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The directionless anger turned into hatred, which then escalated into murderous intent. Everything had fallen apart, and the devil who Felix had once thought would disappear cleanly was now becoming increasingly depraved. Felix could endure the destruction of his own body, but he could not bear the thought of what he had tried so hard to protect being destroyed. That was the core value of his life, the essence of it, and even after losing his emotions, he still remembered it clearly. If he lost that... then what would be left for him?

"...Felix?"

If Irene hadn't recognised Felix first and acknowledged him, he might have gone as far as finding the Holy Sword and plunging it into his heart. He was that desperate.

“But Fel is a very nice and lovely person who has silently protected us so far while only looking at the results and not the evaluation.”

He ended up hearing such words.

"You said you were afraid of becoming an empty shell. If you ever feel like you have nothing left, come to me. I’ll do whatever it takes to fill you up until you feel complete.”

It was okay just as it was. After reuniting with Irene, he found new hope. Seeing her and his family accept everything so naturally, his hope grew stronger with each passing day.

"I’ll be by your side wherever you go, wrapping you in a tight hug every time you’re in pain."

Perhaps, even an incomplete version of himself, one who had lost all traces of his former self, could still continue living like this. But a deal was a deal. Because Irene had intervened, revenge could no longer be fully carried out with the power of the devil, and Larry also lost his original goal of returning to the demon realm to become a full-fledged devil.

Larry was the first to break the deal. But Felix, too, came to no longer want to give his body to Larry. Rather than protecting everyone and disappearing, he wanted to survive, even in a wretched form that had lost so much. He had already tasted that intensely intoxicating flavour of hope.

The soul taken as collateral was unavoidable, but they needed to discuss the deal that had become ambiguous. As the perceptive Irene quickly realised, Felix met Larry through the medium of a dream, consuming his life force. Within that dream, Felix could see the fragment of the devil, Larry's true form.

"...So, that's how you appear."

He initially had a puzzled expression, but then showed a reaction of acceptance as if he had expected it. For some reason, Larry felt even more anxious at that reaction.

"Wh-what do I look like right now?"

Larry, who seemed very tense, stammered and looked down at his palm. Apart from being a bit smaller than Walter's large hand, which was a replica of Leraze’s form, he couldn't tell anything else.

‘No, I should be bigger and cooler than Leraze! What is this slender hand? It's not cool at all!’

"Did I really have an original form? I thought I was just a bow..."

"It seems that way."

Larry, momentarily flustered by the unexpected situation, soon calmed down and looked up.

"What? What is it? Why did you call me?"

"Are you nervous?"

"N-No, I’m not!"

It was obvious he was nervous. Felix, standing with his arms crossed, tilted his head slightly and crooked a finger at him, a motion reminiscent of beckoning a dog.

"I won't hit you, so come here."

"You bastard..."

Grumbling, Larry stood at a noticeable distance from him.

"Still keeping your distance, I see."

“Let’s just talk from here!”

Larry, wary despite himself, couldn’t quite understand why. It was a dream, after all — there was no way he could actually be harmed. Besides, Felix, whose mana had been sealed, shouldn’t be stronger than a fragment of a devil. He couldn’t pinpoint what exactly he was afraid of. Was it because this was their first face-to-face encounter? Until now, their exchanges had always been through spoken words or heated letters.

‘Because I committed a sin…’

Was that why he felt so guilty?

Larry muttered to himself unknowingly and then shook his head violently. 

‘No, wait. What did I even do wrong? I made a deal, and I got what I was owed. Sure, I unintentionally broke the deal first because I got caught up in his emotions. But what’s so wrong about a devil acting like a devil? …Ah, damn it. This is all Irene’s fault. Why did she plant these feelings of regret and guilt in me? What was she thinking?’

"Leraze."

Felix called Larry again, interrupting his spiral of inner turmoil.

"Don't call me that. My name is Larry."

For the first time, he confidently voiced a truth he had kept as his own secret. He was already feeling intensely jealous because of Irene’s unwavering attention towards Felix. To provoke him further, Larry boasted that Irene herself had given him the nickname ‘Larry.’ This statement only served to irritate Felix.

"Leraze, we’ll discuss that later."

At first glance, it might seem like Felix didn’t care, but he wasn’t about to let it slide. No matter what Larry said, he stubbornly continued to call him ‘Leraze,’ staring at him with a cold, indifferent gaze.

"I don't like gambling, but I want to take a chance with our fate for the first and last time."

"What do you think?" When Felix brought up the matter, Larry finally responded with a serious expression.

"You want to gamble? Isn’t that something humans do when the chances of success are slim? That’s not like you."

"Well... I am 'Felix,' [1] after all."

‘I'm just born with incredible luck.’ Felix smiled faintly, recalling Irene's words, and Larry looked surprised for a moment before grinning mischievously.

"It seems like you've finally become tainted."

・・・・・

The Night of Heroes. As I was organising my potions before the day of the decisive battle, I froze, suddenly halting.

"...Huh?"

I knew it was probably meaningless, but the potion I had tirelessly worked on and created was gone. It was the soul-separating potion. I jumped up from my seat, my face pale and horrified.

The laboratory was a space only permitted to Claudia and Felix. I had never considered the possibility that someone would secretly take the potion, so I had been negligent in managing it.

"Fe-Felix."

When did he take it? I desperately racked my memory. And I remembered the last conversation I had with Felix just before he left for the Emperor’s side.

At that time, Felix, who had never been seen sleeping before, was leaning against the window, breathing steadily. And the first thing he said upon waking was...

"Now, may I do it my way?"

Could this be what that meant? In fact, the potion was the only solution we had to separate Felix and Larry. However, despite having a method, we had never dared to try it because it was too dangerous.

As Felix himself knew, there was no method in the world to separate the soul of a devil from that of a human. Of course, the potion, perfected after numerous trials and failures, was theoretically flawless. But...

‘You said it yourself — that if we're lucky, they might cancel each other out, but if not, they'll collide and destroy both! You know full well how dangerous it is!’

Only now did I realise the unsettling feeling behind Felix’s words about 'my way.' Back then, I thought it meant he might become like Walter and ruthlessly crush and slaughter others. But in the end, it was just ‘Felix’s way’ again.

"Change, my ass."

I told him not to bear everything alone and not to sacrifice himself. I told him to be selfish.

"I've never met someone so uncooperative in my life."

Somehow, that day, when I looked into his blue eyes that mirrored the sky outside the window, a deep, inexplicable sadness washed over me. I felt as if I might cry. Out of all the countless people in the world, how did I end up receiving such undeserved love from a man like him — and loving him in return? Every day felt full, overflowing with happiness beyond measure… and yet, my heart ached as if it were being torn apart as if blood were flowing from it. Pressing down on my aching heart, I desperately began rummaging through the drawer again.

"Then I won't listen either."

I was going to chase after him, even if I got swept away by the waves and broke my legs.

・・・・・

The city of chaos, Carlisle. Commonly known as the underworld, this place was Benjamin's stronghold. In this lawless land, the ruler's word was law, and he was no different from an emperor here. Cedric, walking through the alleys with Benjamin, tightened his hood.

‘It feels as though all the world's corruption is on display here.’

Cedric recalled the story of a city destroyed by fire and sulphur due to the wrath of the gods. But such useless thoughts needed to be shaken off quickly. The longer the silence, the more Benjamin's suspicions would grow, so Cedric had to throw out nonsense occasionally to distract him.

"...There seems to be a dragon flying in the sky right now, but I suppose it's only visible to me."

Cedric rubbed his dark, lifeless eyes with the back of his hand, as though seeing hallucinations, and let out an empty laugh, as if he had abandoned everything.

"Hmm, a dragon..."

Then, Benjamin, who was walking alongside, looked up at the sky, a shade so blue and clear it was almost blinding.

"Certainly, as you said, it would be nice if a dragon suddenly appeared. That way, we could avoid unnecessary trouble."

He casually responded to the remark while exhaling thick smoke, creating a faint, hazy cloud in the clear sky.

"Unnecessary trouble?"

"Because we will need Sir Constantine."

Indeed, if a legendary creature like a dragon appeared, it would be a national crisis, and they would have no choice but to release Constantine from prison.

'What on earth are you planning?’ 

Benjamin seemed to be planning something crazy, but Cedric couldn't guess where he was going with it.

He hadn't heard anything other than the order to obey and follow. Narrowing his eyes, Cedric scrutinised Benjamin, but when their gazes met, he quickly flashed a servile smile, as if nothing had happened. Benjamin smiled back and spoke.

"You look quite good right now."

“...”

"You look like you want to kill me…"

"Haha, that can't be true."

Cedric knew why Benjamin had said something so provocative. He wanted to see if Cedric would react the same way as last time and go into a frenzy. Cedric furrowed his brow and played along with Benjamin’s mood.

"I thought I'd live and die under my foolish brother, always having to watch my step, but thanks to you, I've risen to a position I never even dared to dream of.”

He was pretending that his addiction had stabilised. The fact that the addiction had stabilised didn’t mean that using drugs would make him see heaven, but rather that outwardly, he appeared much the same as before using. However, if he stopped using drugs, withdrawal symptoms would drag him into hell. He didn’t use drugs for pleasure but for survival. The word ‘stabilised’ also referred to a period of quietly dying away.

'If it weren't for Irene, I would have slowly withered away like this for the rest of my life.'

Cedric realised how recklessly he had risked his life and discreetly rubbed his arms, which were covered in goosebumps. If he was given the proper drugs, he could maintain his sanity and obey well, so Benjamin would likely be quite satisfied with his current state. As expected, Benjamin appeared quite pleased. Seizing the moment, Cedric asked impatiently.

"So, what's the plan? You have to tell me if you want me to cooperate. After all, I can’t live without the drugs the Duke provides. Is there really a need to keep it a secret from someone like me?"

“There’s no harm in being cautious.”

But no matter how much Cedric tried to persuade him, Benjamin wasn’t easily swayed.

"You’ve lived as if you could die at any moment without regret. In short, with your already ruined body, who knows if you might draw all the attention and blow yourself up, taking me down with you?"

His caution was beyond imagination.

‘But I guess this is natural.’

Cedric briefly missed Lucas, who would follow him with just a little bit of sweet-talking. He swallowed a sigh and shrugged.

"You couldn't feel at ease while threatening me. That’s why you dragged me here, even though I’m more helpless than a straw, right?"

Benjamin let out a short exclamation and smiled.

"You’re really useful. Quick-witted and good at understanding."

"I'm just average."

"I've been looking at someone extraordinary for a long time."

Benjamin muttered, "I should have replaced it a long time ago instead of foolishly building up patience." With a light gesture, a group of armed men soon surrounded Cedric.

"I would like to apologise in advance for any rudeness. My subordinates are as worried as I am."

There was no time to grumble that it was a bit late to say ‘in advance.’ They restrained Cedric from both sides and dragged him into a building, starting to search his pockets under the pretext of an inspection. Even his underwear and mouth were searched, and every possession was thoroughly rifled through.

Cedric, who had been debating until the end whether to bring a means of contacting Irene, broke into a cold sweat. It was fortunate that he had left behind anything that might seem suspicious before heading to Carlisle. Otherwise, all their plans would have been ruined by now.

"You really came empty-handed. You’re quick to resign yourself and have the right attitude. What to do? I'm starting to like you more and more."

"Though I may look like this, I am technically a Grand Duke, but you certainly know how to give a grand welcome."

"Someone more powerless than straw should stay quietly in place. Otherwise, I'll personally weave you into a scarecrow."

Benjamin didn't even scoff, but responded calmly and selected only the drugs from Cedric's belongings, placing it back into his hand.

"I’ll return this. You’d be in trouble without it."

"Thank you very much..."

"Don't make that face. I plan to show you everything today. In-person, that is."

The moment Cedric heard those words, he instinctively realised that after seeing what Benjamin meant by 'everything,' it would be impossible to continue as a double agent, and his contact with Irene would also end today.

They descended into the deepest part of the basement of the most impressive building in Carlisle. Without understanding what was going on, Cedric was dragged along, his body stiffening as a chilling sensation pulled at the back of his neck. Even though he tried not to show it, his tension reached its peak.

‘You said you liked Irene.’

Cedric knew everything Benjamin had done to obtain Claudia, from start to finish. This time, he had a strong intuition that something ominous was about to happen. No, judging by the signs, it seemed like he had done something even crazier than before. And his intuition proved correct. The moment the heavy, black-painted iron door opened...

"What on earth is this…?"

‘Ugh.’

Cedric instinctively covered his mouth and swallowed back a gag. The enormous space was filled with intricate red patterns, covering every inch. The ones carving the symbol were dozens of sorcerers, all bound with restraints to prevent escape. A nauseating stench, so strong it numbed the sense of smell, assaulted his nose. On the six platforms arranged in a circle around the magic circle, there were layers of dried bloodstains, rotting flesh, and strands of hair in various colors.

Those were clearly the remnants of a body that had once been lying there.

"Oh my god, you...”

And the most bizarre sight of all was the plant that filled the space from ceiling to floor. It was greedily sucking up the blood that continually spilled onto the ground.

"Co-corpses..."

"Ah, a considerable amount of divine power was needed. Sir Constantine kindly killed a large number of high-ranking priests for me, so I recycled them."

Benjamin clicked his tongue and added, "You shouldn't waste things. You need to use them wisely."

"What is that bizarre plant…?"

"It is a sacred tree imbued with a spirit. No matter what we did, it wouldn’t get corrupted. While I was struggling with that, I fed it the blood of a deceased spirit, and it became tamed."

“...”

‘Th-this madman. He's so crazy that it's beyond description.'

The corners of Cedric's mouth trembled as he was about to lose his composure. Benjamin, calmly smoking a cigarette next to him, asked.

"Four thousand years ago, I'm sure you've heard what happened to the passage between the mortal world and the demon realm, right?  In order to prevent that from happening again, the only option is to align as much as possible with the other side's preferences."

Benjamin kindly explained that thorough preparation was the only way to prevent such a catastrophe.

"Eternal death, the corruption of purity, the desecration of the sacred... it's a simple formula that they love."

Four thousand years ago, that day symbolised only one thing.

"It was easy to attract the sorcerers. They were born as accessories to the nation from the very beginning."

'...I have to inform everyone.’

But how? Cedric was in a state no different from being imprisoned. Benjamin, as if reading his anxious expression, narrowed his eyes and smiled. Then, exhaling smoke slowly and licking his lips, he spoke the plan Cedric had already intuited.

"On the Night of Heroes, there must be a villain, right?"

Translator's Corner:

[1] The name Felix comes from the Latin word felix, meaning "happy, lucky, blessed."

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