Chapter 951 The Depths of Samsara

The Castle of Genesis remained suspended in the depths of the Demon Realm, surrounded by a darkness that seemed endless. Its enormous corridors had been empty for countless years, and the dust accumulated over the furniture and statues revealed the abandonment of that place which had once served as the residence of the first ruler of the demons.

Lilith walked beside Sepphirothy, observing the deteriorated walls while her daughter carried a small circular device covered in magical inscriptions. They had already installed several of those devices at strategic points throughout the structure, and now they were moving through the western wing to complete the preparations for transport.

“Place the next one on that pillar.” Lilith pointed toward a column near the entrance of a large hall, where ancient demonic tapestries still hung. “We need to make sure the transfer includes the lower foundations. I don’t want to find out half the castle was left behind.”

“I know, Mother.” Sepphirothy replied while approaching the column and pressing the device against its surface. A set of magic circles spread across the stone before disappearing, indicating that the connection had been established. “I’ve already configured the others to recognize the entire structure. When we activate all of them simultaneously, the castle will be sent directly to the Upper Underworld.”

Lilith nodded, satisfied. The Upper Underworld was where the main demonic kingdoms were concentrated, including the territories ruled by Sparda. Transporting such an ancient and gigantic structure to that region required a considerable amount of energy, but it did not represent a problem for two women of their level.

What truly worried her was something else.

“What Lucifer said still bothers me.” Lilith commented while they crossed the hall, passing a row of rusted armor. “He talked about that demon as if he knew something would happen after his death. And he still had the audacity to claim he had prepared everything to face him.”

Sepphirothy sighed.

“I know. I didn’t like hearing that either.” Sepphirothy replied while checking the synchronization of the devices through a small magical projection. “But, thinking about it, we already have practically everything he left prepared. And we’re in a much better situation than Lucifer probably imagined.”

Lilith turned her face toward her.

“Explain.”

“To begin with, we have Vergil.” Sepphirothy replied while putting away the remaining device. “He managed to transcend the natural limits of demons and angels, becoming the progenitor of an entirely new race. The Aethernox don’t depend on the same rules that govern our species, and his capacity for development continues increasing.”

Lilith did not disagree. She herself had examined Vergil’s nature on different occasions and knew that his existence could no longer be classified as that of an ordinary demon.

“And he also possesses that World Tree he found in Lucifer’s vault.” Sepphirothy continued, raising one finger as she listed the advantages. “Qliphoth is directly connected to his soul. In addition, there are two Heavenly Dragon Empresses imprisoned inside him, although, from what I understand, the three parties are getting along surprisingly well.”

“You say that as if it’s normal.” Lilith commented, remembering how many powerful existences were gathered inside a single soul.

“With Vergil, I’ve already given up trying to define what normal is.” Sepphirothy replied with a small smile before looking at the weapon she carried in her right hand.

Longinus.

The ancient holy spear no longer possessed the golden glow that had characterized it in the past. Its structure was covered in deep shades of red and black, and the demonic energy circulating through the metal was so concentrated that small distortions occasionally appeared around the tip.

“We also have a weapon made specifically to kill demons.” Sepphirothy raised Longinus and examined the blade, still trying to understand how her father had managed to alter a holy weapon so extremely. “I don’t know if Lucifer really intended for me to use it against that enemy, but the spear still recognizes my authority. That already puts us in an advantageous position.”

Lilith observed the weapon for a few seconds.

“A spear that pierced the saint and the demon, corrupted by Lucifer’s heart…” Lilith murmured, showing obvious disdain when mentioning her former husband. “I still can’t decide whether that was genius or simply another one of his insanities.”

“Probably both.” Sepphirothy replied while lowering Longinus. “But that’s not all. We have Sapphire, and all those women Vergil somehow managed to charm.”

Lilith raised an eyebrow.

“Charm?”

“You know perfectly well what I’m talking about.” Sepphirothy replied, letting out a small laugh. “He practically gathered a personal army without realizing it. We have an ancient Goddess of the Hunt, two Goddesses of Beauty, thousands of Valkyries, Mjölnir and even the Bifröst. Not to mention the other powerful women who decided to remain by his side.”

Lilith became thoughtful.

It was true.

Vergil had gathered an absurd number of allies in a relatively short amount of time. Some had approached out of interest, others out of gratitude, and many had simply developed personal bonds with him. The result was a military and supernatural force that none of the ancient Demon Kings would have been able to gather easily.

“Currently, we’re the greatest force in the Underworld.” Sepphirothy concluded while walking toward the next passage. “If that demon really appears, we won’t be defenseless.”

“Having power and knowing how to use it with maximum efficiency are different things.” Lilith replied immediately, accompanying her daughter. “Vergil is far too relaxed about these things. He possesses enough resources to reorganize the balance of power among several pantheons, but prefers to act according to his own will.”

Sepphirothy let out a sigh.

“Unfortunately, I have to agree.”

“He stole the Bifröst from Asgard.” Lilith continued, clearly bothered by the lack of planning that often accompanied his decisions. “One of the most important transportation structures of the Norse. And what did he do afterward? Treated it as if he’d found something interesting to keep at home.”

Sepphirothy had to hold back a laugh.

“Well, that really does sound like something he would do.”

“He has a World Tree inside his soul, two Dragon Empresses, countless Authorities and an army of Valkyries.” Lilith crossed her arms while they stopped in front of the final column. “And I have the impression that, if no one bothers him, he’ll spend the next few days strolling around with some wife and looking for sweets.”

“Probably.” Sepphirothy replied while installing the final device. “But when things become truly serious, he takes the situation seriously. You know that.”

Lilith remained silent for a few moments.

She could not deny it.

Vergil might be carefree with administrative matters and often made impulsive decisions, but he had demonstrated countless times that he knew how to recognize a true threat. When someone important to him was in danger, his attitude changed completely.

“I hope that continues.” Lilith finally replied, observing the magic circles appearing around the column. “Because if Lucifer was telling the truth, we may need everything Vergil managed to gather.”

Sepphirothy finished the configuration and took a few steps back.

“Done. All the devices are connected.” Sepphirothy announced while a three-dimensional projection of the castle appeared before her. Small points of light indicated the positions of the mechanisms, forming a network that surrounded the entire structure. “We only need to activate the transfer.”

Lilith examined the projection and nodded.

“Then let’s finish this quickly. I’ve already spent too much time in this place.” Lilith replied while looking one last time toward the corridor that led to the old throne room. There was no longing in her expression, only the desire to definitively close that chapter of her existence.

Sepphirothy touched the center of the projection.

The devices responded simultaneously.

Enormous magic circles began to form around the Castle of Genesis, surrounding its towers, walls and foundations. The entire structure trembled slightly as the space around it began to fold, separating the castle from the dimension where it had remained abandoned for countless years.

“Destination confirmed. Upper Underworld, Sparda’s territory.” Sepphirothy announced while monitoring the stabilization of the transfer. “I think he’ll be quite surprised when he finds out we’re bringing an entire castle there.”

“He can find somewhere to put the thing.” Lilith replied, shrugging while the light from the magic circles began to surround the two of them. “We’re already doing the difficult part.”

Sepphirothy laughed softly.

In the next instant, the Castle of Genesis disappeared from the depths of the Demon Realm.

The existence of demons had never been limited to a single Hell.

Since time immemorial, different human civilizations had developed their own conceptions about death, the fate of souls and the places where the dead were sent. Although much of that knowledge had been transmitted through religions and mythologies, reality was considerably more complex.

The different pantheons possessed their own dimensions, many of them predating the formation of the civilizations that came to worship them.

Among the Greeks and Romans, there was Tartarus, an infernal dimension ruled by Hades. Its depths housed countless condemned souls, as well as creatures and entities that had been imprisoned since the ancient wars between the gods.

The Norse possessed Helheim, the realm of the dead ruled by Hela. Unlike what many humans imagined, Helheim was not simply a place of punishment. It was a dimension intended to receive certain categories of souls, managing their stay and fate according to the laws established by the Norse pantheon.

Among Hindus and Buddhists, there was Naraka, a vast dimension composed of different infernal regions, each responsible for certain forms of punishment and spiritual purification.

For a long time, Naraka had been under the authority of Yama, the ancient ruler responsible for administering the judgments and punishments of countless souls. However, after Dante killed Yama, the administration of that dimension entered a period of instability. To prevent the spiritual balance from being compromised, Buddha himself temporarily assumed responsibility for Naraka.

The Egyptians possessed Duat, the realm of the dead ruled by Anubis. There, souls underwent processes of judgment and evaluation, being directed according to their spiritual condition and the ancient laws of the Egyptian pantheon.

In Japan, there was Yomi-no-Kuni, a dimension associated with death and the fate of those who left the world of the living. Its laws differed considerably from those established by the other pantheons, and its very nature was deeply connected to the ancient Japanese deities.

In addition to these dimensions, there was the Christian Hell, where Vergil, Sparda and a large portion of the demons known to humanity lived. It was one of the largest demonic structures in existence, divided into countless territories, kingdoms and dimensional layers, each possessing its own authorities and systems of government.

Despite the differences between these regions, all of them shared one fundamental characteristic.

They coexisted within the same reality, although separated by dimensional barriers that prevented free passage between their territories.

And all of them were connected to something much greater.

Samsara.

Very few mortals knew of its true existence.

Even among the gods, complete knowledge of its functioning was restricted to entities responsible for the administration of souls and the maintenance of spiritual cycles.

Samsara was neither exactly a Hell nor a Paradise.

It was a system of incomprehensible proportions, responsible for administering the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation of countless existences.

When a living being died, its soul was directed through the spiritual structures corresponding to its existence. Depending on its nature, origin, bonds and spiritual condition, it could undergo judgment, remain temporarily in a dimension of the dead or be directed toward the process of reincarnation.

The fundamental function of Samsara was to ensure that this cycle continued functioning.

Souls were received, evaluated, purified and, when necessary, recycled before being sent back to the world of the living.

However, not all of them could return immediately.

Some accumulated such a great amount of corruption, resentment and spiritual impurities that their direct reinsertion into the cycle could compromise other existences.

Those souls were sent to the different Hells.

There, they underwent processes of punishment and purification that could last centuries, millennia or even longer periods. In certain regions, the corruption was so profound that the souls themselves eventually assumed demonic forms, becoming part of the infernal ecosystems.

But not even that transformation necessarily meant the end of their participation in the cycle.

When those demons finally died, their souls could return to Samsara, where the residue accumulated during their previous existences was processed before a new reincarnation.

Birth.

Death.

Purification.

Reincarnation.

The process repeated continuously, sustaining the spiritual balance of countless worlds and dimensions.

It was a system so ancient that even many gods did not know its true origin.

And despite the countless wars between pantheons, territorial disputes and conflicts involving supernatural entities, Samsara continued fulfilling its function.

Far below the regions administered by the gods, there were layers that rarely received visitors.

They were deep regions, far removed from the common routes of spiritual circulation, where energy residue and fragments of souls were carried for processing.

There were no temples, palaces or thrones there.

Only an immense darkness, crossed by countless luminous currents transporting the spiritual remains of forgotten existences.

For ages, those depths remained untouched.

Until something moved.

At the bottom of one of the oldest regions of Samsara, a small crack appeared across a black surface that should have remained completely still. The fissure slowly spread, accompanied by demonic pressure so dense that the nearby spiritual currents began to deviate.

Then, from within that opening, a hand emerged.

It was enormous, covered in dark, uneven skin, with long fingers ending in black claws. Slowly, it stretched out from the crack, searching for something it could use as support.

The claws finally found the edge.

And tightened.

The surface of Samsara began to crack even further.