Arnold stepped back after confirming who it was.
"There is no need to be cautious." Oriel looked around at the distorted space engulfing Madilith's world, "So, this is the world you see through the eyes of that system of yours."
"You know what it is…?"
That wasn't surprising since he was inside Arnold's body not too long ago. Does he see everything that Arnold sees when possessing his body?
"I saw your whole life in those few minutes that I controlled your body. Another was controlling your body before you met the future you in the abyss. But now the two of you are one, each sharing each other's traits. But let's not reminisce on your past or bring up that transmigrated soul that you absorbed. I am here to tell you that there is no need to worry about this curse killing you. I am inside your body, after all. I, Oriel Seir, leader of the Metal Eater Greater Demons, am also a demon lord, an existence immune to all curses, blights, and mind control—an existence that does not bow to fate or gods. My power is unparalleled, an impenetrable shield against any force, whether good or evil. The curse that threatens your life will attempt to take hold, but it will encounter my overwhelming power and be eradicated, ceasing to exist entirely. Consider your deepest desires: you want to survive, don't you? You yearn to return to your world, to continue your mundane human life. You want to see that big-breasted woman you cherish so dearly, to hold her once more. You crave to seek out Alecs, your most cherished companion from your world. All these desires are within your grasp, but only if you embrace my power.
Rejecting it means facing certain doom, the curse consuming you until nothing remains except my soul which will once again return to the River of Souls and be consumed by a lower lifeforce—the Soul King once he ascends to godhood. Accept me, and you will gain the strength to defy your chosen fate, to protect those you love, and to reclaim your life. The choice is yours—will you seize this chance and wield the might of a demon lord in his true form, or will you succumb to the darkness that seeks to destroy you and take away everything you hold dear and everything you want to become or achieve in life?
Imagine the life you want to return to. The familiar sights and sounds of your world, the love and laughter you seek. Picture the faces of your lovers, the warmth of their smiles, the light in their eyes when they see you. All of this is threatened by the curse that seeks to claim you. How will they know what happened to you if you die in this dungeon? If you go back now then you're putting their lives in danger as well. You will simply cause others to die because you were selfish enough to go see them one last time. But with my power, you can vanquish this threat. You can return to them, embrace them, kiss them, make love to them... Think of the women you love, their eyes filled with tears of joy as they see you again, safe and sound. Think of Alecs, waiting for you, perhaps needing your help as much as you need hers. The connections you have, the bonds you have formed—they do not have to be severed by this curse. You have the means to save the ones outside this world who trust you. Do not be swayed by fear or doubt. Do not let this puny darkness win. You have a strength within you as well, the resilience that has brought you this far. But it is not enough without a greater power. Combined with my power, there is nothing you cannot overcome."
He was now standing right in front of Arnold, his slanted red eyes staring Arnold down.
Victoria…
-"Al."
Anna…
-"Al~"
Melina…
-"Big brother!"
Siana…
-"Sir Arnold…"
Marcus…
-"Arnold, my dear son."
Elora….
-"Sir Nova!"
Lauran…
-"Humph."
Adrianna…
-"My little Al…"
Nait…
-"S-Sir Nova…"
Luke…
-"Big brother."
Celeste…
-"Al…"
Their faces appeared in his mind in that order and they called out to him. He could see their smiles but could not picture their expressions when they find out he died, never knowing where his body might be.
Perhaps he could tell them through the Future Letter what happened to him but they'll just suspect that someone killed him. Marcus would think the household's enemies were responsible and march his armies to every one of their territories demanding they confess, which can lead to a war if he's not satisfied.
He could not imagine how Celeste and Victoria would feel. Both women had cared for and loved him deeply since his childhood, yet he had given them the cold shoulder until a while ago.
Someone else appeared in his mind.
Alecs.
Her long, golden hair cascaded naturally down her back, glinting like sunlight on a summer's day. Her deep blue eyes, reminding one of the ocean's most profound depths, which held a calm, confident gaze. Her soothing voice, a calming melody for his nerves, had often quelled his frustrations brought on by the game. He had always kept his mic on to speak to her and hear her voice. Clad in full armor, she stood resolute and formidable, her helmet absent, allowing her beautiful yet determined features to shine through.
Alecs had told him before that she created her character to be similar to how she looked in real life.
If she was also transmigrated, did she still look that beautiful?
If he dies here then he would never be able to find an answer to his burning question: where is she?
Arnold gazed into Oriel's eyes, which burned with the intensity of a volcano's molten core.
"You're trying to deceive me, aren't you?" he asked flatly as he took a step back.
He could almost see the fire in Oriel's eyes trembling unnaturally.
"Why would I do such a thing when my own life is in danger? You might not realize it yet, but you have the potential to manipulate souls. Yes, you possess the ability to remove my soul once you become capable of [Soul Bending]. This unique capability is granted by the very factor that placed my soul inside you. However, the question remains: will you live long enough to obtain that ability and remove my soul? Think about it. The curse threatens your existence now. Do you truly believe you can survive long enough to master Soul Bending without my help? The power to save yourself is within your grasp, but only if you choose to accept it. Deny it, and you risk being consumed before you even have a chance to reach your potential."
Oriel's grin bore no resemblance to a friendly smile. It was a sinister, malicious expression, a stark reminder of the peril he faced and the urgency of the decision he has to make.
Arnold could almost feel his resolve crumble like a sandcastle under relentless waves.
Soul Bending wasn't something that was commonly found in the main story. There were some side quests involving a cult of sorts transferring the soul of one person to their founder or something but nothing on the level of controlling a demon lord's soul.
He never even had the thought of learning soul manipulation even though he knew it exists. There was no way Oriel's soul was the same as those of mortals so the rituals might not even work.
"…How will I know I'm ready to use Soul Bending?"
"I will tell you, of course. We are connected through the factor so I can even feel vulnerabilities in your soul. How else do you think I was able to quickly take the opportunity to take over your body?"
"…"
"Remember, if you accept this creature's offer, you will be no better than a demon. Do you truly want to risk becoming something you despise?"
If he accepts Cursama's offer, he won't just be surrendering the lives of the students and the adventurers; he will also be undermining his own goals and ambitions. Though he often weighs his benefit above others', this decision would be different. The lives he'd be throwing away wouldn't serve a greater purpose, but rather a selfish desire to survive. This act would strip him of any remaining shred of honor or justification he holds onto to stay sane and sleep soundly at night. Put in another way; by selfishly choosing to preserve his own life at the cost of innocents, he not only sacrifices them for no strategic gain but also risks losing the very essence of his identity. All his accomplishments would become tainted, overshadowed by this one desperate, selfish act. Is this the price he is willing to pay? Is this truly the path he wishes to tread, where his survival is stained by such a regret brought on by selfishness?
Madilith wouldn't judge him because he would choose to be with her for all eternity. That is something she desires. But if anyone else found out then he would be treated as a demon of some kind, a monster who kills if it benefits him alone and not just others.
Nuaria city was different. He wanted to show the world what happens when you venture into the unknown without taking extra precautions. The sacrifices he caused were for a greater and noble goal.
They could not fault him for trying to protect millions. The fault would've been theirs if they didn't listen.
Oriel had a meaningful gaze in his blazing eyes.
"You are comparing how much people will despise you once they find out what you've done here to the casualties you caused in the empire." Oriel's smile vanished, "Allow me to show you something. The Arnold who becomes what he despises—"
Oriel tapped Arnold's forehead with his index finger.
"What--?"
Almost immediately, Arnold's vision darkened and he could hear the jeers and shouts from all around.
It felt like something was around his neck and his hand were bound.
"Burn him!"
Ahn? He heard a scream and felt something hit his face.
His eyes slowly opened.
"Off with his head!" another angry voice followed by something being thrown at his head.
"I lost my family because of you!"
"My pregnant wife was at home that day while I was at work in the capital!"
"I want to see his head roll!!!!"
The citizens screamed as they hurled rocks and vegetables at Arnold. A piece of broken glass pierced his eye, tearing apart his sclera and spurting tears of blood down his cheek but he barely moved even after that.
'I can't move my body or my head.' He noticed that he was mounted in a pillory. Below his kneeling body was a basket, one meant to catch his head.
How could he be bound like this? He could easily bend steel and punch through concrete so why?
Ah. Arnold noticed that his body was covered in bruises and he couldn't feel his legs so they were probably broken as a result of blunt force.
Someone purposefully did this.
His face was covered in cuts and bruises, a testament to their rage or even sadistic tendencies.
Yet, Arnold's face remained blank, void of any emotion.
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by those of another person—the future him. How long into the future, he wasn't sure.
…
Why?
He did this for them. He saved them.
Only to be met with…?
He stared at their eyes as they told the executioner to hurry up with the execution.
Ridicule.
"Kill the bastard! Let us see if he's truly human!"
Ridicule.
Ridicule.
Ridicule.
Ridicule.
Mockery.
Jeers.
Insults.
Insolence.
"You fuckers!" Arnold's voice boomed, silencing the mob. The air crackled with the intensity of his words, as if a titan was shouting his orders throughout a battlefield.
"All of you! The millions standing here are alive because of me!" His legs made a cracking sound as they healed in an instant, "You bastards of the academy wouldn't listen because of your fucking pride! Your ignorance would've caused your deaths! That's right. I did it. And yes, I killed your families. I killed your daughters and sons. I watched as your loved ones were torn apart, limb by limb, penetrated so deep that their organs were forced through their mouths, chopped in pieces while still alive…" He broke apart the pillory and stood up, "But aren't you alive today because of it? You're still walking around with your worthless lives that mean nothing to me now, and yet you're wishing for my death?! Your fucking savior!? I should rip out all your tongues for merely insulting me for saving you! Why does a hero get a red carpet rolled throughout the capital upon his return from the battlefield but a villain gets ostracized and condemned, despite having played a crucial role in the same battle that saved lives!? Do their methods matter that much to you ants!?"
He punched the guards and executioner who tried to restrain him, making their heads explode from the force alone.
The crowd recoiled, stunned by his outburst of rage and absolute power.
He had accepted his fate, then he remembered who would've been sacrificed if he did not go through with his plans.
"Did you think that fucker, the new hero blessed by the gods, would've saved you? No! He wouldn't have stood a chance against the true evil out there! Have you ever heard about a monster that can kill a demon lord? I killed a monster like that! Me! What did Arthur do? He showed up one day with the Holy Sword, calling himself the Hero after leaving me for dead, and now all of you love him?"
He scanned the crowd, searching for a glimmer of recognition or remorse. There was none.
He could see Celeste sitting on one of the balconies, a baby in her arms and Isaac Languard by her side, both staring at him with wide eyes.
His body trembled when he saw Celeste but he knew he wasn't allowed to be angry because he was the one that pushed her away for so long so she sought another to fill the hole he created.
She looks so beautiful, he thought, almost forgetting where he was.
Her frightened expression somehow excited him.
He could see other familiar people in the crowd:
Olivia, the entire Imperial Family, Anais, Sabrina, Flora, Luke, the Berkley Family…
And also, his father's face, emotionless and distant, pierced him more than any blade could.
"Are you listening to what I'm saying, Father? None of you even stood up for me, even though you're alive because of me! Those offspring would've made it outside if I didn't close the dungeon. They would've killed not just the inhabitants of Diacree but the Great Nobles as well, leaving the emperor defenseless! Ahahaha, and I'm the bad guy for doing the right thing just because some people died! Ahahahaha! Fuck all of you! Fuck your Emperor and his people! I hope Ladiath goes back on his word and kills you all! You deserve to die!"
Arnold shouted in one breath, glaring at the people of the empire. Many were trembling from his outburst.
"H-He's delusional! He's going to kill us all if we don't kill him first!"
"W-We can't let this monster go free!"
Despite all Arnold said, no one stood up for him.
Arnold stopped laughing and summoned Luxtivin. The crowd freaked out but he ignored them and simply cut through his right arm.
Blood fell from that wound.
He raised that same arm wordlessly, its blood floating in the air like the strings of a puppet.
One member of the crowd suddenly flew into the air when an unseen force grabbed him.
"Uak!? What is this!?"
Arnold closed his hand, which caused that person to explode into a floating pool of blood. He could feel a rush of power fill his body.
Screams erupted but were quickly drowned out by the sounds of several other people being crushed by an unnatural power.
The spheres of blood, that were still in the air, were suddenly engulfed by a white energy. Arnold swung his arm down, causing one of the bubbles of blood to descend at unnatural speeds, heading for the fleeing crowd.
When making contact, a massive explosion erupted, creating a crater and killing hundreds just like that.
Ah, I'm so tired.
Arnold had that thought.
I'm tired of holding back my anger.
Why not take it out on the source of it all?
Several powerful individuals charged at him—including his own father—but he quickly fused the bubbles of blood into a singular giant bubble that created an enormous explosion that wiped out half the capital city of the empire just like that, killing every person in a three-kilometer radius.
Arnold remained standing amongst all that destruction. Jet-black scales and a black spiky wing protected him from the explosions.
The screams stopped. What was left in its wake was a cloud of red mist, which drifted around Arnold in a twister as if it were alive.
Arnold stood there, once a beacon of rage and despair, watching as the very people he had saved now perished by his hand.
"I regret nothing."
…
"Huk!" Arnold returned back to Madilith's dream world after witnessing what he had done in that vision.
"Did… Did that really happen… No, is it going to happen…? How? Why could I see that memory?" Arnold's trembling eyes looked up at Oriel.
"We are artists of our own canvas. But most of that canvas is covered in a soot, leaving a small area to paint. The future could be the same even if you try and wipe some of that soot away. You will gain the ire of people no matter the choice you make. But one of those choices will require you to never reveal to the world that you were the one responsible for killing innocents for selfish reasons. But are you willing to carry that burden alone? The transmigrated soul within you will never allow that. Guilt will catch up and consume you."
Oriel stretched his hand out towards Arnold.
"…" Arnold looked at it silently.
A desire to grab that hand manifested but he shook his head to get rid of such thoughts.
"Embrace who you were meant to become and accept me to share this burden."
Oriel vanished into thin smoke.
Time stop has ended
"Al? Eh, what's wrong?" Madilith's voice suddenly called out to him. She was looking at his hand that was reaching for something.
"Madilith… I think I know what to do about the curse."