Nero was walking with hasty steps, and Emilia was trying to catch up to him.

“Thank you,” Emilia uttered.

Nero stopped and looked back with a puzzled look on his face. “I think I said some harsh things to you, so why are you saying thank you?”

“Not for that,” Emilia shook her head. “I am thanking you for helping me make Matt’s grave.”

Nero sighed and began walking again as Emilia tried to match his pace.

Emilia looked at Nero’s back and couldn’t take her eyes off it.

‘His wings looked so beautiful,’ she thought.

She still couldn’t forget the epic battle of Nero with those guards.

“What about you?” Emilia asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Earlier, you said there is no meaning of being alive if there is no reason to be alive, right?”

“Yeah, so?”

“What’s your reason to be alive?”

“Hmm?” Nero took a deep breath then uttered, “There were many reasons to stay alive, but for now… there is none.”

“Then aren’t you the same as me?”

Nero scoffed. “Don’t compare yourself with me. We are nothing alike.”

Emilia puffed her cheeks and said, “But you said it yourself that I remind you of you.”

“Pretty sure I said my ‘old’ self.”

“I wasn’t talking about that.”

“Oh?”

“I was talking about how we both currently don’t have any reason to live.”

“Or maybe we do?”

Emilia ran and matched Nero’s pace. “What do you mean?”

“You and I, we both need to find that mortal and kill him— that can be our reason to live, for now.”

“Then after that?”

“Who knows? I have my own plans.”

“Like?”

“I will go to the heavens and destroy all the gods and angels.”

Emilia stopped walking and stared at Nero in panic.

Nero chuckled and nudged Emilia. “I am kidding. Or maybe I am not— but there is one person in the heavens who I am going to kill, no matter what happens.”

“Who is it?”

Nero looked at Emilia from the corner of his eye and said as he exhaled sharply, “Lucifer.”

“Who is that?” Emilia asked curiously.

“He is on number two in my most hated and must kill list.”

“Who is on number one?”

“You don’t need to know.”

They walked for a while and reached the entry of the first floor.

“That mortal is on number three,” Nero stated.

“And? How long is the list?”

“Only three, for now. I hope to fill that list soon, or it would be a boring life.”

“You said we were similar, so that must mean there was something common between us.”

Nero paid no attention and kept walking forward, “How long is this? And…” Nero stopped speaking and thought. ‘According to her story, that mortal girl should be around here too.’

Nero glanced at Emilia then squinted his eyes. ‘She is going to blame herself again.’

After walking for a while, Nero noticed Emilia dawdling— as though her feet were heavy, but it looked like she was forcing herself to walk.

Nero shot a glance at Emilia and saw her clenching her fists and trying her best not to let the tears fall from her eyes.

Nero shook his head after looking at Emilia and said in a gentle voice, “You can stay here for a while, and I will take care of that girl’s body for you.”

Emilia shook her head and walked forward, “I need to do it with my own hands.”

Nero was confused about Emila’s relationship with Matt and Venus.

“Did you not meet them like a month ago or something?” he asked.

“It was more than a month, and they were the first humans who talked to me. They were like… like..”

“Like your family,” Nero added.

Emilia nodded and continued, “They didn’t deserve to die like that.”

“Sadly, you don’t get to decide who deserves what, but I understand what you mean.”

Nero walked forward and said in a solemn voice, “I lost many companions— and I always blamed myself for it. The ‘if’s were too much, but deep down, I knew it wasn’t my fault— I just liked to blame myself, so others don’t blame themselves.”

“….”

“But yeah, there were times where I could have saved them, but I chose the most important people to save instead.” Nero took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. “I am saying this to you because I don’t want you to do the same things I did.”

“You are not evil,” Emilia stated.

“How do you know? I am a demon.”

“If you were evil, then you wouldn’t have saved my life.”

“I just did that to repay you for breaking my seal.”

“It wasn’t me who broke your seal— it was my blood, and it was unintentional.”

“But I chose to repay you by saving your life.”

“Then why are you trying to take revenge for me?”

Nero didn’t answer Emilia and increased his speed.

“You wanted justice, right?”

Nero glared at Emilia and said in an emotionless voice, “You speak too much.”

After walking for a while, they reached the spot where Venus was killed. There was blood all over the wall and ground, then— they saw venus’ body that had a hole in a stomach.

Emilia rushed over to Venus’ body, but as she was about to touch Venu’s body— “Stop!” Nero stopped her.

Emilia looked back with her teary eyes, and her face showed she wanted to ask, ‘What?’

“Emilia, listen to me… Come back. Don’t touch her body and slowly come back to me, okay?” Nero tried to be as gentle as he could to call Emilia back. Nero was looking over Emilia’s shoulder as he called Emilia back.

“Why?” Emilia asked.

“I will tell you, first come back.”