NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1515: Archdemons (1)
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"Look! Blake! I think that's the Palace, right? The Citadel of Envy!" Erika said, as she remembered what Blake had told her earlier about hell, its "citadels" and the domains of the Archdemons.
"Yes," Blake said, nodding, as he glanced at the faraway land.
There was a massive black and red palace that stretched into the skies, almost touching the ceiling, resembling several castles and towers merged together.
Surrounding it were several giant serpents, demonic beasts of immense power that were the guardians of Leviathan's domain, and surrounding the palace were the walls and the citadel of envy, with hundreds of houses where only Demon Dukes and other similar ranks lived.
Anything beneath the Dukes, Great Dukes, Princes, or Generals, were below trash, and lived outside on small villages, farming resources for the demons, raising cattle and more.
It was similar to the system of Spiritias, but much more brutal in practice, with no laws or anything of the sort either.
"Blake, there's plenty of villages down there, are they all soldiers? I don't think we should kill them all..." Erdrich said.
"I know," Blake said. "Don't worry, Erdrich. I am only aiming for the castle."
As they approached it, a powerful crimson barrier manifested, pushing Blake's flying familiars away, and even killing a few, electrocuting them with demonic lightning until they fell, burned to a crisp and disappearing into particles of light.
"SO YOU'RE HERE...! TO THINK A DAY LIKE THIS WOULD COME... THAT FOOL OF LUCIFER HAS TRULY CREATED HIS OWN DEMISE..."
Leviathan's voice resonated through Hell, the Sixth Layer trembled before the presence of its King and Master, the Archdemon of Envy, and the only one that hasn't gone into Spiritias and had yet to try to invade it, somehow, he had remained behind.
Blake didn't quite know why, Leviathan was well known for being someone that liked fighting, although not as much as Satan, and he was also someone more cunning, although not as much as Mammon.
He was a weird in between these two Archdemons, which had been the strongest Blake had faced so far... And yet, Leviathan, this time, chose not to fight at all.
Was he waiting for Blake to arrive and ambush him? Was he hoping to unify his strength with Lucifer to defeat him?
What was his plan?
Despite how strong Blake had grown, he was not overconfident nor reckless, he knew Leviathan was up to something.
Even if he was Sealed, he was strong enough to manifest his Demonic Projection, emerging as a giant sea serpent-like demon, with a pair of muscular arms crossing as he glared at Blake.
"IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU AGAIN, ASMODEUS."
"Leviathan."
Blake prepared to battle, his Aura surging, as he held his spear tightly, pointing at the demon.
"Have you come to stop me? So you're indeed the last obstacle before reaching Lucifer. Let me tell you, I have felled five of your kind already, and I won't have any mercy with you either!"
His aura grew stronger, as Leviathan's face distorted, his eyes widened as he suddenly pushed his hands forward, his form gigantic and ethereal, made of crimson demonic flames.
"WAIT...! TIME OUT! WAIT A SECOND!"
"Hm?"
Blake suddenly stopped aiming his spear, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Leviathan.
He had never heard the giant archdemon ever speak in such... a strangely pathetic tone before.
The rest of Blake's party were all left confused as well.
"Time out? What? What are you talking about? Didn't you come to stop me?"
"WHAT?! WHY WOULD I WANT TO STOP YOU?! MY PALACE JUST HAPPENED TO BE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOURS, ASMODEUS!"
"Blake, it's Blake now."
"OKAY SURE, WHATEVER, BLAKE."
"Speak, what are your intentions?!"
"I-I HAVE NO BAD INTENTIONS! I SWEAR! I AM LITERALLY SEALED! I CAN BARELY EXERT ENOUGH POWER... I COULD HAVE DONE WHAT THE OTHERS DID, BUT I CHOOSE NOT TO, BECAUSE I AM NOT AN IDIOT!"
"..."
"LOOK! I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT, OKAY? I KNOW YOU KILLED ALL FIVE OF THE REST, SO IT WOULD BE PRETTY FUCKING STUPID IF I TRIED TO STOP YOU NOW."
"What? Aren't you loyal to Lucifer?"
"I COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT THAT BASTARD! HE HAS NOT EVEN UNSEALED ME! WE ALL HATE HIM."
"Hmm..."
Blake had his doubts; it could all be a plot to trick him into lowering his guard.
"So you don't want to fight?"
"NO..."
"That's... strange, why wouldn't you want to fight? You're an Archdemon, of Envy at that. you're fueled by monstrous demonic appetite for power."
"WELL MAYBE, BUT I WANT TO LIVE TOO, YOU KNOW? SATAN AND THE REST FOUGHT YOU THINKING YOU WERE WEAKER BUT... MAN, YOU GROW REALLY DAMN FAST. EIGHTEEN YEARS WAS ALL IT TOOK FOR YOU TO SURPASS YOUR PREVIOUS SELF?! NO THANKS, I AM NOT GETTING INVOLVED INTO THIS."
"..."
Blake was left so surprised he raised both his eyebrows, and his friends all gasped, opening their mouths wide open!
They couldn't believe Leviathan's shamelessness, or his lack of pride!
He was the Archdemon of Envy, among the most treacherous of them all, after Mammon.
Mammon was driven by greed, but Leviathan wasn't, so...
Leviathan just chose not to die.
"What sort of..." Chris muttered. "What the hell? Should we kill him anyway?"
"I don't know, I kind of feel bad for him now, he doesn't want to get involved into this..." Eric said.
"I AM WELL AWARE OF YOUR STRENGTH... IF I WERE TO FIGHT YOU, I KNOW I COULD GET A HIT OR TWO BUT... ULTIMATELY, I'LL LOSE. I DON'T HAVE ANY PRIDE ON ME ANYMORE. LUCIFER IS THE ONLY ONE DRIVEN BY THAT SIN. IF I MUST, I CAN EVEN SERVE YOU."
"You would?"
"I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO SURVIVE... LUCIFER HAS GROWN MADDER, AND ALSO STRANGER... IF ANYTHING, YOU WOULD GIVE ME A FAVOR IF YOU KILLED HIM."
"You talk as if it would be any easier."
"CERTAINLY NOT, AND YOU DO HAVE A CHANCE OF DYING AS WELL... BUT IT IS NO LONGER IMPOSSIBLE, THERE'S... A POSSIBILITY NOW."
"..."
"SO, BLAKE, SUMMONER... I OFFER YOU THIS."
Leviathan was willingly to sacrifice everything just to survive, as he brought along giant statue of himself, where he had been sealed.
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