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A fragmented Hell Dimension.
Satana Hellstrom walked across a desolate, sulfur-smelling land.
Although she could have easily teleported directly to Marduk Kurios's palace, to complete the task Karl assigned, she patiently took a long detour around the border.
Every so often, she would pluck a bead from the colorful bracelet on her wrist and toss it into an inconspicuous spot.
She only stopped when she had but one bead left on her hand.
She couldn't discard this one, as it was needed to maintain contact with Karl.
"Hmph, ever since I was little, besides that scoundrel of a father, no one has ever dared to order me to do such a time-consuming and arduous task..."
"But the thought that one day, that man might personally kill my scoundrel of a father and then take over this Hell, just makes me uncontrollably excited... I truly hope that day comes soon!"
Looking at the towering palace in the distance, a slightly morbid and deranged smile appeared on Satana Hellstrom's exquisite face, which was capable of charming all beings.
Before long, she arrived at the black palace, which was built with the giant sternum of some unknown, ancient race as its core keel.
"Stop, who are you?"
A squad of Demon warriors guarding the gate raised their weapons, blocking the half-demoness's path.
However.
Their response was the Hellfire rising from Satana Hellstrom's palm!!
Whoosh—
All the Demon warriors were instantly engulfed by the Hellfire, then quickly reduced to ashes!
As Children of Satan, the Hellstrom siblings inherently possessed the special ability to freely use Hellfire.
However, because Satana Hellstrom inherited more demonic blood, her control over Hellfire was far superior to her brother's.
But just as Karl could only use Hellfire after transforming into his Spirit Form, the Hellstrom siblings also had to revert to their "half-demon form" before they could wield this innate, extraordinary power.
And now, the Daughter of Satan, in Hell, seemed to be in her element, slaughtering the Demon soldiers in the palace with Hellfire, even when outnumbered, and enjoying every moment of it.
Even if some soldiers recognized her identity and silently retreated to the side, they still couldn't escape the fate of being burned to ash by the raging Fire.
Satana Hellstrom seemed to greatly enjoy the sensory stimulation brought by the Carnage, giggling incessantly along the way.
It wasn't until a familiar yet strange voice echoed from the main hall ahead that the smile on her face gradually disappeared.
"Look who's back? What a privilege to witness the return of a daughter in her rebellious phase?"
At the end of the hall, Satan Marduk Kurios sat idly on his throne, propping his head with his right hand, his pair of dark and massive wings draped like a cloak from both sides to the ground.
Although he had long sensed his daughter wantonly slaughtering the soldiers in the palace, he had no intention of intervening.
It wasn't that he doted on Satana Hellstrom so much.
Rather, he had as many Demon warriors as he wanted under his command, and he didn't care how many of them died.
So, he naturally couldn't be bothered to intervene.
"I think you should know why I'm back..."
Satana Hellstrom crossed her arms over her chest, supporting her heavy bust, her face still wearing that arrogant expression.
She was too lazy to put on a show of "filial piety."
Because such low-level tactics would never deceive the cunning old man in front of her.
Only by being "real" now could she make him lower his guard.
Old man, just watch me manipulate you!
"Heh heh, really? Then let me guess..."
Marduk Kurios looked down at his daughter, his expression playful, and said, "You wouldn't be here for the Truce Agreement, would you?"
"That's right."
Satana Hellstrom openly jutted out her neck, coupled with the look of disdain on her face, immediately giving off the impression of a rebellious daughter bullying her old father.
Sure enough.
Upon seeing this, Marduk Kurios not only didn't get angry but burst into hearty laughter, "Speak, my daughter, what do you wish to know?"
"You're not even going to ask how I got the information?"
Satana Hellstrom pouted suspiciously, "And I don't believe you'd tell me the news so easily... That's not your usual style!"
"Hahaha, my dear child, do you not trust your father at all now?"
Marduk Kurios's smile grew even wider, "Besides your useless brother, who likes to consider himself human and always goes against me, I really can't think of anyone else who could persuade a cruel and unruly Daughter of Satan to come here to inquire about information?"
"I understand you and your brother better than anyone... It's just a pity that your brother is determined to go his own way, so the only one who can inherit my mantle and take over this Hell is you... Satana!!"
Who would have thought that Satana Hellstrom wouldn't appreciate it at all, instead urging impatiently, "Hmph, just speak, don't dilly-dally and beat around the bush."
"Alright, alright."
Marduk Kurios slowly stood up, pacing towards the large window, and explained with a smile:
"Actually, you don't need to be suspicious, because even if I tell you the entire plan, you and Daimon simply won't be able to stop what's going to happen."
"So, where should I start... I presume you already know the meaning of the Truce Agreement, but what I want to tell you is that I was actually present on the day the Truce Agreement was made."
"At that time, I was still following My Lord Lucifer, and all of us were filled with rebellious fervor, but after our defeat, My Lord Lucifer, despite everyone's objections, resolutely chose to agree to the demands of the Truce Agreement... And then he voluntarily relinquished the title of Satan and has been missing ever since."
"Hmph, I don't want to know about your past, nor do I care what your old superior did back then."
Satana Hellstrom sniffed, interrupting unpleasantly, "I just want to know if those thirty silver coins can really kill a Seraph?!"
"Of course."
Marduk Kurios nodded noncommittally, his face filled with reminiscence as he said:
"Presumably, in the eyes of most people, Judas was a shameless traitor who abandoned righteousness for gain... But if viewed from his perspective, perhaps he was the one who was betrayed!"
"He thought the person he had faithfully followed all along was a true leader, a martyr who could end the tyranny and oppression of the Roman Empire... But in the end, he was dismayed to discover that he had only been following a weak and incompetent preacher."
"And after his suicide, his corrupted soul completely tainted those silver coins, constantly yearning for revenge... You see, betrayal and revenge are like two sides of the same coin; only the subtlest boundary can separate them."
"Actually, I had been eyeing these silver coins for a long time, but I never knew their whereabouts until that presumptuous human Black Wizard discovered them!"
"So, to answer your question from earlier... Yes, weapons forged from those 'sin silver' can not only kill a Seraph, but even Fallen Angels like myself cannot escape their power."
At this point, a sinister smile suddenly appeared on his face, and he stared intently at the half-demoness, warning her:
"But I advise you and your brother not to even think about those 'sin silver'; I won't give you a chance to assassinate me..."
"Because once that Black Wizard assassinates the Angel of Heaven, Heaven will automatically trigger its 'safeguard mechanism' and permanently close the portal to Earth. By then... no one will be able to stop my Hell army from sweeping across Earth!!"
Marduk Kurios's gaze gradually shifted to the ground below the palace.
There, a vast, dark army of Demons was meticulously assembling.
This Demon army was vastly different from the "Night Parade of a Hundred Demons" orchestrated by Demon Lord Lilith on Belle Isle previously, in terms of quantity, scale, and combat power!
Judging by numbers alone, there were at least several hundred thousand of them!
And these Demons all belonged to his Flame Legion, with the Commander naturally being Marduk Kurios's most trusted Demon Lord, Bruise.
If everything went smoothly, in a little over ten hours, it would be the Flame Legion's shining moment to make their grand appearance.
Looking at his daughter beside him, whose face was slightly pale, whether from being shocked by the "truth" or by the Flame Legion assembling below... Marduk Kurios couldn't be happier.
He immediately burst into triumphant laughter.
"How about it, aren't you scared by this old man's plan and methods? Are you starting to revere me as your father now?"
"To achieve this plan, I've invested a great deal of effort and waited countless years. Now... only the last piece of the puzzle remains, a perfect scapegoat!"
Although the half-demoness had already learned the inside story from Karl and her brother Daimon, she still feigned disbelief and said, "Wait, are you saying... that Black Wizard Necrodamus?!"
"That's right."
Marduk Kurios chuckled triumphantly, "No matter the era, humanity's lowly ambitions always help me achieve my goals..."
"And that foolish and greedy Black Wizard, in order to obtain that dark book · fragment from me, is still tirelessly working, even though he knows I am using him."
"Are you so confident that your plan will definitely succeed?"
Satana Hellstrom extended a fair finger, idly twirling the sparkling bead on her wrist, and narrowed her beautiful eyes, saying:
"Perhaps my brother will think of a way, or find some powerful ally to disrupt your plan?"
"Hahaha, with that useless little runt Daimon?!"
Marduk Kurios let out a disdainful snort from his nose, then looked at his daughter and said nonchalantly:
"All you can do now is grab a front-row seat and quietly enjoy my performance; you can't do anything else..."
"Don't forget, no matter how much you refuse to admit it, you are still my children. No one will believe the words of a pair of Children of Satan, and no one dares to directly oppose Satan!!"
"Alright, I've told you all the inside information you wanted. You can go back and inform your brother now."
In Marduk Kurios's view, his daughter must have been sent back by his son Daimon to sound him out.
After all, that rebellious and unfilial son's favorite pastime was to contradict him.
However, such an action precisely indicated that they had not found any substantial clues so far.
Otherwise, this information could have been obtained from Necrodamus.
And just as he had said, there were only a dozen or so hours left until the Truce Agreement began.
Even if he told them the answer directly, they would be powerless to change anything.
Marduk Kurios had that much confidence.
Heh heh, you think you can take me down with such meager tactics?
You're still too green!
"Hmph, I won't."
But who would have thought, Satana Hellstrom, at this moment, raised her head and said indignantly, "Brother is just like you, both are scoundrels who only use me. I won't tell him the news."
This answer clearly surprised Marduk Kurios, who asked with some uncertainty, "Then what are you going to do...?"
"Tsk, didn't you just say you wanted us to watch your performance?"
The half-demoness snorted, stating with a proud look, "I'm staying here to see if your plan can actually succeed!"
"Good, you truly are my good child."
Marduk Kurios's face showed a hint of satisfaction. He reached out his large hand, wanting to pat his daughter's head as a sign of joy.
But the rebellious half-demoness directly dodged, so he could only awkwardly wave his hand towards the assembling army below, saying passionately:
"Ahem... Now, let us, father and daughter, witness that moment together!"
"Then, shall we make a bet? I have a feeling you might lose very badly this time."
Satana Hellstrom narrowed her beautiful eyes like a lazy Persian cat, a curve of unknown meaning slowly appearing at the corner of her lips.
Old man, you didn't expect this, did you?
The perfect plan you considered impregnable has actually already been seen through by that man named Karl Merks.
The happier you laugh now, the more pathetic your defeat will be then.
Although that man won't lay a hand on you this time, I have a feeling that one day... you will die by his hand!
...
...
Late at night.
In a desolate desert area on the border between New Mexico and Texas.
Boom—
A dazzling, massive pillar of light, imbued with terrifying power, descended from the sky.
Vast energy rapidly converged on the ground, instantly forming a bowl-shaped golden barrier that enveloped a large area.
This was the temporary Truce Zone designated by this Truce Agreement.
Within this golden barrier, only two selected envoys were permitted to enter.