In the dimly lit depths of the castle, the air buzzed with unholy energy as Morris reveled in his twisted triumph.

  "Hahahaha!! Yes! FLY, DEVILS! FLY AROY EVERYTHING YOU SEE!" He roared, his grin wide and grotesque. Standing in the middle of the sprawling magic circle, he basked in the hellish glow, watg as legions of devils poured through the gate, tearing into the human realm like ravenous beasts.

  The air thrummed ominously as the massive stoes shuddered. "The sed gate is almost open!" Morris's voice cracked with maniacal excitement. "What marvels of hell shall I see ? What monstrous—"

  His giddy thoughts screeched to a halt wheeady torrent of devils slowed uedly.

  Morris's grin faltered. He blinked, bewildered. "What in the—"

  "Oh, Morris." A voice, calm yet dripping with mockery, sliced through the eerie silence.

  Morris froze as Alex materialized as though birthed by the shadows themselves, standing within the very heart of his ritual like he ow. A smirk pyed on his lips as he casually sed the se before him.

  "So this is how far you've fallen—just another one of Lucifero's disposable toys." He tilted his head, his gaze filled with disdain. "Holy, why does that idiot devil king keep pig up trash like you? First, there was that degee, Dante, who couldn't charm a tree if he tried. Now we've got you—a deranged puppet master with an uhy obsession with breaking children."

  Alex's face darkened, his words ced with venom. "It's holy revolting."

  Morris's fidence wavered.

  "A-Asta…?" He stammered.

  "What are you doing here?" He asked with a fake smile. "Your ant-magic suddenly stopped. Did something g?"

  "Oh good, you remember me!" Alex spread his arms mogly. "And here I thought you'd only been pying house with Lucifero this whole time."

  He casually grabbed a struggling devil out of midair as if plug an annoying i. The unfortunate creature thrashed helplessly in his grip.

  "I'll help you figure this out," Alex said, his tone amused.

  "K-kaaahk!!" The devil cwed at Alex's hand, its life foruffed as he crushed its neck with a siing ch.

  Throwing the corpse at Morris's feet, Alex wiped his hands theatrically. "There's your answer. Oh, and a fresh one—should be right up your alley, stist creep."

  Morris's stomach twisted, his mind rag. His eyes darted to Alex, then to the devils slowing their dest, and his blood ran cold as realization dawned.

  "You… betrayed us!" He choked out. "No… you were never on our side!"

  "Ding, ding, ding!" Alex cpped his hands mogly. "Give the cockroach a prize! Though, I have to say," his eyes burned with malice, "the fact that it took you this long to figure that out? Pathetic."

  Before Morris could retort, the faint sound of ughter rumbled, growing into a monstrous cacophony. From the cursed marks on Morris's forehead, a voice thundered.

  "YOUUU!!"

  "Lucifero," Alex greeted casually, brushing off the corrupting mana flooding the room like it was a summer breeze.

  "HOW DARE YOU SLOW MY ASSION!" the devil king bellowed, his voice shaking the very foundation of the castle.

  "Slow it? Oh, Lucifero, honey," Alex's devilish grin widened, "I'm here to STOP it. pletely."

  A faint hum filled the room as Alex pced a hand on the sealed coffin housing Yami. A brilliant glow erupted from beh his fiips as fractures webbed out across the surface.

  "No! STOP HIM!" Lucifero roared, desperation bleeding into his tone.

  As if a and had been issued, every devil in the chamber halted mid-flight. With a guttural roar, they turo Alex, their hateful eyes glowing as they surged toward him.

  But Alex didn't move an inch. Instead, he smirked, casting a nguid g Morris and his devil hordes.

  "e out and py," He whispered.

  BOOOOOMM!

  The very shadows at Alex's feet erupted, expanding in a torrential flood of bck so deep it seemed to devour the light. In an instant, the entire chamber was bed in a suffog darkness.

  From within the abyss, armor-cd figures emerged, their forms shimmering with otherworldly power. The very ground seemed to quake beh their boots as one by one, Alex's shadow soldiers rose, hundreds strong, their ons glinting with malice.

  "Wh-what is this?" Morris shrieked, his voice trembling as he recoiled from the nightmarish se.

  An unknown fear crept up over him.

  Shururuk…

  The surface of the shadow wavered, and soldiers weari-bck armor rose up one by one.

  'Sn's Territory!'

  [All Stats of the Shadow Soldiers fighting over the Summoner's shadow will rise up by 50%.]

  A thin smile spread on Alex's lips.

  'Good.'

  The shadow soldiers raised their ons and pierced the ining devils, slig them into pieces.

  Moris was very sensitive toward the magiergy. He could feel that the energy released from Alex was different, it was something dark and sinister, even more than devils.

  'No, hang on. Is this even magiergy?'

  'To think, this magical energy is even more ominous than what the King of Devils Lucifero is emitting…!!'

  "You're terrified, aren't you?" Alex's voice cut through the chaos, loud and taunting. "You're used to being the one who pulls the strings. But now you're oher side. It's... humbling, isn't it?"

  Morris backed away, his legs trembling. "What kind of... power is this?! It's darker than Lucifero's!"

  "Oh, Morris," Alex said, his voice oozing faux sweetness. "This? This is what real power looks like."

  Raising his palm, Alex gathered a dense orb of crag energy. Its hum grew deafening as he aimed it directly at Morris. "Time to take out the trash."

  Morris had only seds to react. ing space, he narrowly avoided the searing bst, whied the chamber in a cataclysmic explosion.

  BOOOOOOMMM!!!

  The impact ocalyptitire ses of the castle disied as the spell obliterated everything in its path. Even the roots of the Qliphoth burheir magic destabilizing rapidly.

  When the dust settled, Morris's agonized screams pierced the silence.

  His right side was missing—flesh, bone, and all—his mangled body sprawled pathetically on the floor. Blood pooled beh him as he writhed, a broken man ging to life.

  Alex approached, his shadow soldiers parting to make way for their master. T over Morris, he gazed down with an almost pitying expression.

  "You know," Alex mused, croug to meet Morris's fearful eyes. "It'd be merciful to kill you now…"

  He trailed off, smirking. "…but where's the fun in that?"

  --- ? ? ? ---

  Hello, dear readers! ??

  Thank you for being part of this thrilling journey from day one. Your support means everything, and I hope each chapter has sparked excitement and given you some unfettable moments!

  If you've enjoyed my stories and want to help keep this adventure going strong, sider joining my Patreon! For as little as 5, you'll unlock extra chapters, exclusive art, and tons of perks.

  ?? Here's what's avaible now:

  Extra tent Ready for You:

  ?? Wandering in Omniverse: 85 extra chapters!

  ?? My Life in Multiverse: 75 extra chapters!

  ? The Otherworldly Monarch: 10 extra chapters!

  One Piece: The Emperor Luffy: 10 extra chapters!

  ???? JJK: The Cursed Child: 5 extra chapters!

  ????? Asmodeus: A Sinful Tale: Patreon Exclusive

  ?? MHA: A Dark Apostle: Patreon Exclusive

  ? A Gangster Paradise

  ?? With daily chapters for Wandering in Omniverse and My Life in Multiverse, weekly updates for MHA, and three chapters a week for all others, there's always something to enjoy!

  Even if Patreon isn't for you, you still get early access to chapters by being a free member oform! Your support, in any form, keeps these stories alive and growing.

  Thank you for being a part of this journey. May these stories briement and inspiration to your life, and I look forward ting you many more adventures!

  ?? Myth Guild ??

  Patreon: patreon.yth_Valley

  Want to donate directly?

  Visit: buymeacoffee.yth_valley