"In the end… all of you are merely stepping stones."
His voice lost any softness now, and it turned cold and absolute.
"Tools to carve a path toward something far greater."
He turned slightly and looked back at the Devil's Seed, and his expression carried obsession.
"…A new order."
The chamber seemed to grow darker, and the crimson glow intensified.
For a brief moment, Rico's shadow behind him did not match his form. It twisted and expanded, and something far more sinister seemed to move within it.
"And when it's complete…"
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"…even the gods will kneel."
Silence followed, and it felt heavy and suffocating.
Then Rico chuckled, and the sound was low and controlled.
Utterly inhuman.
Far above, in the world of the living, the chaos continued without pause.
...
"Ugh… my ribs…"
"Who the hell punches like that…"
"I think my soul left my body…"
