Gate of Hell Opens

"Evil Spirit Banya."

Prajna calmly spoke the name.

She also possessed the Variant Form of "Evil Spirit Banya." That form originated from the Ghost Face Shield in her hand. It had once been a ghost king who ruled a corner of Hell, swallowing an entire army of ghosts from the Palace of the Ten Kings in a single bite.

Later, it had been slain by the force led by Prajna and absorbed into a fragment of Hell's Gate, becoming its Artifact Spirit.

Compared to the Ghost Face Carving, the Evil Spirit Banya before them was naturally far inferior. Still, it was by no means some minor lackey. Many soul-reaping envoys of Hell were no match for it.

"This aura... could Hell's ghost army have come knocking?"

The Necromancy Cult spellcaster looked grim. His teacher had once helped a ghost general of Hell hunt down evil spirits roaming the human world, making him something of an outside contractor for Hell. As a result, he understood Hell better than most—and knew all too well how terrifying it was.

"Kill her! Kill her now! If we drag this out until Hell's army arrives, both of us will be taken down there to be punished!"

Guderian shouted at the hesitant evil spirit. It understood the necromancer's words, but it understood even more clearly what kind of existence its opponent was. Its expression twisted horribly.

Cackle, cackle, cackle—

The carving on the Ghost Face Shield rapidly emerged, revealing a greedy grin. The smile looked oddly familiar—it was exactly the same as the one worn by the evil spirit that had been devouring souls. Truly, smiles did not disappear; they merely transferred.

"Ah-ha, I never expected to encounter one of my own kind in the human world. What a long-lost sense of kinship!"

A crimson tongue