Chapter 306: Dominic
If there are demons, there inevitably are devils.
Though the names differ, so too do their natures.
From his studies in the crypts, York learned that Hell is immensely vast, unimaginably so, and it houses two distinct, representative groups.
The first group consists of demons, the natives of Hell.
The second group, devils, is composed of the so-called fallen angels from legend. These angels rebelled against God, refusing to follow His commands and ultimately being cast down to Hell.
Among these was a particularly notable archangel who became a fallen angel, also known by the epithet of the devil and bearing the title of Satan, named Lucifer.
In contrast to the chaotic evil of demons, who represent a return to primordial chaos through violence and destruction, devils, primarily fallen angels, embody lawful evil. They are more intelligent than chaotic demons, placing great emphasis on contracts and formalities.
Chaos signifies the demons' unpredictable actions and lack of restraint. Evil denotes their propensity for wanton violence, arson, pillaging, and naturally violent inclinations that trigger destruction.
In the eyes of demons, humans are merely playthings to be tormented or destroyed as a way to defy God.
Therefore, York preferred to suppress demons with overwhelming force or to expel them without negotiation, knowing that only by outmatching their violence could he command their obedience and fear.
Devils, however, are different. For those whose previous professions were as angels, now fallen, souls are the most precious treasure.
They believe that only a society founded on laws can funnel a vast number of souls to Hell, thereby maximizing their benefits and fulfilling their resistance against God.
Of course, while devils are orderly, they are also evil. They harbor ill intentions and scheming minds, though their methods appear more civilized than those of demons.
Simply put, if demons are akin to gangsters or psychopathic killers, devils are more like unscrupulous businessmen or lawyers.
Moreover, most devils are leaders among demons.
York stared at the devil that appeared before him, its appearance identical to the fallen angel he had seen in pictures and in person. His face was unnaturally calm.
Being a devil meant it surely had entered into a soul contract with someone.
Devils, unlike demons, are more approachable and generally do not kill outright. Instead, they prefer to entice you into signing soul contracts with various tempting offers and services.
York himself had once been party to such a contract—a soul pact signed with Satan...
"A real priest, no... a bishop."
The devil, more elegant in appearance than a demon and with a humanoid form, spoke in a gentle tone.
Unlike the beast-like tone of demons, it sounded more human, more magnetic.
It looked at the human before it and said:
"Or a divine incarnation. How could someone like you, a character like you, appear in this world?"
"Strange, isn't it?"
Seeing that the devil did not attack immediately, York brushed off invisible dust from his shoulder and smiled casually.
"I'm also curious. Why would a fallen angel also appear in this world? Could it be due to a contract signed with someone?"
"Yes."
To York's surprise, the devil, though wary, did not hide this fact from him.
Hearing this, York roughly understood the main purpose of this contract.
He didn't need to know the specifics of the contract, but likely, the destruction of this world was one of its conditions.
Devils only reap the souls they desire once they fulfill the contract terms.
"You can't break the contract? I know you've made one, but as a devil, you surely included plenty of ambiguous terms and hidden conditions in the contract text..."
Without further ado, he didn't want to waste any more brainpower on a cunning devil, as it was futile. York looked at the devil calmly and said:
"I mention this to tell you that this world and its humans are mine."
Saying this, York's voice grew more forceful.
"I think you'd prefer not to fight me."
Knowing what it was made it easier to handle.
Under the devil's gaze, York summoned all the holy power accumulated by the churches, merging it with his body until he radiated a pure white holy light.
Simply put, anyone could tell at a glance that he was a formidable force not to be trifled with.
But the devil looked at York, its expression unchanged: "How will we know the result without trying?"
With that, it vanished from sight.
Nothing else was visible in the field of vision.
York squinted his eyes; he wasn't surprised by the devil's response. Devils are like that, unlike the straightforward demons, they weigh the pros and cons more carefully.
As the devil disappeared, York threw a straight punch.
Boom!
His fist met the devil's wing, which it used to block.
The force of the impact shook the surrounding void, causing a tremendous spatial ripple.
But the potentially lethal blast was contained within a specific range.
"Such tough wings. Are these the wings of an angel?"
York smiled lightly, launching a knight's sword composed of holy power directly at the devil blocking with its wings.
The devil vanished again, and the knight's sword shot into the void, then curved back into York's hand.
Without any extra movement, York nostalgically took a step back.
As the devil reappeared, its claw strike landed just where York had been.
York swung his sword in response, his blade of pure white holy power fiercely slashing at the devil's oncoming claw.
Bang!
The dark claw and the white sword clashed, sparking a sound like clashing iron, creating an even greater shockwave.
"How nostalgic. This is close combat.
Close combat is like a battle between two armies, each observing and holding the high ground, maintaining a safe distance to decide whether to attack or defend."
Thinking this, York uttered softly:
"Freeze!"
Space seemed to solidify, but the devil's red pupils hardened, forcefully breaking the power that restricted its movements.
But York only needed that moment of hindrance; he grinned.
"Explode."
Before the devil could disappear, two red fire elements combined magically in the void.
[Fireball Spell]
A massive fireball exploded on the devil's body.
Boom!
The sound of the explosion roared, and a red column of light shot from the ground to the sky.
This move left the devil with a few black feathers after it disappeared.
"You!"
When the devil reappeared, it was already ten meters away, its face slightly angered.
"Me?"
York smiled: "What's wrong?"
"Seeking death!"
The devil suddenly extended its right claw, pointing directly at the human before it.
Powerful dark energy gathered at its fingertip, and in the next second, a massive dark orb rapidly expanded to the size of a villa.
"Heh, losing in close combat, now you're playing with supernatural powers."
York remained calm, dismissing the white holy sword in his right hand.
From their brief skirmish, York had already roughly analyzed the devil's strength.
Overall, it was much weaker than the power he currently wielded.
With that thought, the devil's attack launched, and York could see the dark orb speeding towards him at a tremendous velocity.
Its tail stretched from the devil's fingertip, forming a black line of light.
"Let's try that magic I learned earlier."
York squinted his eyes, not about to miss this excellent practical opportunity.
"Earth plus earth..."
The dark orb was already at his doorstep; York spoke calmly:
"Shield of the Earth!"
A wall of earthy yellow rose from the ground to the sky.
The Shield of the Earth possesses high physical resistance and defensive capabilities, effectively blocking enemy attacks and protecting him from harm.
"Is this magic?" The devil instinctively furrowed its brow.
"I wonder if it can hold." For extra caution, York waved his hand again to add another layer of protection with holy power.
As both watched, the black-and-red orb slammed into the earthy yellow wall.
Boom!
The massive explosion sounded, and the wall, taller and larger than a house, was blasted with a force akin to a nuclear explosion.
The ripple and shockwave spread.
The earthy yellow wall crumbled and fell, but York smiled.
The Shield of the Earth had perfectly blocked the devil's attack.
With a swoosh, York disappeared from the spot.
While defending, he hadn't been idle; defense essentially meant the defender had seized the next move's initiative.
The devil's pupils shrank as it looked up into the sky.
In the sky, obscured by dark clouds, a giant sword as large as the town beneath its blade appeared, its holy power making the devil feel a great danger.
"Not good!"
The devil felt something and looked down.
Unbeknownst to it, the pesky bishop had laid a binding formation below.
Having once been an angel, it was well-acquainted with this type of formation derived from holy power, particularly effective against dark creatures.
Feeling its body constrained by the formation's power, the devil gritted its teeth and forcibly broke the binding formation beneath its feet.
But the giant sword in the sky was already pressing down.
The robust holy light even dispelled the dark fog around the blade, revealing the ancient town, which had been shrouded in fog for millennia, to the sunlight once again.
"Can't escape!"
The devil felt the sword's power had already locked onto it; no matter how far it fled, this force would always land on it.
Feeling this immense pressure, it could only take a deep breath and stretch out its clawed hands toward the sky.
The ground swirled with flowing darkness.
"Rise!"
A massive black plane as large as the earth rose under the devil's control, meeting the downward-striking sword tip.
The black and white forces collided once more.
This created a kind of standoff, with countless forces and rays bursting from their clash.
"This is the confrontation
."
York stood on the hilt of the sword, looking at the gritted devil using all its power to counter the sword tip, his expression extraordinarily calm.
This knight's sword had only used 100,000 points of holy power.
Just this was enough to make the devil sweat profusely, slowly falling into a disadvantage.
"If I add another 500,000 points..." York stared at the devil still stubbornly resisting below, dispassionately increasing his output.
The next second.
The sword's body expanded again.
The devil's red eyes widened, watching as the sword tip, now as large as the sky, slowly penetrated the dark plane, continuously stabbing towards it.
"Damn! Who is this guy? I've never heard of such a person!"
The devil was enraged and somewhat jealous!
The rage could be endured, but the jealousy burned so hot it made its body tremble.
"Who are you? Who are you, really? This is definitely not a power a human could wield!"
The devil's originally handsome face became extremely ferocious as it stared at the all-encompassing sword tip and the vague figure above, screaming madly:
"Is God sending you? Damn! He clearly abandoned this world! Why?"
York subconsciously touched his eyebrow; he really wasn't sure what was going on.
But now, he had a premonition.
God hadn't abandoned anything.
And he felt that the situation in this otherworld might be intentional, or part of someone's plan.
Including this devil who had signed a contract with someone.
It was all part of the plan.
And he might be part of it too.
"Did you do this, God?"
York pursed his lips, silently watching as the sword tip pierced through the devil on the ground, his face a bit solemn.
The devil's roars were still echoing, but after the sword tip plunged, the whole world fell silent.
The dark fog was no more.
Even the towns below, everything remained undamaged, just filled with light.
For the first time in millennia, sunlight fell on this long-darkened town.
Light had emerged.
York watched as the devil, with its wings half-destroyed and its chest hollowed out showing signs of burning, descended.
"Why didn't you run?"
The devil knelt there, black blood from its chest falling onto the pure white ground, very conspicuous.
"Even if this body is an incarnation, once destroyed, your true form would also suffer considerable damage," York said as he walked slowly, looking at the devil calmly.
Before him, the devil was on the brink of extinction, riddled with holes from the holy power, like an ordinary person poisoned and close to death.
"Human, what is your name?" the devil asked, staring intently at the man before it.
"If you can still live, find out for yourself. I don't want to tell my executioner, nor do I have the leisure to do so."
York ignored the devil's brightly glowing red pupils, a knight's sword of pure white appearing in his right hand.
"Everything has a price. You must pay the corresponding price for those who have died over the millennia."
Without any further ado, York swung the knight's sword at the devil kneeling on the ground.
"Remember my name, human. I will find you."
As the devil was bisected, turning to ashes, it left its name for the impassive York.
"Dominic..."
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