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"Chaos... I didn't expect you to pull out something like that all of a sudden," Jin said.
He didn't know the true nature of the marble.
But Jin understood better than anyone how chaos had wreaked havoc on people and the world up to now. This marble would undoubtedly make the situation worse.
"I can't die like this. I still haven't avenged Sakiel..."
"Stop it, Paellito. Do you really think you can achieve revenge by using that thing? Not in a million years. It's much more likely if you'll overcome demonization and regain your original power."
"Haha... You fear this power, don't you?"
"I'm saying it for your sake, for your past self. This won't be the end for you, Paellito. You still have a chance."
"A chance?"
"I told you I can't forgive you. Yes, you will undoubtedly die at my hands. But not today."
"What are you talking about, Jin Runcandel?"
"I am giving you a chance to pay off your sins a little. Break free from brainwashing, overcome your inner demon, and become the real Sword Demon again. And, help bring about the end of Zito with that power. I will keep you alive until then."
Jin believed that Paellito could do it.
Even though he had become a monster, he was still a Genesis knight. He could certainly break free from his inner demon and become a shining giant once again. It was definitely possible if given time and Jin's assistance.
Of course, even if Paellito does that, Jin would still end his life once the battle with Zito was over. As he said earlier, his past wouldn't excuse the present.
"Paellito, all the tragedies happening in the human world and the True Demon World right now are Zito's doing. Your real enemy isn't me but Zito, who turned you and other demons into monsters. So drop that marble and accept the chance."
"Nonsense!"
Paellito's pupils trembled slightly as he shouted in anger. It seemed like he was recalling some buried memory at the last moment, just as Dylus had briefly remembered an old memory that had been buried by brainwashing.
"You must feel it too, that what I say is right. So that's why you don't use the marble immediately after taking it out. Let go of the marble, and you can become what you used to be. You can avenge Sakiel, pay for your sins, and then you can die."
"Shut up! Shut up! It's all because there's no order that this happened, that's right. I can return to normal, Sakiel will return when order is established. Back to me!"
Jin slowly approached Paellito.
A righteous man who had committed sins that could never be washed away, Paellito was such a being. He had succumbed to the inexorable force of Zito and became a monster without even knowing who he was or what he was doing, just like all the other demons in True Demon World, except for Visepps.
"Sakiel can be resurrected just like you when the time comes...!"
In the fleeting moment when there was only a ten-step distance between the two.
Suddenly, a small ship appeared in the sky. It was the Red owl, the spatial jump ship of the Vamel Alliance. The constraints of space jump and communication were lifted when Jin had subdued Paellito.
"Jin."
Valeria descended from the Red Owl. Paellito looked back and forth between her and Jin with anxious eyes.
Attacking Valeria or taking her as a hostage was out of the question. The moment he acted recklessly, Jin would take the marble and subdue him.
"Valeria?"
Valeria had noticed a change in Jin but didn't mention it for now. It was clear that the fight had ended in Jin's favor, and her concern was focused on the black marble that Paellito held.
Above all, the reason she had rushed to the battlefield had a close connection to Paellito.
"...While investigating Grosch Castle, I found some strange records. Records about Sakiel."
"Records about Sakiel?"
"Yeah. It's about that horrifying monster who is turning the Holy Kingdom into ruins. I wondered if he could continue to obey Zito even after reading these records."
Valeria didn't provide further details and instead raised her staff to open a record window for Paellito.
Paellito's eyes widened.
Jin was also in shock. He had long been aware of Paellito's particular obsession with Sakiel. He had considered the possibility that they might have been lovers, but he had never expected Zito to toy with them in such a way.
If Valeria's discovered records were accurate, then Zito had intentionally driven Sakiel to her death and enjoyed her despair and pain. It was a moment that confirmed what Jin had vaguely anticipated.
"What is this... What... What record is this?"
"It's exactly as you see it, Paellito. Sakiel Grosch realized just before her death that she had been completely used by Zito. Zito isn't just trying to torment the human world. He considers all of you as mere playthings."
Valeria's calm voice continued and black tears streamed down from Paellito's eyes.
"It's a lie. It's all a lie, this can't be true. These records must be manipulated! Argh!"
It felt like his head was about to explode. If it did, he thought his forgotten memories would come rushing back.
Paellito decided to deny that feeling. He would rather vanish like this. He couldn't face those memories. He couldn't even distinguish whether it was his true self or his brainwashed self anymore.
"If you want to believe that, go ahead. But the Hister clan never manipulates records unlike Zipfel, and that's why I exist, to prevent that."
"Then why is Lord Zito doing this? We devoted our loyalty to fulfill his wishes. What does he gain by betraying us?"
"Perhaps he gains pleasure. He is a being that relentlessly pursues pleasure in the form of pain."
As more mana gathered in Valeria's staff, she lightly struck the ground and three record windows appeared in front of Paellito.
The record windows described the memories that Paellito was desperately trying to block out.
You don't see record windows if you close your eyes.
But he couldn't ignore memories that had started to resurface even if he closed his eyes.
Closing his eyes only made the memories more vivid.
"Ah, ahhh... ahhhh... ah, ah, ah, ahh, ah..."
The voices of inner demon and Paellito were gradually mixing together.
Jin glimpsed the possibility once again in this sight. The possibility that after breaking free from brainwashing and atoning for his sins, Paellito might eventually face death.
"Paellito."
Finally, Jin knelt down and stood in front of Paellito, who was crying and wailing.
Jin bent down and gently wrapped his hand around the black marble that Paellito was holding to his chest. Paellito didn't resist and just sobbed, but he didn't let go of the black marble.
He cried like that for a while.
Jin could see that Paellito was breaking free from inner demon. The deep sorrow that couldn't be hidden by his brainwashing and demonic nature was slowly turning Paellito back to normal.
Jin didn't forcibly take the marble from him because now was not the time to provoke him.
Finally, Paellito raised his head.
"The tragedies that have already happened to you and to us cannot be undone. But we can stop this downfall. Let's destroy Zito together. When everything is over, I will send you to Sakiel's side. Even if you become a monster again in the process, I have the power to stop you at any time."
"Kill... Zito… together."
"Yes."
"It is good... to hear... but, as you said. I committed unspeakable massacres, and you... killed Sakiel."
"Do you still think I'm the one who killed her even after breaking free from the inner demon?"
"Jin Runcandel, you still hate me, don't you?"
Jin nodded. He had no intention of letting Paellito live.
"I feel the same way. I followed orders due to brainwashing, but I'm undoubtedly responsible for killing humans. And it's a fact that Zito caused Sakiel's death, but you are the one who cut her down. So, even though I understand fundamentally that it's not your fault, I still can't help but hate you. Fate... is twisted and cruel."
"...I see."
"So we can't fight together, Jin Runcandel. You might be able to, but I... I can't fight alongside the one who killed Sakiel. Instead..."
Jin felt the strength in Paellito's grip on the black marble in his hand. He forcefully tried to open his fingers, but Paellito was in the state of breaking free from the inner demon.
He shattered the marble in an instant.
"I will go to Zito now. I heard that I'll be transported to Zito's location when I break this marble. If I just wish for it."
Since the marble had already been destroyed, Jin couldn't stop him any longer. The chaos that had been released from marble was dyeing him.
"In any case, I haven't overcome the brainwashing and demonization completely. I'd rather fight with Zito now that I've regained the power and senses of the Supreme Demon for a while and die while inflicting some damage on him. That's better than letting myself be used to the end."
But Jin had a gut feeling that it wasn't something like an item that would teleport Paellito to Zito's location as he watched Paellito being dyed by the chaos.
Paellito also realized this fact as soon as he shattered the marble, but it was already too late.
Swish….!
Suddenly, Paellito was engulfed in dark flames, and Jin sighed as he gripped his sword.
An energy similar to the time when the evil god was born in the Garden of Swords was radiating from Paellito.
"You chose your end of being used by someone until the last minute, Paellito. You should have never shattered that marble."
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