Chapter 218

[…As per Gehenna’s Forbidden Pact Code, I am not permitted to speak of another’s contract.]

It wasn’t a confirmation, but it wasn’t a denial either—an intentionally ambiguous reply.

But Christian understood immediately.

His suspicion had been correct.

“No way…”

Christian's face froze in disbelief.

As he had once explained before, Gehenna is divided into seven tiers, or “Circles.”

The Seventh Circle is a prison for those who have fallen from grace, beings who lost their original standing.

The Fifth and Sixth Circles are home to the common noble-class devils.

The Third and Fourth Circles are where the devils of Great Rank reside.

Especially the Third Circle devils, known as Archdevils, represent the concept of the Seven Deadly Sins themselves.

And the First and Second Circles are beings akin to the very laws that govern the universe.

That is to say—

The devils of the Third Circle are the highest-ranking devils who exist in any tangible form.

[No matter how exceptional you are, this time… it’s beyond you.]

Christian couldn’t speak.

If Yulian truly had a being of the Third Circle behind her, there would be nothing a mortal like Christian could do.

“What should I do…?”

But even so, retreating wasn’t an option.

If he didn’t stop Yulian here and now, the Venomous Demonic House would be bathed in unimaginable bloodshed.

“I have to think of a way.”

But even with all his talents and memories from a previous life, going up against a Third Circle devil was an impossibility.

“Damn it… How did Yulian manage to form a contract with something from the Third Circle?”

Typically, when a human enters a contract with a devil, they align with devils from the Fifth or Sixth Circles—the mid-rank nobility of Gehenna.

Even managing to contract with a Fourth Circle devil was exceedingly rare.

But the Third Circle?

“No matter how deep Yulian’s hatred ran, why would a devil of that caliber even be interested?”

And then—suddenly, a flash of realization struck Christian.

Something Marquis Langham had said.

“The Demon King of Azure Flow orchestrated the contract with the devil.”

“That’s it. The Demon King of Azure Flow intervened—that’s how Yulian was able to contract with such a high-tier devil!”

Just then, Mefina’s voice rang out again, sharp and grim:

[Do not entertain any foolish thoughts. If you step foot in there, you will become something that can neither die nor live—forever a toy for a supreme being.]

It was a horrifying warning.

But Christian didn’t flinch.

Step.

He took a step toward the spire.

[You fool!]

Mefina raised her voice.

[Are you seriously going to rush into this recklessly? Even you—!]

“It’s not reckless bravado.”

Christian took another step forward.

One foot crossed the threshold of the tower’s entrance.

At that moment—

Whoooom.

A wave of horrific pressure surged toward him.

His instincts screamed at him to stop.

To go any farther meant to face utter destruction.

What lay ahead was something beyond comprehension, beyond salvation.

And yet—Christian didn’t stop.

Christian didn’t stop walking.

“This isn’t reckless bravado.”

Yes—

There was a way.

A single method that only he could carry out.

“It’s possible.”

Christian stepped fully into the spire—and in that instant, his surroundings transformed.

It was a realm of darkness, overrun with grotesque Devilblooms in full bloom.

At the top of a straight staircase ahead stood Yulian.

Impaled through the chest by a massive iron spike, her limp body hung from the twisted branches of a soul-devouring Devilbloom…

She was the sacrificial offering, offered to a devil.

* * *

Christian bit his lip hard.

“So she really did offer herself as a sacrifice…”

Summon Hell was a 9-star Forbidden Ritual.

Even if the Demon King of Azure Flow had interfered to enable its invocation, the ritual still demanded a price—and Yulian had offered her very soul.

“Is she still alive…?”

It seemed so.

A faint, broken groan escaped her lips.

But she was barely clinging to life.

A massive spike had run straight through her heart.

And yet she hadn’t died. There was only one reason for that:

“She’s under a curse of Undeath—to keep her alive, so that she can suffer more.”

Devils do not simply end the lives of their offerings.

No—

They torment them, leaving them in a state neither dead nor alive, forced to endure eternal agony.

“I have to save Yulian.”

She was the sacrifice fueling the spell.

If the sacrifice was released, Summon Hell would collapse.

“The problem is… there’s no way the Third Circle devil is just going to sit back and let me do that.”

Sure enough—

Rustle…

The Devilblooms began slithering toward him.

Horrific, seductive flowers—monsters that preyed on humans by luring them in with beauty, only to devour their souls.

“Back off!!”

Fwoosh!

Christian swung his blade, slicing through every last one of them.

And just then, a voice echoed through the space.

[Oh dear… those were my precious darlings. Couldn’t you have treated them a little more gently?]

“!!”

Christian’s eyes darted toward the voice.

A being was now standing before him.

He sucked in a breath.

A figure in a faceless mask.

The mask was jet black—so dark it seemed to house a bottomless abyss.

Just looking at it made his soul feel like it was plummeting into an endless void.

Christian instinctively erected a mental barrier around his psyche.

“Could it be…?”

The being tilted its head slightly, as if to confirm that Christian’s guess was correct.

[Yes, that’s right. I am the master of this domain.]

A devil of the Third Circle!

Christian swallowed hard.

“At least it’s not the true body…”

That much was a relief. Of course, it wasn’t possible for a devil of the Third Circle to fully descend to the mortal realm.

This was likely an avatar—a manifestation body used to act on their behalf.

Even so, an avatar of a Third Circle devil was still a being incomparably greater than any mortal.

[I chose to appear wearing this mask… for your sake.]

The devil spoke in an unexpectedly gentle tone.

[Were I to reveal even a fraction of my true nature, your immature soul would collapse instantly. So I wear this mask to conceal my presence.]

Christian frowned.

A devil… being considerate?

“…Why would you show me such consideration?”

[Why else? Because I’m interested in you.]

“Interested…?”

Christian looked genuinely puzzled.

No matter how much of a once-in-a-millennium genius he was, he was still just a fragile mortal.

There was no reason for a being of the highest order among all devils to take notice of him.

“What does that mean?”

[Well, I’d love to tell you… but I can’t. Not yet. After all, it’s not just our side watching you. Once you’ve earned the qualification, you’ll understand everything in due time.]

A completely incomprehensible statement.

But Christian couldn’t even begin to unpack it.

Suddenly, his mind went hazy—

as though a fog had crept into his thoughts.

“…What… did I just hear?”

He blinked, disoriented.

He had the feeling something important had just been said to him… but he couldn’t remember a thing.

…No—

Had anything even been said?

It was an unnatural fracture in memory.

But he had no time to dwell on it.

Because the devil spoke again—this time, with chilling intent.

[By the way… did you come prepared? You must know, don’t you? The moment you stepped into this place, I was free to do whatever I wanted to your soul. I could twist it, torture it, and turn you into my eternal toy across the endless ages.]

“……”

[Honestly, I’m conflicted right now. I’d like nothing more than to ignore all these complications and simply take your soul. It’s so… alluring. So very tempting. You really are a being full of infinite potential, aren’t you? And seeing you in person only makes the craving worse.]

The devil’s mask contorted into the shape of a monstrous grin.

[Right now, this realm belongs to me and me alone. If I decide to devour your soul… who in all of the Shadow Heavens could possibly stop me?]

The atmosphere changed.

A pressure that could not be resisted crushed down on Christian’s soul.

Even someone with his ironclad mental fortitude couldn’t withstand it.

His soul felt like it was on the verge of disintegration.

And then—

clenching his jaw tightly, Christian spoke.

“…No. It won’t be that easy.”

“Hm?”

“I didn’t come here without a plan.”

Christian reached into his subspace pouch and drew out the Holy Sword Ernthilt.

It was the holy sword he had received from Olivia.

But that wasn’t all—he also pulled out his previously favored, now broken sword: Grunade.

And finally, the Emblem of the Constellation.

Then, Christian began to summon his strength.

Not demonic energy—but the radiant power of Brilliant Mana.

“Descend upon me—Blessing of the Constellation!”

Responding to the brilliant mana, the sacred relics began to radiate light.

‘Holy relics are treasures imbued with the Constellation’s power. If certain conditions are met, you can invoke their divine protection.’

The first condition was the possession of brilliant mana—a symbol of a true hero.

The second condition was having a righteous cause that could be justified by the laws of the world.

‘To oppose a devil that has descended upon the mortal realm—there’s no stronger justification than that.’

Fwwoooosh—

The noble starlight of the Constellation wrapped around Christian’s body.

Even the overwhelming pressure from the devil was pushed back by the radiant blessing.

‘Even if it’s a being of the Third Circle, this is just a manifestation body, not its true form—this divine protection should hold for a while.’

If the devil had descended in its true body, it could’ve shredded this blessing with a single gesture.

But as it was now, it had only descended using a fragment of its true power—

so it couldn’t dispel the protection so easily.

‘Of course, this protection alone isn’t enough to defeat that devil.’

It would only buy him a little time.

As expected, the devil let out a mocking laugh.

[Surely you don’t believe that flimsy little blessing is going to protect you?]

The devil lazily waved its hand—

CRACK!!

“Kh…!!”

The divine blessing quaked like an earthquake.

It hadn’t broken, but it was clear it wouldn’t hold for long.

At most—just a few minutes.

[Fool. To think you could challenge me with such a pathetic scrap of divinity…]

“No—it’s more than enough.”

[…Hm?]

“A few minutes is all I need… to banish you from this world.”

[What?]

Without hesitation, Christian leapt toward Yulian.

CRACK!!

The devil’s power slammed into him midair, shaking the divine blessing to its core.

Fractures appeared in the shield of light, and Christian’s insides were violently shaken—but he gritted his teeth and pushed through.

Finally, standing before the crucified Yulian—Christian declared something utterly baffling:

“Checkmate.”

[You… don’t tell me—]

The devil’s voice trembled with rare surprise, realizing Christian’s intent.

“That’s right. The only reason you were able to descend into this world… was because of this sacrifice.”

Christian curled his lips into a cold smile.

“So if I claim this sacrifice’s soul for myself… you won’t be able to remain in the mortal realm any longer, will you?”

[!!]

It was an outrageous idea.

How could one possibly steal a soul that had already been offered to a devil?

Unless the contract between the devil and its contractor was forcibly nullified, it was an impossibility.

And yet—

‘It’s possible.’

There was a way.

A way that only Christian could carry out.

He turned toward Yulian and opened his mouth.

“Hey. Stupid sister.”

There was no answer.

No reaction, either.

But still—

“Open your eyes. You know you’ve been used from beginning to end, right? You really are an idiot.”

Only then did Yulian slowly open her eyes—dull, lifeless, without a hint of hope—eyes filled with nothing but despair.

It was only natural.

She had lived her entire life chasing revenge, only to find out in the end that she’d been nothing more than a pawn.

“…Just leave me alone… I want to let go of everything now…”

Her voice was completely devoid of life.

But Christian didn’t stop.

“This is all you’ve got?”

“!!”

“You haven’t achieved anything. And now you’re just going to give up?”

For a fleeting moment, anger flared in Yulian’s eyes.

But it was weak—

and quickly faded.

‘No good.’

Her will had been completely crushed by despair.

Christian clicked his tongue.

‘Sorry, but I’ll have to use the harshest method I’ve got.’

Now was not the time to coddle her.