Chapter 166

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Cold raindrops touched Eugene’s cheek.

One drop, then two.

The dark clouds shed tears.

The rain gently tapped against the quiet stillness.

His jet-black hair became damp, soaked through.

A faint light flickered in his blue eyes, which had been shadowed.

Eugene stared at the girl before him. The girl wearing the red fox mask. She approached with light steps, waving her hand as if greeting an old friend. 

To Eugene, everything about her seemed repulsive. But surprisingly, his emotional turmoil was brief. He suppressed the heat that was evaporating the raindrops. Calming his intense impulses, Eugene gripped the hilt of his sword.

“Are you… stalking me?”

This was their third meeting.

The first was during field training.

The second was at the cherry blossom festival.

And now, at the national cemetery.

Back then and now, Astaroth had appeared out of nowhere.

She approached naturally, greeting him as if nothing had happened.

Even if the first two times were startling, it was becoming familiar by the third.

“Ahaha, stalking? Me?”

Astaroth shrugged her shoulders as if pretending to be hurt.

“There’s no way someone as cute as me could be a stalker. If anything, I’m the one being stalked.”

“Hmm. That kind of talk would be more convincing if you showed your face.”

The red fox mask.

Her symbol, seen many times before.

Eugene narrowed his eyes. That woman had worn the same fox mask. A mask as red as blood, just like Astaroth’s.

The falling raindrops. In the silence of the place, only the sound of rain wetting the world echoed softly. 

Moisture flowed over countless tombstones. The rain also soaked the flowers Eugene had brought. Astaroth stopped a few steps away from Eugene. 

Just five steps. A distance that could be closed in an instant, practically nonexistent.

‘…She’s ridiculously strong.’

Eugene swallowed a hollow laugh. You see what you know. During their first meeting, he had only vaguely thought she was strong. He couldn’t even begin to guess the depth of her power. 

By the second meeting, he had a rough idea. Just how absurdly monstrous Astaroth was. How reckless he had been.

And now, the third time.

Goosebumps rose on Eugene’s arms.

What had been vaguely visible before now felt even more distinct.

Even though she was holding back her energy, she couldn’t completely hide the immense power she possessed. 

Her shadow. Astaroth’s shadow stretched long. As if it could cover the world and swallow the sun. Eugene bit his lip at the illusion.

‘She’s probably stronger than that woman.’

The woman in the red fox mask who had overwhelmed him and Alice.

That woman had also been an unfathomably strong opponent.

And the girl before him was likely even stronger than that woman.

It wasn’t a rational judgment but an instinctive intuition.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Huh? Don’t you know? Or are you pretending not to? You already have an idea, don’t you?”

Astaroth giggled as she spoke.

She stroked the edge of her mask with her index finger.

“I thought you’d be dying to see me, so I came to you myself. How about it? Touched by my kindness?”

“Ha…”

Yeah, he had wanted to see her. Desperately.

Eugene nodded briefly and spoke in a subdued voice.

“Where’s Lucia?”

He spoke under the assumption that Astaroth was the culprit.

The answer he received was also based on that premise.

“Of course, it’s a secret. Ahaha, aren’t you being too greedy? Did you really think I’d just tell you if you asked?”

Of course not. Eugene hadn’t expected much. Just getting a confirmation was enough. His suspicion had turned into certainty.

The problem was, even if he knew the culprit and she was right before him…

Eugene had no way to do anything about it.

The overwhelming gap in power. There was no way to deal with Astaroth.

He couldn’t call for backup or keep her from escaping.

The crushing sense of helplessness made his breathing ragged.

Eugene continued to glare at Astaroth, still gripping the hilt of his sword.

“Curious? You must have so many questions.”

Astaroth took a step closer.

In response, Eugene’s grip tightened even more.

“Why did you kidnap Lucia, where she is, and whether she’s safe or not…”

“…”

“I could tell you if you want?”

Eugene’s fingertips twitched. But he didn’t show it. He half-opened his blue eyes, narrowing them slightly as he focused on Astaroth. A question spread through his mind like ink dropped into water.

‘…Am I imagining it?’

There had been a strange vibe since their first meeting.

It became more apparent during the second meeting, and now it felt almost certain.

Astaroth. A devil disguised as a human. A being like a natural disaster, her identity and purpose unknown.

‘She’s oddly… favorable toward me.’

She acts sarcastic. She mocks him and has even cornered him. She’s directly attacked him before. 

But if Astaroth had been serious, Eugene would’ve died long ago. She’s a monster who treats human lives like insects. 

A devil who could slaughter people while smiling without a second thought. So why is she showing me mercy? Why does she keep sparing me even after I’ve opposed her so many times?

‘Even now, she’s not showing any hostility toward me.’

It was like this the first time.

And the second time.

And now, the third time.

If there’s a result, there must be a cause.

It’s unclear whether it’s right to judge a monster like Astaroth by human standards, but Eugene tried to figure out the reason. It was all he could do right now. And it wasn’t hard to guess the reason. 

In the pouring rain, Eugene moved his body, which was growing colder. He took a step closer. The red fox mask reflected in his blue eyes.

“Astaroth.”

The hint had been there all along.

Eugene recalled the cherry blossom festival.

The monster invasion. The gate to the other world wide open. The screams of fleeing citizens. 

People dying. In the midst of it all, Eugene struggled to save even one more person. But Eugene’s body was only one, and he couldn’t protect everyone. 

The bodies kept piling up. In that desperate situation, even high-rank monsters appeared. That’s when Astaroth said:

“Make a contract with me. Then I’ll help you.”

“To think my perfect plan to exploit this crisis and win you over would fail…!”

A contract. Astaroth had mentioned that word.

“You want something from me, don’t you? That’s why you kidnapped Lucia.”

“…”

“What exactly do you want from me?”

Her face was hidden behind the red fox mask.

But Eugene could tell.

Silently, quietly, Astaroth was smiling.

“You refused so decisively back then… why, are you a little interested now?”

One step. Then another.

Before he knew it, the distance between them had disappeared.

At a distance where their noses would touch if they fell, Astaroth lifted her head.

Holding her parasol high like an umbrella, she shielded Eugene’s head from the rain.

“Half right, but half wrong.”

“Then what exactly…”

She raised a finger and pressed it against Eugene’s lips.

Cutting off his retort, Astaroth spoke.

“It wasn’t me who wanted Lucia.”

“…”

“I was just the delivery girl, okay?”

Devils don’t lie.

For transcendent beings, words are power.

Lying against the truth degrades their own status.

But not telling the whole truth isn’t a lie.

It’s just not saying everything.

Astaroth smiled mischievously.

“Do you want to save Lucia? Do you want her back? Then do it. Why aren’t you? The mastermind behind Lucia’s kidnapping is right in front of you.”

“…”

“Ah, you can’t, can you? Well, you couldn’t even beat our Ere, so how could you possibly beat me? It’s impossible. Because you’re weak, big brother~”

Crack. 

A harsh sound came from Eugene’s teeth.

It was unbearable that he couldn’t refute those words.

The hilt of his sword trembled. Eugene’s wrist twitched.

Watching Eugene’s face twist, Astaroth nodded slightly.

Yeah, he’s weak. At least for now.

The Chosen One.

The adversary even Agares is extremely wary of.

Among devils, they are equals, but there are always exceptions.

The one closest to the top of the hierarchy.

The Noble Prince, Agares.

Even if Astaroth went all out, she wouldn’t even scratch the surface of this pinnacle of devils.

And the reason Agares cowers like a scared dog is the boy right in front of her.

‘The sword prepared by the gods of the four seasons to annihilate devils.’

Memories of previous cycles are almost nonexistent. Only fragments remain. Even Agares, who turned back time, doesn’t remember properly. 

Astaroth inherited some memories through a special method, but even those are mostly degraded. 

But one thing is certain. The strength of the Chosen One. That, she can’t forget.

‘If he had already awakened, there’d be no chance…’

But if it’s still an unhatched egg, the story is different.

“You refused so coldly back then, didn’t you?”

The brilliant sunlight that once illuminated the world was now blocked by dark clouds.

The warmth left on the ground was stolen by the pouring rain.

Carrying an unseasonable chill, Astaroth reached out her hand.

“I’ll make the offer again.”

“…What offer?”

“Do you want to save Lucia?”

It was clear from his expression, even without words.

“I’ll help you. I’ll help you save Lucia.”

“First you cause the problem, then you offer the solution? Lucia’s in this mess because of you…”

Eugene spat out angrily but soon closed his mouth. Getting worked up wouldn’t solve anything. Eugene glared at Astaroth, as if daring her to continue.

“Of course, it’s not free. It’s a deal.”

I’ll help you save Lucia.

In return, you’ll do one thing for me.

Simple, right?

“Make a contract with me.”

What do you say, big brother?

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
I sometimes think about this.

There are some writers who write every day.

Are they really human?

Aren’t they actually writing machines?

I can’t even imitate them…

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Passion and procrastination both start with a P.

Of course, one jump starts you and the other is the ceiling that you crash to.