Chapter 341: A Sacrifice Worth Worshipping

Time: 10:00 PM

Location: The Tower of No Return — Fifth Floor

More than an hour had passed since Yuuta had awakened for the second time, yet nothing around him had changed. His wrists were still locked inside the heavy restraints above him, forcing his arms into the same painful position, while the chains around his legs kept him firmly against the cold stone floor.

The effects of the strange green gas had mostly faded, but what remained was almost as difficult to endure. His throat was painfully dry, his stomach had begun aching from hunger, and exhaustion weighed heavily on every part of his body.

Even keeping his head raised required more effort than it should have.

Yuuta slowly opened his eyes and stared into the darkness beyond the cell.

The rotten smell of blood and decay still lingered in the air, constantly reminding him where he was.

He had no idea how long he had been unconscious before waking here, nor did he know how many days or even months, he might remain trapped if he couldn’t find a way out.

The thought frightened him more than he wanted to admit.

The chains reacted whenever he attempted to use his aura, and the cell itself had released that strange gas the moment he tried to force his way free.

Demons remained stationed outside, and judging from the precautions they had taken specifically for him, whoever had brought him here clearly had no intention of allowing him to escape.

More importantly, Yuuta couldn’t convince himself that they planned to keep him alive forever.

They’re going to kill me eventually.

Yuuta lowered his head for a moment before shaking it firmly. He refused to let that thought settle any deeper.

Not long ago, his life had been completely different. He could still remember standing in the kitchen with Elena nearby, listening to her cheerful voice while Erza watched them. Those ordinary moments had once seemed so simple that he had never imagined how desperately he would want them back.

Now they felt impossibly far away, like dried leaves carried away by the wind before he could reach for them.

Yuuta clenched his jaw, trying to steady himself despite the weakness spreading through his body.

"I have to go back to my family."

The words came out weakly, his dry throat barely allowing him to speak, but saying them aloud helped him regain a little composure. He raised his head and looked beyond the iron bars, watching the demons stationed throughout the corridor as he tried to think of another way out.

Before he could come up with anything, something suddenly changed outside.

The demons guarding his cell straightened before immediately dropping to one knee. Their earlier casual behavior disappeared as several new figures approached through the dim corridor, their footsteps echoing against the bloodstained stone walls of the fifth floor.

Yuuta narrowed his tired eyes, trying to make out the newcomers.

The warden from earlier was among them, but he wasn’t alone. Several unfamiliar demons accompanied him, all dressed in long black robes. Their tall figures and the respect shown by the guards made it obvious that these newcomers held considerably greater authority.

The warden stopped directly in front of Yuuta’s cell before turning respectfully toward one of the robed figures.

"This is the place where we’re holding him, Lord Valthor."

Valthor’s attention immediately shifted toward the darkness inside the cell.

Despite the poor light, his gaze found Yuuta almost immediately. For several seconds, he remained completely silent, staring at the exhausted human suspended by the restraints. Then, as though he had noticed something unbelievable, his expression changed.

His hand began trembling.

Yuuta watched cautiously as Valthor stepped closer and wrapped his fingers around the iron bars. The demon’s eyes remained fixed on him, and the longer he stared, the more difficult it became for him to contain his reaction.

The warden noticed his unusual behavior.

"Lord Valthor?"

Valthor abruptly turned toward him.

"Quickly. Open this cell. Now."

The urgency in his voice immediately erased the warden’s hesitation. He bowed his head and hurried toward the lock.

"Yes, Lord Valthor."

The warden glanced toward the demons stationed beside the cell before giving a short command.

"Open it."

The lower-ranking demon immediately obeyed. He stepped toward the reinforced door and released the lock, causing the heavy mechanism inside the wall to shift with a series of metallic clicks. The moment the cell door opened, Valthor moved past him without hesitation and entered.

The other black-robed priests remained outside. None attempted to follow their lord inside, instead standing silently along the corridor as they waited for his command.

Meanwhile, the warden turned toward the demons who had been guarding Yuuta’s cell.

"Begin moving the sacrifices to the Abyssal Sanctum. Every last one of them."

"Yes, Warden."

The demons bowed before quickly disappearing down the corridor to carry out his order. The warden folded his arms and remained outside the open cell, unable to hide his anticipation. After everything he had heard about the ancient ritual, the day he had thought might never come was finally here.

Inside the cell, Valthor stood only a few steps away from Yuuta.

A dark book rested in his hands, The Black Testament. Its ancient cover was worn from age, and Valthor had already opened it to one of its final Chapters. He studied the words written across the pages before slowly raising his gaze toward the exhausted human chained before him.

Yuuta watched him without speaking.

There was something unsettling about the way this demon looked at him. Valthor wasn’t examining him like a prisoner, nor did he appear interested in interrogating him. Instead, his expression carried an almost feverish fascination, as though he had finally discovered something he had spent his entire life believing he would never see.

Yuuta couldn’t understand what was happening, but he refused to let the strange behavior distract him. His body was exhausted, and the restraints prevented him from using his aura without triggering the cell’s defenses. Even so, he forced himself to remain alert, carefully watching Valthor for any opportunity to escape.

Valthor’s fingers moved across the ancient text as he began reading aloud, his voice barely more than an unsteady murmur.

"Black hair..."

His gaze immediately lifted toward Yuuta.

Yuuta’s messy black hair hung across his exhausted face, matching the description before Valthor’s eyes. The priest swallowed before lowering his attention to the next line.

"Eyes... red as living blood."

This time, his attention settled directly on Yuuta’s crimson eyes.

At first glance, someone unfamiliar with Yuuta might have mistaken them for the eyes of a vampire, but to a demon like Valthor, the difference was unmistakable. The longer he stared into those blood-red pupils, the stronger an ancient instinct within his body screamed at him to keep his distance.

The book nearly slipped from his trembling hands.

Without warning, Valthor dropped onto his knees.

Yuuta stared at him, completely caught off guard. The demon raised The Black Testament above his head with both hands, holding the ancient scripture toward the ceiling as though presenting it before an unseen presence.

"Oh, dear God of Shadow... thank you." Valthor’s voice trembled with overwhelming excitement. "Thank you for allowing me to live long enough to witness the ultimate weapon you created."

He lowered the book and looked at Yuuta again, his expression twisting into an unsettling mixture of happiness and reverence.

"I am blessed... I am truly blessed. Hah... hahahaha..."

The strange laughter echoing through the cell made Yuuta instinctively try to step backward, only for the chains around his legs to stop him. He had expected interrogation, torture, or perhaps even an execution. Watching a demon kneel before him as though he were some sacred creature was something he had never imagined.

Valthor suddenly rose and rushed toward him.

"What the—"

Yuuta barely managed to speak before Valthor grabbed his face with both hands. Strangely, despite the demon’s excitement, his touch was careful, almost excessively so. His fingers moved through Yuuta’s black hair and across his face as though he were examining something precious while terrified that the slightest carelessness might damage it.

Yuuta’s expression twisted with disgust.

Before he could pull away, Valthor forced one of his eyes wider and leaned closer. The priest stared directly into the crimson pupil for several uncomfortable seconds, studying every detail while Yuuta struggled against his grip.

"Oh... it’s true."

Yet the longer Valthor examined him, the more his own instincts began to rebel. His breathing grew uneven, and despite being the one holding Yuuta, a faint tremor passed through his body.

"The longer I look into his eyes... the more my body tells me to stay away from him."

Yuuta had heard enough. He tried to wrench his head free, but Valthor’s grip was far stronger than he had expected. In his current exhausted condition, Yuuta could barely move the demon’s hands, and the restraints prevented him from properly fighting back.

"Leave me alone."

The coldness in Yuuta’s voice finally made Valthor pause. He blinked, seemingly confused by what he had heard.

"What?"

Yuuta stared straight into his eyes, refusing to look away despite the fear and exhaustion weighing on him.

"I said leave me alone, you dumbass."

Valthor immediately released him and stepped backward. To Yuuta’s disbelief, the demon dropped onto one knee again instead of becoming angry. He lowered his head with The Black Testament held tightly against his chest.

"Even his voice threatens my instincts..." Valthor murmured, almost breathless. "I truly am blessed. The God of Shadow has blessed me..."

Yuuta could only stare at him with a mixture of irritation and disbelief. He had no idea what was written inside that book, but whatever it was, this demon seemed to have completely lost his mind over it.

Before Valthor could continue worshipping him, the warden finally spoke from outside the cell.

"Lord Valthor, it’s time to go."

The atmosphere changed instantly.

Valthor slowly turned his head toward the entrance. The excitement disappeared from his expression as a powerful aura began spreading from his body, forcing the warden to stiffen where he stood.

"How dare you interrupt me?"

The warden instinctively lowered his head, his body trembling beneath the pressure.

"My lord, forgive me. But the Demon King’s order is absolute."

Valthor stared at him for several seconds before the aura surrounding his body gradually subsided. He turned back toward Yuuta, biting the tip of his finger as though struggling to contain himself.

"You’re right. The Demon King’s word is absolute." Valthor released a frustrated breath, his eyes remaining fixed on Yuuta. "But after waiting so long for this day, I can barely contain my excitement."

His gaze moved over Yuuta once more before a decision seemed to settle in his mind.

"Very well. I will personally bring the Last Sacrifice to the ritual grounds."

The warden immediately bowed.

"Yes, my lord. We trust him in your hands."

Yuuta’s face went pale.

Last Sacrifice.

Those two words finally gave him the answer he had been missing since waking inside this prison. The unusual security, the Demon King’s order that nobody touch him, the strange book Valthor had used to examine him, and now the reverence with which these demons treated him. it all led to the same conclusion.

They were going to sacrifice him.

Yuuta’s heartbeat quickened as the realization settled in. Whatever ritual these demons were preparing, he was apparently important enough to be called its Last Sacrifice. That meant they hadn’t kept him alive out of mercy. They were simply waiting for the right moment to kill him.

No... I can’t let that happen.

His exhausted fingers curled into fists despite the restraints around his wrists. He needed an opportunity—anything he could use to escape. Once they took him to wherever this ritual was being performed, there was no guarantee he would ever get another chance.

Valthor turned away from him and looked toward the black-robed priests waiting outside the cell. His gaze settled on several of his companions, who had remained silent throughout the entire exchange.

"You."

The priests immediately lowered their heads.

"Take the Seventh Sacrifice to the sacrificial grounds."

Yuuta’s attention snapped toward them.

Valthor’s expression hardened as he continued, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

"Make sure he is treated properly and protected at all times. If anything happens to him before the ritual begins..." His eyes narrowed. "I will kill you myself."

"Yes, Lord Valthor."

The black-robed priests entered the cell.

Yuuta watched them approach through the darkness, his crimson eyes moving from one figure to another. One priest stopped directly in front of him while another reached toward the restraints holding his wrists. The sound of shifting chains filled the small cell, and Yuuta felt his heartbeat quicken as he realized they were finally going to move him.

He didn’t know what awaited him at the sacrificial grounds or what these demons intended to accomplish with his death. But one thing was certain: if he allowed himself to be taken there without resisting, he might never see Erza or Elena again.

Yuuta clenched his teeth, desperately searching for any opening as the priest began releasing the restraints.

I promised Elena I’d bring her back to her mother.

His gaze hardened.

I’m not dying here.

To Be Continued...