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CHAPTER 66 - The 50/50 Rule
While Kei (fully recovered thanks to Nirfei) and the girls slept peacefully under the shade of a sturdy tree, Nirfei kept a close watch on every movement around them. If Kei had brought them to this place, it meant it was safe, but she preferred to avoid any mistakes.
She saw some of Kei's companions enter the base but decided not to approach them until Kei woke up, to avoid them misinterpreting her presence and attacking her. She trusted in her great power, but considering she had seen Kei kill three high-ranking demons with "ease," she preferred not to take risks. If Kei could kill two high-ranking demons in seconds, there was no guarantee his companions couldn't do the same.
Yes, Kei had used her as a weapon, but by being wielded by him, her power combined with his—she merely doubled the damage he would normally deal. Kei was powerful even without her.
And if he could do that, what was stopping his companions from being just as lethal? They could kill her before she even had a chance to open her mouth to explain the situation… Well, no, not really.
She chuckled quietly, imagining herself fighting all of them at once. Even without a wielder, she was capable of defending herself—she was even more powerful than Drin. And her vengeful personality wouldn't let her resolve a conflict through dialogue. If they attacked her, she'd defend herself, and she might even end up killing one of them. That's why she kept her distance—she knew herself too well.
"Ah…"
She let out a long sigh and lay on Kei's chest, staring intently at the tree leaves.
"Desmolfer didn't do anything."
She didn't sense the presence of humans in hell.
She didn't notice when they entered her home.
She didn't feel it when they killed her servants.
She didn't sense when they set her room on fire.
When they triggered her sexual traps.
When they killed two of her spouses.
During the fight.
And when she finally realized Kei Molfer's presence in hell, she did nothing.
Someone like her could have easily captured him, even killed him if she wanted, but she did nothing.
"She still can't perceive anything, or rather, she still doesn't want to. I wonder how she'll use the power she's gaining day by day. Power her body isn't receiving. Living weapons? More commander-level demons? A divine weapon? Ah, so many possibilities."
She raised her hand and created an image of Desmolfer with fire.
"She lost powerful demons, but that only made her stronger."
"Stronger?!" Kei shouted, startled.
The sudden yell made Nirfei leap into the air, flapping frantically to avoid falling.
"Uwaaah! Don't wake up so suddenly!"
Nirfei instinctively backed away, clutching her chest as if trying to calm her racing heart.
Kei quickly approached her, quite concerned. He had heard from Drin how powerful Desmolfer was, and hearing that she had become even stronger nearly gave him a heart attack.
"Why do you say she got stronger?!"
"Give me a second, you almost gave me a heart attack."
She took a deep breath and exhaled, repeating the process a couple more times.
After regaining her composure, Nirfei floated up to meet his eyes.
"It's because of the 50/50 rule."
"50/50?"
Kei had concluded that the Supreme God forced gods to fight on equal terms against those who challenged them, but he didn't fully understand the rules governing it.
Nirfei explained that Desmolfer wasn't planning to go out and conquer humans yet, as her demons' training wasn't complete.
The 50/50 rule isn't just a simple balance of power. It's a divine system designed to ensure neither side has an unfair advantage in a war between deities and their representatives.
The 50/50 rule: equal chances of victory for both sides. The heroes, upon being summoned, immediately matched the demons' power, and if the demons had chosen to invade at that moment, they would have won because they surpassed the heroes in experience and intelligence.
"Imagine a cosmic scale. On one side are Fravi and her heroes. On the other, Desmolfer and her demons. If one side gains too much power, the scale tips, and the system compensates by granting more strength to the weaker side."
Kei blinked a couple of times and nodded.
"Wow, wow."
"They even had the chance to kill the humans before the heroes were summoned, but they didn't."
"Huh? Wait a second. Have the demons always been able to leave hell?"
"Yes, but they didn't because, for them, killing humans is a secondary priority."
"Secondary…? Wow, wow. We have the same goal."
"Exactly. The main goal is to defeat Fravi."
According to Nirfei, even if Fravi fought Desmolfer on equal terms, it wouldn't help Desmolfer. What she wants isn't just to kill her—she wants to take her soul, her essence, her position. Desmolfer wants to become a Goddess to ensure her race's survival. She wants to reclaim what Fravi took from her: her divine power. And for that, she needs far more power.
The stronger the heroes become, the stronger she becomes. And the more demons are defeated prematurely, the stronger she becomes.
When the heroes were created, Desmolfer challenged Fravi to a fight to the death, activating the 50/50 rule. When she did, she created an artificial hell and temporarily escaped because her demons weren't warriors—they lived in peace, so she needed time to prepare. But the 50/50 rule remains in effect.
The heroes are part of Fravi's 50/50. If one of them dies, the others become stronger, as does Fravi. The same applies to Desmolfer and her demons.
"Desmolfer needs all her power to maintain her artificial hell's existence, which is why she couldn't send out more than five demons per month. She needs hell because she's not ready to face Fravi yet."
"But she could make hell disappear and conquer this world at any moment, right?" Kei said.
"Exactly. But her real plan requires more power, which is why she doesn't."
"And now that one hero is dead, the other heroes will become stronger, and not just them—it'll affect the demons and Desmolfer too."
"And that means…" Nirfei said, staring intently at Kei.
"More demons will start appearing in the world," Kei said, feeling the weight of the situation grow heavier on his shoulders.
Now with more power, Desmolfer will be able to release a larger number of demons to kill humans and keep the heroes occupied.
Demons will die, but they'll gather more information about the heroes—their fighting styles and ways of thinking. And though it sounds bad, the demons end up benefiting more.
"The more demons die, the stronger both sides become, since they're tied to the 50/50 rule."
"And you, as a neutral party, won't benefit. You're neither part of the heroes nor the demons. You'll have to keep up with them every time they climb the power scale."
Kei let out a sigh so long and deep it seemed to deflate him, and he lay back on the grass.
"Ugh, dude. Desmolfer shares the same main goal, but she's dead set on killing humans."
"I doubt she'll let go of her hatred, considering she's been planning her revenge for over 1,000 years," Nirfei said, lying on his chest.
"Ah, yeah, I know…"
Kei closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them wide as if he'd had a revelation.
"What if I activate the 50/50 rule right now? My companions would become stronger instantly."
Nirfei let out a mocking giggle before responding.
"It doesn't work like that, naive boy. If it were that simple, any filthy peasant would fight a god. It'd only be possible if a god challenged you to a fight to the death. For a human to achieve it, they'd need to reach the power of a god."
She started floating and sat on his forehead.
"And you, my dear, are far from that level," she said, stroking his eyebrows.
"…Yeah, I know."
His expression turned sad as he mentally calculated his slim chances of reaching divine power in less than five years. But before he could sink into despair, Nirfei stretched out her fingers and gently pinched his lower lip, forcing him to flash a silly smile.
"Zius left you the materials to achieve it—you just need to prepare. Don't lose hope."
"The 10 objects…"
"Did you really think I'm just a pretty face? Hahahahaha!"
Suddenly, Kei's eyes sparkled with understanding. He remembered how easily he had defeated the demons when he wielded Nirfei in her weapon form. A genuine smile, full of renewed determination, spread across his face. If Nirfei alone was enough to defeat three high-ranking demons, having all 10 objects together would be… unimaginable to him at that moment, but he definitely knew it'd be close to godlike.
Not all was lost.
"It'll be a long road, but when you brush against the level of a god, your right to a duel will be granted. And when that happens, the final battle will begin."
"Reach the level of a god. Heh. You make it sound so easy. But well…"
With a leap, Kei stood up. His posture now radiated unshakable determination, a stark contrast to the despair from minutes earlier.
"We have to try," he said, with a wide smile.