Chapter 8: Devil may come

The bloodshed had temporarily ceased, a tense silence hanging in the air as the demons stared in disbelief. A human, a mere mortal, had managed to lay an attack on one of their own—a devil. The atmosphere crackled with a palpable mix of awe and anger.

Seopheria, a striking figure amidst the chaos, smirked with a dark allure. "Who knew that this lame, boring town had you two beautiful gems?" Her voice dripped with mockery.

Father Jacobs, his resolve unwavering, stood firm. "No talk, just fight, you devil."

Isaac, trembling with fear, barely recognized the man before him. "D-d-dad, is that you? What are you wearing? Why do you have a sword?"

Father Jacobs turned to his son, the weight of his secret heavy on his shoulders. "Isaac... I didn't want to tell you like this, but—"

"DAD, what's happening to Shiki?!" Isaac's voice cracked with urgency.

Father Jacobs' gaze shifted to Shiki, who was writhing in agony, his body convulsing as he began to transform into a demon. "SHIKI!! What have... have you done?" Panic laced his words.

Seopheria chuckled, reveling in the chaos. "Why, I only granted poor Shiki's wish."

"L-l-lies!" Shiki gasped, his voice barely a whisper as he struggled against the monstrous change overtaking him.

As he slowly rose, his form twisted into a grotesque embodiment of evil, Shiki's eyes burned with betrayal. "You said if I... if I worked for you, I'd gain power, I'd get more money."

"Precisely, Shiki," Seopheria purred, her eyes glinting with malice. "Power! That's why you're transforming into a demon. It's the only way an ordinary person like you will ever gain such strength."

Isaac, desperate, cried out, "Shiki! Get up, man! You're not a demon yet!"

In that moment, a surge of blue light emanated from Isaac's body, repelling the demonic influence that clung to Shiki, but also harming him. The light seemed to grow stronger, fueled by Isaac's fear and determination. The demons watched, a mix of confusion and excitement dancing in their eyes, sensing an opportunity.

"ISAAC! GET AWAY FROM SHIKI!!" Father Jacobs shouted urgently.

Isaac, bewildered, replied, "O-okay, what's going on, Dad? What's happening to me? To Shiki?"

Father Jacobs' mind raced. The exposure to this demonic influence is causing Isaac's powers to burst out uncontrollably. If this goes on, his powers could explode and severely injure him. I need to finish this now.

Seopheria, her patience waning, sneered, "Are you just going to stand there, human, or will you do something? If you keep me waiting, I'll command all my demon soldiers to attack you and your sons."

"Fine then," Father Jacobs declared, his voice steady. "It's been a while since I killed a demon. Let's find out if I still have my edge."

He drew his sword, its blade gleaming ominously in the dim light. Seopheria responded by extending her claw-like fingers, readying for the clash. With a primal roar, they charged at each other, a whirlwind of fury and determination.

Seopheria aimed a vicious slash at Father Jacobs' face, but he deftly countered with his sword, turning the blade around and slashing across her visage. A howl of rage erupted from her lips as she stumbled back, fury igniting within her.

"HOW DARE YOU CUT MY BEAUTIFUL FACE, YOU... CREATURE!!" she screamed, her voice twisted with fury.

In her rage, Seopheria summoned her devil's curse, her form expanding grotesquely. A giant maw filled with razor-sharp teeth erupted from her stomach, and her claws fused into a deadly blade.

"Well, well, is this your devil's curse?" Father Jacobs taunted, his confidence unwavering. "You've seen my moves; let’s see yours."

"Shut UP, YOU SCUM!!" Seopheria spat, launching herself at Father Jacobs with renewed vigor.

As they clashed, their battle echoed through the desolate town. Seopheria unleashed a flurry of attacks, but Father Jacobs, with unparalleled agility, dodged each one. Yet, as he struck back, his attack bounced off her new, reinforced skin—tough as steel.

Realizing the growing peril, Father Jacobs muttered to himself, "Her skin is more resilient now. It's like clashing with solid steel. Fine then, I have no choice; I'll show you my Divine Dominion."

Suddenly, Father Jacobs ignited in a blaze of blue fire, an ethereal aura enveloping him, casting away the shadows of doubt. The demons, Seopheria, Isaac, and the struggling Shiki watched in awe as he unleashed his power.

"You think a little bit of fire will harm me? You must be a fool, priest..." Seopheria scoffed.

"Divine Dominion—Holy fire, scorching land!" Father Jacobs roared, engulfing his sword in holy flames.

In an instant, he lunged forward, slicing off Seopheria’s left arm with a swift, decisive strike. The demons gasped, astonished by the sudden turn of events.

"MY ARM!!! YOU PATHETIC MONKEY... I'LL KILL YOU, KILL KILL YOUU!!!" Seopheria shrieked in agony, rage boiling within her.

"I told you I'm not holding back," Father Jacobs declared, unwavering. "Now that we're clear, all you have to do is let my kids go..."

"SHUT UP! NO DEALS OR SHIT, I JUST WANT YOUR SOULS!!!" Seopheria roared, regenerating her arm as she charged at him once more.

The battle raged on, both combatants trading blows with ferocity. Seopheria's strength was formidable, but her speed had diminished, allowing Father Jacobs to push her back. The demons, witnessing the spectacle, were in disbelief; a mere human was holding his ground against a devil.

In the midst of the chaos, one demon, unable to resist his bloodlust, turned his sights on Isaac.

"ISAAC!!" Father Jacobs shouted, sensing the danger.

"DAAAAD!!!" Isaac cried out in terror.

Seopheria, furious, abandoned her fight to deal with the insubordinate demon. With ruthless efficiency, she tore him apart, asserting her dominance before turning her gaze back to Isaac.

"You idiot! I told you all the boy is mine. I want to kill his father so that he may lose hope, and I can devour his soul slowly as he cries for mercy. Human misery is such a tender thing." Her wicked smile grew wider as she locked eyes with Isaac.

As the horrors of the night unfolded, Shiki, barely managing to stand, confronted Seopheria. "Loraine... what is this? All this—this demonic stuff, all these people dead. What's happening? Is this real?"

Seopheria's smirk deepened. "It's as real as it gets, darling. Didn't you want power?"

"Not like this! All I wanted was money, not any of this demon shit! I didn't even know anything about this! Weren't we dealing drugs?!" Shiki's voice trembled with desperation.

"Well, that's a shame, darling. We had a deal anyways," Seopheria replied, her tone dripping with mockery.

"Isaac, you made a deal with a demon?" Isaac asked, incredulous.

Shiki, a look of shame washing over him, responded, "A deal? But I only—"

"You signed a contract, remember? It stated if you worked for my brand, I could get whatever I wanted from you," Seopheria taunted.

"You're kidding me, Shiki! How can you sign a contract with terms like that?" Isaac's voice shook with anger.

"I'm sorry, Isaac! I was desperate for money; it sounded like a good idea at the time!" Shiki pleaded.

"Did Vanessa sign it too?" Isaac pressed, fear creeping into his voice.

Shiki's eyes dropped, filled with shame. "Yes... she did. We both did."

Father Jacobs interjected, his voice grave. "What did you take from the boy? It's clearly not his soul since he still holds some remnants of his humanity."

"Oh, I took so much more," Seopheria replied, a sinister grin stretching across her face.

Father Jacobs' expression hardened. "Did you... yeah, the orphans. Of course, you'd be evil enough to do it."

Shiki's face paled. "The orphans, wait, no, please, no!"

"Shiki, all the orphans are dead. Every single one of them," Father Jacobs stated, the weight of his words crashing down on them.

Shiki's disbelief was palpable. "No..."

Seopheria, relishing in their despair, conjured a horrifying scene. She summoned twenty-nine stakes, each with an orphan's head mounted upon it. The demons erupted in a cheer, praising her dark artistry.

"What a work of art, boss! It's so magnificent!" they chanted.

In an explosion of rage, Shiki's demon side surged forth, threatening to consume him entirely. "NO! NO! ALL I WANTED WAS TO HELP THE ORPHANS, NOT SACRIFICE THEM! NOOOO!!!" He screamed, the anguish in his voice echoing through the chaos.

Isaac watched in horror as his best friend spiraled into madness. In a desperate attempt to save him, Father Jacobs knocked Shiki unconscious, letting him fall to the ground.

"Shiki... I failed you and Vanessa. I can only wonder if you'll forgive me one day. I've let so many lives slip through my hands now," Father Jacobs lamented.

Seopheria, losing patience, declared, "Enough with this bullshit! I'm tired of this fight. Demons, attack them all!"

"Stay away FROM MY SONS!!!" Father Jacobs shouted, a fierce protective instinct igniting within him.

He unleashed his holy fire, burning many demons to ashes, but the sheer number of foes began to overwhelm him.

"ISAAC, RUN!!!" he commanded, urgency lacing his voice.

"But Dad—" Isaac protested, fear etched on his face.

"JUST RUN OR YOU WILL DIE!!!" Father Jacobs insisted.

In a frantic bid for survival, Isaac tried to flee, carrying Shiki's limp body. But as he ran, he stumbled upon a sight that froze him in place.

"Vanessa... my God..." Isaac gasped, disbelief washing over him.

There lay Vanessa, her lifeless body half-consumed by a demon. Time seemed to stand still as horror gripped Isaac's heart. Seopheria approached him, her voice dripping with malice.

"A very beautiful girl, right? I had so much fun with her. It's a shame her fate is to be demon food," she taunted.

Isaac fell to his knees, accepting the weight of despair that crushed him.

"I love it when they give up themselves," Seopheria sneered, reveling in his pain.

But in that moment of darkness, Father Jacobs charged through a horde of demons, his sword piercing Seopheria's chest. She staggered, but the attack wasn’t enough to kill her. In retaliation, she stabbed him in the stomach, forcing him off.

"You think that's enough to kill me? I'm a devil; I'm more powerful than you can imagine, human," she hissed.

"I know. That was merely Plan A," Father Jacobs replied, determination shining in his eyes.

"Plan A?" Seopheria echoed, confusion flickering across her face.

"Here's Plan B—Divine Dominion, ignite!" he roared.

The sword embedded in Seopheria's chest erupted in blue flames, engulfing her in agonizing heat.

"AHHHHHHH!! IT CAN'T BE!" she screamed, a cacophony of pain echoing through the club.

Demons surrounded Father Jacobs and Isaac, the specter of death looming over them. Yet, Father Jacobs knew it was time for the ultimate sacrifice.

"Isaac, I'm sorry I couldn't save all of you. I was too weak," he said, a sorrowful finality in his voice.

"Dad, God will save us... right?" Isaac pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

"He will, my boy. That's why I'm here."

As his body radiated holy fire, Seopheria's eyes widened in horror.

"What are you doing?! You fool, you'll kill yourself too!" she screamed.

"No problem at all," Father Jacobs replied, resolute.

"There's no guarantee your suicide attempt will even work! If it fails, you'll leave your son to die!" Seopheria countered.

"Then let's find out together," he said, his voice unwavering.

"Isaac, your going to die?!" Isaac stammered, disbelief thick in the air.

"The truth is, Isaac, I'm a warrior priest. We're tasked with preventing demons from harming humanity," Father Jacobs explained, his voice filled with pride.

"A priest?" Isaac echoed, realization dawning.

"Yeah, a priest. Sorry, my boy, but you're going to be alone from now on."

"DAD, PLEASE DON'T DIE!!" Isaac cried, desperation clawing at his heart.

"You do what you have to for the people you love. Also, Isaac, promise me one thing."

"What is it?" Isaac sobbed, fear gripping him.

"Please forgive Shiki."

"WHAT?!" Isaac's eyes widened, bewildered.

"To truly ascend to heaven, you need to have known forgiveness in your heart. I know he messed up, but you two are as close as brothers."

"Forget Shiki, Dad! You have to live!"

Seopheria, watching the exchange, scoffed. "I always underestimate these....priests. Apart from God and his angels, they are demon-kind's greatest enemy. They'll do anything to kill demons, even if it means sacrificing themselves!"

"Isaac..." Father Jacobs murmured.

"Dad!" Isaac cried out, feeling the weight of impending loss.

"Goodbye... Divine Dominion—"

"DAD WAIT!" Isaac's voice cracked with anguish.

"God's flame!"

"NOOOOO!!!" Seopheria screamed as a blinding explosion of holy fire engulfed the club, incinerating every demon in its wake. The cataclysmic force turned Father Jacobs to ashes, leaving only echoes of his sacrifice.

As the smoke cleared, Isaac stood amidst the devastation, his father's ashes swirling around him. The weight of loss settled heavily upon him.

Shiki, I'll never forgive you... never.