Chapter 902: Speed things up
As soon as Vlad appeared carrying Zialath’s corpse, the duel in the skies was finished. The sight of the Queen of Hellfire’s sundered body silenced the battlefield more effectively than any trumpet of war. The Sages and Legendary Devils of Sector 53 did not erupt into rage or rebellion at her fall. They were devils, and their creed was simple: the strong ruled, the weak perished. Since Zialath was dead, they naturally lowered their heads to the one who had slain her. Allegiance shifted in the blink of an eye.
The ground war, however, was not so easily quelled. Champions and Guardians of both sectors were still locked in savage combat, their bloodlust so consuming that they seemed deaf to all else. The killing aura rolling off their carnage was so intense that it drowned reason. Neither side appeared willing to stop until every enemy lay dead at their feet.
"Hmph." Vlad sneered. His eyes glowed with dark light before a colossal beam of annihilation burst forth, lancing down from the sky. The beam scythed through the battlefield, carving a canyon of fire and ash. Thousands of devils were vaporized in a single instant, and the soil itself fused into molten glass beneath the terrible heat.
Only then—after that brutal demonstration of power—did the lesser devils of both Sector 53 and Sector 76 snap out of their frenzy. Fear choked their bloodlust. Their killing intent dissolved as they turned toward the sky, trembling, and one by one they lowered their heads in dread before their new master.
Order restored, Vlad exhaled slowly. His aura subsided slightly as he allowed Jormungandr to emerge from his soul. The True Depravita stepped into the air beside him, his aura that of a thunder-wreathed deity. A meaningful light burned in Vlad’s eyes as he looked upon his companion.
A devil could only bind one Infernal Monolith at a time. To forge an intersectoral force, someone else would have to inherit control of a conquered sector, and an alliance would need to arise. Among devils, this was extremely complicated. Trust did not exist in Hell—only fear, manipulation, and betrayal. Yet the True Depravitas were not bound by such weakness.
"You are now the Master of Sector 76."
Vlad’s voice echoed like a decree of damnation, thundering across sky and earth alike. The small yellow infernal cat nodded, his eyes burning with hunger. His aura flared violently, and in that instant, the phantom of a colossal serpent made of lightning coiled above the battlefield. The sheer presence of that phantom suffocated all who saw it.
The Legends of both sectors trembled. It felt as though Gluttony itself had taken form before them—a primeval hunger ready to devour their souls. The seven lieutenant devils of Sector 76 lowered their heads at once, and in turn their Legendaries and Sages followed suit.
Normally, such a transfer of power would have been chaos. Command would fracture, loyalties would waver, and rebellion would break out. But the lieutenants were already enslaved by Overlord through the Nightmare Eyes. Their loyalty was absolute, their will shackled beyond hope of escape.
Jormungandr wasted no time. With the lieutenants under his thrall, he took to the skies and departed with the army, leading the forces of Sector 76 out of 53’s domain.
Vlad and the others remained, hovering in the heart of the ruined battlefield. Their eyes were cold, sharp, assessing the legions that remained. A single wave of Vlad’s hand summoned the surviving Superior Legends of Sector 53 before him.
There had been twenty-four such beings at the start of the battle—a staggering number, a testament to the might of the Queen of Hellfire. Now, only thirteen remained. The rest had been slain, consumed, or destroyed by the True Depravitas, Overlord, and the Nightmare Eye Devils.
"Take your positions on the north, east, and west borders of the sector. I will not have intruders disturbing me while I claim the Infernal Monolith."
The order brooked no argument. The wounded Legends bowed in submission. They were in no state to defy him, their bodies broken and their armies reduced. Obediently, they departed with their forces to secure the borders.
Vlad gave no thought to the lesser devils. They were beneath his notice. Without a backward glance, he turned and led the True Depravitas and Overlord toward the sector’s heart.
The residence of the Sector Master loomed like a monument to infernal majesty: a colossal tower built around a river of golden lava. The molten torrent flowed endlessly, radiating such extreme heat that even Sages would have struggled to cross it. For Vlad and his companions, however, it was nothing.
The tower itself was empty. The devils within had long since fled after learning of Zialath’s death, sparing Vlad the trouble of purging them. The group ascended directly to the throne room, a cavernous chamber carved around the very core of the sector’s infernal power.
There it stood.
The Infernal Monolith of Sector 53.
It dwarfed the one from Sector 76 in both size and power. Origin Force pulsed from its core in waves so pure and intense that just standing near it filled their souls with an intoxicating bliss. Its aura was overwhelming, a fragment of Hell’s eternal foundation condensed into stone.
Vlad moved forward without hesitation. Placing his hand against the Monolith, he poured his will and soul into it. The connection flared instantly. His link to the Monolith of Sector 76 broke in the same breath, passing into Jormungandr’s hands as planned. A wide smile split Vlad’s face as the bond with the new monolith solidified.
He sat cross-legged before it, his companions taking their places beside him. Together, they drew carefully upon its Origin Force, siphoning it into their Soul Dimensions with ruthless precision.
Vlad fed the energy into his Red Sun of Wrath, each particle of golden power fusing into wrath-infused psychic might. His Seal of Sin grew sharper, his flames deadlier, his very flesh and soul tougher and stronger.
The other True Depravitas fed their Depravita Moons, pushing them closer to the awakening of their Suns. Overlord, as ever, was different. He poured the energy into his core consciousness, refining his primordial code, sharpening thought, logic, and wisdom itself.
For ten days, they fed.
For ten days, Sector 53 bled unseen.
By the time Vlad finally halted the flow, their growth was staggering. Each of them had progressed more in those days than they might have in years elsewhere. The price, however, was ruin for the Sector’s future, but that was not a problem for them.
There was still a lot of Origin Force left, but that was for someone else.
He opened his eyes, glowing with wrathful light. The others followed, silent and steady. They had taken what they needed.
And then Jormungandr returned, accompanied by the seven Nightmare Eye Devils. Their bodies were twisted, their auras unstable.
"Go ahead." Vlad’s smile widened as he stared at the small yellow cat. He opened the flow of Origin Force toward Jormungandr, his eyes sliding toward Overlord and the mutated devils. He could feel it: they were close to becoming something else entirely.
"Let’s speed things up."
With a wave of his hand, Vlad tossed them the corpses of Zialath and Loatan.