The dark divine energy burned Asmodeus in a violent, corrupted flame. Yet he refused to scream and draw attention from the other women. He endured the agony of being eaten from the inside, the divine energy gouging deep into his physical and spiritual bodies.

"Ngh.... Hrrk...."

A thick and putrid flow of blood vomited from his lips the moment it touched the wooden table, melting the entire thing. It created a foul, sour stench while sizzling through anything it touched, but after being exposed to the air, it soon vanished.

''I feel weak...'' Asmodeus leaned over Levia, but his arms became weak, trembling slightly as he fell onto her soft body. He closed his tired eyes, cushioned by her soft and spongy breasts, causing the knight to let out a low groan, but her eyes only flickered. "Are you alright... Levia?"

Even though his body felt like it screamed in pain and began falling apart, Asmodeus only cared for her. In the past, Levia made a great mistake, but from the moment she swore that oath to him to him. She never broke her vow to him or acted like in the past.

"Haa... it feels like my insides are on fire. The taste is sour like rotting meat..."

[You idiot...]

[That divine flame will keep burning and never assimilate into your power! It will hurt you, make you suffer... all because I failed you!]

Asmodeus couldn''t show weakness because it wouldn''t be only this lovely woman crying in his mind who would suffer. Leviathan and Serena would never be able to cope if he succumbed to this paltry power.

''I won''t fall, nor will I submit... Serena, do not blame yourself. It was my choice and if I had to consume even more to save you.'' He stopped for a moment, feeling something twisting his core. Most likely the divine power and pain she mentioned. ''I would happily do the same!''

[Idiot... Idiot... what if you don''t get lucky next time?!]

''Ah... how blessed am I? A demon king who won the love of his goddess!''

[Don''t make jokes... I will Descend to that place just to slap you!]

''Come, I will throw you down and take you right then...'' Asmodeus didn''t want to let Serena worry, but even though he tried. She could feel his pain and thoughts. Their link felt closer than anyone but him and Yumiko.

[...]

Serena knew he was lying and that his teeth biting together revealed his lie. Yet she couldn''t call him out and didn''t deny her feelings.

It was never her intention, but the more she met him and spent time with him, those barriers that blocked her emotions and made her remain a divine being shattered. Now, he was nothing more than a divine fox in love with a demon king, as he said.

[I will give you more of my power—]

''Stop right there!'' His mind was stern, the voice reaching Serena like a warning, causing her to gasp. ''I will refuse, you know I would never accept it. This energy inside me, I will defeat it on my own! You need your power to help me kill that bastard!''

''Master looks different... his hands keep touching me, different from before...'' She couldn''t help but feel a sense of pleasure no matter where he touched her. Asmodeus caressed her cheeks, the cold yet smooth skin pleasant to touch while she closed her eyes, maybe to savour the moment.

"Levia, you sacrificed yourself for me..." He paused, his hand brushing the soft hair from her face while looking at her. "How can I ever repay your loyalty and kindness?"

"I... I am... a demon... and you are my King... Haa..." She couldn''t bear to look into his eyes. Her cheeks turned red from how she reacted to his touch. Levia tried to stop him, noticing her erect nipples and the warmth spreading through her body.

"Am I just your master or just a King, Levia?" He whispered to her, his low voice echoing in her ears. The way he spoke made Levia''s mind grow blank, and before she could react, she found herself speaking the truth.

"You are the man I craved, even before... I wanted to betray my goddess to have you, so she punished me for my jealousy and madness."

Levia covered her lips, the words that came out shocking her. Yet, she knew they were the truth, the reason her Goddess abandoned her in the past and used her to attack him at that moment. She couldn''t deny anything after becoming his paladin.

Asmodeus sighed. ''I never expected her to be so honest and pure. So that''s why she did those things.'' Even though he knew, he kept smiling while looking down at her.

"So you are jealous of Yumiko and the other women? You wanted me to yourself... is that it?" He asked her with a deep, low tone. He couldn''t stop himself from adding a hint of his arrogance and possessive desire to his voice, making Levia shiver at his words.

"You know the answer, Master... that kiss wasn''t an order from the goddess. From the moment we met I found you to be different, I wanted you to be mine."

Her eyes narrowed before finally extending a hand to touch his cheek, the firm muscles and smooth skin causing her to stroke them. "It was Alicia, at first... she got in the way, and it made me crazy when Erika and Yumiko appeared."

''I can''t believe she''s being so honest...'' He didn''t order her or use his authority as demon king to do this. The only thing he did was stop holding back the scent of lust his body produced after accepting the sin. ''Maybe, this scent... does more than make women wet and horny.''

"I see..." Asmodeus didn''t want to punish her that much anymore. He still felt angry at her actions, and the sight of Levia made him feel conflicted. "Levia, I won''t say you did the right thing, but I won''t deny what you did."

His hand stroked along her soft lips, pushing and squishing them with his thumb. Her sticky strands of saliva stuck to it, creating bridges of silvery drool as he pulled away. "Because you did those things out of your love and obsessive feelings towards me, right?"

Yet before she could answer, he slowly leaned closer, enjoying her breath blowing against his face as she became excited. Then, with a brief smile, kissed her.

There was a reason he gave her the name of a demon related to the sin of Envy. He would awaken the sin, sleeping deep within his soul with her help. Right now, he only had lust, but after this... there would be envy.

The various scenes of defeat in his memories from Serena, now Asmodeus understood.

After he clashed with the pope, maybe this is what Serena feared. Now, his goal was to unlock each of the seven sins within him. Asmodeus didn''t know why they all slept within his soul, however... if the memories of his seven failures were something to go by.

He knew he probably failed in those lives due to only having a single cardinal sin.

To fight against Mephisto, he needed them all!