Even Today, the Ranker Dreams of Retirement

“…I greet you, Demon God.”

Kriksha greeted her as if he had no choice.

Just moments ago, he had been arrogantly muttering about killing the Demon Kings and the Demon God to take the Demon God’s position for himself, but he wasn’t foolish enough to openly antagonize the Demon God.

‘Just wait and see, one day I’ll become greater than the Demon God!’

Kriksha, whose outward appearance differed from his inner thoughts, laughed sinisterly to himself. Habin asked:

“So, have you been well? It’s been about a month since we last met, right?”

“Pardon?”

Kriksha wore a puzzled expression. He met the Demon God a month ago?

‘I didn’t do any such thing?’

Kriksha carefully retraced his memories but couldn’t recall anything.

‘Besides, I was on the 26th floor a month ago. How could I have met the Demon God then?’

Kriksha had been leisurely cooped up in his 26th floor office. He nudged the three-headed dog beside him with his foot.

“Do you remember?”

-Grrrr?

The dog’s heads tilted in confusion. Three heads tilting in three different directions.

It seemed this creature didn’t know either. Habin asked, sounding disappointed:

“What’s this, you really don’t know? We made a promise back then.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know what promise you’re referring to…”

Kriksha maintained his clueless expression until the end. Seeing this, Habin gave him another hint.

“You said you’d give me data.”

“Data…?!”

Thud thud thud.

Kriksha flinched.

A word that sent chills down his spine just thinking about it. A word that reminded him of the terrible past on the 26th floor.

Kriksha slowly raised his head as if malfunctioning. Come to think of it, something had felt off from the start. The Demon God’s voice was very familiar. The long, flowing hair and nonchalant tone of speech.

It reminded him of that human he met on the 26th floor.

‘No way!’

No, it can’t be, please, it really can’t be?

Kriksha shook his head creakily as if denying the reality before his eyes. However, Habin didn’t disappoint his expectations.

“Long time no see.”

As she greeted him, Habin slightly pushed down her mask so only Kriksha could see.

“Eek! Crazy human!”

Seeing that face, Kriksha trembled and convulsed.

“Hm? What did you say?”

“B-Beautiful, I said you’re beautiful.”

Beautiful.

A play on words that sounded similar to “crazy human” in Korean. Still, it was an appropriate excuse. Kriksha, barely regaining his senses, hurriedly mumbled:

“Ha, haha. It’s so great to see you again! I, of course, have been waiting for the day to meet the Demon God again!”

Unlike before, there was no trace of arrogance on his face. His expression was so servile it looked like he might prostrate himself at any moment.

‘Was this human’s true identity the Demon God?’

Even in this situation, Kriksha’s mind was racing. If Hyun Habin was the Demon God, it would explain all that tremendous power.

Kriksha added with a restless expression:

“But, but what should I do? I wasn’t able to obtain that data thing…”

Kriksha had boasted that he would surely have that data thing ready next time.

But that was just something he had said carelessly, thinking they would never meet again. After all, Kriksha didn’t even know what data was.

‘That data seems to have been very important to this Demon God.’

Deeply worried, Kriksha cursed his own thoughtlessness.

“In-Instead, if there’s anything else you need, please let me know.”

“Hm? Really? Kriksha, you’re quite kind, aren’t you?”

‘Kind my foot!’

It was the first time in his life Kriksha had been called kind. He was worried. Last time, Hyun Habin had said things like “You’re nicer than you look?” and said she’d see him again.

‘What if she keeps coming back saying I’m kind?!’

While Kriksha was lost in thought, Habin also greeted the three-headed dog standing guard beside them.

“Ah, hello to the puppy I saw last time too!”

-Whine, whine…

The dog quickly tucked its tail, seeming to remember being hit with the flat of a blade last time. When Habin patted its heads cheerfully, it trembled as if frightened.

“Oh, I didn’t notice before, but seeing it in a place like this, it’s quite cute, isn’t it?”

-Wh-Whine.

The three-headed dog avoided eye contact furtively. The right head looked right, the left head looked left.

The middle head couldn’t avoid and trembled as it received the pat.

‘Tsk, to think an elite magical beast of the Demon King’s army would look like such a scared dog!’

Kriksha clicked his tongue inwardly, but he too was smiling and bowing deeply.

“Hehe, are you enjoying the banquet?”

“I haven’t been able to eat anything because everyone kept swarming around me.”

“What? How could that happen!”

Kriksha raged as if it was his own fault and gestured to the demon he had called earlier.

“You! Bring some drinks and food right away! Hurry!”

“……”

Once again, the target was Kang Taeseo disguised as a demon.

As Kang Taeseo nodded slightly, Kriksha made a displeased face.

“How dare that fellow have such an expression before the Demon God? I should just get rid of him…”

“Get rid of what? Don’t carelessly get rid of people over something like that.”

Habin frowned. It seems this is how all the Demon Kings behaved, which is why the other demons had been reacting with fear at every word, almost fainting.

“Take it easy. Easy!”

“Yes! Of course. Despite appearances, I’m a lenient Demon King to my subordinates. I was just joking. Hehe.”

Kriksha quickly changed his expression to a friendly one and gave a servile laugh.

◆◇◆◇◆

Meanwhile, an unexpected situation was unfolding in the demons’ banquet hall.

In a dark corner hidden by pillars and curtains, a man and woman were having a heated argument.

“P-Please don’t do this!”

“Ha, are you talking back to me?”

“That’s…!”

“I wondered who the Demon God had brought, but it turns out to be such a pretty and decent succubus. The Demon God has good taste. You have just the right looks to be displayed as a decoration in my secret villa.”

The man drew closer to the woman with a mocking smile. Though he had a face as pure as a boy’s, his expression gleamed with more greed than anyone’s.

“If you don’t let go right now, I won’t stay quiet either!”

“What are you going to do? Try to call for help? From the Demon God?”

His identity was Hermit, one of the Demon Kings.

“…I didn’t expect the Demon King of Lust to take an interest in me.”

He was the Demon King in charge of Lust among the seven Demon Kings. Known for his bad behavior, demons usually tried to avoid him. Hermit snorted and replied:

“It’s quite a splendid debut. To think the Demon God of Nothingness brought someone after five thousand years, I’m too curious to bear it.”

“……”

The woman was Ipsine.

Her carefully styled hair and meticulously chosen hair ornaments from the morning were suddenly disheveled. The black pearl decorations that had fallen from her dress during the struggle rolled across the floor.

“I told you to let go!”

Ipsine glared at Hermit with fierce eyes. Though her face was pale with fear, her spirit was ferocious.

Hermit made an incredulous expression.

“Ha, are you crazy? Not knowing your place! Do you know how many demons would line up just to exchange words with me?”

“What does that matter!”

“It’s useless no matter how much you shout. Do you think you, a mere thing, can overcome a Demon King’s power?”

“…!”

“The Demon God won’t take the side of a lowly succubus like you either.”

“That’s!”

Ipsine, who had been shouting loudly, was at a loss for words. Seeing this, Hermit continued relentlessly:

“The Demon God? That person is so great that they don’t care about lowly beings. I saw earlier, they were making annoyed faces at other demons’ requests, saying ‘I don’t remember, so I’m not sure.'”

‘I don’t remember, sorry.’

‘Do you think I’d remember something from 10,000 years ago?’

The image of Hyun Habin brushing off requests with such words and quietly slipping away.

Recalling this, Hermit continued with a mocking tone:

“They said they cherished you, but is that really true? Couldn’t it be that they just said that because it was bothersome?”

“…That’s.”

“That person never gives affection to anyone. If they did, they wouldn’t have abandoned the Demon Realm in this state and disappeared in the first place.”

Hermit grabbed Ipsine’s pink hair.

“Moreover, shall I tell you an even more important fact?”

“…!”

Ignoring Ipsine, who was struggling in surprise at her hair being suddenly grabbed, Hermit whispered coldly in her ear:

“To begin with, no one would even notice if someone like you disappeared. Even the Demon God would just think, ‘Oh, a demon disappeared,’ and soon forget about it.”

“……”

Ipsine lowered her eyes with a lonely expression.

She couldn’t refute those words anymore.

“…Maybe you’re right.”

Ipsine spoke in a weak voice.

The Demon God was someone she was just grateful to for bringing her this far, despite her insignificance.

Without her having done anything properly in return, they had willingly accompanied her to the Demon King’s castle. They even publicly declared her as a cherished child in this place.

Those two things had been tremendously helpful. Thanks to that, she was able to attend the ball that seemed impossible before. And she had proper conversations with demons who could assist with her affairs.

If only Ipsine hadn’t caught Hermit’s interest, her plans could have progressed smoothly.

It had been a dream-like moment, like a sudden reversal of fortune.

But.

Her meeting with the Demon God was just a fleeting miracle that occurred due to the overlap of numerous instances of luck.

This much was already more than enough, excessively generous.

She shouldn’t hope for more.

“…Maybe the Demon King is right.”

‘I guess this is as far as it goes.’

Ipsine bit her lip, unable to hide her frustration.

Protecting her territory after losing her parents, surviving among heartless relatives.

Perhaps this was as far as she was fated to go.

Ipsine hung her head.

‘Demon God. Even though you helped me so much, I couldn’t properly repay you.’

Ipsine was saddened by the fact that she was too weak to protect what was precious to her. And she felt dejected realizing she was a being that couldn’t even be of help to the Demon God.

But at that moment.

“No.”

A sharp voice cut in between them.

“Who’s spouting such nonsense? I’m on Ipsine’s side.”

“…?”

Ipsine blinked. It was a familiar voice. The one that had been grumbling at her to do this and that since yesterday. A cold yet kind voice.

Thud, thud.

Hearing the following footsteps, Ipsine raised her head. Her eyes grew round.

“De… Demon God?”

Ipsine covered her mouth as she saw Habin approaching.

Some demons who had followed Habin were now surrounding them, murmuring.

“What’s going on here?”

“Oh! That’s the girl the Demon God said they cherished earlier!”

“We wondered where they went, but it seems Hermit-nim was up to his old tricks again!”

“Shh, watch what you say!”

“……”

Habin frowned as she saw the tears welling up in Ipsine’s eyes.

Habin, who had come close, turned to Hermit and asked menacingly:

“Hey, did you make her cry?”