Chapter 6
In a Slumber
(part 2)
“So, Dia, why did you come to see me?”
One evening, the human asked me this.
Just like always, I had gone to see him late at night. I was standing on the balcony, leaning against the wall, while he was leaning out of the window to talk.
Well, I suppose it might be a bit of a question for him. Since there’s no point in hiding it now, I answered honestly.
“If you heard there was a human born to seal me away, wouldn’t you be curious?”
“You think so~? So, what are your impressions after meeting me?”
“Honestly, disappointing.”
“Eh!?”
“You are strong, but you’re still far from my level.”
Originally, I came to see just what this “being born to seal away the immortal demon” was really like.
It’s true he’s strong, but it’s impossible for him to seal me.
To seal me away requires power that surpasses mine at the very least, so since he doesn’t measure up to me, he’s disappointing by definition.
Well, he’s the first human with a personality like this, and in a different way than I initially expected, he’s more interesting than I anticipated.
I can’t remember the last time I met a human who conversed with me so frankly.
“You’ve got a lot of free time, don’t you, Dia.”
He glared at me with a sulky, intense stare.
The level of sarcasm was low, and I found it more amusing than unpleasant.
“Why do you think that?”
“People don’t usually go out of their way to meet someone disappointing. Coming to this place so many times is high risk for you. And for about this past month, I haven’t heard any bad rumors about you at all. Maybe even running amok outside was just a way to kill time? If you’ve stopped doing bad things outside because you’re coming to see me, I’d be really happy and proud.”
“I wonder.”
As I tried to dodge the question with a noncommittal answer, the human overlapped my words with the exact same phrase.
My eyes widened in surprise, and the human, unable to hold back, burst out laughing.
“You often dodge things like that, don’t you? I’m glad I’m starting to understand you a little bit.”
I averted my eyes from his beaming smile and let out a sigh, but it wasn’t because I was displeased. If anything, it was more like hiding my embarrassment.
Whether he noticed or not, the human kept on smiling.
Since meeting this human, I feel like my own personality has been softening; it’s probably not just my imagination.
Is this what they call being ‘bound’? Strangely, I didn’t feel bad about it.
“Hey Dia, do you have dreams or wishes?”
When he asked me that, a certain wish of mine suddenly surfaced in my mind, and I couldn’t help but twitch my brow. He said, “Because you muttered it when we first met,” and I sighed again, surprised he still remembered that.
Honestly, I would have preferred if that matter was forgotten.
Ah, I do have a wish. It’s a foolish desire, even to me. I’ve only ever told it to one, unique friend. It’s a wish that even that friend found exasperating.
“…I do.”
“You do!? I thought you’d just dodge the question…”
“I just thought it might be okay to tell a human who’s going to die in a few months.”
I put my index finger to my lips and said, “It’s a secret,” and the human’s eyes widened as he shook his head vigorously up and down.
It’s not like anyone would believe it even if he blabbed, and it wouldn’t cause me any trouble. It’s a silly wish.
“It’s to sleep forever with someone.”
When I said that, the human kept his eyes wide open and tilted his head.
I see, from a normal perspective, it’s a wish that doesn’t make sense. But it means exactly what it says.
“As you said, I am bored. I’ve been alive since before humans left any history. Of the friends I had when I was born, only one remains; all the others died. I’ve been left behind by countless people, been alone so many times, and seen history change slowly. I’ve lived more than enough.”
Since being with ‘someone’ is probably impossible, I’d even be fine with being alone. I’m tired of waking up every morning to days where I’m just alive.
The feeling I harbor isn’t so different from this human’s. I, too, find every day unbearably boring.
The only difference is that, unlike this human, I have no end.
“You might not believe it, but I’ve even helped humans numerous times. After doing every kind of good deed to kill time, I’m just doing the opposite now. I commit evil deeds both to stave off boredom and in the hope that someone who hates me, someone who can kill me, will appear.
That’s why I became interested in you. Because you might be able to grant me eternal sleep. I thought it was probably a lie, but well, I had free time.”
“But it’s not a lie that I was born to seal you away, right?”
“But it’s impossible, isn’t it? Besides, if you’re going to die in a few months, there’s no sign of growth either.”
When I said that, the human grinned triumphantly, as if he’d thought of a clever idea.
“Dia, let me tell you something good. I’m sure I can grant your wish. Well, I can’t right now… but I really feel strongly now that our meeting was fate.”
Just like I had done earlier, the human put his index finger to his lips and said, “It’s a secret,” and then he told me about the magic imbued in his very soul.
An incredibly patient plan, hard to believe it’s the work of a human, utilizing reincarnation.
The fact that every element composing this human was transformed into magic, making him the being meant to seal me away.
Why this human possesses far greater magical power than others.
Why this human knows he will die in a few months.
And finally, about the magic he secretly devised over several years, which allows his memories to be inherited along with his magical power.
After hearing everything, I couldn’t help but let a soft “Huu…” escape my lips.
This human comes up with rather interesting things. Even though I thought of him as a being far beneath me, I couldn’t help but be impressed.
“If my soul won’t end until you fall asleep, then you are the only one who can grant me eternal sleep. And the reverse is true only for me. I’m the perfect human for you.”
If that story is true, then there really couldn’t be a more convenient human for me.
It also makes sense why he, a being so far inferior to me, is being carefully hidden away in this small country.
For the others, they can’t let this human die a meaningless death along the way. Because the succession of his life is what’s important.
“Hey Dia, won’t you make a contract with me?”
“A contract?”
“You know, the classic ‘I’ll grant your wish in exchange for your life’ kind of thing. I promise I’ll work to make your wish come true. I’ll try my best to keep you from getting bored, so in return, you grant my wish.
Because you like me, don’t you?”
He said this with full confidence.
Like? Me, like a human?
Embarrassingly, it was at that moment I first became aware of my own romantic feelings.
I’ve lived for an impossibly long time, but this was the first time I’d ever been this drawn to an individual.
The moment I realized it, I suddenly felt my face grow hot. Wondering if my complexion had turned slightly red, I saw the human, looking pleased, narrow his eyes and chuckle. Being stared at with such heated eyes made me uneasy. To think I could be so easily flustered.
“That’s not a bad proposition.”
“Right? Then it’s settled.”
When I nodded in agreement, he started fidgeting, as if he couldn’t contain himself.
I watched silently, wondering what he wanted to say, until he mumbled softly, seeming hesitant.
“…Um, about demon contracts… aren’t there, like, any? The kind with awesome magic whooshing out and everything getting crazy?”
“Nothing like that exists in reality. Have you been watching too many fairy tales?”
“Ehh…”
Fundamentally, what humans call ‘demon contract magic’ and such is the stuff of fictional stories.
It’s true I’ve heard tales of individual demons and humans making promises. Basically, since their interests align, the demon side also keeps its promises. But those who break them, break them.
It seems this human, perhaps because he’s a sheltered son, sometimes can’t distinguish between picture stories and reality.
The human said ‘Well then…’ and held out his right pinky finger towards me.
“A human-style contract.”
“Are you a child?”
Even as I sighed in exasperation, I also linked my right pinky finger with his.
After reciting the charm and sealing it with our thumbs, the human puffed out his chest and declared proudly.
“Alright, from now on, I am your lover and master.”
“So you’re to be the master…”
“That’s right, Dia. By the way, you should address your master with honorifics. Don’t you think?”
He nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Only now does it strike me just how audacious he is.
“Yes, yes, I understand, my Master. …Is this acceptable?”
“Un! That’s perfect!!”
Whether it was aligned interests or the weakness of being in love, I went with the flow, and we entered a master-servant relationship.
That being said, it didn’t drastically change our relationship. I just started using honorifics with the human and went along with his silly requests.
These ‘silly requests’ were things like wanting me to tell him if anything interesting happened outside, or asking me to occasionally bring a souvenir when I visited.
Thinking it too risky to bring objects into his room, which held only the bare minimum of furniture, I basically brought fruits that could be finished on the spot.
One day, when I brought some randomly bought baked sweets, he said, “I have just the thing,” and for the first time, handed me a cup of warm coffee.
He said he’d started enjoying it, combining it with our conversations as they often kept him up late, using it to ward off sleepiness, all while stirring in plenty of milk with a spoon.
I knew of coffee’s existence. At the time, it was a luxury item, a beverage only a portion of the upper class could afford.
I only knew it had a unique aroma and stimulant properties.
When I received the cup, I initially frowned at its mud-water-like appearance, but I was instantly captivated by its enticing, unfamiliar scent.
Taking the cup, I cautiously took a sip.
“It’s bitter…”
“But it’s a taste that grows on you.”
I thought it tasted like muddy water, just as it looked, but it was a drink that strangely made me want to take another sip.
With each sip—the first, the second—I began to detect a faint acidity beneath the bitterness.
When I poured in the milk I was given, a subtle, gentle sweetness emerged, making it much easier to drink.
Later, after I’d come to prefer it black, he would say, “I can’t believe you drink it like that…”
And so, we enjoyed conversations lasting about one or two hours every night.
They were months of tranquility I myself found hard to believe.
With each passing moment, I could feel the pulse of the human’s soul growing fainter. Although it was too dark to see clearly, I felt his complexion wasn’t good.
I felt keenly how quickly half a year could truly pass.
“It’s okay. Even if I’m reborn, no matter how much time it takes, I will definitely come to see you.”
They were comforting words with no basis.
But there was nothing I could do except believe them.
———————————
And soon, it would be nearly half a year since I met the human.
The human’s condition looked visibly worse.
When he noticed I had arrived, he ran up to me today, still smiling.
He leaned out from the window frame, but a faint sweat was visible on his forehead, and his breathing was ragged.
When I handed him today’s gift, an apple, he happily began peeling it.
The fruit knife in his hand trembled slightly, making me feel strangely anxious.
His pace in eating the peeled apple seemed slower too.
Even though I told him he didn’t have to force himself if he wasn’t feeling well, this human would finish everything I gave him.
…Perhaps I should have prepared something smaller.
Straining my eyes to observe the state of his soul, I could see deep within the patched, distorted soul, the human’s magical power being drawn in.
The barrier outside was also weakening; I realized death was drawing near.
There was nothing I could do.
I just patted the laughing human’s head as usual, and he laughed weakly, saying, “You’re weird…”
“You’ve probably realized by now, but I will soon fall into a temporary, deep sleep. So, you don’t need to come here for a while. I don’t know when I’ll wake up next, but I will definitely come to see you.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but no words came out.
I never thought accepting a fate I’d known since we met would be this difficult… I never imagined I’d become so attached to a human.
It was painful, being unable to do anything but watch his face contort in a pained smile.
I understood he was serious, but even if he says he’ll definitely come find me, what will he do if he’s put under house arrest again?
Will I be able to find this human, not knowing when he’ll awaken?
Is something like memory inheritance even truly possible in the first place?
The soul isn’t originally an organ for recording memories. Normally, when a human reincarnates into another, all memories are lost. The sudden anxiety washed over me—this death might truly be the end.
Even though I’ve experienced countless partings, why does this one disturb my heart so much?
“Look at me.”
I heard the human’s voice and was pulled back to consciousness.
Turning as asked, I found the human’s face right before my eyes.
Before I could utter a word, something soft touched my lips.
For a moment, I was confused, unsure what had happened, but the human soon pulled his lips away.
He had stepped out onto the balcony and, standing on his tiptoes as much as he could, had given me a kiss that was just a touch.
“Dia, I love you.”
Even standing seemed painful for him, yet he gave me his brightest smile. After a moment’s delay, I processed what had just been done and said to me, and my chest suddenly grew warm.
Ah, how truly pathetic.
That’s right, I’m not the one suffering.
The human before me… no, “my Master.”
“Master, I will believe you.”
“Un, please wait.”
Exchanging this promise, I spread my wings and left the tower. My Master remained on the balcony, watching me until I was out of sight.
Just before I moved beyond visual range, I saw the door to my Master’s room open and someone enter.
Thinking he mustn’t be found at the very last moment, I hurried away from that place.
If I had turned back, would the future have changed?
I had no idea at the time that I would regret this choice for a thousand years.
