Belphegor had corrupted countless people.
That’s why she knew exactly how to exploit a person’s weakness.
And in her eyes, the Saint’s greatest vulnerability was his soft, unstable ntal state.
He was never soone who was psychologically prepared to carry around concepts like “Saint” or “Demon Lord of Lust.”
He was being crushed by things far too big for him—things he hadn’t even chosen to carry.
To Belphegor, he was just a man who’d be perfectly content living quietly with a few won he loved and a decent job.
So Belphegor structured her persuasion strategy into three points:
Convince the Saint that he can lay down his burden right now.
Stoke his anger at the Pantheon to form a shared sense of betrayal.
Persuade him that if he just takes their hand, he won’t have to fear death or hell anymore.
And in this persuasion plan, Kanya and Belia weren’t even considered factors.
The Saint and Kanya had only known each other a few days.
Even counting ti as it passed in the outside world, their entire relationship amounted to—at most—four days.
anwhile, the Saint’s suffering had lasted well over a year.
He had personally received curses—basically death sentences—from evil gods, had been dragged around under a title he never wanted, and had endured the emotional hell of it all.
That’s why Belphegor never once considered the possibility that the Saint would reject her proposal because of Kanya.
No matter how you looked at it, it just didn’t make logical sense. He couldn’t possibly be that stupid.
But what Belphegor overlooked was this:
“I hate the Pantheon. That’s a fact. But even so, wiping them all out... I don’t think that’s right. They have their roles to play too. And I don’t want Kanya to be destroyed.”
—was that the man standing before her was, unfortunately, incredibly stupid.
No.
More accurately, he was so deeply compassionate toward the weak that it looked stupid.
Belphegor was montarily at a loss for words.
“[The Pantheon said they’d send you to hell. You’re throwing away your chance to defeat them?]”
She tried bringing up his anger again.
But his answer didn’t change.
“That was probably the best they could do from their perspective. And honestly... I don’t want Lust to awaken in my soul either. I hate them, yeah. But I believe they were just doing what they thought was their duty.”
“[Don’t you want to lay down this crushing burden?]”
Belphegor tried to push on his stress and exhaustion.
But—
“Exactly. And that’s why I can’t take your hand.”
For her final attempt, Belphegor tried to tempt him with his deepest desire.
“[This is your chance to live happily with the won you love. Why always assu the worst? If you side with Hell, you’ll be able to control everything the way you want. Why reject this simple, easy path? Amayel? If you refuse now, you’ll keep dragging around this pain and misery forever. Nothing will go the way you want. Just like now.]”
She looked up at Amayel almost pleadingly.
“[Take my hand, Jericho Amayel. The fears, the worries, the countless sufferings you’ve borne simply because you’re human... The endless trials that ca with wielding overwhelming power—they’ll all disappear. Think of the three won you love. Picture a peaceful life with them. That’s your wish, isn’t it?]”
Belphegor desperately wanted Amayel to take her hand.
If he did, everything would beco simple.
Asmodeus would return to Pandemonium.
The weak-willed Pantheon and that insect in the Abyss would no longer be able to defy Hell.
That beautiful future was now just inches away.
All Amayel had to do was reach out.
And everything would co true.
“I can’t.”
But once again, Amayel refused.
Belphegor felt like she was going insane from frustration.
If it weren’t for Asmodeus, she’d have already used mind control or brainwashing—any of her divine powers.
But she was limited to words alone.
And it was driving her mad.
“[Why? Why the hell are you making such a foolish choice? ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Why deliberately take the hard road?!]”
She burst out, an incredulous, bitter mix of rage and disbelief in her voice.
And then Amayel answered—and it made her even more exasperated.
“If Kanya’s left to suffer while I get to be happy... then what’s the point? I’d feel awful. I don’t want happiness that tramples over soone else’s misery.”
Belphegor stared at him.
Then pushed her hand forward again.
This ti, there was a grim determination in her eyes.
“[Fine. Then I’ll exclude Kanya and the Goddess of War within her. I won’t kill them. So will you take my hand now?]”
“Sorry. I just don’t trust you. Compared to your sugar-coated lies... the Pantheon’s hell-threats sound a lot more honest. That’s why I’m still here.”
“[Amayel. Why... Why are you doing this? There’s a path right in front of you. Easy. Simple. Don’t you see? The Pantheon is no better than us. They act for their own selfish gain too.]”
“Even if that’s true, it doesn’t change anything. I’ve t the Pantheon’s followers. And I’ve t yours. And I’ve decided... theirs are better. They’re flawed—but at least they want to do what’s right. That’s more than I can say for you.”
Anger slowly crept into Amayel’s eyes.
“Your followers tortured an innocent family. Killed the parents in front of their child. Then shoved Belia’s divinity into that baby’s body. And for over a decade, you made sure that child never knew happiness—just to ‘train’ Belia. That’s why I can’t trust you.”
“[You think the Pantheon hasn’t done things just as vile? Should I tell you what the god of secrets and darkness, Le-Nerhi, did?]”
“I don’t care. I hate the Pantheon. But I don’t want them all dead. I don’t want their followers to fall into despair. That’s why I’m not siding with you. You did sothing unforgivable to Kanya.”
Finally, Belphegor snapped.
“[She’s just one girl! Amayel!! You’ve completely lost your priorities!! This is your life on the line! Why can’t you make the better choice?! You’ve only known her for four days! Four damn days!!]”
“Because it’s the right thing to do.”
“[...The right thing?]”
“Yeah. Because it’s right.”
Belphegor stepped back.
She laughed.
Laughed out of disbelief and fury.
“[You’re seriously... You’re an idiot. You’re dumber than I ever imagined.]”
Amayel laughed too.
“I know. But hey, I was born this way. What can you do?”
Belphegor turned away, heading back to her place.
“[Forget it. Let’s do it the old-fashioned way. That one’s the dumbest Saint or Saintess I’ve ever dealt with.]”
“[So you did waste our ti!! Belphegor!!]”
Satan roared, his voice echoing with rage.
Belphegor rubbed the back of her neck in irritation.
“[Yeah, yeah. Just start. Right now.]”
At that, Leviathan strode forward.
The stones around her feet began to shake violently.
The Saint took a step back, trembling.
Seeing him recoil made Leviathan burst into laughter.
“[Co on out, Asmodeus. Descend into the mortal realm. If you don’t, your precious, precious Amayel is going to die.]”
Giggling, Leviathan casually waved her hand.
That one little gesture sliced the ground.
Like a massive blade had passed through, sothing sharp gouged into the earth and shot straight at Amayel.
And in that mont—when it looked like his body would be split in two—
A brilliant light erupted from Amayel’s body.
The energy Leviathan had unleashed was instantly deflected, flowing away like water.
Leviathan clapped her hands and howled with laughter.
“[It’s been a while, Asmodeus!!]”
Slowly—
A colossal form made of radiant light began to materialize behind Amayel.
****
I didn’t pass out.
No—
The real problem was that I didn’t pass out.
There’s a reason divine beings are called divine.
Ignoring that little girl’s persuasion was fine and all, but the mont the three Demon Lords changed their stance and began attacking , I couldn’t keep my head straight.
Every word they spoke—
Every flicker of intent was a weapon in itself.
Just hearing their voices made it feel like my soul was splintering apart.
In that mont—when even staying conscious was agony—the anorexic woman hurled sothing at , and soon after, sothing invisible yet unmistakably sinister tore through the ground and flew straight toward .
Sohow, I knew instinctively: I couldn’t dodge it, couldn’t block it.
There was nothing I could do.
I reflexively raised my arm—and just then—
That ominous force heading my way bounced off and vanished.
And once again, with animal certainty,
I knew—
Sothing massive had appeared behind .
I squinted, wincing at the blinding light, and slowly turned my head back.
Sothing enormous.
Sothing beyond words.
Sothing that wasn’t just big, but heavy—imnse in a way that defied logic—was standing at my back.
Inside that radiant glow, what I saw was...
“...Gigachad?”
A man with a chiseled face and massive, mountainous muscles.
I muttered that na in a daze, and Gigachad looked down at .
“[Been a while, Saint Spitty.]”
And the mont I heard that voice, the anorexic woman cackled.
“[Long ti no see, Asmodeus!!]”
That made my confusion spiral even harder.
Gigachad... is Asmodeus?
The being who sotis appeared in my dreams, comforting , wrapping in warmth—that was Asmodeus??
No, no, no, that can’t be right.
Why the hell would the Demon Lord of Lust comfort ?
There’s no reason she would.
While I was still caught in that chaos—
The earth shook, like an earthquake had struck.
At the sa ti, Gigachad groaned in pain.
Slowly, the form of the muscular man I knew began to break apart.
And then, from his back, eight wings burst out.
“[Saint Spitty!... I didn’t want to scare you, so I took on a form you’d find familiar. But those bastards... I can’t hold them off without showing my real body.]”
The bearded man’s form vanished completely.
And standing in his place was...
“Lady Lilia?!”
What stood before now—with eight wings spreading from her back—was the exact sa face as the holy Goddess Lilia I’d always seen at the temple of the Magic Tower.
My brain short-circuited even harder.
No—hold on.
Wait.
It was already shocking enough that Gigachad was female, but now Asmodeus was showing up with the face of the Goddess of Grace...?
What the hell is going on?
What is this?
Seriously, what the fuck is going on?!
“[Fucking Lucifer!!...]”
That horrifying clank of tal rang out—
Gigachad... no, Asmodeus... fuck this is confusing—
Asmodeus, wearing the face of the Goddess of Grace, flinched as her left wing trembled violently.
And at the sa ti, the anorexic woman and the hulking man began charging at us with terrifying speed.
“[Proceed as planned. Belphegor! You handle the corruption.]”
“[We’ll take care of Asmodeus. Don’t screw up, Sloth.]”
As the two closed in, Talhaim’s Rock Mountain scread like a dying beast.
Boulders shattered, rolled, exploded under the pressure.
“[Saint... Spitty...]”
The anorexic woman and the massive man each grabbed one of Asmodeus’s arms.
Caught in the collision of divine forces far beyond my grasp, I was utterly helpless.
The sheer pressure—even though I couldn’t see it—felt like it would shatter my soul where I stood.
I could hardly breathe as I watched Asmodeus lock horns with the two other godlike beings.
“[Amayel. You should’ve just taken my hand when I asked nicely. You really made go the long, complicated way, didn’t you?]”
The little girl strolled right up in front of .
“[Don’t worry. It’ll be quick. My brainwashing is smooth and painless. You won’t even rember who you were. Sha, though. If you’d just grabbed my hand earlier... you could’ve kept your sense of self.]”
Black energy pooled in the child’s hand.
Slowly—
That hand began reaching for .
“[Saint Spit!!... Amayel!!]”
Asmodeus’s anguished scream rang out.
“[Command !!... Give a command!!]”
Still—
None of this made any damn sense.
Why does Lust have the sa face as the Goddess Lilia?
Why are two Demon Lords restraining the Demon Lord of Lust?
Aren’t they supposed to be on the sa team?
And brainwashing?!
Are they going to make like Kanya?
I don’t want that.
If you’re gonna destroy my soul, just do it. But brainwashing?
There were too many questions—but no ti left to ask them.
“[Goodbye.]”
The little girl’s pitch-black hand flew toward my head.
And at that exact mont—
A brilliant white chain materialized in my right hand.
****
[Skill: Ti-Stop — Now Usable.]
[Skill: Body Modification — Now Usable.]
[All skills have leveled to maximum.]
[All ntal and physical restrictions on skill usage have been lifted.]
The girl’s hand froze, midair.
Just that hand—frozen in ti.
A localized ti-stop, directed only at her hand.
“[...You!! That chain!!...]”
The little girl shrieked in horror.
I didn’t wait.
I threw my fist straight into her.
Honestly, I’d overdone the body mods this ti—more than a little—but my body held together without a scratch.
The punch, traveling faster than the speed of sound, detonated with a sonic boom, and the little girl’s body was flung away like a bullet—slamming hard into the distant ground.
I looked down at my hand.
The white chain was tightly wrapped around it like a knuckle-duster.
“[Amayel. Finally!!...]”
Asmodeus’s joyous voice called out from behind .
“[Command !]”
I wrapped the chain tighter around my hand like a makeshift brass knuckle and gave the order.
“I don’t know what the hell is going on, but this ti we’re forming a temporary alliance. Asmodeus. I need the strength to beat the shit out of these bastards.”
And Asmodeus obeyed my command in the most direct and unambiguous way possible.
A colossal beam of light crashed down from the heavens to the earth.
Sothing I’d never seen before—not because it wasn’t real, but because I’d been unconscious when it happened.
They called it the Miracle of the Scrap Yard.
And now—
I was seeing it with my own eyes.
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