"It's not about terms; it's a matter of principle." Alaric said, pausing before shifting tone. "But I can summon the person you want to call once, as payment for looking after Jack."
Azik's dimmed eyes lit up. "Thank you, Mr. Lucifer."
It was just one chance, but for Azik, it was invaluable.
And… Azik's greatest fear was that the other party wouldn't budge at all. Since Lucifer was willing to yield for Jack's sake, his stance wasn't absolute. There might be room for more opportunities later.
Alaric knew what Azik was thinking... a result he'd deliberately steered toward. While he had no intention of selling Time Stones to Azik, he wasn't planning to refuse all help either. His goal was merely to slow Azik's memory recovery, so offering a sliver of hope was necessary.
Alaric smiled, then added as if struck by a thought, "Oh, and I'd like you to do me a small favor."
"What's that?" Azik asked eagerly.
"Pass a message to Klein Moretti." Alaric said, his smile widening with a playful edge. Speaking slowly, he said, "Batman is watching you."
Azik blinked, clearly thrown by the unfamiliar phrase. But memorizing and relaying it was no issue for him. He repeated it a few times under his breath, then nodded. "Got it."
After a moment's hesitation, he looked at Alaric. "Klein's a good kid, Mr. Lucifer. You might have some misconceptions about him."
From their regular correspondence, Azik knew Jack had mentioned his teacher's apparent bias against Klein, and he couldn't help but worry.
"I know he's a good kid, but that doesn't mean he's not a little trickster." Alaric said, catching Azik's concern. He chuckled, his eyes briefly clouded with a hint of nostalgia. His voice softened, almost ethereal. "Don't worry, I bear him no ill will. I may not like him, but I'd never harm one of my own... never."
Azik nodded, only half-understanding. He wasn't sure why Lucifer called Klein "one of my own," but given Klein's tangled fate, it made sense. Azik knew Klein carried many secrets, but what did it matter? To him, Klein was his student, his junior, his friend... nothing more.
Confirming that the man before him held no real malice toward Klein, Azik let out a genuine sigh of relief.
"Oh, and please tell him everything that happened tonight." Alaric added, his tone pointed. "Especially the part about the Tarot cards."
…
Unlike in the original story, where Klein learned the outcome the next day, this time Azik visited that very evening. From him, Klein heard the full account, including Azik's conversation with Lucifer and the message he was tasked to deliver.
"Batman is watching you…?" As a university graduate, Klein understood the English phrase instantly. His first thought was wild... Is there another transmigrator cosplaying Batman?... but he quickly realized it was a warning.
"Batman is watching you" was essentially a meme, implying someone omniscient was keeping tabs on your every move. Applied to Klein, it was a blatant caution: I know everything you're up to, all your aliases and schemes. Watch yourself, or I'll come for you.
Klein understood why Lucifer issued the warning. He'd used Jack to enlist Lucifer's help, and while Lucifer acted for his student's sake, he was clearly annoyed with Klein.
Klein felt a twinge of guilt, but it didn't stop him from analyzing the details.
First, it was now certain Lucifer was a transmigrator, making it highly likely he was the Zoroast from the diary. Given Lucifer's personality, it wasn't surprising he'd chronicle his life in a diary and let it slip out.
Second, from Azik's recounting of "never harm one of my own." Lucifer might dislike Klein but held a special regard for fellow transmigrators. This meant Klein probably didn't need to fear outright hostility.
Finally… "Lucifer clearly has deep ties with the official Churches, even true gods. Using Tarot cards as a hint in front of them is partly a warning to me, but it also serves as a nod to the Tarot Club. If a member gets caught, the Churches might turn a blind eye out of respect for Lucifer."
Klein exhaled, muttering to himself, "Is this help for a fellow transmigrator? He dislikes me but still lent a hand for our shared origin… or maybe just for Jack."
Either way, the gesture left Klein with mixed feelings. This was the second time a transmigrator senior had helped him, the first being Roselle's diary. These seniors always seemed both formidable and tragic.
As for Jack Jones, Klein didn't count him as a senior... more a transmigrator peer.
"If Lucifer is really the Zoroast from the diary, how did he go from that laid-back, snarky youth to… this?" Klein closed his eyes, already suspecting the answer. The diary made it clear.
There was only one culprit: Amon.
Though the vengeful Zoroast in the diary was still far from Lucifer's current persona, who knew what Amon had done in the years since, shaping him into what he was now?
In that moment, despite never meeting Amon, Klein's frustration with the Angel of Time reached its absolute peak.
***
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