"Who are you, exactly? Which organization do you belong to?" Ace Snake, couldn't hold back, staring at the sheep that was once Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos.
"You should know my name." Alaric said with a smile, eyeing Ace Snake. "As for the rest…"
He paused, his smile taking on a playful edge. "Here's a hint... ever heard of something called Tarot cards?"
Ace Snake's expression turned thoughtful.
Alaric's figure vanished, replaced by a flurry of Tarot cards scattering through the air... a dazzling, mysterious curtain call to his performance.
The Hanged Man, Alger, stared at the cards, his pupils contracting.
Could this be… Mr. Fool's favored one?
…
Meanwhile, Alaric, having completed his grand exit, hadn't truly left. He'd only moved nearby.
He faced Azik, who had arrived earlier but held back from acting against Qilangos due to Alaric's presence. Smiling, Alaric said, "Greetings, Azik. First time meeting. You can call me Lucifer."
Alaric wasn't worried about being recognized. He'd masked his soul's aura, making it impossible for Azik to connect him to the unassuming junior, Jack Jones.
And indeed, Azik saw no trace of Jack in the man before him. Studying Alaric, he said after a moment, "I thought you'd be a Seer."
"I'm no Seer, nor a Monster." Alaric replied with a chuckle, his words only deepening Azik's confusion.
"I suppose you won't tell me which pathway you're on." Azik said, sensing Alaric's reluctance to elaborate. He didn't press, instead saying mildly, "Jack's letter to you likely mentioned me."
"Of course, I received Jack's letter." Alaric said. "Honestly, it's a headache. I shouldn't have let him run wild. Not only did he stumble into the spotlight, but he's also gotten tangled in matters far above his Sequence."
His expression carried just the right touch of exasperation. He sighed, looking at Azik. "But my knowledge of you doesn't come solely from my foolish student's account."
"…You know me?" Azik caught the implication, his tone urgent.
"I don't know the old you." Alaric said, shaking his head to dismiss Azik's assumption. "I only know the story of your role."
He lowered his gaze, flipping through a thick book in his hands, stopping at a page. Looking up at Azik, he smiled. "Death Consul Azik Eggers, once heir to the Balam Empire's Death. After the Death's fall, your soul was split in two. One half became the vessel for Death's uniqueness, while the other became you... reborn through countless cycles, cleansed of madness and divinity, free from Death's influence, shaping your soul into what it is now."
"Your story, even among all the tales I know, is nothing short of remarkable." Alaric concluded with a smile.
Azik froze. Alaric hadn't hidden the book's page, and Azik could see it was blank... nothing written on it.
Yet, he had a gut feeling Alaric spoke the truth. This might well be his past.
"…If I reclaim my other half, will I recover my memories and end this cycle?" Azik asked after a long silence.
"Of course." Alaric said, pausing to meet Azik's gaze. "If you retrieve your other half, all your anomalies will vanish. You could even ascend further. But the cost…"
He slowed, speaking deliberately. "You'd lose all the emotions you've gained over millennia of reincarnation. Those memories would become mere images to you."
Azik frowned instinctively, clearly uneasy with the idea. He looked at Alaric, a sudden thought striking him. "Why tell me this?"
"Every good actor should know where their choices lead." Alaric said, smiling earnestly as he embodied Lucifer's persona. "And I'm very curious, Azik... what will you choose between humanity and divinity?"
Azik opened his mouth, recalling Klein's mention of meeting Lucifer. The man before him left a deeper impression of his enigmatic nature.
With a bitter smile, Azik said, "I might disappoint you. I don't know what I'd choose."
His past was still a tangled mess. He recalled little of his millennia of reincarnation or his time as Death Consul. In such uncertainty, Azik truly didn't know his choice.
Would he reclaim his soul, turning his past into fleeting illusions, or continue his current life, letting the cycle repeat endlessly? Neither outcome sounded appealing.
"Understandable." Alaric said with a smile, fully embracing his cryptic role. "You don't need to choose now. You've got time to think before the final act."
Azik caught the hint. "So, even if I avoid it, my other half will find me, won't it?"
"You're sharp." Alaric said, not denying it. The mutual pull between the two soul halves was inevitable. Even if Azik chose to dodge it this cycle, the next might draw him unwittingly to open Pandora's box.
"Doesn't sound like good news." Azik said with another bitter smile. He fell silent, likely pondering. After a moment, he looked up at Alaric. "Then, at least before the end, I want to face my past."
Alaric met his gaze, smiling. "Sounds like you're proposing a deal, Azik."
"Yes, and you likely know the terms." Azik said, nodding. "I need Time Stones, Mr. Lucifer. What would it take to trade for those remarkable gems?"
"Sorry, Time Stones aren't for sale." Alaric said, shaking his head. He had no intention of selling them to Azik... not that they existed. Even if they did, controlling the pace of Azik's memory recovery meant keeping them out of reach.
Azik's expression dimmed, but he pressed on. "I know those gems are precious. Name your terms... anything I can do, I'll make it happen."
***
Every 100 Power Stones and 5 Reviews will earn you a Bonus Chapter.
And if you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)