As one of the primordial demons of this world, the Darkness Devil had already fixed its gaze upon the trio.
Its mere presence was enough to strike sheer terror and unease into the depths of one's soul. Reze felt utterly miserable. The unseen hand pulling the strings from the shadows had completely severed any thoughts of escape. She had absolutely no idea, nor any hope, of how to flee this living hell.
Yet, to her surprise, when she turned her eyes toward her two companions, she found their expressions mirrored each other in a strange, profound tranquility.
Kobeni entered a combat-ready state almost instantly. She stopped trembling. The moment she fully grasped their predicament, her gaze sharpened with sudden, absolute resolve.
"What Mr. Demon said... this must be the moment," she muttered, emphasizing every syllable.
The time to face the Darkness Devil had finally arrived. The oppressive, perilous aura approaching from the distance left no room for doubt; it was unquestionably the Darkness Devil itself. Burdened with her mission, now was the exact moment for her to step up.
As for Denji...
Reze suddenly realized that Denji seemed to have known this moment was coming all along. Waking from his frenzy and irritability, he now stood quietly by her side. He touched his chest and murmured softly, "Pochita was driven out of here by them before, wasn't he?"
On the night he had made that deal with the powerful demon on the beach, the very night he resolved to run away with Reze, he had talked a lot with Pochita in his dreams. When he first found Pochita, it was so weak that it looked no different from an ordinary, scrawny puppy. Back then, Pochita, the Chainsaw Devil, had just fled into human world, battered and defeated after a grueling battle against other devils in Hell. That was how Denji had found him, allowing the two to save each other, embracing to share warmth.
And now, true to form, they had returned to this very place.
Facing the steadily approaching Darkness Devil, not a single shred of fear crossed Denji's mind. He simply gripped Reze's hand tightly and laughed wildly. "Then we'll just have to slaughter every last one of these rats in Hell!"
The figure of Zoran flashed across his mind. They had already struck a deal that night; even if it was the Darkness Devil, there had to be a way to withstand it. After all, Kobeni Higashiyama standing right in front of him was the other party's contractor.
Beyond the planet's atmosphere.
Zoran watched as the Hell Devil made its move, capturing the group and dragging them down into Hell.
The timing was impeccable. The Darkness Devil was about to manifest, and for the sake of a small automobile, Kobeni was likewise about to fulfill her contract and promise.
As for Zoran himself...
His true form stood completely motionless, quietly counting down and waiting in his mind. He had calculated this moment down to the second; the fruits of his labor always ripened simultaneously.
The next second, he opened his eyes.
Sure enough, a voice resonated within his mind. The voice came from another world, a contingency plan he had left behind long ago. It was a hysterical scream, desperately calling out the name he had given.
"Mr. Tso Lan! Please... help me!"
A faint smirk played on Zoran's lips. It was indeed this exact moment. A brilliant, golden light enveloped his body as the gateway crossing dimensions swung wide open.
Taking one last glance, he reached out his hand, revealing a pale purple full moon glowing within his palm. He tapped the crescent surface lightly with his finger, and his silhouette drifted into the gateway, vanishing from sight.
In Hell.
The sky, which was perpetually cluttered with countless bizarre doors, suddenly cracked open. A pale purple light pierced through the rift. Under its luminescent glow, those doors distorted and receded one after another. A full moon slowly descended, nesting itself firmly into the sky of Hell.
The full moon rotated, and with a sudden tremor, a narrow slit snapped open across its surface.
Kobeni looked up. The pale purple moon hung high in the sky, and that narrow slit resembled an opening eyelid. At this very moment, it looked like a colossal, omniscient eye, dispassionately observing everything within Hell.
"Mr. Demon!" Kobeni gasped in pleasant surprise.
Her heart finally settled into complete ease. She remembered the words Mr. Demon had spoken to her before:
"When a moon appears in Hell, that shall be my eye. Focus entirely on holding off the Darkness Devil; my gaze will be watching over you..."
Mr. Demon had mentioned that he would have other matters to attend to by this time, so it appeared he had temporarily departed. Now, it was clear that this moon-turned-eye above her head was Mr. Demon's watchful gaze.
Still, the sheer scale of this display was terrifyingly grand. She was almost worried the Darkness Devil wouldn't dare to show its face anymore.
"Running back and forth between two places... Mr. Demon sure is a busy man," Kobeni murmured, pouting slightly as the Moon Demon Chi between her arms surged, ready to strike.
The perilous aura grew closer and closer. It seemed this Darkness Devil was either completely reckless, or perhaps it hadn't even noticed Mr. Demon's eye right above its head. Kobeni couldn't be sure.
She only knew one thing.
It was time for her grand entrance!
…
Shortly before this, on the other side...
In the nation of water known as Fontaine.
High upon the stage of the Opera Epiclese's courtroom, Furina stared at the people surrounding her through a veil of hot tears, unable to believe what was happening. The very people she loved were putting her on trial.
She had been set up.
The Traveler, Neuvillette... everyone was questioning her identity as the Hydro Archon. To achieve this, they had gone to great lengths to lay an ambush, specifically bringing her to the highest court in all of Fontaine.
For the sake of the prophecy, and for the citizens of Fontaine, she had performed her heart out for five hundred long years. Even though Zoran had warned her beforehand that her judgment was drawing near, having her own citizens and friends deceive her just to drag her onto the stand still made her tremble with a profound sense of grievance when the moment finally arrived.
To the Hydro Archon, Furina de Fontaine, this felt like nothing short of a complete betrayal.
When she hesitantly dipped her hand into the container filled with the water from the Primordial Sea, the truth was laid bare for all to see. Despite her desperate struggle to hold her ground, she could not alter the reality that she, too, was affected by the Primordial Sea's water. Fontainians would dissolve in it, but as a god, how could she possibly be affected?
"She's a fraud! She's a fake!"
Incessant waves of condemnation rose from the spectator stands. The very citizens who once respected and loved her were now denouncing her with pens and tongues alike.
Is an identity really that important...?
"Order! The final verdict regarding Lady Furina shall be delivered by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale!"
Chief Justice Neuvillette's expression remained as unreadable as ever. Following standard protocol, he deferred the final judgment to the Oratrice. In an instant, the entire courtroom fell dead silent. Every single eye was glued to the judgment machine that symbolized the absolute justice of Fontaine.
As the scales tipped, the dust finally settled.
Neuvillette froze for a fraction of a second before speaking slowly, "According to the declaration of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, the Hydro Archon is sentenced to..."
"The death penalty!"
An uproar erupted throughout the opera house. This outcome surpassed everyone's wildest expectations. Even if she had impersonated the Hydro Archon, why would the Oratrice demand a death sentence? At the very least, she should have been sent to the Fortress of Meropide!
The words death penalty crashed through Furina's mind like a sudden clap of thunder. Stumbling back two steps in utter disbelief, she looked around her in complete bewilderment.
"Why...?" she whispered.
Confusion and agony swept over her like a raging storm. At this exact moment, there was only one answer left, only one choice remaining.
Clutching her head on the center stage, she used every ounce of strength left in her body to scream that name aloud.
"Mr. Tso Lan! Please... please help me!"
He had promised her, as long as she called out that name in her heart, he would absolutely hear it!
The time had to be right now!
————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]