Becoming Enkidu in DxD

Chapter 404 404: Manifestation and the Mockery of Ritsuka Fujimaru!

The Commandment of Love—anyone who harbors hatred in their heart shall lose the power to harm others.

This level of absolute law surpasses even the Authorities held by many gods, yet now, this terrifying power rested within the hands of a young girl.

"Mash, was it?"

"Yes, King Gilgamesh."

"Do you truly possess such a power?"

"I do, King Gilgamesh. I have it within me."

"Hmph. Truly unbelievable. How generous of him, to simply give away a power of that magnitude so freely."

Even the ever-arrogant Gilgamesh couldn't help but offer a word of praise. Beside him, Ritsuka Fujimaru opened his mouth to speak, but in the end, he could only let out a faint, troubled sigh.

「 Wait a moment, Mash. There is something I need to ask you. 」

"Ah, what is it, Doctor?"

「 Are you... still 'Mash' right now? 」

"Eh? Of course I'm Mash. If I'm not her, who else would I be?"

「 But during the battle against Gorgon, your body underwent a massive transformation. Mash, in a sense, you can no longer be classified as a human being. 」

"What...?"

The moment those words left Romani's lips, everyone in the throne hall froze. Even Mash stood there, paralyzed. She wasn't human anymore?

Back at Chaldea, everyone except Doctor Romani stared at him in pure disbelief. Mash had been born in Chaldea and was considered their most perfect masterpiece; how could she possibly not be human?

Romani sighed, looking like he didn't know how to handle the weight of the revelation.

"I'm not human? What do you mean by that, Doctor?"

「 Exactly what I said, Mash. Based on the analysis here at Chaldea, you can currently only be classified as a magical creature that happens to possess human blood. 」

"A... A magical creature?"

「 Yes, Mash. As a test-tube baby, your genetic fragments were flawed. Theoretically, your life functions were set to stop once you reached the age of eighteen. 」

"...."

Silence fell over the room. Romani's words were like a physical blow. For Ritsuka Fujimaru, this was news he had never dreamed of. To stop functioning at eighteen—didn't that mean Mash only had a few months left to live?

Even though a slight distance had grown between him and Mash because of Akira's influence, that distance was nothing more than a tiny seed in his heart.

「 However, things are different now. Your body has been reconstructed by a massive power. You now possess physical durability, Mana capacity, and a lifespan that far exceeds any human. By a rough calculation, you have at least a thousand years of life remaining. 」

Another bombshell: a thousand-year lifespan. This was something even Gilgamesh didn't possess, yet this young girl now held it in her grasp.

In Chaldea, Da Vinci stared at the data on Romani's screens with a face full of disbelief. This data couldn't even be matched by some of the most powerful Phantasmal Beasts. Romani's gaze was fixed on Mash's internal organs—or more specifically, on the seven hearts now beating inside her chest.

"Naturally. The current Mash can be considered a princess of the Demon Clan."

Suddenly, a voice rang out, startling everyone. In the next heartbeat, dark Mana erupted from Mash's body, swirling together until it solidified into a human form.

Looking at the man who had appeared before them, no one felt he was a stranger. This was none other than Akira.

"Shin Akira..."

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes, staring intently at him. He had a thousand questions, but for a moment, he remained silent. Romani was equally stunned by Akira's method of manifesting a physical body using Mash's Mana as a tether.

"It's been a while, King Gilgamesh."

"Since you've decided to show yourself, then explain. Explain Mash's condition, and this so-called Commandment of 'Love'."

A king in a high position remains a king, even when facing a desperate situation.

"The Demon Clan are the children of darkness. What has merged with Mash is my blood. Control over darkness, a long life, and immense strength—these are the powers of the Demon Clan."

"And what is this 'Commandment'?"

"A Commandment is a curse bestowed by a 'Rule'."

"I see. So it's a curse. No wonder it felt slightly off; it wasn't a Divine Authority after all."

Gilgamesh nodded. As a grand king, he held a natural distaste for the power of darkness, even if it came from Akira.

"Mash, do you remember our contract?" Akira asked.

"I remember."

"Exchanging the whole of your existence to gain the power to protect Ritsuka Fujimaru. The contract was signed, and I have fulfilled my end. Now, it is your turn."

To the others, this might have sounded like a typical deal—Akira had already mentioned it was dark power, so a dark contract seemed par for the course. But to Ritsuka Fujimaru, those words were like a hammer to the head.

He hadn't expected that Mash would use that reason—the reason of protecting him—to enter into a dark contract with this demon.

"Mash..."

"It's okay, Senpai. I'm fine."

"How can you be fine?! Entering a contract with a demon... there's no way you'll come out of this whole!"

"Don't spread rumors. You can call me a Demon God, but I am not the same as those common demons."

Akira spoke up. After all, he wasn't just any demon; he was a Demon God.

"Whatever Mash gave up, I can replace it. Let her go!"

Ritsuka Fujimaru stepped forward, shielding Mash. In that moment, the Savior of Humanity began to radiate his own sense of resolve.

Akira glanced at him sideways. Replace Mash? Are you joking? Why would I want a guy? If you were the female version, Gudako, I might be interested, but you're a man.

"Replace her? What are you thinking? Ritsuka Fujimaru, do you truly believe you are someone of great importance?"

"What did you say?!"

"The reason I made a contract with Mash is because she has the value necessary to strike a deal with me. But you? I'm afraid you possess no such value."

Akira spoke calmly. He had no intention of playing nice with Ritsuka. In his eyes, this was someone who had only made it this far because the "World" was on his side. Without that plot armor, he was nothing more than a loser. After all, he only held the title of "Savior" by default—because every other candidate had died.

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