"You know, sometimes I don't understand how you could pull a universal war out of your sleeve, but at the same time be so slow of understanding", said Alexander, nodding a greeting.

Iblis was already in a bad mood and seeing Alexander and Bucephalus would not have helped him to improve the day. Especially if they materialized to insult him. "Beg your pardon?"

Alexander dismounted and patted Bucephalus's muscular back. At that touch, the horse took on its human form, a tall young man with long black hair and red irises. He had a shirt with a breast pocket, from which he pulled out a pair sunglasses to protect his delicate demonic eyes.

“Helial's character, isn't it? I think you're still light years from figuring out what's going on in that boy's head," said Alexander, rising from the ground and sitting on an invisible chair.

“He's but a bot that craves power and wants to become the strongest. Nothing new, nothing special,” Iblis replied casually.

Raising his eyebrows, Alexander moved his lips to one side, not very convinced. It was a not too subtle insult to Iblis' intelligence.

"Enlighten me," the Devil pulled his arms forward, puffing impatiently.

With a shrug, Alexander straightened up from his sitting position and said: “I spent twenty years in the company of your disciple, completely erasing his memory and observing how his instincts would have developed if he had been born in a different world."

The King of Kings stopped for a moment and remembered how Helial, within the Time Block, had been reborn as a completely different person. His new character and temperament had had nothing to do with what he had shown before forgetting every detail of his past life. When, however, the memories of the two lives had merged, once he got out of the Time Block, his old character had corrupted his newly acquired spirit.

“There are things that Helial has only partially managed to bring out, here in this reality. On the contrary, within the Time Block, we have seen what most moves him. And it's not power! Hahaha." Alexander laughed heartily. "He doesn't even know what motivates him, would you believe it?"

Alexander's laughter left room for an enigmatic expression, while his snow-white clothes gave him an outworldy appearance. The flawless and beautiful features gathered around two large eyes of different colours, one green and one blue, framed by long blonde eyelashes.

Iblis, in his child-like form, felt his hands itch more and more. He was considering the pros and cons of blowing up the planet.

I could teleport Helial to one of the planets of Destruction and then destroy this fool. If I did, it would take a few seconds for enemies and allies to intercept my presence. If Amaterasu still hadn't found his disciple, it would probably be very easy...

Iblis didn't know it but, if he had taken that decision, his fate and that of the whole universe would have changed. There would be no need for Helial to challenge Amaterasu, to become the antagonist of the forces of Life.

There would have been tremendous losses even in Destruction, but Life would have been annihilated once and for all, thanks to the immense power of the Devil. Even in incorporeal form, Iblis was not an opponent that even beings like Kirin could face light-heartedly.

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Still, life is often a naughty game.

No, I cannot risk it.

Iblis relaxed his muscles and listened to Alexander.

"When we were traveling together, I saw him continually jumping to the front row ..."

"Because he's a braggart," replied the Devil, interrupting him.

"No, quite the contrary. Helial has not yet realized that, under this pretended desire for power and glory, he only wants to test himself. He seems to continually choose the most difficult path to demonstrate something to himself. To himself and not to others. I also peeked several times inside his heart. "

"Mh," snorted Iblis, while a steaming cup of tea appeared before him. Soon after, three lumps of sugar materialized out of nowhere and dipped into the drink gently, without lifting even a single drop. Even a teaspoon appeared in the cup and began to move on its own.

Iblis inhaled the aroma of dry leaves infusing the water.

“And I saw that there is not all this hatred for his brother, but something more similar to resentment. Helial can be very ruthless, but his nature is far less fierce than you might think. The funniest thing is that everything I'm saying has not been ignored not only by you, but also by him.

“You know, Iblis, before teaching him how to ruin the next ten years of his life, you should also guide him to understand what his heart really wants. Yes, the State of the Emperor allowed him to have a steadfast heart. But the mysteries of his feelings remain unsolved. He chooses firmly, but what's underneath, if we dig deep enough?

“We are not all a mass of chaotic feelings to be expressed without hesitation, as you followers of Destruction believe. Inside Helial's heart there is an obsession as great as the ferocity that led you to wage war on the forces of Life. "

"Let me understand," said Iblis, "what are you trying to tell me?"

Bucephalus rolled his eyes, cursing between his teeth.

“Lumia, Snowflake and the others are a fundamental part of Helial's heart, but not the largest as he thinks, or as you think. What moves his heart is the desire to overcome increasingly difficult challenges. That's all. Often there is no need to look for difficult answers when the solution is so terribly simple."

“Translated, you bastard Devil, it means that Helial has to realize what is really inside his heart. He discovered a lot thanks to the State of the Emperor, but did not understand what he really wants. He doesn't want to protect Lumia, he doesn't want friends; all these things are very important, but they are not his cornerstone”, roared Bucephalus.

“The reason why he chose Pseudonym as his point of reference is precisely this. Although he will never admit it, neither in words nor with deeds, Pseudonym is more important than Lumia, now, in his heart. What he wants is to overcome all the challenges on his path. And that doesn't mean he wants to be the best, that's just collateral for him."

Alexander's words were a blow to Iblis's pride: neither teacher nor pupil knew what moved Helial's heart. For some strange reason, Alexander found all this truly ironic.

“Helial must realize that, within his heart, the desire to always test himself with more difficult tests is what moves him. It will be difficult to accept it, but it is so. You are his teacher and you must guide him on this path. We have never had such a mentality, Iblis. Helial is sure to get into big trouble in the future, but it is certain that he will either die or surprise the whole universe."

Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, Iblis tried to control his feelings about it. "If it is as you say, I hope he will be ready to bear the weight of what will happen once the chooses Perfect Foundations."

Alexander's smile illuminated the Octagonal Room, turning grey due to the interruption of the time flow. “You forget that I have control over Time. I know very well what will happen to a kid at the Second Phase in the next few years. The most interesting thing is that his destiny seems to cloud over just when he meets..."

"Our Divinations can only reach a certain point", interrupted Iblis. “Some roads of fate are too intertwined and constantly changing. And yet, if it is as you said, then I will agree to accompany him on this path. If his heart really revolves around overcoming all its limits and continually demonstrate something to itself, then it will be destroyed after the events of Orma. But later, well, later it will rise again."

"Dead for ten years, but the day of his resurrection ... ehehe."

Alexander waved goodbye to Iblis and disappeared into thin air together with Bucephalus.

Time began to flow again.

Helial's footsteps flooded the underground corridor with their echo again.