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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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“Shall we begin?”
Sariel asked.
I glanced around the workshop.
The image of the younger Jekkiel conversing with the Demon King had vanished.
It wasn’t difficult to understand what was happening.
“Aha.”
I wasn’t surprised.
Given Sariel’s abilities, recreating a scene from the past and inserting me into it wouldn’t be difficult.
He had superimposed me onto this three-dimensional image of a past event.
I could act as if I were truly in the past, even if it was an illusion.
“Listen.”
He still refused to call me Jekkiel.
I held onto a sliver of hope as she addressed me.
“Begin. You can do this, right? Act exactly as you did back then.”
Recreating the past in this way must be consuming an enormous amount of magical power.
The fact that he was giving me this chance was, in its own way, a sign of his expectations.
It was also a crucial turning point.
If I succeeded, Sariel would dedicate himself to crafting Regita’s weapon.
“Well?”
He prompted.
“It’s entirely possible”
I replied.
“Good. Let’s see it.”
Clang—!
The hammer struck the anvil.
Magical particles coalesced, forming a specific scene.
I found myself face to face with the darkest presence in the demon realm.
The Demon King.
He was right in front of me.
Feeling his gaze, my legs trembled involuntarily.
The Demon King’s inherent aura, his presence, was overwhelming.
Any other demon would have collapsed, but I managed to maintain my composure, clinging to a semblance of dignity.
‘Absurd.’
It was almost comical.
I wasn’t facing the real Demon King, merely a magically conjured image from Sariel’s memories, yet his aura was palpable.
Was the Demon King that powerful, or was Sariel?
Likely both.
“So”
The Demon King began, leaning down slightly, “how do you intend to satisfy me? I will only be content if you offer something that surpasses my current amusement.”
“I will find a way, as always. I am the loyal Sin of Pride.”
I began to act the part of the past Jekkiel.
Portraying his demeanor wasn’t difficult.
No one dared to be disrespectful before the Demon King.
Those who were quickly ceased to exist.
I simply had to act with utmost deference.
“Hmm.”
The Demon King clicked his tongue twice.
Whether it was a sign of expectation or disappointment, I couldn’t tell.
“You will need to find that way quickly. I am not inclined to be patient. Furthermore”
He continued, “the longer the wait, the greater the anticipation. And such heightened anticipation is rarely met.”
“Is that so?”
I remained silent, my mind racing.
I hadn’t expected to be able to stall for time with the Demon King.
That was precisely why Sariel had devised this test.
“In what condition should it be presented?”
I asked.
The Demon King, ruler of the demon realm.
A being who could become the protagonist of the human world if he ever turned his attention there.
Compromise was impossible, and I had no intention of seeking it.
The past Jekkiel had found a way to satisfy the Demon King.
I didn’t yet know what that was.
I was Jekkiel, yet not Jekkiel.
There were aspects of his past I didn’t know.
Yet, a strange conviction bloomed within me.
I sensed the Demon King’s lips curve into a subtle smile.
“In what condition… you speak as if you have already decided what to offer.”
“Indeed. However, I thought it prudent to seek guidance on its presentation.”
“Raw is best. There is no need for embellishment.”
One fortunate point: the Demon King didn’t seem entirely displeased by our conversation.
He loathed lies and excuses.
Even if all conditions were met, he would reject anything that didn’t pique his interest.
Yet, he was focused on our exchange, more so than usual.
He was anticipating something.
“However, Demon King, may I make one request?”
His response was as hard as stone.
“A request? What kind of request? You are in no position to ask anything of me.”
“I have a certain conviction. A conviction that you will be pleased.”
“Aha.”
He nodded.
“Such conviction intrigues me. I am curious to see what you will offer. Speak your request.”
“It is simple.”
Maintaining this conversation was draining, consuming vast amounts of life force, but I pressed on, striving for composure.
“If you are pleased, I ask that you cease your interest in Christine. That is my request.”
“……”
He fell silent.
Adding this condition might seem unnatural, but recalling the Demon King’s words about Christine when I relinquished my Sin status, I knew they must have made such an agreement.
And this was the moment it would have been made.
The Demon King continued to stare at me.
The surrounding mana fluctuated wildly.
his displeasure was causing the very mana to tremble in fear.
Of course, mana didn’t experience fear, but the sensation was palpable.
“…How very impertinent.”
He took a step towards me.
The drain on my life force intensified, but I refused to yield.
“It is not”
I replied.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t as defiant as it sounded.
“You claim it is not an impertinent request?”
“Indeed. I merely have confidence that I can satisfy you.”
Satisfy.
Satisfy.
The Demon King seemed to savor the word, then nodded silently.
The turbulent mana gradually calmed.
“Very well. If I am pleased, I will grant your request.”
He seemed both intrigued and skeptical.
In his millennia of boredom in the demon realm, he had likely never encountered anyone with such audacity.
Even defiance, a cause for execution, could be forgiven if it amused him.
Boredom was his greatest enemy.
“Show me now.”
The agreement was made, but the final act remained: the presentation.
He stared at me, not simply looking, but seeing through me, observing my very soul.
I, in turn, looked at Jekkiel.
“Yes.”
The Jekkiel before I inhabited this body.
The master of this form.
A being driven solely by loyalty to the Demon King, willing to sacrifice even his family to gain his favor.
He had, in fact, cast aside everything, sending those around him to their deaths.
‘However…’
Everyone believed that, even I had, but…
‘It wasn’t true.’
The previous Jekkiel must have had his own purpose, a grander goal underlying his actions.
I had to believe that.
He was consistent, unchanging.
The ingrained dignity and composure were proof of that, as steady as the ticking of a clock.
‘Therefore…’
I placed my hand over my heart.
Thump, thump.
I felt it beating.
It was the greatest source of unease since Sariel’s test began.
Because it wasn’t Christine’s heart.
It wasn’t my heart, burdened with Ruin’s curse.
I knew.
This was the heart of the past Jekkiel, whole and untainted.
“…This is all I have to offer.”
With newfound resolve, I began to carve a magical formula onto my chest.
The Demon King exhaled softly, a sound of intrigue.
His reaction fueled my conviction, urging me onward.
And in that moment, I softly spoke the words, declaring my offering.
“I offer you my heart.”
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[bro thinks he has a heart]
