The demon tilted his head, his sharp grin curling wider as he stared at Seiji. "A coin toss?" he mused, his glowing eyes narrowing. "How delightfully… human. And here I thought you'd come at me with something bold, old man."
Seiji didn't respond to the provocation. His hand reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, weathered coin. The faint glint of light caught its surface, revealing one side etched with a radiant sun and the other with a crescent moon. He held it up between his fingers, allowing the demon to see it clearly.
"You pick one side," Seiji said, his voice calm and steady. "If you win, you get to fight however you want. You can use Whatever power, destroy anything or anyone, leverage whatever suits your twisted games."
The demon arched an eyebrow, his grin never faltering. "Not that I'm going to lose to a low tier such as you? But U if I lose?"
Seiji's piercing gaze held steady. "Then you fight me. No leverage. No innocents used as pawns. No schemes or underhanded tricks. Just you and me—no one else. Agreed?"
The demon laughed, the sound deep and chilling. "You amuse me, human. But very well. I'll humor this game of yours. After all, I've got nothing to lose, do I?"
He sauntered forward, his presence suffocating as he stopped a few feet from Seiji. His eyes glowed brighter, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Heads or tails?"
"I'll take heads," Seiji replied simply, his tone resolute.
The demon paused, his clawed hand stroking his chin mockingly. "Then I'll take tails," he said with a sneer.
Without hesitation, Seiji flicked the coin high into the air. The metallic object spun rapidly, catching what little light remained in the frozen dimension. Time seemed to slow as it reached its apex, the faint ting of its spinning echoing unnaturally in the eerie silence.
The demon's glowing eyes followed the coin, but his expression betrayed nothing. It was as though he already knew the outcome.
As the coin began its descent, Seiji reached out and snatched it mid-air. His movements were fluid, deliberate, and unwavering. His fingers clasped around the coin as he pulled his hand down, holding it firmly in his palm.
"Let's see what fate has decided," Seiji said with a faint smile, his voice cutting through the oppressive quiet.
With a slow, deliberate motion, he opened his hand. The coin rested flat on his palm, the side etched with the radiant sun gleaming back at them.
"Heads," Seiji declared, his voice calm yet triumphant.
The demon stared at the coin for a long moment, his smirk fading into a contemplative expression. His glowing eyes flickered slightly, but his posture remained casual. He let out a slow, amused chuckle, the sound reverberating through the frozen arena like distant thunder.
"Well, well," the demon said finally, stepping back with a shrug. "It seems luck favors the old fool today."
Seiji pocketed the coin, his stance relaxed yet firm. "Then it's settled. No leverage. No innocents. Just us."
The demon's smile returned, though it was sharper now, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, I do so love these noble little games of yours. Very well, human. I'll honor our little deal."
But as the demon spoke, his expression twisted slightly, a glint of mischief flashing in his glowing eyes. "Of course," he added with a wicked grin, "don't mistake my compliance for weakness. You may have won the coin toss, but that doesn't mean you'll walk away from this."
Seiji didn't respond to the veiled threat. Instead, he exhaled slowly, his body glowing faintly as the 32 Marks of God flickered across his skin, signaling his readiness.
The demon gave a low, guttural chuckle, his claws flexing. "Shall we begin?"