Chapter 559: An Open Challenge

Asmodeus walked through the silent halls.

He knew what might happen if something went wrong today, but he needed to greet Alan. To assess the current state and his chances of defeating him, although it might be foolish, he instinctively needed to test Vinea’s theory.

‘If he isn’t a god, then we can win.’

There were a few maids who lingered near the citadel, but their eyes were black and their actions a little suspicious. They were like the zombies from a movie, but they didn’t attack him, which was a bonus. ‘I bet they will attack once the battle starts… how many people will be affected by the curse at once?’ It was a shame, but he didn’t have time to deal with them.

He reached the main chamber, where the lord would greet others.

At first, it was dark, with no light or vision… until a loud click echoed.

A bright flame lit up the entire chamber, one by one the candles lit up, and the figure of Alan lazily sat there in his royal garments, a golden crown on his head and a sceptre in his hands.

‘Alan?’

Asmodeus felt his heart pounding as he stared at Alan, who had changed so much in just a few days. His skin was paler than usual, and his eyes were a dull green colour that lacked any life.

There were even spots and dark sores on his flesh… they looked disgusting like some kind of sexual disease.

“Alan?” He called out, stepping closer…

Another flash of light as the archways lit up, revealing the derranged maids all standing in them… looking at him with hollow, empty black eyes.

‘Oh…’

Asmodeus could sense the mana that surrounded them, and it was a thick, dense, and powerful energy that felt like it could crush a human soul. ‘This is the curse?’ He thought to himself as he looked around, his eyes widening as he saw the sheer number of infected women. ‘There are at least a hundred of them, maybe more.’

“Ah, the hero, I was wondering when you would come to greet me.”

“Alan, why are you doing this?”

“Why? Hahaha! You ask me why?”

Alan leaned closer and snapped his fingers… then a maid stepped forward with a glass of red wine. He took a long sip before leaning back on his chair, a smirk on his face.

“I am bored, Asmodeus. All the power, money and women throw themselves at this body.”

‘He’s still acting like Alan, is this Mephisto or Alan?’

The young hero stood up and began pacing back and forth in front of him. “You know what it’s like to be a hero, right? Everyone expects you to be this perfect being, but no one ever asks what you want. They don’t care about your mind and feelings. That’s why this fool carried such a deep darkness in his heart.” Alan’s voice was cold as he continued speaking.

After all, it was Mephisto.

“He envied and adored you… Oh, so much, Ryuji Vincenzo.” He stopped pacing, turning to face Asmodeus with a smile on his lips. “That’s why I chose him. He wanted power; he wanted to be free of the shackles of being a hero. I gave him that, and in return, he gave me his body.”

“You’re using him as a vessel against his will, don’t talk shit!”

Mephisto chuckled and took another sip of his drink.

“Since you destroyed my divinity, I couldn’t take over him without caring for his will, don’t be naive… do you think everyone is like you, who can forgive someone after fighting or talking it out? In the real world, people kill for a loaf of bread, ironic of them to call demons monsters, right? After all…”

He drank the rest of the wine with his arms spread wide. “Monsters only eat to survive, to grow stronger!”

‘Alan…’

Asmodeus couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

The man who had been his friend, the one who had fought by his side against countless foes and saved countless lives, had now become something else entirely.

No.

Asmodeus refused to believe that Alan fully accepted this; there was a reason.

Mephisto must have done something to him.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Mephisto said, his voice dripping with contempt. “You’re thinking about how I’m using him, how I’m taking advantage of him, but let me tell you one thing… He agreed to become my host to keep his wife and child safe. Hahahaha!”

The words felt hollow, yet for some reason, Asmodeus didn’t deny it; he looked at Alan’s figure and realised something…

“Yes, that’s right, Ryuji. Alan didn’t think you could defeat me.”

“…”

Asmodeus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened them again and looked straight at Mephisto. “You’re wrong.”

Mephisto’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Asmodeus. “What?”

“Alan believes in me. He knows that I can defeat you. It doesn’t mean he cannot take insurance to keep his wife safe.”

“Ridiculous!” Mephisto roared, slamming his fist on the arm of his throne.

The frustration when Asmodeus didn’t take his bait seemed to infuriate the former god. But that was his mistake. Asmodeus once spoke to Alan about a sitaution similar to this and when he needed to make a choice.

‘That fool bragged and insisted he wouldn’t betray me no matter what… I am glad you listened to me.’

However, Asmodeus told him to be more realistic, to protect what was important to himself first, THEN consider friends and others.

‘Alan is still in there, fighting!’

“Forget the games, Mephisto, we both know that you cannot defeat me as you are, Alan couldn’t beat me, and neither can a fallen god.” Asmodeus taunted Mephisto, wanting to make him angrier, more vulnerable.

“Hahaha! You think I cannot defeat you? You think I am weak? Foolish mortal, I am a god!”

Mephisto stood up from his throne and raised his hand. The air around him began to shimmer as dark purple mana gathered around him. It was dense, powerful, and dangerous, but Asmodeus didn’t falter.

It was nothing compared to when he threatened him in the north.

“You may be a god, but you are no longer immortal, and you are no longer a threat.”

“DON’T TEMPT ME, INSECT! I WILL MAKE YOUR WOMAN A MINDLESS SLUT!”

“…”

Vinea.

This bastard knew she was infected.

Asmodeus’s eyes narrowed as he watched the madman. ‘Did he infect her? Is that why he’s so confident?’

“Hahaha, this is the look I wanted! You arrogant worm from another world! Coming to this realm, ruining my plans… if not for you being my vessel, I would slay you here!” Mephisto shouted, his voice booming throughout the room.

Asmodeus took a deep breath, the anger and rage over Vinea fading.

He looked at the monster in his best friend’s skin, and brushed along the sharp studs on his armour, the pain jolting his mind and keeping him sharp.

What was important now was not anger or combat but answers and information.

“Am I your vessel?”

“YES! You are perfect, the perfect host! I will take your body and use it to regain my glory and power! I will destroy all those who have wronged me, and then I will rule over this world as its true god!”

“…”

Mephisto didn’t seem like a god, but then again, he was just like Lumina. According to Serena, only the true gods were born as deities; even the gods of each race were originally heroes of their kind from the distant past.

‘So he wants to break free of his roots?’

As the time he knew the god of death increased, the more human and familiar he became.

“How did you find that out?”

“Of course! I am the one who made you… your whore mother and bastard father! Thanks to my curse, your father’s seed and that wench’s womb became the perfect incubation for my vessel!”

“…”

The words were like a punch to the gut.

His parents were dead.

Asmodeus knew that his mother died because of complications when giving birth to him… and his father also died from some kind of curse, but the current Lumina didn’t have that kind of power in the first place…

‘He killed my parents?’

Suddenly, the anger towards Lumina made Asmoeus ashamed…

He knew she was also a hero manipulated by this bastard, but even the curse he still blamed her for was Mephisto’s work. Then he owed the arachne, who had become a monster due to his actions, an apology… or rather, why had he pushed her away for so long?

Asmodeus clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, his anger boiling inside him.

“Are you angry? Hahaha! Finally… that calm face of yours made me sick.”

Mephisto spread himself out on the throne, and he pointed at Asmodeus with a wide smirk.

“You can try as you will, no matter what you do, this world will fall into chaos, and your body will become mine. Don’t worry, I don’t like second hand goods… so I’ll send your filthy whores with you, but they might be missing their heads.”

“I’ll kill you!”

The anger and rage built to the limit inside of Asmodeus, and he couldn’t stop it; he needed to remain calm, but failed.

With a burst of mana, his body flung through the chamber, and his bloody axe manifested, a large black and red weapon that appeared from the void and landed in his palm.

“Hahaha! You cannot kill me! Not while I have this body!” Mephisto shouted, his eyes glowing brightly.

Asmodeus rushed towards him, his axe raised high above his head.

However, when he swung…

Clang!

A loud noise rang out as the blade hit the throne.

Mephisto’s figure faded like smoke, his laughter echoing through the halls as all the maids stepped into the chamber with weapons.

“Silly boy, as if I would let you find my actual body. Now, suffer! Their blood will be on your hands!”