"If you can guarantee no future conflicts, I won’t lay a finger on you."
The Great Demon King, sporting a hefty -300 favorability rating, spoke flatly as she tossed the pebble in her hand carelessly onto the ground before me. It let out a crisp clatter.
"Mhm! Mhm! Mhm!!!" My head bobbed like a pecking chick. "As long as you girls stop bothering us boys from now on, we won’t continue this pointless war."
Honestly, I wasn’t too confident she could control those girls who despised me.
But for now, her promise was enough.
After sealing this verbal peace treaty, the tension in the air finally eased.
Still, I couldn’t fully relax.
Here I was, facing a Great Demon King girl who held a crushing -300 favorability toward me.
And that treaty only stopped the boys and girls from fighting—it didn’t mean she wouldn’t attack me personally.
Facing such a terrifying woman, I dared not let my guard down for a second.
"So… how do we get out now?"
After a stiff pause, I broke the silence. Earlier, if we worked together, only one could escape while the other waited for rescue.
But what if the one who climbed out first never came back? The one left behind would be doomed!
That’s why I hadn’t even considered helping her escape when she used me as a stepping stone.
Seeing no reply, I ventured again: "I—I think with my weight, you might manage. How about I go first, then pull you out?"
The moment those words left my mouth, she shot me a vicious glare. A terrifying pressure surged from her, flooding my senses like an endless tide of power.
"Don’t! Don’t do anything crazy!! If you refuse, fine—but no scary moves!!" I yelped. "Think of your parents and grandparents! What happens if you hurt someone?!"
My voice dripped with sorrow and despair, as if tragedy had already struck my family.
Strangely, it worked. The darkened Great Demon King girl calmed down, staring at me coldly.
"I can’t trust your character."
She turned away, walked to a corner of the pit, and sat on a large boulder.
"What’s wrong with my character? It’s perfectly fine…"
I muttered, rubbing my nose. Her icy attitude irked me—if only I stood a chance against her, I’d have rushed over and given her a good thrashing.
"If we can’t cooperate, we’ll just wait here…"
I sighed, plopping down on the ground.
I picked up a smooth pebble, examining it. If these stones weren’t so slick with dew, I could stack them to climb out. But they’d collapse underfoot instantly.
No phone either—kids our age in the countryside never had them. No way to call for help.
Without teamwork with this terrifying Great Demon King, escape was impossible.
Time crawled. We sat silently on opposite sides of the pit, neither speaking.
The mountain air swallowed all sense of time.
Eventually, the fading light above reminded me: summer dusk was near. Kids should be heading home to their mothers.
Maybe Grandpa or her parents would notice we were missing and come searching.
But as the sun set, mosquitoes swarmed. To them, we were two bright lamps—delicious cakes begging to be devoured.
Both of us jumped up, flailing wildly to shoo the pests away.
*Tch. Even the mighty Great Demon King loses her cool against mosquitoes.*
I smirked inwardly at her frantic dance.
But if this kept up, things would get worse.
"Look—I promise I’ll get you out after I climb up."
Desperate to avoid mosquito bites, I broke the silence.
"…"
Her resolve seemed to waver. No girl wanted to be covered in bites. She fixed me with a stare that made my skin crawl.
"If you break your word, I’ll find you once I’m out."
Her icy tone sent shivers down my spine.
"…Y-yes…" I swallowed hard.
But her words hinted agreement—she’d help me up first.
"Come here. You get one chance. Fail, and I kill you."
The Great Demon King crouched, her crimson eyes glinting eerily in the dim light.
*…Is she really some non-human demon?*
Forcing down my dread, I crept toward her.
"T-thanks for this."
I edged closer to the crouching middle-schooler, throat tight.
"…"
She stayed silent, swatting mosquitoes.
Soon, I stood before her.
"Don’t try anything weird. Or I’ll turn you into a girl."
Her sudden threat made me flinch.
"Hey! I’m nine! What could I even do?!" I whined, kicking off my flip-flops and tossing them out of the pit.
Bracing against the wall, I placed my foot on her shoulder.
She rose slowly, lifting me until my head cleared the rim. I glimpsed the outside world.
For adults, this pit wasn’t deep—a good jump would clear it. Desperation makes even the weak strong.
If I couldn’t climb out from here, I might as well use a life-reset gun.
I grabbed a clump of wild grass and heaved myself up.
Thankfully, my country-bred stamina held out. City kids might’ve failed.
Panting on the grass, I shouted down: "I’ll save you now!!"
I scrambled up, slipped on my flip-flops, and searched the woods.
Dusk lingered, but visibility was decent.
I found a slender sapling just taller than me and dug at its roots with bare hands.
No tools meant no time wasted fetching help. Besides, after her threat, abandoning her wasn’t an option.
Even with -300 favorability, she listened to reason. I couldn’t betray that trust.
Its roots were shallow—most snapped with a tug.
Soon, the sapling was free.
*(Sapling: I’ve got some damn words to say, but I’ll hold my tongue.)*
I sprinted back to the pit’s edge, lowering the leafy end.
"I’m back! Grab the branch—I’ll pull you up!!"
