A Failed Hero's Voyage Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Meeting The Devil

Read chapter 18 of A Failed Hero's Voyage by churro on NovelPedia.

Atherius narrowed his eyes as he studied the figure veiled in black. It stood no taller than an ordinary woman, its frame slender, almost unremarkable at a glance, yet its presence pressed against him with a suffocating weight, like a mountain collapsing inward, like reality itself bending under something it could not contain. The pressure was not physical, yet it was undeniable, it settled into his bones, coiled around his thoughts, and forced even his breath to slow. He swallowed once and reached out instinctively, extending his senses to grasp the being’s mana. There was nothing. No current, no fluctuation, no trace. The absence struck him harder than any overwhelming presence could have. Mana was life, the fundamental essence that existed within all living things, even the weakest creature carried a spark of it. To stand before something that possessed none was not merely unnatural, it was impossible. His eyes trembled slightly. For the first time in a long while, uncertainty touched him. He took a single step back. At his side, the holy blade reacted. It began to tremble violently within its sheath, a sharp, resonant vibration that pulsed through his arm, as though the weapon itself had recognized what stood before them. It was not fear that drove it, but urgency, an almost desperate hunger to be drawn, to strike, to erase. The blade knew. This was the devil. Atherius drew a slow breath, steadying himself, forcing the tension from his body as he brought his composure back under control. When he spoke, his voice was calm, measured, as though the weight pressing down on him did not exist. “Why I spared your kin… is that what you asked?” He paused briefly, then continued, his tone sharpening just enough to carry conviction. “Given the truce I made, allowing one to die while I have the power to intervene is no different from killing them myself.” He remained still, his gaze unwavering and his posture unbroken. The devil regarded him in silence for a moment, then turned its head slightly, its attention drifting toward the vast emptiness surrounding them. “So,” it said softly, almost to itself, “you truly kept the promise you made to my first son.” A faint, quiet chuckle followed, threaded with something that resembled relief. “I am glad he judged you correctly,” it continued. “And I am glad I chose not to take you… after your mother’s death.” Something in Atherius snapped. The shift was immediate, sharp, and uncontrollable. “What the hell does that mean?” he demanded, his voice dropping, cold and edged with killing intent as his composure fractured. The devil turned back to him, a faint smile hidden beneath its veil. “It is quite simple, child,” it replied. “Do you know how easily I could have taken you when you were young? How effortlessly I could have spared you from that… thing you call your god?” It paused, then added, almost casually. “From my brother.” Atherius’s hand shifted to the hilt of his blade, his grip tightening. “You mean you would have corrupted me,” he shot back, his voice hardening, “forced me to turn against my own kind, just as you forced yours to slaughter humanity.” His jaw clenched, his gaze sharpening as memory surged forward unbidden. “You annihilated my village,” he continued, each word measured but heavy. “You killed my friends. You butchered men, women, children, people who had nothing to do with your war. There are countless graves because of you. Countless children without parents. Entire lives erased.” His voice lowered further, quieter now, but far more dangerous. “And you dare speak as if you offered salvation?” The devil’s expression shifted, not to anger, but to something closer to disappointment. “I see,” it said softly. “His corruption has taken root deeper than I had hoped… even with her blood running through you.” Atherius’s eyes widened, his control slipping further. “Are you insulting my mother?” he snapped. “Why would she ever follow something as twisted as you?” The devil regarded hi