Two questions.

No answers.

Apollo, now in his first-stage Great Serpent Ascendant form, stared at the genderless Devil before him.

The Devil's black eyes glinted beneath a moon that was about to be swallowed by dark clouds.

They locked eyes—unblinking. Their pressures clashed against each other, invisible yet palpable, rippling through the air.

The forces pushed and pulled, seeking to overwhelm the other—but neither side gained the upper hand.

"Very good… very interesting," the Devil said, voice soft and hard at the same time—two opposing tones crashing into one another to create something unnatural.

It wasn't scary. It wasn't intimidating. But it grated against the listener's heart—in the worst way.

"You too," Apollo smirked, his narrowed eyes fixed on the Devil standing atop the boiling black water. "So, a fight, huh? I'm curious about my real strength—my limit. I hope you can help me test it."

Arrogant words.

Apollo admitted he wasn't always like this. He preferred to play things safe.But ever since the day he killed the previous Mayor of Belthias, he hadn't encountered anyone strong enough to make him use his full power.

The itch in his heart—the curiosity of his current self—it grew louder with each passing day.

And now, staring at someone undeniably powerful, Apollo felt the urge to launch himself forward and punch the Devil with everything he had.

"A fight…" The Devil fell silent, but the smile on its face grew wider.Moments later, a low chuckle echoed across the lake.

"You don't know a thing about us, do you?"

Apollo—eager, burning with excitement—suddenly felt as if a cold bucket of water had been dumped over his head.

The Devil's words repeated in his ears.His mind scrambled, searching through all the knowledge he had about these beings.

And then it hit him.

Devils.

From the books. From the scriptures. From the whispers.

Not once were they recorded as stepping into battle themselves.

They moved from the shadows—always behind the scenes. Hidden. Puppetmasters. Manipulators.

They never dirtied their hands. That was what their followers were for. No tales spoke of them fighting directly.

Realizing this, Apollo narrowed his eyes at the Devil, who now smirked as if victory had already been decided.

"I'll take your silence as a yes," the Devil said, stepping forward. "So, what do you say? A life… for an answer… against a Devil you know nothing about. Retreat—and you shall die. Fight—and you may live. But I must say… I'm confident you're going to die."

Silence.

Apollo weighed his options.

He valued his life more than anything. Always had. His rule in this new world was simple: If it looks bad, run. Especially from the unknown.

And right now, he was staring the unknown in the face.

I became arrogant… Apollo thought, a frown forming on his lips.

The old him would've never done this. He wouldn't have challenged a stranger, let alone someone who exuded death and darkness.

But now? He wasn't acting like himself. The power in his hands—tangible, intoxicating—had changed him. Made him forget his way of living.

It was like he was old… and young… at the same time.

Two sides of himself.

Two minds.

Two egos.

Fighting to see which would rise to the top.

And as Apollo stood there, thinking—Another realization dawned on him.

Don't tell me… the real 'Apollo' didn't disappear? As he thought this, his heart skipped a beat.

Apollo believed the original body died after his wish had been fulfilled. But thinking about his recent changes in behavior—like a bipolar person unsure of which face to show the world—he became alarmed.

Was the original soul of this seven-year-old boy he had taken over… still alive?

This is going to be a headache… I need to figure out if 'he' is still here or not… As Apollo's thoughts spiraled, the Devil in front of him grew impatient.

"Kid… old man… whatever you are. Are you going to answer? Or should I decide for you?" the Devil asked. Though the voice seemed emotionless, Apollo could hear the edge of irritation.

"Why have you come to disrupt the ecosystem…? If I win, you'll answer my questions truthfully," Apollo said.

"Yes. And if I win, you'll answer mine… before I kill you," the Devil replied with a smirk.

The light blue aura around Apollo—like a blend of flame and water—dimmed briefly, then flared back to full strength. He had made up his mind.

My mistake for coming here unprepared… and the consequences—I should face them, Apollo thought, nodding.

"I accept your challenge. But I want to alter my conditions."

"Alter them all you want. You're going to die," the Devil said, confident, as if victory was already assured.

"All my questions. Not just why you've come here—you will answer them all."

"…Fine," the Devil agreed after a pause. "Then I'll alter mine too. After you die, you'll become my vessel."

"Vessel? A puppet?" Apollo asked.

"Yes," the Devil replied, raising its right hand in a lazy wave. "Shall we begin?"

Face the consequences… hopefully I'm not going to die, Apollo thought as he gave a nod. "Let's begin."

The Devil waved its hand horizontally. As it moved, black streaks—like ink in water—trailed from its fingers, forming words unknown. These strange characters floated in the air around the Devil. Half of them sank into its body.

The other half surged into Apollo's chest.

"What is this?" Apollo asked, frowning as he felt the black ink spread through his body, wrapping around his heart.

"A contract," the Devil said with a small smile. "If you decide to run, the poison around your heart will kill you. If I win, you'll answer my questions before the poison does. If you win, I'll answer yours before it gets me."

As the Devil finished speaking, a chiming sound echoed in Apollo's ears. The System issued an alert.

"Warning! You have been poisoned by Boiling Death Water! You have 30 minutes before the poison completely corrodes your heart! Do you want to buy the Advanced Poison Removal Potion from the System Store?"

Apollo's eyes widened in surprise.

Poison? I thought it was a contract… he thought.

"This Devil said it's a contract… Why are you saying it's poison?" Apollo asked aloud, sensing something was wrong.

"No contract has been initiated by the Devil," the System replied.

That was all the System said. But it was enough. Apollo's eyes widened further.

"This motherf*cker didn't give me a contract… he poisoned me directly? Trickery?" Apollo growled, his gaze sharpening.

"The Host is correct. If you want to know more about Boiling Death Water, I can offer a discount on the scripture if you buy the Advanced Poison Removal Potion," the System said emotionlessly.

"F*ck off," Apollo cursed at the System before glaring at the Devil.