Chapter 110 The Price of the Ancient Blade
Hades lifted his head the moment Lucifer’s shadow stretched across the throne room like a living omen. It slid over the black stone cold, creeping, deliberate until it touched the river of the dead at his feet. The souls drifting beneath the surface shivered, their whispers knotting together and then falling silent one by one, as if even death remembered who Lucifer was.
The god of the Underworld straightened, water cascading from his hands in slow, heavy drops that stained the floor like ink. “I never expected to see you again,” he said, his voice old enough to bend the walls inward. His gaze narrowed, sharp as a dagger carved from bone. “What brings the King of Hell into my kingdom today? You only ever come when the scent of war clings to you.”
He stepped fully out of the stream, and the spirits recoiled as if afraid to brush against him. “My realm grows hungry for souls,” Hades added, the corners of his lips twitching into something dark. “Thirsty.”
Lucifer didn’t answer at first. He stood with the stillness of a carved statue, wings folded behind him like a storm pinned in place. Shadows clung to him as if drawn by gravity. The room felt tighter now air pressed thin, temperature dropping until breath curled in faint mist. Even the torches along the walls flickered nervously.
When he finally spoke, it was with a calm that carried the weight of a commandment.
“Soon,” Lucifer murmured quiet, but the ground trembled. “Very soon, your hunger will be satisfied.”
His eyes, cold and immortal, locked on Hades. “But that is not why I am here. I need a sword forged.”
Hades cocked a brow, the curiosity in his expression shifting into something sharper. “A sword? What kind of blade drags the mighty King of Hell to my doorstep? One you cannot make yourself?”
Lucifer’s stare didn’t waver. “A blade sharp enough to kill a very specific being.”
Hades tilted his head, amusement fading into caution. “And what being would that be?”
“A demigod,” Lucifer said. “Half blood of an angel.”
The river responded before Hades did.
Its glow dimmed, then recoiled, as if light itself feared the idea. Faces beneath the water twisted away, sinking deeper into the current. The torches guttered out, plunging the chamber into a darkness that pulsed like a heartbeat.
Hades’ smirk froze mid-curve.
His pupils thinned, reading Lucifer’s stillness more carefully now.
Something ancient older than the Underworld rippled across his face.
Respect.
And fear.
Not of the blade.
But of the name the blade hinted at.
His smile faded completely, stripped away by the weight of what Lucifer had just asked for.
Almost respect…
and almost terror.
“The ancient blade,” Hades breathed, the words slipping from him like a secret dragged out of a tomb. His voice dropped lower, hollowing the room with its weight. “Forged from the cries of the dead… and the blood of the child’s mother.”
His gaze sharpened, slicing across Lucifer’s expression as if searching for the smallest crack, the smallest flicker, anything that would reveal the truth Lucifer kept locked behind that calm façade. The torches trembled, thinning into weak slivers of flame.
“That sword is not made lightly,” Hades murmured. “Tell me… who is it meant for?”
Lucifer’s jaw clenched, the muscle ticking once beneath his skin. “That is not your concern,” he said, voice steady but edged with warning. “Make the sword.”
A low, dangerous laugh rolled from Hades’ chest, echoing off stone like something that had crawled up from the riverbed. “You know my rules, Morningstar. Nothing leaves my forge without a price.” His smile stretched, cruel and knowing. “Allow me to claim the spirit of the one you intend to strike down.”
Lucifer didn’t move, but the air around him dropped sharply cold enough that frost began creeping across the black stone beneath their feet. Even the spirits hidden beneath the river stirred uneasily, their whispers shifting in a nervous hiss.
He knew Hades too well.
And Hades knew exactly what soul he was reaching for Michael’s son. A spirit neither death nor darkness could touch. A soul protected by lineage, by prophecy, by blood older than any realm. One that would send Michael into madness if stolen.
Michael would tear the earth open.
Break the skies.
Drown the heavens in his grief.
And a quiet part of Lucifer wanted to watch it happen.
“No,” Lucifer said at last, the word cutting through the chamber like a blade drawn from a sheath. “You will not claim his soul. Ask me a question instead. If I answer it, you forge the blade.”
But Hades only tilted his head, amusement curling at the edges of his mouth. His grin widened slow, sharp, wicked as if he saw something Lucifer couldn’t yet feel.
“I don’t need to question you, Lucifer.”
He stepped back, spreading his arms as though embracing an unseen storm. The river churned violently, spirits thrashing beneath the surface. Far away too far for mortal ears something began to wail.
“The air is already thick with coming death,” Hades whispered, almost reverently. “I feel it rising from the mortal realm… breaking through the cracks of the earth.”
He inhaled deeply, as if savoring the scent of a world about to fall apart.
“My silent palace will soon be overflowing. The crying of the dead will fill every corner before your blade is even finished.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
My lovely readers,
Thank you so much for reading this chapter! This scene was such a thrilling one to write two powerful immortals standing face-to-face, both hiding their true intentions while the entire Underworld seems to hold its breath. I really enjoyed bringing out the tension, the darkness, and the quiet danger between Lucifer and Hades.
Let me know what you think about their interaction! Do you feel like Lucifer is going too far, or do you understand why he wants that blade made? And what are your thoughts about Hades sensing all the deaths already creeping toward his realm? I’m really curious to see your theories.
Don’t forget to drop your comments, like the chapter, and share your favorite moment with me. Your support means the world and keeps me excited to write the next part.