15

The old man with white hair walked toward a bunker.

The door was made of thick steel and could only be opened with restricted access, available only to a select few.

He entered as the door opened, stepping into a room filled with darkness, without a single trace of light.

Soon, the lights turned on, revealing someone sitting in the corner of the room, wearing a black robe.

The President stopped walking, standing directly under the dim white light.

The person in the robe was painting something on the desk, completely ignoring the President's arrival. They called him the Creator.

"The serpent demon said that Adzriel is holding a woman, preventing her from being taken to Hell."

His voice echoed in the large room as he paused his painting.

It was a picture of a massive apple tree, with a serpent coiling around its branches.

"Levy? You met him?" asked the President.

"Ah, he visited me last night. He already told me about today's destruction and chaos, so don't be surprised."

The man pulled back the hood of his robe, revealing a face identical to the President's, though his voice was different.

"I'm not surprised by the demonstrations," the President replied flatly.

"What surprises me is why a demon is involved with one of my people. Erika is not a member, she just works in the government."

"You don't understand," said the Creator.

"Lucy has warned that there are many kinds of demons who easily fall in love with humans."

"Maybe this one is one of them," he added.

"Does that affect anything?" asked the President.

"Of course not. She's just an ordinary human, just like us," the Creator replied.

"But she has Adzriel protecting her," the President pointed out.

"Just like we have Levy," the Creator countered, and the President nodded.

"You don't need to worry about that matter. That is their concern. Our focus should be on maintaining power and gaining as much as we can from the innocent," said the Creator.

"Tomorrow's demonstration will be worse than today's. Do your job, and the people will praise you. That is all."

"How do you know?" the President asked.

The man called the Creator smirked under the dim light, finally turning to look at the President.

"Levy would never call me the Creator."

"A person who has sinned a lot but has no contract with you... can they still be forgiven by God?"

Erika's voice broke the silence. They were now in the dining room, where she was having dinner while the demon beside her simply watched.

"Your question about the salvation of sinners without a contract with me... You wonder whether those who have sinned greatly can still be forgiven by your faith?"

Adzriel smirked mockingly. Erika asked too many questions yet refused to leave all this luxury behind.

"Yes, my dear. Even the greatest sin can be forgiven if the sinner truly repents in their heart and seeks redemption."

"Then, what about me? I am a sinner who truly regrets and seeks redemption."

Adzriel raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I can see how you deeply regret and seek redemption... Your sighs, your cries... yes, I can see it," Adzriel taunted.

Erika rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"Your declaration of regret and desire for repentance, my dear. You claim to deeply regret your sins and seek forgiveness, don't you?"

Adzriel's cold eyes pierced into Erika's.

"Yes, my dear. I can feel your sincerity, your longing for forgiveness and release from your guilt. If your intentions are pure and your heart is true, your God will likely extend His mercy and forgive you."

"So, I can leave you and return to God?" Erika's eyes sparkled with hope.

The word leave felt like burning embers placed directly on Adzriel's heart. It was scorching, painful.

His breath grew heavy. He couldn't even remember the last time he felt heartache.

"Your desire to leave me and return to your God's embrace… You wish to break our contract and surrender yourself to your Creator's mercy, don't you?"

Adzriel's eyes narrowed slightly, his lips curling into a mocking smile.

"Yes, my dear. You can certainly try to break our contract and seek forgiveness from your God, but I assure you—it won't be an easy path. Once you've given me your soul, such an agreement is not easily undone."

"Repentance is stronger than anything in this world, even your power," Erika countered.

Adzriel crossed his arms. This woman kept denying it.

And Adzriel was tired of arguing about this.

Besides, she didn't truly want to repent. She just wanted to escape from him.

"Ah, your faith in the power of repentance, my dear. You firmly believe that repentance and forgiveness are stronger than any force in this world—even mine, don't you?"

Adzriel's eyes gleamed with a mix of surprise and intrigue at Erika's statement.

"Yes, repentance is a formidable force. But it is not without limits. My power and influence are vast. Do not underestimate my ability to hinder and obstruct your path to redemption."

Erika sighed deeply.

There was no point in arguing.

This demon would always follow her wherever she went.

"Then, why did you leave so suddenly back then?"

Adzriel understood what she meant.

Should he keep this from her?

But she had the right to know.

Because sooner or later, Lucy and her followers would come for Erika, demanding her soul be taken to Hell.

"You should have mentioned a longer time in the forest," Adzriel said.

"Two years hardly seems like a fair trade for eternity."

Erika frowned.

"I don't understand."

"Two years. And the time is up. You are supposed to surrender your soul to me, so I can take you to the deepest part of Hell—to become my follower there. But I… I couldn't do it. I still remember seeing your beautiful form, created by God."

Adzriel took Erika's hand, gently stroking it.

"So, is that a problem?" Erika asked, staring into Adzriel's now-reddened eyes.

"Yes, of course, it's a problem. A promise is a promise, not just with me—all demons are questioning it. And they already know. This might become a big problem for both of us."

Adzriel explained at length, but Erika still didn't understand what he meant.

"Say it clearly, Adzriel. I don't understand." Erika demanded.

Adzriel fell silent for a moment.

He knew this was foolish.

It shouldn't have happened.

And it shouldn't be possible.

"That I love you, Erika."