"AHHH! AHHHH!"
The girls' screams rang out, raw and broken, echoing through the pitch-black chamber. Diodora's face twisted in rage as he brought the whip down again and again, each strike fueled by humiliation.
He'd lost. Again. After all the pain, all the effort, his battle for revenge had ended in defeat.
The Gremory affair had made Tenra Kamiyo a legend, while Diodora had become a laughingstock. His father, the family head, had torn into him. Demon King Ajuka had sent a scathing rebuke. Even the clan elders were questioning his worth as heir.
Rage flooded him, twisting into something monstrous. Diodora's soul, already steeped in darkness, finally snapped.
Father, Ajuka, all of them—damn them! Not one could be trusted!
"Lord Diodora, please… forgive us…"
Semellia, bloodied and pale, begged for mercy.
But Diodora only sneered, swinging the whip harder.
"AHHHHH!"
With a final scream, Semellia's body went limp—she'd passed out from the pain.
No matter how much he lashed them, the girls no longer responded. Diodora looked like a vengeful specter, head thrown back as he howled at the ceiling.
"AHHHHHHHH…"
"TENRA KAMIYO!"
It was all his fault. That bastard had ruined everything.
Unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable.
"Lost to a nobody who can't even awaken his bloodline, and now you're left raging in the dark like a mad dog."
"How pathetic, Diodora Astaroth."
A mocking voice cut through the gloom. A tall woman stepped from the shadows, her eyes glinting.
"What do you want now?"
Diodora's howl died. He glared at her, cold and wary.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to invite you—again."
"So, have you thought it over? Join us, and you'll wield the power of the 'Snake.' Sirzechs, Tenra Kamiyo—they'll mean nothing. You'll decide who lives and who dies."
She spread her fingers, and a small black snake shimmered into existence, her smile all cruel amusement.
Diodora's eyes narrowed, uncertain.
This wasn't her first visit. The offer was tempting—too tempting. But to accept meant turning against the entire Underworld. Even Diodora hesitated.
But then he remembered Sirzechs' condescending gaze, Tenra's victory, the pain and shame burning inside him. His last scrap of reason crumbled.
Revenge was all that mattered. If he had to become an enemy of the Underworld, so be it.
"Give it to me."
His voice was low, savage.
The woman's smile widened. She flicked her wrist, and the black snake shot forward, burrowing into Diodora's chest.
"AHHH! AHHHH!"
His body convulsed, face contorted in agony.
It hurt—worse than anything. But beneath the pain, power surged. Raw, intoxicating power.
"I gave you a little extra. Be grateful, Diodora. Hehehe…"
"Power. More power! I want it all!"
"Sirzechs, Tenra Kamiyo—you'll pay!"
"AHHHHH!"
Mocking laughter and screams of agony tangled together, weaving a symphony of madness in the darkness.
Human World, Night, Kuoh Town
"Hah… hah…"
A middle-aged man in a windbreaker staggered down an empty street, gasping for breath. Terror and fury warred on his face—he was running for his life.
Whoosh—
"Ah!"
Two spears of light shot from the shadows, piercing his legs. He collapsed, howling in pain.
"You've got nowhere left to run, Father."
Raynare, Mittelt, and Kalawarner descended from above, black wings unfurled. Their beauty was chilling, edged with malice.
Despair twisted the man's features.
"Tell me, Father, why did you have to snitch? Wouldn't it have been easier to just join us?"
Raynare crouched beside him, her voice playful and cruel. She tapped his forehead with a feather, eyes glinting.
"Damned heretics. Damned fallen angels. I'll never join you devil-worshippers!"
He spat the words, trembling but defiant.
Even now, with death looming, he wouldn't bow to evil.
Raynare's smile faded. She straightened.
"If that's your answer—"
"You can die."
Her tone was icy. She conjured a spear of light and drove it through his heart.
If he couldn't serve her master, he was worthless. No one would stand in the way of her master's ambition.
"You… you…"
The man stared at Raynare, reaching for something—anything—but his eyes glazed over, and he went still.
Raynare snorted, kicking the corpse aside.
"You didn't have to kill him."
A shimmer of light, and Queen Undine materialized, water swirling around her. Pure and gentle, she couldn't stomach Raynare's cruelty.
"He was useless to Master. Better to get rid of trash quickly. That's how fallen angels operate. If you've got a problem, take it up with Master."
Raynare stretched, utterly unconcerned. Then she turned to Mittelt and Kalawarner.
"Go retrieve the [Codex]."
"Yes, Lady Raynare."
Terrified of her growing darkness, the two hurried to the corpse, retrieving the [Codex of Divinitas et Diabolus] and handing it over.
Raynare nodded, satisfied. She snapped her fingers, summoning a vortex of light. Without another glance at Undine, she stepped through with her followers.
Undine frowned, but said nothing. With a wave, she dissolved the body and erased every trace, then faded into the night.
A gentle breeze swept the street. Silence returned, as though nothing had ever happened.
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