---

The Court of Judgment, located on the highest floor of Hell, is where those who have fallen into Hell are sentenced. The punishments they receive depend not on the crimes they committed but on who is appointed as the “Judge.” Among them, Nial of “Lust” was known for having the messiest style among Hell’s three judges. Although Nial herself would absolutely deny it.

“Where else can you find a judge as fair as me…?”

Nial handed out the same punishment to all sinners who came to Hell: to become her slave. However, if they refused, women were slaughtered, and men were castrated and thrown into any floor of Hell. The crime of daring to refuse her punishment was grave.

On the other hand, those who became Nial’s slaves were granted the privilege of serving her day and night. The strange thing was, most couldn’t last a week and ended up broken… Let’s just say Nial’s love was a bit excessive. Yes, the messiness was purely a result of her methods.

That day, Nial also showed mercy to a Dream Demon dragged into Hell, offering them the chance to live as her slave. It wasn’t something she particularly liked, giving such an opportunity to a lowly demon like a Dream Demon. However, starting as a mere monster and rising to become a demon of the Hierarchy’s Red Snow Flower, the Dream Demon’s efforts were somewhat admirable, so she decided to give them a chance.

And the Dream Demon refused Nial’s punishment. It was irritating. This is why young demons are useless even if you treat them well.

Just as Nial was about to turn the creature into minced meat as punishment, an elevator appeared out of nowhere and crushed the Dream Demon like a squashed tomato. In that absurd situation, Nial, forgetting her usual manner of speech, blurted out curses.

Creak—.

The rusty elevator door began to open.

Who dared to interfere with her fair judgment? Let’s see that face…

“……”

Nial, without realizing it, dropped the ice cream she was eating.

A tall man walked out from there. As he swept back his obsidian-black hair, sharp eyes were revealed. His gaze, filled with confidence bordering on arrogance, looked up at Nial.

At the sight she had never felt from any demon, Nial’s mouth slowly opened.

“…I’ve never seen you before.”

“……?”

“Will you become my slave?”

The words that came out of her mouth were a judgment for a prisoner. But strangely, her mouth didn’t stop there.

“Or… will you become my master?”

For the first time in her life, Nial delivered a different verdict. Her face tingled. Where on earth did this demon come from?

She didn’t know the reason, but Nial’s desire was honest. She wanted to possess him. Or be possessed by him. Paradoxically, both the desire to own and to be owned arose simultaneously in Nial’s heart.

Quietly waiting for his answer, Nial soon heard the man’s mouth open.

“…That’s enough. How do I get out of here?”

“…Huh?”

…What?

Nial’s expression stiffened. Whether he knew it or not, the man brushed off the dust on his coat and asked again.

“Didn’t you hear? I asked how to get out of here.”

“…Hey. Stranger.”

“…?”

“Do you not know who I am?”

Only then did the man glance at Nial and casually reply.

“You’re a demon, right?”

“Not just any demon!”

Nial lifted her dress to reveal her stomach. Below her pure white navel bloomed a crimson flower. The flower of the abyss, symbolizing a demon’s hierarchy, and among them, the highest rank of “Flower of Evil,” possessed by only three in Hell.

“Look! At the splendid bloom of this flower!”

Truthfully, Nial didn’t want to go this far. Hierarchy is absolute to demons. Lower demons would faint from the pressure just seeing a black hierarchy. Since the man before her was also a demon, he would kneel before her.

And as Nial expected, the man’s expression stiffened upon seeing under her skirt. But the words that came out of his mouth were completely different from what she had anticipated.

“…Tasteless.”

“…Excuse me?”

Nial even dropped the ice cream she was holding. Regardless, the man shook his head and spoke.

“And it’s too early for a kid like you to be wearing such underwear.”

“Kid? Underwear?!”

Only then did Nial realize what the man was talking about. The black lace underwear peeking from under her skirt. This man was pointing that out.

“No! No! Sir! Look at this, not the underwear!”

“Enough. I’m leaving here, so save the underwear show for someone else. If I see that again, I’ll punish you.”

“What?!”

The man, as if uninterested, took steps to find another door.

“Where do you think you’re going? Guards! Seize that man!”

Nial’s command was directed at the jailers around her.

“Baaah…”

A demon with a goat skull for a head. The creatures, burned to the bone by Hell’s flames, blocked the man. And just as they were about to point their sharp spears at him… they hesitated.

“What are you doing? Quickly, seize that man!”

“……”

No matter how much Nial shouted, the creatures showed no intention of moving.

“Ah, really! Guys! What’s wrong with you all of a sudden!”

It was strange. The jailers were demons created to subdue other demons. They were supposed to obey only those with the Flower of Evil’s hierarchy, yet they weren’t listening to Nial. They were twitching as if broken. No, upon closer inspection, that wasn’t it.

‘Are they trembling…?’

Nial doubted her eyes. The jailers were trembling before the man. Even the fierce flames of Hell they harbored were dying down like a tail lowered before its master.

And before them, the man quietly muttered in a voice filled with “Wrath.”

“Vermin…”

“Sir!!”

Nial shouted at the man.

“Sir! Reveal your hierarchy now!”

“Hierarchy?”

At that, the man tilted his head.

“I have no hierarchy to reveal to a demon.”

“What…!”

“I have no hierarchy. I’m human.”

“Human…? You’re human??”

“Yes.”

Nial scrutinized the man once more. No magical power could be felt from his body. Whether human, monster, or demon, one should have magical power… Rather, this only confirmed her suspicion. This man was a demon hiding his magical power to conceal his identity. And daring to do so before Nial, a top-tier demon.

“Do you expect me to believe such a joke? The jailers wouldn’t fear a lowly human!”

“Don’t demons have things to fear too?”

“Not me!”

Nial spoke confidently.

“Sir, you only have two choices! Become my slave or become my master!”

But the man frowned.

“…I refuse both.”

“Ahhh! Why! Why!”

“I have no interest in forming any connection with a tasteless, ill-mannered brat like you.”

“Sir!? Are you done? Do you really want to fall into Hell? Ah, no, this is already Hell! If you keep this up… I’ll have no choice but to use rough methods!”

Nial flashed her demonic eyes. Any being with a gender would be captivated by lust upon seeing her eyes. They would also feel an irresistible attraction to Nial.

“Heheh! Keep your eyes wide open! Look at this seductive figure!”

Nial lifted her skirt to reveal her underwear. Even the proud man before her would surely fall into depravity before such a provocative sight.

“……”

The man slowly walked towards Nial. He took a step up the stairs towards her throne. But… something was off.

“…Sir?”

The man wasn’t excited at all. Rather, he was calm… no, he was filled with “Wrath.”

“I clearly told you…”

As the man approached, Nial’s “Lust” was being crushed by his “Wrath.”

“Tasteless.”

“Uh… Sir?”

He was now looking down at her with eyes full of “Pride.”

“And if I see that again…”

“W-wait! Sir!?”

“I told you I’d punish you.”

The man grabbed Nial’s waist and placed her on his lap. Strangely, she couldn’t move.

“Wait! Sir! Let’s talk! Talk with me!”

“This is my way of talking.”

Ignoring Nial’s pleas, the man raised his hand. And…

Whack-!

A hand filled with “Wrath” struck Nial’s butt with full force.

 

---