Chapter 39: The Evil Descends (3)

Chapter 39: The Evil Descends (3)Evil seeped into the world, dark and vile. Filthy shadows descended upon the Mortal Realm, filling the air with a nauseating stench that spread in all directions. The people were horrified. This place was no longer part of the mortal plane. It had become a land corrupted by evil. Aquaz shouted desperately, “Everyone, run!” Even before her words registered, the group had already begun to flee. However, the moment they reached the village’s outskirts, they collided with an invisible barrier. “Ahh! No! This can’t be happening!” “Let us out! Open it up!” They banged their fists against the violet barrier, but it stood unyielding, like an impregnable wall. Meanwhile, the demon laughed gleefully. —This village is my domain. None of you will escape. You are all my prey. And then, the demon revealed her true form. Her twisted horns resembled those of a vile, violet lamb. Her eyes, with black sclerae and stark white pupils, were deeply unsettling. Her attire was provocative, exposing bronzed skin that gleamed as if kissed by sunlight. Hayes screamed as if to dispel her disbelief. “A demon! No, this is impossible! How could a demon appear here?!” “Is that really a demon?” Ketal asked. “Yes!” Hayes cried out, panic clear in her voice. “And not just any demon—a named demon! Oh, great Kalosia, please, save me! Protect me from the taint of this vile evil!” She fell to her knees, frantically praying, her words a blur of desperation. Ketal stepped forward and placed his large hand on her head. “Calm yourself, Hayes. I am here with you.” “A-ah...,” Hayes stammered, her trembling subsiding under the weight of Ketal’s reassuring hand. Her wide, fearful eyes slowly began to regain clarity as she stood unsteadily. “Th-thank you,” she whispered. Ketal tilted his head slightly, curiosity sparking in his gaze. “I have a question. What does it mean for a demon to have a name?” Hayes gulped, her words faltering as she explained. “It... it means exactly what it sounds like.” In this world, there were countless beings referred to as demons. However, not all of them were powerful. Some were so weak that even an ordinary woodcutter could defeat them with a bit of luck. These entities, often misnamed as demons, were simply fragments of darkness and malevolent energy. But the ones who could truly be called demons—those were different. A true demon was born in the cradle of darkness, without a mother, and claimed a name through sheer will. Even the weakest of demons with a name had the power to shake an entire kingdom to their core. Ketal furrowed his brow thoughtfully. “Are the kingdoms of this world that fragile? This is the second time I’ve encountered beings capable of such destruction.” “W-what do you mean by that?” Hayes stammered. “Nothing, just thinking out loud,” Ketal replied dismissively. “So, that demon has a name, then?” “Y-yes...,” Hayes confirmed, her gaze locked fearfully on the demon. “From the shape of her horns, that demon must be Ashetiaar. She appeared centuries ago. But why... why would such an entity manifest in this remote corner of the world?” Yet, regardless of the reason, the reality was undeniable: Ashetiaar had descended upon this land. The barrier trapped them, leaving no way to escape. “Hmm,” Ketal mused, staring at the violet barrier with a fascinated expression. “Is this unbreakable?” “Yes. This place is already part of the demon’s domain. Unless someone aids us from the outside, there’s no way to breach it. The only way to escape... is to defeat the demon,” Hayes explained. “I see.” Ketal’s tone was calm, as if contemplating something mundane. “O mighty Kalosia, please forgive me for placing my faith in someone who serves another god...,” Hayes muttered to herself. Aquaz, the Inquisitor of the Sun God, stood silently, her piercing eyes locked onto Ashetiaar. The group’s survival depended on her ability to defeat the demon. Ketal, meanwhile, casually approached the barrier and tapped it lightly, almost as if knocking on a door. Crack. The barrier fractured, spiderweb-like cracks spreading outward from the point of contact. The people, too preoccupied with fear to watch, kept their eyes shut tightly. “Oh dear,” Ketal muttered, hurriedly withdrawing his hand. Deciding to stay in the moment, Ketal shifted his attention to the standoff between the demon and the inquisitor. His eyes sparkled with interest. This was a battle between divine light and infernal darkness, a tale as old as time itself. “This should be fun,” Ketal remarked with a grin. *** Aquaz stared coldly at the demon, while Ashetiaar dismissed her gaze with a mocking smile. “Demon. So, you’ve been playing tricks,” Aquaz said. “What did you think? Wasn’t it fun? Didn’t it ignite your desire to investigate?” Ashetiaar replied, her tone laced with amusement. “Disgusting antics...,” Aquaz muttered, narrowing her eyes. The traces in the village—remnants that looked as though people had just been there—now made sense. The demon had staged it all, purely for her amusement. “How did a being like you descend into this world?” Aquaz asked, her tone sharp. A named demon’s summoning required an enormous sacrifice. The population of this small village wouldn’t have been sufficient. Establishing her domain in such a remote area without drawing attention was equally impossible. The very idea was utterly implausible. “Do you think I’d tell you?” Ashetiaar asked, her lips curving into a sly smile. Her mocking laughter filled the air, and Aquaz’s expression twisted in revulsion. “How dare such a vile demon pollute this land...” “Vile? Impure? Ashetiaar bared her teeth, a scornful grin spreading across her face. “Ha! That’s just a standard you gods came up with—a judgement you imposed on us without any basis!” Her laughter erupted again, filled with malice. The sound was so oppressive that the people around her covered their ears in agony. “Hahaha! Yes! We lost to you. We handed over this world and were cast into that wretched Hell of yours!” Long ago, gods and humans joined forces in a great clash against the demons. The victors were the gods and humans, and the demons were banished from the world. “But not anymore!” Ashetiaar declared. “The world is fracturing. This world no longer belongs solely to you!” Aquaz fell silent, her mind racing to process the demon’s ominous words. But there was no time to dwell on them. Ashetiaar bowed gracefully, her movements disturbingly elegant. “I am Ashetiaar, the Demon of Oppression,” she introduced herself, her greedy eyes locking onto Aquaz. “Great and noble Inquisitor of the Sun God. I wonder—what would your flesh taste like?” Ashetiaar grinned wickedly, revealing shark-like teeth. “Disgusting creature.” Aquaz spat, her face etched with disdain. “Return to where you belong. This world belongs to us and the gods.” Raising her hand toward the sky, Aquaz murmured a short prayer. “Descend upon me.” Boom! A pillar of light cracked down from above, enveloping Aquaz in radiant energy. Slowly, the divine light began to infuse her body. The demon watched silently, her lips curling into a smirk. Meanwhile, Ketal’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Oh! The demon is not attacking during the transformation phase! Even in fantasy, that rule applies, huh?” “What are you talking about?! That makes no sense!” Hayes shouted incredulously. Aquaz wasn’t transforming in the way Ketal imagined. She was borrowing the divine power from her god—a process so concentrated with holy energy that any interference would likely backfire. That was why Ashetiaar observed without intervening. It wasn’t some unspoken rule about transformations. Ketal nodded knowingly. “Ah, I see. So that’s how it works here. Makes sense.” “What are you even talking about?!” Hayes exclaimed, her face a mixture of confusion and frustration. As the divine pillar faded, Aquaz’s appearance had completely transformed. She now donned golden armor that gleamed with divine radiance. In her hands, she wielded a massive mace and a towering shield. She silently adjusted her stance, her expression calm yet resolute. Ashetiaar, still grinning, extended her hand into the air. The shadows blanketing the ground rose and coalesced into her hand, forming a weapon—a hammer shaped from pure darkness. “Let’s see what you’ve got, dog of the gods,” Ashetiaar sneered. Before her words had even fully registered, Aquaz lunged forward, her feet digging into the ground with such force that dirt exploded around her. In an instant, she was directly in front of the demon. Aquaz raised her mace, and Ashetiaar, laughing gleefully, swung her dark hammer to meet the attack. Clang! Golden light and darkness collided violently, sending distorted shockwaves rippling through the air. “Ahh!” “Ugh!” The sheer force of the clash caused the surrounding people to cry out in pain. The oppressive mix of divine energy and malevolence was unbearable for ordinary humans. Only Ketal watched the battle with a delighted expression, as if it were a grand spectacle. Thud! Aquaz slammed her massive rectangular shield into the ground and charged forward like a raging boar. Ashetiaar smirked, her mocking tone cutting through the tension. “Fighting without grace? Don’t you even know the art of combat, you mindless dog?” In sync with her words, Ashetiaar spun her hammer elegantly, creating a swirling motion that obscured her form. Her graceful movements belied the immense power she wielded. Aquaz’s charge struck only empty earth. “Up here,” Ashetiaar said with a singsong tone. The demon reappeared directly above Aquaz, her hammer raised. Aquaz quickly brought up her shield, preparing for the inevitable strike. But instead of attacking, Ashetiaar gently pressed her hand against the shield. “Be crushed.” Crunch! Darkness poured from Ashetiaar’s hand, pressing down on the shield with a crushing force. The overwhelming pressure bore down on Aquaz, as if an enormous boulder were pinning her in place. “Urgh!” Aquaz groaned, her voice strained in pain. The weight of the darkness was immense, carrying tangible physical force. Ashetiaar grinned, channeling even more energy into her attack. Slowly, Aquaz’s knees began to buckle under the pressure. But then, Aquaz’s lips parted, and she whispered, “Karmanon, Chapter 2, Verse 12: The light of glory cannot be infringed.” Shiing! Light gathered into Aquaz’s mace as she gripped it tightly. With newfound determination, she charged forward once more. Ashetiaar’s expression turned serious as she swung her hammer to meet the attack. Boom! The clash of light and darkness grew fiercer. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, forcing people to the ground, unable to remain standing. The collision of these two opposing forces shook the earth and made the air tremble. Waves of energy spread out in every direction. The proximity to such a battle between light and darkness was unbearable for ordinary people. Some coughed up blood and collapsed unconscious, unable to endure the overwhelming clash of divine and malevolent forces. Only Ketal watched the scene with wide-eyed excitement. “Oooh! How magnificent!” he exclaimed. “Eek!” Hayes screamed from behind him, unable to suppress her terror. She couldn’t fathom Ketal’s calm demeanor. The sheer intensity of the divine and demonic forces was enough to shake her body and mind, making it nearly impossible to stay conscious. Yet, here he was, standing nonchalantly as if enjoying a spectacle. The battle raged on. Little by little, the demon was being pushed back. Hayes’s eyes glimmered with a faint sense of hope. Sёarᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. “I knew it!” she whispered. Aquaz wasn’t just an inquisitor of the Sun God—she was regarded as a prodigy even among her peers. If anyone could defeat the demon, it was her. However, the gap in power between them wasn’t overwhelming. Hayes realized they could confidently win the battle if someone else helped out Aquaz. And standing there was someone capable of providing that assistance. “Ketal! Can’t you help Lady Aquaz?” Hayes asked desperately. Ketal was strong. From what she had discerned, he was at least above Advanced-Level. While she couldn’t gauge the full extent of his power, the fact that he was completely unaffected by the battle’s shockwaves suggested he could meaningfully influence the fight. Ketal nodded, acknowledging her words. “It’s possible.” “Then, could you—?” “But why should I?” Ketal interrupted. “Huh?” Hayes looked up at him, startled. Ketal’s eyes remained glued to the battle, his face alight with childlike wonder. “I’ve been longing to witness such a grand fight,” he said with a grin. A servant of a god and a demon were two beings that represented the most irreconcilable forces in a fantasy world. And the two of them were clashing in front of him, denying each other’s existence and wielding their powers in an epic battle. It was a spectacle he had dreamed of even in his sleep. “Why would I interfere and ruin the fight?” he asked. “W-what?” Hayes stammered. “Of course, I do have the desire to fight a demon myself,” Ketal admitted. “But more than that, I want to watch this battle.” Hayes was at a loss for words. “Does the scripture itself grant them power, or is it just a way to channel their god’s blessing?” Ketal mused to himself, his tone more curious than serious. “If so, could I do that too? No, that’s probably not how it works. It’s likely a blessing granted to those who serve the gods. So, does that mean I could receive such a blessing if I pledged myself to the Sun God?” Ketal’s face lit up with excitement as he muttered to himself, lost in thought. Hayes could do nothing but stare at him in stunned silence.