Chapter 538 (2) - The Academys Weapon Replicator |
‘What nonsense…’
Even as he grumbled, Frondier's mind raced.
From all his past experiences, he drew out every possible means to solve this problem.
─Except for the bat wings, they're almost identical to humans from head to toe. Their blood is red too. It's just… unsettling.
─Frondier, you may not know how I killed the souls of Helheim. The 'power of a devil' is not that different.
─From a devil's perspective, humans who contract with their souls as collateral are more frightening. Ordinary humans don't have that kind of determination. Souls that make such contracts are more likely to be noble. Even if they were to receive such a soul as payment, clumsy devils wouldn't be able to consume it.
─The goal is to corrupt that soul…
"...I see."
Frondier realized and raised his head.
And before his eyes…
…was Satan.
"I need to be corrupted."
[…!]
In contracts with humans, devils aimed for the corruption of the human soul. Because they couldn't consume a noble soul.
But what if the soul, even after being corrupted, still couldn't be consumed?
‘Then, how do I become corrupted?’
Belpheghor had said:
─I am Sloth. A devil of the Seven Deadly Sins, one who stands opposite to God.
─As a devil, I only have malice.
As if responding to that thought,
Iaijutsu!
Something in Frondier's arms emitted a light.
What Frondier took out was a ring-shaped object.
‘What is that…?’
Satan didn't recognize it.
It was something that didn't exist within Satan's knowledge. But even to Satan's eyes, it was a crystal containing an ominous energy.
It was the Golden Apple.
‘…Right, I see.’
Frondier gripped the crystal and,
Plunge!
Submerged it into the river.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaa─!
At that moment, the Golden Apple emitted an enormous light and started to absorb the river water.
The aura of death swirling around Yggdrasil.
The water that should have flowed into the tree was being devoured by the Golden Apple.
"Yes, eat it all."
A challenging smile played on Frondier's lips.
Whatever this thing was,
whatever it was trying to become by consuming all this, it didn't matter anymore.
No, it was rather the opposite.
Frondier knew what this Golden Apple would eventually become.
"You will become me."
The river was drained of all its water,
and the ring, now utterly black, became clean with a dark light.
Frondier swallowed it.
[…Hmm.]
Seeing that, Belpheghor simply uttered a short word.
[Not bad.]
Kwaaaaaaaaaaa!!
A ferocious energy erupted from Frondier's body.
“Kugh, ugh, uwaaagh…!!”
Frondier thrashed about in pain, as if his whole body was being pierced.
“Belpheghor…! If you say you can’t do it now, I’ll kill you!”
[Haha, I'd love to see that, but let's save it for later.]
Belpheghor said and began chanting again.
[This contract is to summon the devil, Frondier de Roach.]
The first problem was solved.
Then, the second.
[As a medium…]
That was Belpheghor's part.
[I shall use the dragon heart of Níðhöggr.]
[What…!]
Satan cried out in shock.
[You killed that dragon…!]
He had killed Níðhöggr, the dragon of Nastrond. For Satan, who knew what that simple statement meant, it was nothing short of shocking.
Belpheghor, without reacting to him, spoke to Frondier.
[Frondier, do you know the saying 'a devil's whisper'?]
A devil’s whisper.
The one who overcomes it is a hero, the one who is tempted is a human,
and the one who entrusts their sin to a devil…
Is also a devil.
[Frondier, you called yourself a fake.]
Belpheghor said with a smile.
[Come back as the real thing.]