"Huh… where am I?" Aiden muttered.
He found himself standing in a strange place—a vast sea of blood stretching endlessly in every direction. His own body was drenched in crimson, the warm liquid clinging to his skin.
A faint light flickered in the distance, drawing his gaze. Between him and that light lay a bridge—if it could be called one—made entirely from corpses. Faces twisted in agony stared up at him, lifeless. They were the people he had killed.
Without hesitation, Aiden stepped onto the grisly path. Each step sank into flesh and bone, yet he felt neither fear nor disgust. He had chosen this path long ago—the path of perfection.
As the light grew closer, its glow washing over him, he reached the end of the bridge… and opened his eyes.
It was a dream.
"This might have something to do with them," he murmured, rising from his bed. He began fastening his suit with calm precision.
"I didn't expect Arthur to appear… It seems he's been collaborating with someone. And… a seraphim, no less," Aiden said to himself, his voice laced with amusement.
"It doesn't matter—he will die anyway."
A faint smirk crossed his face. "Let's see what Cyrus's son will do."
---
Meanwhile, in the depths of Hell…
Lucifer sat at the head of a long obsidian table, Around him, the rest of the Seven Sins lounged in their seats, their eyes fixed on the center of the room—where the Nameless stood silently. The meeting was about to begin.
"Let's begin the meeting. Our enemies are Heaven and the Church of the Divine Grace," Lucifer said, his voice calm but firm.
"Leviathan and that guy named Helios will come with me. We'll handle the Church," Machiavelli said confidently.
"Then, Beelzebub and the Nameless will deal with Aiden," Lucifer continued.
Beelzebub frowned. "Me? With that stranger? No way. Aiden is extremely dangerous. How can I trust someone I barely know?"
Lucifer answered without hesitation, "You will go with him whether you want to or not."
"But—"
"No buts. I don't want any excuses."
Lucifer looked around the room. "Satan, Zach, Asmodeus, and I will face Heaven directly. We'll take on the seraphim. Beelzebub and the Nameless, remember this: if Aiden uses his Spirit Reversal Eclipse… even death can't kill him."
A heavy silence filled the room. Beelzebub and the Nameless exchanged shocked glances.
"If he's immune to death, then how are we supposed to defeat him?" the Nameless asked quietly.
"The Spirit Reversal Eclipse consumes a huge amount of spiritual energy," Lucifer explained. "He can't use it often. That's your only chance."
Lucifer raised his hand to signal the start. "Now, let's begin."
Everyone stood up. The tension in the air was thick and serious.
---
Meanwhile, inside the Church of the Divine Grace…
"Hell is starting to move. We must prepare," Indrath said, eyes fixed ahead. "Dante, tell me as soon as Aiden arrives."
"Can we really trust him? He might betray us," Dante said doubtfully.
"I know that risk," Indrath replied. "But without him, we can't defeat Lucifer or the Outer Gods."
"If that's true, then I'm leaving," Dante said, and left the room.
Indrath sat alone and muttered, "I have to get that book from them. It contains truths about this world no one should know."
After a while, Dante came back.
"Aiden is here, Indrath."
Indrath stood. "Good. Then let's move forward with the plan."
---