeatedly, my magic bullets would eventually break through to his flesh.

And he realized that too.

Wiping the smile off his face, he calmed down, regaining his focus.

His eyes darted quickly, scanning around me.

But it won’t help if he only watches me.

“You’ve got the wrong idea.”

The teleportation must have thrown him off, and now his head was full of thoughts of killing me after feeling the sting of the rotating magic bullets.

I get it.

It’s a morale crusher, even for me.

Teleportation, as long as you can deal with the dizziness?

It’s a game-changer.

But that was his mistake.

“You’re not the only one here.”

As I spoke, Leif’s clear voice rang out from the passage connected to the chamber.

“Undine! Pierce through!!”

A sharp, tearing sound that pierced through the psycho’s saw-like noise.

The water, which Undine had been gathering while I stalled for time, was compressed into a single point and fired as a high-pressure water cannon.

Splat!

The psycho’s magical defenses were pierced, and his body was penetrated, staining the water with blood.

“Huh?”

This is why spirit summoning is terrifying.

It’s not the spirit summoner’s strength but the spirit’s strength that matters. Though, in most cases, it’s the summoner who gets overwhelmed by their stronger spirits, which is another problem.

Luckily, or inevitably, Leif’s spirit fulfilled its role perfectly.

“You... damn bitch...!”

The psycho turned his gaze toward Leif.

Even I, standing outside of his line of sight, could feel the intense killing intent radiating from him.

So, how must Leif be feeling, facing him head-on?

“I’ll kill you...”

Kiiiing—!

As he was dying, the psycho redirected the magic he had gathered to strike me, aiming it at Leif instead.

The last flicker of life that he’d forcibly dragged out turned into a violently spinning sawblade.

Leif froze, paralyzed by the overwhelming murderous intent. Her mind knew she needed to move, but her body couldn’t follow through.

The psycho launched his final attack at her, sawblades spinning toward her.

“No.”

Fwoosh!

“You die alone.”

Fwoosh!

Two more teleports.

That was more than enough to nullify his last desperate struggle.