Demon

**Demons** or **Devils** (悪(あく)魔(ま)) are a tribe from Hell that oppose the gods, and live by feeding on people's emotions.

## Appearance

The appearances of demons vary, some looking like abominable, horrifying and even "stomach-turning" monsters. Others may appear to be regular human beings, albeit with demonic traits including horns, pointed tails, and bat-like wings. A demon can even look like a regular object, such as a theater mask.

According to a demon called Amaryllis, demons can choose and change their own appearance.

## Information

Demons are strictly-speaking genderless creatures, despite some of them taking on distinct male or female appearances and personalities. Full-fledged demons can possess multiple lives, and powerful ones are able to manifest only part of themselves in the living world through certain mediums while leaving the remainder in the safety of Hell, as well as having the capability to use magic or other demonic abilities.

While some low-ranking demons and their variations may need to sustain themselves with material food, the majority of them can live practically forever if provided with certain types of negative emotions from sentient living creatures. Weaker demons on the verge of losing their final life can also get their lives blown back into them by the demonic powers of stronger demons.

Despite their power and immortality, Demons can be harmed by holy water and the holy magic of priests, and are vulnerable to powerful exorcism magic. The holy aura of churches and deities as well as the aftermath of powerful holy magic can also interfere with their demonic abilities.

## Culture

The demonic culture is highly centralised on the concept of contracts, something which demons value above their lives, and will rather die attempting to hold their end of the bargain than go back on it, while also respecting the contracts entered into by other demons. This professionalism has made them a popular subject of summoning by various clients both human or otherwise, as long as the price to pay is worth it, though recently the demons started becoming tired of humans always trying to think of excuses to shirk from making their payment.

Their culture is also based on the survive of the fittest, as they usually have to survive all by themselves without protection from outsiders.

## Hierarchy

Demons and their variations are categorised into an assortment of ranks depending on their power. Low-Ranked Demons can be defeated by regular adventurers, while the High-Ranked ones require many Arch Wizards or an Arch Priest to vanquish:

### Archdemon (**大悪魔**)

* **Duke of Hell** (地獄の公爵): The top-tier rulers of Hell, they wield powers rivaling those of the gods themselves.
	+ Vanir
	+ Maxwell

### High-Ranked Demon (**上位悪魔**)

* Host
* Arnes
* Zeeleschilt
* Amaryllis

### Mid-Ranked Demon (**中位の悪魔**)

* **Doppelgänger**: Demons that not only can change their shape, but are also able to mask their demonic scent.
	+ Lugkraft

### Low-Ranked Demon (**下級の悪魔**)

* **Succubus**: Demons with the appearance of alluring women, who sustain themselves by draining the vitality of men they seduce, and view women as their natural enemy.
	+ Receptionist Succubus
	+ Newbie Succubus
	+ Carla
* **Gremlin**: Feral demons that prowl the depths of dungeons where the air is thick with magic.
* **Nightmare**: Demonic horses said to cause bad dreams.
* **Gargoyle**: Demons looking like statues that possess bodies of various compositions.
* **Servants of the Dark God** (邪神の下僕): Generic demons covered in fur that were contracted by Wolbach for retrieving Chomusuke.
* **Black Hound**: Demonic hounds of Hell that herald doom and misfortune.
* **Cerberus**: Three-headed guard dogs of Hell.
* **Incubus**: Demons with the appearance of playboys, who sustain themselves by draining the vitality of women they seduce.

### Other

* **Oni**: Demonic creatures that are ranked so low they aren't even considered proper demons on the hierarchy.

## Trivia

* Like their oppose race, the Gods, high-ranked demons also have followers, with whom they share their powers.
* Demons possess the purest and highest-quality mana.

## References

1. ↑ Explosion Light Novel Volume 2, Chapter 2
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Light Novel Volume 16, Chapter 2
3. ↑ Light Novel Volume 3, Epilogue
4. ↑ Light Novel Volume 13, Chapter 1
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Light Novel Volume 7, Interlude
6. ↑ Explosion Light Novel Volume 2, Chapter 5
7. ↑ Consulting Light Novel, Chapter 4
8. ↑ Explosion Light Novel Volume 1, Chapter 2