48 Cripple (1/2)

The Devil tapped his fingers on the table. He looked cryptic and deep in thought. ”Are you in?”

”Could I make it without Meridians?”

”Yeah, actually. There is a Dao of Mana that doesn't require Meridians. Kirin makes the best example. Don't forget you have Body of the Qilin, now.”

Helial clenched his fists. The Devil was right, but Helial had a feeling that the Qilin's Skill could only work as a support, not as a life-changer.

Although he couldn't say where this feeling came from, Helial knew perfectly well that one day Meridians would prove necessary.

”After all,” the Devil added after a look at Helial's reaction, ”martial arts and physical strength aren't your strong suit. Your Mana Control is. See, your control could be considered top-tier even among the biggest wigs' pupils. Also, what's most terrifying about you is your age. I've already had pupils with such control, but they were way older than you. As an absolute, your Mana Control isn't so ridiculous. It's the fact that you exert it at fifteen that upsets me.” The Devil straightened his black bangs, a hint of a smile on his lips. ”You're in, then.”

Helial thought of Lumia. Lumia was still too weak to stand her ground. He had to stand by her side. How could he abandon her?

He looked about himself.

They were on a clearing. All around them, the moonlight glowed like a milky ocean.

An eerie silence reigned, together with a deathly quiet.

One could only hear the sound of the cutlery that the Devil was still putting on the table.

”Waiting for someone to come cover?”

The Devil stopped and answered: ”Kind of.”

”I accept your challenge.”

The Devil slowly turned. ”Well, we have to find out if you're worth it first. I have two conditions,” he started, ”you pass my test and take a life for me.”

When he heard he had to pass a test first, Helial furrowed his eyebrows. He remembered too well Kirin's test, that almost got him killed. That Devil, who inhabited his soul and seemed to have had access to all of his memories, knew that for sure.

The Devil looked indeed amused by the frown he saw on Helial's face, but thought it best to stop his mind from drifting too much.

”Nothing mortal. You're already a cripple, what's fun about killing you? I just need to make sure you have, like, the right attitude. Kyeheheheheh.”

”What's at stake?”

”But… didn't the fact that I asked you to kill for me upset you in the slightest?” sneered the Devil as he turned towards Helial, this time completely.

”No,” Helial cut short, ”it's a fair price to me. Pick anyone but Lumia.”

The Devil raised an eyebrow. ”Taking one's life so easy a task for a kid?”

Helial set his eyes on the lawn. ”I've already killed before. And what's my way out, anyway? A Devil is offering me the chance to get my Meridians back, maybe stronger ones than I had before. A life? It means nothing to me. Everything comes at a price. If these Meridians are worth one life, then I'll do what it takes to get them. I won't underestimate a Devil who's stronger than an Immortal. Let alone if this strength comes from the mere reminiscence of his original power.”

The Devil curled up the corners of his mouth in an evil smile. ”Looks like you've got some brains in there.”

”Kirin. Kirin wouldn't let me go so easily after seeing all the Destruction that's in my Mana Seed because of you. Yeah, you already know why I grasped this two notions.” Helial paused for a second and looked up at the sky full of stars. He clenched his fists. ”Life and Destruction… you must have killed that shard of my Soul, or I wouldn't have woken up like this. If that Kirin was so strong, a shard of his Soul musn't be weak either. But you were much stronger than that, even in your current form.”

The Devil kept gazing at him with a withering smile on his face. He swept his black bangs from his brow and laughed: ”Not bad, not bad.” He was about to go back to laying the table, but suddenly stopped. ”What's at stake, right. Brand-new Meridians. You'll get the Meridians of a Demon, which means the Meridians of a Devil. The only difference is that those of a Devil let you exploit Destruction Skills way better. But they don't let out Life Skills either. This is a complicated matter though, so we'll bring it up again if you pass the test.”

Helial looked slightly puzzled by his words, but made no sound and waited for an explanation.

”So, the price that must be paid to access the test is one life. Then you'll take the Mana Oath, and…”

Helial stood up, bit off his left wrist and let some drops of blood pour over his right palm.

Mana began to simmer all around and then twirled across the clearing in a small whirlwind.

Helial's black hair flapped in the wind, his eyes glistening with a divine light.