Chapter 127: The Official Stance
Returning to the human world in the blink of an eye left Reze in a state of utter shock.
Based on everything she knew about Hell, once anyone entered that realm, they could never return to the human world unless they forged a contract with the Hell Devil. While the Hell Devil had been the one to send them there, it acted purely on the terms of its contract, devoid of any personal emotion. As long as you could satisfy its conditions—which usually demanded the sacrifice of human lives, often multiple—it would send you back.
But that was contingent on being able to find the Hell Devil or having a prior contract with it; shouting into the void would never summon it.
The other Hybrids were reeling from the narrow escape. When the Hell Devil's hand had snatched them, they thought it was the end; they never expected to be back on Earth an instant later.
"What just happened...?" Shingetsu, having never studied the lore of Hell, was still somewhat dazed.
"We were just sent to Hell by the Hell Devil, but I brought you back," Chiya explained rapidly. Shingetsu nodded, only half-understanding the gravity of it.
Reze and the other Hybrids, however, were well aware of how Hell worked, and Chiya's explanation felt impossible. It completely shattered their understanding of the world! Aside from the cycle of reincarnation where devils are reborn between Earth and Hell upon death, any living human or devil must use the power of the Hell Devil to travel between the two planes.
Not only were there very few humans capable of even contacting the Hell Devil, but the cost was so severe that no one used its power lightly. Yet, the ability Chiya just displayed bypassed this fundamental rule entirely—he could traverse the dimensions at will without a contract!
"Master... just what is your power...?" Reze murmured, her face full of disbelief.
The other Hybrids were equally stunned. Their admiration for their new master deepened instantly; the man was a walking factory of miracles.
"Now isn't the time for that. Let's finish off the Cabinet first," Chiya said flatly.
The sacrifice squads were paralyzed with terror as they saw Chiya and his group return perfectly unscathed. To them, it was a nightmare made manifest.
"This... how is this possible?! They were clearly taken by the Hell Devil!"
"Did the Hell Devil make a mistake? Did our people die for nothing?!"
"Pull yourselves together! If it didn't work, do it again! We must throw them into Hell and make it stick!"
The sacrifice squads forced themselves to snap out of their shock, but Chiya wasn't about to give them a second chance to summon the Hell Devil. He unsheathed the short blade from his waist and began a series of rapid-fire teleports using his spatial vortex.
The sacrifice soldiers could barely track his movements. All they saw were flashes of cold steel dancing before their eyes. In the space of a heartbeat, a dozen soldiers had their throats slit by Chiya's blade.
Simultaneously, Shingetsu, Reze, and the other Hybrids made their move.
In less than three seconds, the sacrifice squads the Cabinet had painstakingly cultivated were completely wiped out.
"This is a disaster! Otonashi Chiya and his group have returned from Hell, and the sacrifice units have been annihilated!"
"How is this possible?! How did they get back? Do they have a contract with the Hell Devil too? But none of them paid a price in lives—and Hybrids aren't even supposed to be able to sign contracts with devils!"
"What do we do now?! Our trump cards are gone, and there's no time to mobilize Public Safety hunters from other regions!"
Watching the events unfold on the giant screen, the Cabinet Ministers were in a frantic state of panic. They were at a total dead end! By the time they thought of fleeing, it was already too late; to be precise, they never had a chance to escape from the very beginning.
In the next second, Otonashi Chiya's body phased directly through the wall, entering the conference room. Although the ministers had already recognized the mysterious figure in the white mask as Chiya through the surveillance, his sudden appearance still terrified them.
Before they could even open their mouths to beg for mercy, Chiya spoke in a freezing tone: "Save your breath. Not a single one of you is getting away today."
After the matter was settled, Chiya originally couldn't be bothered to interfere with the aftermath—such as the official appointment of new ministers. He neither understood politics nor had any interest in meddling with it.
However, someone soon approached him.
"Mr. Otonashi, your actions today have resulted in a total overhaul of the Cabinet. Of course, we do not—and would not dare—blame you in any way."
The man appeared to be a representative of the government sent to negotiate with Chiya. His attitude was extremely respectful, clearly terrified of causing offense. "Regarding the new ministers we plan to promote, if you wish, Mr. Otonashi, you may personally vet every candidate before they are officially appointed."
The government's intent was crystal clear: they wanted to curry favor with Chiya as much as possible. In their eyes, if Chiya dared to wipe out the Cabinet today, he could easily wipe them out tomorrow. Unsure if Chiya might one day wake up in a bad mood, they did everything they could to appease him.
[Ding! Host has activated the achievement 'High Position and Great Power.' Gained 100 Attribute Points!]
Chiya was surprised by the sudden achievement. Indeed, in the eyes of the authorities, his status had become anything but simple.
Standing beside him were Shingetsu and the six Hybrids, including Reze. The sheer pressure the group exerted was immense; the government representative hadn't stopped sweating since he arrived, frequently dabbing his face with a tissue.
"No need. I have no interest in such matters. Just make sure you don't provoke me again; otherwise, I can settle the score a second time whenever I wish," Chiya said in a calm voice.
Despite the mild tone, the words were enough to make the man tremble with fear.
"We certainly do not doubt your capability, Mr. Otonashi. Since you have no interest in the Cabinet elections, we shall speak no more of it." The man continued to bow and scrape with a humble expression.
"Additionally... might we ask about your future plans, Mr. Otonashi? For instance, do you intend to stay here?" the man asked submissively.
If it weren't for the higher-ups insisting he ask, he would never have dared to let the question slip out, fearing Chiya might kill him on the spot. To ask someone if they plan to stay right after they've slaughtered the Cabinet felt incredibly shameless.
The government's motive was easy to guess: Chiya and his subordinates were simply too powerful. They were desperately sucking up to him in hopes that he would stay, which would paradoxically bolster the nation's overall strength.
AN-
I've uploaded a new fanfic on my account.Its called Percy Jackson:The Names of Leo Valdez.Would be really grateful if you can give it a shot.Only 3 chapters but I'll upload more today. 🥲
Enjoyyyyyy!