Step by step, Daniel and the demon drew closer.
Their words floated like fragile echoes in the silence, but the atmosphere was no longer that of a duel. It was no longer a threat of blood or fury, but an extraordinary, almost unbearable energy vibrating between them.
The demon, still shaken by the technique Daniel had used, seemed unable to regain her usual composure. Her flushed cheeks betrayed an unexpected embarrassment. Her hands trembled slightly, and her eyes darted between the hero's face and the burning memory of the contact she could not erase.
Why… Why did I feel that? she thought, her throat tight. Why now?
Every beat of her heart resonated like an unspoken realization.
Suddenly, she clenched her fists, regaining a measure of courage. Her voice snapped into the air like an irrevocable command:
— Hero… You must take responsibility! After what you made me go through, I can never marry anyone!
A silence fell.
Mina and Élise, observing from a distance, froze, mouths agape, unable to believe what they had just heard.
Daniel remained still for a moment, then spread a wide, insolent, almost childlike smile.
— Oh? Really? he said, crossing his arms. Well… no problem. You'll be my wife. No worries.
The demon blinked, astonished.
— W… What?! You're… serious?!
Daniel shrugged, feigning nonchalance, but his eyes sparkled with a playful gleam.
— Serious as ever. No worries.
The demon turned her gaze away abruptly, unable to bear the intensity any longer. Her throat burned with anger, confusion… and a feeling she dared not name.
She took a deep breath, and for the first time, her voice softened, grave and almost intimate:
— Remember, hero. Remember my name well. I am Emma.
Daniel's eyes widened, surprised by this revelation.
— Emma… he repeated softly, as if engraving the name into his memory. Very well. I will remember.
A wave of magic began to vibrate through the air. The rift they had opened earlier widened behind Emma. Her figure slowly detached, drawn into the light.
Before disappearing completely, she cast one last look at Daniel, and her words resonated with an emotion he would never forget.
— Until later, hero. I will wait for the day you return.
Daniel raised his hand in a gesture of promise, a sincere smile on his lips, and murmured to the author:
— Thank you for this adventure… and for this encounter.
Lysandra burst out laughing in his mind, her crystalline voice resonating only in Daniel's thoughts.
— Oh, Daniel… you're hopeless! Agreeing to an impromptu marriage with a demon and you seem… happy.
Daniel replied inwardly, ironically:
— Well, why not? Huh? Clichés have their charm too.
Mina and Élise, meanwhile, remained dumbfounded, completely overwhelmed by the scene they had just witnessed.