The Angel of Death

The two of us ate diligently, but naturally, a significant portion of the raspberry tart remained. It couldn’t be helped, considering one person had eaten right after a full meal and the other hadn’t even passed an hour since finishing theirs.

I carefully placed the remaining slices into a paper pastry bag and tucked them away in my inventory.

“I could have finished it,” Azrael grumbled.

Instead of humoring his impossible bravado, I spoke lightly.

“I won’t give the leftovers to anyone else, so let’s eat them together again tomorrow.”

“……Alright.”

Azrael smiled brightly. After swiftly handling the dishes with a cleaning spell, I sat back, burying myself in the long sofa. My posture was so relaxed I might as well have been lying down.

It was cozy and peaceful. Though it wasn’t a real wood-burning fireplace, the imitation hearth mimicked the sound of crackling logs perfectly, and Azrael was half-reclined in the single-seater sofa next to me.

I wished time would stop. I glanced at the clock, but it ticked away regardless. Azrael watched my profile for a moment before following my gaze to the clock.

After a long silence, I finally spoke.

“Let’s start the conversation now.”

“……?”

Startled by the sudden change in atmosphere, Azrael, who had been half-dissolved in sleep, looked at me with hazy eyes.

“When is the Demon King being summoned?”

“Andrealphus…….”

Azrael let out a lamenting sigh. He looked wide awake now. Regardless, I stared at him steadfastly.

“The Demon King is being summoned, right?”

At my nudge, Azrael shifted, pulling his back away from the sofa.

“Create a Silent Field.”

I snapped my fingers three times to manifest the field. Azrael exhaled a deep, heavy breath.

“Andrealphus, do you truly believe a Demon King is being summoned to this land?”

“No matter how you look at the circumstances, everything points to it.”

I was certain because the information was recorded in the quest, but I spoke confidently as if I had deduced it myself. Azrael rubbed his face with his hands.

“I truly wish you would stay in a safe place.”

“What if you die?” I whispered.

I hadn’t intended to keep my voice so low, but it felt as if speaking too loudly would make it actually happen.

“If you’re gone, what was the point of me falling into this world?”

I barely managed to squeeze the words out of my throat. Azrael looked at me without moving, as if he hadn’t expected those words. He seemed to have forgotten to even breathe.

“It’s a demon, a Demon King. What if your crystal is shattered by an attack?”

“Andrealphus…….”

“What if I go to seek revenge, and the Demon King dies with a single flick of my wrist?”

“You…….”

“Then what do I do?”

Before I knew it, I was clutching Azrael’s collar. It was only when I saw my own face, stained with terror, reflected in his eyes that I realized I was holding him. With trembling hands, I let go and stumbled back to my sofa, collapsing into it.

“To be honest, I don’t even trust that Holy Sword of yours. If it’s truly a Holy Sword, shouldn’t it guide its master on its own when a Demon King is about to be summoned?”

Azrael let out a short, dry laugh. Resting his chin on one hand, he looked at me with a face deep in agony. His messily disheveled hair cast elegant shadows across his features.

If it weren’t for the situation, I would have pulled out an easel right then and there.

“Honestly, I still do not want you to do anything dangerous. I know full well you are stronger than me. However, a Demon King is a transcendent being that cannot be defeated by ordinary power. To oppose such a singular existence, special weapons are required.”

I pushed the stray thoughts out of my head and listened intently to Azrael’s words.

“They are weapons of a type that deal damage to the soul. If a strike is successful, that being loses a portion of the mana required to exist in this world.”

In simple terms, it meant the HP pool was so massive that it was difficult to handle without weapons that dealt percentage-based damage.

“Therefore, even if you are not with me, the Demon King can be subjugated without issue.”

I parted my lips to argue. But Azrael was one step faster.

“However, no one can guarantee that I will not die. You are right.”

“If I am with you, the probability of you surviving increases. So, let me…….”

“It may be selfish, but I feel that if you are by my side at the moment I die, I will have no lingering regrets.”

“Huh?”

“I have no face to show after opposing it for so long, but… will you come with me?”

For a second, I truly thought I was receiving a confession. I clutched my heart and slumped down.

“An- Andrealphus?”

“I thought I was being confessed to…. I was really surprised….”

“Calm down, Andrealphus.”

“Just let me… catch my breath for a second…. I was so nervous I held my breath for a long time without realizing it….”

As I stared at the floor and took a few deep breaths, my reason slowly returned. Simultaneously, a wave of self-consciousness washed over me.

Who in the world mistakes their best friend’s words of camaraderie for a confession….

I couldn’t control my expression, so I rubbed my face several times before I finally managed to look up. Azrael was watching me with a face full of confusion and worry.

“You’re… alright, aren’t you?”

“I’m healthy. I mean, if anyone stops breathing for a few minutes, they’re bound to gasp for air afterward….”

He looked at me suspiciously, as if doubting I was actually okay, but I shook my head to brush off his gaze and spoke.

“First, tell me the information you gathered while moving around today.”

“First, the Great Temple has judged that there is a high probability a Demon King is being summoned based on the current situation. The pure white Divine Artifact stored there has begun to stain noticeably. Even if it is not a Demon King, it is at least a demon of the grade immediately below it.”

“Can’t you kill the Demon King with that Divine Artifact?”

“It is an artifact for relaying the words of the Gods; it has no offensive power.”

Useless. I knitted my brows. Just how many Divine Artifacts are there in this world?

“Summoning a Demon King during a war… what a mess.”

“Naturally, it has been decided to temporarily suspend the war. No matter how long the war has lasted, how could that matter in the face of a Demon King?”

That’s at least better news. I brightened at the fact that I wouldn’t have to face human enemies as much.

“Is the Demon King subjugation a coalition of several nations?”

“No, only our country will go.”

Just when I thought things were going well, another piece of nonsense. I stared blankly at Azrael’s face. Azrael patted the waist where his sword was strapped.

“The one who possesses the sword has the duty to subjugate the Demon King.”

These crazy people.

“Other nations will only send the weapons necessary to subjugate the Demon King. Only I and a few of my knights will go to slay it.”

When I raised an eyebrow, Azrael added hurriedly.

“With you, of course.”

“Fine.”

I leaned back comfortably on the sofa again. Azrael studied my expression.

“How do they make those weapons the other countries are sending? Can I make them too?”

“It is impossible.”

I lifted my head from the depths of the sofa to look at Azrael, who met my gaze softly. I was a bit shocked, as Azrael had never once told me something I was doing was impossible before.

He spoke calmly.

“Those weapons are made from the bones of royalty.”

“Ugh.”

“It is not a material that can be obtained normally, so even for you, this alone is impossible.”

It was a material beyond my imagination. I mean… it’s not like they have blue blood flowing through them…. I scrutinized Azrael’s body from head to toe. There weren’t any parts different from other people.

“Are royal bones different from normal people’s? What about nobles? Can’t you use noble bones?”

When I questioned him as if I were about to pick him apart, Azrael spoke with a bitter smile.

“Andrealphus, do you know my name?”

“It’s Azrael.”

“Do you know what Azrael means?”

I hesitated. Not because I didn’t know the meaning, but because I wasn’t sure if the setting in this game matched the meaning I knew.

“The name of the Angel of Death……?”

Azrael nodded.

“Regardless of their status, the names of royalty are all names of Celestials. This is because all royalty bear the duty to protect others from birth.”

“What does a Celestial name have to do with it?”

“From the moment they are born, royalty have that name etched into their bodies, and divine power is poured deep into their bones.”

He took a light breath and continued.

“If divine power is poured in until they reach adulthood, those bones carry a permanent, strong divine power, unlike anything else.”

They really put all sorts of settings into this. I wore a slightly exhausted face. Seeing my expression, Azrael let out a couple of light laughs.

“It’s not as if they kill people to make them. The state collects and stores the bones of royalty who died after living out their natural lifespan, so there is no need to be so horrified. …Though it could become a problem if the bone meal held by the state runs low….”

“……Ugh.”

“It is not a common occurrence. Before summoning a Demon King, it is no easy feat for someone with the ability to do so to appear. The last attempt to summon a Demon King was over a hundred and seventy years ago.”