Chapter 34 Belial
“How did you acquire such confidence to step into this holy ground?” Lord Ezra snarled. “This is not a place for demons to tread.” He stood firm and placed his hand on Levi’s head, standing as her anchor.
Belial smirked when he heard Ezra’s words; they amused him greatly. “You underestimate me, Ezra. I am not a demon,” he said calmly. “I believe you know who I am here for.”
“This girl belongs to Elyon!”
Belial tilted his head, and his smile slowly vanished. “She belongs to me!” he growled, his green eyes glimmering with pure wickedness. “Besides… I do not see the Spirit of Elyon here.”
Lord Ezra remained silent for a moment. He knew the demons would come for Levi, but he had never expected them to be bold enough to try to snatch her away from the altar. Perhaps they had forgotten whose ground they had invaded.
“Come and take her if you can!" He said at last, his eyes glimmering with dangerous intensity.
The people murmured at his words, wondering why he would allow a demon to take away the lady meant to be sacrificed to their mighty God.
“Why would you say such a thing?” the high priest asked angrily. “Is it not better to sacrifice her to Elyon than to let her be taken by this demon?”
Belial glared at the high priest. He hated being called a demon. What amused him most was the group of highly skilled priests who had already circled him, their sharp swords poised to strike at a single command—weapons that were powerless in his presence.
“Ezra!” Lord Caius called, his long white hair blowing in the gentle breeze. "We’re under attack by evil spirits! We must fight immediately!"
Ezra ignored them and gave an order to the priests. “Drop your weapons!” The priests hesitated for a moment, then obeyed without question.
Lord Ezra maintained eye contact with Belial while squatting beside Levi, who was still unconscious and unaware of what was happening. He lifted her head gently and rested it against his shoulder.
“Come and take her,” he said quietly, “if she is truly yours and the Spirit of Elyon is not with us, as you claim.”
Belial smirked, amused that Ezra had actually challenged him. He had expected more fight and resistance from him.
The people cleared a path for him as he approached the altar, walking in his darkness with the full confidence that Ezra had no power to threaten him. But as he walked, he sensed something beyond his comprehension and halted suddenly, his eyes darkening in alarm.
The people watched him keenly, waiting to see what he would do next, but the man didn’t move forward. Instead, he stepped back, smiled widely, and let out a short laugh that quickly faded into a frown.
“Maybe not today!” he snarled, and with that, he vanished into thin air.
At that very moment, Levi groaned and slowly opened her eyes, as if the presence of the evil spirits had kept her unconscious. Lord Ezra’s stoic face came into view, and she blinked, unsure whether she was dreaming or already dead.
“Lord… Lord Ezra?” She gave a faint smile.
Of all the great men in her kingdom and beyond, Lord Ezra was the only one she truly admired. She could never understand how he could be so perfect as to walk beside Elyon. Waking to find her head resting on the shoulder of such a powerful man felt like a final gift from the Almighty before death.
Ezra gazed at her briefly, then turned to address his men. “Go to where the body of the white beast was laid and bring it here.”
A priest stepped forward and bowed. “Forgive me, my Lord, but the beast’s body has begun to ooze a foul odor. It would be unpleasant to bring it before the presence of Elyon.”
"Do as I have commanded."
“Yes, my Lord.”
The priest departed with three others, their swords gripped tightly in their hands. The people waited patiently for their return, and when they finally came back, it became clear that the beast smelled far worse than expected. It had been only two nights since its death, yet it had already begun to decay.
The priests struggled to carry the deer. Its antlers were enormous, and its body was three times the size of a man. However, this was not surprising to the people. They had seen and sacrificed giant deer twice the size of this one. Usually, it was the Lords who could tame such beasts by speaking to them in a language no one else understood.
The deer was placed at a safe distance from the altar. The Lords and the high priest watched Ezra closely, curious about what he intended to do. Yet they believed the Almighty had sent him and revealed His will to him. So they stood silently, arms folded.
Lord Ezra picked up a sword made of pure gold that lay at the edge of the altar, carefully protected in its case. The golden blade glimmered in the flickering torchlight. Many letters were engraved upon it, but no one could read them except the appointed Lords of Elyon. They alone knew the secrets of the universe, for they were prophets, gifted with eyes that could see beyond any realm.
Levi watched Ezra as he performed incantations with two high-ranking priests who assisted him by passing sacred items. Thick incense smoke filled the air, inviting the presence of Elyon’s spirit and carrying their pleas toward heaven. A cup filled with oil was consecrated, and the tip of the sword was dipped into it. The oil was then poured over Levi and gently brushed across her face.
As Ezra touched her while chanting, she felt a gentle current run down her spine. Was this what it felt like to be touched by divine power? She wanted more of it, and in that moment, she realized she did not want to die—not yet, at least.
Lord Ezra climbed down from the altar and poured the same oil over the head of the lifeless beast, the beast that was originally meant to be sacrificed. Everybody looked at him in awe like he had done something unimaginable, but due to the fear and trust they had for him, they believed that what ever he was doing was surly led by the spirit of Elyon.
When he was done with his ritual and finally climbed back up, Levi began to tremble. She knew her final hour had come, but she was terrified—terrified of dying. As she looked into the crowd, she caught sight of Elric standing at the edge, his face filled with sorrow and fear for her. Perhaps she should have just gone along with his plans to help her escape, but she could not; she would rather die than disobey the will of Elyon and become the cause of a great disaster.
She could only beg forgiveness from Elyon for killing His precious beast. And Evie… she wished she could apologize to her too for being such a terrible roommate.
How late it all was.