“Hell? Why would you go to hell?”

The places where souls go are countless. Those who live ordinary lives and die normally are reborn in the afterlife. Depending on how they live there, their fate upon reincarnation is determined.

Of course, if they are evil, they will go to hell, and if they are virtuous, they will go to a good place…

“That way, even when you return to where you should be someday, I’ll be with you.”

“!”

“Isn’t that right?”

Merem asked earnestly. Momentarily at a loss for words, I lowered my head deeply.

“Well… What should I do with you? Saying you’ll blindly follow me wherever it is.”

“Anywhere is fine. I’ll go wherever you are.”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen someone say they’ll walk into hell with their own two feet.”

Absurd. I wondered if Merem knew the torment that souls guilty of sins undergo in the boiling oil river. Or was it just a reckless statement without knowing?

One thing was certain—this person intended to be with me even beyond death, into the afterlife.

It was so admirable, grateful, and endearing…

At the same time, it was heartbreaking.

“I can find you no matter where or how you live. Don’t worry. You just need to go to where your soul rightfully belongs.”

“I don’t want to.”

“You don’t?”

The entangled gaze was intense. Even without shouting out loud, the eyes spoke of sincerity.

They won’t leave. Don’t abandon them.

It was an undeniable gaze, the kind that I couldn’t push away.

“But if… if you really will be with me, even in hell.”

“Yeah.”

“There’s one way.”

It was an event that happened only once thousands of years ago.

The sixth sister’s companion.

He transformed from an elf, a special race, into a demon.

Simply with the strong desire to be with his sister.

“You can become a demon.”

I whispered gently, and Merem responded without blinking.

“I will. Tell me the way.”

“Becoming a demon won’t grant you eternal life. Unless you’re at the lord level, you’ll eventually die. Then, all that’s left is extinction. You’ll completely lose the chance for reincarnation in the cycle, unlike humans.”

“Yeah. I don’t mind. I’ll become a demon.”

Merem didn’t feign any hesitation. Not knowing how terrifying it was not to be part of the cycle of reincarnation.

Reincarnation was the true meaning of eternal life and circulation.

It was a natural phenomenon, the path that all created life should rightfully take.

However, demons were beings that went against that.

“I want to meet your family. I want to go to the place where you lived, your hometown.”

Desire whirled deep in the golden eyes.

A determination to know everything about me.

It stung my heart.

How could one resist a man who had only sincerity without pretentious adornments?
“…Right, then let’s plead with the eldest sister. If we sincerely ask, she will grant it. We might have to endure a few trials.”

It sounded good, just a few trials, but in reality, they were horrifying tasks that one wouldn’t usually overcome. After all, words alone were not trials, they were more like ordeals.

However, the companion of the sixth sister surpassed all of that with the power of love.

It was truly admirable.

“I used to wonder how that was possible and didn’t quite understand it back then….”

Now, with Merem, it seemed possible.

With Merem’s persistence and determination, it seemed not impossible.

“Primarily, the trials set by the eldest sister are to see if you won’t give up no matter what situation you face, to see that determination.”

To change one’s inherent race to become a demon, it couldn’t be just a mere resolution.

“How is the demon realm different from hell?”

“Oh, that’s… ”

The darkness deepened.

Adding more firewood to keep the bonfire from going out, we engaged in various conversations.

There is an endless space called the Demon Realm, commonly referred to as the Abyss.

There’s a gigantic tower erected there, and that’s referred to as hell.

Even inside the tower, it boasts an infinite space, so there’s no concept of ‘end,’ and so on.

After an hour had quietly passed, Merem, who had been listening attentively, asked a question again.

“Then who gave you your name?”

“Well… I was just there from the beginning. I knew what kind of existence I was from the moment I opened my eyes.”

“Fascinating.”

“That’s right. Humans need to be taught, but demons don’t.”

I remembered my first moments.

In the desolate wasteland where the bones of demons rolled, my consciousness awoke.

The self, the ego, was formed, and my eyes opened. At that moment, a demon rushed towards me, its mouth wide open.

A newly born demon was a splendid feast for demons.

Instinctively, I swung my fist, and with that single blow, the entire area was cleared.

When a tremendous noise that shook the ground echoed, the second sister appeared, grabbed my ankle, and, since I was always a foul-tempered one from birth, I kicked her face upside down, expressing my anger.

Put me down immediately.

Since then, the second sister thought I was born cursed.

“Then, have you ever loved anyone?”