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The words devil or demon come from the ancient word that people began to use to describe the Eldian race after the said empire began to warmonger on the Marleyan continent, and was continued to be used with a strong connotation of hatred even after The Great Titan War and the fall of Eldia and Subjects of Ymir began living behind the walls.

Even before that, loads of centuries ago, the Eldian people and their empire worshiped their deity, savior and goddess, Ymir.

The one who gave them liberation and brought the power of the titans into the world. She was the first person to obtain the abilities of such monsters, even if she was and was completely limited to serving king ruling Eldia at the time and obeying his every command due to his royal blood.

While the world feared the titans more than anything, and thought of Eldians as the scum of the earth and spawn of devils that brought no good to the world, people tended to forget about one thing.

Even if Ymir went on to sacrifice her whole life to then die out of loyalty to King Fritz,  she went on to live in the paths and be liberated 2000 years later by Eren Jaeger and the power of the titans was lifted from the world.

After the rumbling, the human population that survived and remained after the catastrophe thought that they could finally live in peace without wondering if they would live to see another day.

But, though the power of the rumbling was gone and the Eldians began to live in peace amongst the rest of the world, there were still demons that could hide in plain sight and you'd never know it. The world was still riddled with hate, resentment, and greed, making these the perfect grounds for a demon like Levi Ackerman to lurk and prey on.

In many cases, the word devil or demon means to 'share the same fate', or more simply put, 'a supernatural being'. Demons like Levi Ackerman, way before him, existed among humans ,and by initial beliefs of Ymir Fritz worshippers, used these beings as their guardians and protectors. And 200 years later, history would repeat itself.

Demons appear in your life when it feels like it is shrouded in mist, when you feel lost, like all hope has dissipated, in hopes of taking advantage.

They appear in the most dire of moments, wanting to be there to appear in front of someone so unexpectedly that the person, out of desperation, begins to wonder if it's their savior appearing from the dark shadows.

They make you wonder...are they your friend? Your enemy? Or if you have been fooled and everyone around you is a foe to avoid at all costs and there is truly nobody you can trust but the demon in front of you in that moment, to save you or to destroy you completely. Only one of many can see the truth behind that very mist that hides the true reality we live in.

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200 YEARS AGO --  POST-RUMBLING

The world hasn't quite been put at a loss before like it was now. Though the rumbling had been stopped successfully by the Scouts 4 months ago, the world and society were all struggling to reconstruct their lives. The land they had before had been leveled and stomped on to the ground, leaving any landscape to only be plains and plains of nothing.

Governments were gone, 80% of the population was gone, the monetary system was nonexistent along with the economy, there were no homes, and the hope had been diminishing.

The last couple months, the remaining population of the world worked hard to bring back what they lost and the resources that they needed to keep moving forward. Those who were around the battlegrounds looked around for their loved ones, family, friends and including people they knew in the rest of Marley and the rest of the world to know if they had made it or not.

They did this by planting trees, crops, breeding whatever livestock they had left, rebuilding infrastructure, but the progress was incredibly slow and some days it seemed like there was none at all. People were living in tents until there were homes suitable to move into when the time was right, and there were also no jobs available either.

The people who had been killed by the rumbling were the majority by far, leaving little to no professionals to help restore the world to how it used to be before the catastrophe.

It will take years, if not a long time, to get everything back to how it used to be. People were wondering if they would ever see their loved ones ever again, if society would ever recover, if the scarcity of food and water would ever disappear.

The rumbling killed more than half of the world population but the aftermath made the hope of recreating a world worth living seemed futile and pointless for those who survived it.

There were still people recovering, but there were people who even if they didn't have any professional experience who were volunteering in any way they could and for once, whether they were Marleyan or Eldian, people worked together to put their differences aside for once to help society be put back together.

Some people were transferred to cities nearby that the Rumbling hadn't quite reached and were able to get the help they needed.

Any level of skills was helpful whether it was construction, medical, farming and such were in high demand and incredibly valuable. Some people coped in different ways.

Many people got their minds off it by making themselves useful in any way they could, trying to learn even if they knew nothing of a certain set of skills and it was out of their expertise, but they still did it.

While others took to faith instead to pray that things would get better and that there was hopefully someone watching over them to not let them corrupt their minds with hopelessness that had been taking over.

These grounds of people trying to get back on their feet, trying to stay positive, wishing a miracle would happen, that their wishes could come true; they were the perfect grounds for deals to be made out of the desperation that many needed to keep going, especially for someone who was lurking in the shadows for the perfect opportunity.

One night, in a city near Fort Salta, that used to bustle with community was now a space with rows and rows of tents of Eldians that had occupied the space and used to live in the internment zone in Liberio, with crops growing in the distance and small barns where they were breeding livestock to support the entire population of refugees that were residing there.

Families have been using lanterns to light up their tents but because of how late it was in the night, which is why there were only a couple ones lit up among the rows.

But, there was also one light that hadn't gone off yet, and it was a bigger tent closer to the barn and the livestock. Though it wasn't an overwhelming light, it was easy to tell that there were people inside.

Inside, there was a service happening, where a group of Eldians were gathered to pray to their deity for help. It had to be done in secret, because while Subjects of Ymir and Marleyans were working together, the prejudice was still there, and this service would be very frowned upon and Eldians wanted to call out to Ymir to give them strength to get through these tough times without feeling like their bloodline can come in the way of that.

Though the Scouts were viewed as heroes to the rest of the world for the heroic acts and going against Eren to save the remaining population of the world and stop the imminent destruction, mentalities and perspectives didn't change that easily and Eldians were still at risk, especially by practicing a belief that the Marleyans had an opposite view of.

As the flaps to the tent closed to begin the service and the moonlight mixed with the glow of the lanterns that lit up the room, Eldians were kneeling down in rows in front of the preacher in the altar.

He took a deep breath, looked at the audience in front of him and began to speak, as quietly and as lowly as he could keep his voice, as they all listened intently. "Let us pray, for our goddess Ymir" He began, as what followed was the crickets in the night and the ruffling of leaves outside that blew in the wind.

"Ymir, though you have been set free from the clutches of the royal bloodline, please guide us in these difficult times and help us to never forget your will, and to allow us to be empowered by it, and make a true difference through our actions" He continued, lifting his eyes from the small prayer book he had in front of him to look at the rows of women, men, and children.

The service continued as planned without any interruptions, as the people followed along and responded when they needed to. It all seemed to go like it does every night, except this one would be different.

Right now in this part of the service, the preacher was saying a couple fragments from his book and the civilians were repeating a phrase back like a mantra, as they usually did. But they were all so focused on following the words of the preacher, none of them noticed the shadow of a man outside that suddenly appeared behind the flaps of the tent.

The light of the lanterns was leaving a dark outline of the man as the moon reflected down on him. Nobody had noticed him yet, but he was wearing a long black coat, with a hood over his head as a couple of onyx strands of hair peeked out of the hood. His face was still yet to be revealed, and so was his presence. His face couldn't be seen, but everything about him says 'menace' or 'threat'.

"It has been said that evil spirits have only sought to deceive Subjects of Ymir and Ymir's followers, by hiding in plain sight, quoting the words of our savior and her sacred words" The preacher continue as the man behind the tent flaps left behind his shadow outside and stepped into the space keeping his steps light and imperceptible.

As he made his way inside and not a single person had turned around, the preacher had his eyes closed as he recited the scripture from his book, and the man turned his head to the side, seeing a small bowl of holy water that was sitting on a small pedestal.

Without making a sound, the man reached out and dipped his hand in the holy water, and blood-red rose petals appeared out of thin air from below and started to rise to the brim of the bowl. He watched silently and with a blank expression, and then looked up what the sign above the bowl said.

  'May this holy water cleanse me and the sins of my ancestors, to allow me to atone and protect me from evil spirits' The man almost scoffed under his breath at the sign, as his coat continued to hide his face.

He then began to lift his hand from the bowl of holy water that was now filled with small rose petals, and in between his fingers, he lifted a fully sprouted, long-stemmed red rose and lifted it up to his nose to give it a brief sniff.

"These evil spirits only seek to separate us from our connection to Ymir, to steal her greatness, her glory, and power for themselves," The preacher continued, keeping his eyes closed to really relish in the written word. Though, he and everyone else was completely unaware of the presence of the very person they were praying to stay away from.

Suddenly, the flames of the lanterns intensified, with the fire suddenly growing in strength and size, giving the shadow of the man in the entrance of the tent a much more obvious appearance behind the preacher and his outline could be seen in the far wall.

"We have to resist their temptations to separate us from the one that gives us hope, we must.." The preacher trailed off as he opened his eyes and upon laying eyes on the hooded figure by the entrance, his face paled and eyes widened.

The civilians who had his eyes on the preacher before, saw the man's reaction to something in front of him with terror, and with confusion, the people turned their heads around to see a mysterious hooded man that wasn't saying a word, just staying in place and keeping his head low enough so that no one saw his face as the moonlight and the lanterns accentuated his presence even more than before.

If the civilians weren't scared before just by seeing the mere presence of the man, what truly made their bodies run cold and shriek in fear was how suddenly a gust of wind that came out of nowhere from outside and knocked over the lanterns, blowing them out along with the candles, leaving the room almost completely dark with little to no visibility.

Even with the commotion he caused, the man didn't move a muscle and stood in place as he continued to terrorize the people in the tent.

The people began to murmur amongst each other in fear, holding their loved ones and children close at the threat that arrived in the middle of their service. Wordlessly, the man brought the rose from before back to his nose and lightly sniffed it nonchalantly.

But his indifference was terrifying the civilians, not knowing what he was about to do. In panic, the preacher clumsily grabbed a couple of matches and hastily lit up a candle to see who this visitor could be and why he was causing chaos for no reason.

But before anyone else could do anything, a chain of gasps could be heard from across the room as the eyes of the civilians darted around the room in horror. The walls, the ceiling, and every corner suddenly had text in the Eldian alphabet dripping down the walls, in blood.

This sparked people to start screaming and yelling in fear and terror at their safety, clutching the ones they cared about close to them.

The preacher's mouth was agape as he looked around and his eyes were wide, trailing back his eyes to the man across the room who had yet to speak up and stood there with nothing to say. And soon, by these series of events, people came to one conclusion.

"It's the devil!" One woman shrieked loudly, spurring on the panic amongst the others and people eventually began to scatter simultaneously as a group to the far side of the room, to the side where the preacher was, in hopes of getting as far as away as they possibly could.

They were fearing what this mysterious man could do to them if he got any closer, and that fear came true when the Eldian civilians saw he took one step forward.

They all screamed and yelled as they watched as he took yet another step while his hood slowly began to lift and his face would be revealed. The civilians didn't want to stick around to see that, so they all made a run for it and evaded him as best as they could, leaving the tent through where the man originally came in.

They thought he would try to stop them, but the man watched them all leave as they all ran right past him, including the preacher, and every other person left in that tent as he continued to hold onto that rose he had materialized before.

When the last person eventually ran out of the tent, there was only silence left as the man was the only one inside and with the visibility still low.

After a couple seconds of knowing he was finally alone, he turned back around and began to walk again towards the altar at the far end of the room, still not saying a single word. When he reaches it, he lays the rose down on the book of scripture that the preacher was reading from before.

After that, he finally put his hands on his hood, lifted it from his head, and his face was now on full display. He had dark onyx hair styled in an undercut with strands of bangs that fell on his face, but framed it nicely.

He had a sharp jawline and his dark hair was slightly shriveled as well. He's a man with sharp features; narrow and striking eyes that seem to be in a constant glare, while his eyes have a hypnotizing gunmetal gray color.

Once he had left behind the rose his eyes began to trail along the room and all the symbols around the tent that Eldians used to worship Ymir Fritz as their goddess.

Every day he learned something new about humans and the way that they express their admiration for deities and such, though he was never quite able to understand it as much as he'd want to. He had other matters that occupied his mind instead, so he didn't give it much thought.

As he turned back around to head for the exit of the tent, to go back where he came from, suddenly something grazed his cheek and lightly nicked it, followed by the item cluttering to the ground shortly after.

He froze in place and his eyes narrowed in irritation as he lifted his hand and gently touched his cheek where he was nicked. He did so, and when he lowered his hand he saw blood.

His pale skin glowed in the dark and contrasted against the red of the blood on his face. Quietly, his eyes darted down to the floor to see what had nicked his face and saw that it was a branch and the sharp end of it is what ended up cutting his cheek a bit.

The legend says that Ymir got her powers from making a deal with the devil, but the case for him was the exact opposite.

Not turning around yet to face whoever threw the branch at him, the man leaned down with eerie silence to grab the branch, seeing that the end of it had blood on it on the edge from nicking his cheek a couple seconds ago. He didn't have any reason to react too much over this, so he stayed silent.

He suddenly heard footsteps approaching the tent again, so the man stood back up again and noticed that there was a little girl standing there, looking at him blankly, and seemingly not afraid or scared by his presence at all. She must have been the one who threw the branch at him.

The footsteps got closer and eventually the preacher from before came rushing in, heading towards the girl. "My dear! What are you doing here?" The preacher asked urgently as he knelt behind the girl and put his hands on her shoulders.

Seeing this, the demon slowly began to make his way towards the preacher and the little girl. The man holding the girl kept clutching onto her, pulling her back as far away from the man coming closer, as his own panic rose in his entire body and fear consumed him, but despite that he wouldn't let the raven-haired man in front of him save the little girl in his hold.

"Stay away, you demon! Don't come any closer!" The preacher challenged, as he couldn't even hide the shaking in his voice that gave him away. But the man continued walking towards them, looking down at them on the ground.

Without paying any mind to the preacher and not even sparing a single glance at him, the demon knelt down in front of the little girl who was still showing no signs of fear and looked at him blankly but with a hint of curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

The man stayed silent for a couple seconds before he lifted his hand and held the branch out to the girl so that she could take it back. The girl was holding eye contact with him so securely as she looked at him curiously, so decided to reciprocate by holding eye contact with her as well, waiting for her to take it back.

It took a couple seconds but the little girl extended her hand and reached out to take the branch, but at the last second, the man moved it back before she could take it. He looked at her with no emotion for a moment before a smug smile lightly tugged at his lips and he proceeded to place the item securely in her hand that she had extended before.

After that, he stood back up without having spoken at all and walked around the preacher and the little girl, leaving them alone. He wasn't planning to hurt them or any of the other Eldians, there was just something that he needed to do.

As he walked towards the entrance, his expression went back to his default glare and the cut on his cheek vanished into thin air without him having to do anything else.

His face was back to how it was before and now that his job was officially done, he wordlessly lifted his hand, revealing the small tattoo of The Paths that adorned his wrist, and the roots that represent the connection all Subjects of Ymir shared stretch out like neurons until they reach the bottom of his hand. The man then snapped his fingers.

Once he did that, his tattoo glowed briefly before fire started to envelop his body from his feet up until his entire body was covered in flames. The fire followed him with every step he took until he at last walked out of the tent, and the flames dissipated on their own.

Once the fire was gone, he was no longer wearing his coat or hood, but was now wearing a crisp white button-up shirt, black slacks and dress shoes. His undercut was styled and a bit less disheveled than before, as he still had some strands falling over his face and his eyes. His appearance wasn't the only thing that changed.

The moment the fire dissipated and he had walked out of the tent, the snap of his fingers had changed the dead of night into a new day. The demon, Levi Ackerman, walked out briskly from the tent and continued on his way to continue his duties as a demon. It was his job and he'd fulfill it.

Though, midway, he stopped in his tracks briefly and turned his body around to face the tent he had just stepped out of.

He let his eyes dart around the structure for a few seconds before a smirk tugged at his lips and he turned back around to continue making his way out of the tent, away from the city, and on his way to find who would be his first victim to agree to a deal with him, leaving behind the terror he caused without batting an eye.

A couple of hours later, by the time Levi had found his first target, it had been well into the morning and he had steered away from the river and closer to this big lake where many refugees used to hope to find fish since this wasn't a location close to the sea.

Right now, so early in the morning, there wasn't anybody at the lake except for one person. One of the many heroes from The Battle of Heaven and Earth, a Marleyan who stuck by the Scouts and made sure that their mission was completed until the end.

Onyankopon was at the shores of the river with a net, frustratingly throwing his net back and forth to attempt to get fish for the other refugees.

He had been at this for hours, but every time that he brought the net back after throwing it and came back with nothing, it dwindled his motivation.

He and the people he fought alongside lost a lot along the way, and trying to keep it together for everyone else was becoming exhausting and tiresome.

Sure, he had piloted that plane and helped the Scouts to stop the Rumbling, but he wanted to make sure he made a difference as well to the aftermath and the rebuilding of society, even if it felt so much harder.

He wanted to feel useful, and try to help people get past the hardest part, Marleyans and Eldians alike, and also so people are able to see that Subjects of Ymir are good people that also deserve resources, help, and equal treatment like everybody else in the world that was recovering from the Rumbling.

This has been the situation for months, where he would only come back with fish if he got lucky, and it would only be a couple of them at most. It was never enough for everyone and this time was the most crucial to get people back on their feet, so his hope crashed every time the net came back with absolutely nothing in it.

Onyankopon would spend hours by the rivers fishing until he got enough for everyone, helping farmers in every crop site, and just trying to set a good example because, after all, hate was what led the world to the state that it is in now. He just wanted a little push, that's all.

This is exactly the type of person that Levi had been searching for, to make his wish come true and make a deal with him that would relieve his struggles for years to come, but on one condition.

Levi had arrived at the banks of the river to see Onyankopon dejectedly pull back his net, with nothing in them. The Marleyan hadn't noticed the presence of the man behind him, being too caught up in his own frustration to look anywhere else.

Levi briskly made his way over to Onyankopon. When he reached him, the demon cast a shadow over the Marleyan since he was towering over him and Onyankpon was kneeling on the ground.

Feeling a presence looming over him, the man on the ground looked up and squinted, putting a hand over his forehead to see clearly because of the bright morning sun.

Onyankopon saw the raven-haired man standing in front of him, very sharply dressed, and squinted his eyes to try to let his eyes adjust to the sun. But when he did, his mind felt like it short-circuited for a second as he felt like he'd seen him before, but he couldn't quite say from where.

He did look very familiar but whenever his mind tried to remember and recall, he couldn't come to a conclusion. Onyankopon wanted to vocalize his thoughts about having seen him before, but Levi beat him to it.

"Are you having trouble?" Levi asked, but also with a hint of another intent he had in mind, trying to pry at what this man's wish really was. After hearing this, Oyankokopon sighed and exhaled with dejection. Him having trouble was an understatement.

"Who isn't these days? Things since the Rumbling ended have been rough for everyone. Resources are scarce, not enough to go around, and progress is slow" Onyankopon replied as he turned back to his net and turned his head away from Levi, continuing to pull the net from the river bank until he gathered it again.

Levi heard this and hummed as he began to infer in his head what this man really wanted. He wanted stability and enough food for everyone as the world attempted to get back on its feet. And Levi could make that work.

"If you're interested, I can make your problem go away. If that's what you wish" Levi suddenly proposed, and Onyankopon couldn't help but scoff as he chuckled and he continued to pull his net from the water.

How should he react when someone he's never seen before suddenly says he can relieve the shortage of resources the world has suffered just like that? A part of him had hoped that a miracle like this came along, but it just seemed too good to be true.

"Look, thanks for the offer, and I don't know who you are but we've been at this for months and I can't see how you can make it go away. But, I appreciate it, so-" Onyankopon started, not believing that this man could just grant wishes.

Though, if he volunteered to help with jobs around the community, that'd be a different story. He couldn't even finish his sentence before Levi cut him off and clarified his initial words.

"Hey, you've been out in this lake for hours with no luck at all, but these waters are filled with fish. So, you want fish? Look over there" Levi mused as he raised his hand into the air, snapped his fingers with a blank expression as he let his powers do the work.

Watching with confusion at what the man in front of him did, Onyankopon looked at Levi quizzically before he turned his gaze out into the lengths of the lake. And suddenly, there they were.

Hundreds of fish were leaping in and out of the water in the distance, they were so close and yet so far away. It's exactly what Onyankopon had been hoping he'd find all this time.

"What the hell?" Onyankopon muttered to himself, trying to convince himself he wasn't seeing things. The amount of fish he was seeing looked like more than enough to feed the village he had been volunteering for. But then he remembered that the man behind him is the one that made that happen.

How did he do it? Who was this man? Onyankopon looked back at Levi and then scrambled to stand back up and on his feet, looking at the man in front of him with disbelief, noticing that he had a smug look on his face.

"What was that? How did you do that? What are you?" The Marleyan asked, as his mind was riddled with questions on what he just witnessed.

Levi looked at Onyankopon blankly with his narrow gray eyes, being willing to share what he is exactly and how he managed a feat like that.

"I'm a demon, I come from the underworld" Levi said simply, in complete seriousness. But the Marleyan man did start to feel like this is some sort of mirage or trick his mind was playing on him.

Onyankopon stayed silent, blinking a couple times before he burst out laughing. His hands fell to his knees, and then his entire body fell to the floor as he laughed so much that his lungs begged for air.

Levi looked at him with an eyebrow raised, not understanding what prompted the Marleyan to have that reaction.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Levi asked in his usual deep and low tone, deeply offended that his offer wasn't being taken seriously. But then again, someone coming up to you saying that they're a demon and have these extraordinary powers would seem crazy.

Onyankopon's laughter eventually died down as he stayed on the ground with both of his legs propped up as he leaned his arms on them.

"I haven't had a proper meal in so long, I have to be seeing things now" Onyankopon said to himself as he ran his hands along his head back and forth. But Levi wasn't done with his proposition, because he had to make this deal work.

He had to convince this man that his powers were real and that he could make his wish come true a lot easier than he thought.

Levi put his hands behind his back and snapped his fingers once again, without the Marleyan noticing. The demon continued to watch the reaction Onyankopon would have as his powers were taking effect once again.

The man turned his eyes back out into the river again, as his eyes caught something far away in the lake that was getting closer and closer.

Onyankopon stood back up and squinted his eyes as he tried to get a closer look at what was approaching. "What is that?" The man asked as he looked back between the lake and Levi, and the closer it got, the quicker Onyankopon was able to realize that it was in fact a large fish leaping in and out of the water and heading straight towards the two men.

And once he came to that realization, the Marleyan gasped and stood straight back up as he tried to brace himself that was getting closer and closer to the shore.

Levi took a couple steps back as he sensed that the fish would leap out at any moment now, giving Onyankopon space to catch it. And a couple moments later, a large freshwater bass suddenly leaped out of the water and high enough to land right in Onyankopon's arms as he fell back into the ground while the fish flopped in his arms.

He laughed in disbelief as what just happened started to settle in and he gripped the fish with glee and relief. This single fish could feel many families, and now, what Levi said before was replaying in Onyankopon's head.

"You were serious about this?" He laughed as he didn't waste another second to gather one of his spare nets and put the fish inside so he can store it inside until he has to go back to the refugee village.

Once it was secure, Onyankopon stood back up and now fully believed that this man was who he said he was. But before he could say anything, Levi pulled out a scroll from behind his back that he materialized into thin air and rolled it out in front of Onyankopon so that he could see all the conditions.

The man still had a bright smile on his face but then his eyes darted to the paper being presented to him and his face went back to confusion the moment that Levi spoke up again.

"This isn't for free. You have to make a deal with me first" Levi said, and Onyankopon's mind began to analyze what he was being told. As he thought, this would be too good to be true if it was free, so in a way he understood. But what kind of deal would this man want to make with him? What could he possibly gain?

"A deal? What kind of deal?" Onyankopon asked hesitantly as Levi held the paper out to him, holding it up. In a way, if he was able to never go hungry again and give the refugees around him all the resources they could possibly want, the progress to rebuild society would increase, people would know that they'd have a meal every night, that they have motivation to work hard every day, and he would be able to open opportunities and be the help he's been hoping to offer to all who were starting their lives all over again. But granting his wish would be this man's end of the deal, what would be his? What would he have to do to make all of this happen?

"The deal is that after you sign this, your wish will last for 10 years. You will never go hungry during that time, and neither will the people that you want to help" Levi explained as he watched Onyankopon's expression.

To the man, so far it sounded good to him. 10 years was more than enough time to get resources to as many people in the Marley continent and hopefully the rest of the world, with the help of the remaining Scouts. But once again, that didn't sound believable enough for that to be all there is to it so the Marleyan man continued listening to the proposition.

"Is that it? That can't be it. What will happen after 10 years have passed?" Onyankopon asked with hesitance, wanting to know this specific part of the deal before he decided if he would agree to this or not.

Though, his need to help the people Marley wronged and those most affected by the Rumbling seemed to precede anything else, and he had a feeling that he could find a way to convince himself to agree to it as long as his wish came true.

"Well, it's very simple. You'll die and you'll go to hell. But what you did with your wish once you die will not be undone" Levi said, and Onyankopon's eyes widened as he tried to process what this deal would really entail.

On one hand, he could have as many resources as he wanted not only for himself but for everyone around him, and his wish would help others see a better future, and to him, 10 years seemed very far away and that gave him so much time to make use of his wish as much as possible.

Would all of these factors be worth going to the underworld after everything? He keeps thinking about all the families who are struggling to have even a single meal a day, not having enough food to go around, the underlying hatred people had against each other, and the world being in shambles and disarray.

Maybe his wish could help remedy those things, to help people see each other as allies instead of enemies just because of where they come from or their status. All of that seemed worth it to Onyankopon the more he thought of it and thought over the possibilities.

And with that, he made his decision. "Alright, I'll do it. Hand it over" Onyankopon said with certainty as he extended his hand to receive the contract from Levi. And speaking of, upon hearing his decision, a smirk tugged at Levi's lips as he realized his deal was successful.

Levi handed over the contract and spoke up as Onyankopon's eyes darted around the page as he read over the conditions. "You're very brave. What's your name?" Levi asked and the Marleyan looked up at the raven-haired man before him.

It took him a couple seconds but smiled and responded; "Onyankopon" He said, and Levi nodded understandingly as he made sure to remember it, knowing he'd see him again in 10 years time.

After that, Levi raised his hand and a quill materialized into thin air and he held it out to the man who agreed on his deal. "So, should we make it official?" Levi said, watching as Onyankopon was looking at him in awe again from suddenly making that quill appear out of nowhere. Not even magicians he had seen in his day had been able to pull that off.

Before he changed his mind, Onyankopon reached out to grab the quill with his eyes still going over the contract, but he couldn't because he winced painfully when he suddenly felt a painful pinch on the tip of his finger.

When the brief pain dissipated, he quickly realized what had happened and the tip of his finger was bleeding. Levi had used the quill to draw blood. "What was that for? That hurt" Onyankopon exclaimed in irritation as to why the demon, as he called himself, nicked his finger and made him bleed.

Levi exhaled and rolled his eyes as he began to explain. "To complete a deal, you have to sign with your own blood. It's the rule," He said, taking the document briefly from Onyankopon's hand, writing down the name of the man in front of him in the contract with the quill he used to pinch his finger.

After that, Levi handed the contract back to Onyankopon, letting him do the final step and pressing his bleeding finger onto the document as a secure fingerprint. And after that, it was official.

Everything that Onyankopon had been working for and hoping for since the Rumbling ended, and even when he became a volunteer for Marley; to make the world a better place and help others and now, he'd have all the help he could ever need to make that happen.

He didn't even want to think about what his fate would be in 10 years, and he would focus on making a change now while he could.

As for Levi, Onyankopon had been the first deal he had ever made since he became a demon and it went as smoothly as he hoped. Humans are always driven by temptation and confusion, deceiving them into taking certain paths.

That was Levi's job, to tempt humans in ways only they understood, knowing how to get them to agree and wholeheartedly get on board.

The raven-haired man watched as the lake in front of them suddenly became riddled with fish and Onyankopon didn't waste another second to throw his net in and bring in to the shore as many as he could, all the while he let out grateful and gleeful laughs, trying to gather all the fish he could. He couldn't wait to take these back to the refugee villages.

After waiting for the first net to fill up, Onyankopon pulled on the rope to get it out of the water, and when he did and saw it filled with fish flopping inside to the brim he simply couldn't contain his excitement.

He started celebrating and put his fists up in the air as he began to move around to gather another one of his empty nets. He was so overwhelmed with happiness that he couldn't believe that this was happening to him. The man truly couldn't believe it. There weren't just fish in the nets, but all sorts of freshwater creatures he could take back with him.

Before finally departing, Levi put a hand on Onyankopon's back, catching his attention. The Marleyan stopped celebrating briefly and turned his head to look at Levi, who had a satisfied look on his face since he was able to complete a deal.

"See you in 10 years," Levi said simply, turning around and leaving the lake and walking farther and farther away from a happy and elated Onyankopon behind him, ready to take advantage of his wish.

Now, he would continue on his duty and find his next victim to make a deal with. As he walked away, Levi rolled up Onyankopon's contract into a scroll again and then threw it up in the air, only for the scroll to evaporate in flames.

He always knew that external forces in people's lives can lead their lives astray, but ultimately, it's human nature and desire that have lead society to be the way it is, full of hatred and greed, the root of all evil.

-

- PRESENT DAY -

Soft classical music played in the background as executives, CEO's, and all sorts of guests of high status were all gathered in this ballroom, speaking amongst each other while they all waited to see who would receive the award among all the nominees present at the Paradis CEO Awards. There were various chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and in the center of the room there was an ice sculpture, along with vases of flowers in every corner.

At the back of the room, there was a table set up with free drinks such as glasses with red wine, champagne, cocktails, and even cheese platters that are available for all attendees to take from. It was a fairly elegant party and the chatter from guests could be heard from every corner. These were all people trying to make connections, to grow their reputation, gain respect, and leave good impressions. The award was what everyone strived for to raise their status and professional career even more. It was a high honor.

As people awaited the results, there were people who were still making their way inside the event and arriving just in time for the awards to be handed out. Including you. You had arrived a couple minutes ago to the venue and were now walking across the lobby that led to the ballroom.

You were dressed according to the occasion, and you radiated poise and grace with every step you took, drawing eyes on you as you ran your hand through your hair. To the award ceremony you decided to wear a floor-length strapless black dress with a single black leather belt with double hoops to accentuate your figure. The top of the dress was a corset style and the bottom of the dress flowed with every movement you took.

You were also wearing a simple black blazer on top with the single button on it closing the jacket. The heels you were wearing were also black, so that they matched with the rest of your outfit. Your makeup was also minimal, keeping it very professional, but it also tied in your entire appearance.

When you finally walked inside the room and let your eyes glaze over the set up for the awards, you sighed and saw that there was a drinks table that looked like it didn't have many people nearby, except for those who wanted to grab their drinks and leave. You smiled to yourself in relief and made your way there. You weren't exactly in the mood to talk to people today, even more so when you're in a room filled with snobby and entitled people who only care about status and the power their business gives them.

As you reached the table and stationed yourself next to it, trying to avoid as many people as you could and keeping to yourself, your eyes darted over to the drinks on the table. You decided to grab one after a couple seconds of debating it, but when you held onto the glass, your hopes for trying to be undisturbed were ruined when you were interrupted when you heard a guy approach you as he kept his eyes glued on his phone.

"Anything without caffeine, please" He said in a bored and monotone voice, still not looking up at you. You turned your head and looked at him, confused as to what he was talking about. You looked behind you, not being too sure if he was talking to you or someone else. 

When he did reach you, he lifted his eyes from his phone to look at you and then down at the drink you were holding. He must've thought it was for him because he was looking at it, and he was waiting for you to hand it to him, so you did. He must be thinking you were working at the event. Maybe standing by the drinks table wasn't as great of an idea as you thought.

You handed him the drink you had taken for yourself and pursed your lips awkwardly, looking away, and trying to end this interaction as politely as you could. You didn't feel like talking if you were being honest, just wanting to get through the event. Though, it didn't end there.

The guy did a double take when he got a good look at you and continued looking even after you had turned away and handed him the drink. "Are you a part-timer?" He asked, but you weren't paying any mind to him anymore, but rather to everyone else. Your eyes darted around the room to the guests and you felt pride coming in as you noticed that your products were being used by many of the guests here.

Your hard work paid off after all. Shoe products, clothing items, you name it, you could recognize it among the crowd. You have worked hard to market and come up with those products and they seem to be doing well. You simply continued to try and drown out the sounds of people around you. The guy from before continued to ask questions, but you hoped you could get through this without talking to anyone unless you had to.

"Do you trade stocks? I mean, who wouldn't?" He chuckled and continued to try and make conversation as he held the glass of wine in his hands, twirling the liquid around in his glass lightly. When awkward silence followed his attempt at small talk, the guy nervously cleared his throat and decided to take another approach.

He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a small business card. "I'm Porco. If you're in stocks, I bet you've heard of my company. Galliard Investments" He continued, and you turned your head back to look at him to see he was handing you his business card with his number and contact information. You slightly raised an eyebrow at this. What was he trying to do?

You looked down at it, beginning to turn your body to fully face him. As he continued to talk about his company, and you silently you looked back and forth between him and his card a couple times before giving in and taking his business card from him, looking at it briefly before turning back around.

You continued to listen to him talk, inhaling and exhaling deeply to yourself. You just wanted to get this over with already. "There are hundreds of people in line who would love to hear my advice, luckily for you, I'd be willing to let you cut in line" He said and you almost rolled your eyes, but it truly took everything in you to keep your composure as he continued to talk

So, he's yet another cocky businessman. Shocker. You closed your eyes for a second and exhaled, keeping your composure  as you turned your head back to look at him with the most neutral expression you could show.

"And why would you do that?" You inquired finally breaking your silence after trying to keep to yourself, and Porco shrugged carelessly and a smug look came upon his face. "You're probably not making a lot of money right now. Chump change, if you will. Struggling with rent and bills can be hard, and it will take a toll on a beautiful face like yours" He smirked, and you purse your lips as you nodded slowly, trying your best to keep your face blank and you tried not to laugh or let your face betray you.

"It would truly break my heart," He continued, and you inhaled sharply as you looked away for a moment. But he didn't stop there. "Can I buy you a drink after this? I'd love to have your number" He mused as held out his phone to you as you gave him a half-smile, looking down at his phone for a second and then back up at him. And just as you felt like you couldn't contain your emotions inside any longer, a voice suddenly was heard from the speakers and you turned your head to the stage, smiling in relief.

"We will now announce the CEO of the year for the Fashion and Beauty Industry. When the winner is announced, please step onstage to receive your award" The host at the stage announced, and with a smug smile threatening to slip through your lips, while still holding onto Porco's business card, you quietly grabbed his phone and a smirk tugged at your lips as you entered your number in his phone as he waited.

As you gave him back his phone and the arrogant look on his face still hadn't gone away, you gave him a sickly-sweet smile and spoke up again. "For any investment inquiries, please call my secretary" You said, and he went from having a cocky look on his face to a much more lost and confused one. You exhaled deeply as you began to button your blazer and hand it off to someone else, leaving you in your floor-length dress.

"And a little piece of advice," You started as he looked at you, puzzled, with his hand still extended out as he grasped his phone and was now frozen in place not knowing how to process what you were saying to him.

"That 'chump change' from your measly salary you struggle to use to cover all those drinks, rent, and bills will really take a toll on that hair. It would truly break my heart" You said in that same sickly-sweet voice from before and finished taking off your blazer, handing it off to someone next to you.

Porco froze and his mouth dropped open as he and everyone else in the room took notice of the winner. As you looked forward again, a smirk tugged at your lips and you began to walk towards the stage, with all eyes on you as you prepared to receive your award. As you stepped into the spotlight, claps from every side of the room reached your ears, hearing praise and respect from other executives and CEOs that were there.

The moment you had left the drinks table, Porco was still there frozen in place, phone dangling in his hand, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. What just happened? Who are you? How didn't he make the connection? He was having all of these questions nagging at him, until he felt a hand on his shoulder and he was knocked out of his thoughts.

Porco turned his head to see one of his closest associates, Pieck Finger, standing next to him with a look on her face that indicated that she was trying not to burst out laughing at what she just witnessed her friend go through. She took a sip from her wine and then twirled her drink in her glass and she laughed. "Wow, Porco. I knew you were ambitious but this is just another level for you" She smirked as she ran a hand back through her hair.

"Were you really hitting on her? She's one of Eldia Group's biggest executive" Pieck said and the color on Porco's face drained from his face completely after finding out who you were. Now he felt like an idiot saying all of that to you before. Galliard looked back towards you, heading towards the stage to claim your award as cameras flashed at you from every angle.

Porco felt himself wanting to disappear even more when he heard the announcer put the final nail on the coffin. "Eldia Fashion and Beauty has received the highest rank for the last three years in a row. Congratulations, Ms. Y/n L/n!" The host said, just as you had gotten up on stage and stood in front of the microphone. At the words of the host, Porco's wine slipped from his hand causing  the glass to fall and shatter to the ground.

As you stood alone up on stage, the clapping died down, the lights shone down on you and cameras flashed, awaiting your speech. You exhaled softly and gave the most professional smile you could muster and began to speak, reminding yourself to keep it as brief and concise as you could.

"Hello to all the executives, CEO's, business men and women in this room present for such a special event. I'm Y/n L/n," You started, keeping your beaming smile, prompting even more applause from the audience as your eyes darted across everyone in the room. All of your efforts and hard work were worth it, and this award proved exactly that. Right now, you were exactly where you were meant to be, you wouldn't give it up for anything.

-

Hi! This is my first time writing a Levi Ackerman fanfic, at last after 3 years of watching AOT :,) Ive read so many fanfics and look up to so many authors that Im so happy that Im finally doing this!

Since this is a trial run chapter, I already made the decision that I wanted to do pre-writes for this book and then do weekly updates after that. So, the next time I update this book, it will be on the day i'll update from then on for weekly updates! I'll decide later which day but I'll let you guys know! I really hoped you guys enjoyed this one because I have so many ideas already for how I want this to go.

Okay I love you all so much! :,) Hope you guys enjoyed it and see you in the next one!

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