Crucible—a situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new.

--

The atmosphere of the entire Crucible had changed dramatically since the rise of Liora.

Although the lives of most Young Devils continued as per usual, undercurrents were surging secretly.

The famous Devils—ranked on the Crucible Ranking or not—keenly noticed these undercurrents.

Or rather, they were part of them.

In a dark cave somewhere not far from the City of Pain, the City Lords that had paid their share of taxes and left the Gothic castle had gathered unknowingly.

Hidden within the writhing shadows of the cave, they whispered in low voices, as if they were conspiring—hatching a devious plan.

"'That' person is soon going to leave.", a Devil at the front said and raised their drink with an imperceptible smile on their face.

"Finally! After exploiting us for so long, 'that' person is going to leave!", the person sitting next to them toasted.

If a third party were here, they would discover that despite the obviously ominous atmosphere of the cave, the conversation of the Devils was anything but grim.

In fact, it was the complete opposite.

The City Lords had not gathered here to conspire, but to celebrate 'that' person leaving.

Just as the Devils were happy, toasting and drinking, the expressions of a few people suddenly changed.

Instinctively, these Devils raised their heads and stared blankly at the horizon.

Their eyes seemed able to pass through the cave's reinforced stone walls and travel through space, finally landing in the City of Pain.

Astonishment flashed on their faces as they did so.

Seeing the strange movements of their companions, the other—weaker—Devils inevitably got curious.

Just when they were wondering what had happened and were about to ask, they also sensed something and shifted their gazes toward the City of Pain.

They had noticed 'Its' arrival!

"The Will of the Demon World has descended!", the Dog Devil muttered, voicing the thoughts of everyone in the room.

"That person is about to leave!", he added, and despite his shrinking pupils, his voice was filled with anticipation.

Especially when he noticed that the focus of the Will of the Demon World turned to the City of Pain, he grew even more certain of his guess. And this guess made him excited.

Finally, the person exploiting their hard work was going to leave!

Unfortunately, the Dog Devil soon found it impossible to celebrate.

Not long after the Will of the Demon World's appearance, the smile on his face froze abruptly.

As his big ears vibrated, he captured a faint, almost inaudible sound coming from below.

At the same time, he noticed an obscure black light shining on him from the corner of his eye.

When he lowered his gaze, he saw the source of this strange phenomenon. It was an obsidian-black flame that flickered oddly as if it were following a certain rhythm.

At first, the Dog Devil didn't feel anything, almost causing him to think that this sight was a mere illusion.

But only a mere moment later, sharp, soul-tearing pain assaulted both his body and mind.

Under the demonic flame's scorching temperature, his entire body began to melt, starting from his rough fur and skin to the bones inside.

His high defense—which the Dog Devil had always been proud of—was unable to put up even the slightest bit of resistance against the demonic flames.

Facing this pain, the Dog Devil's eyes went blank, and his vision became increasingly blurry, as his body slowly evaporated under his stunned eyes.

Instinctively, the Dog Devil turned to his companions, wanting to ask for their help, only to discover something shocking.

His companions—all famous Devils feared throughout the Crucible—were in the same state as him.

Unknowingly, a demonic flame had appeared in their bodies and, like a hungry beast, began to devour them.

The Dog Devil's eyes widened as a terrifying suspicion formed in his mind.

Turning his attention back to himself, he slowly inspected his body and soon made a discovery.

His essence—whether it was his soul, flesh, or bones—was becoming nourishment for the demonic flame, transformed into pure demonic energy that flowed elsewhere.

As the Dog Devil followed the demonic energy's trajectory, he felt enlightened, having figured out everything.

"So, that's it! No wonder! No wonder it's called Crucible! Crucible!", he laughed crazily, raising his head toward the sky.

Although the sky above him was empty, the Dog Devil seemed able to see an invisible hand, manipulating everything and everyone in the Crucible.

In the final moments before he lost consciousness, the Dog Devil struggled to lift his paw and, having it face toward the sky, he raised his middle finger.

The very next second, the demonic flame devoured him completely, erasing him from existence.

--

Time goes back a few minutes.

In the City of Pain, Liora stood on top of the Gothic castle, her head raised and facing the crimson sky.

In her mind, a grand and indifferent but somewhat mechanical voice echoed, reaching directly into her soul.

"Challenger 54226454255426876... has completed the Crucible Ranking Trial."

"Reward Sequence has been initiated..."

The moment these words fell, Liora instantly felt the world around her change.

The crimson sun in the sky shook violently, and a large crack formed on its surface, in which bottomless dark flames resided.

As if they had received a response, these flames shot out and fell toward the Crucible, accurately hitting the bodies of everyone roaming its lands.

Standing at this height and having been paying attention, Liora noticed that every Devil in the City of Pain suddenly caught on fire.

This was shocking enough, but what made it even more creepy was that these people didn't seem to realize.

The Devils in the city continued their lives as usual, ignoring the fact that their essence was being transformed into demonic energy and flowing toward her.

Of course, among the many Devils, there were a few that noticed.

"Lord! Please save me!"

"Lord! Take me with you!"

Two pleas for help reached Liora's ears as three figures flew toward her and landed beside her.

It was Alpha, Scurry, and the Owl Devil.

The state of the latter two was grave, as more than half their bodies had already melted under the fierce power of the demonic flames.

Facing the calls for help from her two subordinates and seeing that Alpha was the only person in the city that had not caught on fire, Liora understood what was happening.

"Is the Will of the Demon World targeting everyone in the Crucible besides me?"

"Was Alpha spared because she is my creation?"

Realizing this, and hearing the continuous pleas of Scurry and the Owl Devil, Liora didn't hesitate for long.

She reached into her clothes and took out two weathered parchments.

Despite what their unassuming appearance would suggest, these parchments were not ordinary pages of paper.

Instead, they were the two Devil Contracts that Liora had managed to collect over the last year.

As she gently brushed her fingers against the pages' surface, many lines of words were outlined, as if written on their own.

After she placed her palm on each of the contracts and initiated the signing process, she casually tossed them to Scurry and the Owl Devil.

"Sign this thing and you'll be fine.", Liora stated.

Then, she no longer paid attention to the two Devils.

She had already pointed out the way that they could survive.

If they were still unwilling to sign the Devil Contract, it would only mean that they would rather die.

Catching the Devil Contract mid-air, the Owl Devil showed no hesitation. Placing his right wing on it, he signed it without further ado.

On the other hand, Scurry—who seemed to be the most loyal among Liora's three subordinates—fidgeted awkwardly as he went through the countless conditions of the contract.

Time quickly ticked down, and he had yet to make his decision.

It was only when his furry head was the last body part remaining that Scurry gritted his teeth and made up his mind. Tilting his head, he pressed his forehead on the Devil Contract.

Immediately, the connection between him and Liora was established. As the contract took effect, the demonic flames burning him instantly ceased to exist.

However, although relieved, Scurry found it difficult to feel any happiness.

Even though he had survived the danger, he had still been gravely injured.

Most importantly, he had signed his life away.

And, unlike what happened in the City of Embers, Scurry knew that it was almost impossible to get out of this contract.

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