My Wives are Beautiful Demons

Vergil stared at the glowing blue orb in his hand, his expression wavering between confusion and disbelief. "The Platinum Dragon Empress?" he repeated, his voice laced with skepticism. "You're joking, right? How do you even..." He turned the orb in his fingers, examining it carefully.

Azazel shrugged, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "I never joke about contracts, young Demon King. That lady inside was a serious problem centuries ago. I got my hands on this orb some time ago, but it's useless. She doesn't cooperate. She's sealed in there to stop her from incinerating half of the material plane... again. Trust me, you're holding something worth more than hell itself."

Vergil narrowed his eyes. "And why are you giving this to me now? Seems like something you'd want to keep far away from anyone, especially me."

Azazel chuckled, crossing his arms. "Ah, you're not wrong. But consider this... an investment. If you survive the mission, the Empress's power could be useful in maintaining the balance I value so much. And if you don't..." He paused dramatically, winking. "Well, let's just say she'd get a new chance to return to the world."

"You just said she's useless," Vergil replied, fixing him with an unimpressed stare.

Azazel let out a short laugh, as if Vergil's response amused him. "Ah, yes, technically useless to me. But you see, uselessness is relative. To me, someone who doesn't have time to deal with an arrogant dragon that won't take orders, she's dead weight. But for you..." He pointed at Vergil with a sly grin. "She might be exactly the kind of controlled chaos a rising Demon King needs."

Vergil's eyes narrowed as he gripped the orb more tightly. "So, you're giving me a dragon problem and calling it a gift? What kind of leader offers that as a contract reward?"

Azazel shrugged, his grin never wavering. "The kind of leader who knows how to play the cards he's dealt. Look, kid, a sealed dragon is like a double-edged sword. In the right hands, it's a devastating weapon. In the wrong hands..." He left the sentence unfinished, the implication clear.

"Ah... I think it's just as useless to me as it is to you," Vergil said, idly toying with the blue sphere. "I refuse. You can keep it." He added, "The Gremory girl already has the Scarlet Dragon Empress working with her. I don't need something so... repulsive."

"Ah, yes... Runeas Gremory. Impressive that dragon cooperates; he's... complicated," Azazel said, rubbing his chin. "Besides, it seems you don't like relying on borrowed power. A battle maniac?" Azazel asked, his gaze sharp.

"I prefer walking on my own two feet," Vergil retorted.

"Ah, such a shame... I really wanted to pass this along to a Lucifer. After all, the lady in there was fond of that guy," Azazel said with a nonchalant shrug.

Vergil froze, holding the orb in one hand, glaring at Azazel with narrowed eyes. "She was fond of the first Lucifer? That sounds like the beginning of a tragic, pointless story I really don't want to hear."

Azazel burst out laughing, his black wings trembling slightly as he enjoyed Vergil's reaction. "You're direct; I'll give you that. But yes, she had a soft spot for that bastard."

Vergil rolled his eyes, spinning the orb between his fingers like a tennis ball. "And what exactly do you expect me to do with this? Keep it as a family heirloom? Use it as a centerpiece for my table? Because dealing with a hysterical dragon is not on my agenda."

Azazel stepped forward, his expression growing slightly more serious though his mischievous grin remained. "Look, kid, you're at the beginning of your journey as Demon King. The power you have now is just a fraction of what you'll need to hold onto your title and survive the storms ahead. The Empress might be a dangerous ally, but in the right hands... she's an unstoppable force."

"And what if I decide to throw her in the trash?" Vergil countered, a sarcastic smile tugging at his lips.

Azazel tilted his head, as if genuinely pondering the possibility. "Well, in that case, I hope you never face something big enough to regret that choice. Because, trust me, the problems heading our way will make even the proudest angels tremble."

Vergil sighed, his patience clearly nearing its end. "And you think veiled threats are going to convince me? Typical. Look, if you want me to take on this dragon problem, you're going to have to offer a lot more than this."

Azazel laughed again, taking a step back. "Ah, I like you, kid. Straight to the point, no nonsense. Very well, let's sweeten the deal." He gestured, and a small, strange book materialized out of thin air.

"Here, supreme-class demon rune studies. I painstakingly acquired this from the Witch Queen herself," he said with a grin. "You get the 'useless' orb and the book."

Vergil eyed the small book now floating in the air before him, his skepticism unabated. He slowly extended a hand, taking the object carefully, as if expecting it to explode. "Supreme-class demon runes, huh? Sourced from the Witch Queen herself? This sounds like just another one of your traps."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Azazel raised his hands in an exaggerated gesture of innocence, his mischievous grin growing even wider. "Oh, you wound me! This is a legitimate gift. Of course, to an average demon, that knowledge would be worthless, but to someone with Luciferian potential... let's just say it's a game-changer. You just need to know how to use it."

Vergil exhaled heavily, shoving the book into the same pocket where he'd stored the orb. "Great. So now, in addition to being a dragon babysitter, I'm also a student of arcane runes. Anything else you want to dump on me while we're at it?"

Azazel chuckled, clearly reveling in Vergil's frustration. "Trust me, I'm holding back. But believe me, kid, those runes might come in handy. Especially when it comes to dealing with certain entities you're bound to encounter. Consider it an insurance policy for the chaos ahead."

Running a hand through his hair, Vergil gazed up at the rooftop's sky with an expression of pure disdain. "I hate how you so-called leaders love tossing out riddles and grins as if that's going to solve everything."

Azazel tilted his head, still smiling. "Ah, but the game is so much more fun that way, don't you think? After all, what's power without a little mystery?"

Vergil turned on his heel, clearly done with the conversation. "If you're done philosophizing, I've got better things to do. Like ignoring all of this and trying to enjoy my day. If you need anything else, you know where to find me."

He had barely taken two steps when Azazel's voice rang out, casual yet carrying the unmistakable weight of imminent chaos. "Oh, one more thing I almost forgot to mention," he said, as if they were discussing the weather.

Vergil stopped mid-stride, exhaling a long, frustrated sigh as he turned back to face him. "What now?"

"Your first target? She's already here."

Before Vergil could respond, the sound of shattering glass filled the room. The impact was deafening, shards of the window flying in every direction. A figure burst through the wreckage, her presence so intense it seemed to suck the air out of the room.

She was a woman with hair as white as snow, golden eyes blazing with fury, and feline ears that twitched with every movement. Behind her, black angelic wings unfurled, and in her hands, a spear pulsed with dark, ominous energy.

"AZAZEL!!!" she roared, her voice cutting through the air like thunder. Without hesitation, she launched herself at the fallen angel, her spear glowing with murderous intent.

Vergil stood motionless for a moment, watching the scene unfold with a mixture of disbelief and resignation. "Of course. Because of course this would happen," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Azazel, on the other hand, seemed entirely unbothered, dodging her ferocious attack with the grace of someone far too used to such chaos. A playful smile spread across his face as her spear came within inches of his head. "Ah, Aisha! What a pleasure to see you again. Here to visit, or just redecorating my place as usual?"

The woman didn't respond, except with a furious scream as she spun her spear into another devastating strike. Azazel stepped back lightly, as if dancing amidst the chaos, before shifting his attention to Vergil.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" he said, his tone casual, a stark contrast to the violence unfolding around him. "Vergil, my boy, this is Aisha. She'll be your first practical lesson. Kill her or convince her to stop rebelling. Your choice."

Before Vergil could protest or even fully process what was happening, Azazel flashed one last mischievous grin and... vanished. Simply disappeared, as if he'd never been there at all.

Vergil blinked, incredulous, just as Aisha spun through the air, now aiming her next attack directly at him. "Seriously? He's just going to dump this on me and vanish?" He glanced at the empty space where Azazel had stood moments ago. "Typical. Absolutely typical."

Turning back to Aisha, he raised Yamato into a defensive stance, his sharp eyes coldly tracking her every move. "So, you're the 'first practical lesson,' huh?" he muttered, his voice calm but edged with irritation. "Great. Let's hope you're worth the trouble."