-2359- [ Cleansing ]

From the ruined harbor, Rozen and Yukina landed together atop the wreckage.

Ahead, the luxurious cruise ship still docked at the shore, untouched by the previous cataclysm thanks to the barrier cast over it.

Vatler and Itogami Meiga leapt onto the cruise ship and stood on the top deck, looking down at Rozen and Yukina.

That leap—they cleared the distance with an ease even a Vampire or Yiangshi might not possess.

Vatler and Itogami Meiga achieved it effortlessly, wrapped in deep crimson radiance that granted them such power.

At this moment, they appeared to be the very center of the world, or perhaps whirlpools consuming the world itself, exuding a thick, eerie, and ominous aura that made the very atmosphere scream.

Seeing them like that, Rozen's eyes rippled.

Yukina raised Tenyuryo and shouted,

"What did you do...!?"

She demanded sharply.

Itogami Meiga showed no expression, unlike Vatler, who smiled with narrowed eyes.

"You shouldn't be surprised," Vatler said with delight. "This is the true power of Itogami Island—just awakened."

"The power of... Itogami Island...?"

Yukina was stunned, then remembered something Shizuka Koyomi had said.

As the heir of Hiina among the forbidden names, Shizuka Koyomi had once mentioned that Itogami Island was an altar to revive the God of Sin, Cain—and that Itogami Meiga knew how to awaken that power.

Now, that very power had emerged—awakened by Vatler and Itogami Meiga.

"Long ago, the God of Sin, Cain, was banished by the Devas into the outer world. There, he obtained power, returned to this world, and raised the banner of rebellion against the gods."

Vatler spoke with exhilaration.

"But what kind of power did Cain actually obtain?"

A question most would never consider—but a vital one.

How did a mere god, cast out by the divine, become strong enough to slaughter them all? Surely, it couldn't have been ordinary power.

Only a few knew this part of history.

Until today.

"Why did Cain become the progenitor of the Demons?"

Vatler's voice rang out joyously.

"The reason is simple: the Demons were born from his power—they are what the gods became after their fall."

Yukina's eyes widened in shock.

"You mean... fall...?!"

She didn't understand the meaning of the word.

"That's right," Vatler nodded, smiling. "Before that, Demons had another name."

What name?

"Gods."

Vatler laughed wildly, revealing the shocking truth.

"Demons are fallen gods—the Devas themselves."

The revelation left Yukina speechless.

"Demons used to be gods...?"

Rozen frowned.

This was a truth that could shake the world.

But if you thought about it, it wasn't entirely impossible.

"After Cain was banished to the outer world, he encountered humans from another dimension, received their worship, became their ruler, and returned to this world with an army to war against the gods."

Vatler explained with a mocking shake of his head.

"But Cain alone couldn't defeat the gods. Nor could humans overpower the divine. So Cain gave humans the power to fight them."

That power was the God of Sin's magical tools.

Cain mimicked the ways of that world and forged artifacts that could nullify supernatural powers, bestowing them upon humans.

Still—

"Even then, the gods were too powerful. Mere tools weren't enough."

Vatler looked at Rozen.

"So Cain decided: if the rules said humans couldn't kill gods, then he would change the rules."

To do so, Cain created a forbidden spell—using all his wisdom to develop a supreme ritual for rebellion and revenge.

"A forbidden magic capable of reshaping the world, altering its very laws—Cleansing."

Vatler spread his arms as the crimson light on him pulsed.

"Using this spell, Cain corrupted the gods into Demons. From that moment on, gods vanished, leaving only descendants of the Devas and fallen gods—Demons."

Yukina couldn't speak, but Rozen understood.

"So that's why the three Primogenitors joined with the Devas to create a powerful weapon..."

Rozen had always wondered why Demons like the Primogenitors would work with the Devas to slay Cain.

Now he understood.

The Primogenitors were either fallen gods or closely tied to them.

So they allied with the Devas—Cain's enemies—to forge the Fourth Primogenitor, the ultimate weapon.

And that alliance led to the greatest massacre in history.

"In the end, the gods disappeared from the world. Humans and Demons fought endlessly until Cain was slain by the Fourth Primogenitor, who was then sealed away by the Devas. Only then did the killing stop—though enmity endured."

"Over time, the magical tools of Cain dwindled. But humans developed magic, building from his legacy. Demons forgot their divine origins. The Devas were annihilated by the lingering effects of Cleansing."

"In short, the forbidden spell Cleansing brought about the worst massacre in history. And so, the name of the spell became the name of the tragedy."

Vatler unveiled the truth.

"Cain was not only the progenitor of Demons—but also of humans. He is the original sinner, the reason this world is the way it is."

"Though he died, the supreme forbidden spell he left behind remains—a program encoded in this artificial island by his true heirs, the forbidden names."

"In other words, this island itself is an altar to unleash Cleansing."

"A power that can remake the world at will. We have revived it."

"We possess Cain's wisdom—the power to slay both gods and Primogenitors."

"You cannot stop us."

Vatler's laughter echoed to the sky, making the atmosphere unbearably heavy.