"I understand… so all I have to do is grow stronger, and I can evolve into a High Demon myself?" Zyel asked, his expression filled with excitement.
"Darling, it's not as easy as it sounds. You don't understand just how difficult it is for a lesser demon to evolve into the next stage, let alone become a High Demon. Strength alone does not determine evolution. Your very nature as a demon matters as well. As I said before, you must become more and more demonic while growing stronger at the same time," Amelia explained, gently shaking her head.
Demonic evolution was an extremely complex process.
Yes, whether natural-born or reincarnated, a lesser demon possessed the potential to evolve, first into an Elite Demon, then into a Greater Demon, and ultimately into a High Demon, reaching the same level as pure-blooded demons descended from the ancient first generation who founded the demon race.
However, having potential did not guarantee success.
In reality, almost no lesser demons managed to evolve.
Only about 30% to 35% of the total lesser demon population succeeded in evolving into Elite Demons, and even that required immense time and effort.
As for becoming a Greater Demon, fewer than 20% achieved it.
And reaching the rank of High Demon? That number dropped to a mere 3% to 5%, if not even lower.
"I understand what you're saying, Amelia… but I'm confident in myself," Zyel replied casually, shrugging.
He wasn't being arrogant or overconfident, just certain.
After all, he carried the blessings of 111 gods within him, amounting to hundreds of divine blessings.
With their support, Zyel believed he could stand among the top few percent of lesser demons who would one day ascend to High Demon status.
[Speaking of blessings, Master~ I forgot to mention something.]
'Oh? What is it, Aylin?'
[Do you remember that you still had enough strength to unseal a fourth divine blessing, but I asked you to postpone it? Just moments before we lost consciousness, I sensed your blood beginning to undergo a metamorphosis. So, I decided to make the most of that moment and used the fourth unsealing to unlock the Divine Blessing of Blood.]
'What does it do?'
[The Divine Blessing of Blood amplifies everything related to blood. In your case, your demon blood. It will greatly enhance your natural healing, vitality, reflexes, adaptation, growth rate, senses, physical strength, resistance to negative conditions, emotional control, energy generation, energy regeneration, and all other supernatural, spiritual, and physical attributes connected to your blood, by countless times.]
[To be honest, Master, I was quite conflicted between choosing the Divine Blessing of Blood and the Divine Blessing of Evolution, as both offer somewhat similar benefits.]
[The Blessing of Blood specializes in enhancing everything related specifically to your blood, whereas the Blessing of Evolution improves all aspects related to your growth and evolution as a whole. However, since I sensed that your blood was undergoing the most significant transformation, I chose the Blessing of Blood.]
[After all, while the Blessing of Evolution could 999influence your blood in a similar way, it wouldn't be nearly as effective as the Blessing of Blood, which is entirely focused on it.]
[The moment I unsealed your divine blessing of Blood, its assimilation instantly reached 15%. Master, I believed it did its job very well and maximized the results of your metamorphosis. You just have to figure out how much.]
'Interesting… and that was some sharp, astute, well-timed thinking from you, unsealing the Blood blessing right when it actually mattered, Aylin… I might just reward you for that?'
[Master, what kind of reward are we talking about? Is it a head pat? Please say it is. I would very much like one.]
Aylin, once again, lit up like a kid who had just spotted their favorite celebrity breathing the same air, practically vibrating in his mind as she waited for the answer.
'Of course.'
[Yayyy! Finally!]
'You're way too thrilled over something as basic as a head pat, aren't you?'
[hehe yeah obviously, it's because my beloved master is the one doing it]
Right then, a soft hand pressed against his chest, gently dragging his attention back where it belonged.
Amelia was right there, staring up at him like he'd just glitched out of existence for a moment.
"Are you okay, husband? You looked completely out of it just now..."
The worry in her eyes wasn't subtle, it was practically screaming.
Zyel just stared at her for a few seconds, not even blinking.
He could feel it.
That strange, intrusive connection between them, the one that popped into existence when she went ahead and married him without asking, through some ancient ritual practice.
Because of that, he didn't even need to guess what she was feeling.
The concern was basically being delivered straight into his brain.
"I was just thinking about something..." he said, thumb casually brushing over her soft, pale cheek like he was trying to smooth out her anxiety. "Tell me about that marriage ritual you used. The one you did along with the demon reincarnation thing."
"Well, it's exactly what it sounds like. A ritual to marry us," Amelia began, nice and calm on the outside, probably a mess inside.
"It created a thread between our souls, creating a spiritual bridge between us. Because of that, we can sense each other's locations, emotions, desires, everything really. Emotions especially hit much harder..."
"...And you didn't think maybe, I don't know, waiting until I woke up and could actually respond was an option?" Zyel tilted his head slightly. "You just went ahead and tied our souls together. That sounds a little dangerous, doesn't it?"
Amelia immediately looked away, like eye contact had personally offended her.
"Were you scared I'd reject you? Or hate you for turning me into a demon?" he added, gently turning her face back so she had no choice but to look at him.
"Yeah... it's exactly that." Her voice dipped, fragile. "I was scared."
She shook her head, eyes already trying to escape again.
"I know I get a little... insane when it comes to you. I know what I did. And I know I'm part of why that assassin came after you..."
Her voice started cracking under the weight of everything she'd been bottling up.
"I thought you'd blame me. And honestly, you'd be right to."
Her eyes turned glossy, like she was one second away from completely falling apart.
"So I thought... if I married you, you'd feel everything I feel. You'd understand how much I love you, how much I want you, how badly I want you to be mine..."
Her words spilled out faster now, like she couldn't stop them even if she tried. "Maybe then you wouldn't see me as someone who ruined your life. Maybe you'd see me as someone willing to give you everything."
Zyel didn't react.
Not even a flicker.
Just listening, processing, quietly reading not just her words but the emotions flooding through that soul connection.
After a few seconds, he let out a slow sigh and brought his hands up to her cheeks again.
"Honestly, I don't think I would've been mad either way," he said. "Yeah, you might've been the reason some lunatic tried to kill me. But you're also the reason I didn't stay dead. And you've been secretly protecting me for years while I was human..."
He pulled her closer, resting her head against his shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"How am I supposed to get mad at my wife for being obsessively protective like that?" he muttered.
"If anything, I probably would've done worse for someone I loved that much."
Amelia went completely still.
Like her brain just short-circuited trying to process what she was hearing.
But nope, it was real.
His voice, his warmth, his hand gently patting her back.
No hallucinations, just her husband casually dismantling her entire guilt complex.
"So how about this," Zyel continued, resting his forehead against hers. "We forget everything up until last night. Not literally everything, just the parts that make you spiral or think I'd hate you. Because I'm not going to."
He looked straight into her eyes.
"Let's just start fresh. Husband and wife. That's it."
"Yes. Yes, I love that. I love you. I love everything about you. About us." Amelia nodded way too fast, like if she slowed down even a little the moment might disappear.
After that, they just stayed like that.
Quiet.
Close.
Breathing in sync like some weirdly intense romance scene.
Then, because peace apparently isn't allowed to last:
"By the way, darling, I did think about the marriage ritual logically too," Amelia suddenly said.
"Oh? Go on."
"First, my mother is a ruthless, psychotic old bitch. If she found out I was interested in a reincarnated demon, she would have killed you immediately, with no hesitation. But now that our souls are linked, killing you means killing me too. So she won't try anything crazy or something that might end your life."
She looked deeply annoyed just talking about her.
"...Wow. That's... weirdly reassuring," Zyel said, eyes widening slightly as he processed that information.
He realized he knew basically nothing about her personal life beyond that she was a high demon, hailed from an ancient noble demon lineage, and that she was five years older than him, nothing about her family members or about her mother, whom by her words was a "ruthless, psychotic old bitch," or about the world of the supernatural.
"And second," Amelia continued, now sounding even more irritated, "I refuse to let that little bitch Aria get to you first. Even if she technically saw you before I did."
"... Aria? Who?" Zyel blinked.
"Aria Astaroth. My extremely annoying little sister," Amelia said flatly. "You might know her as Yelena Gilbert."
Zyel's face went completely dead.
"Wait. Yelena Gilbert? My classmate? The crazy blonde? The one who's been openly stalking me for three years like it's a hobby?"
"Yeah," Amelia shrugged. "She's not as subtle as me."
Subtle. Sure. Absolutely.
Completely normal behavior all around.