Chapter 634: Majin’s Request

Damian blinked in surprise. In this colourless world, where the endless ocean and pale sand existed in shades of black and white, the crimson scarf around the dark knight’s neck was the only thing that possessed colour. It stood out like a wound against the dull landscape, its edges fluttering in a wind that Damian could neither feel nor hear.

The knight slowly turned.

Two crimson eyes emerged from beneath the darkness of his helmet, fixing themselves upon Damian. For a brief moment, the enormous figure remained at the water’s edge, separated from him by several dozen metres of empty sand. Then the distance ceased to matter. One instant, the knight stood far away. The next, his twenty-foot figure loomed directly before Damian, towering over him like a fortress given human shape.

Damian’s instincts stirred. He felt those crimson eyes penetrating the depths of his soul, searching through his inheritances and the secrets buried within them.

Then the knight spoke.

"I smell the stench of a fox on you. And since you also possess my Abyssal inheritance, I take it you are the one who benefited from Lin Qui’s heist?"

His voice was empty and cold. It carried no discernible emotion, making it impossible to determine whether he was curious, irritated, or merely stating an observation.

Damian slowly nodded. He had several questions of his own, but the circumstances were unusual enough that he decided against speaking carelessly.

Judging by the question, the identity of the man before him was hardly a mystery. The former Demon Lord, Majin.

Zepar had claimed that the sealed artifact contained a fragment of Majin’s consciousness alongside the remnants of his power. It made sense that he could appear here.

What Damian did not understand was why the former Demon Lord had chosen to meet him in this strange place.

"What deal did you make with the Abyss for it to submit to you?" Majin asked.

Damian hesitated.

"I plan to gather all Seven Deadly Sins and Ten Commandments, then rule the Underworld and Heavens as the sole God," Damian answered. "After that, the Abyss and I will battle for control over my body. Whoever wins gains everything."

Silence followed.

Majin’s crimson eyes widened beneath his helmet. The former Demon Lord coughed beneath his armour.

Then he took two steps backwards.

"First, that crazy bastard Sol..." He paused, apparently trying to organise his thoughts. "Then they bloody snake Lin Qui, and now you..."

His helmet tilted slightly.

"Are all humans this crazy?"

Damian rolled his eyes.

"I already have Greed. Once I reach the God realm, I’ll go after Belial and then Kazier. Aien and Brolly will come next, and finally, Sol." He counted them off with the casualness of someone discussing errands. "I should be able to accomplish all of that within a few decades."

Majin stared at him. The silence stretched long enough for Damian to wonder whether the former Demon Lord had stopped listening altogether.

Those crimson eyes eventually narrowed, but not because Majin was impressed by the order of his targets. He was trying to determine whether Damian understood the magnitude of what he was attempting.

"Those people are the least of your problems," Majin said. "It’s the Heavens you have to worry about. Be careful with them, especially the Supreme Deity. And even if you get past all of that, fighting the Abyss is just..."

He stopped, seemingly unable to find a suitable word.

"Insane," he finally concluded.

Damian shrugged.

"I’m willing to fight the entire universe, and you think fighting the Abyss scares me? Really?"

Majin slowly nodded.

The analogy was sound, in its own twisted way. If Damian was mad enough to covet the Heavens and the Underworld, then he was certainly mad enough to challenge the Abyss itself.

Majin could almost understand why the Abyss had chosen him.

Almost.

Damian, meanwhile, was beginning to understand why Majin’s name carried so little weight among the Princes despite his former position as Demon Lord. The man standing before him possessed the ultimate inheritance in the universe, yet he lacked the oppressive presence Damian had come to associate with beings of that stature.

Even through the armour, there was something almost unimpressive about him.

Damian had heard that the Council had selected Majin as Demon Lord because he was someone they could control. The former ruler had apparently spent much of his reign hiding behind that enormous suit of armour, preventing others from seeing the timid expressions beneath his helmet.

Looking at him now, Damian was beginning to believe every word.

"You are really something," Majin said, giving a few slow nods.

His posture changed. The earlier bewilderment remained, but his attention had sharpened, and his crimson eyes no longer regarded Damian with simple curiosity.

"In that case, I would love to offer you my service."

Damian blinked.

"What?"

The question escaped before he could stop himself. Majin, however, showed no sign of reconsidering.

"As it stands, I have three choices." He raised one enormous, armoured finger. "I can eradicate what remains of my consciousness and finally rest in peace."

A second finger followed.

"I can spend the rest of my existence inside your sea of consciousness, doing absolutely nothing until you eventually die or the Abyss devours you."

He raised a third.

"Or I can take an active role in your life and become part of what could be the most epic tale in the history of the Underworld."

Majin spread his arms, as though presenting an obvious conclusion.

"Whether you win or fail, it will all be entertaining. So, naturally, I picked the third option."

Damian stared at him. For several seconds, he could do nothing but process the absurdity of the statement.

How the hell had this man become Demon Lord?

"I can see why Lin Qui was able to kill you," Damian blurted out. "You’re not even as dangerous as the Princes when it comes to dealing with—" He abruptly stopped and both hands flew to his mouth.

Majin shrugged. "Of course. I was never meant for that life."

He shook his head, the crimson scarf shifting against his armour.

"It was shoved down my throat by Astaroth. All I wanted was to sleep my days away, but no. Apparently, someone had to stop Sol from becoming the Abyssal inheritor while remaining loyal to the Council."

Damian lowered his hands and blinked. "You were the previous Sin of Sloth before Aien?"

"Bingo!" Majin nodded enthusiastically.

Damian stared at him for another moment before laughter burst from his mouth. He tried to suppress it, but the absurdity of the revelation proved too much. The former Demon Lord, the man who had once possessed the Abyssal inheritance and ruled the Underworld, had been the embodiment of Sloth.

It explained far too much.

Damian laughed harder while Majin crossed his arms over his chest and waited. There was no apparent embarrassment in his posture, only the mild irritation of someone forced to endure an unnecessary delay.

When Damian finally began to regain control of himself, Majin spoke.

"So, is that a yes or a no?"

Damian raised one hand, gesturing for him to wait. A few more chuckles escaped before he managed to compose himself. He wiped the corner of one eye and took a breath, then turned his attention back to the enormous knight.

"Even if I wanted to do that, how would I bring you back to life?"

Majin immediately perked up.

"If I’m not mistaken, the Abyss grants you the ability to bind a soul to a fresh corpse, creating loyal Abyssal minions." He leaned forward, his enthusiasm suddenly at odds with his intimidating appearance. "With the points I gave you, you might be able to unlock it if you invest enough in your Elder Arts."

Damian rubbed his chin.

"Can this ability be used on the other Sins inside me?"

Majin shook his head.

"To do that, you need a fragment of the person’s soul or consciousness. The Sins inside you are merely representations of your power. They aren’t the actual people." He tapped the side of his helmet. "That’s why I couldn’t contact you through the usual means. I had to put you to sleep to communicate with you."

Damian’s expression grew thoughtful and a possibility began to take shape in his mind.

"Wait. This place..."

"Yes." Majin nodded. "It’s my Sloth inheritance that I used to bring you here, not the Abyss. I already gave all that power back to you."

Damian slowly nodded as the pieces fell into place.

"Fine. I’ll put you in a body once I acquire the necessary ability and find a suitable corpse."

Majin nodded, apparently satisfied. Then he spoke again.

"Err... I would prefer it if you put me in the body of a Totem Master, if that isn’t too much trouble."

Damian’s expression went blank. Majin continued as though he had made a perfectly reasonable request.

"They’re already pretty strong, so I wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of training myself. I could be reborn overpowered from the very beginning."

For a moment, Damian simply stared at him. This lazy bastard truly was the former Sin of Sloth.