Who am i

The marble floor of the Judgement Hall echoed with whispers that turned into venom.

"Kill him!"

"He's a demon!"

"Monster!!"

The crowd's voices piled over each other like crashing waves, some shrieking, others growling, until it became noise, raw, angry, hateful noise.

Enix stood in the middle, frozen. His heart pounded. He looked around eyes wide in confusion his body trembling.

("What...are they saying that?")

"What are these people talking about…?" he whispered under his breath.

A sudden gesture silenced everything.

The Lord Father had raised his hand.

It was slow calm and graceful… yet it dropped the hall into complete silence.

Enix stared.

His eyes locked on the man seated on the throne at the top of the hall his presence was heavy.

("He's... the Lord Father?")

Enix felt a chill crawl up his spine.

The Lord Father leaned forward slightly, resting one finger against his chin.

Then, his voice, soft but deep.

"Young man," he said.

"I will ask you two questions."

"Answer them… wisely."

Enix's breath caught.

His mind pulsed with a strange ringing.

The Lord Father's eyes locked with his.

"First question," he said.

"What are you…?"

He paused.

"...A demon?"

"...Or a human?"

A silence followed.

Everyone stared at Enix.

Every breath in the hall waited.

Enix blinked.

("Demon...")

("Human..")

Then....

His mind flashed and he remembered something.

"You will have two choices..."

"Answer it… wisely."

His pupils shrank.

His jaw clenched.

He remembered it.

That thing... from before.

Enix lifted his head slowly his hands stopped shaking he gritted his teeth clenched his fists and shouted.

"I... I AM A HUMAN!!"

His voice roared through the Hall.

The people around him froze.

Eyes widened.

Gasps spilled out like shattered glass.

"...He said it..."

"He actually said it..."

"That's not possible..."

The Lord Father, however did not move.

He simply stared calm as stone.

From one corner of the hall, Aaru and Koru exhaled at the same time.

Koru gave a small crooked smile.

Aaru smirked with closed eyes, whispering, "Finally..."

Then the Lord Father stood.

He raised his hand and declared.

"With that answer this young boy is declared one of us."

"Because i think you all know that if a corrupted soul or a Merged lied that they are a human then they will die on the spot."

The crowd murmured again confused unsure.

From the left a man stepped forward.

Tall. Slim. His beard long and pointed like a spear of smoke he wore formal garments that clung to him like a tailored cage black pants, gray shirt, and a long brown coat, a silver chain hung from his collar, swinging with each step.

His name was Rizz.

"My Lord," Rizz spoke, his voice sharp.

"It seems someone fed us false information."

He narrowed his eyes at Enix.

"This boy cannot be a Merged there's no way they can survive after saying that."

"Is that so?" Lord father said slowly.

"Then perhaps... ask the one who brought him here."

Rizz blinked.

"...What?"

He turned.

Behind Enix… stood Koru.

Koru stood tall, arms crossed.

Enix blinked in confusion.

"Huh...?"

Koru stepped forward and rested a firm hand on Enix's shoulder.

"Good job," he said calmly.

Enix tilted his head, still confused.

"...What is going on?"

Koru looked up at the Lord Father.

"Yes, my Lord It's true this boy is a Merged."

A ripple of shock spread through the hall.

"...What?"

"No way..."

"This must be a trick!"

People gossip again.

Koru continued, "But he has full control over his body as we all can see."

From the right, Aaru stepped forward his expression was serious but not tense.

"I fought him," Aaru said. "When he was in his Demon state but right in front of me... he changed."

"Changed... into a human."

A storm of voices broke out.

"They're lying!"

"That's impossible!"

"A Demon turning back into human? What kind of fantasy is that?!"

Rizz's eyes burned.

"WHAT KIND OF STUPID JOKE IS THAT?!" he snapped his voice spitting venom.

"You're lying! There's NO WAY anyone can do that!"

Koru looked at him and smiled faintly.

"But Mr. Rizz..." he said calmly.

"Can't you see the proof in front of you?"

Rizz narrowed his eyes grinding his teeth and said.

"I can feel the Cursen Energy inside him but that alone means nothing!"

"We all use Cursen Energy, yes, he has a little more than most but that doesn't prove he's a Merged!"

He pointed directly at Koru now.

"You dare claim this child is a Merged?! Then give me proof, you lying rat!"

The room went still.

Koru's hand fell from Enix's shoulder.

He smiled again this time colder.

"Very well then."

Rizz's pupils shrank.

"Wha—?"

Everyone went silent

Koru's fingers slipped slowly into his coat pocket.

Rizz squinted suspicious.

Everyone watched in silence as Koru pulled something out.

It was small.

Silver.

A knife.

Without warning he stepped forward

And with a sharp flick of his wrist.

SLASH.

A thin red line spread across Enix's right cheek.

"Ahh!" Enix gasped, eyes wide. "Ouch!"

Blood beaded from the fresh wound.

But then...

CRACK.

A faint spark ignited.

Black and red lightning flickered across the cut skin then vanished.

And in that exact moment.

Everyone froze.

It wasn't fear.

It was pressure.

A heavy invisible force rolled across the hall like a tidal wave.

The aura that spilled from Enix's cheek... wasn't normal.

The two Lords sitting in the throne eyes wide a little.

But the Lord Father didn't even blink.

Only his eyes moved narrowing slightly.

Rizz's breath hitched. He stumbled backward.

"No… no way..." he whispered. "That's not… possible..."

Koru stepped forward again.

His voice cut through the silence.

"Now do you all believe?"

"This boy this human is the first one to ever defeat a Corrupted Soul's Merging."

Gasps spread like wildfire.

Koru continued.

"Not suppress it, Not delay it, Defeat it."

He pointed at Enix.

"He's not just a rare case. He is hope."

Everyone stare caught between awe and fear.

"He could help us understand the nature of these Souls," Koru said and paused, his voice dropped to a deeper tone.

"And maybe one day... we might even discover the truth about this world."

Enix sit there, stunned.

He looked at Koru's back.

("He's... Trying to protecting me...")

His heart swelled.

Then... all eyes turned to the throne.

The Lord Father remained silent for a moment.

Then he tilted his head slightly.

A soft smile crept across his face.

"Young boy…" he said.

"…What do you have to say for yourself?"

Enix raised his head.

"I…" he said, voice trembling, but clear.

"I'm a human."

His voice rang out.

The hall stilled again.

Enix clenched his fists.

"It's true that there's a monster inside me."

He closed his eyes for a second then opened them.

"…But even chains wrapped in darkness cannot crush a soul that was born pure."

"…But..i won't let the shadow of a bad guy cover my light and turn my world into darkness." He thought about Nki whole saying that.

"That's why..."

"I'll fight."

His feet planted firm.

"I'll fight for humanityyyyyyyy!"