Hell burned around them, the chaos of terrified demons echoing in every corner. Kairo stood tall, crimson aura flaring, chains coiled at his back, Bone Blade in hand. The throne of Hades lay shattered, yet the air itself felt heavier now.
From above, Lucifer descended, his presence suffocating, divine authority radiating like a sun that dared pierce the Abyss. He stopped before Kairo, eyes like molten light studying him with unyielding scrutiny.
"You have done well," Lucifer said, voice calm but absolute, "but you misunderstand the nature of power. Hades… could never have granted you passage to the Human World. That domain is mine alone to grant — or deny."
Kairo's crimson eyes narrowed. "So… all this? All the battles, all the victories… it doesn't mean I can leave Hell?"
Lucifer's gaze did not waver. "Correct. Hades was bound to this realm. He could rule, destroy, even die… but he could not bend the laws of worlds beyond his own. Only I can."
The Red-Eyed One clenched his fists, aura flaring violently. "And what… is your offer?"
Lucifer extended a hand, his aura washing over the battlefield like judgment incarnate. "I offer you a deal: I grant you passage to the Human World, the ability to walk among mortals and wield your power there — but in exchange, you swear your loyalty to my terms. You will be free to pursue your path… but under my authority in matters that transcend realms."
Chains rattled around Kairo, Bone Blade humming with lethal energy. He did not lower his gaze, did not falter, but he felt the weight of the proposition.
"And if I refuse?" Kairo asked, voice steady, though his aura flared hotter.
Lucifer's smile was faint, almost imperceptible, but terrifying. "Then your victories here mean nothing. Hell will remain in chaos, and the Human World will remain closed to you. The cost of defiance… is absolute."
Silence fell. The demons around them shrank back, witnessing the confrontation between the Red-Eyed One and the most powerful being alive.
Kairo's crimson eyes burned with determination. A path to the Human World… finally within reach. But at what cost?
Lucifer's hand remained extended, the offer clear, the stakes higher than any battle Kairo had ever faced.