Zarario’s proposal was to have Leon and Soei attack him with all their might, putting him on the spot. He wanted to find out how the Ultimate Dominion Feldway put on him worked while exercising his own powers with all his might. Leon had been under the control of that as well, but now seemed to be released from it. Zarario wasn’t too sure how it’d work with him, but through this experiment, he hoped he’d have a chance to escape from this situation.
Leon was up for it. And for him, the “override circuit” installed in his angelic skill by the demon lord Rimuru had been sealed off. This wouldn’t help too much with freeing Zarario, but it was worth seeing whether stressing his will as much as possible could do the trick.
So they went right down to business…but then they heard a strange voice.
I have heard your story. If it is your wish, I will remake your angelic skills to ensure no external force can affect them.
This proposal, coming without warning from an unknown person… It was absurd, actually. There was no way you could say “yes” to something so iffy.
Leon and Zarario exchanged looks. Both of them knew this wasn’t something either of them had conjured up. They weren’t sure what to do…but Leon, at least, was convinced this was Rimuru at work. It seemed silly to think there was any other way.
If it was him, there’s nothing strange about this at all. Perhaps I should leave it in his hands?
Leon’s mind was made up. If Rimuru could mess around with the “override circuits” in other people’s skills, anything was possible. This voice almost sounded like him bragging about his insane powers—he wasn’t even trying to hide them now. Leon, along with the other demon lords, unanimously agreed Rimuru was a wacko. Rimuru would call that a gross misunderstanding, but he deserved it, really. The moment he let Ciel do whatever it wanted, he became a willing accomplice.
Zarario, on the other hand, was bewildered. On the surface, he retained the calm demeanor of a battle-hardened warrior, but inside, he was anything but calm.
How did you do that? How can you speak directly to my mind?
It was the first time he’d experienced anything like this. Leon seemed unfazed, but even that was enough to unnerve the overly serious Zarario. If Leon had done this, Zarario would have perceived it as him jamming his thoughts into his mind…but Rimuru wasn’t even there. Common sense dictated this was impossible.
And that wasn’t all. Zarario, of course, had put up a psychological barrier to prevent any kind of mental attack on him. He was a spiritual life-form to begin with, so his heart core was extremely well defended. And besides, how could someone tamper with someone else’s ultimate skill, one so intertwined with the owner’s hopes? It was beyond nonsensical.
I don’t understand any of this. Is it even possible?
He doubted it. But the voice didn’t sound like it was trying to deceive him.
Zarario was prepared to put himself in danger to gain his freedom. But this voice was making these incomprehensible proposals, as if nothing could be simpler. It was all so sudden, he almost wanted to laugh.
“What’s the price? If I accept your proposal, what good would it do you?”
Zarario’s questions were understandable. And he immediately had a reply.
I would like to ask you for a little help. It’s a simple job, really. Just follow my instructions and attack with all your might.
This felt beyond fishy. The voice that sounded like Zarario had nothing to lose, which triggered alarm bells. But somehow, the proposal was like a breath of fresh air in his mind. It was strange.
“All right. I’ll accept your proposal.”
With that, the contract was concluded.
Confirming the target’s acceptance. I will now perform Ability Adjust.
The change was as dramatic as it was instantaneous. From this point on, the mysterious voice—Ciel—held sole authority over their minds.
Leon’s ultimate skill Metatron was transformed into the upgraded ultimate skill Surya, Lord of Brilliance. Meanwhile, Ciel transformed Zarario’s Israfil into the new ultimate skill Metis, Lord of Retribution.
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