"W-who are you?" Belial inquired with a quivering tone.
Being a demon, the pain wasn't the issue for it, but the problem was the moment the human gripped its body, all the demonic energy dried up, leaving only the physical body with flesh and a nervous system.
First, it got severed connection from the main body, then even got all the energy dried with no way to escape from this physical body, which was causing it enough pain to tremble even in its soul.
So, in conclusion, Belial was stuck here.
And this young man knew everything about it, causing even the hope to use any of the forbidden techniques here to be useless, which was already proven from the previous attempts.
"Belial, you don't know me, but I am well aware of you, your weaknesses, and the fear you have," Ryuk said, looking down at the demon coiled with gritted teeth, eyes glaring back at him with those flame-filled eyes which were still strong enough to not fade away.
"I... What do you want?" Belial's mind was filled with several thoughts, the ones bombarding it were those confident words from that human.
"Nothing, just simply everything you can give me," Ryuk leaned down, also causing Esme to lean due to her fingers interlocked with him, both kneeling before he again stated, "Do as I say, since you don't have any other choices. It may seem you can escape with your soul intact, but if I can erase your demonic energy, then it's obvious that I can erase your soul too."
[Host, are you lying now?]
'....' Suddenly, a voice reached Ryuk's ears while he was trying to finally place the last nail towards the submission of this demon who could help him in the upcoming journey.
'Did you do your work well?' Ryuk inquired, eyes fixed on the demon while the mind focused on the results of the system's disappearance.
[Nah, I was not able to completely erase that Vomit.]
'....What was the system's name and who is its host?' Already planned everything just last night where according to any entity, after its plan was disrupted, it would have definitely come to check the reason for such a thing to occur, with this in mind a trap was set up.
The potions given to the children triggered the System behind all this to come forward, which was the only chance to know what that system was and how strong its host is, but the risk was the host all along.
Ryuk eventually needed to know about him/her to deal accordingly, and last night he found a good opportunity.
Esme wanted help, which he wanted to provide in case it would just make her claimed love come out even more.
Naturally, she loved him, and it was clear from her body language.
"Yes," Ryuk calmly replied, turning his attention towards the prone body and firmly stating, "Serve me, Belial, or face an unpeaceful death."
"Fine, I will serve you, Baster— BAM!" Belial tried to speak, but his face instantly became a cushion for a punch, with the fist digging in several millimeters deep.
"You knew that he was calling me Master, right?" Ryuk said with a blank tone, already aware that Esme's mind wasn't so dull as to confuse Belial's word 'Baster' with 'Bastard.'
"....I thought it was my moment to impress you," Esme replied in reciprocating tone, her pupils averting while hoping her actions would be appreciated instead of receiving such a response.
Though, of course, it was reassuring that her man exactly knew her intentions beforehand.
"I don't think you need to do such a thing." Speaking those words, Ryuk stretched his hand towards the already exhausted demon, ignoring Esme's current state.
"....I am sorr—" Esme began to apologize, pulling her fist back which had left a deep mark on the demon's face, but she was interrupted by the young man's next words.
"You had already done more than enough to impress me, Esme."
thump thump
'You shouldn't be that straightforward!' Esme couldn't believe how he could make such a mistake. Her heart was weak, and his words caught her off guard.
[Host, why don't you say that you just want to not be disturbed for some time?]
'...It will hurt her,' Ryuk replied before commanding again, 'Heal this demon.'
SWOOSH
Instantly, the body injuries started to heal, with the pain subsiding, and even the missing legs began to grow once again.
"H-how are you doing this, Baster?" Belial inquired, turning his eyes towards the young man, who seemed to look back at him blankly.
".... It's better you don't call me Master; I get an itching to kill you," Ryuk finally understood, realizing that Belial's tongue issue, replacing 'M' with 'B', would definitely be a source of his anger.
[ Ah, my host is being hypocritical now— ERROR!]
'Shut up.'