Following the battle between Alexander and Lilith, Alexander decided to reveal his true form—a literal infant—which surprised the demoness considerably.
*
Alexander had been influenced by an ancient curse—one that caused humans to instinctively develop negative emotions toward demons, due to a long-forgotten conflict.
He had wanted to kill Lilith in earnest, albeit a little remorsefully—because, well, she was strikingly beautiful.
But Lilith wasn't strong enough to withstand her opponent. She was flustered.
After launching a flashy attack to create a distraction, she tried to flee.
Hold on, Ruben, I'm coming, she reasoned to herself.
But Alexander spotted her and intercepted her escape with a single, sharp strike.
He didn't know it, but that hit alone could've turned a group of humans into fine red mist—despite being weaker than the one he used to send the other demon into space.
Then something... unexpected happened.
With that one deciding blow, Lilith lost all morale.
And she began to weep. Loudly. Like a little girl.
Realizing she was powerless and about to die, she crumbled into melancholy and self-loathing.
This act—this weeping—was baffling to Alexander.
He wasn't supposed to understand what it meant for a high-class demon to cry in front of an enemy.
But... he was human.
And slightly perverted.
So a beautiful woman, slovenly dressed and crying alone in the mountains, tugged at his heartstrings...
...and maybe stirred something else.
Or maybe... it was more than that.
Because as he stared at the weeping demoness, something stirred in his chest.
"Curse, my ass," he thought. "I'm not going to hurt a girl who's crying."
He paused, unable to go through with it.
And then... he did what hadn't been done in centuries:
He resisted the Demon Curse.
A feat akin to tearing out one's own flesh.
Curses cling like a second skin. Only through careful, layered rituals—or decades of effort—can most be broken.
But Alexander tore through his with sheer willpower. And, of course, an absurd mana reserve.
If anyone else had tried it, they'd be dead before finishing the first syllable of resistance.
And as this raw emotion flooded him, so did a memory.
A memory from a different life...
.....
....
---
Shephat Adanabe – Age: 14
THUD. THUD.
Came the dull sound of him slamming an iron rod against his worn-out pillow.
Tears rolled freely.
*
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why...?
"Why me?!"
That was the only thought I could form as I swung the rod again and again into my helpless pillow.
Mom was out—probably trying to buy small rice, salt, or any cheap vegetables she could afford.
It was the perfect time... to cry.
She was young and beautiful—she could've remarried, found someone else.
Whether we liked it or not... Dad was never coming back.
If that was the case...
Wasn't I the one holding her back?
Why the hell am I sick and frail? Why am I just so useless?
"I should just die already and free her?!"
These were the kinds of thoughts running through my head. Some of them even slipped out as I kept assaulting the pillow... Until—
"No!!"
That warm, familiar voice cut through the sound of fabric abuse.
Mom?
I turned—and there she was.
Tears in her eyes, trembling slightly.
Shit... How long had she been standing there?
"You're not useless!" she cried, rushing toward me and grabbing my shoulders.
"Just being alive right now is already a wonderful gift to me. And even though I still believe your father will return... I won't give up on either of you. I love you, okay?"
Then she pulled me into her arms, pressing my body into a warm, tight embrace...
Ah... she felt like the sun.
The rod slipped from my hand.
"If you say stuff like that..." I murmured into her chest, "I'm g...going to fall in love with you, you know?"
"Hehehe," she giggled and brought my face up to hers—
A KISS?!
Ah—sorry. Just a kiss on the forehead. Still amazing, nevertheless.
"Jeez. I've told you many times: I'm still in love with your father," she smiled.
"Besides, we're mother and son."
"Goodness, don't just take me seriously!" I snapped, pressing my forehead to hers. "You don't... have to..."
Mom then held my face and looked straight into me.
Her icy-blue eyes were as beautiful as the ocean.
"I love you. Isn't that enough?"
And for the millionth time, those words made something warm fill my chest.
She rubbed my head gently.
"You're not useless..."
...
...
*
"You're not useless... You're unique... You're human."
Alexander mimed his mother's words with a bright smile as he rubbed the weeping demoness's head.
*
Right before Alexander emerged from his Jericho shell, his eyes had widened—and a single tear fell.
{Master? Is something the matter? You're also weeping.}
(N...No! Something just got in my eye.)
{Goodness, Master. Think of a better lie. Do you miss your mother?}
(...What are you talking about? Of course I miss her... But right now she's alone at home. And someone's gotta be watching that ditzy pervert. So let's wrap this up and go get our prize money!)
{Understood, Master.}
Alexander perfectly understood that Seraphina was referring to his other mother from his previous world, but speaking about her any further would've just brought more tears.
...And he didn't want a potential love interest—like Lilith—to catch him crying.
Not like being trapped in an infant's body was going to boost his romantic odds anyway.
Nonetheless, after Lilith felt the soft pat of a small hand on her head, her trembling slowly began to ease. She was confused at first, maybe even a little startled.
But eventually, she wiped her tears and murmured, "I'm not human, though."
Alexander's face immediately turned red as he yanked his hand back.
"Ah—of course! I was just trying to act cool back there, but now it's super awkward, huh?"
She turned her gaze away shyly. "No… It was c-cool…" she said, barely audible.
Alexander began to chuckle creepily, like a mischievous little goblin.
"Kukukuku… She just said I was the coolest man in the world, right? I've got a chance, right?!"
But just as quickly, he snapped back to seriousness.
"Ahem!" He cleared his throat. "I'm, uh… really sorry about, you know… everything. I was kind of a jerk. And I hit you earlier..."
Lilith stared blankly at the tiny toddler, watching him hop around and desperately try to explain himself.
'Argh!! She's not getting it?!' he thought, scratching his head in frustration.
Then it hit him:
"Ah, right! The curse! The curse!"
"What curse?" she asked.
"What do you mean what curse?! The demon curse on humans!"
'Dammit! I just got reincarnated here and I know stuff the locals don't?!'
Alexander took a breath and calmly explained that there was an old curse influencing humans to harbor deep-rooted hatred toward demons. Most of his anger, disgust, and violent thoughts toward her had come from that curse.
"I wasn't in control... not really," he added. "It was warping how I saw you. That's why I hurt you."
Then he remembered her earlier words.
"And about what you said before—don't call yourself useless again. You have a family, right?"
"I do," Lilith replied.
"Exactly. So imagine one of them crying and saying they were useless."
Lilith turned her gaze off into the distance, thinking.
Her expression softened... then quickly turned into a frown...
...then went completely blank.
"Father, Mother, and Ruben—yeah, that would've worked. But Lucia's too useless for me to actually feel sorry for her."
"Who the hell is Lucia?!" Alexander snapped—then for some reason, flung himself directly into her prominent chest.