Within the infinite blackness where two Demigods had been trapped for countless years, an uproarious laughter could be heard.
"KAKAKAKA! Finally, finally, it has come time. Old Fool, how long have we been idling here chatting and playing these games with each other? Finally, it has come time to end it all."
The malevolent voice seemed especially excited today. He had been waiting for the day to come for too long, to the point where he almost believed it would never happen.
"You Old Ghost, don't you think you're too excited? Do you truly think things will go as you wish them to? For 100,000 years I have been keeping you in check. It's more than enough time for me to understand you fully. You cannot hide your nervousness from me."
"Nervousness? You must've gone blind from all these years in the blackness. While you have been forced to use your power to seal me here, I have had the freedom to interfere with things as I please. Where does your confidence come from? Is it because, after all these thousands of years, you finally managed to find a genius who could meet your expectations?"
"Meet? That boy far surpassed my expectations. But that matters not. Old Ghost, we have known each other for far too long for you to think so lowly of me."
"Tch! You've always been like this. You've always hoped for something to go your way even after everything I've done. Did you forget? Did you forget how you obtained your power? Did you forget the events that took place before you were able to seal me? Just because you made some small success, you shouldn't believe everything is over."
"It's the same to you. Regardless of what you've done, it is but a small success in my eyes. Even if you truly manage to escape this seal, you will die by my hands."
"Kekeke! It seems you've gone senile with age. All this time, you've been wasting power, not gaining it. Especially with you using your Divine Essence as fuel to create fruits for those kids. Meanwhile, I've done nothing but grow more powerful. The second I escape from your seal, you are destined for death."
The Old Fool sighed. It was no use trying to talk to this arrogant demon. After all, in the span of 100,000 years, they had already repeated this conversation multiple times.
'But nothing ever came out of it.'
Whether it was him or the Old Ghost, neither of them was able to get the upper hand over the other one. Their stalemate wasn't anywhere near as simple as it seemed.
'But this time is different. If it's that boy…no, even without him things are different. However, I'm afraid it's true that I cannot contain that demon for much longer.'
The Old Fool looked at the vast empty space around him melancholically.
'How can it be? After so many years, it seems I've grown attached to this empty scenery.'
The Old Fool sighed once more. His mana began to move.
'I guess I should make some preparations. Things will get loud soon. Child, I hope you can digest my gift properly before it's too late.'
***
Inside a certain Trial World, an Ancient Temple stood by its lonesome in the middle of a forest. Out of that temple's gates, three figures emerged.
"It's time."
The one leading them muttered under his breath. It had been a total of 6 months since they had entered the temple. In that time, their auras had become far more powerful than they were before.
"Haa…I really don't want to do this. Why does my life have to end in such a pitiful way?" The woman among them sighed.
"Haha! I feel the same! My utmost wish was to die in battle, die with honor, but it seems that such a dream is impossible." The third man said.
Eden sighed as he listened to them. 6 months ago, they believed there was a chance to perform the ritual without sacrificing themselves. But, as they came closer to the promised time, they realized how naive their thoughts were.
"It must be done. It may be different from the freedom we wished for, but it is freedom nonetheless. Besides, even if we aren't alive to see it, our revenge will still take place."
The other two nodded. There was one thing Lucius got wrong about them.
He had believed that the other 3 Demon Kings were content with their lives, that they had submitted under the rule of the Demon God.
But not once was that the case.
The three of them were selfish. They weren't like Lucius, who desired to take vengeance for his race. But regardless, they still desired vengeance.
For themselves, for the lives they could've had but were robbed from them due to the Demon God. They wanted vengeance.
The three Demon Kings flew through the Trial World and arrived at the direct center of the realm. The area was an empty plain where no life was present.
"We have long resolved ourselves for what is to come, so I doubt any extra words need to be said," Eden said. His gaze was as placid as ever even though his life was on the line.
Eliza harrumphed and turned her head. A slight tear formed on the side of her eyes. But the resolve within them didn't shake. Meanwhile, Granheim was still grinning as usual. If it wasn't for the shaking of his hands, one wouldn't even realize his fear.
The three Demon Kings spread out in a triangular formation. With one last nod, they began pouring out their mana.
Torrents of inky black mana mixed together, forming a triangular formation on the ground. As if responding to the formation, Heaven and Earth were dyed red.
Blood. Seas of blood formed from the thousands upon thousands of people who had died within this Trial World over the tens of thousands of years that it had been present. All that blood congregated and formed clouds in the sky surrounding the formation.
"Now," Eden said firmly. One of his hands moved, piercing his own chest.
Poof!
A spray of blood mist exited his body and mouth, entering the eye of the formation. Eliza and Granheim mirrored his actions, causing the size of the phenomenon to increase.
The bloody clouds in the sky began to churn, forming a funnel that touched down in the center of the formation.
""With Heaven and Earth as witness, Our Blood as the foundation, and the Blood of All as tribute, We humbly call upon the Ancestor's presence.""
VOOM!
The three Demon Kings chanted together, causing a powerful reaction from the tri-pointed formation. The bloody funnel continued to pour into the formation's eye, causing the clouds in the sky to slowly clear.
The blood within the bodies of the three Demon Kings reacted as well, constantly pouring out of their wounds and entering the formation. Their life force dwindled at an astonishing rate.
The formation shined with splendor. A domineering roar came from within.
The Demon Kings smiled. Finally, their revenge would be completed. Finally, they'd gain freedom after 10,000 years in slavery.
As more and more blood entered the formation, and the energy under Heaven and Earth did the same, the furious roars coming from within began to gain clarity.
And finally, those roars turned into a voice.
[My Children, you've played your parts well.]
