Hell still quaked from the chaos of Hades' fall. Demons scrambled through the shadows, some cowering, some screaming, all realizing their old order had been shattered. Crimson light from Kairo's aura flared higher than ever, chains coiling like serpents around him, Bone Blade humming with lethal energy.
Lucifer's presence above was absolute, unyielding. The very air of the Abyss seemed to tremble under his gaze. "The Human World cannot be reached by any being here without my sanction," he declared. "And your passage comes at a price."
Kairo's crimson eyes met Lucifer's, unwavering. "Name it."
"You must sell your soul," Lucifer said, voice like thunder. "Every ounce of your essence, bound to Heaven's law. Only then will you step beyond Hell."
Even the gods within Kairo's mind — the old ones he had absorbed — stirred, their voices tense and urgent:
"No… Zahrathos! You cannot!"
"Selling your soul… defies cosmic balance!"
"This… this is madness!"
Kairo ignored them, letting the nagging chorus wash over him like a distant wind. His gaze stayed fixed on Lucifer. "Then so be it," he said, aura flaring violently. "I sell it… if it means I walk freely in the Human World."
Chains rattled, Bone Blade vibrating as cosmic energy began to surge. Kairo felt his very essence being rewritten, bound to the decree of Heaven. Pain seared through him, body and soul trembling, yet his will did not waver. He had chosen his path.
Lucifer's eyes glowed like molten fire. "So be it. Your soul is bound. Your freedom… secured. But remember this: even as you walk among mortals, Heaven watches, and your actions echo across realms."
The demons of Hell watched in disbelief, some trembling, others kneeling in awe. The Red-Eyed One — the same being who had shattered Hades, defied death, and conquered the Abyss — had willingly bound his very essence to Heaven for the sake of freedom.
Kairo's crimson aura stabilized, Bone Blade held steady. "I walk my path… and I will not falter."
The old gods within him murmured, begrudging respect in their voices despite their objections:
"Foolish… but remarkable."
"You defy us all… yet your resolve is absolute."
And with that, Kairo — soul bound, power unbroken — prepared to step beyond Hell, leaving chaos in his wake and the Red-Eyed legend etched into the abyss.