CHAPTER 158: THE WAR HAD BEGUN

[Leif’s POV—Holy Temple—After Leaving the Sanctum]

The doors of the inner sanctum closed behind us with a heavy, echoing thud.

It sounded like something irreversible had just begun.

The hallway outside was dim, lit only by the faint glow of divine runes embedded in the walls. Everyone walked ahead silently—Alvar, Caelum, the elves, the dwarfs, Zephhy and Priest Caldric—but their footsteps were heavy, weighed down by the truth we had just unearthed.

But I barely heard them.

Because inside my pocket... The ring pulsed.

Warm. Sharp. Alive.

Almost... impatient. I clenched my fist around the fabric of my robe, trying to steady my breathing.

We stepped into the outer chamber where the moonlight spilled through stained glass windows. Dust drifted in the beams like dying stars. The temple felt too quiet. Too still.

Like the world was holding its breath.

Caelum exhaled shakily. "We have... very little time."

Thalion nodded. "The corruption is spreading faster than expected. By dawn, half of Aurelius may be completely uninhabitable."

Daren rubbed his forehead. "And we still don’t know how to kill something that has no body."

I swallowed. "We seal him. That’s all we have left."

Priest Caldric lowered his head. "The sealing can only be performed near the Devil’s heart of corruption. At the palace. At the center of the darkness."

Of course.

Of course it had to be there.

Alvar turned to me, jaw tight, eyes darker than the night outside. "You’re not going alone."

. . .

. . .

"Yes," I said softly.

He didn’t soften—not even a little. He just looked at me like I was slipping through his fingertips. And maybe I was. We moved forward—toward the front of the temple, toward the exit—when—

THUD.

I stumbled.

Because the ring in my pocket suddenly burned.

Not painfully.

But fiercely.

A pulse shot up my arm. Another followed. And then—FLASH—!

A streak of silver-and-red light burst against the fabric before vanishing.

I stiffened.

Alvar turned sharply. "Leif? What happened?"

"Nothing," I said quickly.

Too quickly. His eyes narrowed. He wasn’t convinced. Alvar’s eyes narrowed—not with suspicion, but with something far more dangerous.

Fear.

He stepped closer, gently wrapping his fingers around both of my hands. His palms were warm. Mine was shaking.

"Leif..." he whispered, voice almost trembling, "look at me."

I did.

And the world shrank to that moment—his eyes, dark and stormy, searching my soul like he was terrified of what he might find.

Behind us, the others exchanged glances.

"Did something happen?" Caelum asked, wings twitching with unease.

"No. It’s nothing," I repeated, forcing a smile.

But Alvar didn’t blink. Didn’t breathe. Didn’t look away. He knew. He knew I was hiding something. But he didn’t press me. He only held my hands tighter, as if anchoring me would keep me safe from whatever had just brushed against me.

Whatever had been spoken.

Whatever had called my name.

I squeezed back—guilt twisting inside me—but said nothing else. Because I didn’t know the truth yet.

And I refused to lie to him without understanding what I carried.

***

[Later—Holy Temple—Assigned Chambers]

Night had fallen outside.

The holy temple slept in uneasy silence—walls glowing faintly under divine runes, muffled footsteps echoing distantly as guards patrolled the corridors. Everyone had been assigned a chamber to rest before dawn.

I shut my door quietly behind me.

"Finally... I’m alone," I murmured.

Alone to breathe.Alone to think.Alone to face what I’d taken.

I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out the ring.

Silver and red. The metal was cold but pulsing with life. The gem flickering faintly like a heartbeat.

"It doesn’t look like a normal ring..." I murmured.

No. Something this old, this powerful—something hidden in a sealed archive for centuries—was never normal.

I turned it slowly between my fingers.

Carvings I didn’t understand. Symbols that felt familiar. A weight that felt far too... alive.

"What are you?" I whispered.

The ring pulsed.

Once.Twice.Harder.

My breath caught.

"It was hidden in that sanctum... Does it hold something important? Something the Devil doesn’t want us to know...?"

Silence.

I stared at it.

A dangerous thought crept in.

"...Should I wear it?"

The moment the words left my lips—The ring glowed.

Bright.Vivid.Alive.

As if answering. As if choosing.

My pulse hammered.

"Okay," I whispered. "Let’s... try."

I lifted the ring. My fingers trembled. For a split second, I hesitated—then I slipped it onto my finger.

The moment the metal touched my skin—FWOOOOM—!!!

A blast of heat shot up my arm, violent and forceful. My breath tore from my lungs. "Wha—AHH—!!"

I staggered back, fingertips digging into my wrist as if I could rip the heat away—"MASTER!!"

Luminael’s voice burst from the sheath at my waist—panicked, vibrating like an alarm bell.

"Luminael—!! Do you know what’s happening?!"

The sword vibrated harder, metal clinking in terror. "Master... f-finally... you found that ring."

My eyes widened. "Found—? Luminael, what do you mean?"

A pulse shot through my arm again—gold and red light flashing beneath my skin.

Luminael’s voice dropped—low, reverent, trembling. "Because this ring... is a Divine Cage."

My breath caught.

"A... Divine Cage?"

The sword hummed violently, almost shaking out of the sheath.

"Yes—MASTER—A DIVINE CAGE!! The strongest celestial artifact ever created—meant to imprison beings that cannot die."

My heart slammed into my ribs.

"Why... why was it hidden in the sanctum?"

Luminael’s voice went quiet—so quiet it chilled me. "Because the last Seraph King searched for it."

A pause.

"He searched everywhere. But he never found it."

"Why?!"

"Because the devil summoner hid it." The sword vibrated, metal trembling like fear."The Devil summoner knew this cage could trap him—forever."

The heat pulsed up my arm again—sharper—like something was awakening inside the ring.

I gasped.

"What... what does it do?"

Luminael responded instantly. "It activates only when touched by a true Seraph."

My blood froze.

"Once you wear it... the cage awakens. Once awakened, it can devour the Devil’s full essence." My heart stopped. "And if you feed all your divine power into the ring..."

He hesitated.

The pause felt like a knife.

"Luminael..." I whispered. "Tell me."

The sword’s voice softened—weak, pained. "...the ring will destroy the Devil itself. Completely. Permanently."

My breath trembled.My body trembled.

This was it. This was the answer the chronicles never revealed. The weapon the First Seraph King never found.

A way to end him.Forever.

But Luminael wasn’t done. His next words slid through the air like a blade across skin.

"But..."

My chest tightened. "...but what?"

Luminael’s glow dimmed.

When he spoke again, it was barely a whisper. "If you pour all your divine power into the ring... everything will end."

I swallowed hard.

"Everything?" My voice thinned. "What do you mean—everything will end?"

Luminael trembled.

"Your power. Your divinity." A pause—painful. "Your role as Seraph....Your connection to this world."

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Understanding slammed into me like a tidal wave.

If I used the ring—if I used all my power—I wouldn’t just defeat the Devil.

I would be erased from this world.

I would disappear.

Completely.

Returned to my world... but not by choice. Not safely. Not alive in the way this world knew me. Is this why the Grandma god said... I have no choice but to go back to my world.

...

I exhaled shakily.

"It doesn’t matter," I whispered.

Luminael jolted.

"MASTER—??!"

I looked down at the ring glowing on my finger—silver, red, ancient, hungry— and felt the truth settle in my bones.

"I will be returning to my world anyway," I said quietly.

My voice wasn’t strong.But it was certain.

"And if ending the Devil costs my existence here—" A small, trembling smile touched my lips."—then so be it."

Luminael’s voice cracked, "Master... Leif..."

I closed my fist.

The ring pulsed—alive.

Ready.Waiting.

"Alright then, Luminael." I whispered, lifting my hand. "Let’s end this."

The sword vibrated—not with fear—but with fierce, burning loyalty.

"Yes, Master."

And in the dim holy chamber, with only a ring’s heartbeat echoing, I sealed my fate.

And prepared to destroy the Devil.

Forever.

***

[The Midnight — Holy Temple]

The air inside the temple felt heavier than before.

As if the world itself was holding its breath. Daren stood near the divine barrier, his knuckles white on the window frame. His voice trembled—not with fear, but with the weight of truth finally catching up.

"...Leif," he whispered, "the entire capital has been corrupted."

Every street.

Every breath.

Every soul.

The spirit goddess stepped forward, her glow flickering like a dying flame. For the first time since I’d met her, her voice carried no irritation, no teasing—Only dread.

"It’s time," she said quietly. "The war begins now, Daren."

Thalion tightened his grip on his staff. Eryndor drew his sword. Caelum spread his wings, the feathers quivering with the tension gathering in the air.

Alvar stood beside me—silent, boiling with fear he couldn’t voice.

And then—BOOOOOOM—!!

The holy gate shuddered. Dust rained from the ceiling. A second bang—louder, heavier—like something massive had slammed into the sacred barrier from outside.

Then—A laugh.

A laugh that curdled the air, that crawled under the skin like a thousand crawling insects.

"AHAHAHAHA—FINALLY!"

Every head snapped toward the entrance. A voice spilled into the temple like poison. Mocking. Echoing. Rotten.

"I WAS WONDERING WHERE ALL YOU ’SPECIAL BEINGS’ WERE HIDING!"

His tone stretched into a snarl—distorted, layered, dripping with corruption.

We rushed to the outer hall.

The holy barrier flickered as a shape pressed against it—twisted, broken, drenched in shadows. The Crown Prince’s face.

But not alive.

Not human.

Dead, bloodless lips torn into a warped smile. Eyes pitch-black voids swallowing the moonlight. Limbs twisted unnaturally, like a corpse pulled by invisible strings.

A rotting puppet.

A mask the Devil wore.

His voice exploded through the air—"AND NOW—FINALLY—THE TIME HAS COME TO END YOU ALL!!!"

Black tendrils slammed brutally against the divine barrier—snapping, clawing, writhing like beasts starved for centuries.

The temple quaked.The light weakened.And everyone—every single one of us—felt the pressure of something far bigger, far darker, rising.

Alvar’s hand shot toward mine, gripping it hard. The spirit goddess stepped forward, shielding us with a burst of blinding light.

Caelum’s wings flared in instinctive defense.

And I—I felt the ring pulse.Once.Twice.

As if answering the Devil’s presence.

Calling to it.

The Devil’s voice deepened—echoing through every stone of the holy temple.

"LEEEEEEEEEIF... SERAPH KING..." He dragged my name out like a promise. "COME OUT AND DIE."

The barrier cracked.

Light faltered.

The war had begun.