THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 777 Execution in Silence (1)

In Caelid, the Capital... the final vestige of the Ultras civilization following the latest conflict.

The ancient city once held sacred by Demon Worshipers lay completely ravaged from the fierce clashes that tore through its frontiers and scorched its lands.

Nevertheless, bit by bit, the Ultras started restoring it, holding onto the faint hope of rescuing any fragments of their broken society.

During these rebuilding works and the somber mood lingering from the savage warfare, the top-tier troops assembled today in an uncommon gathering, all focusing near the tower that demons had utilized as their central base for ages.

There, amidst a thick cluster of warriors and combatants, Mergo showed up... his aged, inebriated form pushing through the throng to allow passage for a key figure.

True to form, Mergo appeared utterly wasted, drowned in liquor... with rosy cheeks, ragged robes, and shoeless feet. Numerous people questioned his legitimacy and merit due to his looks... yet his immense strength quelled every such notion.

After Gavid Lindman fell into the clutches of the Empire's army, Mergo rose to lead the Ultras...

outwardly at least, as the real control lay with the demons, especially Amon.

On this day, Mergo positioned himself with his followers, and next to him stood Maria, who had pledged her full allegiance to him a while back.

The pair lingered in front of a designated portal, anticipating the arrival of a certain person.

While they lingered, Mergo started to hum happily, crooning away without a thought for his surroundings or his role—much to Maria's annoyance.

She shot him a sidelong look, her face as icy as always.

"Get a grip, old man. Or do you intend to wreck it all?"

Her sharp words didn't faze Mergo in the least.

"Relax, my sweet Maria. Booze hones my thoughts better than sobriety ever did."

"Hmph... I have my doubts about that," Maria shot back, then abruptly lashed out with a kick to Mergo's shin, sending him sprawling onto the ground effortlessly.

"I'm amazed by your sharp senses and vigilance, Lord Mergo."

Her tone dripped with dry sarcasm, her face unmoved, while Mergo rose again, rubbing his sore backside.

"You cheeky brat... when did you start cracking jokes like that?"

He muttered while getting to his feet.

Maria cracking wise?

That scared him more than it entertained him.

A brief quiet settled between them as they continued waiting... until Maria broke the silence.

"Hey... tell me one thing."

Mergo faced her.

"What's on your mind?" he inquired gravely, picking up on the strain in her tone.

She paused briefly, then voiced her thought.

"Did we actually... choose correctly this time?"

A subtle grin crossed Mergo's lips as he wagged his head.

"I can't give you a straight answer on that, my dear Maria. It could be the wise path toward our aims... or it might unlock an even deeper abyss. Time alone will reveal the truth."

His evasive words drew a weary sigh from Maria.

"I'd prefer if you just claimed it was right—even if it's a fib."

"Hehehe... I wouldn't dream of deceiving you, my dear Maria."

Then he shut his eyes, and his look grew solemn.

"It's happening."

Right then, the portal swung open, and the troops formed lines to open the way.

Out came a graceful lady in a stunning violet dress.

Her stern visage hid under the broad rim of her hat, but her violet gaze gleamed as she regarded them.

The witch...

Beatrice, ranked 17th among the High Demons.

All present knelt to her, save for Mergo.

"Lady Beatrice, the portal stands prepared. Feel free to enter at your convenience," Maria announced, motioning to the warp gate set up just for her.

Beatrice offered no reply. For once, she appeared unfocused... struggling to regain her poise.

The conflict on Earth had escalated to an entirely new intensity.

Wesker, her lord, perished in the final clash, striking her with a crushing, unhealable wound.

Her abilities held no value anymore.

Thus, the Golden Witch opted to depart, safeguarding her existence.

The warp gate connected to Helmond—the identical passage one of Hell's Dukes, Vex, had used to enter merely a day prior.

"Are you absolutely certain of this, Lady Beatrice? Your strength would prove invaluable in the upcoming strife," Mergo remarked with a soft smirk.

Beatrice advanced without so much as glancing his way.

"Start the process immediately," she commanded.

Mergo let out a quiet laugh.

"Such harshness."

Gradually, Mergo and Maria trailed Beatrice to the warp gate.

"I can't help but wonder... does High Amon truly sanction this? He didn't seem like one to relinquish a potent asset without a fight," Mergo commented, veiling his mockery.

Beatrice pivoted to face him.

"You might carry demon blood, but remember your station. A being who rejects his infernal side can't grasp the wishes of a High Demon like Lord Amon."

Mergo lifted his palms in defeat.

"My regrets... I spoke out of turn."

He grinned... though the keen glint in his eyes betrayed deeper intentions.

Through that short clash of words, Mergo had verified it.

Amon remained oblivious to Beatrice's scheme.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have gotten away so smoothly.

The Golden Witch positioned herself at the warp gate to Helmond, gazing into it briefly before shutting her eyes and projecting her aura within, meticulously probing its depths.

Never... in her boldest fantasies or bleakest visions had Beatrice foreseen that vulnerable Earth could flip the script so dramatically.

Humans... those once pliable beings so simple to control—now served merely as pieces in the Shadow Sect's grand design.

Against those horrors... her schemes had crumbled before they could fully unfold.

And atop that, this peculiar sensation...

"A feeling... like death lurks around every corner, hunting me..."

Since the climactic fight, Beatrice had borne this foreboding aura inside her. It was undoubtedly a forewarning.

And forewarnings seldom proved false.

That fear drove her to bolt so firmly... despite the inevitable fury from Amon afterward.

"Lord Wesker... why abandon me in this manner..."

Wesker's demise had etched a dark emptiness in her soul... oblivious to the fact that Wesker lived on, albeit transformed.

Gradually, Beatrice pulled back her aura, concluding her check of the gate.

Satisfied, she moved ahead, crossing the warp gate and forsaking Earth... the realm that had given her so many experiences...

Bursts of excitement.

Flashes of delight.

And spells of terror and shadow.

In the end, Earth had turned into a horror—a killing ground so ruthless that even mighty demons met their doom without mercy.

"This choice is wisest," Beatrice whispered as the gate's scarlet glow engulfed her completely.

She heeded her gut, forsaking all in her wake.

Mere moments later, the transfer concluded, and Beatrice set foot on the far side.

Her form fully materialized from the ruby radiance as she gradually lifted her lids to survey the vista ahead.

And right away... dread hit her.

Beatrice's brow furrowed sharply as she discovered herself in an unfamiliar spot.

None of Helmond's crimson heavens or barren air greeted her.

Rather, she found herself amid a shadowy woodland under a lifeless nocturnal canopy...

with stars strewn overhead, and a moon reduced to broken shards.

At that realization, Beatrice grasped the reality.

She hadn't left Earth.

A wave of icy peril surged through her, and she swiftly attempted to retreat via the gate—

—yet she halted as Mergo appeared at her back, his Uchigatana held to her throat, nicking her flesh and spilling blood.

Following him, Maria exited too, hand gripping her blade, fixing Beatrice with a frigid, lethal glare.