Chapter 394

Compared to the demon's entirety, it would be but a minuscule part.

Still, the demon exuded an air of anger, then suddenly changed his attitude as if a thought had struck him.

[Very well. I shall hand over a part of my origin to you.]

A voice tinged with dark, hidden intentions.

'It seems he's aiming for me to be devoured.'

Chris let out a smirk.

It was certainly a dangerous affair.

Even if it was just a part, he was swallowing the origin of a 4th-realm being.

It was not something he could handle.

The origin of a demon was no elixir.

The moment he took it in, a terrible reaction would occur instead. In other words, it was no different from swallowing a blazing bomb.

An even greater problem was the evil that dwelled within it.

He had to remove the evil residing in the origin.

Otherwise, he would be tainted by evil in an instant.

'Even for me, it is impossible to remove the evil dwelling in the origin of a great demon.'

Beyond recklessness, it was something that should never be done.

However.

'It's all part of the plan.'

Chris raised the corners of his mouth.

Sreureureureuk.

The demon's origin settled into his core, and his vision was dyed in darkness.

A miracle began to stir.

***

[...]

While Chris was away in Gehenna.

The Mystic Demonic House was submerged in silence.

The Pope, looking at the altar, furrowed his brows deeply.

[Do not worry too much. No matter who he is, he is nothing more than a worthless insect compared to the great demons.]

[…That is true.]

At the High Priestess's words, the Pope nodded his head.

But why?

He had a bad feeling.

It felt as if he had made a mistake.

'It is an overthought.'

The Pope shook his head.

Once the man's soul was handed over to a great demon, he would not be able to escape becoming a sacrifice for the great cause.

'If we offer him as a sacrifice along with Idrinne, the great cause will be perfectly completed.'

Just then, the magic circle of the altar spewed out a black darkness.

The man was returning.

'It seems to have gone well.'

Even though the man had not yet appeared, seeing the suffocating evil energy spewing out, it seemed the ritual had been successfully completed.

However.

"Ah, I have returned."

[!!]

Seeing the man's appearance, the Pope and the High Priestess's eyes shot open.

Something was strange.

It was true that he was tainted by evil.

An evil energy that had not been felt from him before was flowing out like crazy.

But his sanity seemed intact.

To be precise, he was firmly maintaining his previous self.

'How?'

The baptism ceremony was a new birth.

Everyone in the Mystic Demonic House lost their original selves through the baptism ceremony and were reborn as servants of demons.

'Seeing that he is tainted by evil, the baptism ceremony did not go wrong, did it?'

[…Did you offer your soul to the great one?]

"Yes, can't you tell by looking?"

Chris twisted the corners of his mouth.

Unlike before, where he simply looked obnoxious, a fiendish evil now emanated from him.

[But how do you still have your ego?]

"That's because I am special. Unlike you inferior beings."

[!!]

"If you don't believe me, then listen to the revelation of the One Who Swallows the Light, who has become my master."

As if pre-arranged, a revelation descended.

-I speak in the name of the One Who Swallows the Light, Christian has become my servant.

-You shall serve him as you serve me.

The Pope and the High Priestess faltered.

Now that the revelation had been heard, they could not doubt the man.

'Each of the great demons has their own way of achieving the great cause.'

Gehenna had not presented a clear method to the Mystic Demonic House.

It had only given the grand goal of the 'great cause'.

There were several reasons why a specific method had not been pointed out, but it was because the great demons who desired the great cause each had their own different thoughts.

[In that case….]

"Ah, there is something else the One Who Swallows the Light has commanded me to do."

Chris twisted his lips.

"For the sake of the great cause, he told me to become the High Priest."

[!!]

"Honestly, is there anyone more suited for the position of High Priest than I am? More so than the current High Priestess, who could not even make her name known to the world before offering her soul to a demon."

The Pope and the High Priestess looked dumbfounded.

[No matter how great a 4th-realm demon he may be, he cannot do as he pleases with the position of High Priest of the main house.]

This Mystic Demonic House was a Pandemonium.

It did not worship a single demon, but each of the magi served a different demon.

Therefore, no single great demon could control the Mystic Demonic House as he wished.

"Of course, that is so. But is it not possible if it follows the doctrine?"

[…What?]

“If one can prove they possess a deeper evil heart through a duel, they can claim a higher position, or so I understand?”

The Mystic Demonic House was also a house of the Magus Empire.

The law of the strong existed.

In other words, this was a challenge.

Chris beckoned to the High Priestess with his finger.

“Let’s have a go. I’ll show you who the true demon worshipper is.”

***

The Mystic Demonic House was in an uproar.

Not only was his ego intact despite having completed the baptism ceremony, but he had even challenged the High Priestess to a duel.

This was no ordinary matter.

Because the High Priestess was the second-in-command of the Mystic Demonic House.

9-Star (mid).

It was a state on a different level from the 9-Star (low) below it.

Among the numerous priests and apostles of the Mystic Demonic House, only the High Priestess and the Pope had reached 9-Star (mid).

Even looking across the entire continent, they were few and far between.

[You are as fearless as they say. Very well. I accept your challenge.]

The High Priestess gave a faint smile.

She thought it was for the best.

‘Although there was a revelation from a great demon, I cannot trust him.’

There were many suspicious points in many ways, and now an opportunity to deal with him as she wished had arisen.

Her plan was to completely break his body and ego, then leave him barely breathing and use him as a sacrifice for the great cause.

Since it was a duel according to the doctrine, even the great demon who had made a contract with him would not be able to complain if she were to completely break him here.

[Today, you will be reborn as a sublime sacrifice. It will be extremely painful, but please consider it a glorious pain.]

The High Priestess licked her lips.

Unlike the high priests whose forms were mutated, those of apostle-rank and above were of human form, but in reality, they were no different from demons.

She possessed the disposition of a demon who enjoyed the ruin and suffering of others.

“I told you. I am too precious to be a mere sacrifice. Someone of my stature should be the protagonist of the ruin.”

Chris let out a smirk.

“You, on the other hand, don’t seem usable even as a sacrifice, so you’ll have to die for my amusement. It will be painful, but know that it is an honor to be used for the amusement of this great one.”

The High Priestess’s eyebrows twitched.

[I wonder if you will be able to speak such nonsense even in the agony of your ego collapsing. Prepare yourself.]

Paaaaaaaat!

With a light gesture of her hand, an evil energy raged.

A powerful aura, like a storm.

The problem was not simply the size of the aura.

It contained an authority that twisted the law of causality.

This was the difference between a 9-Star (low) and a 9-Star (mid).

If a 9-Star (low) merely interfered with the law of causality, from 9-Star (mid) onwards, one could wield the law of causality freely according to their will.

This was the reason why 9-Star (mid) was considered a state on a different level.

[First, it will be a nuisance if you run around, so I will cut off your ankle first. Let’s start with the right foot. Please let me hear a cute scream.]

The evil energy materialized into a circular saw blade and flew towards Chris’s ankle.

The problem was the law of causality contained within the energy.

It contained the law of causality of ‘cutting’.

The causality of the world moved according to the newly established law.

Now, according to the laws of the world, that saw blade cutting his ankle was something that could neither be dodged nor blocked.

The moment the High Priestess gave a dark smile, imagining the scene of the saw blade cruelly severing his ankle.

“Is this all you’ve got?”

Kwagagagak!

With a gruesome sound, blood spurted.

The problem was, it was not Chris’s blood.

[Aaaaaaaargh!!]

The High Priestess’s ankle was torn to shreds and severed.

The attack she had thrown at Chris had returned to her, exactly as it was.

[What?]

The High Priestess, who had hastily healed her ankle with evil energy, wore an expression of incomprehension.

“Ah, what are you surprised about?”

Chris wagged his finger.

“It is because I am that great.”

At that, a fierce evil energy raged.

A gruesome and wicked feeling, as if a demon had descended in person.

The important thing was not the size of the energy.

The law of causality was imbued in it.

Just like what the High Priestess had done just now.

In other words, it was the power of a 9-Star (mid).

[What? No matter how great a demon's subordinate one becomes, it is impossible to reach 9-Star (mid) at once?]

The High Priestess shouted as if she could not accept it.

When one makes a contract with a demon, their power increases rapidly in a short period.

However, from 9-Star (mid) onwards, the story was somewhat different.

Up to 9-Star (low), it was somehow possible to reach that state with the blessing bestowed by a demon.

But 9-Star (mid) was a state where one could handle the law of causality according to their own will, so simply receiving an authority was not enough. One had to break through the wall themselves.

This was the reason why, although the Mystic Demonic House was teeming with those of 9-Star (advancing) and 9-Star (low), there were only two individuals of 9-Star (mid) or higher.

“Don’t be so surprised. Didn’t you know I was great? You knew. Anyway, shall we get started for real?”

Chris smiled.

It was a cruel smile, different from his usual one.

“Please struggle as much as you can. For my enjoyment.”

[!!]

“Now, I'll go for your wrist this time. Try and block it well.”

Paat!

A sword materialized from evil flashed, and the High Priestess clenched her teeth and unfolded the law of causality.

She had been caught off guard before, but there was no way she would be caught in the same way again.

Confirming that his law of causality was flying towards her wrist, she countered by dispelling his law of causality, but.

Slice.

[!!]

Her ankle was severed.

Chris gave a faint smile.

“It was a lie. Fun, isn’t it?”

The arena fell into a deathly silence.

***

Everyone from the Mystic Demonic House watching the duel was in shock.

They could not comprehend the scene unfolding before their eyes.

[No matter how great a vessel he is, how?]

Of course, with Chris’s ability, it would not be strange for him to reach 9-Star (mid) at some point.

But to reach 9-Star (mid) in an instant?

As mentioned before, no matter how great a demon’s blessing he had received, his current state should have, at most, been at the peak of 9-Star (low).

‘He has not reached 9-Star (mid).’

The Pope thought with low, sunken eyes.

‘Something is different.’

A correct observation.

In truth, Chris had not reached 9-Star (mid).

Then what about the ability he was currently displaying?

‘It's the power of an item.’

Chris thought to himself with a smirk.

‘Because I am using the great demon's origin like an item.’

He had received the great demon's origin after the sham contract.

Normally, it would not be of any help, and the moment one accepted it, it would only bring terrible harm.

‘Because it is impossible even for me to melt down and absorb the origin of a great demon.’

So the choice Chris made was simple.

He only took it inside, he did not accept it.

To be more precise.

‘I only let it reside within me, and let it be a separate object, detached from me.’

In other words, he was just storing it.

So that it could not have any influence on him.

The authority of the Throne made this miracle possible.

Thanks to that, Chris was in fact not influenced by the evil energy in the slightest, and could make it seem as if he were only tainted by evil on the outside.

‘This is not the end of it.’

There was a more important effect.

He had become able to utilize the power dwelling in the origin like an item by using the authority of the Throne.

‘I have not yet reached 9-Star (mid).’

But he could brandish the given authority as much as he wanted.