Once the transformation was complete, no one dared to approach the demon. An invisible pressure radiated from him, erasing everything it touched—as if existence itself was being rejected. The air screamed in protest, and the ground beneath him began to crumble.
Mr. Hale attempted to drag him back to his former state, invoking his power without hesitation, yet every effort was swallowed whole. It was useless.
Demonic power followed rules entirely different from ours. It did not obey the authority of lower Doors. Instead, it denied them—coldly, absolutely.
Mr. Soren knew something was about to go terribly wrong.
Without hesitation, he shoved a small box into my hands. His voice cut through the chaos as he shouted a single phrase—
"White Death."
White Death had only one meaning.
It meant the enemy could not be defeated. It meant victory was no longer an option.
The only way for the others to survive was for someone to open the box—to unleash the sealed Death within. A forbidden power that demanded a price no one could escape.
The moment it was activated, the user's life would be consumed, erased in exchange for an unbreakable seal that would last only as long as the life the user had left to give.
All around the room, everyone wore the same sorrowful expression.
Soren stepped away from the group. His voice rang through the room as he said,"I am the one who will go this time."
From the other side of the room, Mr. Hale shouted,"No!"
He stepped forward, his voice shaking yet resolute. "Captain… this is my chance to prove something."
In an instant—faster than light itself—Mr. Hale snatched the box from my hands. Before anyone could react, he began the ritual of the seal.
Aura surged violently, flowing into and around him like a raging tide. He forced it all into one hand and pressed it against the box, sealing it completely. Then he drove his hand down—blood splattering across the surface as the box drank deeply.
When it was done, he turned toward us with a gentle, almost happy smile. He bowed deeply, offering his final respects.
He raised his hand, aimed once—and ended it.
We didn't have time to react. His speed was absolute—he simply reset himself to a moment when he was already at the location.
Mr. Soren, the captain, knowing it was too late, bowed down and showed his respects.
Experienced and sharp-minded, immediately moved toward Marika and placed a seal over her.
Moments later, I sensed something strange stirring within me. Two unfamiliar voices had appeared—two new powers.
I had acquired the Third Stasis Door… and demonic power.
In other words, regeneration.
Yet despite possessing it, I had no idea how to use demon power at all.
I had no idea how it happened, but somehow, I absorbed the power of the dead.
I knew what I had to do. There was no time to hesitate. With the Stasis Door and demonic regeneration, I had the power to bring Mr. Hale back.
was about to defy death itself—and I knew there would be a price.
First, I drew upon my demonic power and fused it with the aura of the Stasis Door.
The next step was restoring Mr. Hale's body, forcing it back to the condition it once had. After that, I infused it with an overwhelming amount of aura—every last trace I possessed.
Seconds later, aura stirred within his body once more. Life had returned.
On the far side of the ruined hall, Marika's cries pierced the silence. Blood flowed from her eyes with every tear.
Her aura raged like a living thing, yet Mr. Soren's seal held firm. He had foreseen this moment, and it kept the chaos from spilling out.
Mr. Soren turned to Valentina. "Make Marika pass out—before it's too late," he ordered. "I can't do it myself. If the seal breaks, she'll go berserk."
Soren cracked open a narrow gap in the seal, just enough for the Valentina twins to slip through. Inside, they focused, drawing aura from every source they could muster, channeling it into Marika in a desperate attempt to restore her mind and will.
Moments later, the seal opened again. The twins stepped out, their heads bowed, voices trembling with regret.
"We're sorry… it's too late for her," they whispered.
Being swallowed by your own Door carried a single, terrible truth: the angels that fueled your powers would be consumed by the demons of the Underworld, and the Door holder would emerge as nothing more than a demon vessel.
Mr. Soren's voice trembled as he spoke.
"I can hold the seal for another five minutes… and it takes longer for the vessel to be fully formed. Give me a moment to think of a way for all of us to survive."
On my side, Mr. Hale had awakened. The moment he opened his eyes, I felt the power of the Stasis flowing outward from me—it was returning to him.
He stood up, a smile spreading across his face.
"I saw everything from down there," he said, turning to me with gratitude. "Thank you… now let's go. Let's go save Marika."
I didn't know how to teleport properly, nor could I do much beyond controlling aura. Desperation left me no choice—I channeled my demonic aura and shot myself through space, straight to Soren and the Valentina twins.
According to me, saving Marika was simple now that Hale had returned. All he had to do was revert her to a state far removed from her berserk frenzy.
The moment Soren laid eyes on Hale, his face shifted—an odd mix of surprise and sorrow flickering across his features.
Hale strode toward Marika and, with a swift motion, created a gap in the unbreakable Zenith Seal. Mr. Soren's eyes widened in shock.
Mr. Soren's voice rang out, filled with disbelief. "You've surpassed it… haven't you?!"
Hale turned without saying a word, a smile playing on his lips.
Hale's aura swirled around him as he focused. Restoring Marika to a calmer, younger state was a monumental challenge—made all the more difficult by the fact that he had only just been brought back from death.
He succeeded. Marika had returned to normal—or so we thought.
Her eyes flashed red, her expression shifting into something terrifying. "Foolish humans," she said, voice cold and mocking. "Turning the vessel into a younger form won't put me down."
In that instant, Mr. Hale teleported away from the seal zone.
His face was sad and devastated. Everyone thought he was a playboy, capable of ending up with any woman. But deep down, he wasn't. Marika was the only one for him—his one and only.
I understood his feelings. I had already felt the pain of losing someone important once.
But in his case, he would have to end his loved one with his own hands.
Before they could react, I channeled my demonic aura to propel myself closer to them. First, I infused some of my aura into Mr. Soren, reinforcing the seal so it could hold longer.
In that moment, everything was clear. I knew exactly what I had to do.
I stepped closer to Mr. Hale and met his eyes.
"Trust me this time," I said. "Marika is my friend, and I won't let her die so easily. I will save her—I'm confident of that."
I took a breath. "But you'll have to trust me."
Hale nodded slowly. "I trust you… you brought me back from death once, didn't you?"
He met my gaze, voice calm but firm. "I trust you. You've already pulled me back from death once—I know I can trust you again."
I shaped my demonic aura into a blade.
Without hesitation, I struck—severing Mr. Hale's head in a single motion. I made it as swift and painless as possible.
The Valentina twins were stunned. In panic, they rushed forward, trying to place a seal on me.
Only to be stopped by Mr. Soren's loud voice.
"Vale! Stop!" he shouted.