Elric was lost in thought for a moment.
Should he attack right away?
‘No. First, assess the situation.’
The Seal of Cruelty was obtained by defeating the Yeti and Snow Mountain King.
But he didn't know how to obtain the Seal of Yu.
There might be another way, and there was no guarantee that he would win just by fighting the creature here.
Even though only remnants of consciousness remained in its dying body.
Still, it was a demon king.
‘If I lose, it could lead to ego collapse.’
Or perhaps contamination of the mind by demons.
Either way, there was no harm in being cautious for now.
『The Melvingers are often impatient and rushes headlong into battle. But you seem unusually patient.』
'It recognized my history right away!'
Elric felt his spine stiffen.
He quickly shuffled through possible outcomes.
Prepare to counterattack at any moment.
『But what you possess is quite unique. A human with such abilities, and even a seal? Oh ho! This is... intriguing. Could it be... Mephistopheles? Although I had no direct contact with Melvinger, I've never heard of someone with these abilities. Fascinating. Excellent!』
Each word from the creature seemed to exude hunger.
As if it could devour Elric at any moment.
『Mephistopheles would drool over this. Excellent. I was not going to bother if it was just an ordinary person, but you might be worth switching over to.』
The shadows' teeth became even sharper.
『Human. Stay hungry. Crave for more and more, and fulfill your greed and desires. Then, perhaps you will meet me again.』
As if two eyes above its jagged teeth were widening.
『Let's continue this conversation another time.』
With those words.
Boom!
Mind realm exploded like fireworks.
Tsssss!
When Elric regained consciousness, he felt the Seal of Yu firmly in his palm.
Above the Seal of Cruelty, a stroke in the shape of the number 'one'(一) was engraved, like a line drawn with black ink.
Whirling!
Gradually, as the demonic energy storm subsided, only silence descended.
『You crazy bastard. How can you casually offer up your true name like that. Ha!』
Mephisto only eyed the new seal with disdain.
[What's going on? Was it really this easy to obtain the seal?]
『Are you insane? Did the seal of a demon king seem like child's play to you?』
Of course, Elric didn't think so either.
Obtaining the seal of the Snow Mountain King, who couldn't become a demon king, was difficult enough. Let alone the seal of a demon king.
This was clearly abnormal.
[Then?]
『He pulled the only choice he had.』
[Only choice?]
『He's been dead for a long time, only barely maintaining the seal with remaining consciousness. But even that was on the verge of extinction. So, he opted for the next best thing.』
Elric seemed to understand Mephisto's meaning.
[Parasitism.]
『Yeah. Judging your little patch as suitable ground, he planted a fragment of consciousness to grow. Seems like he couldn't even maintain the true name of 'Wicked God'. What a pathetic lowlife. Tsk!』
In the past, Mephisto had said, "Just because it's a seal doesn't mean they're all on the same level. There are grades to seals, and differences in achievement."
It seemed that what Yu had given him was not the seal originally possessed by the demon king, but rather a seal several levels lower.
‘Is he trying to promote it continuously to restore it to its original form?’
He had said that if he craves, they might meet again. Was that what he meant?
Thinking along those lines.
『So erase it.』
Suddenly, Elric narrowed his eyes at Mephisto's displeasure.
[What...?]
『The dignity and status of a demon come from nobility. If you're defeated, you should accept your fate gracefully. Trying to survive in any way possible is the behavior of uncultured Pretas. It's harmful to possess such a thing, so get rid of it.』
Preta.
[Preta: 아귀(餓鬼)" refers to the hungry ghosts or hungry demons in Buddhist cosmology]
A low-level demon who is always hungry and eats anything he sees.
If that was Yu’s origin, it somewhat made sense for him to exhibit such traits.
[If that's the case, then isn't there no difference between Mephi and him?]
『What?』
[Aren’t you also eyeing my body greedily…]
『The difference in stature between that scoundrel and this king...!』
[Okay, enough of that. What about this seal, what's its true name?]
『Do you think this king would tell you!』
Mephisto seemed infuriated at being treated on par with Yu, his face flushing red.
While Elric could only feel awkward.
[Then let's ask someone else, shall we.]
『What?』
Elric turned his head towards Augustine.
"Master, do you happen to know what Yu's true name is?"
Augustine, who had been too stunned by how easily Elric absorbed Yu than he had anticipated, had to hastily collect himself.
‘Even though he has a demon's seal, I thought there would be difficulty in absorbing it. To absorb it so effortlessly! If it's in this child's hands, my wish can surely come true!’
And now, he even calls me 'Master' directly!
Augustine's eyes sparkled brighter than ever as he looked at his disciple.
"It's 'Wicked God’!"
[Is that so?]
『Goodness! But still, I don't know the true name below that...!』
"The seal I obtained seems to be far inferior to that. What about the ones below it?"
"Let me see. The descending order is usually brutality, fiend, maleficence, I suppose?"
『Thislunatic! How does he know about the genealogy of the seals?』
Mephisto was horrified.
This is because Augustine was accurately reciting the ranks of even ordinary demons, not the top-tier demon kings, who wouldn't usually be famous.
But to Elric, it seemed natural.
‘They chased after that one for a thousand years, after all. It's only natural that they'd have that level of understanding, right?’
Augustine exclaimed, "Maybe ‘Ferocity’."
"The seal of ferocity..."
Elric's eyes sparkled as he heard the true name.
At that moment,
Whoosh!
The seal emitted light, and Elric's shadow spread wide along the ground.
Within it, a gloomy aura and a ferocious nature could be felt together.
Just standing above it made people feel fear as if they were faced with a wild beast.
In tandem, Elric felt a tingling sensation in his heart.
Crackle—
Like a beast roaring, the shadow trembled finely.
"You've absorbed it properly."
Compared to past enemies, it was nothing more than a playful gesture.
Still, Augustine couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the creature that was hungering.
***
"Wicked God... No, the seal of ferocity can actually be seen as a beast.”
Augustine went straight into teachings to achieve his secret wish.
There was no need to postpone it.
『How many times do I have to explain? That guy is soaked in greed! He's a rootless Preta who just swallows whatever comes his way! Having that will eventually put you in danger too!』
Mephisto's nagging was also a problem.
[At that time, it will be you in danger, not me.]
『W-What?』
[Well, if I'm not the one getting eaten, then you will have to stop it somehow, right?]
『Hey, hey….!』
[Or maybe the Seal of Original Sin will be devoured first.]
『....!』
Mephisto, realizing his thoughts had been exposed, tried to deny it, but Elric ignored him again this time.
Instead, he looked at Augustine with eyes full of admiration.
‘As knowledgeable as he is for chasing Yu, he knows so much about how to use the seals, right? Isn't he more knowledgeable than the Demon King himself?’
Throughout Augustine's explanation, Elric gained a deeper foundational knowledge about the seal of Yu, which he had known nothing about before.
‘In addition, his knowledge of magic is so vast... How much difficult path did he have to take to accumulate such knowledge?’
Augustine could feel Elric's gaze so well that his shoulders stiffened.
"No, more precisely, it would be like holding a single beast."
"Holding it…..?"
"When activating the seal, did your heart feel itchy and all your senses go numb?"
Elric nodded in agreement.
The corners of Augustine's mouth dried up.
“Did it feel similar to when you started using magic martial arts?”
"Yes. But it was a bit different. Magic martial arts engage physical senses, whereas this..."
"It felt like instinct was awakening, right?"
Elric nodded.
"That's because you were captivated by the senses of a beast... a Preta."
"A Preta?"
"Yeah. A Preta. Among demons, they're the lowest of the low, always on edge, never knowing when they'll die. Yet, their hungry nature remains, dripping with nothing but greed. They're more beastly than beasts themselves."
"..."
"The seal of Ferocity instills the senses of a Preta. It enables you to quickly assess the opponent's strength, find weaknesses, and swiftly tear them apart."
"...!"
"I call it 'Preta Sense.'"
Augustine's words exuded a deep satisfaction aimed at his clever disciple.
"And as you might have noticed, Night’s Chronicle’s Magic Martial Arts originates from mimicking this Preta Sense."
Forcing the five senses inherent in humans awake through the circulation of mana.
And going beyond to awaken even the sixth sense, and master Preta Sense.
That was the starting point of Night’s Chronicle.
"To capture Yu... it was an imitation of Yu."
"That was the only way to quickly become stronger in pursuit of him."
"..."
"Of course, although the beginning may be so, there are some magic martial arts that the school developed on its own afterwards. However, most of them are nothing without Preta Sense."
With Preta Sense properly mastered, one could handle not only magic martial arts but also the seal of Ferocity.
Elric thought so.
‘No. Since it's also connected to Body Strengthening Art, progress in that area will accelerate too.’
It felt good to intertwine different types of magic, each with its own origin and history, into one line. Progress in one would naturally lead to progress in others.
"So now you understand what this old man is planning?"
"You said magic martial arts are for real combat."
"That's right."
Clap!
Augustine applauded loudly.
Thunk!
As if they had been waiting, the wyvern descended to their location, and the saber tiger appeared, prowling around.
Monsters much stronger than any beasts Elric had faced before.
It was astonishing where they were brought from.
"Limitless fighting. If you keep fighting, magic martial arts will be fully ingrained in your body. Oh, and this time, I made sure to give a clear warning, so there shouldn't be any conditions violated, right?"
Wasn't it not much different from when he faced the Snow Mountain King?
Elric sighed deeply, thinking he would have to work hard again for a while.
But...
When he raised his head again,
His eyes were cold and shiny.
***
"Ah, damn it! When is this guy coming out?"
Tasha looked at Sean, who was biting his nails anxiously, with a strange look.
It was the first time she had seen her usually prideful and sarcastic younger brother like this.
"Why are you acting like a nervous wreck?"
"Oh, elder sister! Please, watch your choice of words!"
Tasha grinned as she elegantly placed a teacup made using the Grenov pottery technique to her lips.
"Then, like a nervous kitten?"
"...I'll just stop talking."
“Anyway, what’s wrong?”
Sean pressed his temples while glaring at the culprit who was giving him headaches as much as Elric.
"It's been almost a month since the great-grandfather... I mean, the Lord senator took Elric away."
"So what? Isn't it good for both him and our family, trying to establish connections with Melvinger?"
Tasha, who was trying to persuade Elric, was also frustrated by the fact that it would take longer to approach the Dragon's Nest.
But she held back her dissatisfaction, knowing that it would be beneficial for both sides in the long run.
However, seeing Elric’s friend, Sean, acting like this, she couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"Alright. Fine... But. Ugh!"
Tasha was getting a little annoyed with Sean, who kept dragging the conversation.
"Can't you just speak properly?"
So she conjured a fireball, about the size of a human head, above her left hand that wasn't holding the teacup.
Fwoosh!
She could easily throw it if needed.
The tea in the cup bubbled again, showing how hot it was.
Sean looked fed up and had to take a step back.
"....Elric's elder sister is supposed to arrive in the Imperial Capital tonight."
"Elder Sister? Were there any additional blood relatives among the direct descendants of the Melvinger Family?"
"Yes. She is not well known, but she's always been devoted to her younger brother behind the scenes."
"So? If she cares about her beloved younger brother and knows he's been through a lot, wouldn't it make sense for her to come? What's the problem?"
Tasha shook her head in disbelief, but Sean could only sigh heavily.
"The person Elric is most afraid of in the world is his elder sister."
"Well, it's natural for you to be afraid of your elder sister...!"
"No. He's genuinely 'afraid'. That damned Elric."
"...?"
"Have you ever heard of a Melvinger who's afraid of Melvinger?"
"...!"
For the first time, Tasha's eyes widened in shock.
***
And at that moment,
Puff!
The magical steam train arrived at the station in the Imperial Capital.
"He is not even answering communication now? Fine. I'll make sure he can't escape at all."
A woman gritted her teeth and took her first steps into Imperial Capital.
Step, step!
Elric was lost in thought for a moment.
Should he attack right away?
‘No. First, assess the situation.’
The Seal of Cruelty was obtained by defeating the Yeti and Snow Mountain King.
But he didn't know how to obtain the Seal of Yu.
There might be another way, and there was no guarantee that he would win just by fighting the creature here.
Even though only remnants of consciousness remained in its dying body.
Still, it was a demon king.
‘If I lose, it could lead to ego collapse.’
Or perhaps contamination of the mind by demons.
Either way, there was no harm in being cautious for now.
『The Melvingers are often impatient and rushes headlong into battle. But you seem unusually patient.』
'It recognized my history right away!'
Elric felt his spine stiffen.
He quickly shuffled through possible outcomes.
Prepare to counterattack at any moment.
『But what you possess is quite unique. A human with such abilities, and even a seal? Oh ho! This is... intriguing. Could it be... Mephistopheles? Although I had no direct contact with Melvinger, I've never heard of someone with these abilities. Fascinating. Excellent!』
Each word from the creature seemed to exude hunger.
As if it could devour Elric at any moment.
『Mephistopheles would drool over this. Excellent. I was not going to bother if it was just an ordinary person, but you might be worth switching over to.』
The shadows' teeth became even sharper.
『Human. Stay hungry. Crave for more and more, and fulfill your greed and desires. Then, perhaps you will meet me again.』
As if two eyes above its jagged teeth were widening.
『Let's continue this conversation another time.』
With those words.
Boom!
Mind realm exploded like fireworks.
Tsssss!
When Elric regained consciousness, he felt the Seal of Yu firmly in his palm.
Above the Seal of Cruelty, a stroke in the shape of the number 'one'(一) was engraved, like a line drawn with black ink.
Whirling!
Gradually, as the demonic energy storm subsided, only silence descended.
『You crazy bastard. How can you casually offer up your true name like that. Ha!』
Mephisto only eyed the new seal with disdain.
[What's going on? Was it really this easy to obtain the seal?]
『Are you insane? Did the seal of a demon king seem like child's play to you?』
Of course, Elric didn't think so either.
Obtaining the seal of the Snow Mountain King, who couldn't become a demon king, was difficult enough. Let alone the seal of a demon king.
This was clearly abnormal.
[Then?]
『He pulled the only choice he had.』
[Only choice?]
『He's been dead for a long time, only barely maintaining the seal with remaining consciousness. But even that was on the verge of extinction. So, he opted for the next best thing.』
Elric seemed to understand Mephisto's meaning.
[Parasitism.]
『Yeah. Judging your little patch as suitable ground, he planted a fragment of consciousness to grow. Seems like he couldn't even maintain the true name of 'Wicked God'. What a pathetic lowlife. Tsk!』
In the past, Mephisto had said, "Just because it's a seal doesn't mean they're all on the same level. There are grades to seals, and differences in achievement."
It seemed that what Yu had given him was not the seal originally possessed by the demon king, but rather a seal several levels lower.
‘Is he trying to promote it continuously to restore it to its original form?’
He had said that if he craves, they might meet again. Was that what he meant?
Thinking along those lines.
『So erase it.』
Suddenly, Elric narrowed his eyes at Mephisto's displeasure.
[What...?]
『The dignity and status of a demon come from nobility. If you're defeated, you should accept your fate gracefully. Trying to survive in any way possible is the behavior of uncultured Pretas. It's harmful to possess such a thing, so get rid of it.』
Preta.
[Preta: 아귀(餓鬼)" refers to the hungry ghosts or hungry demons in Buddhist cosmology]
A low-level demon who is always hungry and eats anything he sees.
If that was Yu’s origin, it somewhat made sense for him to exhibit such traits.
[If that's the case, then isn't there no difference between Mephi and him?]
『What?』
[Aren’t you also eyeing my body greedily…]
『The difference in stature between that scoundrel and this king...!』
[Okay, enough of that. What about this seal, what's its true name?]
『Do you think this king would tell you!』
Mephisto seemed infuriated at being treated on par with Yu, his face flushing red.
While Elric could only feel awkward.
[Then let's ask someone else, shall we.]
『What?』
Elric turned his head towards Augustine.
"Master, do you happen to know what Yu's true name is?"
Augustine, who had been too stunned by how easily Elric absorbed Yu than he had anticipated, had to hastily collect himself.
‘Even though he has a demon's seal, I thought there would be difficulty in absorbing it. To absorb it so effortlessly! If it's in this child's hands, my wish can surely come true!’
And now, he even calls me 'Master' directly!
Augustine's eyes sparkled brighter than ever as he looked at his disciple.
"It's 'Wicked God’!"
[Is that so?]
『Goodness! But still, I don't know the true name below that...!』
"The seal I obtained seems to be far inferior to that. What about the ones below it?"
"Let me see. The descending order is usually brutality, fiend, maleficence, I suppose?"
『Thislunatic! How does he know about the genealogy of the seals?』
Mephisto was horrified.
This is because Augustine was accurately reciting the ranks of even ordinary demons, not the top-tier demon kings, who wouldn't usually be famous.
But to Elric, it seemed natural.
‘They chased after that one for a thousand years, after all. It's only natural that they'd have that level of understanding, right?’
Augustine exclaimed, "Maybe ‘Ferocity’."
"The seal of ferocity..."
Elric's eyes sparkled as he heard the true name.
At that moment,
Whoosh!
The seal emitted light, and Elric's shadow spread wide along the ground.
Within it, a gloomy aura and a ferocious nature could be felt together.
Just standing above it made people feel fear as if they were faced with a wild beast.
In tandem, Elric felt a tingling sensation in his heart.
Crackle—
Like a beast roaring, the shadow trembled finely.
"You've absorbed it properly."
Compared to past enemies, it was nothing more than a playful gesture.
Still, Augustine couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the creature that was hungering.
***
"Wicked God... No, the seal of ferocity can actually be seen as a beast.”
Augustine went straight into teachings to achieve his secret wish.
There was no need to postpone it.
『How many times do I have to explain? That guy is soaked in greed! He's a rootless Preta who just swallows whatever comes his way! Having that will eventually put you in danger too!』
Mephisto's nagging was also a problem.
[At that time, it will be you in danger, not me.]
『W-What?』
[Well, if I'm not the one getting eaten, then you will have to stop it somehow, right?]
『Hey, hey….!』
[Or maybe the Seal of Original Sin will be devoured first.]
『....!』
Mephisto, realizing his thoughts had been exposed, tried to deny it, but Elric ignored him again this time.
Instead, he looked at Augustine with eyes full of admiration.
‘As knowledgeable as he is for chasing Yu, he knows so much about how to use the seals, right? Isn't he more knowledgeable than the Demon King himself?’
Throughout Augustine's explanation, Elric gained a deeper foundational knowledge about the seal of Yu, which he had known nothing about before.
‘In addition, his knowledge of magic is so vast... How much difficult path did he have to take to accumulate such knowledge?’
Augustine could feel Elric's gaze so well that his shoulders stiffened.
"No, more precisely, it would be like holding a single beast."
"Holding it…..?"
"When activating the seal, did your heart feel itchy and all your senses go numb?"
Elric nodded in agreement.
The corners of Augustine's mouth dried up.
“Did it feel similar to when you started using magic martial arts?”
"Yes. But it was a bit different. Magic martial arts engage physical senses, whereas this..."
"It felt like instinct was awakening, right?"
Elric nodded.
"That's because you were captivated by the senses of a beast... a Preta."
"A Preta?"
"Yeah. A Preta. Among demons, they're the lowest of the low, always on edge, never knowing when they'll die. Yet, their hungry nature remains, dripping with nothing but greed. They're more beastly than beasts themselves."
"..."
"The seal of Ferocity instills the senses of a Preta. It enables you to quickly assess the opponent's strength, find weaknesses, and swiftly tear them apart."
"...!"
"I call it 'Preta Sense.'"
Augustine's words exuded a deep satisfaction aimed at his clever disciple.
"And as you might have noticed, Night’s Chronicle’s Magic Martial Arts originates from mimicking this Preta Sense."
Forcing the five senses inherent in humans awake through the circulation of mana.
And going beyond to awaken even the sixth sense, and master Preta Sense.
That was the starting point of Night’s Chronicle.
"To capture Yu... it was an imitation of Yu."
"That was the only way to quickly become stronger in pursuit of him."
"..."
"Of course, although the beginning may be so, there are some magic martial arts that the school developed on its own afterwards. However, most of them are nothing without Preta Sense."
With Preta Sense properly mastered, one could handle not only magic martial arts but also the seal of Ferocity.
Elric thought so.
‘No. Since it's also connected to Body Strengthening Art, progress in that area will accelerate too.’
It felt good to intertwine different types of magic, each with its own origin and history, into one line. Progress in one would naturally lead to progress in others.
"So now you understand what this old man is planning?"
"You said magic martial arts are for real combat."
"That's right."
Clap!
Augustine applauded loudly.
Thunk!
As if they had been waiting, the wyvern descended to their location, and the saber tiger appeared, prowling around.
Monsters much stronger than any beasts Elric had faced before.
It was astonishing where they were brought from.
"Limitless fighting. If you keep fighting, magic martial arts will be fully ingrained in your body. Oh, and this time, I made sure to give a clear warning, so there shouldn't be any conditions violated, right?"
Wasn't it not much different from when he faced the Snow Mountain King?
Elric sighed deeply, thinking he would have to work hard again for a while.
But...
When he raised his head again,
His eyes were cold and shiny.
***
"Ah, damn it! When is this guy coming out?"
Tasha looked at Sean, who was biting his nails anxiously, with a strange look.
It was the first time she had seen her usually prideful and sarcastic younger brother like this.
"Why are you acting like a nervous wreck?"
"Oh, elder sister! Please, watch your choice of words!"
Tasha grinned as she elegantly placed a teacup made using the Grenov pottery technique to her lips.
"Then, like a nervous kitten?"
"...I'll just stop talking."
“Anyway, what’s wrong?”
Sean pressed his temples while glaring at the culprit who was giving him headaches as much as Elric.
"It's been almost a month since the great-grandfather... I mean, the Lord senator took Elric away."
"So what? Isn't it good for both him and our family, trying to establish connections with Melvinger?"
Tasha, who was trying to persuade Elric, was also frustrated by the fact that it would take longer to approach the Dragon's Nest.
But she held back her dissatisfaction, knowing that it would be beneficial for both sides in the long run.
However, seeing Elric’s friend, Sean, acting like this, she couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"Alright. Fine... But. Ugh!"
Tasha was getting a little annoyed with Sean, who kept dragging the conversation.
"Can't you just speak properly?"
So she conjured a fireball, about the size of a human head, above her left hand that wasn't holding the teacup.
Fwoosh!
She could easily throw it if needed.
The tea in the cup bubbled again, showing how hot it was.
Sean looked fed up and had to take a step back.
"....Elric's elder sister is supposed to arrive in the Imperial Capital tonight."
"Elder Sister? Were there any additional blood relatives among the direct descendants of the Melvinger Family?"
"Yes. She is not well known, but she's always been devoted to her younger brother behind the scenes."
"So? If she cares about her beloved younger brother and knows he's been through a lot, wouldn't it make sense for her to come? What's the problem?"
Tasha shook her head in disbelief, but Sean could only sigh heavily.
"The person Elric is most afraid of in the world is his elder sister."
"Well, it's natural for you to be afraid of your elder sister...!"
"No. He's genuinely 'afraid'. That damned Elric."
"...?"
"Have you ever heard of a Melvinger who's afraid of Melvinger?"
"...!"
For the first time, Tasha's eyes widened in shock.
***
And at that moment,
Puff!
The magical steam train arrived at the station in the Imperial Capital.
"He is not even answering communication now? Fine. I'll make sure he can't escape at all."
A woman gritted her teeth and took her first steps into Imperial Capital.
Step, step!
