Chapter 9: The Devil's Invitation
The Naga Temple complex was a labyrinth of flooded corridors and ancient, trap-laden chambers. The combined force of Rin's Gale and Wei's Qi was devastatingly efficient, carving a direct path through the demonic disciples.
Aiden, following twenty meters behind, was the silent, methodical cleanup crew, using minor Chronos pulses to deactivate pressure plates, neutralize dormant wards, and ensure the Vanguard's safety. He was the only reason they weren't being buried alive.
They finally reached the heart of the temple: a colossal, dome-shaped chamber where the cultists were attempting to desecrate a shimmering Naga artifact—a massive, emerald-green scale that pulsed with the life force of an ancient Dragon.
Standing before the artifact, overseeing the ritual, was not a mere Priest, but a being of immense, suffocating power. His form was a shifting mass of shadow and refined silk, his eyes twin flames of cynical intellect and vast age. This was the Devil Mephistopheles himself, the field commander for the lower Hells.
He was waiting.
"Ah, the Vanguard," Mephistopheles purred, his voice a sibilant charm that twisted the concepts of good and evil. "And look what fate has delivered: The Blade of the Rending Gale and the Arbiter of Chronos, reborn to face the music of their shared history."
Rin, Wei, and Aiden stopped dead. This was not a mindless boss; this was an encounter with a tactical Devil who knew their past.
"Your game ends here, Mephistopheles," Rin snarled, raising his sword, the Rending Gale swirling violently.
Mephistopheles merely smiled, a terrifying stretch of his shadowy features. "Game? I am simply offering a release from the Goddess's cruel leash. Hunter Rin, you burn with the injustice of two lifetimes. I know what he did. I know the Arbiter's Fatal Calculation."
He pointed a long, shadowed finger directly at Aiden. "He didn't save you because he loved you; he saved you because he could not tolerate the temporal paradox your absolute death would have created. He saw you as a catalyst, Rin, not a companion."
Rin's hands shook on his hilt. The words sliced deeper than any demon blade, confirming the very fears Aiden's coldness had fostered. Rin looked at Aiden, who remained silent, his expression unreadable, confirming the Devil's claims with his stoicism.
Mephistopheles pressed the attack, his voice laced with the promise of ultimate justice. "I offer you a deal, Rin. The Devil's Invitation."
The Naga Temple floor glowed with a new, dark crimson light, forming a vast, complex contract beneath Rin's feet.
"Sign with me, and I will grant you the Dark Class: Scythe of Vengeance. It will be powered by your hatred for him. It will grant you the strength to break the Goddess's tether, kill the Arbiter, and finally achieve the pure peace of justified retribution. A clean slate, free from the constraint of his miserable survival."
The offer was devastatingly tempting. Rin was staring at the crimson glow, his internal battle clear on his face. He wanted justice. He wanted to break free. He wanted the agony of Aiden's love to end.
Aiden, though his own mana was depleted, moved. He didn't run to Rin. He performed the most strategically crucial action he could.
"Chronos's Rebuke: Temporal Static!"
Aiden fired a low-power, wide-area blast of Chronos energy. It wasn't designed to hurt Mephistopheles. It was designed to interfere with the flow of demonic ritual magic.
The crimson light of the contract flickered violently. Mephistopheles's projection momentarily stuttered, his voice losing its seductive resonance. Aiden was subtly interfering with the very mechanism of the Devil's temptation, poisoning the contract before Rin could touch it.
Rin felt the cold kiss of Shaitan's temptation falter. He knew, instinctively, that the Arbiter had just used precious, life-saving mana to sabotage the offer. It was a tactical, protective intervention that spoke louder than any words of love.
He looked at the stuttering projection of Mephistopheles, then back at Aiden, the man who had traded his soul for Rin's chance at a second life.
Rin took a deep, shuddering breath, the warmth of his true self fighting through the spiritual cold. He was a swordsman, not a martyr, and he would not be an executioner.
"I don't accept debt from filth," Rin stated, his voice ringing with a powerful, pure resolve. "My hatred is my own. My vengeance belongs to my blade, not your contract."
He spun his sword, the Rending Gale roaring to life, and pointed it at the surprised Devil. "Get out of my way, Mephistopheles. You're guarding the exit."
Mephistopheles roared with frustration, the deception failing. "Fool! You choose a continued existence of pain over absolute justice! Very well. If you will not accept my contract, then accept my final judgment!"
The Devil vanished. In his place, the Naga Temple floor ruptured. From the ruins of the dragon scale artifact rose a massive, metallic golem, its body covered in clockwork mechanisms, steam pouring from its joints, and a chaotic, time-distorting field radiating from its core.
Aiden instantly recognized the catastrophic threat. "It's a Chronos-Paradox Construct! It turns time magic against its user! It was built to kill me!"
"And now it's going to kill us," Rin replied grimly, the tether pulling tight around his core. He and Aiden were facing a foe designed specifically to neutralize both the Arbiter of Chronos and the Blade of the Rending Gale. Master Wei, too, stood ready, his Qi crackling with ancient fury.
The final battle for Floor 1 had begun.