Chapter 344: The God Who Saved Me

Location: Demonic Kingdom — The Abyssal Sanctum

At the very heart of the Demonic Kingdom stood a place where ordinary demons were forbidden to enter.

The Abyssal Sanctum.

Occupying an enormous section of the capital, the sanctum was separated from the surrounding city by colossal walls and towering black structures. Unlike the districts beyond its boundaries, there were no homes, markets, taverns, or crowded streets here.

Every building had been constructed for a single purpose, with elevated platforms, stone bridges, broad stairways, and rows of massive pillars arranged around the vast ceremonial grounds at its center.

Crimson flames burned within enormous braziers throughout the complex, casting their light across ancient black stone.

Long red-and-black banners hung from the surrounding towers, each bearing symbols belonging to an age long forgotten. Heavy chains stretched between pillars high above the lower levels, while countless gothic spires disappeared into the darkness beneath a sky perpetually concealed by thick clouds.

At the far end of the sanctum stood its most imposing monument.

An enormous hooded figure carved from black stone towered over the ceremonial grounds, seated beneath a circular structure of iron and stone. Its face remained concealed beneath its hood, with only a pair of pale, star-shaped eyes visible within the darkness.

A smaller figure rested silently within its arms. The monument's true significance was known only to those permitted to study the oldest passages of the Black Testament, and even among them, few understood everything it represented.

Yet the monument was not the sanctum's most important feature.

That distinction belonged to the Black Eclipse Circle.

An immense circular formation had been carved directly into the dark stone plaza. Ancient inscriptions covered its surface, spreading through countless intersecting lines and smaller circles before converging upon a raised platform at the center. Several broad stairways connected the surrounding grounds to the formation, while statues of hooded figures stood along the pathways like silent witnesses awaiting the ceremony.

The circle was so enormous that hundreds of demons could gather within its boundaries without filling the available space. Beneath the main platform, several additional levels descended into the darkness, where crimson light rose through narrow openings and illuminated rows of shadowed structures hidden beneath the ceremonial grounds.

But the most extraordinary thing about the Abyssal Sanctum was neither its size nor its architecture.

It was the history behind its existence.

For two thousand years, the Demonic Kingdom had prepared for the ceremony described within the Black Testament. Generation after generation had gathered the required sacrifices from distant lands, preserving ancient offerings and maintaining the sanctum even when there was no certainty that the ritual would ever take place.

Some demons devoted their entire lives to these preparations, knowing they would never witness the ceremony themselves. When they died, their responsibilities passed to the next generation, and the work continued without interruption. Priests inherited the duties of their predecessors, guarding what had already been collected while searching for the remaining requirements.

All of it had been done for one purpose.

The Black Eclipse.

Yet despite everything the kingdom had accomplished, the ritual had never been completed. One final requirement had always remained beyond their reach, leaving the enormous ceremonial grounds silent while centuries passed and new generations inherited the same unfinished duty.

Until tonight.

For the first time in two thousand years, crimson flames burned throughout every level of the Abyssal Sanctum. The sealed grounds had been opened, ancient formations were being prepared, and the demons granted permission to witness the ceremony had begun gathering around the enormous circle.

At the very center of the formation stood a solitary stone altar.

Compared to the towering monuments, colossal structures, and vast ceremonial grounds surrounding it, the altar appeared almost insignificant. Yet every inscription carved into the Black Eclipse Circle eventually converged upon that single point, revealing its importance to the ceremony that had taken centuries to prepare.

It was the place reserved for the final offering.

And tonight, after two thousand years of waiting, the Demonic Kingdom had finally obtained what it needed.

Yuuta Kounari.

Yuuta stood among the procession, staring at the enormous ceremonial grounds stretching before him. His crimson eyes moved across the towering pillars, the countless demons stationed along the surrounding platforms, and the ancient formations carved into the black stone beneath his feet.

Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to run.

Beside him, Valthor suddenly began giggling to himself. His shoulders trembled with excitement as he gazed upon the enormous ceremonial grounds, his fingers tightening around the Black Testament held against his chest.

"Hehehe... Finally. The time has come."

His voice quivered with delight. For a moment, the priest seemed completely absorbed in the sight before him, his eyes wandering from the towering monuments to the ancient formation at the center of the sanctum.

"Magnificent, isn't it?"

Yuuta turned toward the familiar voice, only to find Valthor watching him with an expression of unmistakable delight. The priest's smile widened as he noticed Yuuta looking in his direction.

"Ah, forgive me! I was so overwhelmed by the honor of escorting you here that I nearly forgot something important."

Valthor stepped forward and spread both arms toward the enormous ceremonial grounds. His black robes fluttered slightly as he raised his head, gazing at the towering structures with the expression of a man witnessing the fulfillment of his life's greatest dream.

"Welcome, Great Divine Sacrifice!"

His voice echoed across the stone pathway, drawing the attention of several nearby guards.

"Welcome to the Abyssal Sanctum, the holiest ground in our entire kingdom!"

Yuuta stared at him without answering.

He had experienced fear countless times before, but something about this place was different. The oppressive atmosphere, the enormous altar standing at the center, and the hundreds of prisoners being brought inside made one thing painfully clear.

Whatever these demons were planning, he couldn't afford to remain here.

Damn it... I need to get out of here.

Yuuta quietly tightened his fists, trying to suppress the uneasiness spreading through his chest. He had finally discovered that a way out of the Demonic Kingdom existed, yet he still didn't know where to find the transportation tiles or the ancient words needed to activate them.

And now, surrounded by hundreds of demons, even the possibility of escaping seemed to be slipping away.

His gaze continued moving across the sanctum until it eventually settled on the enormous monument standing beyond the central altar.

Yuuta stopped walking.

"...Huh?"

At first, he merely stared at the colossal hooded figure seated beneath the enormous circular structure. Its face was hidden beneath its hood, while a smaller figure rested silently within its arms.

There was something strangely familiar about it.

Yuuta narrowed his eyes, trying to understand why the sight made him uncomfortable. He had never visited this kingdom before, much less seen a monument like this. Yet the longer he stared, the more a strange sense of dread began spreading through his body.

"...Wait."

His gaze slowly moved toward the darkness beneath the statue's hood. For an instant, the crimson flames illuminated the pale, star-shaped eyes carved into the stone.

Yuuta's entire body froze.

"...No way."

A memory suddenly surfaced in his mind.

An endless darkness. A place where neither the ground nor the sky existed, where he had wandered alone after being shot and killed. He remembered desperately calling for Erza and Elena, terrified that he would never see his family again.

And then something had appeared before him.

An enormous shadow whose form constantly shifted, as though it existed beyond anything his mind could understand.

But there had been eyes within that darkness.

Pale, star-white eyes.

Eyes that were crying.

Do you want to live, my child?

Yuuta's breath caught.

The voice returned to his memory with such terrifying clarity that, for a moment, he almost believed someone had whispered directly into his ear.

Why do you want to live? They hurt you... my child.

"...No."

Yuuta instinctively took a step backward, only for the chains around his wrists to pull against him. His breathing grew uneven as he stared at the enormous monument, desperately searching for some explanation.

He remembered that voice. He remembered those eyes and the overwhelming presence that had frightened him without ever showing hostility. Most importantly, he remembered begging that mysterious existence to let him return to his family.

Very well, my child.

A cold shiver ran down his spine.

Until now, Yuuta had convinced himself that the encounter had been nothing more than a hallucination. After all, he had died. Perhaps his mind had created that endless darkness during his final moments, along with the strange woman who had spoken to him.

It was the only explanation he could accept.

But now, standing before this enormous monument, that explanation was beginning to fall apart.

Wait... that wasn't a dream?

Yuuta swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. His mind desperately searched for another explanation, something that could dismiss the impossible connection between his memories and the statue standing before him.

Yet the longer he stared at those pale eyes, the harder it became to deny the resemblance.

The same overwhelming presence seemed to linger in his memory. He could almost hear the sorrowful voice that had spoken to him within the darkness, asking why he wanted to return to the people who had hurt him.

Then that place...

His heart hammered against his chest.

It was real?

For so long, Yuuta had tried to forget that experience. He had returned to life, reunited with his family, and continued living as though nothing extraordinary had happened. Whenever the memory resurfaced, he pushed it aside, telling himself there was no reason to dwell on something that might never have existed.

But here, deep within the Demonic Kingdom, stood something that should not have existed outside his memories.

The woman who had spoken to him after his death might not have been a creation of his imagination after all.

She had watched him cry, listened to his desperate pleas, and allowed him to return to the people he loved.

And now her likeness stood at the heart of a place where demons were preparing to sacrifice hundreds of humans.

"...What the hell is going on?"

Yuuta barely recognized his own trembling voice.

His gaze remained fixed on the enormous statue as the implications slowly settled over him. If the encounter had truly happened, then the existence he had met after death was somehow connected to the Demonic Kingdom.

But why?

That woman...

The one who brought me back to life...

What does she have to do with this place?

Unable to suppress his confusion any longer, Yuuta slowly raised his trembling hand and pointed toward the enormous grey statue towering above the ceremonial grounds.

"W-Who is she...?" he asked, his voice unsteady. "And why is her statue here?"

The warden's eyes immediately narrowed. His expression twisted with anger as he noticed Yuuta pointing directly at the monument.

"How dare you!"

His furious voice startled Yuuta.

"How dare you point your finger at the sacred statue of our God! Lower your hand this instant!"

Yuuta barely registered the warning. His attention remained fixed on the enormous hooded figure, while a single word from the warden's outburst echoed through his mind.

"...God?"

He slowly turned toward the warden, his expression filled with disbelief.

Before the warden could speak again, Valthor stepped forward, his face brightening with unmistakable pride. Unlike the furious guard, the priest appeared delighted by Yuuta's question.

"Indeed, Great Divine Sacrifice! That is no ordinary monument."

Valthor raised both arms toward the towering statue, his voice growing louder with every word.

"She is our God! The divine existence whom our ancestors have worshipped for countless generations!"

His eyes shone with fanatical devotion as he gazed toward the hooded figure.

"The God of Darkness!"

Valthor paused, almost trembling with excitement, before proclaiming her sacred title.

"The God of Shadow!"

His voice echoed across the surrounding stone structures.

"The very existence whom you shall please with your sacrifice tonight!"

Yuuta fell completely silent.

For several seconds, he could only stare at Valthor, struggling to comprehend what he had just heard. His gaze slowly returned to the enormous statue, and the memories he had desperately tried to dismiss came rushing back once more.

The endless darkness.

The sorrowful, star-white eyes.

The gentle voice that had called him my child.

The God of Shadow...?

His hands began trembling again.

The woman who had spoken to him after his death was the very existence these demons had spent centuries worshipping. And now he had been brought to the heart of their kingdom as the final sacrifice meant to awaken her.

He didn't understand why she had allowed him to live, only for the demons who worshipped her to bring him here to die.

Nor could he understand what made him so important to their ritual.

But as he stared at the enormous hooded figure, one terrible question rose above all the others.

The woman who brought me back to life...

They're going to sacrifice me to awaken her?

To Be Continued...

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Author's Note

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