The Unexpected Deal:

The morning's light began to creep over the mountains in the distance and the roster crowed at the signal the sun gave off. Aqua awoke not feeling the cold sting of fall after the unexpected warm night. She turned to notice Maximus was still laying against the wall and immediately turned away, her thoughts dwelt on him and events that lead to last night.

"Who would have ever thought a Goddess such as I would fall for someone with actual demon blood in their veins. With Megumin being a member of the Crimson Demon Clan, she is not like him, his aura is a lot more potent than hers. Plus, her powers do not seem as sinister as his was last night. I do remember sensing a little bit of it when he fought the Manticore, but I was not fully aware of it like yesterday when he was fighting the Black Fang." She said to herself.

She continued to lay there and move to the fetal position feeling a little confused. She had the feelings of being ashamed of herself conflicting with her fondness to him.

"I mean, he has stuck with me since the beginning and even looked out for me. Even after I broke the rules of interfering with another world's populace within the Cosmos and brought him here, he still watched over me." She stopped for a moment and smiled a little before continuing her thought. "Stay by my side and I will look after you." She said while mimicking his voice.

She giggled a little and began to feel a little better about the whole ordeal between the two.

"Maybe it's not so bad as I am making it out to be." She paused for a moment. "Wait no, I'm a Goddess, I shouldn't be falling for someone who has Demonic heritage. Demons, that are like him, are the natural born enemies of all the Gods. This kind of affection for someone like him is frowned upon. And yet, I cannot help myself. Is this what they call 'love'?" She wondered further.

After a few moments she noticed he had not woken up from the roster's crow and turned around to see him still in the same position as last night.

"Maybe he is more tired after the fight than I thought." She suggested to herself.

She began to move towards him and knelt down beside him. Her face was carrying a slight grin and she tapped his shoulder.

"Come on, get up, it's morning already and we need to,"

Before she could go on his lifeless body fell to the ground. His body's condition was beginning to register. The skin on his face had slightly paled into a blue color and his eyes were shut. He did not respond at all when his body hit the floor.

"Maximus," She began to feel terror seeing no response from him at all. Her eyes filled with a panicked expression and she could not move for a moment. "Maximus, come on, stop playing around. This isn't funny, wake up!" She giggled and soon began to shout.

Her hand touched the skin on his face and she felt the cold sting of a body that would be dead.

"No, no, no, Maximus, you have to get up. Please get up, say something if you are there!" She began to cry as her feelings for him were brought back to life. "What do I do? Maximus please do not be dead, please do not leave me alone in this cruel world! You said you would be there for me so long as I stand by your side! So, you have to get up, you have to!" Her cries echoed through the stables more profoundly.

Kazuma awoke from her crying and darted to their stall. "What is the big deal here, why are you," He stopped to notice Maximus' lifeless body on the ground before her. "Is he,"

"Don't you dare say it, he can't be, he must be still alive, I know it!" She snapped at him.

Kazuma walked up and pressed his fingers against Maximus' neck to check his pulse. After a few seconds, he removed his fingers and pressed again. After several times of checking his neck and lifted his arm up and dropped it he knew the results.

"Oh my God, he is dead!" He shouted.

Aqua began crying more and he turned to her.

"Hey, don't you know any spells that can help him?" He inquired and noticed she was too wrapped up crying. "Here, I've got an idea." He said and she stopped for a moment with a tearful face.

Kazuma moved Maximus' body away from the wall and began to inform her about a technique he knew in his world that could save him.

"If you want to bring him back to life, take one hand and put it on his chest and the other, grasping your fingers, and push down on him as hard as you can. After doing this for about twelve times, move to breathe into his mouth as you plug his nose, then repeat again until he wakes up." He instructed her and showed her how to have her hands on him.

"Why won't you do this with me?" She asked.

"Are you insane, I'm not kissing him." He shot back. "Besides, you're a Goddess, with your strength; you'll probably have a better time than I."

Aqua quickly placed her hands over his chest and began to resuscitate Maximus. After performing the process Kazuma instructed several times, she noticed nothing was happening.

"What's wrong, why won't he wake up?!" She asked with panic in her voice.

"I think he's not coming back at all; he might be too far gone." Kazuma said feeling sorry for Aqua.

"No, he's coming back, just you watch he will return to me!" She protested in anger.

She moved to breathe air into his mouth but soon found herself kissing his lips with her tears flowing down to his face.

"Please wake up." She desperately said to herself.

Meanwhile, in the Heavenly Realm, Maximus was sitting on a chair in a familiar spot.

"What the, how did I get here?" He wondered to himself after seeing the same chair Aqua had sat on when he first met her. "No, no, no, this is a dream." He stood up to look around. "That is what this is, nothing more than just a plain good old fashion dream about the afterlife. My subconscious thoughts come to life to show me the splendors of relief." He stopped and noticed he was not waking up. "Okay, you can wake up now."

"Welcome to the afterlife." A familiar voice called out to him.

He turned around and saw Eris standing before the larger chair.

"Oh no, it's real." He said with disappointment and sighed as frustration began to mount.

"I guess there is no reason to inform you about your untimely death." She said sitting down on the chair.

"No, this is still a dream and I did not die." He protested.

Eris kept her gaze upon him for a moment as he turned around folding his arms.

"I am sorry, but you did pass away some time ago during the night." She informed him.

"But how, surely there is an explanation for this? I was the picture of," He paused as a Deja vu moment sprung into his mind. "No, this is way too much for me right now, not to mention I did not feel any cold hand upon me at all." He finished his thought feeling confused.

"Well to put it bluntly, she's the reason why you died." She said to him.

"What do you mean by that?" He turned around to face her.

"Well, since she still carries her Goddess Aura, it was killing you slowly ever since you arrived. The one night I showed up was to help heal you." She briefly explained.

"No way," He paused as his thought ran through his mind. "That makes so much sense as to why I always awoke feeling so sore. It was not a rage like I thought, it was just my demonic side reacting to both of them, more so Aqua. What a funny twist in this story I am living in. To be falling for someone who is, literally, killing me little by little each night. I wonder if my Angelic Aura kept it at bay and possibly healed me a little, but not enough. Knowing that, should I even return to her knowing I could die again or do I leave her behind with the others, who are the worst companions to have in a party." He painfully suggested the two choices likely to be offered to him.

Eris was surprise to hear him beginning to cry. "Is he really crying about this?" She said to herself.

After a few minutes he wiped away the tears from his eyes after thinking it thoroughly.

"I don't care if that is the case." Maximus said to himself and had a serious look in his eyes. "You have to send me back, right now." He calmly said hunched over.

"I would if I could, but I unfortunately cannot and that is because we have rules here that we must abide by." She said feeling a little sorry for him. "By the way, I can bend the rules and send you back to the moment after Aqua took you from your world, but nothing else I am afraid." She informed him.

"Your offer is quite generous and I will admit I wanted to return home from the start," He paused for a moment. "However, that has changed over the short time I was there."

"What do you mean by that and are you really giving up going back to your home world to return to this one?" She inquired feeling surprised.

"Sometime after arriving upon that world, with her by my side, my plans had changed. I told her to stay by my side and I would look after her. At first it was meant to help her get back to her home, but as I said before; things changed. Plus, I believe she has feelings for me now, feelings that up until meeting me I would dare bet, she had never experienced before. Considering she used to do nothing but ferry souls to and fro between various worlds while sitting here, she has never done anything nor experienced the joys and sorrows of being in the Mortal Realm. Especially with someone she cares for." He explained.

"I can see his point; she has seemed to fall into deeper feelings towards him recently." She said to herself. "But a Goddess shouldn't fall for a mortal, even one with demon blood flowing through their veins like you." She protested the idea.

"I do seem to recall you falling for me just by my character alone. Besides, stories from various worlds always have a few of them about forbidden love, why should this one be any different." He shot back.

"So, you wish to not return to your world? What about the Demon Lords there you were fighting against, surely you would want to defeat them in order to protect it, yes?" She inquired to change the subject.

"I do not need to worry too much about the troubles of my world. Besides, there are a few people there who are more than capable of doing the job. One of them I was unable to defeat in my Angelic Form. He was like me as well, a descendant of the Nephilim. During our little skirmish, he never once transformed in our fight; nor did he flinch when I threw the strongest attack at him. It was as if I was a fly, landing on him, the immovable object." He explained before carrying on. "All I care about now is returning to Aqua's side and nothing more."

"You are serious about this; you would forsake your family and friends upon your world just to go back to her?" She inquired further.

"Yes." He quickly answered.

"I understand your strong feelings for her, but I cannot return you to that world." She said feeling terrible for saying it.

"Surely there is something you can do for me, I do not care what it is, but one way or another; I am going to return to her." He proclaimed.

"I am pretty confident she can move on without you and maybe Kazuma can look after her along with Darkness and Megumin." She said in a cheerful manner that fell on his deaf ears.

"Do you honestly believe he is even remotely capable and has the strength of character to want to look after her?" He inquired.

She was speechless and was a little ashamed to suggest the idea. Maximus began to walk up to her.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I would dare go as far as to say you want to keep me from her. Are you jealous of her because it sure almost seems like you are?" He inquired and she began to feel a little embarrassed. "It all makes sense now, back when we three were together, I couldn't help but noticed the way you were acting towards her. How you always shot a playful, yet competitive glance her way. Why are you so jealous of her anyway?" He inquired.

"Because the strength of her followers faith in her, despite being dwarfed by my followers numbers, she is still in a higher position than I." She briefly explained.

"And here I thought Deities don't get wrapped up in such things. But after a few discussions about Kazuma's world, and the little knowledge about several Deities being worshiped there, I guess it really does happen once in a while." He said turning around to sit back down on his chair. "It makes no difference either way, I'm going to return to her and I don't care who is in my way, nor care about how long I have to sit here or travel across this void, I will go back." He informed her.

"I am sorry, but as the Goddess who watches over the people of this world, I'm afraid you can't go back no matter what. If you do go against the system, you go against the very forces of Heaven itself." She explained.

"Then so be it." Maximus stood up and walked back to her once more. He held out his left hand with his palm open facing her. "I am sorry about this; the truth is I would have rather avoided this decision." He said.

"You wouldn't attack a Goddess such as I, your bluffing." She said to call him out sensing his hostile intent.

The next moment the palm of his hand was engulfed with a crimson light. Eris was shocked to see him beginning to employ an attack on her. Soon after two Angels appeared at his side, both of them had drawn their swords. One was next to his neck and the other aiming for his heart.

"You would dare attack a Goddess of Heaven?" One of the Angels said who was the same one that took over Aqua's post.

"I don't care who it is, even if I have to face the highest level of your Gods, I will go back to her. I wonder though, will you two even be enough to take on a Human Nephilim. You are just Angels, where I have the gifts of an Angel and a Demon. Do you think the two of you can win against me?" He asked them.

"It matters not, for dying in the service of the Gods is the highest of honors as well as serving them." The Angel responded to him.

"Such small thinkers you have under your employ." He paused for a moment as he began to feel Aqua's lips on his. "Is she trying to bring me back herself?" He wondered and soon felt the tears fall on his face. "No way, she really is trying to." He said as he moved his right hand on the top of his lips and heard her cry out to him. He looked back at Eris' eyes. "Well, what's your verdict for all of this, are you going to let me return or are we all going to die here?" He inquired.

"You do realize if the two of you should continue a life together, she will never be able to come back here. If she is willing to give up being a Goddess just to be with you, she will suffer in the long run. Because she will more than likely live on forever while you die old and you will never see each other again." Eris informed him.

"Fun fact about those of us like me and that is once a Human Nephilim's power has been activated, we can live for an extremely long time. Some might even suggest we would have eternal youth. At least it is a good theory for the long-life span some of us in my history have endured." He continued to keep his eyes locked onto her.

The four of them stayed there waiting for the other to make a move. The Angels eyed him closely, waiting for him to make another move to harm Eris. The crimson light still emanated from his hand and Eris tried to stand her ground on the decision she informed him about. After several moments passed, she closed her eyes, seeing no choice but to choose an option she did not want him to go on.

"Alright, there's no need to continue this. That being said, should I continue with this, a price must be paid in order to allow this to happen." She informed him.

Maximus began to lower his hand and the light dimmed away as he backed off from her. The two Angels at his side lowered their swords and waited by Eris' side.

"Whatever you wish I will pay it forward." He said with a serious look in his eyes.

"Very well then," She said and raised her hands. "Just so you know I do not make the rules and Heaven will choose at random what it will desire as payment." She finished.

The moment after a circle appeared beneath him and he noticed it was shining a different color than before. It first went red for a few seconds and he soon felt something being taken away from him. The sharp pains within his body pierced every fiber of his being and he felt as though it was daggers pressing into him. He grunted in pain trying to hide his discomfort to no avail and screamed loudly in pain. After it was over, he stood there feeling the exhausting sting of fatigue over him.

"Fare thee well Maximus, I am terribly sorry this had to happen and would have preferred it if you went back to your home world instead of this. When we meet again, I pray you do not hold a grudge against me for this." She said feeling sad for what he had to endure to leave and go back to be by Aqua's side.

Meanwhile back in the stables, Aqua knelt at his side, burying her face upon his chest, slamming her fist upon him. "No, why won't you come back to me. I promise I will be a better party member from now on. Please Maximus, will you please wake up and come back to me!" Aqua continued to cry.

"Poor Aqua, she really has fallen for him and who wouldn't blame her since they had been growing close to each other for the last couple of months." Kazuma said to himself and stood up. "Well, we better take him to the city and begin the funeral process for the guy." He said to her.

The moment before she could protest, Maximus' skin on his body changed back to normal and the next moment he awoke taking a deep breath. Life instantly returned to him and he sat up with all haste. His breathing began to quicken and soon felt his chest in pain. He took hold of it and began to take in his surroundings.

"Where am I and why does my chest hurt something fierce as though someone was pressing on it too hard?" He wondered to himself.

The next moment Aqua latched onto him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and she began to cry with tears of joy.

"Maximus, you're alive, thank goodness you came back to me." She said with a cheerful tone after being worried she would have to continue her journey without him.

"Uh, Miss, you can let go now." He said feeling confused.

"Oh man, that was a close one. I almost thought we were going to continue this life of ours without you. I honestly don't even want to think about that at all." Kazuma said feeling relieved after seeing him come back to life.

"Maximus, don't you dare do that to me again, understand." Aqua instructed him with her tears still flowing out of her.

Maximus felt even more confused and she soon noticed he was not acting like his usual caring self towards her. The feeling of his welcoming embrace was replaced with one as though a stranger was looking at them. He looked back at Kazuma once more and turned back to Aqua who was still latched onto him.

"Who are you?" He inquired wondering who they were to him.