Red

Luther looked around.

He seemed to be inside an underground structure, in a very dark environment, with only the eerie blue flames of his Sword of Lava burning, providing a slight illumination of the surroundings.

On the magic circle beneath their feet, the blood had not yet dried, and the servant's body, now broken in two, lay on it, a crazed smile frozen on his face.

What place is this?

Sophia stood up from the ground, moved to Luther's side, and asked in a low voice.

She looked very scared.

Yes, considering the waiters' madness before their deaths, the place they were transported to must be fraught with danger. In the darkness unlit by the firelight, countless terrifying enemies may be lurking.

"Don't move."

Luther said.

"Call!"

A crimson flame ignited in his palm, its dazzling light instantly illuminating everything around him.

This place appears to be a spacious hall, with thick pillars supporting the dome. Two enormous black Throne stand in the center of the hall, and inverted candlesticks hang from the ceiling. The black pillars are decorated with knife-cut etched patterns.

The hall has an overall asymmetrical and quirky style; the number of candlesticks is not consistent on the left and right, and the patterns and shapes are also different.

Luther maintained his Devil form, his scarlet eyes scanning his surroundings warily, sensing any potential malice.

His gaze passed over the two Throne in the center, which seemed to be reserved for Giant to sit on, and he saw several asymmetrical doors on the wall at the far end of the hall, each door inlaid with a sacred emblem.

In the very center of the wall was a long passageway.

The passageway stretched inwards, becoming dark and gloomy at its deepest point, where nothing could be seen.

Can't you see it?

I saw it.

I saw it.

It's red.

It's an extremely vibrant red.

Red, red, red.

It's like the color of steaming blood pumped from a dissected heart; like the color of a burning house, the intense heat of the flames like the color of a blooming flower; like the color of a fierce battlefield, where people lose their minds and fight each other like wild beasts, the ultimate color formed by the last remaining will to survive in their brains.

In a daze, Luther vaguely saw a handsome man with long crimson hair, riding a headless, fiery skeletal steed across the battlefield. Wherever his steed trod, crimson flames suddenly rose...

A magnificent sound, originating from an unknown place, resounded throughout the world.

It was a hymn from Primordial Era, in that ignorant age, when people knelt on the ground, praising in terrified yet devout voices, "He was born of blood and fire."

"And so, war broke out on the earth."

From then on, there was nothing else red in the world except for that.

Luther's Consciousness was crumbling. He opened his mouth and began chanting a prayer, as if he had become an ancient ancestor, involuntarily moving closer to the crimson figure, until a "whoosh!"

The Phantom Tide rose up, shattering the Illusion.

Luther suddenly woke up with a start, finding himself still standing in the center of the hall. However, the once peaceful underground building suddenly became filled with a sense of danger. Deep in the passageway, it seemed that bright red blood was slowly flowing out, emitting an extremely terrifying aura, yet also possessing an extreme attraction.

"Ah, ah..."

He heard a desperate yet joyful murmur. Turning his head, he saw Sophia Einhorn staring wide-eyed, Blood Tears her face, involuntarily looking towards the tunnel. Her beautiful face was Distortion, but her lips twitched, forcing out a joyful smile as she struggled, moved, and stepped towards the tunnel.

What's inside is both attracting and Destruction her.

Behind them, the waiter's body, cleaved in two, had somehow dissolved into pure blood, flowing across the ground and seemingly extending into the passageway.

Danger!

Get away!

The "Malice Perception" screamed, frantically stimulating Luther's brain, telling him that there was an extremely dangerous presence deep in that tunnel, and he had to get away as fast as possible!

"Smack!"

Luther delivered a swift chop to Sophia's neck, knocking her unconscious. Luther then grabbed her by her clothes and ran outside at full speed.

"Malice Perception" was warning him that he could not leave Sophia with that being deep inside the tunnel, or something even more terrible would happen!

"Call!"

He tucked Sophia around his waist, pushed off the ground with his feet, and leaped into the air. Then, his bat wings flapped against the air, propelling him through the air. His massive body flew swiftly through the hall and headed straight for the path leading to the upper level.

Behind him, it seemed as if blood was slowly flowing, following him at a leisurely pace.

Damn it!

Luther's hair stood on end, and he could only increase his flight speed as much as possible.

The front of the hall featured a series of steps leading upwards. As he ascended the steps, he suddenly came into view signs of extensive collapse.

The passageway is blocked!

Broken bricks, mud, and stone pillars filled the area, cutting off their escape route.

On the messy ground, there were remnants of explosives and shell casings, soot marks on the walls, and the faint smell of gunpowder in the air—all of this proved that someone had deliberately blown up the passage and blocked it off.

And it was done not long ago!

+!

What the hell did that?!

Don't let me catch you!

Luther was on the verge of tears, gritting his teeth as he cursed the person who had done this.

Looking back, at the end illuminated by the firelight, crimson blood was spreading upwards along the steps. In the darkness, something seemed to be treading on the blood, walking steadily toward them.

Luther didn't have much time left. He hesitated for only a moment before continuing his actions. He reached into his robes and took out a dark blue stone. The stone was mottled and uneven, as if it had been burned by an invisible force.

"Door!"

He shouted in Ancient Hermes.

A faint, ethereal blue light suddenly emanated from the stone, enveloping Luther's body and Sophia Einhorn, who was tucked around his waist.

The teleportation stone that Fors left him proved invaluable at this moment!

Their figures gradually blurred until they vanished completely. They escaped before the blood could spread.

"Um?"

In the darkness, the being paused, and after a moment, chuckled softly.

"What a coincidence."

"Brush!"

After a few seconds in this strange world, Luther, carrying Sophia, descended from the sky and landed on solid ground.

The Crimson Moonlight poured down like water, the streets were quiet and peaceful, and there was not a soul on the road.

"This should still be Backlund... thankfully."

Luther looked around and, after confirming that he had left the dangerous underground area, breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Then, he felt a little scared.

That place was terrifying! I almost died before I even saw what was actually inside... I've never had an experience like this, not even when facing evil gods!

No, that's because what I encountered wasn't the evil god's true form, but merely a wisp of its will. As for that guy, he might actually be the true form... From the Illusion, his true form seemed to be a red-haired man?

Thinking of this, Luther couldn't help but turn his gaze to the unconscious Sophia.

The latter's fiery red hair shimmered with a magnificent luster under the moonlight.