"Wait.. what?" Her voice trembled as she blinked rapidly. "You... you heard my sleeping murmurs?" she asked, her fear briefly replaced by shock and embarrassnt. "No, hold on.. wait, I talk in my sleep?! That’s.. no, that’s not the point!" Her voice cracked slightly as her gaze flickered from the hearts to his eyes. "Don’t tell you’re... thinking of putting that heart inside ? To make stronger?"
Razeal raised his head slightly, the corner of his lips twitching in faint amusent. "Well," he said with a calm exhale, "took you long enough to figure it out."
Then, in the sa steady tone, "Yes. And also no more questions. None. I need silence now. You’ll only disturb if you keep talking."
His eyes darkened, his voice carrying a weight that left no room for argunt. "And if my focus breaks at the wrong mont, it won’t just be bad for you, it’ll kill you. So better be quiet."
"No, no, no... wait just one last question," Maria said. Of course she was fucking scared. He was talking about replacing her heart with another one. But she knew there was no way back now. So she just left and let him be, choosing to trust him one last ti. Thinking, he wouldn’t want to kill ... right? There had to be sothing going on in his head.
Razeal, who was already bringing the arrow down toward the wound on her chest again, stopped mid-motion. His sigh ca slow, weary. He tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "What is it now?" he muttered.
Maria swallowed hard. Her breathing was unsteady. For a second, her gaze dropped to the arrow in his hand ..then lower, to the gaping wound in his own chest where his heart had once been. Blood still flowed from it, yet he didn’t even seem to feel pain. There was no fear, no weakness. Only that cold, infuriating calm.
Finally, she raised her eyes to his.
"Are you..." she hesitated, "Are you even human?"
Razeal blinked. That... wasn’t what he expected.
For a brief mont, he simply stared at her, silent, the question hanging in the air between them. Of all the things she could have asked why he was doing this?would she would survive? what this new heart was?.. And out of all she had chosen that?
A quiet chuckle left him, soft and strange in the heavy air. Then, he nodded slowly. "Yes," he said, his voice low and steady. "I’m human. A hundred percent."
Maria held his gaze for a long mont, searching for any hint of deceit. But there was nothing. His eyes.. even though they carried sothing cold and sharp as always .. They didn’t waver or seems to lie.. It actually never did.
Finally, she exhaled and closed her eyes, her lashes trembling against her cheeks. "Alright," she whispered, voice fragile but resolute.
There was no more ti.
Razeal gave a small nod, almost to himself, and turned back to the task at hand. His focus sharpened like a blade. The world around him seed to fade into silence the roar of the distant sea, the echoes of the monstrous tide beyond.. all gone.
He brought the arrow closer again, the tallic tip glinting under the faint light. Then, with best precision he could gather, he pressed it back to the wound on Maria’s chest and carefully deepened the incision. The earlier cut parted open further, revealing the faint, fragile throb of her living heart beneath.
Maria’s breath hitched sharply, her fingers twitching. Her whole body trembled beneath his touch, but she didn’t scream this ti. She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to stay still. The pain was unbearable.. white-hot and sharp but she refused to make a sound... Even though tears were rolling like she have sea inside her.. maybe advantage of being a grave? No one knows..
Razeal moved quickly. His face showed no emotion, only concentration. His hand was steady as he used the sharp arrowhead to sever the veins and arteries one by one each cut deliberate, efficient, precise.
In just a few short monts, her heartbeat began to falter. Her body arched slightly, a broken gasp escaping her lips as the final connection was severed.
Then, Razeal gently lifted her heart from her chest.
Blood welled instantly from the empty space, the air heavy with iron and warmth. The organ in his hand pulsed weakly, its rhythm fading as if knowing it was no longer where it belonged.
"Sorry," Razeal murmured under his breath ..not to her, not to anyone in particular, just to the fragile organ itself before moving swiftly.
He reached over to the Shadow Heart still resting in Maria’s trembling hands. The black, liquid-like heart seed to sense his presence; it pulsed faintly in response, almost eager.
Without hesitation, Razeal guided Maria’s heart toward it.
The mont her heart touched the black surface, the Shadow Heart absorbed it. There was no tearing or rging it simply vanished, consud whole, the surface rippling like dark water swallowing light.
Within seconds, there was no trace of it left.
Maria gasped softly, her strength already fading. Her vision blurred, the edges of the world darkening. The pain in her chest was unbearable, but so was the sensation of emptiness like sothing vital had been ripped away, leaving her hollow inside.
Her lips trembled. "R... Razeal..." she whispered weakly, barely conscious now.
He didn’t answer. There was no ti.
With a focused breath, Razeal picked up the crimson heart.. the Greater Demon’s Heart. It throbbed in his hand, alive and impatient, like it knew where it was ant to go.
He pressed it against the open wound in Maria’s chest. For a mont, it simply rested there, the warmth of its pulse almost radiating through her skin. Then.. suddenly it moved.
The heart contracted violently, and the veins around it twitched as if awakened by so unseen command. Like living tendrils, they reached out, grasping and intertwining with Maria’s severed veins, connecting themselves one by one.
Razeal froze, suprised in montary awe. "You... you’re doing it on your own," he whispered, watching the demonic heart stitch itself into place.
The dark red glow from the heart pulsed through Maria’s veins like rivers of molten energy. Her body jerked once, then again, before falling still.
Her breathing stopped.
Razeal exhaled slowly, wiping the blood from his forehead with the back of his hand. "Now for the hard part," he muttered, resting two fingers just above her new heart.
He closed his eyes briefly, concentrating. "Wake up," he murmured under his breath. "Accept it."
For a few tense seconds, nothing happened. The air was dead still.
Then, the crimson heart gave a single, powerful thump.
Maria’s body arched upward, her back curving as a sharp gasp tore from her throat. A flash of red light erupted from the wound on her chest, burning faintly against her pale skin before fading again.
And then, sothing began to happen.
At first, it was just a faint twitch Maria’s fingers curled ever so slightly, a small, involuntary motion that made Razeal’s eyes narrow in focus. But then, the twitch spread. Her entire body trembled once, and suddenly
Thump.
A deep, heavy heartbeat echoed through the still air.
Razeal’s gaze shot instantly to her chest, his expression changing from calm to stunned alertness. The sound ca again, louder this ti Thump... Thump...like a drum reverberating from within her very core. The air itself seed to pulse with each beat.
And right before his eyes, sothing remarkable began.
The deep cut he had made on her chest sharp and raw only monts ago started to change. The flesh quivered faintly, and faint streaks of dark crimson light began to weave around the wound. The torn skin slowly knitted back together, the blood flow halting mid-stream before reversing course, as though ti itself had started to rewind.
Within seconds, the wound was sealing itself completely. The faint glow faded, and where once there had been an open gash, now there was smooth, unblemished skin pale, flawless, and untouched.
It was as if the cut had never existed at all.
Razeal stared for a mont, quietly amazed despite himself. His lips curved into a small, satisfied smile. "Seems like the demonic heart works exactly as described in the Book of Eventual," he murmured softly, nodding to himself.
Of course, he’d read about it. He had a demonic heart himself.. how could he not be curious? Those long, tedious days aboard the ship had given him more than enough ti to study every dark corner about devil hearts from that book, and now, it seed his curiosity had finally paid off.
He rembered what he had read vividly those words etched into his mind like forbidden scripture: "The heart of a devil holds not only its mana, but its nature. The stronger the devil, the greater the advantages it could bring for holder or it.. Depending of devil’s whose heart it is.."
The heart of a high-ranking devil, the book had said, could even be considered a divine artifact in itself..a core of condensed demonic energy, capable of reshaping whoever bore it. It didn’t just pump blood. It carried the devil’s essence, its power, and sotis even sothing better... Razeal even though don’t fully know what advantages there could be but he’s sure it won’t be that bad right?
Razeal’s smirk deepened as he looked down at Maria’s body, which had finally gone still again. Her breathing had beco calm, slow, but powerful. Even though she was unconscious, he could feel it the difference. Her presence, her energy it was shifting rapidly. Her strength was rising by the second.
"Seems like you’re doing great," he muttered quietly to himself, half proud, half relieved.
Yes, this was exactly as he expected. The heart he had given her was no ordinary one. It was the heart of an SS-ranked devil, a being whose existence alone could warp the balance of most kingdom’s together.
As the faint, rhythmic pulse of that heart continued beneath her skin, Razeal could almost see the energy spreading through her veins like threads of faint red light crawling beneath the surface of her skin, rging seamlessly into her mana circuits.
It was working perfectly.
Razeal exhaled slowly, tension easing from his shoulders. "After all," he whispered, "a greater devil’s heart should be nothing less than extraordinary."
He let his gaze linger on her peaceful face for a few more monts making sure she was fine, then finally turned his attention back to himself.
His own heart.. his Shadow Heart still rested loosely in Maria’s hand, pulsing faintly like a dark crystal of ink. It was ti to return it to where it belonged.
Reaching out, Razeal took it gently from her limp fingers. Without hesitation, he pressed it against his chest.
The black, liquid-like heart sank into his skin instantly, rippling outward like ink spreading through water. In a single mont, it vanished into his chest completely. The area glowed faintly dark, then sealed shut. His heartbeat returned to normal steady and firm.
A quiet sigh escaped him as his divine healing kicked in. He had suppressed it earlier so the wound wouldn’t close before the heart was back, but now, as the healing flowed, his skin nded perfectly. Within seconds, the bloody gash on his chest disappeared, replaced only by faint sars of dried blood that streaked down his torso.
He rolled his shoulders slightly and let out a slow breath. "Good as new."
Razeal’s gaze flicked toward Neptunia, who was still standing several ters away, completely frozen. Her wide yellow eyes stared blankly at the two of them Razeal half-naked, blood-stained but calm, and Maria lying motionless, her chest now perfectly whole again.
Neptunia’s lips parted, but no sound ca out.
"Alright," Razeal said, brushing his hands together as he also took off the book of eventual bag from his waist and extended towards Neptunia. "Take care of this.. And rember to give it to maria.. Tell her wear this."
"What..?" she blinked not understanding as she looked at bag she was now holding in her hands. There seems to be a book inside it
"Say.. It will protect her ...Just tell maria to wear it.. ohk." Razeal just said as he also didn’t elaborate more. And without another word, he turned his back to her, lowering himself down into a seated position on the ground.
He closed his eyes, his breathing evening out imdiately. He had already wasted enough precious ti. He needed to act fast every second counted now.
System, he commanded silently in his mind, take to the second strongest villain available.
The familiar synthetic voice of the system echoed within his consciousness.
[Understood, Host.]
And in the next instant, the world around him vanished.
Razeal’s consciousness was pulled inward, his body freezing in place, eyes closed, expression calm like a man drifting into deep ditation.
Only his faint heartbeat remained, steady but distant.
Outside, silence fell again.
Neptunia stood rooted to the spot, her mind still struggling to comprehend everything that had just happened. Her expression twisted as she put a hand on her forehead.. While holding the bag she was given in another hand.
"What... the hell did I just witness?" she whispered to herself.
Her mind flashed through every scene in quick succession the cut, the ripped dress, the blood, him tearing his own heart out like it was nothing, and then giving another one to Maria. And now, both of them were.. well one sitting and other just lying there like statues.
"I’m not dreaming," she muttered shakily. "There’s no way this is a dream."
She dragged a trembling hand down her face and exhaled deeply, trying to steady herself. "This man is absolutely insane..."
But just as her heartbeat began to calm, the ocean behind her began to move again.
A low rumbling sound echoed through the water, followed by the faint tremor of countless movents.
Her head snapped up.
Her pupils shrank in horror.
The wave of sea creatures had re-ford massive, endless, a dark, writhing wall of monsters heading straight for them again.
The water distorted under the sheer density of the swarm. Fanged jaws opened wide, fins and claws slicing through the current. The sound of thousands of creatures roaring in unison shook the seabed beneath her feet.
"Oh, no... no, no, no..." Neptunia whispered, her voice breaking as she stumbled back a step. "They’re close too close."
Her gaze darted back toward Razeal and Maria.
Razeal was motionless, still sitting cross-legged, completely unresponsive.
Maria lay there unconscious, her chest now whole and her face peaceful as if she were just sleeping.
The panic hit Neptunia like a wave.
"Oh, this is great," she snapped out loud, throwing both hands up. "He’s off in dreamland doing his weird system stuff, and she’s taking a nap! The one who he said was supposed to hold them back for ten minutes is out cold!"
She turned back toward the sea. The monsters were closing in fast now barely two kiloters away. Their combined motion made the ocean current swirl violently around her, the pressure of their presence alone heavy enough to make her lungs tighten.
Her mind raced.
"Now who the hell is going to fight them? ?!"
She pressed her hand against her forehead, half hysterical. "Of course. Of course it has to be ! Why wouldn’t it be ?!
But then, all of a sudden, Neptunia froze.
There was a sound deep, heavy, and alive.
A thump.
At first, it was faint, almost mistaken for the echo of distant waves. But then it ca again louder this ti. Thump... thump... The rhythm quickened, pounding harder, faster, like a massive drum beating inside the silence.
Neptunia blinked, her brows knitting in confusion. "What... is this?" she whispered, her sharp ears twitching as the sound grew louder, echoing through the watery air around her.
She turned, her gaze snapping toward the direction it ca from
Her eyes locked on Maria.
"Wait..." Neptunia muttered under her breath, disbelief flashing across her face. "Is that... her heartbeat?"
The sound was unmistakable now. Each pulse reverberated through the ground beneath them, heavy and powerful, like the beating heart of sothing far greater than a human.
Neptunia hesitated only for a mont before stepping closer, cautious but curious. The water trembled faintly around Maria’s body, and there was sothing different in the air.. She didn’t know
"Hey... Maria? You there?" Neptunia crouched down beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Maria’s skin felt warr than before almost unnaturally so. She gave her a light shake. "Wake up."
But there was no response. Maria’s chest rose and fell slowly, rhythmically, but her eyes remained closed, her expression calm and unnervingly peaceful.
"Will she not wake up?" Neptunia thought, anxiety flickering in her gaze. "Did sothing go wrong?"
And then
Shoooom!
Maria’s eyes snapped open.
Neptunia stumbled back with a sharp gasp. "What the?!?"
For a mont, Maria didn’t move. Her expression remained completely blank, void of emotion almost doll-like. But her eyes... those beautiful aqua-blue eyes that usually reflected the calmness of the sea sothing was changing.
Neptunia had confusion in her eyes as she watched.
The blue in Maria’s left eye began to darken, rippling like ink spreading through water. The color twisted, deepened, and slowly bled into crimson. It wasn’t just a simple color shift it was alive. The red pulsed faintly, glowing from within, as if sothing demonic had awakened inside her.
Within seconds, her transformation was complete.
Maria’s left eye now glowed a deep, ominous demonic red dark and powerful, the color of blood and wrath. Her right eye, however, remained the sa calm aqua blue, pure and serene.
The contrast was unsettling beautiful yet terrifying. The two colors reflected like night and day, heaven and hell, human and demon.
Neptunia could only stare, frozen where she stood. The air around Maria felt different now thicker, heavy with an invisible pressure that made her skin prickle.
"...Maria?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
----
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