episode_0162

Gazing at the golden palace, Ellia muttered in astonishment.

“It’s astounding enough that you possess such a palace, but in a situation like this, it feels even more worth relying on. How many artifacts do we have left?”

“Nothing usable in battle. I never expected to use something like this here in the first place.”

The golden palace comes with a severe restriction proportional to its immense power—once used, it cannot be activated again for ten years.

Given the timeline of the original story, this artifact might as well not exist.

“Is there no way to escape?”

“No. If you die, I die too. What else would I have? I’m not as exceptional as you.”

“I see. Then I’ll have to push myself a little harder.”

Ellia steadied her posture once more and began unleashing a terrifying surge of magic toward El.

“Uh…?”

Under the sheer intensity of the assault, even El faltered and was forced to retreat.

“This is nothing but a battle of attrition. Don’t you have something more decisive? A finishing move, perhaps.”

“Every spell I’m casting now is draining my circuits to their limit. If it weren’t for that, he wouldn’t even bother blocking.”

After all, Ellia’s original role was to stay in the rear, obstructing the Demon King’s magic and limiting his avenues of attack. Neither Lucilla, capable of delivering a decisive blow, nor Cecilia, who could restore Ellia’s stamina, were present. The only thing she could do now was force El to keep deploying defensive spells, depleting his magic as much as possible.

‘What should we do, Eric?’

‘Stick to the original plan. And tone it down a bit—I thought I’d die from the pain.’

‘Understood.’

Crack—

Tiny fissures began creeping across the golden barrier.

“…Should I say my last words now, just in case?”

“Run. I still have enough magic left to hold him back. Dying trapped in here is worse than the alternative.”

“You expect me to abandon you and run? As if.”

“I’m being rational. Eventually, he’ll—tch—”

El, who had been steadfastly blocking Ellia’s attacks, abruptly flicked a tiny bullet of magic from his fingertip. Ellia, too focused on maintaining her offense, wasn’t agile enough to react.

“Kh…!”

The outcome was El’s victory.

Now, only the crumbling golden barrier, Ellia collapsed helplessly inside, and me—standing there watching her.

Then, El began applauding.

“Impressive. I never imagined you had this much hidden strength. Humanity will truly regret losing such a talent. No need for long speeches—this ends now.”

Magic gathered once more at El’s fingertips, this time carrying an unmistakable intent to kill. If this hit, Ellia would undoubtedly die.

‘You’re sure about this, right?’

‘Yes, it’s safe.’

“Ru… run—”

Fshhh—

The magic bullet shot toward Ellia—

“…Ah.”

—and pierced straight through my chest.

“Eric…?”

“An unexpected twist. Not what I had in mind, but not bad either.”

I felt no pain. After all, El’s magic was, in essence, my own.

The moment my hand touched the hole in my chest, a change began.

“This contractor isn’t half bad. A human in quite the advantageous position—perfect for my vessel.”

“Eric! Snap out of it!”

“E-Ellia. I…”

“What the hell did you do to him?!”

El waved his hand dismissively.

“How noisy. You’ve already lost your relevance. I would’ve preferred someone worthy as my vessel, but given your earlier actions, this isn’t so bad either. Yes, not bad at all.”

“Explain yourself…!”

Ellia staggered as she forced herself up. At this point, even standing strained her, let alone mustering magic.

“What… did you do to Eric?”

Her trembling finger pointed at El as she repeated the question.

“I formed a contract.”

“A contract…?”

“Yes. To blend into your human world, I needed a human vessel. That one seems like an excellent teacher. Ideally, I’d have preferred someone as strong as you, but this will suffice.”

“Eric made a contract with you? Then does that mean he…”

“If I die, so does he. Simple, isn’t it? Though it’s a rudimentary restraint, humans find even this much sufficient. Unlike demons, you cherish your lives above all else.”

“Why… a human?”

“Humans have value. They’re strong enough to resist my kin. I want to uncover their secrets. And once I do, I’ll crush them so thoroughly they’ll never dare resist again. For that, borrowing human hands was necessary.”

“How thorough. Unbelievable… for a demon.”

“Flattery is appreciated. So, what will you do now? You could kill me here—though now, thanks to my contract, my body parallels yours. Still, I’d overpower you as you are.”

“Arrogant bastard…”

Her legs finally gave out, and Ellia collapsed ungracefully.

“You’ll use us as puppets to manipulate the continent?”

“That’s the idea. But don’t fret—unlike the lower demons, I’m capable of thought. If humanity proves genuinely valuable, annihilating them would be a loss. I may even grant clemency. But honestly… did you truly believe you held any choice in this?”

With that, El severed his own arm—and simultaneously, excruciating pain tore through mine.

“Guh…!”

I collapsed, unable to even scream.

“Eric!”

When I managed to turn my head, my arm was still intact.

El watched us both with amusement.

“Hmm, just as I thought.”

Schlick—

His arm regenerated instantly, as if never lost.

“What did you do?!”

“Didn’t I say? A contract. But explaining is pointless. See for yourself.”

El flicked a strand of magic toward Ellia, who caught it.

“What is this?”

“The formula of the contract. An innate magic—or what humans call ‘dark magic,’ though it’s blended with other systems. Someone of your caliber should understand.”

As Ellia scrutinized it, the pain in my arm faded. Once I regained my senses, I mentally confronted El.

‘Why the hell did that actually hurt?’

‘It hurt me too.’

‘Don’t lie! It grew back instantly!’

‘But your arm wasn’t cut off.’

‘That’s…’

I gave up arguing. Despite appearances, El was a demon—one clearly tied to the Demon King. His pain tolerance was on a level no ordinary human could comprehend.

‘Anyway, that’s the contract we formed?’

‘Yes. Can’t you feel it too?’

‘Let me make one thing clear—if you ever use me to harm others or threaten the continent, I’ll gladly die.’

‘I know. I don’t want to destroy this place. Too many delicious things. Honey cakes. Chewy candy. Meat stew… Rattle steak…’

‘Fine. I’ll buy you all of that.’

A small price to save the world.

Instinctively, I recognized the magic El had given Ellia as the same kind that had pierced my chest—the very energy now flowing through me.

I spoke to Ellia, still deep in thought.

“Figured it out?”

“…I’m sorry.”

She hung her head low.

“Sorry for what?”

“It’s all true. The contract, the life-binding clause. This might mean nothing to you, but… no additional sacrifices are required. Saying this won’t change your situation, though.”

“What are you getting at?”

“Your contract doesn’t just bind your lives—it shares magic and even the user’s memories. In the end, you’ve…”

“Become that demon’s puppet. Fine, I expected as much. Even a magic novice like me could tell this was no ordinary spell. Anything else I should know?”

“There are minor details, but most align with what he said.”

“Got it.”

Now that Ellia had verified it, and El had a reason to stay with us, all that remained was damage control.

But Ellia took the lead.

“Eric. For now, we should comply with his demands.”

“Are you insane? You want to unleash a demon into the Empire—into the Academy?”

“He’s severely weakened. We can subdue him anytime! Given what we’ve seen, he’s almost certainly the Demon King. Keeping him where we can monitor him is the wiser choice. The Academy isn’t all bad—Lucilla and Chris are there. Losing you to capture him would be the greater long-term loss. Foresight has its advantages. Don’t undervalue yourself.”

Eloquent as ever. Since we’d regressed, Ellia and I knew roughly the same amount. My absence wouldn’t hinder reaching the Demon King—only minor details from the original story gave me a slight edge. Crippling the Demon King now would be ideal.

Yet Ellia was desperate to persuade me. Likely, my sacrifice in previous loops haunted her. An unexpected but not unwelcome turn. This way, I wouldn’t have to beg for survival.

Not that I wasn’t prepared—but playing the trusted prophet demanded matching sacrifice and nobility.

I deliberately scoffed at her.

“Quite the opposite of what you’ve preached. Is this how the future Empress of the Empire should speak?”