Heavenly Opposers-Chapter 340 - 339-Deals And Surprises.

The force was a control that came around Azrail. The next moment, he felt his senses return; he was back within the floating world of danger.

’The illusion almost broke me.’

Azrail thought. The immense pain had almost broken his mind to the point of dreaming up a scenario where he escaped from the torture itself. The bond hadn’t happened at all. He had just gone through an illusion, seeing that he had. It only showed how close he was to breaking apart.

"Not bad. You survived it all. It’s been some time since I’ve seen a story worth watching."

Azrail took those words in. While reigning in the situation, he replied.

"Glad to see I can be some fun."

Azrail’s words were sarcastic, but Hephaestus didn’t mind at all as he replied.

"I won’t make any kind of promise, but I can give you my word on my name that everything will just flow between us."

’That’s the best I will get.’

Azrail understood. That was his end goal anyway. He didn’t mind. The word on Hephathus’s name was basically the next best thing. A promise on a name, if broken, would also have consequences, but not the most severe. So Azrail knew this was the best he would get from Hephathus. He was content.

"Deal. Then let’s have a more serious talk. Floating and talking like this is a pain."

As the words ended, Azrail soon found himself seated on a chair. Facing him, hidden away in fog, was Hephathus. All around, it looked more like a simple, well-designed room. As Azrail focused back on the issue, he spoke.

"With my involvement in all this, I just want a crumb. Of a crumb. Of a crumb. Something that will be absolutely useless to all of you but might be useful for me."

"Hmmm... depends on what more you are willing to show about yourself."

The reply from Hephaestus was filled with unending curiosity and desire to see the story Azrail would set up. What he did was more of a risk. Having the curiosity of a god-level being like Hephaestus is never fully safe. If he played it wrong, the small torture Azrail went through would look like a kid’s game compared to what would come next.

"You want a piece of something that was planned millions of years ago. Even something that can come out to 0.0000001% of the profit and rewards from the plan will be extremely desirable anywhere in the cosmos."

"A smaller price to pay when compared to how much more resources you will all have to burn if I ever let what I know fully out."

That gave Hephaestus a moment to think. Almost every member involved was doing this for revenge, but that didn’t mean any of them were idiots who would let go of the profit they would receive from their plan. Thus, Hephaestus took a moment. After which he asked.

"What’s it that you need?"

"Before I say that, you still haven’t given me your word."

Azrail’s reply got an annoyed grunt.

"Tsk... you caught on."

With that reply, a moment after, Azrail felt a twinge of central focus around him. He could feel this kind of focus even affecting his body in the real world. As the focus crushed around, like some kind of universal promise that was twirling around him, Hephaestus spoke.

"I make a promise in the name of my divine. In the divine worth of the hammer I wield. In the name of which the heavens granted me as a title, one that I bear with pride. I hereby give DeathMark my word that whatever it is that we plan shall only, for the end of time and of all times, ever lie between us."

As those words faded out, it felt like a certain power was engraved deep into Azrail. As if he could feel a sweet promise swirling around him. A promise which he would know if ever broken. And this was the best that Azrail could ever get. Thus, a moment later, Azrail spoke.

"I want to be there when the fall takes place. Protected under you. And all I ask is just to get to bathe in the grace of the fall."

"..."

The silence fell between them after that. Seemingly as if the breath in the room disappeared. Though that didn’t stay for long, as Hephaestus replied.

"That can be done. But the grace from the fall of a Goddess? You sure are extremely greedy for a rat that just came in."

Azrail didn’t reply to it. He just took in those words and shot back with a shrug.

"I need at least this level of greed if I ever want to reach the top of the cosmos."

"I agree with that."

To which Hephathus, after a moment of thought, replied.

"So the overall price to keep you shut and help delve into the plan we have is quite the low price to pay. But the problem still lies on our side. Give me a guarantee."

Azrail expected this. After which, a moment of thought. Deeper from within his soul space, something shook. Some kind of connection seemed to twirl around. As if the very aspect of existence was shaking. Soon, for a single moment, a sword of judgment that seemed to shine deeper than any kind of shine the cosmos has ever seen formed.

Though the sword itself disappeared after a moment.

’Urgh... that was hard.’

Taking in the feeling of pain surrounding him, Azrail felt the stunning silence in the room. What Azrail had pulled out was a single sword that was from within the confines of the connection that Torex had given him. Swords forged from worlds. From the very depths of power. And to a creator like Hephathus, to someone so cold, just the shine of the sword was more than enough to prove what kind of power that was.

"You..." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

That was all that was the reply from Hephathus.

"I am sure that proves a sense of reliance from both our sides."

"Impossible."

Is all Hephaestus replied. Even for this guy, it was taking a moment for him to digest it. And before Azrail could react, a sense of pressure filled him up. Though that pressure was filled with a sense of extreme desire and power. It was as if Azrail was rooted in place, unable to move away, while the sheer desire of desires kept leaking out.

"Give me the method your kind uses to create swords, and I shall give you my whole share of Hera’s fall and even more."

Azrail was stunned for a moment. A feeling of loss filled his heart at that moment. Heck, if he knew, he would have told it with no issue. Just the first part of Azrail’s reward was enough to tempt him, not to mention the ’more’ added to it.

’Urgh... so much profit.’

Holding back the pain, Azrail kept the mysterious thing at play as he shook his head.

"That is not something I can speak of. It is bound to my bloodline. You should know. Something like that is not anything people outside my legacy can use."

Your original had a lot of repetitive typos and run-on sentences that broke the rhythm of what is clearly meant to be tense, high-stakes dialogue. I tightened the phrasing for clarity and flow while keeping the exact beats, Azrail’s cocky sarcasm, and the power dynamic intact. No added content, no deleted ideas, word count stays very close.