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Emilia wants to destroy the entire world…
After living in a cold, desolate forest all alone for so long, can you really blame her?
Day in and day out, forced to endure the hatred of others. People who didn’t even know her well enough to be as cruel as they were.
Eventually, she thought, why not?
Everyone hates her anyway. And she hates all of them just as much. Given enough time, it was always going to become them or her.
And she’ll be damned if she goes down alone.
So here we are. Emilia had killed a Gustekian man who lived in the village after he tried to kill her for some religious reason she couldn’t be bothered to remember right now.
What’s important, though, is what she found in his cottage.
Something that was going to aid in her quest for revenge and damnation.
The man must’ve been some kind of rogue heretic, because tucked away at the back of one of his bookshelves was a forbidden tome detailing a ritual. One that could summon a being powerful enough to aid her in her quest.
Emilia doesn’t care what’s summoned. Even if it’s dangerous. Even if it rampages and kills her. At least it’ll kill everyone else too.
With that thought in mind, she waits until the dead of night before drawing a pentagram in blood and salt, lighting several skull candles, and chanting her call into the void.
Foul-blooded freak. Witch-spawn. Monster.
A cruel smile touched Emilia’s lips. “They’ve gone through the trouble of making up so many creative names for me. It’d be a shame not to live up to at least one of them~”
I know… I know there’s something wrong with me. I know they all have a valid reason to be afraid of me.
Emilia clenched her fist, drawing fresh blood before smearing it across the pentagram.
But is that my problem? No. Am I supposed to be the one with the higher moral compass just because they don’t have a conscience? Hell no! I don’t care about any of that.
“I don’t care what the cost is. I just need this spell to work. Please… please just work…”
“Oh Great Demon Pleiades, I beseech thee. Tear open the rift between worlds and slaughter those lowlives who look down on me. Just once, let them suffer instead of me.”
Did she say that right? Probably not. It sounded way too improvised for a ritual. But who cares? If she’s gonna end up dead or selling her soul to whatever comes through anyway, then who cares if she flubs a few lines?
All that matters is that something is finally about to change in this shitty life she’s trapped in.
As the chanting continues, the world seems to hold its breath as red fog rolls across the room, the pentagram begins to glow, and the candlelights flickered on and off.
“Let's see how much you all like a real monster.”
As the smoke cleared, Emilia found herself face to face with a pale-skinned, raven-haired man with dark eyes. His bangs covered them just enough to make him look more attractive.
“Hey there! Name’s Subaru Natsuki! Demon for hire, and currently accepting donations!” the man said with faux enthusiasm. He looked ready to keep talking, right up until he got a good look at the room.
“Woah…”
The room was a complete mess, littered with items and decorations that he could only assume were used to summon him.
Ugh. God, all of this was so outdated. Do humans actually still summon people like this?
Then again, it’s not like humans had updated terms and conditions for summoning demons like him. No wonder it had stayed the same since ancient times. A chalk pentagram, a drop of blood, and a fervent prayer were apparently still enough.
Though maybe he was judging a little too harshly. It was a bit annoying and overly dramatic, sure, but it did allow him to enter this world far more powerful than he would have been if she had simply summoned him normally…
Then a thought occurred to him as he looked back down at the girl on the floor.
Oh. Right. Her. The girl who summoned me. Hope I haven’t been quiet for too long. That would totally ruin my image.
Not that it’s been any good lately.
Subaru cleared his throat. “So uh… how’s it hanging? You need anything from me? Um…?”
Emilia’s eyes widened in shock as the demon materialized before her. Yes, she wanted this… but wasn’t this a little desperate?! She didn’t even get the words right!
She takes an involuntary step back, her heart pounding in her chest as she realizes the gravity of what she's done. The summoning worked...
But now what?
“Emilia… My names Emilia. And I’m the one that summoned you.” she says, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to sound brave.
She clenches her fist.
“I summoned you because… I want them to pay. This kingdom. All of its people… I’m sick of being their punching bag!”
Emilia’s gaze darts nervously to the side, unable to meet the demon’s eyes directly. She bites her lip in frustration, hard enough to almost draw blood.
“You’re a demon, aren’t you? You must be able to do something. Anything!”
“Hmmm… okay, I see. Classic revenge-type situation. Gotcha!” Subaru nodded, tapping his chin. “First time being summoned, but I definitely went over this scenario back in school during my underworld days. Pretty heavy, though. Seeing it actually play out right in front of me like this.”
“Revenge-type... scenario?” Emilia repeated, dumbfounded by how casual he sounded.
“Yeah, I mean, getting your ass beat by the ENTIRE world? Damn. Even I feel kinda bad. We don’t really do the whole discrimination thing down in hell, but…” Subaru cut himself off.
The entire world targeting one girl? And one this cute at that. Actually, looking at her now…
“This isn’t earth is it?” Subaru asked.
“Eee-Arth? What’s that?” Emilia asked, tilting her head. “We’re in the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica.”
“That explains the ears, I guess,” Subaru said. “So this is a fantasy world. And judging by your appearance…”
She never thought she’d be insulted by an ACTUAL demon, but whatever.
Go on. Say it. Call me hideous. Call me cursed. Just kill them all after you're done.
“You must be the tragic heroine!” Subaru declared, striking his signature pose. “Like, textbook tragic heroine! Silver hair, violet eyes, pointy ears, cute face—the whole package! Man, if you had a mysterious past and a dramatic rain scene, you’d be topping the rankings!”
“…Huh?” she squeaked out, her voice cracking slightly.
She blinked, pointing a blood-stained finger at herself. “Me? Tragic… what? Are you serious? Aren’t you supposed to mock my face? Tell me I look like the Witch and curse the very ground I walk on?!”
“No. I’ve seen actually cursed people before, and you’re not one of them.” Subaru shot back immediately, holding up a hand.
“What? No? But I’m really—”
“Nope, not listening. If anything, the people here are just jealous because your character design is way better than theirs.” He interrupted.
Once again, Emilia looked at Subaru as if he were from a different world. Well… y’know.
Seeing Emilia’s reaction, a small, almost imperceptible smile crossed his face.
Hook, line and sinker! Just gotta sell it a bit more and I won’t have to go back to that hellhole.
“Well, back to the topic at hand.” Subaru clapped his hands together. “Is there anything you want specifically? Curses? Humiliation? Death? I have a few more options since you used more… peculiar methods…”
Emilia’s eyes narrow as she considers her options, a cruel smile slowly spreading across her face. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
“Death is too easy for them,” she hissed. “I want them to suffer like I suffered. I want them to feel even a fraction of the pain and humiliation they’ve inflicted upon me.”
She started pacing back and forth, her thoughts spilling out faster than she can organize them.
“Curses could work. Something that eats away at them from the inside, corrupting their minds and bodies until they’re nothing but hollow shells. Or maybe…”
She stops, an idea striking her.
“…We could twist their own worst fears and insecurities against them! Yeah, yeah! Make them see themselves as the pathetic racists they really are!”
“Sounds nice, sounds nice. Definitely getting that occult vibe from you now.” The boy complimented.
He’d read that most humans either regretted their decision or ended up killing themselves as part of the ritual, whether from fear or some insanity-induced episode. She wasn’t exactly a normal human, but…
“Well, whatever. The smaller details don’t matter much.” He muttered.
“Really? You’re okay with all that?” the half-elf asked tentatively. “You’re not going to warn me about consequences or anything?”
“Nope, you’re a big girl. Old enough to summon a demon, at least.” Subaru waved a hand dismissively. “Moving on and being the bigger person is cool and all. That takes strength. But sometimes the only way people understand how awful they’re being is when someone finally gives them a taste of their own medicine.”
“…Preferably without, y’know, actually becoming worse than them.”
Emilia stared at him, at a complete loss for words.
“I’m… I’m not crazy,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Subaru tilted his head. "Huh? Did you say something?"
“I’m not crazy!” Emilia said, louder this time. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she laughed, almost unable to believe the words herself.
“I’m not crazy for hating them! I’m not wrong! I’m… I’m not a monster.”
Subaru blinked. He wasn’t expecting that. Emilia was looking at him like he’d just descended from the heavens and handed her the answer to every problem she’d ever had.
Which was… admittedly a bit uncomfortable.
He scratched the back of his neck, suddenly unsure what to do with all that admiration. “Uh… yeah. Anyway.”
Clearing his throat, he straightened up and tried to get back into character.
“However…” Subaru purred, flashing a sharp, sinister grin to tease and scare her. “I need to ask if you’re really prepared to pay… THE PRICE!”
He crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.
“You know how these things usually go, right? Soul-binding, eternal servitude, blood oaths… the whole nine yards,” Subaru said, his eyes turning a ruby redd.
“A price?” Emilia scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Of course there's a price. Nothing in this miserable world comes without one.” she smiled bitterly. “But I’ve already given away pieces of myself more times than I can count. What’s one more?”
She stepped closer to him. “Name your price. Whatever it is, I’ll pay it. My heart, my dignity… I don’t care.” Her eyes hardened. “So let’s get this over with.”
Subaru froze for a moment.
“Well… uh… y’know…” he muttered, looking away from her as a sudden wave of embarrassment hit him. Even he knew what he was about to say sounded ridiculous.
“Would you, um… maybe… be my wife?”
He immediately raised his hands in front of his face, bracing himself in case Emilia actually hit him for asking something so random and absurd.
“Pretty, please?”
???
“Your wife?” she repeated, staring at him for a moment before letting out a disbelieving laugh. “Are you serious right now? I just summoned you to help me get revenge on everyone who’s ever wronged me… and your first request is for me to marry you?”
She shook her head, still unable to believe what she was hearing.
“Really?”
Still, despite how absurd his request was, Emilia found herself considering it.
The idea of having a place in the world… of being something other than everyone’s target, even if it was only because of a contract, was strangely tempting.
“And what exactly does being your wife mean?”
“Okay, listen. You probably already guessed this, but… Hell?” Subaru pointed a thumb at himself. “SUPER annoying place to live.”
He paused, thinking for a moment.
“Well, for me anyway. For you guys? Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s the worst kind of punishment imaginable. Anyway! I spent years studying, searching and stealing every ritual text, artifact, and resource I could get my hands on all for one single purpose: escaping that place.”
Emilia stared at him.
“So… the reason you answered my summoning was because…” she trailed off.
Subaru threw his hands up as if the answer should have been obvious.
“I just wanted out.”
“So you’re probably wondering why I specifically asked you to be my wife, right?” Subaru said, pointing at her. “Well, you guessed it… I need your soul.”
Emilia’s expression immediately changed.
“Wait! Now hold on a second! Not in the creepy demonic way!” he quickly added. “I don’t need to eat it or anything. I just need to bond with it.”
He tapped his chin, trying to explain it.
“Basically, once our souls are connected, our fates get tied together. Same realm wavelength, same existence frequency, whatever you wanna call it. The important part is that I can stay in this world with you.”
Subaru spread his arms proudly.
“Meaning you get your revenge, I get to escape Hell, and nobody has to deal with me disappearing back there. Pretty good deal, right?”
“And besides all that…” Subaru looked away for a moment. “I just… don’t want to be alone anymore, y’know?”
“Not alone...” Emilia repeated quietly. She looked at Subaru and smiled. Feeling a new sense of purpose beyond just revenge.
“Yeah. I can live with that deal.” She extended a bloody hand toward him. “I accept.”
Subaru’s face lit up, and he eagerly shook her hand. “Awesome! Contract sealed! So, where are we dropping our first curse Emilia-tan~?”
Emilia sighed, shaking her head. Somehow, despite everything, she found herself smiling.
“The village,” she replied. Her voice was gentle. Almost sweet. “Let’s go introduce them to my husband.”
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