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Samael was taken aback when he received the news that he has been fighting the Demon Imps for almost a year, he doesn't know how time flows in the hellish plane but he assumed that it worked the same as in the real world.

'A year, huh...? Many things could happen in that timeframe' he thought dejectedly.

At first, Samael decided that he would go and search for news about Norman and the other surviving mages. In a worst-case scenario, they would've been taken prisoner and subjected to the cruelty of Cyrus and his forces.

Even the thought of it makes his body shiver, that's truly horrifying to think about.

But now that he knows that a year has passed since the incident at the Canyon of Virtue, then there's a high chance that Norman and the other mages are no more. It was also confirmed by the fact that the bounty on his head was taken down.

If they had taken it down, then they already assumed that Samael was already dead.

With that assumption, there's no need for them to keep Norman and the other mages. Realizing this makes Samael's shoulders slump as he looks at the cackling bonfire in front of him absent-mindedly.

A wave of sorrow hits him like a tidal wave, and Asher can feel it looming around Samael.

Just from his expression alone, Asher can already tell that Samael had just realized that a year has passed. It was quite weird for him to realize it just now almost as if he has gone missing and forgotten about the time.

Feeling the choking sorrow, Asher then glanced at the creature standing on the side idly.

Asher wanted to ask what was this demonic creature that is looking at them without making a move whatsoever throughout their time here, he feels unsafe and creeped out by this demonic creature.

Since Samael was telling his story, he decided to keep silent about it for a moment.

Now that the story has ended, he still hasn't got the answer regarding this demonic creature that Samael can control. "Lord Samael, care to explain what that creature is? Does it relates to your time after Lily's betrayal?"

Upon hearing this, Samael raises his head and glanced at the Demon Imp.

"Oh, right... I forgot about that" Samael replied realizing that he haven't un-summon the Demon Imp, it seems the Demon Imp followed them here without saying anything and he forgot about it.

But as he thought about it, Samael paused for a second as comes into a dilemma.

Glancing at Asher who is looking at him expectantly, very curious about this Demon Imp following him around, Samael ponders for a moment. 'Should I tell him about my encounter with the Father of Darkness? About the Anti-System...?" he thought, deliberating whether he should be honest or not.

In the last couple of years, he hasn't really trusted anybody except for Norman and Lily.

Now he tasted the sweet pain of betrayal given by Lily, and he becomes even more hesitant in trusting anybody. 'But then again, what could he do? It's a blessing from the Father of Darkness, and it already chooses me as its anti-host' Samael thought.

Although he's capable of not trusting, he realized that is only because he has someone to trust.

Norman is always there for him through the ups and downs of his last couple of years. In a way, he considers Norman his uncle, and he trusted him deeply. But now Norman is gone, he doesn't have anyone to lean on.

Samael feels empty, and that emptiness birthed a weird numbing emotion inside of him.

"If you're hesitating to tell me about your experience after Lily's betrayal, I understand. You don't need to tell me now, when you're ready then you can tell me" Asher intervenes with a light smile, trying to understand Samael's position.

Many that had gone through a similar to Samael find themselves unable to trust again.

For Samael to be hesitating to trust him and tell the story that seems to be the story that has turned him into this was completely natural, Asher wouldn't insist if Samael doesn't want to talk about it now.

But then suddenly, Samael opens his mouth, "Do you believe in the Devil...?"

"The Devil?" Asher was caught off guard by the sudden question, he looks at Samael and finds that he was being serious. "Knowing that the Divine Sanctum of Divnity is capable of slaughtering our home, I believe the Devil is real"

"I can say with confidence that the Devil is real" Samael replied and turns his face away.

Upon hearing this Asher frowns as he was surprised that Samael actually says that he's confident in his claim, and that alone can only be caused by a real experience that leads him to that belief.

Looking back into the burning fire, Samael reminisces about the time when he was betrayed.

Although it was supposed to be a year ago since that betrayal happened, he can still remember it vividly as the betrayal happened yesterday. "When I was pushed off of the amphitheater for the power of good, I fell into a deep water and that leads me to who I believe to be the Devil itself..."

While saying that, Samael's eyes can clearly see the Father of Darkness sitting on his throne.

In that regard, he started recounting what happened at that moment.

Samael didn't leave any detail starting from the conversation he had with the Father of Darkness, the blood pact that he signed that binds him to help the Father of Darkness in search of potential apostles, the hellish plane that he lived for a year, and also the Anti-System that he received from the Father of Darkness' blessing.

Everything that Samael recounted was surreal, straight out of a fairytale.

Many would think that he went insane from Lily's betrayal as there's no way his story was real. But Asher can't deny it with the Demon Imp standing near them, and also the fact that Samael recounted it in detail.

Asher finds it hard to believe that Samael can be detailed if he didn't actually experience it.

"I find it easy to kill Demon Imps as they are essentially not human or other races, but the Anti-System told me to kill the chasers for mistaking me as a juvenile Erovian. When I managed to avoid a fight, the rewards that should've been mine if I kill all of the chasers were given to a woman" Samael explained with a troubled expression.

Guilt is still present in his heart, he caused more people to die by not killing.

Samael touches his chest as he feels the pain burning inside of him, "But the woman was not a demon, and she become insane when she received that reward," He then Interlocked his hands together tightly to suppress the emotions swelling up. "The result was the entire city in ruins, more people died because of that woman that turned into a Demon Serve. I tried to stop her and bring her back to her senses, but that also resulted in a little girl dying in front of my eyes..."

"But I know that I need to change, I'm doing this to avenge my family. Lucius, Mother, and Father... I want to make those who have done them wrong pay for their sins" he added as his eyes began to watery.

Looking over to Asher with a twisted gaze, Samael then asked with a heavy heart.

"Hey, Asher... I didn't become an evil person, right?"

Despite telling this with a rather calm tone, Asher can visibly see that Samael's entire body is shaking uncontrollably. It was clear to him that Samael was completely scarred from tonight's incident, adding to the list of trauma that he has.

Even though he considers his life to be hard, it didn't compare to Samael's in the slightest.

Feeling the pain that Samael is feeling right now that seems to be devastating even for him who doesn't experience it first-hand, Asher then grabbed Samael's shoulder firmly, "Changes are bound to happen for someone that experienced something as you did. You're not an evil person, Samael..."

"If anything, this is all those bastards' fault! Blame them for turning you like this" he added.

Asher's eyes transmit a wave of energy to console Samael who is on the brink of breaking apart, a part of him doesn't want to see Samael hurting again after so many evil things that have transpired in his life.

It was as if God himself was making a joke out of Samael, and this angers him greatly.

Pulling Samael's head close, Asher connected their foreheads while keep on gazing at Samael with conviction. "Do you still remember the last words of your mother before you separated from her?" he asked.

Samael nodded his head, he can't possibly forget about his own mother's last sentence.

"Good. No matter what happens, always remember that." A light jolt traversed Samael's body as Asher prodded him forcefully in the chest with his index finger, "You are given a chance of doing that so you will avenge them, you will make those bastards pay for their sins, and it's not evil if those people did you wrong first"

Upon hearing this, Asher's words seemed to echo inside Samael's mind as he nodded.

"Even if others think that you're an evil person for desiring to avenge your parents, don't listen to them. As far as you are concerned, you already paid the price upfront to do whatever you want, no matter how evil many would consider it to be. I'll fill in Norman's place and be there to support you through your journey" Asher and Samael then locked eyes which immediately connected the two in an unbreakable bond. "I want you to know that in my eyes, you will always be Lord Samael, son of Fedele the Preist of Light. No kind or amount of evil deeds you will do in the future can change that..."

As the last sentence came out of Asher's mouth, a peculiar light appears in Samael's eyes.

It was at that moment, something inside of him change for good.