Many torches burned in the main chamber. But it remained as dark as an ocean trench, and its air was as frigid as the icy winds of the distant north. Even if the sun left its celestial orbit and descended here, it couldn’t oppose the gloom or melt my frostbitten heart. I was unable to move, but my mind raced and put together depressing thoughts. When the frost began to melt, it was because my misery had turned into anger.

Standing in front of me, Lord Faust was as calm as before.

“Don’t be afraid, Lance,” he said. “I will make your dreams come true.”

What is he saying? Did he admit that he’s behind all of this? I ground my teeth and then said, “If it’s just a bad joke, this is your last chance to say so.”

“Why would I joke? I revived the Cult of Belphegor, and for a―”

My sword was faster than his tongue. I rushed at him and attacked with all the strength that I could muster. My veins bulged, and my breathing quickened. I shouted, “You made Marie live in fear, made Reinfried suffer, murdered so many people!”

Suddenly, my sword hit a magical barrier. A pale-yellow sphere surrounded Faust, blocked my attack, and sent my sword flying out of my hand. But I didn’t give up. I turned around and picked up my weapon. I attacked him again. Every slash was full of rage and disgust. Every strike was powerful enough to render armor useless. But the magical barrier kept Faust untouchable.

“Are you done?” he said after I had tired myself out. “Can we talk now?”

“I have nothing to say to your likes.”

I started to attack again. My efforts weren’t futile; the barrier was cracking; it was breaking. Both Faust and I knew that it couldn’t last for long, and when it shattered, nothing would stand in my way.

“You wanted us to destroy the cult, and this is what I’ll do!” I shouted.

Cracks spread on the surface of the barrier. I hammered it five more times. Then it shattered like glass and disappeared into thin air. My sword passed through and almost cut Faust’s face in half, but the old noble jumped away at the last moment.

“I thought you would be more civil,” he sighed.

After he landed on the ground, I began to chase him around the chamber. Wherever he went, I followed with rapid steps and slashes. I aimed for his neck without hesitation, but he avoided my sword with repeated retreats. When he finally stopped, I swung at him with all my pent-up rage. I thought I had him cornered, since he could neither dodge to a side nor create a new barrier, but his hands started glowing.

What is he doing?

My sword drew a curve and descended toward its target, but Faust did not flinch. He reached for the blade with his bare hands and caught it in mid-air. As soon as his glowing fingers touched the metal blade, it began to melt. My weapon turned into liquid and splashed onto the floor. Only the pommel, grip, and cross-guard remained in my hand. I was frozen with shock, and it was Faust’s chance to counter-attack. But he didn’t.

“You have caused many problems,” he said. “You refused to eat the Fruit of Belphegor. You defeated the Laikos and the demons. Then you killed my most beloved monster. And that is when I realized that I had to do the job myself.”

“You couldn’t win fairly, so you decided to stab us in the back.”

“Yes, how noble of me, right?” he smiled.

“You won’t get away with this.”

“I am afraid I will. You will die here, and Reinfried will perish in the tunnels. Who will stop me?”

“Reinfried will survive, and I will stop you here and now.”

“But then Marie will die,” Faust smiled again.

“Marie?”

“Yes, the poor girl. I sent someone to visit the inn.”

“You coward! Leave her out of this.”

“I am afraid I cannot. You see, Marie knows my secret. If the fruit hadn’t made her lose her memory, my plans would have been ruined… But I am forgiving, and I can spare her life if we reach an agreement.”

I threw away the rest of my sword and stared at Faust with contempt.

“I am glad that you decided to talk like civilized people.” He walked past me; he gave me his back as if I had been no longer a threat. “Follow me.”

I turned around and walked behind him. He was only a few steps away, but I couldn’t touch him. I wanted to aim my throwing knives at his back; I wished I could cut him into pieces. But any rash action would’ve endangered Marie’s life, so I took a deep breath and calmed down. Then I followed him up a stairway.

“The Cult of Belphegor has a dream,” he said, “one that neither Zeke Yuchi nor Valentine Faust understood.”

“A dream?”

“Yes, and it is strikingly similar to yours.”

At the end of the stairway, a new part of the chamber appeared in front of me. I found a throne like the one in the Hall of the Mountain King. Then there were long tables and many chairs, organized for lavish banquets and decadent festivals. And finally, a sculptural relief appeared on the wall in the far back.

The gargantuan relief caught my attention the most. The Dragon of Origin, Archidox, was carved on the wall with astonishing detail. The horns, the claws, the scales, the broad wings, the twisting tail—they made me feel as if the roaring dragon would take off at any moment. Past its right wing was a demonic figure that resembled the giant Aberration, and past its left was an attractive fairy wearing a crown.

Faust began:

“Archidox weaved the fabric of mortal existence. Lord Belphegor created demons from the Ancient Grime. The Fairy Queen shaped her kind from the Iridescent Petals. But no one knows how humans were created. We appeared from naught and entered the labyrinths, where we found demons, fairies, and gold. Demons taught us to hate; fairies taught us to lust; gold taught us to steal. Our greed became unquenchable. Nothing can satisfy this eternal thirst—nothing but Paradise, the Seventh Labyrinth, the home of the Great Creators.”

“Your likes will never find it,” I said.

“Oh, but we will,” Faust laughed. “Lord Belphegor will soon descend upon our world. He will break the gap between our realm and the Seventh Labyrinth, and he will bring us eternal power and glory.”

“So, the giant Aberration is…”

“Yes, Lord Belphegor himself.”

“And the missing people were sacrificed for the summoning.”

“Every life has a purpose, and they have served theirs.”

“You’re sick.”

“Yes, we are both sick of this world. After all, you dream of the Seventh Labyrinth too.”

“No, we’re nothing alike,” I said. “I’d never kill innocent people, and I’m not looking for power or glory.”

Faust clapped. “Another fine display of your naiveté. You never fail to impress.”

“Why are you telling me all of this? Just to mock me?”

“No, Lance, I am following the cult’s tradition. We will summon Lord Belphegor again, and the final sacrifice needs to know its purpose for the ritual to work,” he said as the black-clad cultists appeared around me. “Last night we gathered more souls than ever before.”

“Reinfried’s men…”

“Yes,” he smiled. “You may have ruined our latest experiment, but we do not need to wait for three nights to try again. I will keep Marie safe. She will not be harmed by my demons. And in exchange for that, you will become the sacrifice that will summon Lord Belphegor. Your soul will end up in the Seventh Labyrinth; your dream will come true. Everyone will be happy.”

“How do I know you won’t harm Marie after I’m gone?”

“I promise to send her to the capital. My word is enough.”

“Your word? Who’d buy that?” I said. “I want proof she’ll be safe.”

“You are not in a position to make demands.”

The devil… He’s planning to kill Marie anyway. I’m outnumbered and surrounded, but I might still have a chance. I need to be smart about this and wait for the best moment to strike. I put on the most dejected look and said, “You win. I’ll be your sacrifice, so let’s get this over with.”

My words made the gathered cultists chortle with delight.

“I am glad you chose to cooperate,” Faust said. “Step forward.”

I walked among the sneering cultists. They were planning a banquet to celebrate their victory. Some called for food and wine to be brought to the long tables, while others were already drunk with euphoria.

“Do you want me to stand here?” I stopped in front of the stone relief.

“Yes. Now, put your arms in the air.” Faust walked closer. “Have no fear. I promise you a quick death.”

I did as he said. He got even closer and stopped only a few steps away. The space between us was almost empty because the cultists were moving to the banquet tables. The chance that I needed was drawing closer.

“Disarm him while I summon the serpents,” Faust ordered.

While he recited an incantation, two cultists approached me. I can’t let them take my weapons. This is my last opportunity to strike: I have to fight now or surrender forever. I took a deep breath and formulated a plan to escape from this horrible situation. I needed to save myself without sacrificing Marie, and there was only one way to do so.

“Watch out!” the first cultist warned the other, but it was too late. I had removed two knives from my belt and thrown them on target. The two cultists fell to the ground.

“You weasel!” Faust shouted. “I knew you were a liar like your guild master!”

“You lied first, Faust!”

I raised two more knives and threw them at him. He tried to create a magical barrier to protect himself but was too slow. They stabbed him in the shoulder and thigh. After he was wounded, I charged at him with another knife in my hand.

“Kill the adventurer!” The cultists rose from their tables in a panic and started to recite incantations. They prepared a variety of attacks and took aim. “Support Lord Faust with your spells!”

“Don’t fire!” Faust shouted as he avoided my repeated slashes. “I will get caught up, you idiots!”

The cultists realized their mistake and lowered their grimoires helplessly.

“A thousand mages couldn’t save you now,” I smiled.

“Marie will die because of you,” Faust grunted.

Despite his wounds, he dodged two thrusts and sidestepped the third. His hands glowed, and he tried to grab my knife, but I didn’t fall for the same trick again. I made sure that the tiny blade remained out of his reach.

“You doomed the poor girl,” he said.

“You planned to kill her anyway.”

He tried to grab my hand, but I kicked him in the stomach. His legs trembled, and his arms hung helplessly at his sides. He found his back against the wall and my knife at his throat.

“Don’t move!” I shouted, talking to both Faust and the cultists.

“Even if you kill me, my men will corner you like a rat,” Faust said.

“I won’t kill you yet.” I pushed the knife against his neck. “You’re nobility, and I know how you settle disputes. Instead of losing everything, why don’t we leave these caves and fight a fair duel? When I’m sure that you’ve released Marie, I’ll give you this chance.”

“You must be joking,” Faust smirked. But when I pushed the knife harder, he became nervous.

“I think it’s a good deal for both of us. Or do you prefer to die here?”

“No. We can arrange something.”

He sounded cooperative, but I noticed that his left hand was moving. He suddenly clenched his fist as if he had been preparing to punch someone. His action was not a sign of fear or nervousness; it seemed as though he was hiding something from me.

“What are you doing?” I pushed my knife harder, and a few drops of blood oozed out of his neck. “Open your fist slowly, and don’t even think of reciting an incantation.”

He hesitated.

“Show me what’s in your hand!” I shouted.

“Fine,” he said. “I will! I will!”

Slowly, his fingers uncurled. I saw his empty palm. Then, although he hadn’t recited an incantation, a white light flashed and blinded my eyes. I recoiled from the bright rays, and he escaped my grasp.

“Faust!” I shouted in my blindness.

“All is fair in battle, Lance.”

When I opened my eyes again, I found a magic circle under my feet.

Another spell?

The circle shone with a green light, and two boa constrictors slithered out of it. Their hisses echoed in the chamber. Their brown bodies coiled around my legs. They continued to climb until they had constricted my entire body. The knife―my last weapon―fell from my hand, and after a burst of laughter, the cultists returned to their banquet as if nothing had happened.

“This is why I hate the guild.” Faust was standing in front of me again. This time, he had complete control over my fate. “It fills young brains with nonsense about bravery and adventure. It is a cursed establishment.”

“You know nothing about the guild,” I retorted.

“I know more than anyone. You murdered my daughter.” He removed the knives that were stuck in his shoulder and thigh, then enveloped himself in a healing light. “Before I send your soul to the Seventh Labyrinth, there is one last thing I need to ask.” He put his hand in my pocket and took out Demetrius’s card. “Who gave you this protective charm? Few mages can perfect one like this.”

“I told you before: I got it from a performer.”

“And who is this performer?”

“Your next nightmare.” I grinned defiantly. Demetrius warned me again and again. He was watching over me all this time; he knew what was happening… And he might be able to protect Marie. Please, Demetrius, get her out of Ashenbrook before it’s too late.

“Fine, I will find this performer on my own.” The protective charm burned in Faust’s hands until it was ashes. “All threats will be eliminated. It is only a matter of time.”

I wanted to say something to shatter his arrogant confidence. Reinfried and Demetrius were still alive. Rick and Master Azemir wouldn’t overlook my disappearance. I wished I could tell Faust that his victory would be short-lived, but not a single word left my mouth. Demons appeared from inside the walls of the chamber. They surrounded me and invaded my body. My vision became blurred, and no matter where I looked, I couldn’t escape the demons’ crimson eyes.

“Lord Belphegor is rising again!” Faust’s voice reached my ears. He was giving a speech to his followers. “It is time for the next phase of our noble struggle…”

He continued to speak, but I couldn’t make out his words. Darkness attacked me from all sides. My skin, muscle, and bone froze like ice, and I lost control of my body. The sound of a flute approached as if from a dream. A melody echoed, and a soft-spoken voice said, “Rest in peace, lost soul. May my music soothe you and ease the pain of your journey.”