Chapter 100

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 100: Debts Repaid, It’s Only Fair

The development of finance benefits the accumulation and concentration of capital, improves the efficiency of resource usage, humans do it, and demons are no exception.

Of course, Ode naturally understood this truth.

However, if they wanted to establish a bank, they would need help from humans, or specifically from Uesugi Kiyoshi. After all, aside from Nakasone Kazuko, no one else could harness soul energy, which naturally prevented any possibility of corruption.

If demons were allowed to participate in soul energy trading, it would be like letting a monkey guard the peach garden.

With his and Uesugi Kiyoshi’s combined efforts, the first Hell Bank was quickly established.

Yukichi Yokoi was honored to become the bank’s first employee.

After leaving the research institute, she took a car to a small town in Nagano Prefecture.

In the town, there was an abandoned hot spring inn called "Hell’s Soup."

From the outside, this inn appeared to be a normal residential house. It was said that the owner, against the advice of family members, transformed the house into an inn based solely on ancestral dreams.

This action had not been approved by the authorities, so the inn was closed shortly after opening, and the owner disappeared without a trace, leaving the inn abandoned.

In the eyes of the town residents, the "Hell’s Soup" inn was a broken ruin.

But to Yukichi Yokoi, the business here was booming. Countless demons came and went, and the half-human, half-ghost innkeeper stood at the door, welcoming guests warmly.

She was a regular customer here.

As soon as Yukichi Yokoi entered the inn, all the demons bathing in the hot springs looked at her and smiled. Some shouted, "Yukichi Yokoi, I heard that your theory of death has been solved by humans!"

Without replying, she told the demon innkeeper, "Two clocks of hot spring water, please." She then reached out her hand and transferred the amount of a single person’s soul energy.

The demons deliberately shouted loudly, "You must have been recruited by the researchers, right?"

Yukichi Yokoi widened her eyes and said. How can you accuse me without any evidence…

"What evidence? I saw you being tied up and taken away by the researchers just a few days ago."

Yukichi Yokoi blushed, her horns on her forehead faintly visible, and argued, "What researchers… I am now under Lord Ode’s command!"

The demons all laughed together, and the inn was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

How could a mere Little Devil, a lowly fellow, dare to use Lord Ode’s name?

Yukichi Yokoi, with a disdainful look, snorted coldly, revealing his true form.

A powerful aura swept through the entire inn, catching all the customers off guard and making them fall to the ground.

"What, what is this?"

"This is the soul energy that Lord Ode lent me, enough for five thousand people, and it’s interest-free. With such powerful soul energy, one can even apply for their own strangeness!"

Yukichi Yokoi enjoyed the envious glances around him, and proudly took out a flyer from his pocket.

"Not only me, but all of you can also become customers of the newly established Hell Bank, for savings or loans. All guaranteed personally by Lord Ode. It’s a rare opportunity, don’t miss out!"

The news of Hell Bank’s establishment quickly spread to all the demons. After a brief observation, it triggered a frenzy of deposits.

To demons, soul energy is power. They can increase their power by absorbing souls without permission. The only way to gain power is through hard training.

Now, all you have to do is fill out a form and sign your name. Then you can sit back and watch your strength increase. It’s simply a huge surprise.

Compared to that, lending out soul energy results in a smaller increase in power.

Regardless of whether the strange application is successful or not, a considerable amount of soul energy needs to be paid. Even if a few Little Devils team up, it’s hard to repay.

Continuing like this will not only fail to make a profit, but the interest paid will soon bankrupt the entire bank. Ode, as the guarantor, will also inevitably be left with nothing.

"So this was your intention!" Ode found Uesugi Kiyoshi and said through gritted teeth, "But you know having me is better than not having me!"

"No one wanted this to happen, but I think we can still fix things!"

"How can we fix it?"

Uesugi Kiyoshi handed over the new product introduction form that he had personally drafted.

"To expand our loan services, in addition to offering strange large loans, should we also provide smaller loan options?"

……

Inside the "Hell’s Soup" inn, two demons stood on either side, looking serious, ready to duel at any moment.

Private fighting is unforgivable, but dueling is allowed, with the reason being unimportant.

This compromise policy was also created to ease the demons’ bloodthirsty desires.

Before the duel began, the demons watching nearby started discussing.

"Who do you think will win?"

"Ogiket has an energy value of 1800, while its opponent Mulikis only has 1500, the answer is clear."

The words of an elderly demon prompted the other demons nearby to nod in agreement.

Inside the arena, Mulikis also heard the voices and clenched his teeth.

"Do you think you’ve already won?"

"What if not? There’s a difference of 300 energy points!" Ogiktek retorted gracefully.

"That’s not necessarily the case…"

The duel horn sounded, Mulikis made the first move.

He took out a card from his pocket and shouted, "I activate Duel Loan! According to the effect, I gain 750 energy points!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the card disappeared into the air, and a dazzling white light appeared out of nowhere, flowing into his body.

"I didn’t expect it to be Duel Loan!" The old demon’s face changed instantly.

A demon who had just returned from the human world curiously asked, "What is Duel Loan?"

"This is the newest type of loan offered by Hell Bank, with a duration of ten minutes. For each minute exceeded, fifteen percent interest is charged. Therefore, Mulikis’s energy value is now 2250!"

Mulikis laughed heartily, saying, "Now the difference is 450!"

Faced with the soaring combat power of Mulikis, Ojiket remained calm and took out two more cards from his pocket.

"I activate Duel Loan! By its effect, I gain 900 energy value, then activate Startup Loan, gaining 360 energy value according to its effect!"

Startup Loan: Duration of one week, with fifteen percent interest charged for each day exceeded.

The gap suddenly widened to 3060: 2250.

"Are you the only one who knows how to take out loans?" Ojiket sneered, "My credit limit is higher than yours!"

"Darn it, then I activate Image Consumption Loan…"

"I play Medical Loan…"

…

Both sides were getting more and more powerful, forcing the evil demons watching to step back. Just as even Hell’s Soup was about to collapse, two beams of light suddenly disappeared at the same time, leaving behind two withered bodies standing stiff in place on the field.

And the judge swung the white flag with all his heart and soul.

"It’s a tie!"

The new demon licked his lips and asked, "What’s going on?"

"Oh, they forgot to keep track of time, so the interest kept piling up until it became too much to repay, and naturally they got repossessed!" explained the old demon.