Chapter 349: Test of Loyalty

Moby simply stood there speechless as he witnessed this once high and mighty man crumble and bow beneath his feet, his face covered in his own vomit he had only excreted mere moments prior.

In all his time, he had never seen something like this, which when he thought about it was rather odd. Most people would lash out at him for ruining their lives or simply beg for mercy and offer up any kind of payment. But, this is the first time someone submitted to him and asked to be his servant after a loss, especially a loss such as this. 

He did not know how to feel… The mammon seemed to be well known for his sly tactics and trickery so he was unsure whether or not he should trust him…

The original plan was to capture him and give him to the school under the pretext that he went to this gambling house in order to spy. He used his sin-mode along with his spirit mode just in case the guards were too powerful, but, he seemed to have not even needed them considering a single nightmare skill and a sneak attack was more than able to scare them out of their minds and kill them.

He looked down at the prostrating man once more deep in thought, the loud rumblings and explosions of the rooms above gradually getting louder, that along with the screams and steps of the soldiers and students alike. 

This was meant to be the part where he showed his face to the mammon to let him know that Moby Kane captured him before he erased his memories… But, now, he was completely unsure…

He was running out of time, but he was certain of an escape if it came down to it so he decided to press onwards, acting as an all mightly being like his victim believed. 

"Hmmmm… What exactly is your ability?"

"O-Oh! The mammon looked up slowly with a slight smile, almost like a dog trying to please its master. "My ability is to change my face to anyone else's I have seen before! Only that those faces will scale to my own age… Like this!" 

And as such, his face began to shift and morph, his skin dissolving into a liquid as it moved around before it once again became solid into the face of an old woman."

'Hmmmmm…. So this is why he didn't even wear a mask…' Moby thought to himself.

"Are you not able to change your body?"

"N-no my lord… that is outside of my toolkit… BUT! This ability is unique to me and me alone! No one has such a morphing ability! With this, I can hide in plain sight! I am certain it will be useful to you!"

'That's odd… He's like a doppelganger but only restricted to his face… And his face doesn't even age properly…  He can't even copy other people's power, it's just for appearances. And, with only this meagre power he managed to build an entire criminal empire… Impressive…' Moby inwardly nodded.

Now came the time where he asked the biggest question yet.

"Why should I let someone like you, well known for their sly deceptiveness join me? How can I trust you?"

"PLEASE! I have an empire of crime under my fingertips! I can get you all the money you want! I can serve as an excellent spy with my ability! I can provide you with whatever you want! I will be under your command! It is truly an honour to serve someone such as you! You are the only man to have bested me at my own game! The only man to have bested me at all! I will only bow to you! I will prove my loyalty in whatever way you want! I will endure it all!"

Even Moby was taken aback by the mammon's excess screaming.

Either he was a masochist, which Moby really doubted considering how frightened and scared he was to even be punched a single time by him, or he truly felt this strong about serving him. But, for now, what he said were only words and had nothing to back them. 

The sounds from above were slowly becoming even louder, he doubted he would have enough time to turn him into a demon, so he deeply pondered only for Avilia to speak suddenly in his head.

'You know, you can turn him into a demon in a fraction of the time if you just give him more demon essence… The only problem with that is that their chances of failure and death are almost certain. You can't even knock them out for this considering they would need to be conscious to force their body to cope. The only way to endure with their is with sheer willpower alone... Only then will it be a success…'

'Perfect…' Moby beamed hearing her words. 

"Hey, mammon, look up and face me again!"

"Y-yes sir!" He quickly waved his head up and did as he was told.

That was when Moby slowly walked even closer and placed his hands on his forehead, looking deeply into his soul. 

"Listen now and listen carefully… I will be turning you now into my eternal demon slave… After this, your soul will completely belong to me and be at my will… This is what you wanted right? But… Not everyone is worthy of the power I will bestow and are not strong-willed enough to be my servant… This process will be the most painful experience you will ever endure in your entire life… Death is almost a certainty, BUT! If you manage to endure it all, you will be granted with the honour of serving me along with the new power of a true demon… So… What will it be?"

Moby stared knives towards the mammon, and his purple-eyed gaze stabbed daggers into his opponent's heart, yet even still, he did not falter nor hesitate as he quickly nodded and responded.

"Yes! I am more than willing! I am grateful for this opportunity to display my loyalty! I will prove to you how useful I can be to you!"

"..."

"Very well… You have made your choice… Now… Suffer in my name… Bathe in my demonic energy… And birth a new as my eternal servant…" Moby's soothing voice entered his ears along with an oddly blissful sensation entering from his hands and spreading through his fingertips towards his entire body.

The mammon was in his early sixties, old and frail… The sensation he was experiencing was something completely new yet familiar at the same time… He had never felt so young, energized and rejuvenated in years…

'Is this what heaven feels like…' He could not help but smile and dive deeper into the river of bliss that flowed smoothly through his veins. He swam around and looked at the floating islands that had waterfalls falling down refilling the river along with golden clouds that kept him in the cold, refreshing shade, only slight hints of the sun shining through towards his smile. 

He went on his back and began to take in the fresh air, looking up at the birds and the beautiful mermaids swimming in the distance.

Things were absolutely perfect… 

But, like all good things… They always come to an end… Only this good thing did not last for long… 

Suddenly, that river of smooth, watery happiness began to change colour and turned into a river of boiling magma, burning him and evaporating all the water in his body in a mere instant. The golden clouds turned into a black ash and began raining down poison as he gradually sank into the magma. The floating islands slowly fell into the river of red and created waves that showered him with even more heat. The once beautiful birds and mermaids turned into harpies and quickly swooped down with spiked tridents in hand-mixed with boiling lava as they began stabbing him all over his body, their beyond disgusting, otherworldly faces laughing as they turned him into their plaything. 

"W-w-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! HELP HELP!! WHAT IS THIS!?"

The pain was unimaginable. When he thought he would finally die, his body was once again regenerated fully for him to suffer once more. It was like a tease of salvation from the pain only to be shoved back into it over, and over, and over again.

In what were only thirty seconds, it felt more like months or even years in his life, nothing on his mind other than his own survival… He continued to cry out in from the deepest depths of hell for any kind of saviour, but nothing and no one would come… He began to lose hope and lose his mind… But, that was when he suddenly remembered why he was even here… The true reality of the situation along with his purpose...

Looking from the outside, Moby patiently waited as he looked at the mammon's transformation, and from what things appeared, things were not going so great… In only a few minutes, the mammon looked several decades older and on the verge of turning into dust. The wrinkles on his hands were condensed like grains of sand and his hands looked thinner and more fragile than even the thinnest stick. 

From the angle he was grovelling on the ground, he was not able to see his face but if he were, he could only imagine how inhumane and shrivelled it would look.

'Do you think I went too far?' Moby asked Avilia in his head. 

'Maybe a little… But, it should still be possible for him to endure this. At least this is a very good test of loyalty!'

'Eh… I see I might have fucked up and gotten too greedy… The voices from above have gotten even less…' Moby inwardly sighed with eyes closed, shaking his head and massaging his temples. 

*Gawwwkkk*

But, that was when he heard a disturbing sound coming from ahead of him that made him immediately open his eyes. 

That was when he noticed the puddle of repulsive black liquid spreading underneath his feet along with a single blue message flashing brightly in his field of view. 

< You Have Created a Doppelganger Demon! >