This Isn't an E*otic Game?-Chapter 90: Those Who Seek Salvation and Those Who Seek Death

Did I run nonstop in the direction Kon pointed?

Far ahead.

Inside a black magic circle, I saw a demon worshiper in black robes—and a hunchbacked woman collapsed on the ground with a dagger stabbed into her heart.

Goddamn it.

Was I too late?

I poured more strength into my legs, accelerating even further. Without slowing down, I leapt straight into the magic circle, unfastening my belt mid-air, gripping it in my hand, and swinging it in one fluid motion.

With a thunderous crack, the impact shot through my arm, confirming it had landed solidly.

The worshiper’s mask shattered into pieces, exploding outward as he slammed into the ground, limbs twisted and crushed.

But of course, he wasn’t just any ordinary person.

The crushed mess of his jaw started knitting itself back together at terrifying speed, black energy swirling around it.

Honestly? That was better for me.

“Y-You... Who... are...”

I didn’t let him finish. I used Absolute Hypnosis the moment he started to rise again.

His eyes, wide with panic and confusion, went dull for a moment—then returned to focus.

The skill had taken effect.

“From this point forward, answer all of my questions with the truth. This woman—what’s happening to her?”

“She’s been stabbed with a dagger infused with Lady Belphegor’s Commandment of Subjugation.”

Didn’t know what that was, but it didn’t sound good.

“How do I get it out?”

“That dagger is a manifestation of Lady Belphegor’s divine authority. Unless you're of Demon Lord class, it cannot be removed.”

“That so?”

Then there's no problem.

I rushed over to the hunchbacked woman and gripped the dagger embedded in her heart.

As I began to pull, the black energy that had spread through her body like a snake let out an earsplitting screech and slowly began getting sucked back into the dagger.

Even with my body modification enhancing my strength well beyond human limits, it took an obscene amount of force.

“You! Help me pull this thing out!!”

It was clear I couldn't do this alone. I barked the order at the worshiper, who was still dazed by involuntarily spilling the truth.

“Y-You think I’d help with—what the...?”

The guy, looking like he wanted to throw up from both rage and disbelief, walked over in a daze, placed his hand on the dagger, and started helping me pull.

“W-What is this... Who the hell are you?! What did you do to me?! Why am I—?!”

“Shut up and pull!!”

With the two of us working together, the dagger started coming out faster.

The black energy—screeching like a living thing, thrashing around in every direction—couldn’t hold on for long.

All of it, every last bit of the curse spreading through her, was pulled back into the dagger. And finally, the dagger came loose from her chest.

I immediately dropped it to the ground and placed my hand on her body, activating my body modification skill.

Her shattered wrists and pulverized face healed instantly.

But that was all I could do.

[The target’s body is currently locked in its present state.]

[Restoration is possible, but transformation is not available at the current skill level.]

[Please increase your skill level before attempting further changes.]

A system window I’d never seen before popped up.

I tried again, several more times.

But no matter what I did, her withered, twisted limbs and the grotesquely hunched spine wouldn’t change. My body modification just... wasn’t enough.

I needed answers.

Luckily, I had someone right next to me who could give them.

“You.”

I turned to face the worshiper.

“Explain this. Who is this woman? Why does she look like this? And what’s her connection to this Demon Lord, Belphegor, or whatever her name is? I want everything. All of it.”

This definitely wasn’t going to be a short story.

But it was worth the time if it meant understanding what the hell was going on.

Just as I issued that order—

[Confirmed: The time required to fulfill the given command exceeds acceptable limits.]

[Expanded skill function available due to skill level-up.]

[You may now selectively extract and transfer the target’s relevant memories directly into your brain.]

[Would you like to proceed?]

Another unfamiliar system window appeared in front of me.

A chill ran down my spine and straight into my brain.

So the skill had evolved again... without my even noticing.

This could only mean one thing: Asmodeus was still feeding off my °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° faith in real time and growing stronger.

Of course.

If I want to save this world, then the only solution is for my soul to be annihilated as fast as possible.

Until then, as horrifying as it was, I had no choice but to use this upgraded version of Absolute Hypnosis.

“Proceed.”

The moment I gave permission, the light faded from the worshiper’s eyes.

[Command received. Selecting relevant memory segments from target’s mind...]

[Selection complete. Beginning transfer.]

And then—suddenly.

A massive surge of memories poured into my head.

[Memory transfer complete.]

It felt like an eternity compressed into a second.

I slowly raised my head and looked at the worshiper.

I stared at him in silence for a long time... then let out a bitter, hollow laugh.

“You call yourself human?”

They searched the entire continent for the perfect vessel to imprison the War Goddess.

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And once they found her—they tortured her.

Again and again. Until her body and mind were broken beyond repair.

Then, using every dark spell and cursed ritual they knew, they locked her in that broken state permanently—freezing her deformed, ruined body in time.

After that, they implanted the War Goddess into her.

To make her obedient, they bound the vessel with the Commandment of Subjugation—magic that would inflict unbearable pain on the host every time the goddess resisted.

Psychological torment. Physical agony.

Until the goddess gave in and obeyed.

And now that girl—the one lying in my arms...

The man standing before me—he was the one who had contributed the most to turning Kanya into a sacrifice.

He was the one who abducted her pregnant parents, let them live with her for a short while after her birth to create a brief illusion of happiness—and then made her, at four years old, watch them die right in front of her, searing trauma into her mind.

He was the one who fired magic into her limbs, not enough to kill her, just enough to twist and deform them into brittle, emaciated wrecks.

He was the one who deliberately cursed her, twisting her spine into that grotesque hunch.

All of it.

Everything—was this man’s doing.

And after Belia was implanted in her, every time the War Goddess resisted, he activated spells to forcibly trigger those past traumas, tormenting her mind.

He carved pain into her flesh with runes etched into her body, exploiting every sigil to inflict agony.

It was all him.

I shouldn’t have looked.

Having experienced years of human cruelty and malice firsthand, as if they were my own memories—it didn’t just make me feel sick. I wanted to vomit.

I clutched the woman in my arms tighter.

I held Kanya close.

“Pick up the dagger.”

My command made the worshiper reach down with trembling hands and retrieve the dagger from the ground.

No hatred.

No rage.

All I had was the thought that this thing standing before me needed to be erased.

“Kill yourself with it.”

The worshiper’s eyes went wide.

“N-No... Please... no!! Ugh—!! Lady Sloth!! Please, save—!”

Maybe he was trying to resist Absolute Hypnosis. He brought his free hand up, trying to push the dagger away—but it was meaningless.

“Gkk—! Khh—...!”

I turned away, watching only until the blade pierced his throat.

Among the memories I had absorbed from him, there was one about Talhaim’s Rock Mountain.

Apparently, Belia’s hidden divinity was sealed there. If Kanya made it to that mountain, Belia could restore her divine status and be forever freed from Belphegor’s control.

I tightened my grip around Kanya.

“I’ll save you. I swear.”

No matter what it takes, I will get this girl to Talhaim’s Rock Mountain.

Three Demon Lords will come to stop me. Let them.

I want to be torn apart by them.

She wants salvation.

Isn’t that the perfect match?

****

The very moment one of Belphegor’s followers—razor-focused and hunting for the War Goddess Belia—encountered Saint Amayel...

Belphegor immediately summoned Satan and Leviathan.

[That stupid saint figured it out and came to kill himself! Hurry!!]

[Your little trinket is with the saint? Ha! This just keeps getting better.]

For a moment, things seemed to be going well.

But then—

The instant a massive presence residing inside Amayel’s soul began to manifest within the spiritual realm, the three Demon Lords realized they had made a mistake.

[Been a while.]

Eight pairs of wings unfurled from her back.

As Asmodeus gazed at them, presence filling the entire spiritual plane, Belphegor, Satan, and Leviathan all instinctively recoiled.

[I think this is the first time I’ve seen all three of you together. What’s the occasion?]

As always, she wore a soft, gentle smile—looking at them with the serene affection of a goddess.

But the Asmodeus standing before them now was nothing like the Demon Lord of Lust they had known three hundred years ago. She was something else entirely.

And the three of them, without even realizing it, began cursing Lucifer in their heads.

This thing... even with all three of them attacking together, they weren’t sure they could win.

[Satan. Leviathan. You think we can handle her?]

Belphegor asked in a careful tone. No response.

That alone was a bad sign, so the Demon Lord of Sloth—rarely emotional—raised her voice.

[I said—CAN WE DO IT?!]

Satan was the first to answer.

[We could, maybe. But we’d take massive damage.]

[You were right, Sloth. Three isn’t enough. We need the War Goddess.]

All three Demon Lords turned their eyes toward the shattered divine presence beside Asmodeus—what remained of Belia’s godhood.

She was already fragile, and after being ravaged by the Commandment of Subjugation, she looked like a broken ornament—something that would shatter from the lightest touch.

Belphegor ground her teeth.

If that saint had shown up just a little later, after the Commandment had fully taken root, they could’ve dragged Belia into the fight too—four against one. They might’ve had a chance.

But there’s a saying: if you don’t have teeth, chew with your gums.

[Screw it. Let’s finish this now. Even if we take damage, it’s better than letting her keep growing. Lucifer was right. Look at her. If she keeps sucking up faith like this, the entire mortal realm is going to be hers. It’s easier to end it now.]

For once, Wrath and Envy didn’t argue. They agreed without complaint.

[Fine.]

[If we’re going to hit, now’s the time.]

The two Demon Lords began enlarging their divine forms, warping the spiritual realm with sheer pressure.

Belphegor clenched her fists, eyes locked on Asmodeus.

The plan was simple: if Satan and Leviathan could just pin her down—

Then Belphegor would dive straight for Amayel’s soul, still under Asmodeus’s protection, and corrupt it.

Corrupting a human soul? That was child’s play to her. Easier than breathing.

But then—

[Hmph. So Amayel’s your target after all?]

Asmodeus gently lifted the shattered remnants of Belia’s divinity, and the three Demon Lords froze.

[I don’t want to consume the divine essence of a Pantheon god. Amayel wouldn’t like that. But if the three of you come at me... I might have to do something I really don’t want to do, just to protect him.]

[You goddamn bitch!!]

Satan roared in fury.

Even at a 50/50 chance of victory, it would’ve been a tight, bloody win.

But if Asmodeus devoured Belia’s essence—becoming even stronger—that chance would plummet straight to zero.

Even if they managed to wound her and scrape out a narrow win, it wouldn’t matter.

Lucifer wouldn’t come—he was busy guarding the Pantheon. Beelzebub was facing off with the Evil God.

If they lost here, their divine fragments would be devoured by the last one standing.

By her.

And that would be the end of everything.

[...Withdraw.]

Belphegor spat the words like blood.

The other two Demon Lords turned their backs without hesitation.

Asmodeus, still smiling serenely, gently set Belia’s fragmented divinity back down.

Belphegor stared at it with a look that could pierce steel—then finally turned away, teeth clenched in reluctant defeat.

The situation was now crystal clear.

If they wanted a chance at victory, they’d have to tear Belia’s divinity away from Asmodeus.

Otherwise...

The three Demon Lords had no hope.