Chapter 396

"Am I not part of your order right now?"

Everyone had been regarding Chris only as an enemy, so they had overlooked it, but this fight was not a simple duel.

It was a ritual to compete over whose evil was deeper, as fellow devil worshippers.

If a great devil were to interfere, it would become a fight between great devils, so interference was impossible.

On the contrary, the action she had just taken had only given Chris a 'justification'.

The justification of the law of causality to 'punish' the one who had tried to use the power of a great devil for a wrongful reason.

"I will show you why I am more suited for the position of High Priest than you."

Paaaaaaaat!!!

The dueling ground where they had been fighting was the same place as the altar of the baptism ceremony that Chris had undergone.

The altar beneath his feet spewed out darkness.

"I will offer you as a sacrifice to Gehenna."

[!!]

Her face turned pale, and she drew up her power, but it was useless.

She had no way of withstanding the law of causality of Christian, who had even obtained the 'justification' of punishment.

Her law of causality was neutralized, and the darkness that rose from the altar swallowed her.

It was not difficult at all.

She possessed a soul of a high enough status to become a High Priestess, one of the best among mortals.

Therefore, the devils of Gehenna who wished to receive her as a sacrifice were more than abundant.

Just by opening the altar, devils reached out their hands to devour her soul.

Her eyes were filled with fear, and.

[N-no. Pl-please…!! Aaaaaaaaargh!!!!]

With a terrible scream, she was dragged into Gehenna.

Now, she would become the plaything of devils and suffer for all eternity.

At the shocking scene, the arena fell silent, and Chris said nonchalantly.

"With this, I believe my devotion to evil has been proven."

[...]

The Pope sent a chilling gaze, but Christian only shrugged his shoulders.

'What are you going to do, just stare?'

The initiative had already passed into his hands.

"Then, I will take on the position of High Priest from now on. I trust there are no objections, as this is in accordance with the doctrine."

Chris shouted at the high priests, such as the cardinals and archbishops.

"What are you all doing? Can you not pay your respects to the new High Priest?"

The high priests hesitated for a moment, then bowed their heads.

[…We pay our respects to the new High Priest.]

A dumbfounding scene.

But this was not the end.

"As the High Priest, I will make a proposal for the sake of the great cause."

[…What is it?]

"We will capture Idrinne as a sacrifice, but there is something lacking. I believe more sacrifices are needed for the perfect great cause."

That was true.

That was why the Mystic Demonic House was trying to offer Christian as a sacrifice.

If they did not offer Christian as a sacrifice, they would have to offer countless lives as sacrifices, just as the Demon King of Bloodshed had done in his previous life.

"How about offering the high priests of the order as sacrifices?"

[!!]

"If we offer the high priests as sacrifices, it should be enough to achieve the great cause. It would also be a joyous occasion for the high priests, as they can achieve the glory of martyrdom."

At Chris's jeering words, the arena grew quiet.

It was a ridiculous story.

But the problem was that it was not entirely without merit.

The high priests of the Mystic Demonic House were all beings who had been reborn as devils. As such, the status of their souls was also high, and they held great value as sacrifices.

The justification, in particular, was vicious.

He had cunningly presented the justification as martyrdom for the great cause.

Because if they were truly genuine fanatics, it would be only natural for them to offer even their own souls for the great cause.

But no one readily stepped forward.

'Of course. They can sacrifice others as much as they want, but no one would wish to sacrifice themselves. Especially if they have the disposition of devils like these ones.'

As he had learned when he absorbed the fragments of Sherad, the reason they followed the devils in the first place was for the 'reward' they would receive after the great cause was achieved.

"How disappointing. To think that no one is willing to step forward for martyrdom. You all talk about the great cause, the great cause, but it seems you are only interested in the spoils."

[...]

"This is why the great devils intend to make me the protagonist of the ruin. Because they cannot trust you, the Mystic Demonic House."

The high priests could not find any words to retort.

In the end, the Pope stepped forward.

[There is much to be done for the sake of the ruin. If we offer them all as sacrifices, we will be unable to fulfill our duties.]

At those words, Chris raised the corners of his mouth.

It was the excuse he had expected.

“Then it would be alright to offer some of them.”

[…What?]

“Even if all of them is difficult, wouldn’t it be alright to offer about half?”

Chris looked at the high priests.

“Most of them seem useless anyway.”

[…What…!]

The high priests flared up, but Chris retorted with a sneer.

“Half of you combined probably can’t even match me alone. Am I wrong?”

This was not wrong either.

He was not simply talking about power.

With Chris’s ability, he could likely play a role that would overwhelmingly surpass half of the high priests combined.

“Now that I have converted to the order, there is no need to worry about the hands and feet to carry out your duties. How about offering half of the high priests as sacrifices?”

[…That is difficult.]

“Why is that? It is for the great cause. Or is it that Your Holiness, too, only speaks of the great cause, but is actually only interested in other spoils?”

[You brat…! How dare you!!]

The Pope was furious, but he could not strike Chris.

There were those who were watching this place.

The great devils.

[That… has a point.]

[Offering the high priests… as sacrifices… would be of great help….]

It was the ‘One Who Swallows the Light’ and the other great devils who had decided to cooperate with Chris!

It was not just them.

Other great devils who did not know of Chris’s scheme also showed considerable signs of agreement.

From the great devils’ perspective, the magi of the Mystic Demonic House were like servants to be worked like tools anyway.

For their own purposes, they could sacrifice any number of them at any time.

[…Half is too many.]

The Pope hastily tried to extinguish the fire.

He meant that he would offer some of them as sacrifices!

At this rate, it seemed they would really have to offer up to half of the high priests as sacrifices, so it was an unavoidable choice.

‘Alright.’

Chris cheered inwardly.

“We will have to decide whom to offer as a sacrifice.”

[…That is for me, the Pope, to decide. You will no longer open your mouth….]

“Is this not a matter that even Your Holiness cannot decide on your own?”

The Pope looked dumbfounded.

What kind of crazy talk was that brat spouting now?

“We must uphold the will of the great ones.”

He was saying they should listen to the opinions of the great devils.

It was a reasonable story, but.

‘…There is no way it will turn out like that.’

The Pope swallowed a groan.

The high priests each served a different great devil as their master.

There was no way the great devils would offer up their own servants as sacrifices.

There was no way their opinions would be unified.

Indeed, the voices of numerous great devils pierced the Pope’s ears.

[My servant… has much to do for the ruin. I will absolutely… not allow it. Offer… another as a sacrifice.]

They were all of this content.

What was more troublesome was that the great devils did not oppose offering other priests, who were not their own servants, as sacrifices.

On the contrary, they welcomed it.

Because it would certainly be of help to the great cause.

Their attitude was that as long as it was not their own servant who became the sacrifice, they were all for it.

Christian shrugged his shoulders.

“If it is difficult for the great devils to make a decision, then we will have no choice but to follow the doctrine.”

[…What do you mean?]

“It is to have them prove their hearts through a duel. To offer those whose devotion is lacking as sacrifices.”

[!!]

Everyone began to murmur.

In other words, he was proposing that the high priests duel among themselves, and the loser would be offered as a sacrifice.

It was a vicious proposal, but there was no justification to refuse it.

Chris gave a faint smile.

“Since it is for the great cause, I believe everyone will gladly agree.”

The Pope looked at Christian with a fed-up expression.

‘This brat, just what is he.’

The brat was accurately grasping and wielding the nature of the great devils.

Damnably, they had no choice but to follow the justification he was putting forth.

“For each rank of bishop, archbishop, cardinal, and apostle, we can just pick the one whose devotion to evil is the most lacking out of every five.”

One out of five.

Suddenly, 25% of the high priests were to be offered as sacrifices.

All because of that brat’s silver tongue.

And that, too, through a duel to the death between brothers.

But there was no way to undo it.

[For the ruin… I agree to this duel.]

[I, too… agree.]

[It will be… of great help to the great cause.]

It was the great devils.

The ones who had first shown their agreement were the faction that had joined hands with Chris, but most of the others did not oppose it either.

Because it would actually be of help to the great cause.

‘Above all, there is no way those devil bastards would miss out on such an entertaining spectacle.’

Did the devils care for the priests of the Mystic Demonic House, their own servants? Absolutely not.

If they were to oppose such an amusement, they would not be devils.

“For each rank, the two with the least devotion can decide it through a duel.”

It was a proposal to have the two weakest members of each rank duel.

The Pope frowned and nodded.

He did not want to follow Christian's words, but this was the best way to reduce unnecessary bloodshed.

He didn't know what kind of damage would occur if all the high priests were to brawl.

In the worst case, they could all be annihilated.

Because if they were of the same rank, the difference in their strength was only paper-thin.

In the end, a laughable duel began.

It started with the cardinals.

High priests who usually possessed the power of the 8-Star state.

[…Let us begin.]

[…May the blessings of evil be with you.]

Those who stepped into the dueling ground did not have pleasant expressions.

Because if they lost, they would become sacrifices.

‘I desire the great cause, but I am not a person who will become a mere sacrifice like this. I must play a more important role.’

That was the thought of those who had stepped into the dueling ground.

It was a selfish thought, unbecoming of a fanatic, but one had to consider that they were the servants of devils.

They, too, were as greedy and selfish as their masters.

As such, the duel was fierce, without a single inch of compromise.

‘This is hilarious. Is there any popcorn?’

Chris hummed inwardly.

In any case, everyone in the Mystic Demonic House was a bastard who deserved to die, unforgivable.

Killing each other was probably the only good thing those bastards could do for the world.

The Mystic Demonic House would suffer a huge blow from this incident. As one out of every five high priests would be offered as a sacrifice.

‘Of course, I have no intention of being satisfied with just that.’

A meaningful story.

It meant that he was plotting something more here.

‘I have to inflict as much damage as possible. Only then will the probability of achieving my plan increase.’

Chris glanced at the Pope, who was glaring at him as if to kill him.

A state of high 9-Star.

Even though he had become a 9-Star (mid), he did not dare to think of confronting him.

Even if all the high priests in this place were to combine their strength, they would not be a match for the Pope alone.

Because that was the state of a high 9-Star.

A state beyond handling the law of causality at will, a state of ‘dominating’ it.

Only by pulling as many tricks as possible in advance would a possibility of bringing down that Pope arise.

‘Now.’