Elena was ready to visit Haruka at the hospital, but first, she checked her reflection in the oval mirror by the wardrobe. She wore a plain red maxi dress adorned with white roses and frills at the hem, and a simple red handbag hung over her left shoulder.

A white straw hat with a petal design rested on her head.

She wore no makeup, saving it for special occasions, though she hardly needed it. Her features were naturally gracious and noble.

She spun around, the dress flowing gracefully with her movements. Satisfied, she turned to open the door. Just as she reached for the knob, a flash of black light illuminated the room for a second.

She knew immediately what that meant. Slowly, she released the doorknob and turned around.

"Where were you, Sa—"

Her words caught in her throat, her eyes widening with hatred as she saw the person standing beside Satan—her sister.

Something snapped inside her.

"How... How..."

She walked towards her sister, her eyes hollow, her voice trembling with fury.

"How dare you show your face to me?!"

She raised her hand, and before her sister could react, she seized her by the throat, fingers clamping around the delicate flesh. With relentless force, she squeezed, feeling the desperate thrash of her sister's attempts to break free. Her nails dug into the tender skin of her sister's neck, blood vessels bursting beneath the surface as tears welled up in her eyes.

She was determined to snuff out her sister's life, her grip tightening like a vice, cutting off her sister's air with every merciless squeeze.

Then, suddenly, a force yanked her away from her sister and flung her to the ground.

"This is the first time I've witnessed such a display of ferocity from you... It intrigues me, the relationship and history shared between you two sisters."

She shot a disdainful glance at Satan, internally surprised that he somehow knew her sister and questioned why he had brought her here. Then, she turned to her sister, who panted, her eyes and face still red, clutching her neck where blood oozed from the wounds, staining the floor beneath her in drops.

"Well... as much as I appreciate bloodsport, we have far weightier matters at hand."

She watched intently as Satan reached into a small black void, the same one she had seen him use earlier in the morning. Curiosity piqued, she wondered what it actually was. Had her thoughts not been consumed by the news of the Satanists and the shiny gold coin he had placed near her lap, she would have asked about it the first time she saw him doing this.

'What is that?' she questioned herself as she observed a strange red liquid in a medium-sized test tube with a golden cap in Satan's hand.

'What is he going to do with that?' she wondered as she watched Satan open the cap and pour the red liquid onto her sister's wounds. Slowly, she observed as the liquid seeped into the cuts and injuries, the bleeding gradually stopping. She saw her sister's eyes regain their normal appearance and her breathing returned to a steady rhythm. The wounds healed before her eyes, the skin regenerating until all signs of the injury that she had inflicted upon her sister were gone.

"Why... why... why did you heal her?" Elena demanded, pushing herself up from the floor. She despised it; she hated it deeply. Why did Satan heal her sister? What was even worth saving in her sister? She clenched her hands in seething anger.

"It would be a waste if she died here... just like that."

What did he mean by that? She didn't understand. She turned to glare at her sister, who met her gaze with a sorrowful look.

"You still haven't forgiven me, sister..."

She would never forgive her. There was nothing that could make her forgive her sister.

"You ar—"

Her words were abruptly silenced by a commanding, serious voice.

"Silence!"

Satan's voice shook both Elena and her sister, forcing them to fall back onto the floor.

"Now, where were we... ah yes..."

Satan turned his piercing gaze towards Elena.

"Elena, do you remember the ones Albedo mentioned?"

"Yes, I do... did you find out something about them?"

If that were true, it was excellent news. She hoped Satan would succeed in stopping them and perhaps resolve another nagging question in her mind—why they targeted her.

"Wait... what are you guys talking about? Who is this Albedo?"

Her sister interjected.

Satan turned towards her sister with a deathly stare and retorted, "Wait for your turn, nun. Don't interrupt; you'll get your chance."

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

He then refocused his attention on Elena. "As I was saying... it's possible that the Satanists are behind the plot to burn this world, though we need more evidence to confirm."

'Satanists? Is he suggesting that his followers are responsible for what happened to me? Could it mean that—'

Before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, Satan cut in.

"I comprehend your thoughts. Allow me to reaffirm what I stated earlier today. I bear no responsibility for the actions of those Satanists; their deeds hold no benefit for me."

"I understand your point, but I fail to grasp why you bother intervening to prevent the world's destruction. Haven't you expressed a desire to reduce it to ashes yourself?"

She recalled his unsettling admission of wanting to turn the world into cinders.

"Yes, indeed, but on my terms and at my discretion. I am not a servant to be controlled by lesser beings."

"But aren't these followers of yours acting in your name, fulfilling your will?"

"Perhaps they are, but perhaps they are not," Satan replied cryptically.

What did that mean? It was confusing and made little sense.

"Don't dwell on it too much; time will reveal the truth."

"Alright... but what role does she play in all of this?" She gestured towards her sister.

"Well—" Satan began, but then paused, turning to her sister. "Why don't you tell her?"

....

Satan was sitting in the living room, leaving Elena and her sister in the bedroom to talk.

'Let's hope they don't kill each other... at least not before I bring the little girl. If she's still alive, that is; otherwise, I'll have to bring whatever remains are left here...'

His gaze then went to the broken table still lying on the floor.

'Perhaps I shouldn't have used that much strength...'

He picked up a broken shard of glass, looked at it, and a thought crossed his mind. He placed it near his wrist and cut it. Blood dripped from his skin, mingling with the dust on the floor, before his flesh was slowly healed due to the regenerative effect of his horns.

'No pain... It seems wounds from normal weapons, even by someone of my level, don't make me feel pain unless the weapon is imbued with holy power, just like in the lore...'

He then began to apply pressure on the shard of glass, cracks forming until it shattered into thousands of small pieces. He sighed and leaned back on the sofa.

'Speaking of... Are they done talking or not? It's already been 10 minutes...'

He was growing annoyed now. How long did it take for women to finish their conversation?

Then, both Elena and her sister entered the living room.

'The waiting finally ends...'

Satan stood up from the sofa. He turned his eyes to Elena's sister. "I have a very important question for you. Well, two questions—no, make it three."

"What are they?"

"Your name. Though it holds little interest for me, I may need it to persuade the child to come with me if she asks for her mother's name. She might ask me her mother's name."

"My name is Maria..."

Satan nodded slightly.

"Second, the name of the hotel, and where it was in Hokkaido."

"The hotel was called Sekiro Harmony, near Odori Park..."

"And third, do you have anything with you that would allow me to identify your daughter? I doubt it, but it's better to ask."

"I don't."

Satan then looked at Elena.

"I burned all the photos of every single family member."

Satan let out a sigh; this was going to be difficult. He then placed his hand into his inventory and brought out two rings, handing them to the women.

"You two, take one ring each."

They took the rings and inspected them. They were golden with green emeralds in the center, featuring a pentagon design engraved on them.

"What kind of ring is this?" Elena asked, curious.

"It is the Ring of Epoch. Wearing it will protect you from many things that could easily kill humans like you two, making you immune to a lot of dangers..."

"So, does this make us invulnerable?" Maria asked.

"No, immunity has its limits, like everything else..."

"Why are you giving us this ring?" Elena asked. "You don't seem the caring kind."

And he wasn't, of course.

He didn't do this out of compassion for them; rather, he was taking precautions in case someone came and killed them. He couldn't let them die before he finished dealing with the deal he made, for he had given his word to them, and what happened after—were they killed, tortured, raped, and even sold to someone else?—was not his concern.

"I am the Devil. There are reasons for my actions... only time will tell... By the way, where are you going?"

"The girl whom I helped yesterday, her mother came this morning after you left. She said her daughter wanted to meet me, so I'm going to the hospital to visit."

Satan nodded and teleported away from the scene, leaving Elena and Maria to their own devices.

....

In a dark, uncleaned, and smelly sewer, two men in purple robes and scarlet masks walked briskly.

"David, why do we have to trudge through this filthy sewer? The stench is unbearable," one man complained.

"Have you forgotten, Johnson? Lady S issued a message for all Satanists to stay underground for a while. Someone is hunting us down."

"Who? The Vatican Church? They hunt us all the time. What's different now?" Johnson asked.

"No, not them. Someone else... something that isn't human."

"You're telling me a monster is killing us, hunting our members? For what reasons?"

"Wh—"

Before they could continue, a figure emerged from the other side of the sewer, stopping them in their tracks.

Both of them carefully observed the figure.

The figure was a woman with delicate, pale skin that appeared soft, mesmerizing eyes, and flawless lips. Her hair was styled with intricate twists and loops, secured with a red pin that added a touch of elegance. She wore a luxurious red kimono with intricate designs and high-quality fabric. Most striking were her ears, resembling white fox ears, and nine flowing tails behind her.

Both Satanists recognized her as a kitsune. They wondered why she was here since kitsune generally lived in mountain areas or places near them. Panic set in slightly as they recalled that kitsune were middle-class monsters—capable of destroying an entire district at their weakest and a small city at their strongest.

Both wondered if she was the one hunting the Satanists.

"I was waiting for you two to come here," the kitsune said as she walked, a Japanese fan materializing in her hand. She pointed at the two men.

"What the hell do you want from us, you monster whore?" Johnson sneered.

The kitsune opened the fan, using it to partially obscure her face, her eyes peeking over the top. She replied, "Oh my, such vulgarity. Would it not be appropriate to talk to a woman in a more respectful way?"

"We are vulgar. What about it? You have a problem with that?" David raised his middle finger. "Suck this!"

"Suck this as well!" Johnson also raised his middle finger.

"Huh..." A look of surprise crossed the kitsune's features. "You two are not affected by my passive aura. That's impossible... you are just normal weak humans, not monsters, gods, or those blessed by the Biblical God."

"Why should we tell you?!" Johnson interrupted.

The kitsune then noticed a strange green ring on their index fingers. It was unusual, not a normal ring but a magical one like the ones she had seen someone wear in Kabukicho. "So those rings are protecting you from my aura."

"What if it does?! Why would you tell a whore like you...."

Suddenly, the atmosphere became heavy as the kitsune released her power, a white aura radiating from her.

"This power!"

Both Satanists shook in fear as they felt the immense power.

There was no way a kitsune could have this kind of strength unless...

And then realization struck both of them simultaneously. In the supernatural world, there was only one Kitsune who could wield such monstrous power—one of the most formidable monsters in existence and the strongest kitsune, falling into the super elite class capable of wiping out entire islands with a wave of a hand.

"Tamamo-no-Mae!"

David looked at Johnson and gulped upon hearing the name.

Both of them took a few steps back in fear. There was no way their rings would protect them from her.

"Don't worry, I won't be the one to kill you. I was hoping to settle everything peacefully, but I guess that won't happen now," Tamamo-no-Mae said calmly.

"What do you mean by that?!" Johnson asked in confusion. Suddenly, he heard a scream. He turned and saw a purple spear pierce David from behind, blood dripping down from the tip of the spear.

"David?!"

But that wasn't all. David's skin began to decay, his eyes burst out, chunks of flesh and intestines flew in all directions, and his rib bones jutted out from his torn skin, pumping out blackened blood and viscera.

Tamamo-no-Mae swiftly created a barrier to shield her clothes from the splattering blood and flesh.

"Seriously, don't dirty my clothes. They are quite exquisite."

Johnson, paralyzed with fear, tried to escape, but he collapsed to the ground as searing pain surged through his body. His legs were torn away, blood gushing out and mingling with the sewage water pooling around him.

"Don't scream. Your Lord will not come to save you," a graceful, enigmatic female figure materialized next to him.

She wore a flowing black robe as dark as the night, her slim, hourglass figure exuding an aura of mystery and allure. Her face remained hidden behind a beautiful black veil, revealing only the lower part, and an intoxicating scent surrounded her. She snapped her fingers, and the spear flew back into her hand.

"It's better if you don't speak," she murmured, driving the spear into Johnson's back and twisting it. Johnson cried out, blood pouring from his mouth. She placed her hand on his head briefly.

"What a waste of time. There was no valuable information in your filthy mind, only useless and vulgar thoughts," she remarked coldly, withdrawing the spear and making it vanish. Then, gripping Johnson by his neck, she brutally smashed his head against the wall until it splattered. Finally, she tossed his lifeless body into the murky sewer water.

"Now... what?" Tamamo-no-Mae asked, dispelling the protective barrier she had created.

The woman approached her, speaking softly. "We will go to Hokkaido. My familliar informed me of a group of Satanists there, with many human children prepared for sacrifice," she mused, resting her hand on her chin. "It's likely another one of their child-sacrificing rituals, or perhaps a demon summoning."

"A fallen, not a demon," Tamamo-no-Mae corrected her.

"You still believe in what that delusional man told you?" The woman's doubt was evident in her tone.

"I do. I sensed his power. He is a force to be reckoned with. If anyone other than the Biblical God could defy the laws, it's him—the true Devil," Tamamo-no-Mae affirmed.

The woman paused, considering Tamamo-no-Mae's words. "We will discuss this further later."