Eugeneâs face twisted when he heard the word ring. Why would she suddenly bring that up out of the blue? Eugene was just about to let out a curse, but a sudden thought passing through his head caused him to flinch.
Could it be that memories from her past life, which hadnât completely been erased and had instead been buried somewhere deep, had suddenly pricked her heart?
âA ring?â Eugene thought.
He recalled the final moments of the Twilight Witch. Agaroth had given her his ring, his holy relic, and ordered her to flee. However the Twilight Witch had rejected his divine commandment. Instead of accepting the ring, she had returned it and then requested a kiss and expressed her last wish to be able to die at his hands.
After snapping her neck with his own hands, Agaroth had placed his ring on the Twilight Witchâs chest. Then he had turned his back on her corpse and went to face the Demon King of Destruction.
What could have happened to the ring after that? The world had been destroyed. A fog followed by a giant wave had engulfed the whole world, leaving only corpses in its wake.
After that, a long, long time had passed. Although the details werenât fully known, the world was reborn once more. Perhaps the ring had been buried deep beneath the sea, or maybe it was carried along by the ocean currents.... Eventually, the ring had fallen into the hands of a dragon before it had been fatefully returned to Eugene.
âWhy a ring of all things?â Eugene eventually asked.
There was no way that Noir Giabella could have retained any memories of her life as the Twilight Witch. No matter the fact that Noir Giabella was a being who possessed truly absurd levels of power, there was no way she could still have memories of her past life, which had ended with her previous death.
âWho knows?â Noir said with a shrug.
It was just as Eugene had guessed. Noir really didnât have any memories of her past life.
She didnât remember Agarothâs name, the Twilight Witch, or anything at all, really. However, after seeing how Eugeneâs divinity had grown stronger and more distinct... her soul had just seemed to react on its own. Even then, her soul hadnât awoken any clear memories or even the broken fragments of a memory.
It was just a feeling.
A very vague and fleeting feeling. Noir felt an inexplicable desire to possess a ring. She simply couldnât tell why she was having such an unusual feeling.
âWhy a ring of all things?â Noir repeated. âI wonder why.... Earlier, I just suddenly had the thought that I wanted one.â
When she thought about it, most of the emotions that had come over her today were sudden and impulsive.
However... Noir didnât think that this was particularly strange. Because she had always been like that. She was the Queen of the Night Demons. She had already been impulsive, lustful, and emotional for the past hundreds of years now.
âThatâs right, come to think of it, Hamel,â Noir turned to look at Eugene, having suddenly realized something. âDidnât you also wear a ring?â
Noir was also able to clearly recall what kind of ring it was.
Eugene had worn that ring on the ring finger of his left hand. It was no ordinary ring. Noir hadnât known what its exact identity was, but she had guessed it was probably a genuine artifact. It wasnât an item that had been enchanted with magic either, but instead, a holy relic with connections to an ancient god.
âA ring?â Eugene feigned ignorance.
âAre you really pretending to have forgotten about it? Iâm talking about the ring that was destroyed in your battle with Iris. It had the ability to heal injuries,â Noir reminded him with a grin.
Noir could clearly remember seeing it at that time as she watched Eugene and Iris fight.
Instead of replying, Eugene just glared directly into Noirâs face.
Right now, Eugene was experiencing a huge inner turmoil. This was because of Noirâs desire to own a ring and also because he couldnât fully see through her intention to ask about Agarothâs Ring.
There was no way; he didnât think it was even possible, but... could it be that Noir really had recalled her past life? Were her current actions prompted by those recollected memories?
âNo way, thereâs no way,â Eugene tried to convince himself over and over again.
In the first place, if Noir really had managed to remember, she would have addressed it head-on instead of probing around indirectly like this.
Eugene calmed his inner turmoil and began to speak, âIâm not pretending to have forgotten. Itâs just that you started asking about my ring without any warning.â
âIs that so?â Noir said doubtfully. âHmm, it just suddenly occurred to me. Since Iâve decided to get a ring, I thought it would be nice if I could get one similar to yours. Ah, thatâs right. This actually works out for the best. How about it? Should we get an identical pair of rings?â
Although she had just come up with the idea herself, Noir couldnât help but picture the beautiful and wonderful image that would make. Noir turned to look at Eugene, both eyes sparkling with light, as Eugeneâs face instinctively twisted into a disgusted scowl.
âIââ Eugene began.
Only for Noir to interrupt him, âYouâre going to say that Iâm crazy, right? Fufu, Hamel, I can already predict everything youâre going to say. Of course, you donât want to wear the same ring as me.
Noir walked past Eugene, her hips swaying as if she was dancing.
While staring down at Eugeneâs completely bare hands, she laughed and said, âI also feel like it would be fun to try and force it onto your finger. Donât make that face, Hamel. Iâm not going to try and force it on you now, you know? Iâm saving that for later, hmm, thatâs right, for later. When you eventually die in my arms.â
â...,â Eugene held his tongue and the mounting irritation.
Noir smiled brightly, âAt that moment... I will put the ring on your finger as you die in the throes of your own despair. As I slip it on, I will whisper into your ear and say, âI love you.ââ
âCrazy bitch,â Eugene cursed.
âBut I think that would be quite a beautiful and romantic gesture, no? Of course, you wonât want to accept that ring, but... fufu, at such a moment, you wonât even have the strength to refuse it. What do you think, Hamel? If, and I really do mean if, when the two of us reunite to try and kill each other, if, in the end, you are the one who emerges victorious...,â Noir tilted her head to the side as she looked up at Eugene.
Beneath her long and thick eyelashes, Noirâs purple eyes, which were as beautiful as jewels, sparkled with intense anticipation.
âYou and I, at the moment when our long, long relationship comes to an end... is there anything that you would want to give me as a final gift?â Noir asked.
âThereâs nothing,â Eugene flatly denied.
âEven if I say it as my last wish?â Noir pouted.
âIt doesnât matter to me what your last wishes are,â Eugene answered with a surly expression.
Noir snorted, âHmph, well, I also predicted that response.â
Eugene couldnât sense any real disappointment coming from her. Even if Eugene wasnât going to prepare a gift to commemorate her final moments, couldnât Noir herself just prepare one for him to give her? Since she had already decided to buy a ring, Noir decided to just buy a pair at the same time.
Then, when she someday killed Hamel....
âI will place the ring on my own hand. Then I will place the other ring on your hand as you lie there dying. Also... after you die, I will remember you for all eternity each time I look at the ring on my finger,â Noir said dreamily.
â...,â Eugene silently scowled.
âIf you do win, then I hope you would do the same thing that I would,â Noir said, looking at Eugene with a bright smile.
Eugene found himself unable to face that smile directly. He also didnât feel any desire to keep staring at it either. He didnât think that there were any other intentions hidden behind all of the words that Noir had just spouted, but even so... as Eugene listened to her speak, it felt like something heavy and sharp was landing in his heart.
âStop talking nonsense, and letâs go already,â Eugene said gruffly after a slight pause.
âItâs taking so long because weâre walking there,â Noir explained. âIf we had taken the train or a taxi, we would have already arrived a long time ago.â
Although she said this, Noir had no intention of taking any transportation. Instead, Noir slowed down her walking pace so that she was now shoulder-to-shoulder with Eugene.
The street ahead was sparkling with light. At present, all the streetlights in Giabella City had been adjusted to their most beautiful colors such that these beautiful lights surrounded Eugene and Noir.
Naturally, this wasnât all just a coincidence. It was all due to the Giabella-Faces in the sky that were connected to Noir. Thanks to the system that managed the entire city, Noir could manipulate her surroundings according to her will.
On top of that, since all of the people who had been influenced by Noirâs suggestion were keeping their distance, the entire city seemed to have become a world just for Noir and Eugene.
âDo you want to... link arms together?â Noir asked shyly, her cheeks blushing in an obvious show as she extended one hand towards Eugene.
Naturally, Eugene just retorted with a grim expression, âGet lost.â
* * *
The Saint of the God of War.
The Twilight Witch.
She may have had a real name, but there was no way for Eugene to find out what that name had been. This may have been because all of Agarothâs memories that had reawakened in Eugeneâs mind while he was in the Ragurayan were very fragmented and vague, but Eugene also felt like there might be other reasons apart from that.
Within the memories that Eugene had recalled at that time, Agaroth wasnât the only character present in the memories. There had been many other people besides Agaroth.
However, the only one with an actual name was Agaroth himself. Even the Great Warrior, Agarothâs oldest friend, was only known as the âGreat Warriorâ; and the Saint, who had been someone special to Agaroth, was also only remembered as the âSaintâ and the âTwilight Witch.â
It wasnât just the humans. The other gods that Agaroth had respected and relied on to some extent were also remembered by their titles as the âSageâ and the âGod of Giants.â
Perhaps Agaroth was just a person with a mental disorder who couldnât even remember the names of anyone other than himself but... Eugene thought that there was little chance of that actually being the case.
Eugene thought to himself, âIt feels like my subconscious may have rejected recalling their names.â
For now, that was the only guess he could come up with. Eugene didnât want to accept the emotional influences that came with Agarothâs memories. He wanted to keep the self of the current era distinct from who he might have been in the ancient era. Eugene felt like that desire may have influenced the memories he had reawakened.
It hadnât fully worked. If he really, truly wanted to keep his sense of self distinct... then all of Agarothâs emotions should have been stripped from those memories. Of course, if that had happened, it may have been difficult to fully inherit those memories.
Even though their names were forgotten, Eugene could remember everything else in great detail.
The Saint of the God of War, the Twilight Witch, had been a beautiful woman. She had grown her beautiful, orange hair long, its color reminiscent of a vibrant sunset, and she had sky blue eyes that didnât belong to either day or night but were more of a dusky hue.
Her face... didnât resemble Noirâs at all. If he examined her personality in detail, there were many differences between the two. However, there were similarities in the way that they would openly flirt with him, often sought skinship, and liked to whisper into his ear.
âEven if youâre reincarnated, does your true nature remain the same?â Eugeneâs brow furrowed as he thought about this.
Noir and Eugene were currently in a department store located on the border between Fantasy Square and Gamble Square. They were on a VIP floor that dealt solely in expensive and luxury goods that couldnât even be entered unless you possessed a considerable amount of wealth.
Even though it was a VIP floor, there were actually quite a lot of people having fun shopping when they arrived. There were nobles from all over the continent, a few royal family members from smaller countries, and even a couple of the demonfolk of Helmuth.
âNo way... is that really....â
âEugene Lionheart?â
Even though they were causing quite a spectacle and drawing the eyes of everyone present, could Noir really intend for them to just keep shopping here regardless?
Feeling annoyed, Eugene shifted his gaze towards a target. Although many pairs of eyes were blatantly staring at him and whispering, the one that really bothered Eugene belonged to one of the demonfolks.
Said demonfolk was a Baron. This wasnât a very high-ranking title, but this Baron was said to possess quite a prosperous fief by Helmuthâs standards.
For those in possession of such a territory, most would have likely lost control of it in a territorial battle with other demonfolk. Still, in the case of this Baron, he was able to maintain his ownership of his territory by getting other higher-ranking demonfolk to extend ties of fealty towards him in exchange for material support.
As Eugene silently unleashed his killing intent toward the man, the blood began to drain from the Baronâs bright red face as he turned slightly pale.
Eugene rolled his shoulders, glared at the retreating Baron, and spoke in a loud voice that was meant to be overheard, âIsnât the very presence of a bastard who looks that ugly an obstruction of business?â
The Baronâs appearance indeed was hideous. His hide was red, he had three eyes, and he had goat legs in place of his lower body.
Although Eugene was openly hurling insults at him, the Baron did not respond and merely departed from the floor.
The Baron wasnât the only one frightened off by Eugeneâs irritation. The other guests on the VIP floor stopped whispering and kept their mouths shut, acting as if they hadnât just been gossiping earlier. Even with that, Eugeneâs mood didnât improve.
âAs long as they can pay, all customers are equal,â Noir said with a considering hum as she stretched out all ten fingers. âOf course, I also have to admit that Baron Horst does look hideous. However, even that hideousness can become a unique aesthetic as long as he has enough money.â
Eugene complained, âWhy havenât you covered this area in your suggestion?â
Noir smiled, âItâs all for your sake, Eugene.â
Since there were ears listening from all around them, Noir didnât call Eugene by his other name, Hamel. This was also a fortunate thing for all of the customers in the department store.
If Noir had made a slip of the tongue and said the name âHamel,â Eugene would have had to capture or kill everyone around them to stop the rumor from spreading.
âAs the kind person that I am, allow me to directly inform you. Baron Horst has donated money to several other demonfolk, and included among those are a few of the demonfolk who have crawled into the desert,â Noir tore her eyes away from her fingers to take a look at Eugeneâs face. With a smile, she continued, âBaron Horst will be sure to convey your situation in a very natural manner.â
âBy my situation, are you talking about how I, the Hero, and you, Noir Giabella, came here, just the two of us, to buy rings?â Eugene hissed while trying to keep his insides from boiling over in rage.
At these words, Noir let out a cackle and nodded, âThatâs right!â
âAnd if these... facts... were to become known, how exactly would that help my position?â Eugene growled.
âWho knows? No matter what, something will change, right?â Noir gave an awkward cough, âAhem, first of all, let me make this clear. Did you know that Amelia Merwin doesnât like me all that much? And I donât really like Amelia Merwin either. In fact, we both hate each other. And you, Eugene, you hate her as well!â
â...,â Eugene stayed silent.
âWell... youâve heard the phrase, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, havenât you? Iâm sure that Amelia Merwin will have no choice but to feel upset when she learns that weâre close enough to buy rings together,â Noir tried to convince Eugene.
Eugene eyed her suspiciously, âAre you being serious right now?â
âHey, of course, Iâm not being serious. Iâm just talking for the sake of talking,â Noir said, sticking out her tongue with a playful smile.
Eugene suppressed the thought of going up to her that very moment and kicking her in the chin, thus chopping off said tongue.
âIf youâre done looking around, can we head out already?â Eugene asked impatiently.
âWhy are you in such a rush? After all, the night is still long. Also, Eugene, If we leave now, itâs not like thereâs anything else for us to do, no?â Noir pointed out, wriggling her fingers as she looked at Eugene.
Perhaps realizing what it meant for a gaze to feel like it was âburning,â[1] Eugene was so disturbed that he started getting goosebumps.
âOf course...,â Noir slowly drew out. âI could make this long night seem to last for both a moment and an eternity. Eugene, no matter how arrogant you may act, when you climb into my bed, Iââ
âGrrrr,â Eugene growled in the back of his throat.
Noir sniffed, âHm, I could have made sure for you to not have any regrets. Fine, fine, I wonât say anything more about taking you to my bed, but instead, come here and stand next to me.â
âI can see everything clearly from right here,â Eugene insisted.
âEven if thatâs the case, it would still be better to see it from up close, right? After all, this has to do with the final moments of both of our lives, so I donât want to make the choice all by myself,â Noir said persuasively.
âYouâre just going to do what you want, anyway,â Eugene said, not moving from his spot.
All ten of Noirâs fingers now had rings adorning them, and she had already spent quite some time picking out these rings. Moreover, these ten were left after Noir had extensively pruned her selection. Even going back just a few dozen minutes, Noir had been considering dozens of different rings.
These ten rings were what had been left after a long and lengthy filtering process.
They all had similar shapes. None of them had any large jewels embedded into them, but that didnât mean they couldnât have a few smaller jewels used in their design. Most of the rings had simple designs without much embellishment. Honestly speaking, they were all ordinary-looking rings that were difficult to distinguish from each other at first glance.
âThey seem a bit too plain for you,â Eugene eventually gave his opinion.
âRight? I think so as well,â Noir agreed.
âThen you should just choose something different,â Eugene suggested.
âHowever, for some reason, I feel like Iâm being drawn to rings like these,â Noir muttered, tilting her head to the side in confusion.
After continuing to think about it like this for some time, Noir made up her mind and chose one of the rings. The ring that Noir chose was a gold ring that gave off a soft glow. She nodded her head with a satisfied expression.
Noir turned to him, âEugene, you should try wearing one as well. Since it will need to be able to fit on your finger.â
Eugene scowled, âGetââ
âYouâre going to say âget lost,â arenât you?â Noir spoke over him. âFine, I get it. Iâll make the choice on my own. Even without you wearing it personally, I can roughly tell what your ring size is just by looking at your fingers, you know? In fact, thereâs no need to even measure it. Itâs not like this is some cheap ring, so it will be able to adjust to the circumference of your finger no matter which finger it is put on.â
Noir clapped her hands, and one of the waiting staff stepped forward.
âThereâs no need to wrap the rings up. Weâll take them away like this,â Noir instructed.
âIf you desire it, we can also engrave the rings, Your Highness,â the staff offered.
âEngrave? An engraving, hmm...,â Noir pondered the possibility for a few moments before smiling and shaking her head. âIâll just do it myself.â
Noir could have had the store engrave Eugeneâs name onto her ring, but rather than that name, she wanted to engrave the name âHamelâ instead.
The rings floated above her palm as they were wrapped up in layers of her dark power. It didnât take much time to engrave his name on the inside of one of the rings.
âThis one is mine,â Noir said with a bright smile as she held her ring up towards Eugene.
The name âHamel Dynasâ was written on the inside of the small ring that was sized to fit around Noirâs ring finger.
âAnd this one is yours,â Noir said, holding up the other ring.
This one had the name âNoir Giabellaâ engraved on the inside. While watching as Eugeneâs expression twisted, Noir giggled and placed her ring onto the ring finger of her left hand.
âIâll keep your ring with me,â Noir informed him. âBecause if I give it to you, you will definitely just throw it away.â
Her long, outstretched fingers pulled out a strand of her own hair. The broken strand of hair was pulled through Hamelâs ring and turned into a black necklace.
In fact, Noir wanted Eugene to hang this necklace around her neck, but Noir was well aware that there was no way the man would be willing to do so. So she hung the necklace around her neck with her own hands as she walked over towards Eugene.
âLetâs go,â Noir said.
âWhere to?â Eugene asked.
Noir smiled, âSince weâve already come to the department store, wouldnât it be a shame to end our shopping trip and return after just buying some rings? Isnât there anything that you want me to buy for you?â
âThereâs nothing,â Eugene flatly denied.
âI feel like those two kids have a lot of things they might want, though,â Noir teased.
âIâm also very wealthy,â Eugene said defensively.
âBut there are some things that even money canât buy,â Noir said as she walked past Eugene.
Although he didnât have any desire to follow her â in the current situation â Eugene had no choice but to do so.
Eventually, Eugene let out a sigh and followed Noir out of the store.
1. The original text uses âstickyâ instead of burning, but since that isnât really a thing in English, I felt it was best to change it to this. ?