Chapter 327: Ashes of Innocence

Once they reached the ground floor, they found Ghost standing beside a massive hole he had punched into the floor.

And inside… was a wide staircase leading underground.

“I discovered it by chance while checking the building’s structure. This place might be much bigger than we thought.”

“Well done ! ”

For the first time since entering the land of the dead, they had found something that might actually help them.

“If they went through the trouble of hiding this, then whatever lies below is something they didn’t want others to see.”

Phoenix assumed that whatever was down there would be worth the effort.

“Let’s go.”

He conjured a bright flame in his hand, lighting up the dark stairway. The three of them descended in silence, tension building with each step.

With every move downward, their expressions began to change—something had started to fill the air. The scent of blood… accompanied by something else they couldn’t quite place. But it was strong. Overwhelming.

Eventually, they reached another iron door—bigger than the last.

The smell was seeping through its cracks.

“All this cursed aura… just from the gaps in the door?”

Even Ghost—used to death and blood—furrowed his brows. Only God knew how many corpses lay beyond that door.

It was almost comical… how the lands of the Ultras toyed with them like a twisted rollercoaster ride.

“Let’s see what they’re hiding in here…”

Phoenix muttered as his fist ignited even fiercer than before. He punched the door, blowing it apart and finally unveiling the horror that had been buried inside.

As the barrier fell, the wave of blood-soaked aura hit their faces like a tsunami of death.

Phoenix and Ghost both went pale the moment they saw what lay beyond.

“Well, would you look at that? The Ultras really are insane. Hahaha…”

Aegon was the only one who laughed, clutching his head with one hand.

His twisted reaction raised countless questions, but Phoenix and Ghost were too shocked to say a word. Their eyes were glued to the abomination before them.

Beyond the door was a massive corridor, one that stretched deep below the upper building.

Its walls, dimly lit by soft white lights embedded along the sides, revealed the nightmare.

On every wall… hung countless women. Their wrists were chained with rusted iron restraints.

The monsters had stripped them naked, robbing them of every ounce of dignity. Their bodies had been sliced open from abdomen to pelvis, entrails spilling out in a grotesque display.

Every single one of them had been gutted—completely emptied.

And on the cold floor, between the walls, was a pile—no, a mountain—of disfigured infant corpses. Stacked heads, one over another… a small hill of mutilated children.

Ghost stepped forward slowly and knelt beside one of the corpses.

Tough red skin… hollow, lifeless eyes… the child’s body was warped beyond recognition.

He looked back and forth between the infants and the gutted women. It didn’t take much to connect the dots.

“…My god. What the hell happened in this cursed place?”

Phoenix’s voice trembled with fury. Meanwhile, Aegon continued down the corridor with his usual detached expression, unfazed by the corpses beneath his feet.

“We’ll find the answer soon enough…”

Phoenix cursed everything—these corpses, the Ultras, Aegon’s coldness… all of it.

With a single motion, he unleashed his flames. They consumed the bodies at a terrifying speed, reducing them to ash.

“At the very least… you won’t rot in this cold, empty place anymore.”

Phoenix’s fire was something to behold. It burned only what he willed it to—and vanished the moment its task was complete.

“How noble of you~”

Aegon commented, his usual smile never wavering—as if he were strolling through a field of flowers, not the remains of mothers and their slaughtered children.

Slowly but steadily, the trio continued their descent as Phoenix burned every corpse along the way.

The place was massive. The sheer number of bodies was overwhelming—enough to make anyone wonder what kind of twisted mind could be behind something like this.

And finally, after a long march, Phoenix and his companions reached the answer.

And what an answer it was.

“Impossible…”

The young lord of House Sunlight muttered, staring at the corpse before him.

Ghost, visibly tense, whispered in disbelief.

“Is that…?!”

But Aegon simply nodded, a faint smile on his lips, as if everything finally made sense.

“A demon.”

Yes. The corpse lying on the steel table had a larger-than-human frame, rough gray skin, and prominent horns. Its grotesque appearance left no room for doubt—it was a demon.

“That can’t be. Weren’t all demons wiped out after the First Hero sealed the gates?!”

Ghost asked, and Phoenix nodded.

“That’s true. Supposedly, not a single demon remained after Kazes Valerion sacrificed himself.”

But what stood before them was undeniably a demon, and they all knew it.

Still, Phoenix didn’t panic.

“We can’t say for certain that every last demon was destroyed. Don’t forget Astaroth appeared out of nowhere too.”

This wasn’t the first time they’d encountered a demon, so it was too early to jump to conclusions.

But Aegon interjected immediately.

“You’re being far too optimistic, Professor Phoenix.”

With a flick of his sword, Aegon released a surge of lightning that lit up the entire chamber—revealing what lay behind the first corpse.

In that instant, the truth struck them all.

A second body. A third. A fourth… and dozens more. Demon corpses tossed aside like the women and children before them. And from what they saw, these demons had died only recently.

“What now, Professor? Do you think these are all just stray survivors?”

With every word Aegon spoke, the weight of the moment sank deeper into their bones.

“These aren’t survivors. This is an entirely new batch that arrived here recently. Do you know what that means?”

“No…”

Phoenix tried to deny it, but Aegon shook his head.

“Face it. What you’re looking at is undeniable proof.”

It was time to abandon their illusions.

“The seal is broken… the gates have reopened. The demons can cross into our world again.”

That single statement shattered whatever composure Ghost and Phoenix had left.

Because if there was no seal keeping the gates closed, then it meant that demons far stronger than Astaroth—those beyond the 19th rank—could come through.

Monsters capable of leveling mountains with a flick of their fingers.

But Aegon didn’t stop there. He kept twisting the dagger.

“And you’ve noticed it, haven’t you? The pattern. A demon. A woman. A disfigured child. I assume you’ve figured it out by now?”

“…”

Silence.

Aegon laughed.

“They’re experimenting. Hybridization. Have a look—demon and human… What should I call them? Half-demons? Heh, delightful.”

His laughter was manic. But Phoenix and Ghost could only stare, unable to understand—

Why was he laughing?

Why laugh when what he just said could mark the beginning of humanity’s extinction?

But there was no way of knowing what truly went through the prince’s mind.

“Hybridization…”

Phoenix repeated the word silently.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

The sudden rise of powerful lords… the strange blood samples the researchers couldn’t explain…

Demons and humans…

Children born from both…

Phoenix staggered back, clutching his head, trying to comprehend the scale of what was happening.

“May the gods help us…”

The situation was far worse than they imagined.

…

—The Tea Party—

Sitting gracefully in her chair, having finished the last drop of her tea, Beatrice smiled as she stared down at the board before her.

“Looks like they’ve finally uncovered the truth.”

The middle-aged man beside her nodded.

“I don’t know why you chose to reveal it now… Well, it won’t change anything—aside from crushing their morale before the war.”

“It’s a game, Mister Simon. The Witch’s game.”

“Oh? Then I wonder what you’re planning next.”

In response, Beatrice laughed softly and rose to her feet.

“It’s time I made a move.”

“You’re sending in your favorite puppet, then? I look forward to this performance. Kihihihi…”

With elegance in every step, Beatrice walked away, casting a sidelong glance at Simon.

“Enjoy the next act… Mister Simon.”