I was Reincarnated as the Youngest Child of a Villainous Noble Family Who Controls the Kingdom from Behind the Scenes

"Alfis, just realizing it now? You thought you dodged the attack, but you were well within its range."

"Can't do much about what you can't see."

It was probably when I got hit by the Rotting Sword, Zereotte Sword.

Its range is short, but its power is disproportionately high.

Even if the blade itself didn’t land, the miasma-like energy it released when swung must have coated me.

Think of it like a sneeze—droplets can travel several meters.

Same principle. I took in the lingering remnants of the Zereotte Sword’s slash.

If I had to reflect on anything, it’s that I shouldn’t have engaged in close combat. But the first strike had already been unleashed.

The result probably wouldn’t have changed much.

This is the kind of thing that eats away at you slowly, like poison.

The fact that it’s hard to notice makes it all the more insidious.

"Lushel, let’s do it."

"Will it work...?"

I place my hand on Lushel’s head and focus intensely.

My body is enveloped in a dark mist, scattering into the surroundings.

"Whoa! Alfis’s body—!"

"A-Alfis! Y-you don’t have to push yourself! Big sis will pamper you later... a-and a bath...!"

The headmaster and the others are in an uproar.

Meanwhile, my sister is sitting there, weirdly excited.

Even at a time like this, she’s hoping I’ll lose? Gross.

"That form... an angel? No..."

Eric’s shock is understandable.

My entire body is dyed in shadowy black, and the four wings spreading from my back defy description—neither angelic nor demonic.

If I had to compare, I’d say a fallen angel.

"Summon: Next."

When I declare this, Eric flinches.

He must be shocked, thinking it was his own trump card alone.

"H-how do you have that?!"

"Don’t lump yours in with mine. The contract terms are different."

"Contract terms?!"

"Lushel and I have a Subordination Contract. She swore to live for me, body and soul. It’s not something you guys could ever establish."

Not just Eric—even the headmaster and my sister seem unable to comprehend.

Well, of course. They’re still at the research stage of summoning magic.

"A Subordination Contract... No way..."

"Figured it out? Yours is just a contract where demons lend you power. Lushel and I are in a complete master-servant relationship built on trust—not some one-sided deal forced on you by random demons."

"A one-sided deal?! That can’t be!"

"Muto had his lifespan taken by Deathl. Shemna lost control of her power. And you’re being taken over. You’ve all been tricked into unfair contracts without realizing it."

This is the terrifying part of demon contracts.

That’s why, in principle, you should only make one after fully understanding a demon’s nature.

Carelessly diving in can lead to losing something without noticing—or falling into a trap, like Shemna did.

In a way, my contract with Lushel is also unfair.

After all, Lushel gets nothing out of it.

But she chose to make the contract willingly.

It’s simple, but this kind of thing only works with absolute loyalty.

Do you think Deathl, Muha, or Gyurem would ever pledge loyalty to a human?

Probably not.

"Now then, brace yourself. I’m probably way stronger than you."

"Your legs are useless! Go ahead and let me hunt you down!"

"Which legs are you talking about?"

"Huh? Now that you mention it... why...?"

My legs healed long ago.

Eric, who thought he had the advantage, is visibly shaken.

"Before Lushel’s regeneration, everything returns to normal."

"R-regeneration?! Damn it! I thought she was just some useless hanger-on, but she’s trouble!"

"Can’t blame you for thinking that."

"But I’ll win! There’s no way Gyurem—one of the Thirty-Two Pillars of the Demon World—could lose to some nameless girl!"

Eric, fused with Gyurem into a demonic form, swings his twin Zereotte Swords.

The slashes tear through the air, leaving behind floors rotted into sludge.

He fires them relentlessly, intent on shredding me to pieces.

"Ahahaha! Surely this is the en—"

"Flick."

I flick away a few of the slashes, and they vanish.

"Wha—? H-how?"

"No trick. Just a difference in strength."

"This is Gyurem! One of the strongest of the Thirty-Two Pillars!"

"Then it just means Lushel is on a whole other level. Oh, and I forgot to mention—I can also do this."

I move one hand, and a dome of darkness spreads through the room, plunging everything into blackness.

This is Dark Sphere.

Thanks to Lushel’s power, I can draw out far more magic than usual.

"I can’t see anything...!"

"But you can still rot things, right?"

"Where are you?!"

"Right here."

I’m standing right in front of Eric.

His breathing shifts to relief as he realizes this.

"Then I’ll just rot you like before... Huh? Why... aren’t you... affected?"

"I’m just regenerating faster than you can rot me."

"N-no way... So my attacks are..."

"Sorry to say, but they’re nullified."

As I channel power into my demon sword, Eric lets out a faint scream.

Finally realizing the gap between us, huh?

"Gy-Gyurem! Do something!"

The moment he shouts, a black-cloaked man bursts out of Eric.

His face is far from beautiful—fangs bared, eyes a murky yellow.

The anger of having his playground disturbed is written all over him.

"You wretched, insignificant lower life-form...! That girl—she’s of the angel race! I thought they’d gone extinct long ago!"

"You and your buddies must be terrified, huh? The same angel race that nearly wiped you out."

"Then we’ll just exterminate them again! I shall bring an end to all ugly creation—Unhappy World!"

Gyurem tries to peel away the darkness, reshaping it into his own domain.

But from within the blackness, countless hands stretch out, restraining him and halting the spread of his Unhappy World.

"W-what is this...?! How dare you stop me...!"

"Darkness is formless. This entire Dark Sphere is a Shadow Servant."

"Guaaaaaaah—!"

Gyurem’s eyes are gouged out, his arms broken.

In the darkness, he’s assaulted as if by an unseen force, his limbs being torn apart.

"This... can’t be...!"

"It’s futile. I told you—it has no form. You can’t resist or tear it away."

Gyurem can’t touch it, but the darkness ravages him.

His neck is crushed, his body on the verge of total destruction.

It’s like those horror movies where something attacks you in the dark.

This is that same fear and unseen force made real.

"Y-you... brat...!"

"Darkness Slay."

My strongest strike—a demon sword slash infused with destructive energy.

No matter how strong Gyurem is, destruction can theoretically annihilate anything.

I’ve held back until now to make this one decisive blow.

After all, my opponent is one of the Ten Pillars of the Thirty-Two, among the strongest.

These monsters are unpredictable—half-measures could backfire.

As the Shadow Servants coil around him, despair fills Gyurem’s eyes.

"No... STOP—!"

With a final scream, Gyurem vanishes into the massive dark slash.

The destructive wave of Darkness Slay severs not just his body but his soul.

"...How ugly."

Gyurem’s remaining head, tongue lolling out, is a pitiful sight.

But even that is soon swallowed by the darkness.