Chapter 86
Chapter 86
Chapter 86.
Aiden's radiant slash stretched to the far end of the corridor, swallowing the tide of demons in an instant.
The moment the fiends burned white-hot, black blood and chunks of flesh exploded in all directions.
And then, Aiden's holy sword shattered into pieces.
Even adamantite could not withstand divine power of this magnitude.
The corridor was emptied in a blink. Aiden stood motionless, staring at the sword's pommel. Though the blade was gone, a white haze shimmered like smoke in its place.
It seemed the divine power he had gained alongside his divinity had shattered the limits of his previous realm. He no longer needed to rely on mere steel.
With a surge of exhilaration, Aiden channeled divinity into the hilt.
A blinding white radiance flowed down his arm and into the grip. Just as it began to take shape in place of the blade, it erupted with terrifying force.
In an instant, it shot upward, shattering the ceiling—then kept going, tearing through the night sky and setting it ablaze.
A beacon of holy light blazed over the demonic realm, impossible to miss from anywhere.
Yuriel and the Empress stared at the dazzling radiance, unable to contain their awe. This was divinity in its truest form—something that bordered on the divine itself.
Aiden clenched his teeth and gripped the hilt with both hands.
The air screamed under the violent tremors. Even with his monstrous strength, controlling it was nearly impossible.
He would have to compromise. He began regulating the divine energy, reining it in as much as possible.
The pillar of light that had split the heavens gradually dimmed, thinning into mere strands before vanishing entirely, leaving only a faint haze behind.
The demonic realm, which had been bright as day, plunged back into darkness.
Aiden shifted his gaze to the pommel. Pure holy fire flickered there—though his control was still unrefined, leaving the form rough and torch-like rather than clean-edged.
Even so, its cutting power was beyond anything a mere blade could achieve.
He turned to the others.
"Stay at least thirty meters behind me."
Then he dashed down the corridor. In the blink of an eye, he reached the staircase at the end.
Demons packed the stairs, frozen stiff in terror. They had sensed divinity that rivaled a god's.
Just as Aiden raised his holy light to strike, one of them lunged forward and shouted:
"Why are you interfering?!"
The ashen skin, crimson eyes, and white hair marked him clearly—a demon, likely of noble blood from one of the great houses. He glared at Aiden and continued:
"Have you forgotten the treaty?"
He was referring to the ancient pact between the Demon God and Vacheksar—the Treaty of Non-Aggression and Divine Non-Intervention.
It was a literal agreement forbidding either side from invading the other's domain and barring gods from interfering in the mortal world.
Most of its terms were heavily skewed against humanity.
The demon met Aiden's gaze firmly.
"You are a god, are you not? The Demon God will not overlook this."
Aiden felt dizzy. The exterminator of evil within him writhed, on the verge of convulsing.
The demon's face, voice, tone, even his stench—all of it was revolting. The mere fact that he had dared to speak was unbearable.
Aiden strode toward him. The demon didn't retreat, opening his mouth again—
"Turn back now—"
"You maggot-ridden bastard."
A massive hand clamped around the demon's face.
Aiden had no intention of negotiating or compromising with demons. There was no reason to.
He lifted the demon effortlessly, tightening his grip. The fiend's legs flailed wildly in the air. Crack—fractures spiderwebbed across his skull.
Squelch. One of the demon's eyeballs popped out. A pained shriek followed. The other demons recoiled in terror.
Aiden suppressed his fury with great effort and spoke.
"The treaty is broken."
At the same time, he raised his arm as high as he could—then slammed the demon down into the horde below.
Crash. The stairs, along with the demons beneath, were obliterated, scattering debris in all directions. A dull roar echoed through the stairwell.
The demon's head was gone.
The remaining fiends hesitated. Without pause, Aiden swung the holy light horizontally. A razor-sharp arc of radiance raced down the staircase.
Whoooosh—! Every trace of evil it touched evaporated or melted away. The stench of burning flesh stabbed at Aiden's nostrils.
He descended the stairs step by step, never stopping his swings.
To Yuriel and the Empress watching from behind, his arm seemed motionless—because it was moving too fast.
To reach such a level without even a hymn of praise... Just as they were reeling in shock, the battle was already over.
The staircase was clean. Only black blood and chunks of demonic flesh remained, scattered across the steps.
Atraksha surveyed the carnage before approaching Aiden.
Just as she was about to speak, the earth roared. The palace itself shuddered, and the space below the stairs began to warp.
The backlash cracked the ceiling. Marble fragments rained down, and Aiden shielded the three women with his massive frame.
Countless chunks of stone hammered against his broad back.
He looked down at them.
True warriors, none showed a hint of fear—even the usually timid Yuriel. The only emotion on their faces was relief.
The Empress murmured softly:
"The scriptures weren't writing epics of heroes... They were recording myths."
Yuriel smiled faintly.
"I can finally breathe easy."
Who could possibly harm Aiden now? She had always worried for him, but now, some of that weight had lifted.
Aiden spoke calmly:
"Once things settle, the interior will have completely changed. Until we find the underground altar, we must not separate."
As expected of a labyrinth, finding the way wouldn't be easy. It would take at least a day or two.
Atraksha grinned.
"That's why I rushed here from the Sun Hall, even if it was reckless."
Aiden looked at her. She continued:
"Even if the structure shifts, I've left a connection to pinpoint the location."
She pointed to her fingertips. As she channeled moonlight, a thin strand of light appeared—a thread leading to the underground chamber.
Aiden was genuinely pleased by her foresight.
Truthfully, he would have preferred if Atraksha had stayed safely in the underground chamber. He hadn't understood why she'd risked coming here, but this explanation made perfect sense.
They would save a lot of time.
Aiden spoke sincerely:
"Well done."
The moonlight traced a beautiful arc around her—a beauty rivaling Saya's.
"It's only natural. Shall we go?"
The tremors had subsided. Aiden nodded and straightened up, following the bluish moonlight from Atraksha's fingertips.
The light, which should have pointed downward, was instead leading them back the way they had come.
Had it not been there, they would have descended. Aiden turned and headed back into the corridor.
They walked for a long time, guided by the moonlight.
Unpleasant stares followed them the entire way. Statues glanced furtively at Aiden, and painted figures rolled their eyes.
Yet none dared attack him. After slaying a divine being, the price they would pay was too great. They would make enemies of all gods.
Mortals were not meant to kill divine beings. That was still an unspoken law.
Just as humans could not slay the gods of the demonic realm, neither could demons.
Of course, Aiden had already broken that taboo by killing a divine entity. But he felt no fear. That unspoken law would soon cease to exist anyway. He had already attained divinity himself.
In other words, the sin would be absolved, leaving only the authority of a godslayer. For that, he had to thank Vacheksar.
Regardless, the demons infesting the labyrinth found Aiden's presence unbearable. They stood no chance against him.
Whether by taboo or sheer power, their fate was slaughter.
So, the "Origin" overseeing this place sent a message to the gods of the demonic realm: What should we do about this intruder? No answer had come yet.
That was why the labyrinth kept shifting its structure, delaying their encounter.
Aiden had a rough idea of what was happening.
Atraksha suddenly stopped.
Her face hardened as she stared at a massive iron door.
"...It's here."
The underground chamber was located on a rooftop garden of rotting flower beds.
Aiden scanned the surroundings. From the rooftop garden of Valanteha Palace, they could see a vast portion of the demonic realm spread out below—so high up were they.
He turned his gaze beyond the holy barrier surrounding the palace.
Countless demons seethed below, every single one glaring at him. Among them, there would surely be a "Gusian."
Yuriel swallowed hard.
"I never imagined the demonic realm would look like this..."
She had expected a land of rot and decay, but the opposite was true.
A highly advanced civilization. Like a fallen principality, airships sailed the night sky, and grotesque structures lined the ground below. In scale and technological prowess, it far surpassed the mortal world.
Aiden spoke calmly:
"This civilization was built on humanity's blood and tears. We must take it back."
Then he walked toward the iron door.
"Let's start here."
He drove his hand into the thick metal plate. Crunch. Gripping the hole he had made, he spoke:
"Step back a little."
Then he yanked with all his might. The door tore free with a horrific metallic screech.
Without pause, he infused the iron plate with divinity and hurled it far beyond the barrier.
Screeeeech—! The door ripped through the air, piercing the barrier—possible only because of the holy energy imbued in it. Moments later, spectators' heads exploded.
Had he brought Gargantua, the experience gain would have been substantial.
The Empress clicked her tongue at the spectacle.
Atraksha, peering inside, shuddered.
"It's the Mirror Room."
A space filled with thousands of mirrors—one of the places Chimera, the Source of Lust, had tormented her.
Things were about to get extremely dangerous, but leaving the group behind wasn't an option. Without Aiden, they wouldn't survive.
Aiden scanned them and spoke:
"Stay sharp. You all know this—whatever appears, it's Chimera. If you're ensnared, you die."
Yuriel nodded and recited a hymn. A holy barrier enveloped them.
As the Empress drew a holy symbol, a crimson light began condensing above her head—
Heavenly Radiance. A power only imperial bloodlines acknowledged by Vacheksar could wield.
A miniature sun rose.
Aiden stepped inside.
Thousands of mirrors reflected Aiden's face. His expression, distorted across the ceiling, floor, and walls, was twisted in utter disgust.
He was gripped by overwhelming revulsion.
Because he saw Chimera approaching him with false elegance.
Its androgynous appearance, tentacle-like hair, and the male genitalia dangling from its lower abdomen evoked sheer disgust.
It stopped mid-step, keeping a considerable distance from Aiden.
Then it bent deeply at the waist, offering an "elegant" bow. Its tentacles swayed.
"Valenstalgias, the Source of Lust, Chimera. I greet you."
Aiden's face twisted further. Why were demons so talkative today? His stress was piling up.
The demon spoke again:
"I have a propos—"
Before it could finish, Aiden's figure blurred. He vanished, leaving only a white haze behind.
Chimera realized too late.
Then came excruciating pain in its groin—Aiden's massive leg had kicked upward.
Crack. Something shattered, and its body was launched into the air.
Aiden leaped after it, grabbing a handful of tentacles. He slammed its face into a mirror, then dragged it downward.
Crash—! Glass shattered, embedding itself in the demon's face. Aiden drove its pain-twisted visage into the ground.
He spoke softly:
"Don't talk to me."
Then he unleashed a surge of divine power in his grip.
The tentacles melted, fusing together.
As screams of agony filled the air, Aiden finally felt a sliver of satisfaction.