"But first, tell me… why should I even listen to your deal, boy? What reason do I have not to crush you like the rest of these insects?"
The voice was cold, cruel—yet disturbingly calm.
Liam—no, Astro—looked at the demon fearlessly. Well… it would be a lie to say he wasn't afraid at all.
This wasn't a dream. At least, he wished it were not. He didn't know if he could ever return to his old world… but if he was truly alive again, then he wanted to live—for himself, and for Maria.
The desire to live burned in his chest.
But then a thought sparked.
'I am not sure if he is actually a devil, but he is a living being. He should have some feelings and desires too.'
If he planned to kill everyone, I'd already be dead. The fact that he's wasting time on me means… I have something he wants or something he is curious about?
"You said something about merging souls? Can you see souls? What happened to the previous one inside this body?" Astro asked carefully. He planned to hook the demon with curiosity and also learn how much he really knew. Could he see memories as well?
The demon looked at Astro. His crimson eyes glowed as he examined the boy's soul with sky magic. He was hooked; after all, what he saw broke the world's common sense. People could wield multiple kinds of magic—but two souls merged into one? Even the Phantom Demon, the one demon that is more proficient with soul magic, couldn't achieve that.
"Your situation is… interesting," the demon muttered. "Two souls have merged completely within one body. But how? And why? Soul takeover is not uncommon, but in that case, one soul should have been destroyed in the process."
Astro did not know how that happened, but he met the demon's gaze calmly. "If you promise not to kill me, I'll tell you."
The demon chuckled, voice laced with ridicule. "Hahaha… so that's your deal? Do you truly believe a demon's word carries honor?"
The devil did not even think that Astro was completely clueless. After all, who would dare to lie to a devil's face?
Astro would.
Astro said quickly, slowly changing the subject. " I can tell that you don't have much time left in this world. Otherwise, you would've already experimented on me to find the truth yourself. Also… I can tell you stories about a world you've never heard of."
The mockery faded from the demon's eyes, replaced by interest—and a hint of helplessness. "You are quite perceptive, boy." He leaned closer, his presence still suffocating. "Go on."
"I'm not the original Astro. Or I think that's not who I am completely anymore…" Liam said, voice steady now. "I reincarnated here—into this body. I came from another world. A world with no magic, no devils like you—yet full of its own wonders and stories. Do you want to hear about it?"
The demon's expression twitched. "…Another world? Impossible. Even Edolas has magic."
"Edolas?" Astro echoed. His memory flashed—snippets of Fairy Tail he had once watched during long hospital stays. He honestly did not see much of the Fairy Tail. Except for the first episode, he only watched a few videos here and there, showcasing some of the important characters of the show. His chest ached with regret.
'I wanted to watch more, but Sis never let me, saying it was not for kids. Hmph.'
His drifting thoughts shattered as the demon's voice cut through.
"Looks like my time is nearly up." The devil's body flickered with cracks of light, showing that he was actually starting to fade away.
"So you really can't remain here for long… guess I was right," Astro muttered under his breath, realizing that he had managed to waste enough time.
"What a shame," the demon said, lips curling. "I wanted to know more about your soul and of this 'world without any magic.'" He paused, eyes narrowing with a dangerous gleam. "Unless… you become my vassal."
Astro's breath caught. He narrowed his eyes. "Y-You want me to give you this body?"
'Is there no escape from this demon? Think, Liam, Astro, think. There must be a way to save myself.'
The demon scoffed. "Hardly. Why would I lower myself to a fragile mortal shell? No… I want you to be my subordinate. My vassal. In return, I will grant you power—my own power. Once a year, I will manifest beside you, and you will tell me more about your world. I am also curious how two merged souls will grow inside a body. So what do you say? An actual deal with a demon. Do you dare, boy?"
Astro's mind raced.' If I refuse, I die here. Even if this demon leaves, I'm still tied up. I could be executed or worse. And outside this place… a world full of danger waits.'
He does not know much about what is gonna happen to this world, but his common sense tells him that there will definitely be multiple world-ending threats in the future, if he appeared before the story started.
He calmed down his thoughts and looked back at the demon, "...Alright. I'll take your offer, Alvemak Blackmist. I'll be your vassal."
The demon's grin widened, satisfied that this kid paid attention to his name. "Wise choice, boy. Do not disappoint me. Tell me your name."
For a moment, Liam almost slipped. "Lia—" He stopped, then smiled bitterly. "No. Call me Astro."
"I want to know the names of both your souls."
"Liam Quinn… and Astro Verina," he answered. "My memory of Astro still feels incomplete. It's like… I'm missing context—why I'm here, what happened this last year. Even before that, everything feels blurry. Is that a side effect of the soul merge?"
"I'm not sure," Alvemak said, answering honestly.. "But I will return next year and run a few experi…test on your body."
'He was going to say experiments, wasn't he?' Astro thought quietly.
The demon chuckled, not caring that he almost slipped his hidden thought. "From this day forth, I give you my name with my magic. You will bear the title of Blackmist for me." His voice rose like thunder, shaking the very air around them.
"From this moment, you are a Devil Slayer—a Sky Devil Slayer!"
"Devil Slayer? You are giving me the magic to kill you?", Astro asked in a confused tone.
"Haha!" the demon's laughter echoed through the chamber, a booming sound that rattled Astro's bones—then faded as the demon's form dissolved into nothingness.
"You don't need that magic to kill me. I already lost most of my strength long ago, and I cannot grow stronger anymore either.. Your job is to use that magic and continue my legacy in the Earthland."
The demon's voice completely faded as well.
But the power did not fade with him.
Astro gasped as his body convulsed. Magic surged through his veins.. He could feel the wind itself around him. Not only was he able to sense everything around him in great detail. It felt like his body had become one with the wind around him, and he could feel everything the wind touched.
Too much. Too much.
Information poured into his mind continuously. His vision blurred. His head felt like it would split apart. He kept groaning in pain.
'So this… is the power of a Devil Slayer?'
Before he could steady himself, a gate in the distance creaked open. Heavy footsteps echoed against the stone.
"Wait… what happened here?"
"That boy! He was supposed to be the sacrifice. Why is he still living?"
Astro's eyes opened wide. He was still tied to the stake, but his body trembled with power he couldn't control.
The ropes snapped under the surge of his mana, but his knees buckled as the torrent of strength threatened to tear him apart from the inside.
The soldiers drew nearer, their torches casting long shadows across the ground.
And then—Astro felt like something inside his mind snapped as his vision went black.