Chapter 605: Anomaly in the demon realm 2

A situation where winning was set up to be impossible.

A choice where no matter what you did, someone you loved would be hurt.

That was Erebil’s masterpiece — tidy, cruel, and precise.

She didn’t break people with a single blow. She broke them by arranging the world so every path forward carried a wound.

Watching Snow suffer over and over was a kind of slow torture.

Each new rumor, every staged scene, every little public slight — it settled into her like frost.

I wanted so badly to snap the whole thing in two, to hunt Erebil down and end her.

There were nights I almost stood and did it, knife in hand, heart racing.

But the truth sat cold and heavy in my chest: attacking Erebil directly would only make the price higher, and Snow would pay for it.

Even in the quiet of her pain, though, I believed in her. I always have. I know Snow better than anyone.

I know how she curls up inside herself, how she steels her hands and keeps walking when the world wants her to fall.

That knowledge — that stubborn, ugly, beautiful certainty — is why I stayed. I endured the cruelty because I trusted her to survive it.

I trusted her to turn the pain into something like armor.

“Looks like I lost in our little game…” Erebil said, her voice soft as she leaned on the balcony rail.

She still wore Sophiel’s face, still had that careless tilt to her smile, but her eyes were the cold of midnight.

The sun was sliding down behind the city when she spoke; the glow painted everything gold and orange, and for a second it looked almost peaceful.

She turned to me then, folding her arms. “Very well,” she said. “Keep your promises, and so will I. Your rewards will stay with you. Your little fiancé will live. I won’t interfere until the day I said I would.”

She said it like a queen giving an order — and you could hear she meant it.

I don’t think she lied. Erebil is darkness wrapped in silk, but she understands bargains.

She honors the terms that amuse her. That makes her more dangerous, not less.

Still, hearing those words didn’t lift the worry I had for her…

Right now, Snow’s consciousness should be drifting back into her body — slowly.

Erebil had mentioned that our little “game” distorted time, slowed it down — maybe even stopped it completely in the real world.

Meaning, not much had passed out there while we were trapped in her twisted version of reality.

I let out a slow breath, but my voice came sharper than I intended.

“What about the demon you sent after Snow?”

Erebil tilted her head, feigning innocence. “Hmm~ whatever could you be talking about?”

“You didn’t think I wouldn’t notice that wretched energy he carried, did you?” I shot back, eyes narrowing.

She laughed softly, the sound airy and cruel. “Oh, I knew you’d notice. But really, what do you expect me to do about it?”

“You guaranteed her safe return to me.”

“Hmm, to specify~” — she raised a finger, smirking — “all I guaranteed was her heart and soul, my dear. And even that was only because I was feeling generous. The rest — her body, her surroundings, that mortal shell you’re so attached to — those were just… bonuses. Extras. I quite like you, after all. But let’s not pretend I owe you anything more than that.”

Her words were like honey poured over broken glass — sweet, but cutting. And I could tell she wasn’t lying.

“Guaranteeing the safety of her heart and soul,” I said quietly, forcing my voice to stay level, “includes her physical safety. If you won’t deal with Asmodeus, I will.”

Erebil’s smile twitched — not in amusement, but in warning.

“You really do love beating around the edges, don’t you?” she purred, stepping closer.

Her eyes gleamed with that strange, shifting red that never stayed still.

“If you’re worried that I’m protecting Asmodeus — don’t. That pathetic worm isn’t worth my attention. I only used him because he was amusing for a moment.”

She leaned on the balcony rail beside me, gazing out at the sunset like she hadn’t just admitted to setting a demon loose on the woman I loved. “No, my dear Riley,” she murmured, her tone turning almost playful again.

“You should stop worrying about your lover’s safety,” Erebil said, her voice curling with that sickly-sweet amusement of hers. “Trust me, she’s much safer than you realize. I can guarantee that~”

The world around us began to fall apart.

SHZZZZLLEE—

Like glass fracturing under unseen pressure, the scenery of my dorm balcony splintered, pieces of light and shadow peeling away into nothingness.

Erebil’s form wavered.

Her body — or rather, the illusion of it — cracked open in thin lines of black fire until she was nothing more than a shape, a silhouette of darkness that shouldn’t exist.

Yet she still walked closer, her movements smooth and deliberate.

When she stopped right in front of me, that shapeless shadow smiled.

I could feel it — that cold amusement — even though she had no mouth to show it.

Her hand, faintly shimmering like liquid night, reached out and brushed my cheek.

“I know I lost our little game,” she said softly, her tone dripping with mock sweetness. “But it was really fun~” A soft, echoing giggle followed. “Care to play another one with me after I truly arrive? I must admit, I quite enjoyed our time together. Your kisses were… far more passionate than I imagined.”

I clenched my jaw. “You forced me to—”

“Shush~” she whispered, pressing a dark finger to my lips. “Details aren’t needed in moments like this.”

Her hand began to rise again, as if she meant to caress my lips once more, but I caught it midair — firm, refusing. “I’ve had enough of your games,” I said flatly. “Do me a favor and don’t return. Forever, if possible.”

“….”

“…”

For a moment, there was silence. Then that haunting, melodic chuckle escaped her again.

“Fufu~ that, I’m afraid, I cannot do, little light,” she whispered, her voice fading like smoke. “You’re much too… delicious to ignore.”

So, her interest in me really was way worse than I imagined…

“Now then,” Erebil purred, her voice dripping with that same teasing calm that always seemed to slither into my head. “Before I go, let me tell you a little truth about this world. As much as you claim to want nothing to do with me, I’m sure this will still pique your interest, correct?”

Her tone carried that same dangerous amusement that always preceded trouble.

Slowly, I nodded — partly out of curiosity, partly out of unease.

She smiled, satisfied. “Good boy.”

Then she raised her hand and pointed at me.

The space around her fingertip shimmered, and the air behind me started to warp.

“In the end,” she said, “you’ll be left with two choices…”

“…What?” I frowned. “What do you mean—”

Before I could finish, the world cracked.

KRSHHH!

It was like watching glass break in slow motion — the space behind me splitting apart, bending inward until a massive hole tore open in the fabric of reality itself.

Through it, I saw another world.

A wasteland.

Jagged, dead mountains clawed toward a red, bruised sky.

The air shimmered with heat and smoke, and rivers of molten magma snaked through blackened valleys.

The ground pulsed faintly, bleeding with crimson light.

And far beyond — perched upon a fractured peak — stood a massive obsidian castle, its towers twisted like black thorns stabbing into the heavens.

The scent of sulfur and blood hit me instantly. I knew this place.

Of course I did.

It was the same world… the same infernal landscape from the game.

Asmodeus’s realm.

Erebil’s voice slithered through the heavy heat of the vision.

“Fufu~ I see you recognize it,” she cooed, clearly amused by the way my body tensed. “Consider this an extra little gift from me, little light. A peek behind the veil, if you will.”

She leaned closer, her tone dropping to a whisper.

“Do whatever you please with this knowledge. But remember… gifts from gods — or demons — are never free.”

Before I knew it—

reality shattered.

The world around me broke apart like splintering glass, every color bleeding into black, until my feet found solid ground again.

When my vision steadied, I realized I was standing inside a vast, obsidian hall — dimly lit by flickering violet flames lining tall stone pillars.

The air was heavy, thick with the scent of brimstone and sin. Shadows slithered across the walls like living things.

At the far end of the chamber, a throne carved of jagged bone loomed beneath a mural of chained angels and burning skies.

“…Where… am I?” I muttered under my breath, already knowing the answer.

“Hmm~?”

A sultry voice echoed behind me — smooth, lilting, and dangerously amused.

I turned just as she stepped into the faint light.

A woman — or rather, a demoness — with skin the color of dusk and long crimson hair that shimmered like liquid fire.

Two elegantly curved horns adorned her head, and a spaded tail swayed lazily behind her, flicking like that of a cat who’d found something curious.

Her golden eyes glowed faintly, tracing over me with the kind of interest that made my skin crawl.

“Oh my,” she purred, her lips curling into a playful smirk. “And who might this be? A human? How strange…”

She tilted her head slightly, the sharp points of her fangs glinting when she smiled wider.

“Tell me, little one — are you one of papa’s new toys?”

The casual mention nearly made me laugh.

So Erebil hadn’t been lying — she truly didn’t care about Asmodeus or his wretched realm.

I let a small, humorless smile tug at my lips.

Her eyes lit up, misinterpreting the look.

“My, my~ so tense,” she teased, stepping closer with deliberate slowness. “Don’t worry, darling. This kind big sister will help you loosen up a bit. You’ll enjoy it here much more if you just—”

She reached out, fingertips glowing faintly with dark magic as they neared my face—

And then her hand disintegrated.

SSHHHH!

Her skin evaporated into dust the instant it touched the air around me, dissolving like mist against the sun. Her playful smirk twisted into a scream.

“AHHHHH—!!”

Before the sound could even finish echoing, I moved.

In one step, my hand was over her mouth — silencing her completely.

Her wide eyes reflected only horror now.

The air around us rippled as a surge of pure divinity burst outward, light devouring shadow, reality trembling beneath the pressure of my existence.

And in that moment… I felt it.

Tens of thousands — no, millions — of life signatures all around, flaring one after another across the infernal realm.

Demons. Armies. Warlords. Monsters of all shapes and strengths — all converging and coming here.

Did hurting that girl trigger some kind of distress signal?

I could feel the pulse of demonic energy ripple out from her body like a heartbeat—one that didn’t belong to her alone.

How Convenient.

Although Erebil was an evil goddess through and through, I had to admit she’d been… oddly generous with her “gifts.”

The power within the demoness’ form writhed violently in my grasp, her aura flaring crimson and black as she tried to resist me.

The energy inside her surged, trying to call out—to warn the others, perhaps even Asmodeus himself.

But before she could finish that thought—

[Conceptual Oblivion] [Activated]

In the next instant, her entire presence—her essence, her power, even her scream—began to fade.

Her eyes widened in confusion as her energy was devoured by the concept itself, erased from the foundation of existence.

She tried to summon her magic of lust, threads of violet light swirling around her in desperate defiance.

[System Notice: Foreign Will Interference Detected]

[Countermeasure Active: Complete Nullification]

A faint hum filled the room as the last of her charm magic dissolved like smoke in the air.

“For the daughter of Asmodeus…” I muttered, watching her tremble. “…you’re quite pathetic.”

[Passive Authority: Unreality Field — Stabilization Failed]

Reality itself seemed to waver around me, her body flickering in and out of coherence as the passive effect of my authority tore away the rules holding her form together.

“W-Who… who are you—?!” she gasped, her voice breaking apart. “Papa—help—”

I tilted my head slightly. The silence in my tone cut sharper than any blade.

“Don’t worry…” I said calmly, almost conversationally. “…all demons here will die.”

[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]

[THE ANOMALY HAS SPOKEN THE TRUTH]

[THE UNIVERSE LISTENED]

The world itself seemed to shudder in acknowledgment.

My divinity erupted—raw and unbound—as the surrounding space fractured into lines of white and black light.

From that luminous storm, Valeria, my sword, manifested—its dark edge wrapped in living shadow, the steel whispering like a sentient thing hungry for blood.

The demoness tried to retreat, but there was nowhere left for her to run.

My hand closed around her skull.

A single crack echoed across the hall—then silence.

Her body fell limp, headless, dissolving into frost and ash before it even hit the floor.

I turned without a glance, letting Valeria’s aura flare outward, burning what remained of her existence into nothing.

“Now then…” I murmured, rolling my shoulders as the overwhelming number of demonic signatures filled my awareness like stars in a black sky. “Since I’ve already been dropped here, I might as well make use of this experience hotspot.”

I chuckled faintly. “Maybe I shouldn’t have killed his daughter too quickly.

She could’ve been useful bait.”

Disappointment flickered through me, but it faded quickly.

I raised my sword, and as the black divine energy surged around me like a storm, my body began to blur—light and shadow intertwining, existence and nonexistence merging.

And then—

I moved.

The halls of the Demon King’s fortress filled with screams and thunder as I cut through every demon that dared to appear.

Each swing of Valeria unmade the world around it, leaving only silence and cold oblivion in its wake.

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