Van had just left Lalyn's house after erasing Magus’s influence, undetected.
'It's for the best. She's not a brutalizer like Anne, so she won't lose herself...'
'...Who am I kidding?' He looked down at his palm, flexing his fingers. 'I just didn’t want to be the one dealing with the fallout she’s gonna have.'
'Whatever. I guess I’m done in this Capital. Last but not least would be to tell my plans to Varlog and Belial... and tell Amoria about what I decided to do with Marcy and Lalyn.'
'After that, it's over.'
'...Until I go to the Dragon King, force him to stop, then the feline tribe to stop the war... ugh...'
He looked up at the sky with a deep sigh.
'I’m so not in the mood.'
Van came to a stop, facing a figure standing in the darkness.
“What’s up?” Van asked, his tone rasp.
“I’m goin’ back to the demon realm,” Belial muttered, looking away, his eyes narrowed in frustration.
“Thought you wanted to stay here, at least until I’m done with what I need to do. What happened?” Van asked as Belial pulled a teleportation stone from his pocket, juggling it lightly.
“The stronger you are…” He cleared his throat. “The ‘closer’ you are to your God. At least me, who’s born fucking strong.”
“Alright.” Van nodded.
“I can hear him in my head, Van.” Belial sighed, letting the teleportation stone slip from his fingers. “A voice that tells me to return to that shithole.”
Van hummed in curiosity, tilting his head.
'The more I hear about the gods, the more reason I have to despise them... I guess whoever’s strong will be used. Whoever has strength must use it. They'll never be able to stop fighting. And now, a god tortures someone strong just because they can...'
His mind flashed back to his time with the Royal Guard. He grimaced.
'What a dogshit world.'
“Something’s gonna go down,” Belial growled. “Came to say my goodbyes. Out of all the fucks here, you’re the one who actually deserves it.”
Knight slammed his fist against an invisible veil—a barrier. But no matter how hard he struck, it wouldn’t break.
The Goddess’s voice slithered into his mind, laced with amusement.
[I was worried about your arrival, but turns out I was worried for nothing. I thought maybe—just maybe—you had some grand plan to warn Hellix about Belial’s powers. But…] A small pause. [I really overestimated you.]
[Have you forgotten? The moment we ascend, we can no longer interact with mortals directly—until we gather significant followers. Like me.] There was a smirk in her tone. [We can only whisper. And even then, our whispers must be brief.]
[And considering he doesn’t even acknowledge the Seed of Darkness…] She sighed mockingly. [Doesn’t even try to reach out to you… What a shame. You can’t warn him... And you came all this way.]
[His own resilience will be the thing that leads to his downfall. How poetic.]
---------------------
Van exhaled. “…I see. Are you gonna use that to go back?” He motioned toward the teleportation stone.
“Yeah.” Belial bent down and picked it up.
“Send my regards to Alicia.”
Belial scoffed, smirking. “Regards? Shit, I’ll tell her you asked about her.”
The teleportation stone began to glow. Destination: Demonic Realm, Alicia’s castle.
------------------------------
[No. Whore of a thousand nights.]
Knight’s growl tore through the void.
The Goddess’s eyes narrowed. Something had changed.
[This shan't go in your direction.]
A black whirlwind erupted around him, tearing through the darkness—roaring, burning, consuming everything in its path.
[WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU WRETCH!?]
Her voice thundered, laced with fury.
Knight stood firm, the storm raging around him.
[…Something a whore like you could NEVER do…!]
His growl was low, deep—absolute.
The void trembled. The black whirlwind around him surged—burning hotter, roaring louder.
[I SHALL GIVE MY LIFE—MY ETERNITY—FOR WHAT I BELIEVE IN!]
The storm cracked, swallowing everything in its path.
[AND I BELIEVE IN YOUR DEMISE—IN THE DEATH OF YOUR VERY CONCEPT!]
A sharp click of her tongue echoed through her palace.
[Dauz…] Her voice was low, seething. [It seems you finally got what you wanted. Go. Grab him.]
She turned away, frustration darkening her eyes.
Dauz exhaled slowly, a smirk creeping onto his lips.
‘Knight… I always knew you had it in you.’
His wings spread wide. And then, he dove.
----------------------------------
Van turned just as Belial's teleportation began.
[A BEING VEILED IN SHADOWS SACRIFICED THEIR IMMORTALITY TO SHARE AN ABILITY WITH YOU TEMPORARILY!]
[ACTIVE SKILL: Abyss Knight’s Vision]
[Description: You can see the person you look at's stats and abilities.]
Van’s gaze locked onto Belial.
And his breath stilled.
He didn’t need to read their descriptions. He knew them by heart.
[Strike him down, Van Hellix.]
A voice slithered through his mind, the same voice that whispered to him when he first awakened the Seed of Darkness.
[Take CONTROL of your destiny. PREVENT him from taking what’s rightfully YOURS.]
It was filled with wrath.
With the hunger for domination.
Van took a deep breath.
[KILL HIM. KILL THAT WHORESON BEFORE HE SNATCHES YOUR HAPPINESS AWAY FROM YOU…!]
His hand moved. Instinctively. Reaching for the greatsword strapped to his back.
“What the..?” Belial murmured as Van’s hand shot out—not for his sword, but for the teleportation stone.
His other hand clamped over Belial’s face.
Van’s gaze bore into Belial’s.
For a brief moment, he didn’t see Belial. He saw Magus.
He could see it so clearly now, as the glow of Belial’s skills burned in his Abyssal Vision.
There would always be another plot twist.
Another twist of fate waiting to throw him into battle.
And in that moment, he wanted just one thing.
'You didn’t choose these skills… But they exist.'
Now, something he could see.
Like the wind. Like aura.
Like armor wrapped around a body.
And what do you do with stuff?
'You can swing it away.'
Van’s eyes snapped open, glowing blue. His hand burned with the same light—
The light of a skill being activated.
A whirlwind of aura exploded around them, spiraling into the heavens.
Belial’s skills vanished one by one.
His strength drained from his body.
“Ah…! Hah… Hahaha…!!”
Belial’s expression twisted from pain to ecstasy.
The aura of the Archdevil surrounding him began to dissolve, fading into the night like embers in the wind.
[…] Knight's voice went silent.
"I don't hear his voice anymore, Van…!! I..."
Belial let out a ragged sob, his eyes locked on the sky, watching his own aura leave his body.
"I'M FUCKING FREE NOW!! HAHAHAHA!!"
His arms shot up, grabbing Van’s wrist, pressing Van’s hand harder against his face.
Van kept swinging. The skill continued to strip Belial of the power that once enslaved him.
“I’m taking your skills and strength away! Aren’t you mad!?” Van yelled over the roaring winds.
"MAD!!? MAD THAT YOU AIN’T MARRYING ME, MORE LIKE!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Belial’s laughter rang through the storm, his entire body shaking.
"KEEP GOING!! HAHAHAHA!! I’M FINALLY FREE, VAN!!!"
Van smirked—a warm, knowing smirk.
The last of Belial’s strength dissipated into red dust, piercing the heavens before vanishing completely.
And then, Belial collapsed.
A smile still on his face.
He lay there, staring up at the clear night sky.
Van lowered his hand.
Abyssal Vision was still active.
[NAME: Belial Asmodeus]
Belial stretched his limbs as far as they would go, fingers brushing lazily against the dirt.
Van’s gaze flicked to him.
'His stats are gone too…? Hm. Is it because I banished his demonic aura? The one that tied him to the Archdevil…?'
“I can breathe now, Van… Fuck… HAHAHA… This is the best feeling I’ve had—ohhh…”
He sprawled out further, sinking into the earth like he had never truly felt it before.
“…I should fuck off from here, though. As much as I’d love to talk to people, I don’t have the magic to keep up a fake appearance anymore.” Belial exhaled, eyes shutting. “I’d rather not get slaughtered.”
Van hummed. A thought flickered through his mind.
Arnolt’s image surfaced in his head.
“You like blacksmithing, right?”
“…!” Belial’s head snapped up. A grin spread across his face.
"Blacksmithing, huh…?"