Chapter 1475: Confronting Belphegor
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With Gluttony by his side, Blake rushed back to the barrier as well, noticing that the Nightmare Demonic Beasts had reduced their numbers by a whole lot since he beat the Evil God.
"Blake, you really did it!" Chris said.
"What was that thing even?" Eric wondered.
"It was… some sort of artificial god created by Belphegor," Blake explained. "Something he could only craft inside his Nightmare Realm… but he's gone for now. Nothing says he cannot recreate it once more, as the Rules and Laws of this Realm are different from outside… However, the path down is finally clear. Is everyone ready?"
After Blake and Eleanora unfused, and walked on top of Ruby's head, he looked back at everyone else, the battle was a little tiring, but they all had gained a lot of Experience Points, and felt refreshed with the extra stats, most of them had also reached max level, and could do their own trials to Rank Up even further later on.
"Yeah, we're ready," Chris nodded.
"As always, but are you sure this will work?" Eric wondered.
"It has to work," Blake said. "I will make sure it does."
"Hmph, well, I'm already here! So we might as well go down that dangerous-looking black hole to who knows where…" Elfriedden smirked confidently.
"Yeah, let's beat that Belphegor bastard," Erdrich nodded. "I'm itching for some Archdemon Blood… I become stronger every time I beat one for some reason… So let's do it."
"Yeah! We're up for it!" Erika nodded. "Hopefully this time you'll let us help more!"
"I agree," Elizabeth said. "We want to take a more active role… if impossible."
"Don't worry, I have not been pushing you into battle because I thought you were weak," Blake said. "I simply wanted you to preserve your strength. Now that we're going to face him, there's no need to hold back anymore."
As Blake spoke, the Aura Barrier around everyone started changing, encompassing their bodies as well, and becoming thinner, and yet even stronger for some reason.
"Now we're ready."
They slowly descended into the black hole, Ruby looked visible, worried he would get shredded apart by moving through it, but Blake forced him to move down anyway.
"Gryaaarrr!"
He let out a last cry as he closed his eyes, moving through the Black Hole with Bestellen…
FLUOSH!
As everyone went through it, they felt like several strange membranes wrapped around their bodies and then were broken as they pushed themselves through them.
Eventually, as Blake opened his eyes, he found himself… inside some sort of castle full of toys.
Yes, toys.
Female dolls, male dolls, colorful wooden cubes and other shapes, balls, wooden horses, plastic cars, plastic dinosaurs, and more.
And… above all of that though, there was something very shocking to it, these toys were enormous, some bigger than them.
"What are these? Eh? Toys?" Erika was confused.
"So many toys… but there's a few things I don't recognize," Elizabeth analyzed her surroundings.
"Why are there so many toys though? What are these for?" Chris asked.
"They are not normal toys…" Eric said, looking around. "It's strange… they don't seem to be mere materials, they're magical constructs composed entirely out of… wait a second."
"Eh?! Wahhh!" Patricia panicked as she saw something grab her arm. "What the hell?!"
She looked at what seemed to be the doll of a smiling girl, and it had a deadly strong grip at that too.
"The toys are moving!"
At the same time, Blake told everyone what he was seeing right now so they would quickly get on high alert.
And indeed.
The toys were moving, slowly glowing with red eyes, walking towards Blake and company.
"This is strange, are they toy-shaped golems?" Cattalina wondered. "This feeling… I can feel it, something big is approaching!"
"O-Over there!" At the same time, Helene detected it.
A looming shadow descended, a gigantic figure appeared, wrapped on purple, pink, and black clouds, wearing the clothes of what seemed to be some sort of… jester.
However, it was also wearing pajamas, and a sleeping hat that looked quite adorable, strange for a being of its caliber.
His presence as immense, immediately… his Aura erupted, spreading everywhere and sending shivers down their spines.
"I am honestly surprised… Asmodeus…"
The entity yawned, clapping his four purple skinned hands, glaring at Blake with a mocking smile beneath his mask.
"You not only managed to get inside here without being affected, but it also didn't even work against your friends…"
"You…"
"I'm in awe… aaahh, do we really need to do this? You already sealed my whole body, not like I use it that much, I like sleeping but… do we? Can't we just get along and kill humans together?"
"Belphegor… I see you've taken upon a new appearance. But your true form is much weaker and more pathetic than you usually seem. But in this world, your world, you can be anything."
"Yes! So you remember me… Hahahah… Well, you willingly walked into my world, Asmodeus. Do you expect now to somehow defeat me? You're all below my rules… my little toys are just the beginning."
His body was enormous, towering above everyone else, Belphegor was easily over twenty meters of height, gigantic, sitting cross-legged over the palace floor, playing with toys.
"Although your offer may seem enticing, sacrificing my friends… and humanity, is not worth it," Blake said. "Even more when my chances of winning are quite high."
"High he says… Don't make me laugh… You're nothing but a pathetic human now, perhaps with some… vampires as spirits, but still weaker. And I? I have grown stronger now, Asmodeus!"
"Yeah, I can tell you're powerful…" Blake said. "More than before… However."
Belphegor glared back at him furiously, gritting his sharp teeth.
"I have the light of the Morning Star within me."
"W-Wha…?!"
Belphegor's eyes widened, as he saw Blake's Aura of the Morning Star emerge from within his body… and soul.
"That is… no, it cannot be! An illusion?! It has to be an illusion!"
Belphegor panicked, screaming angrily at Blake.
"Kill him! KILL HIM QUICKLY!"
At his command, hundreds of toy started moving…
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