Chapter 1986: Wilful Faith Conversion P02
Chapter 1986: Wilful Faith Conversion P02
Another slap landed on Shir's mangled face.
When she was finally done venting her anger, the demoness stepped back and let out a slow breath.
Her face relaxed into a light smile—not of joy, but of release.
She crouched beside him again.
"Don't get me wrong, demigod," she said in a soft tone. "I only wanted to pay you what I owed. Now that we're even… there's no hate between us."
Shir looked at her, dazed, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
Sifrona kept smiling.
"I remember you told me I could keep my life if I changed my faith," she said. "Even offered to spare me if I bowed down and accepted your god. How noble of you."
She paused, tapping a finger on her lips thoughtfully.
"I don't have the authority to make the same offer on my own. But…" She leaned closer, her voice teasing. "I could ask my liege for you. If you ask me nicely."
Her voice dropped into a whisper.
"You could live, Shir. As long as you give up your god… and become one of us. A demonic creature. One of the Young Demon Emperor's loyal servants."
Shir's fingers twitched. His eyes burned with fury.
He clenched his jaw and gathered what little strength he had left, ready to scream at her. But before he could open his mouth, Sifrona raised a hand and shook her head with a playful pout.
"Careful now, Mister Defeated Demigod," she said. "Before you say something dumb, let me remind you…"
The dark phoenix demoness turned her head to glance at the lifeless body of God Raashim lying nearby.
"Your god is dead," she said.
"His body will vanish soon, erased from Labh Salem forever. When the last drop of Immortal blood in that body evaporates, the flesh will disappear too.
In short, there's nothing left for you to believe in. No one left to pray to."
She looked back at him, tilting her head.
"And it's not like he was a good god. At least not to you, right? All he did was use you. I'd say he exploited you more than his regular followers—just because you were his so-called 'chosen one.' His son."
"Now the Sea God Raashim's faith doesn't exist. You can't be part of a dead religion, can you? And you're going to die either way."
"So why not convert? Accept your fate. Become one of us."
"When you tried to change my faith, it was an act of forceful conversion. But this case is different. Your god no longer exists. So I'm not forcing you. I'm inviting you. This is… I'd say… a willful conversion."
Her tone was playful. But her eyes were serious.
Haah! This bitch… is she serious?
Shir froze. He didn't yell. He didn't answer.
He just lay there in silence, face twisted with pain and conflict, as Sifrona stood up and watched him quietly, waiting.
Shir's eyes wandered, half-lidded, over the altar's edge, where Eren stood silently, watching the crowd from both armies without a hint of tension in his posture.
The very same man who had taken down a god. The very same man who had stolen Shir's future. Sifrona's words echoed in Shir's mind.
Raashim was gone. His Templars, those who could fight, had been basically killed by Shir's own hands. The Raashim Temple had been destroyed from the roots to the top.
But… did Shir have to follow up on his creator's footsteps?
For a long time, Shir had thought that as Raashim's avatar, his only duty was to walk the path laid out for him by his Origin Soul. But now that Raashim was dead, so was that duty. He was free.
And yet… freedom felt like a curse when he was so close to death. What could he even do? Now that the puppet master was gone, did he have to lie down and rot here?
Not to mention, Shir had acted as the true acting head of Raashim Temple as a representative of Raashim in his absence.
As such, he was already used to cultivating bigger dreams and higher goals in his heart.
He also knew that no other faiths would accept him. Only someone like the Young Demon Emperor would allow him to join him.
This was his last chance. And he wanted to take it just for the heck of it.
Shir's lips trembled. He coughed violently and spat out blood. He turned his head toward Eren.
"Is…" Shir struggled to speak, his voice breaking. He cleared his throat, forcing breath through crushed lungs.
"Er… Eren…"
Sifrona's foot twitched beside him, and her glare made him flinch.
"…Lord Eren," Shir corrected himself, bitterness clinging to his voice.
"Is what your follower said true?" he asked weakly. "Will I get to live… if I accept your faith?"
Eren didn't turn to look at him. His voice was calm, collected.
"Sure. But you accepting my faith and becoming my servant isn't a punishment, my friend," Eren said. "It's a demonic blessing. And I don't give out blessings for free."
Shir's eyes widened. He blinked, stunned.
After all that Eren had taken, the man still wanted something more?
Wasn't he extorting a naked man?
What kind of robbery was this?
"What… what else do you want?" Shir croaked. "I… I have nothing anymore, thanks to you—"
Crack.
Sifrona stepped hard on his arm, making him cry out in pain. He gritted his teeth, glaring at her. But then, he sighed and looked down, broken again.
"Lord Eren… please speak freely," Shir said.
"What do you want from me? Except for my life, I've got nothing left. I've hit rock bottom. If I can't survive, then just kill me. If I can, then… take what you want. I just want… some kind of closure."
Eren finally turned around. His emerald green eyes locked onto Shir's. They glowed with a quiet fire.
"What do you mean you have nothing?" Eren asked. "The God Spark inside you…"
He paused. "I want it."
Shir's breath caught.
Eren's voice remained steady.
"Give it to me, and I'll turn you into a fiend. You'll survive. You'll even get to stay a part of this island's administration. As long as you serve me faithfully, you'll live. Work under me, and you'll have a purpose again."
He took a step closer.
"Of course," he added, "if you ever betray me, you'll die. Instantly. Because a fiend I make can't betray me."
Then he smiled—cold, controlled.
"Think carefully, Shir. You can speak your thoughts. But not your conditions. Because one way or another…"
Eren's voice lowered, firm and final.
"I'm getting that God Spark."