Lilith, the game of hide-and-seek is over.
After several rounds of savage bloodbath, the lesser Angels are now nothing but mangled corpses littering the ground, forcing the Archangel who had been commanding from safety to finally dirty her own hands.
Enough with the cat-and-mouse games! Hand over Mammon's Code!
Madam Raphael sweeps her hand forward, unleashing a barrage of searing light that crashes into the rocks and sends debris exploding in all directions.
Crouched behind a boulder, Lilith seizes the Bloodsworn's hand and, before the next blast hits, pierces your fingertip with her fangs and triggers the Blood Covenant's power, warping you both to safety behind another obstacle.
Bang!
Another wave of attacks screams toward you, erupting in massive domes of blinding light that shake the very ground beneath your feet. Your rocky shelter is cracking, moments away from collapse.
Oh my, someone's getting rattled.
Below the crumbling rocks, Lilith simply raises her Moon Umbrella with leisurely precision, its canopy deflecting the steady cascade of stone and dust.
Since our opponent has been forced to show her hand, we should play this game all the more carefully...
For instance, stealing the stakes right out of her hands and turning the tables. That would be an excellent counter-strategy.
Caw?! We're supposed to steal something from that Archangel who's raining light bombs on us?
Both of you silently ignore Morigan's skepticism, shoving the crow's head back into the satchel and carrying on with your rather absurd conversation.
Tell me, has the renowned Gray Raven ever played a little children's game?
Lilith runs her fingers slowly through her magical pet's feathers, tracing each tail plume, wing, and the soft down at its nape before her hand comes to rest on its head.
The game is called "slingshot," but this time, our ammunition will be a gold coin and...
Lilith remains silent, her fingers gently stroking Morigan's forehead as she gives a small nod.
...Caw?
For the past few minutes, Lilith and the human who calls himself Gray Raven have vanished without a trace. Raphael paces slowly through the smoldering debris, searching for any sign of where they might be hiding.
There's no point in hiding anymore. I know you haven't left, and whatever you're planning won't work.
She really doesn't consider that inexperienced Demon a threat. Setting aside matters of experience, Lilith's feeble magical power could never hope to defeat someone who has lived for a hundred years like herself.
True, forming a covenant with a Bloodsworn can grant power beyond mortal reach in a short time, but before an Archangel, even such a miracle is nothing more than a cheap trick.
The Archangel waits with smug certainty, confident the Demon will expose herself soon enough and meet a gruesome end at her hands.
Lilith, why must you corner yourself like this? Fate has given you countless opportunities already.
Even now, you can still choose to hand over the code and run.
Clang—
Raphael fires another burst of light toward the ringing sound, obliterating a massive boulder several meters high.
Or perhaps you're still too concerned with maintaining some form of dignity in defeat...
There's no one behind the boulder. Raphael already suspected as much. It was just a decoy.
In the next instant, she whirls around without hesitation, her fingers form a pistol shape, and she presses it against your forehead after you sneak up from behind.
Oh... so Lilith sent you on a suicide mission. How typical of her, still as selfish as ever.
Another self-important gambler. I don't make deals with humans. Die.
...
She cocks the hammer, neither confirming nor denying your suspicion.
Show me proof.
Your story aligns with her intel, so Raphael confidently pulls the gold coin from her dimensional pouch. She refuses to believe some pathetic human could outmaneuver her right under her nose.
Recite the code.
A strange spell in an unrecognizable language flows from your lips. Just as the intelligence indicated, the gold coin rapidly shifts under Mammon's Code, its form gradually morphing into a key—
But you suddenly stop just as the transformation nears completion.
Heh...
The Archangel laughs with disdain, and this time her laughter rings far more triumphant than ever before.
Whatever schemes Lilith might still have up her sleeve, Raphael knows she's already won. Extracting memories from humans is child's play for Angels, and once she has "Gray Raven" in her grasp, she'll have all the time in the world to get that code.
She's already secured the leverage she needs to overpower the authority of her fellow Archangels.
Lilith, your greed was always going to be your undoing.
Now that I've confirmed the code is genuine, this human no longer needs freedom.
She raises her hand once more, brilliant points of light swirling together in her palm, coalescing into a blazing orb—
And you, you can spend whatever pathetic life you have left regretting your foolish attempt to bargain with an Angel.
But she overlooked one critical detail. Her own arrogance has quietly become her greatest vulnerability.
The moment she raises her hand, a razor-sharp umbrella tip plunges through her heart from behind, piercing between her ribs in a crimson burst.
Such a wound could never kill an Archangel, but the Demon's strike wasn't meant to be lethal. It's meant to create a moment to snatch the gold coin from the Archangel's grasp.
The golden disc tumbles down, frozen in its half-transformed state, but in that fleeting instant, a pair of pale, slender hands intercepts it and hurls the coin skyward.
Gray Raven!
You swiftly recite the second half of the code, and this time the transformation completes and the coin morphs flawlessly into a key while still airborne.
Lilith unleashes a surge of raw magical energy from her palms, catching Morigan in the torrent as the raven snatches the airborne key. The bird and key fuse into a living missile streaking straight for the stone gate—
Let's go!
In the next instant, the Femon Knight seizes the Bloodsworn by the collar, her bloodied finger tracing another magic circle through the air as she whisks them both from the scene.
BOOM, BOOM!
The high-speed raven clutching the key smashes through the massive stone gate, and you and Demon tumble into the corridors of the City of No Return.
Struggling to peer through the swirling dust and darkness, you spot Mammon's key still clutched in the claws of the dazed Morigan as it plummets toward the infernal depths below.
Just as Lilith reaches out to catch Morigan, a volley of light projectiles forces her back. She has no choice but to grab Gray Raven and keep running.
Little insects. How long do you think you can keep running?!
Raphael's rage has consumed all reason. She no longer cares if her assault brings down the entire vault, advancing with a relentless barrage of light projectiles that carelessly obliterate the scattered treasures, each blast sending glittering clouds of gold dust spiraling through the air.
Centuries of Mammon's carefully hoarded wealth crumble to dust in mere seconds. The sight hurts Lilith so deeply she feels her heart might bleed.
Tsk... but that gold never did anything wrong.
Her words are barely out when another blazing projectile slams into the treasure hoard, sending countless gold coins cascading down in a shimmering waterfall.
How vile! If the Supreme Heavens hadn't decreed that Mammon's throne cannot be empty, that someone must claim the Golden King's seat, I would never have defiled myself in this wretched place!
Since accepting this mission, she's suffered defeat after defeat against Lilith, and her once-unshakable arrogance has crumbled into blind, consuming rage.
The Sinclair blood is as foul as ever! Eleanor, you should have perished in that forest all those years ago, killed by your own parents!
Though the situation grows more desperate by the second, you manage to catch every crucial word even while dodging for your life.
Oh? She never mentioned that name to you?
Her vicious assault halts for just a moment as a mocking smile spreads across her face, then she raises her hand and unleashes an even deadlier attack.
Hahaha! And here I thought you two shared such a deep bond. She never even told you about her past?
Haha! Then I'll tear down her mask myself. Listen carefully, Lilith is nothing but a lie. Eleanor Sinclair is her real name.
Her parents were appointed as tax collectors by the Sanctuary, yet they repaid this honor with theft. They stole funds and taxes meant for the people. When I discovered their crimes, I was merciful and gave them a warning.
My father was a tax collector in a small town. He worked himself to the bone, but the Angels in their lofty realm were never satisfied with what our poor little town could scrape together each month.
Naturally, the Angels were quick to pin the blame on their "incompetent tax collector." Before long, my parents were executed on completely fabricated charges.
Lilith's words from before race through your mind, and the contradictions between her story and Raphael's are undeniable.
...
You cast a doubtful look at the Demon running alongside you, but her silence speaks louder than any words.
But this foolish, ungrateful couple kept pushing their luck, over and over again, until even the people of the town couldn't stand their greed any longer and drove them into the woods with torches and pitchforks.
So that couple made a choice. They threw their own daughter to the wolves, leaving her behind as they fled to the church, begging me to save their worthless lives.
Once again, I saved that wretched couple, and I even arranged for Eleanor's release after the townspeople seized her, giving her a fresh start in another town.
I gave that family so many chances, but the Sinclairs have rotten blood in their veins. No matter how many fresh starts they get, they'd always crawl back to the gambling table.
So now do you see? All her suffering is her own doing. Deep down, she's nothing more than a greedy gambler who can never get enough—
—That's enough. I guess Angels really love the sound of their own voice.
Lilith, who has remained silent through it all, finally strikes back. Her umbrella snaps open in one swift motion, conjuring a dark brown barrier that shields you from Raphael's unrelenting stone attacks.
As the dust clears, Lilith stands guard at your side. Together, you face Raphael's relentless assault, divine light washing over them like a golden waterfall.
How pathetic, Raphael. You don't even understand why we chose to stand together in the first place.
That's exactly why you're doomed to fail. You're blind to what really matters!
She rips open the wound across her chest, unleashing Famine's ravenous hunger to surge through her veins. Gathering every last fragment of her power, she prepares for a final, all-or-nothing strike.
Cover me. I'm going after Morigan. Anything with Mammon's power will eventually be drawn back to the Infernal Throne.
I'm getting that key back and kicking Raphael out for good!
In the chaos, countless thoughts race through your mind, but none offer a clear path out of this desperate situation.
And so, the Bloodsworn chooses to place complete faith in their knight.
The Bloodsworn rises and takes the scepter Famine offers, gripping the heavy Moon Umbrella tight. Crimson light blazes forth as blood surges through your veins, an irresistible urge driving you to master it, to make it yours.
The long-haired woman gives a fierce, defiant smile as she pours every last ounce of her strength into the Bloodsworn. Two utterly different torrents of power clash and spiral across the umbrella's surface before finally merging like rivers meeting the sea.
No time for explanations. The moment she releases her grip, she turns and strides toward the fissure leading into the depths below.
Just hold her off for five minutes. After that, I'll handle the rest.
Then she leaps up and plunges into the abyss.
With Lilith gone, Raphael emerges from behind the ruins. A single glance tells her everything. You have chosen to side with the Demon after all.
How disappointing. I thought that little story would be enough to show you who she really is.
The Moon Umbrella opens, now fully controlled by the human. Archangel blood still stains its tip as the Bloodsworn points this borrowed weapon at their enemy.
Haha, well then... you'd better not let me down.
Your defiance ignites her fury once again. Golden runes blaze across Raphael's form, weaving into shimmering pools of light as she unleashes the full extent of her Archangel power.
I'm absolutely thrilled to fight the legendary "Gray Raven" in combat. Do try to make it interesting for at least a minute, won't you?
The Moon Umbrella clashes with blazing projectiles in thunderous bursts of metal and light. Both you and the Archangel are caught in this tide of destruction, plummeting through the city's floating architecture.
As you fall, countless gold coins rain down like scattered starlight, drifting alongside you to blanket every corner of the City of No Return.
Let me guess... that little schemer went after the key that fell into the depths, didn't she?
But do you really think one measly code is enough to send me packing?!
A blazing projectile grazes Raphael's arm. With nowhere to dodge, the Bloodsworn desperately raises the Moon Umbrella mid-fall, bracing for the devastating blow.
—BOOM!
The projectile strikes the translucent blood barrier and erupts in a blinding burst. You convulse behind the umbrella as scattered fragments of light tear through your flesh, carving bloody gashes.
Well, well. Looks like you're the one getting left behind this time, Gray Raven!
Your body already has countless wounds, every inch of flesh searing under blistering heat, while Raphael continues her triumphant, mocking laughter.
I tried to warn you! She's a parasite who lives by lying and stealing whatever she needs from others.
Since you won't listen to reason, don't blame me for what comes next. You'll just be another ghost haunting this forsaken city.
You unleash everything in one desperate strike, firing your last blood bullets in brilliant crimson streaks across the sky, while Raphael hurls herself forward to meet the attack with equal fury.
Amid thunderous roars, both you and the Angel crash down to the deepest depths together, the devastating impact sending shockwaves that shake the entire city.
Heavy eyelids flutter open, and you instinctively reach for the Moon Umbrella lying nearby, but before your fingers can close around the handle, a blazing light blurs your vision.
Bzzzz—
The entire city shudders from yet another tremor, its twisted corridors shrieking like caged beasts as the structure itself seems to come alive, roaring in jubilant celebration of someone's homecoming.
Nearby, atop Mammon's throne, an ominous, razor-sharp light engulfs Lilith's form as she stands over a skeleton, her hand plunging deep into the bone cage of its ribcage.
She extracts the golden coin from between the ribs, cradling it like forbidden fruit before her tongue darts out to get a taste.
Greed, regret, torment, and pure indulgence...
Mmm, the former Mammon's remains certainly don't disappoint. It's such a wonderful flavor.
Then, she bites down on the desire in one decisive crunch.
Blazing flames surge up her body with explosive force, and at last she tastes the sweet fruit she has pursued for so long.
Her demonic body allows her to weather the crushing toll that would obliterate any mortal.
The desire dissolves rapidly within her stomach, digested and reforged into demonic bone that restructures Lilith's form as she transforms into the new "Mammon."
That's it... don't stop!
She laughs, savoring the sweet ecstasy that races through every inch of her being.
Come now, surrender everything you've worked so hard to gather—
I am your new ruler, and everything will kneel before me!
Then the crown that has hung empty for so long settles upon her head.
As the flames die away, the newly born ruler stands atop the treasure mountain, slowly lowering her now-empty hand.
Then, with a smile of pure satisfaction, she slowly steps down from her throne and approaches you lying on the ground.
Her face shows no trace of regret, much less guilt. Raphael was right. Once again, she's torn flesh from another person through her lies.
This doesn't change our plan. I'll still take down Raphael for you.
She extends her hand to you and pulls you up from the ground without giving you a chance to protest, overwhelming waves of demonic power surging from her palm.
No proof is needed. You can tell immediately that she has become the genuine "Golden King."
Besides, I've got my own score to settle...
The newly crowned "Mammon" runs her tongue along her lips, revealing a gleaming, newly grown fang that glints between her lips as proof of her transformation.
Releasing your arm, she walks toward Raphael without looking back.
I told you. Nothing disgusts me more than backstabbing scum who stack the deck.
