I'm A Good Demon, Emperor.

"I will never join hands with a demon, NEVER! DO YOU HEAR ME!" Jude yelled with anger.

"Do you think i care what you want? your weakness has been a liability to your empire, your men, your son and your people, and in return, it's also a danger to my own people! are you really satisfied with your current state as a pathetic puppet?!" Rage's voice echoed through the room, piercing through the thick air with its intensity as he fixed his gaze upon Emperor Jude.

"Do you think I wanted to be that way? abandoned by my men? do you think I like it?" Emperor Jude sat beside Caspian, his voice laden with sorrow as he recounted the tale of his fall, "I was not always the weak and pathetic ruler you see before you" Jude began, his voice heavy with regret, "Once, I was known as the star of the eastern empire, a proud knight sworn to protect the realm"

"Caspian never mentioned that part" Rage remarked, casting a glance at Caspian, whose shocked expression surprised Rage himself.

"I knew father was initially a good emperor, that's why I stuck by his side, not just for protection against my brother but to comfort him as well, but I never knew him growing incompetent over the years was due to something out of his hands, i thought it was just the age" Caspian's eyes were fixed on his father as he listened intently.

"I sought to satisfy my insatiable hunger for honour and power, heedless of the consequences" Jude continued, his voice rising with anger. "The people demanded more of me, and I was all too willing to indulge their desires, regardless of the cost!" His fists clenched in frustration, a visible display of his inner turmoil.

His eyes clouded with shame as he continued, "It was then that I encountered an elf, it was my first time seeing an elf, a creature of beauty and deceit, who offered me a chance to gain more than I ever dreamed possible" He paused, "In exchange for a portion of my mana, the elf promised to grant me any wish"

"How is that different from a pact with a demon?" Jimmy questioned Jude's morals as he was initially hostile towards them for being demons, "And how is that even possible, Elves are spiritualists and pure creatures that live by the rules of the world tree, I knew the elves from my world, that's not a thing Elves can do"

Jude's hands trembled, his gaze haunted by the memories of his own avarice, "The more mana I gave, the more wishes I received" he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "But with each wish, I lost a piece of my soul, until there was nothing left but a hollow shell of the man I once was" Tears started forming at the corner of his eyes, "I wished to succeed my father instead of my older brother, and so they both died in the war and I succeeded the throne; I wished to conquer the lands to the west, and so I expanded my lands at the cost of my most loyal men; and the more I wished the more hollow I became, I turned from Jude the conqueror to Jude the pathetic in just ten years; the land I gained was lost, the brightest daughter I had left, my dearest wife died of illness and that's when the elf disappeared without a trace"

"Damn Jude, what a sob story" Madeen remarked with a yawn, earning a swift smack on the head from Sensei.

"The more I thought I about it, the more it made sense, just after the first signs of my fall, dark mages started eating at my lands bit by bit, human trafficking, slavery, it all started making sense, I was blinded by my greed, to not see that that woman was never an elf, but a demon in disguise" Jude's eyes started brimming with anger, "That's why I hate you, and your kind, I hate all of you!" He started yelling, "My daughter, my wife, my firstborn son, I lost everything because of you!"

"That's not correct" Rage held Jude's shoulder, "You lost all of that due to your own greed, you were powerful and mighty, you were loved by the people, you had a loving family, a great father and probably a good older brother seeing that you grieve both, why did you want to ascend the throne? who're the heroes of the myths and legends Jude? the kings? or the knights that did the work for them? even after succeeding the throne, you should've stopped, but you kept being greedy, and the demon was satisfied with eating away at your soul, I don't know about the demons in your world, but do we look anything like them?" Rage pointed at himself.

As Rage's words pierced through the tumultuous emotions swirling within Emperor Jude, a heavy silence descended upon the chamber. The weight of his own actions bore down upon him like a crushing burden, and for the first time, Jude truly confronted the depths of his own folly, it was something he avoided for years.

Caspian stood nearby, his anger simmering beneath the surface, but the realization of his father's plight softened his gaze, if only for a moment. He had always yearned for his father's comfort, yet now he saw the man behind the throne, consumed by regret and haunted by his past mistakes, he couldn't bring himself to forgive him, but he couldn't bring himself to blame him either.

Jude's fists clenched as he struggled to contain the torrent of emotions raging within him.

Rage's grip on Jude's shoulder tightened, a silent reminder of his presence amidst the chaos of emotions. "You must face the consequences of your actions" Rage spoke with a solemnity that cut through the air like a blade. "But redemption is not beyond your reach. You have the power to change, to make amends for the sins of your past"

Jude's gaze lifted, meeting the unwavering stare of the demon lord. In that moment, he saw not a creature of darkness, but a reflection of his own inner turmoil. For perhaps, buried beneath the layers of regret and despair, there still flickered a glimmer of hope.

With a heavy sigh, Jude straightened his posture, the weight of his past slowly beginning to lift from his shoulders. "I have much to atone for" he admitted, his voice tinged with resolve. "But I will not let my legacy be defined by my failures. I will reclaim what I have lost and rebuild what I have destroyed, even if it means putting my trust in a demon one more time"

Caspian stepped forward; his expression softened by a newfound understanding. "Father" he began, his voice tentative yet filled with hope, "together, we can right the wrongs of the past and forge a new future for our empire"

"I'm offering you a chance Jude, I know you hate demons, and trust me, I hate certain demons too, but we are different, you see how much we're loved by the humans of our world, this has to tell you something doesn't it?"

"Now that I think about it, I find it weird that the humans of your world trust you" Jude contemplated.

"See? we're the good guys, but for now we have to return you to your good guy image as well" Rage smirked as he looked at Jimmy, "Jimmy, how many pact slots do you have?" He questioned.

"Seven" Jimmy answered eyeing Jude.

"How about it? are you ready to make a deal with the devil?"