Chapter 332

But instead, his heart sank deeply.

“No, you two don’t need to come.”

“…What did you say?”

“I can handle this on my own.”

“!!”

Chris curled his lips into a smirk. Annoyingly so.

“I don’t need your pathetic help. You’d only get in the way. Just go back.”

Their faces stiffened instantly.

But Evan frowned and looked Chris straight in the eye.

“You’re lying again.”

“…I’m serious.”

“Look me in the eye. You’re not trying to shoulder the danger alone because you care about us, are you?”

Lanya’s cheeks flushed as she huffed defiantly.

“How dare you say such arrogant things to this genius mage? Enough of that. You should be ready to be amazed by my brilliance.”

When none of it got through, Chris sighed.

‘This doesn’t feel right.’

If the worst-case scenario he imagined really had come to pass…

Everyone here could be wiped out.

But—

“Chris, do you know who we are?”

“…Evan and Lanya.”

“No. We’re your comrades. We exist to be your strength.”

“!!”

Evan’s gaze was unwavering.

“Above all, I believe in you. You’re the hero chosen by the world. No matter what dangers lie beneath, you’ll overcome them. And we’ll be the power that helps you create miracles.”

“Actually, I’m not so much your comrade as I am here to teach you a lesson in greatness. Either way, I won’t let you act all high and mighty alone.”

Faced with their stubborn resolve, Chris let out a short laugh.

‘Yeah, it’s always been like this.’

When he was with Evan, had there ever been an enemy that wasn’t dangerous?

He always had to face foes beyond his limits, always had to pull off miracles.

That was the hero’s burden.

‘Of course, I’m a fake hero.’

Having made up his mind, Chris spoke.

“Fine. But if I die, be prepared—I’ll raise you all as undead and make you work for me.”

At that threat, Evan nodded.

“See, Lanya? Chris cares about us after all. Didn’t I tell you?”

“Ah, Evan! My ears are about to bleed, so please stop!”

“Ha, Lanya, Chris is really babbling on about us…”

“Ughhh!”

“…My bad. I’ll shut up now. Let’s get going.”

The three entered the ruins.

But something was wrong.

‘What is this?’

The shape of the ruins had changed.

The original form was gone, replaced by a gray, ashen world.

‘The landscape of Gehenna?’

Black blood squelched beneath their feet, and in the distance, horrific screams echoed like phantom sounds.

It was the “corrosion” symptom—Gehenna overlapping with reality.

‘Why all of a sudden? Could it really be?’

Chris’s face went pale as he stepped forward.

Soon, a gruesome sight appeared—corpses.

Bodies torn apart, barely holding any shape.

‘The heretical priesthood.’

What was even more shocking was that the infamous fanatical battle priests of the Mystic Maga hadn’t even put up a proper fight.

They seemed to have been mercilessly slaughtered.

And though they hadn’t given up easily, every face was etched with terrible pain.

Then—

From across the way came a fanatical laughter.

“Heh heh. Heh heh. Ah… how beautiful. Ah, it’s magnificent.”

It was the Mystic Maga’s cardinal.

But unlike when he first appeared, he was in a pitiful state.

His wings, once on his back, were completely torn off; his limbs were mangled.

Half his face was ripped away, and someone’s hand gripped his neck.

It was ‘Idrinne.’

With eyes devoid of any emotion, she looked at the cardinal.

Crack.

Her instrument trembled, and as if crushing a bug underfoot, she squeezed the cardinal’s body.

The horrifying part was how slowly it happened.

You could vividly feel the bones and organs crumbling and bursting apart.

The cardinal let out a wild laugh through a barely recognizable mouth.

“Ahhh… It’s an honor. Ha ha ha. Great… great one, may your grand work be fulfilled…”

Smash!

Silence fell.

Idrinne slowly turned her gaze.

Her eyes were completely different from when they parted earlier—cold and lifeless.

‘Damn it.’

Chris bit his lip hard.

It was a familiar sight.

One he had seen countless times in his past life.

The Bloodthirsty Demon King had descended.

*    *    *

“Christian, is that you?”

Idrinne curled her lips coldly.

Just like in his past life as the Bloodthirsty Demon King.

“This child was someone you cherished deeply. Killing you will be all the more satisfying.”

“…Are you a demon?”

“Yes. I am this child’s master.”

“How did you descend? Someone of your caliber intervening on the surface should be impossible.”

This was different from the demon who had appeared recently at the Karn Empire’s royal court.

This was a ‘Great Caliber.’

Even after the boundaries between the three realms had broken down, it was nearly impossible for a ‘Great Caliber’ to intervene on the surface.

“It’s thanks to a loophole in the contract.”

Did the demon think it had a toy in its grasp?

It explained willingly.

“This child received power from me, but in exchange, agreed to face the most terrible destruction imaginable. So, what would be the worst destruction this child could face?”

The demon smiled mischievously.

“It’s causing that terrible destruction with their own hands. This child has a purer heart than anyone else in this world.”

“!!”

The demon reached out and stroked Idrinne’s body, which it inhabited.

“Now this child must watch as they destroy what they hold dear with their own hands. Until the world ends. Even now, they’re screaming at me to save you. Isn’t that just adorable?”

A horrifying tale.

A classic demon trick.

Pretending to grant a desperate wish, only to crush everything into an even worse fate.

“You deliberately approached to possess Idrinne’s body.”

“Yes, that’s right. This child is a vessel vast enough to contain my caliber. Now they will become my avatar and fulfill the great work of our Gehenna.”

The demon nodded in affirmation.

“Originally, there was still time, but the Mystic Maga’s children did something commendable and hastened the schedule. I rewarded them specially, so they all died happily.”

Chris asked, baffled.

“Do you really think the Celestial Realm will just watch Gehenna do this?”

Even if it was based on a contract, and the demon wasn’t manifesting directly but through an avatar, it was a clear violation of causality.

But—

“The Celestial Realm has no reason to intervene.”

“…What?”

“Because what the Celestial Realm wants isn’t so different from us.”

“!!”

A chilling revelation.

The Celestial Realm also desired the world’s destruction.

‘What?’

Then the demon said something unexpected.

“Do you know why I’m telling you all this? Because I want you.”

“!!”

“This child’s vessel is excellent, but it can’t compare to you. You’re the child foretold by prophecy.”

Prophecy.

Another incomprehensible word.

Come to think of it, the Mystic Maga’s cardinal had said something similar earlier.

“I’ll give you a glorious opportunity. Devote everything to me and become the main actor in the great work.”

The demon continued.

“In the new world that will come after the end of the world, you will be more honored than anyone else. If you worry about your precious ones, don’t. I promise they will be granted a peaceful death.”

“…You’re insane.”

It was nonsense he didn’t want to hear.

“Heh heh. Well, take your time. After I capture you, I’ll tear your loved ones apart one by one before your eyes, making you suffer. Hearing their screams will change your mind.”

A truly demonic idea.

‘Can I even fight this?’

Chris narrowed his eyes and looked at Idrinne.

‘She’s not fully become the Bloodthirsty Demon King yet.’

The demon had chosen not to descend directly but to use Idrinne as its puppet avatar.

So it wasn’t complete.

‘Still, there’s no way we can match that power.’

He could sense roughly a strength close to 9-star advancement.

Meanwhile, Chris was at 8-star advancement, and the other two at 7-star.

The gap was insurmountable.

Chris muttered to himself.

‘Mephina, are you listening?’

[…You call me… too casually.]

‘I have a question. Are you on that demon’s side?’

Mephina was silent for a moment.

[No. Not all demons think alike.]

‘Are you sure? Can you stake your name on it?’

Mephina’s anger flared, radiating a chilling aura.

[Yes… I can. After all… the reason I fell to the seventh realm was because I tried to defy my destined fate.]

Chris nodded at that.

‘I don’t like relying on demons, but…’

He thought of it as using one bug to kill another.

‘At the moment I say the word, can you use your power to disrupt that demon’s strength?’

[…Directly disrupting that one isn’t easy. It’s a Great Caliber too. It would be a huge strain on me.]

That was to be expected.

But Chris deliberately sneered.

‘I was about to ask for help, but it’s useless. If you won’t help at the crucial moment, why have you been bothering me all this time?’

[!!]

“Don’t ever come near me again.”

Chris’s provocation unleashed a fierce energy from Mephina.

[How… dare you. Fine. I’ll try. But only for a fleeting moment, so remember that.]

Chris nodded.

This time, he turned to Lanya and Evan.

“You ready for this?”

“Absolutely. Don’t worry about us.”

Evan nodded firmly, while Lanya, though clearly intimidated, forced herself to lift her chin.

“I—I’m the same. I’ll… I’ll show you just how amazing I am. And hey, don’t look at me like I’m pathetic, okay? I’m not scared. I mean it!”

Chris nodded again.

With the two of them, he could trust it.

Now, everything depended on what he would do next.

“I’ll take the front line.”

Evan drew his sword and stepped forward.

It was the first time since their previous lives that the hero party faced the Bloodthirsty Demon King.

The demon king’s cold, mechanical eyes flickered with interest as they fixed on Evan.

[So you’re the hero originally destined for this.]

“What nonsense. The hero isn’t you—it’s Christian.”

[……]

Evan sharply denied the demon king’s claim.

“No matter how powerful a demon you are, in the end, you’ll kneel before Christian.”

Just as the Bloodthirsty Demon King let out a derisive chuckle, a sudden explosion erupted.

Kraaaang!

Flames flashed like lightning, striking Idrinne’s face.

From behind, Lanya had launched a surprise attack—a seven-star, miraculous-grade fire spell.

She lifted her chin defiantly.

“How’s that? The handiwork of a genius mage, isn’t it?”

But as the flames died down, Idrinne’s face remained unscathed, not even a trace of ash, and she stared coldly at them.

Swallowing hard, Lanya took a step back.

“Oh ho ho. That was just a greeting. No need to glare like that.”