"Zald." Erebus grinned. "What do you think? That kid's interesting, isn't he?"
Alfia's head rose slightly at those words. She didn't need to ask to know Erebus was referring to Akira.
Zald remained silent for a moment. Then, without warning, he removed his helmet, revealing a solemn, complicated expression.
"…I'm sorry, Erebus." He said quietly. "I may have to break our contract."
The words landed like a boulder tossed into still water. The air in the room shifted.
He had agreed, Zald and Alfia both, to lend their power to the evil god's plan. A path that would paint them as traitors, monsters, pariahs of history. It was too late to turn back.
And yet… he was hesitating.
Why? What had changed?
Erebus' expression stiffened.
"…What do you mean?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. "Don't tell me you're backing out over something as shallow as guilt."
He frowned, clearly bewildered.
Zald was not someone who feared infamy nor was he someone driven by fleeting emotions. Both he and Alfia had long since discarded their reputations. To them, satisfaction in death held more value than admiration in life.
Even Alfia looked stunned. Her calm, distant gaze turned sharp and inquisitive. She stared at Zald, silently demanding an explanation.
Zald responded without hesitation. With slow, deliberate movements, he began removing his armor. Piece by piece, the rusted plates fell to the stone floor with dull clanks. And then, it was revealed.
The sickly, decaying flesh that had once covered his body… was gone. What now stood before them was clean, healthy skin. Not a trace of the terminal poison remained.
"All the toxins… have been cured." Zald said simply.
"HUH!?" Erebus and Alfia both gasped.
Their eyes widened as the implications struck them like lightning.
Erebus's mind raced. Thousands of thoughts flashed past in an instant. He stared, first in disbelief, then in shock, and finally, something that looked like delight.
"Hah. So that child… has that kind of power." He chuckled.
Rather than anger, his face broke into a crooked grin.
When he had first approached Zald and Alfia, he'd been prepared for rejection. The fact that they accepted had been a surprise in itself.
But now…
For someone to show up at exactly this moment, with exactly the power needed to change the course of fate, it was too perfect.
Too timely.
Almost unnaturally so.
As if... they had come to stop him.
'Troublesome little child.'Erebus thought with a hint of exasperation.
But then he laughed aloud. "Hahaha… That's right. This is the lower world the gods so dearly love. The possibilities here are always twisted and strange. But that's what makes it fun."
He reached out and clapped Zald on the back again.
"Congratulations, Zald." Erebus said warmly.
Alfia stood beside them, silent. Her eyes remained on Zald, her emotions complex.
"…That's wonderful, Zald." She said softly.
She hadn't expected it. She hadn't even dared to imagine it.
That Zald's incurable illness… had actually been cured.
Alfia stood silently, her gaze distant. Perhaps, it was better this way. At least now, that child wouldn't be alone anymore. At least someone would be by his side when the time came...
So that she could walk alone down the road to Hades.
"Hahaha. Indeed, having a healthy body really is a wonderful thing." Zald laughed heartily, the deep rumble echoing in the silent chamber.
But then, his expression shifted. The warmth in his eyes did not fade, but a serious light flickered behind them.
He turned toward Alfia..
"Alfia." He said solemnly, "Come with me tomorrow to see Akira for treatment."
His voice was calm but firm, leaving no room for refusal.
Alfia stiffened. The words caught her off guard, and she instinctively wanted to reject them. She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the hem of her long skirt.
"Zald, there's no need." She murmured, her voice tinged with quiet bitterness. "My condition is different from yours."
Zald's illness had been caused by an external poison, something inflicted upon him. But her ailment was different.
Congenital. Intertwined with her Falna. Etched into her soul by divine blessing.
Not even a blessing could cure it. And certainly not a boy, no matter how miraculous his abilities.
Besides…
She clenched her hands tighter. She didn't want to look pathetic in front of that brat again. She didn't want to see that look in his eyes, the pity, the guilt.
If she kept interacting with him… she might not be able to go through with it. She might hesitate when the time comes.
She might… falter and let him kill her. If that happened, then her return to Orario would've been meaningless.
Wouldn't even the wish to be remembered forever become a cruel joke?
Zald stepped forward, eyes burning with sincerity.
"Even so, Alfia, you must try." He insisted. "Akira's abilities surpass common understanding. He cured me, when even divine healing and decades of alchemy failed. He might… he just might be able to save you too."
"Indeed." Erebus's voice joined in with unexpected gentleness. "Since Zald says so, why not give it a try? There's no harm in hope."
He smiled faintly. Though they'd only traveled together for a few short days, Erebus already regarded these two mortals as companions. He truly wished for their salvation.
Normally, Alfia would've responded to this kind of "nagging" with a swift Gospel punch to their faces.
But now…
She bit her lower lip, her heart stirring. She looked up at Zald, saw the determined light in his eyes and then, the image of a certain boy surfaced in her mind.
"Wow… your eyes are so beautiful! I wanna have mismatched eyes like you too!"
The innocent words that child had said that day replayed vividly.
A warmth she thought long extinguished flickered faintly in her heart. The long-dead flame of hope had sparked again.
"…Fine." She let out a slow sigh and finally said, "I understand. I'll go with you."
Zald and Erebus exchanged glances. There was joy in both of their eyes. But then Erebus raised his hand and scratched his head.
"By the way, can I come along too?" He said with a grin. "I haven't met that righteous child yet."
He laughed sheepishly. "He's like one of those ridiculous UR cards in gacha games. Super rare and broken, I have to see him in person."
Zald let out a chuckle and began donning his armor again.
"It should be fine. That kid's not the kind to hold grudges. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had the chance to be cured by him, after losing to him, no less."
Silence.
Zald's words dropped like a bomb.
Alfia blinked. Her face stiffened.
"Wait. What do you mean you lost to him?" Her calm mask cracked instantly, disbelief flooding her voice.
She knew Zald's strength. While she might have a slight edge in some areas, it was still almost unthinkable for someone to defeat him easily.
Even Erebus was stunned.
"W-What?! Why am I hearing this now?!" He cried.
This kid isn't just a UR card, he's an GOD-tier plot character that's impossible to roll!
Zald scratched his cheek, somewhat embarrassed.
"Well… it just kind of happened." He said with a wry laugh. "We fought, and I lost. Hahaha..."
"Explain properly, you bastard!" Alfia and Erebus screamed in perfect sync.