"Transgressions? I did nothing. I owe you nothing. You had a contract with Igor, not with me. Whatever beef you have, it's not with me," Iode said as he gathered his strength and stood.
"How dare you! Insolent and brazen—talking back to the Duke. How impudent!" said a lieutenant standing to the left of Valier. He wore the same outfit as the lieutenant on the right.
"I did not sign any contract with you. Igor did, not me. We have nothing to do with each other. We share no relationship," Iode stated firmly.
"No relationship, you say? Then why do you bear my emblem? Having my mark means we are connected in more ways than one—not to mention the fact that you used my power repeatedly in your home world...
Mortal, you are guilty of breaching the contract by trying to terminate the binding forcefully without fulfilling your end or offering an equivalent in return. You understand nothing of celestial law. To answer your transgression, I have decided your punishment...
From this point on, you will undergo five trials. After that, I may consider setting you free..."
"You damned devil! How many times must I say it—you have no business with me! It's between you and Igor. I'm just a victim of circumstance. If you don't want things to go south for both of us, send me back to see my kids and collect your payment from Igor!" Iode snapped, cutting Valier off mid-sentence.
"My lord, this is disgraceful! How could you let a lesser being—this worthless mortal—speak to you like that? This is rudeness of the highest order. He must be punished... by death!" the right lieutenant shouted.
"You can try. I've dealt with demons like you before. You don't scare me," Iode said with a frown.
"Filthy mortal! Your impudence has reached its peak. Die!" the left lieutenant roared.
Both lieutenants leapt from their positions and lunged toward Iode. Demons on either side of the aisle followed, all targeting him.
"Tsk... I asked nicely. Seems you want things done the hard way," he muttered.
"PARTIAL TRANSFORMATION: DRAGON MAN."
His bare, fair skin began to change—scales emerged, spreading across his arms like gauntlets. His nails curved into sharp claws. His shoulders, back, chest, neck, legs, and lower jaw were all covered in tough scales.
The scales shimmered in shades of blue and indigo. From his back, membranous wings burst forth. His brown eyes turned indigo, and his white hair took on flowing gradients of white, blue, and indigo like a cascading river. His teeth sharpened into shark-like fangs.
He soared above the charging demons and breathed plasma flames onto them, incinerating many. However, the lieutenants remained unaffected. They lunged at him midair with dark spears radiating sinister energy.
One aimed to impale him, but Iode dodged by shifting his body out of the spear's path, using the opportunity to strike back with a powerful punch to the lieutenant's chest, sending him flying.
The second appeared in a flash, ready to slash. But in his dragon form, Iode's mana converted into draconic energy, enhancing his senses. He dodged the attack, flew behind the lieutenant, and landed a solid kick to the neck, flinging him away as well.
Still unsatisfied, Iode didn't pursue the fleeing lieutenants. Instead, he turned his focus to Valier himself.
'When I make you my punching bag, you'll have no choice but to send me back, you wannabe demons', he thought, his gaze locked on Valier, who silently observed the chaos without moving a muscle.
Flying at supernormal speed toward the seated giant, Iode suddenly froze midair—just twenty feet away.
"What?! I can't move! My whole body is frozen… Is this Valier's doing?" Iode exclaimed in shock. Suspended in the air, wings extended, his face was frozen in a stunned expression.
"How foolish of you, mortal. You thought you could go against a god and win? Your pride has calmly led you to your downfall.
My lieutenants could have handled you, but I stopped them. I will deal with your arrogance myself," Valier boomed, his voice like thunder.
He gestured—up, down, right, and left—and Iode's body followed suit, flung violently into the ceiling, the ground, and the walls a dozen times. Finally, Valier held him midair again.
"These five trials are your punishment for your insolence. Your life depends on surviving them.
Your first trial… Defeat the Great Flaming Boar."
Valier snapped his fingers, and Iode vanished.
He reappeared instantly, falling onto scorched, red ground. Deactivating his dragon form, he surveyed his surroundings. He stood on an island surrounded by flowing lava. The ground beneath his feet burned with intense heat.
Before him stood a towering, 15-meter-tall boar. Its massive tusks were engulfed in flames. Its mane burned with blue fire, and rage filled its eyes. It pawed the ground before charging.
Iode's eyes widened in alarm. He gritted his teeth as the flaming beast barreled toward him.
"Aaargh! Valier, you bastard!" he roared.