Crowley kept his word.
Using his authority over the surrounding regions, he showed Ethan the locations of Valak's and Baphomet's true territories—vast infernal domains that had stood for centuries.
Ethan chose Valak first.
The battle barely deserved the name.
Blood-red storms consumed the sky while mountains split beneath waves of crimson energy. Ancient fortresses crumbled one after another, their defenses lasting only moments against the expanding Blood Realm. Demons fled in every direction, but there was nowhere to escape.
When the destruction finally ended, nothing remained.
Cities, fortresses, and even the landscape itself had vanished beneath the tide of crimson power.
Baphomet's territory fared no better.
Legions charged. Infernal spells blackened the sky. Monstrous beasts hurled themselves into the fight.
The outcome never changed.
The gap in strength was simply too large.
By the end, the region looked as though reality itself had been torn apart.
Neither leader had been present.
Their consciousness remained attached to incarnations in the mortal world, leaving only their true infernal bodies behind.
Crimson fractures spread through space as Ethan opened the Blood Realm.
The unconscious bodies disappeared inside.
Nothing useful would be wasted.
Crowley watched in silence.
Valak and Baphomet had spent centuries competing with him. They had survived wars, betrayals, and endless power struggles.
Now both were gone.
Their territories destroyed.
Their influence erased in a single day.
The giant eye drifted across the ruined wasteland before settling on Ethan.
For perhaps the first time in ages, Crowley found himself unable to categorize what he was seeing.
Everything in existence had limits. Growth slowed. Power stabilized. That was the only reason Hell's hierarchy endured.
Ethan ignored that rule entirely.
He wasn't a demon, an angel, or anything Crowley recognized.
Just a walking contradiction that somehow kept becoming stronger.
Eventually Crowley looked away.
One decision had already been made.
The moment Ethan left, every gate, portal, ritual pathway, and dimensional entrance connected to Crowley's territory would be sealed.
A single visit had wiped out two Dukes and devastated entire regions of Hell.
A second visit was unnecessary.
Meanwhile, Ethan was smiling.
Every demon consumed, every territory absorbed, and every infernal body dragged into the Blood Realm had increased his total points.
He checked the result.
One million Blood Points.
Ethan looked across the wasteland with complete satisfaction.
The scenery was terrible.
The residents were worse.
But the farming potential was incredible.
If the rewards stayed this good, another trip might be worth considering.
Crowley immediately disliked that smile.
After everything he had witnessed today, he recognized the expression for what it was.
Ethan wasn't thinking about what he had gained.
He was calculating how much more he could get.
***
After some time, Crowley brought Ethan and the others to one of the dimensional gates connecting Hell to Earth.
The structure stood alone in the wasteland.
Ancient black pillars surrounded a massive rift suspended in the air, countless infernal symbols carved across its surface. Dark energy flowed through the pillars continuously, keeping the gate sealed.
Very few beings possessed the authority required to open it.
Crowley moved forward and released a pulse of infernal power.
Immediately, the symbols across the pillars began lighting up.
The gate trembled.
Space itself distorted as layers of seals unraveled one after another. Slowly, the rift widened until a glimpse of the mortal world became visible beyond it.
Unlike summoning rituals or possessions, this was a true passage between realms.
Which was why it was heavily restricted.
The gate naturally rejected demonic beings. Lesser demons attempting to cross physically would be torn apart by the dimensional pressure. Even powerful demons avoided using these pathways whenever possible.
That was one of the reasons most infernal entities preferred sending vessels into the mortal world instead of their true bodies.
The portal finally stabilized.
Crowley stared at it for a few moments before glancing toward Ethan.
The Duke felt an unfamiliar sense of relief.
For the first time since Ethan arrived in Hell, the situation was finally returning to normal.
Ethan looked at the portal, then at Crowley.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"You know," he said, "I'm going to miss you."
Crowley's eye twitched slightly.
Missing him was not a sentiment Crowley shared.
"I doubt that," the Duke replied dryly.
Ethan laughed at the response.
Crowley, however, wasn't finished.
"If I sense even a fraction of your presence near one of my gates, I'm sealing it."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"What if somebody summons me?"
"I'll seal it."
"What if I accidentally fall through a portal?"
"I'll seal it."
Ethan thought for a moment.
"What if—"
"I'll seal it."
Crowley's answer arrived before the question had even finished.
Ethan opened his mouth again.
Then closed it.
It seemed his future plans involving Hell were rapidly falling apart.
***
A/N: And on Patreon, The Boys arc started.
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