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“……So it’s the self-proclaimed ‘Absolute God’ brat, huh?”

“Not self-proclaimed. It’s the truth.”

“You’re still as stubborn as ever, huh…”

The ‘Wrath’ that Lukaela had been pressing down on me began to ease.

I didn’t know why Michaela had appeared, but Lukaela’s attention had shifted to her.

Should I call this a fortunate situation?

Or perhaps a dangerous one?

I stayed silent, watching them without letting my guard down.

“It’s been, what, a thousand years? Since we last talked like this, sis.”

“Roughly, yeah. Or maybe even longer.”

“I won’t say it’s good to see you. We’re not that close. But what brings you out of the Endless Hell? I thought you’d have rotted away by now, turned into fertilizer or something.”

“If you’d come ten years later, that might’ve been the case. I was just bones back then.”

“Ahaha… What a shame. I really wanted to see that.”

“Your attitude toward your sister is still as terrible as ever.”

“I take after you.”

Michaela didn’t back down. Seeing her sister like that, Lukaela let out a small laugh.

“Hmph… Still the same damn sister. And your timing is the worst. Showing up right when I’ve come out of the Endless Hell…”

“So? What? You wanna say it’s fate or something?”

“As if! That kind of fate isn’t part of my plans. Getting tangled up with someone like you is just unpleasant.”

“Wow? Same here. Guess sisters are sisters after all. Hehe…”

Michaela covered her mouth and laughed.

It was hard to say their relationship was good. But it didn’t seem entirely bad either…

“Did you come to Hell whenever you wanted while I was gone, sis?”

“As if! Do I look like you? I wouldn’t want to stay in this dreary place for even a second.”

“Then why did you come here to ruin my mood, huh?”

“Why? To pick him up, of course.”

…Huh? To pick me up?

Michaela pointed at me as she spoke.

At her words, Lukaela frowned deeply, tilting her head side to side.

“Hmm…? Have I been in the Endless Hell too long? Or am I remembering wrong? I thought you couldn’t interfere with what happens in Hell?”

“No, you’re remembering right.”

“I am…?”

“Yeah. But this time, I had no choice but to interfere.”

“……Hmm.”

Lukaela stared at Michaela’s face for a moment. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking as she looked at her sister’s identical face.

But all Lukaela said was:

“I see.”

As soon as she spoke, Lukaela’s shadow began to spread across the floor.

Her shadow was pure darkness. Even when light hit it, it was absorbed, leaving nothing but an impenetrable void.

I instinctively realized that this was the ‘Darkness’ attribute of magic, one not mentioned among the seven elemental magics. Tracing the roots of the dark magic used by demons and the Demon Lord, it all led back to Lukaela.

Until now, I had thought dark magic was just the ominous power used by demons and the Demon Lord.

Especially the dark magic wielded by the Demon Lord—I had assumed it was granted by high-ranking demons like Nial. But to think it actually came from the God of Hell…

Just as Bella received light magic from Michaela, the Demon Lord must have received dark magic from Lukaela.

This was a new piece of information. I’d have to remember it.

Lukaela’s shadow completely covered the ceiling. The Court of Judgment was swallowed by darkness.

Strangely, only the scenery turned into a lightless void, while the figures of those standing inside remained clearly visible.

“Here, we can talk just the three of us.”

Lukaela plopped down onto the darkness.

“Then let’s hear it. Unlike you, I’m generous.”

“I’m generous too, you know?”

Grumbling, Michaela also sat down on the darkness.

Now it was my turn.

I couldn’t see anything, so how were these two sitting?

I decided not to think too hard about it.

Like Tristan, I shamelessly pretended there was a chair behind me and sat down.

If I messed up, I’d just pretend I was sitting on an invisible chair. But as it turned out, that wasn’t necessary.

The moment I sat down in the darkness, I felt something solid beneath me, like a chair.

As soon as I sat, the two began to talk.

“Those who fall into Hell are supposed to be trapped there forever, right?”

“You know it well, sis.”

“Those who fall into Hell are all demons or wicked people deserving of it. The gates of Hell don’t open without reason. Even though… he was a demon, he fell into Hell after becoming human, so he must be one of those wicked people.”

“Ahaha. Right. He’s a bit of a bad guy.”

Michaela glanced at me, amused. It seemed like she was trying to provoke me, but knowing her character, I didn’t let it get to me.

Seeing my lack of reaction, Michaela clicked her tongue and spoke again. What she said next was unexpected.

“But what if he walked into Hell on his own?”

“Walked into Hell… on his own?”

“Yeah.”

Michaela really had come to pick me up. Her words were completely in my defense.

But it didn’t make sense. She had only ever assisted me before, never intervening directly like this.

Lukaela seemed just as confused, stroking her chin before speaking.

“That’s a ridiculous joke. Who in the world would walk into Hell on their own?”

“He’s right in front of you, sis.”

Michaela pointed at me as she added:

“Originally, Hell opened to take the Dream Demon. He fell in trying to save his woman. He went in himself.”

“……Self-sacrifice?”

“If you don’t believe me, I can show you with my power.”

“No… If you’re saying that much, it must be true.”

Lukaela looked at me with a surprised expression.

Well, from her perspective, it made sense.

She couldn’t believe that I, a former demon, had acted self-sacrificially.

After studying me intently, she spoke with conviction.

“However… my ‘eyes’ don’t lie. This man is destined to fall into Hell sooner or later.”

“Well, he has the Seven Deadly Sins. Having even one guarantees a trip to Hell. But he also has the Seven Heavenly Virtues.”

“Seven Heavenly Virtues? What’s that??”

Lukaela, surprised again, looked back and forth between Michaela and me before shaking her head in exasperation.

“Hah… A possessor of both the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Heavenly Virtues… Just who are you?”

I couldn’t exactly say I was just an ordinary possessor, so I stayed silent.

“Oh my. It’s too early to be surprised, sis.”

Michaela got up and walked over to where Lukaela was sitting.

“More importantly, he…”

Then she whispered something into Lukaela’s ear.

Lukaela’s expression grew stiffer as she listened to her sister.

What could she be whispering?

When Michaela finally pulled away, Lukaela’s face was filled with shock.

“……Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s ‘That Person’s’…”

When our eyes met, Lukaela suddenly stood up and approached me.

Then, out of nowhere, she offered me a handshake.

“You should’ve said so from the start. I had no idea you were connected to ‘That Person’… No, that you were their brother. How did you end up here…? No, how?”

Realizing that my younger sister was ‘That Person,’ Lukaela began to stammer.

“Geez, sis. Why are you making such a fuss? Even if he’s ‘That Person’s’ brother, he’s just an ordinary possessor.”

Meanwhile, Michaela looked at me with a mocking expression.

“Still a loser. You can’t do anything without me, huh?!! You… you just hit me, didn’t you?!”

Without thinking, I punched her in the head.

Apparently, since this was Hell and not Paradise, she couldn’t use her full powers. But being a god, her body was still tough…

Instead of answering, I gave her another knuckle sandwich.

“Ow, ow?! You hit me again?? You! Show some respect! I came here to save you, you loser!”

“I never asked for your help.”

“Ugh! This is for real! You should be grateful!”

“Someone must’ve asked you to come.”

“Well, yeah, but I would’ve come anyway!”

So that’s how it was…

The only one who could’ve asked Michaela was ‘her’…

I need to hurry back. The surface must be in chaos by now.

“Hey! I’m serious! I came here on my own to save you!”

“You stay out of this for now.”

“Sis?!”

Lukaela, who had been bouncing around, pushed Michaela aside and spoke to me.

“‘That Person’s’ brother… No, I should call you Tristan now.”

“Yeah.”

“The body you’re using is cursed by me. As a possessor, I’d like to lift the curse… but that body is tangled with not just my curse, but also the curses and grudges of my children. I can’t interfere carelessly.”

Not exactly good news.

I had hoped that knowing she was the one who cursed me would give me a clue to breaking it, but…

“Take this.”

Then, Lukaela placed something in my hand.

It was a black coin.

“This is my apology to you.”

“What is this…?”

“A Support Coin. Normally, it’s given to supporters… but if you need help, use it. Then I, the God of Hell, will lend you my power.”

“You are Ruelberta, yet not Ruelberta. I have no reason to forgive you, but I also have no reason to hate you. That’s how I see it.”

By the time I noticed, a beam of light was seeping out from beneath the darkness. It grew larger, just like the light I had felt when falling into Hell. But this time, it was different. The light led not to Hell, but to the surface.

“See you again, Tristan.”

When I looked up, Lukaela’s face was there.

She smiled benevolently and added:

“Thank you for pulling me out of the Endless Hell.”

Those were the last words I heard before I fell into the beam of light.

*

After Tristan disappeared, Lukaela and Michaela, left in the darkness, continued their conversation.

“I see… So that’s how it is. I had no idea, being stuck in the Endless Hell.”

After hearing Michaela’s story, Lukaela sighed.

“So, beings from ‘outside’ are about to invade this world… And they’re from the same world as ‘That Person’?”

“Yeah.”

“All this time, we’ve been wasting our efforts. It’s not the Demon Lord who will turn the surface into a sea of fire, but them…”

“That’s how it is. Ugh… I got a bump.”

Michaela rubbed the bump on her head.

Seeing this, Lukaela spoke with pity.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“Huh…?”

“You’ve already seen the world’s destruction once and couldn’t stop it.”

“Ah… Yeah. That’s how it was at first. But now, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“……What?”

“Ahaha…”

Michaela laughed playfully.

Her smile was as innocent as an angel’s. But sensing the hidden meaning behind it, Lukaela groaned.

“Wait… Are you saying…?”

“Who knows? I don’t know what you’re thinking, but…”

Michaela clasped her hands together as if in prayer and said:

“I only believe in ‘That Person.’”

 

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