4.15 - Knocking on Heaven's(?) Door

4.15

Her face once again turns to surprise. And quickly bends into a smile, which breaks her apathetic look.

"Why would I want to command those pesky creatures!? Don`t say such foolish things! *giggle*"

She takes my serious concern as an amusing joke and laughs in an innocent way. If she`d been controlling even her facial expressions so far, in order to manipulate me and the conversation, then instead of a Goddess, she`s the one I`d have to call a demon.

It was such an honest laugh that it made me wonder whether she really would be able to eliminate people as easily as she insinuated before. However, the fact she laughed at that, raises even more concerning questions on how she perceives the demons.

Also, her smile is way too freaking cute… Damn, it, focus!!!

"You are a funny one, hero. It`s been ages since the last time I`ve laughed like this."

Coming from her, the expression 'ages' seems to be quite convincing…

"Then, since we`re making a 'deal', I believe it would be fair for you to have some information. In the past, I had an altercation with…" Her usual deadpan returns, though I believe she makes a somewhat lonely expression as she looks for the right words to describe her story. "… A certain someone. In the end, we could not reach the outcome I intended to…"

Huh…? Then, she lost a fight…? What kind of monster could've been able to defeat a god…? The book only mentioned her once, in a battle with the Demon Lord. It described how the Goddess graciously beat the heck out of the demons asses… That must've been the first time the soul got sealed…

"An altercation…? With whom?"

"Although it was recorded in a different manner, you should have an idea."

?????

"Y-you mean the original Demon Lord?"

"… Yes, the… 'Devil'." After answering, she simply looks away. Again, a lonely expression seems to form in her face.

She referred to the original Demon Lord as 'Devil'. As in the one who rules over demons. Even higher than a Demon Lord. Possibly something akin to a Demon God, then? And she lost?

…

Didn`t the book say that she defeated the Demon Lord, or as she called, the 'Devil'!? She actually got defeated instead…? An inaccuracy in the records… Why is she telling me any of this…?

It seems I`ve underestimated the power lying dormant within me… Next, I should buy an eyepatch and some bandages for my arm… Otherwise, the Demon Lord inside me will take over!!! Lol I'm joking right now, but my stomach is twisting into strange directions from my nervousness…

"I am unsure as to why I'm even telling you any of this… However, I must warn you that if this ever leaked out in some sort of manner, no one would believe you… And you would also be dead in the next second…"

L-leak? My lips are as sealed as my butt cheeks right now…

"Afterwards, my own soul was sealed. And the soul held by the Demon Lords is the missing key I need in order to have it back."

"Y-your own soul got sealed!?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"But then how did you seal the Devil`s soul after that?"

"I didn`t. The soul was used to seal my own."

F-for what possible reason would something like that even happen!? To doubt the righteousness of her actions as a Goddess is one thing; but for the Devil itself to self-sacrifice in order to seal the Goddess… This is certainly some groundbreaking information here…

W-why is she even telling me all of this…? Is this one of those situations in which she says: 'I only told you because you won't be alive to make use of any of it, mwahaha!'???

Well, on the other hand I won't complain about free lore dump.

"But you've been summoning heroes to seal the soul for millennia. Why not make use of it before, then?"

"A couple of reasons truly. First, I needed to conserve strength throughout the years, so I could safely receive my soul back. Next, I had to regain full control of my original land, which demanded care, time and patience. Finally, I need someone with the completed soul in order to release the seal. Everything else is already set, except for this missing last part."

Which means, she needed the right conditions in order for her plan to work… And now, the only thing missing is a Demon Lord willing to break the seal for her? 'Can't she just make peace with them already, then?' Is something I would only say if I wanted to be snapped out of existence…

"The most time consuming task was to save my energies. All that remains is for someone strong enough to force a Demon Lord with a complete soul to obey my commands. I was under the impression it wouldn`t be easy, especially considering the recent batch of heroes… However, with the help of someone with a godly spirit affinity---" She looks directly into my eyes.

For a moment, I thought I saw something akin to excitement and determination inside her gaze. As someone who`s close to completing a task they`ve been working on for years. But then, I become unsure. As if trying to look at the surface of the sea. The waves might impress you with a false sense of movement, but it`s impossible to determine with your naked eyes the flow of the ocean currents.

"You may absorb 100% of the soul and break the seal in place of a demon."

"Wouldn't that imply turning me into the Demon King…?"

"Hehe. Then you could order all of them to kill themselves!" She laughs.

I try to force a smile--- without showing how much she scares the crap out of me sometimes.

Once again, I ask myself. Just what kind of sense of humor does this Goddess have…?

"But even for such mindless fools, it would be too much to expect they would simply accept a person and not a demon as their ruler. Nevertheless, you do not need their consent to fully gather the soul. Someone with a master affinity to spirits would be able to collect nothing but a part of it. A godly, however, will allow you to completely absorb it. Of course, after unsealing mine I can safely separate the soul from your own, returning your mortal life to the ordinary."

"'Safely separate'? Didn`t you say you had to kill the demons in a special way, to seal their souls…?"

"Have I failed to explain that sealing the soul and killing them are separate matters?"

"…"

Dude. This chick is vicious…

Then again, I don`t think any demon overlord would be as naïve as to think they would be able to keep their lives after being defeated in the final battle…

"And after recovering your soul? What would you do then?"

It would be even funny to imagine she could wipe out half of the world with a snap of her fingers. But the possibility it could actually happen is starting to make me hesitate…

"In the first place, I would return you to your own world to be with your sister. What happens after that would be of no concern of yours. I do not possess the means to send you back right now. However, with the complete soul you'll have access to the documents stored at their castle, and to the secret arts within. It should not be too difficult to infiltrate amidst their chaos… And since there was one art to bring you here, it is likely to be another to send you back… Even if there isn`t, as long as you bring me other related documents and give me some time to analyze them, I`m sure I can come up with something."

"Then, even after I fulfill my part of the deal (which already seems impossible enough)… All I'll get in return is nothing more than a possibility? A mere hypothesis of yours…?"

An impossible task for an uncertain reward…

"No, it is certainty. No matter how well thought is the plan, or how good are your pieces, you must account for the factor of risk. Unlikeable as it, there is nothing predetermined. Unlikely as it is, you have no other choice. Right now, it is for certain, there is no one above me in this whole universe. And even I cannot fulfil your wish, presently. Alas, even if such a being existed, I do not see why something of such magnitude would be willing to help you. This is the only way for you to return to your sibling… My, I'm beginning to take quite a liking to this 'making a deal' activity. Is this what they refer to as 'negotiation'?"

"Yes… And you certainly seem very capable of getting your point across…" More like a massacre on her part…

"In summary, all I need is for you to gather the complete soul; find and bring me the document pertaining the art for sending you back; and release the seal on my soul. Then I'll send you back."

Ok, seems impossible enough. But what other choice do I have… Maybe if I can evolve my chAirimander to chAirizard she'll deal with it somehow…

"And how will I know which documents to look for?" Assuming I even make it there in the first place…

"As long as those pesky wretches haven't made a mess, you should be able to locate them easily." Once again, her eyes turn nostalgic and her lips curve lightly into a smile. "Important archives used to be classified by category, and catalogued bibliographically."

A library filled with secret documents---!!! I might be tempted to go there, deal or not…

"But will I be able to read the documents? How would I know what to look for?"

"Once you complete the soul, you'll have no trouble in reading any languages the documents might be written at."

This must be the reason why I was able to read in town, while Akane couldn't… I wonder how that works.

Anyways.

This is great then! I'll be able to go back home and even find an entire library filled with unique information! What a perfect deal!

Well, except for the fact I'll probably die on the first step… But considering she herself hasn't killed me yet, it seems like an improvement so far!

C-caham!

"They are acceptable terms. But it would seem I'm still the hyposufficient part of this deal. After all, even if I were to fulfill my part, and you unseal your soul, what reason would you have to keep your end? The situation also remains somewhat uncertain to you. Since I could simply use the 'art' described on the document by myself, instead of having to rely on you, right?"

"My, my… You certainly are not easy to please, hero… And here I am offering you a--- 'Divine' deal."

"…" I see. She made a joke about her good deal and the fact she is a Goddess.

"…" Her newfound silence seemed to show she was a little upset, waiting for a laugh or some other reaction from me. It might just be my imagination, since her face remains unexpressive.

Sorry, but I think I hurt my cheeks when I forced myself to laugh the last time… Honestly, I'm simply not in the mood right now.

"… Very well. You could try to use the art. That is, as long as you are willing to lose your life."

Does she mean to say: 'As long as you fulfill your end of the bargain, then we'll both walk out of here and walk towards sunset. But if you betray me, I will find you and I will kill you'…?

"…What do you mean?" I try to confirm her intentions.