Chapter 350: The Black Eclipse Ritual

For several moments, Allen could only stare at the body of the human suspended before him.

His golden eyes traveled over Yuuta’s exposed chest, taking in the scars that covered almost every inch of skin. There were far too many to count. Some had faded with age, while others remained thick and uneven, their shapes suggesting wounds that had once reached deep into his flesh.

The marks extended from his neck to his stomach, crossing his chest and continuing toward his waist. Among them were scars left during childhood, including the unmistakable traces of repeated experiments. Old injuries overlapped newer ones until it was difficult to find any part of his body that had escaped damage.

Allen had witnessed suffering in countless forms during his long life, yet the sight before him left him genuinely disturbed.

What troubled him most was the contradiction. Judging by those injuries, Yuuta should have been crippled long ago, if he had survived at all. Instead, the same human had spent the past several minutes fighting his way through hundreds of demons.

"How\..."

Allen looked from the scars to Yuuta’s face.

"How are you even alive in the first place?"

His question carried genuine disbelief.

Yuuta gave no answer. With Allen’s fingers still closed around his throat, he was struggling simply to draw enough air into his lungs.

The silence surrounding them gradually spread across the Black Eclipse Circle.

The nearby soldiers had seen Yuuta’s injuries during the battle, but none had imagined the extent of the damage concealed beneath his clothes. Several royal guards exchanged uneasy glances, while the priests stared at him as though they were looking at something that shouldn’t exist.

Even the Upper Blood Demons seemed uncertain how to react.

Akuryu Zanki remained motionless, his eyes fixed upon Yuuta’s chest. He had already recognized the human’s determination during the battle, but the scars revealed something far beyond what he had expected. Many were clearly old, and their number suggested years of suffering rather than a single terrible incident.

For once, Zanki had nothing to say.

A low chuckle eventually broke the silence.

"Heh. Well, I’ll be damned."

Ragnar Graves leaned forward, a broad grin spreading across his face.

"I take back what I said earlier."

The Salesman Demon turned toward him.

"About what?"

"About him not being a warrior."

Ragnar gestured toward Yuuta with his chin.

"Look at those scars. That bastard has endured more pain than most warriors will ever experience. And after all that, he still picked up a sword and fought."

His grin widened, though there was now a measure of respect behind it.

"I don’t care how badly he swings that thing anymore. Anyone who can survive all that and keep fighting deserves to be called a warrior."

Beside him, Mae-hwa was having an entirely different reaction.

A noticeable blush spread across her cheeks as she watched Yuuta hanging in the Demon King’s grasp. She raised her fan to conceal her mouth, but the excitement in her pink eyes was impossible to hide.

"Oh, my..."

She leaned forward slightly.

"He’s so handsome. And those scars..."

Her blush deepened.

"How can he be this cool?"

The Jester Demon glanced at her and began laughing quietly. The Salesman Demon smiled as well, apparently amused that the sight disturbing so many others had only increased Mae-hwa’s fascination.

Around them, however, the remaining demons were far less enthusiastic. Several continued staring at Yuuta in horror, unable to understand how a human with such a damaged body could still be alive.

Allen paid little attention to their reactions.

He was still examining the scars, his earlier anger having given way to curiosity.

"Your existence truly is fascinating."

His eyes moved across the older marks once more.

"To survive injuries of this extent, and still retain enough strength to fight... I wonder what kind of body you possess."

Allen studied Yuuta’s face thoughtfully.

"If the ritual weren’t waiting, I would have liked to examine you properly. There must be something unusual about your existence. I doubt anyone else on this planet could endure so much pain and continue living as you have."

Yuuta remained silent.

His vision was beginning to blur, and the pressure around his throat made it difficult to follow everything Allen was saying. Whatever interest the Demon King had taken in his body meant little to him. All he wanted was to breathe.

Eventually, Allen released him.

Yuuta fell onto the stone, landing heavily on his side before curling forward with a violent cough. He drew in several desperate breaths, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to recover from being suspended by his throat.

For a while, he remained where he had fallen.

Then something moved.

His fingers.

Yuuta stared at his hand and slowly attempted to bend them again. This time, they obeyed. He pressed his palm against the floor, testing his arm, and felt a little strength returning to muscles that had refused to respond only moments earlier.

Finally...

He curled his fingers into a fist.

I can control my body again.

The relief was brief. His limbs still ached terribly, and even pushing himself into a sitting position seemed beyond him for the moment. Nevertheless, the paralysis had begun to wear off, giving him back at least some control over his movements.

He lifted his head toward Allen.

The Demon King stood nearby with his back partially turned, seemingly unconcerned about the human he had just released.

Yuuta watched him in silence.

He understood now how enormous the difference between them was. Allen had lifted him without effort, and the pressure radiating from his body alone had been enough to terrify the surrounding demons.

But Yuuta refused to lower his gaze.

Before he could consider his next move, hurried footsteps approached the central formation.

"Your Majesty!"

Valthor dropped to his knees before Allen, his expression filled with excitement.

"The preparations are complete! Everything is ready for the Black Eclipse ritual!"

Allen turned toward the priest.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

A satisfied smile returned to the Demon King’s face.

"Good."

He raised one hand.

Yuuta immediately felt something seize his body.

Huh?

His back lifted away from the floor, followed by his legs. Before he could understand what was happening, he was floating above the bloodstained stone, held in place by an invisible force.

What the hell is this?!

Yuuta tried reaching downward, but there was nothing to hold on to. No chains restrained him, no ropes supported his weight, and Allen hadn’t laid a finger on him.

Yet he continued rising.

He turned his eyes toward the Demon King, whose raised hand appeared to be controlling the force suspending him in the air.

He’s doing this without even touching me?

Allen looked up at him with a smile.

"Finally."

For the first time since entering the sanctum, he seemed genuinely pleased.

"After two thousand years, we’ve finally reached this moment."

He turned his attention toward the enormous ritual formation, where the priests had begun taking their positions.

"Let us awaken our Mother."

At the highest platforms surrounding the Black Eclipse Circle, the demons assigned to the ceremonial drums immediately prepared themselves. Each stood beside an enormous instrument, waiting for the signal to begin.

One of them raised his drumsticks.

DOOOOM!

The first strike sent a deep vibration throughout the Abyssal Sanctum.

A second drum answered from another platform. Then a third joined, followed by the others, until the entire chamber was filled with a steady, thunderous rhythm.

The sound carried across the ritual grounds, announcing to every priest, soldier, and royal guard that the ceremony was about to commence.

High above the black stone, Yuuta hung helplessly within Allen’s invisible grasp. He tightened his fists as the drums continued, watching the demons prepare for the ceremony he had fought so desperately to escape.

The Black Eclipse ritual had begun.

As the ceremonial drums echoed throughout the Abyssal Sanctum, terrified screams rose from the sacrificial grounds surrounding the Black Eclipse Circle. Hundreds of humans had been forced onto their knees, their hands restrained behind their backs while demon executioners stood over them with weapons drawn.

The prisoners struggled desperately against their restraints, but the demons guarding them showed no mercy. Some begged for their lives, while others cried out for the families from whom they had been separated. Children searched desperately for their parents, husbands called for their wives, and frightened mothers pleaded with the executioners to spare their children.

"Mommy! Where are you?!"

"Please! My husband is still alive! Let me see him!"

"Don’t kill my daughter! Please, take me instead!"

Their pleas went unanswered.

The executioners remained at their assigned positions, waiting for the signal to begin the sacrifices. To them, the humans kneeling before their weapons were nothing more than offerings required to complete the ceremony.

High above the bloodstained stone, Yuuta watched helplessly.

His body remained suspended in the air, held by the invisible force controlled by Allen. Although some strength had returned to his exhausted limbs, he still couldn’t move freely, much less escape the power restraining him.

Below him, Allen walked toward the central altar, which stood beneath the enormous monument dedicated to the God of Shadow. Yuuta floated behind the Demon King, carried forward without any control over his movements.

With every passing second, his heartbeat grew louder.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

He could hear it pounding in his ears. His breathing became uneven as he watched the altar draw closer, and a terrible realization began settling over him. Until now, he had been so occupied with escaping that he had barely allowed himself to think about what would happen if he failed.

But the altar was right there.

And they were taking him toward it.

No...

Yuuta’s eyes widened as panic spread through his chest.

No, no, no. I can’t die here.

He tried moving his arms, desperately searching for some way to break free from the invisible force holding him. His fingers curled into fists, and he twisted his shoulders, but his body remained suspended in the same position.

Move! Damn it, move!

The lesser demons returned to their assigned stations around the ritual grounds, forming a defensive perimeter while keeping watch over the human prisoners. Meanwhile, the Upper Blood Demons followed their king toward the central altar, accompanied by the priests responsible for conducting the ceremony.

As they approached, Yuuta finally saw the altar clearly.

It was a large ceremonial structure made from crimson-red stone, its polished surface standing out against the black floor surrounding it. Ancient inscriptions had been carved along its edges, and beside the place where the sacrifice was meant to lie rested a small ceremonial dagger.

Yuuta’s gaze stopped on the blade.

It wasn’t particularly large or impressive. Compared to the weapons carried by the demons around him, it looked almost ordinary.

Yet the sight of it terrified him more than anything else in the sanctum.

They’re going to cut me open...

He didn’t know exactly how the ritual would be performed, but the dagger’s position beside the altar left little room for comforting explanations.

Yuuta remembered the ancient scripture describing Abraham, who had been commanded by God to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. He had heard that account before, but never imagined finding himself in a situation that resembled it so closely.

There was one terrible difference.

In that account, the sacrifice had been stopped.

Here, no one intended to stop the blade.

I’m going to die.

Yuuta stared at the dagger, unable to look away.

They’re really going to kill me.

Allen stopped before the altar and lowered his hand.

The invisible force holding Yuuta disappeared, allowing him to fall onto the stone floor. He landed awkwardly on his knees, catching himself with both hands before his weakened body could collapse completely.

For a moment, he remained there, breathing heavily.

Then his eyes shifted toward the passage beyond the surrounding priests.

I have to run.

Yuuta forced himself upright.

His legs trembled violently beneath him, but he managed to stand. He immediately turned away from the altar and staggered toward the passage, using what little strength remained in his body.

Run!

He took one step, then another. His knees nearly buckled, forcing him to catch himself against the ground, but he pushed himself up again and continued forward despite the pain spreading through his exhausted muscles.

I don’t care how. Just get away from here!

"Seize him."

Allen’s voice came from behind.

Before Yuuta could take another step, several priests of the Tenbris Circle rushed toward him. One seized his arm while another grabbed his shoulder, pulling him backward.

"NO!"

Yuuta twisted violently, trying to wrench himself free.

"LET GO OF ME!"

He swung his weakened arm toward the nearest priest, but the blow barely carried any strength. Another demon caught his wrist, while a third restrained him from behind, preventing him from turning his body.

Yuuta struggled harder.

"GET OFF ME! I SAID LET GO!"

His voice cracked as he fought against their grip. He kicked at one of the priests, managing to strike his leg, but the demon barely reacted. Instead, the priests tightened their hold and began dragging him toward the altar.

Yuuta’s eyes widened in horror.

No! Not there!

He dug his heels against the stone, desperately trying to stop them. His feet scraped across the ground as the priests pulled him forward, but he continued resisting, twisting his shoulders and throwing his weight backward.

"PLEASE! LET ME GO!"

The words escaped before he could stop them.

For the first time, Yuuta wasn’t shouting out of anger.

He was begging.

"I DON’T WANT TO DIE!"

His voice echoed across the altar, but none of the priests responded. They continued dragging him forward, treating his desperate struggles as little more than an inconvenience.

Yuuta’s breathing grew frantic. He tried twisting away again, but the priests held him firmly between them, leaving him unable to do anything except struggle against their grip.

"Please...!"

His voice trembled.

"Just let me go!"

The priests reached the crimson altar.

Yuuta immediately understood what they intended to do.

"NO! WAIT!"

He threw his weight backward, nearly slipping from their grasp. For a brief moment, his fingers caught the edge of the altar, and he clung to the cold stone with whatever strength remained in his hand.

Don’t let go!

One of the priests seized his wrist.

Yuuta tried holding on, but his fingers were pried away.

"No! Please!"

Within moments, they lifted him onto the altar.

He immediately tried sitting up, only for several hands to press him back against the cold surface. His wrists were pulled into position and secured with restraints, followed by his ankles, leaving him stretched across the ceremonial stone.

Yuuta thrashed against the bindings.

"LET ME GO! PLEASE!"

He pulled at his wrists until the restraints dug painfully into his skin. He twisted his body, attempting to free even one arm, but the priests had secured him too tightly.

Nothing worked.

The strength he had fought so desperately to recover was useless now.

After confirming that the sacrifice could no longer move, the priests stepped away from the altar and lowered their heads.

Allen approached the enormous monument of the God of Shadow.

For several moments, he stood silently before it, looking up at the figure towering over the ritual grounds. Then, with an expression of solemn devotion, the Demon King slowly lowered himself to one knee.

The Upper Blood Demons immediately followed.

Around the Black Eclipse Circle, the royal guards and lesser demons knelt in succession, bowing their heads toward the monument. The ritual priests remained beside their assigned positions, while the executioners continued guarding the human prisoners awaiting sacrifice.

Only the distant screams of the captives and the steady beating of the ceremonial drums disturbed the silence.

Yuuta lay restrained upon the altar, his chest rising and falling with desperate breaths.

He tried pulling his arms free again, but the bindings wouldn’t move. His legs were equally helpless, and every attempt to struggle only reminded him how little strength remained in his body.

His gaze slowly shifted toward the ceremonial dagger resting beside him.

I’m really going to die here...

He had escaped his shackles, fought through hundreds of demons, and nearly reached the passage that might have led him out of this place. Yet despite everything he had done, he was now lying helplessly on the very altar he had been trying to avoid.

Yuuta squeezed his eyes shut.

He remembered Erza waiting for him at home. Elena’s cheerful voice, her small hands reaching toward him, and the ordinary days he had once taken for granted.

He wanted to see them again.

He wanted to hear Elena call him Papa, to sit beside Erza, and to return to the home he had promised himself he would never abandon.

He remembered the last time he had seen Erza, when the portal was closing between them. Their hands had been so close that he had believed, for one desperate moment, that he could reach her.

But he hadn’t.

And now, he might never have another chance.

I shouldn’t have left home...

A tear slipped from the corner of his eye.

Yuuta tried holding back the others, but his fear and exhaustion had finally overwhelmed him. He had spent every moment since his capture struggling to survive, convincing himself that there would always be another opportunity to escape.

Now, he couldn’t see one.

His lips trembled as he remembered Erza’s face, the warmth of her hand, and the family he had promised to return to.

"...Erza."

His voice was barely audible beneath the ceremonial drums.

Another tear rolled down his cheek.

"Help me..."

At that moment, Valthor stepped forward before the kneeling demons.

His ceremonial robes brushed against the black stone as he approached the central formation. He looked toward the enormous monument of the God of Shadow before raising both hands, his expression filled with reverence.

The priests of the Tenbris Circle turned toward him.

The executioners surrounding the human prisoners tightened their grips around their weapons.

Even the ceremonial drums began slowing, their thunderous rhythm giving way to a heavy silence that spread across the entire Abyssal Sanctum.

Yuuta opened his tear-filled eyes.

He could see Valthor standing beyond the altar, both hands raised toward the monument.

Then the priest’s voice rang throughout the Black Eclipse Circle.

"BY THE WILL OF OUR MOTHER, THE GOD OF SHADOW..."

His voice grew louder.

"LET THE SACRIFICES BEGIN!"

To be continued.