Tl note: Hey everyone!
I've started translating a new story: Resident Evil: A New Hope. The first chapters will be up soon, hope you'll enjoy it!
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"Gather all the family members who have spoken with the deceased, and dig up the remains of the dead as well."
Sephirot looked at Papa Midnite, his tone flat. "Then you and Constantine will pray for these bodies, burn them, and cleanse their lingering resentment."
"Relictum spiritum expurgationis (Lingering Soul Dispelling Spell)."
Constantine took a drag of his cigarette and added.
Papa Midnite stood up and brushed the dust off his red robe.
Though he was reluctant, he understood his situation perfectly well; there was no way out but to comply.
With a cold expression, he beckoned his subordinates and whispered the orders.
After some maneuvering, it didn't take long for several bewildered family members to be brought to the scene, along with the remains of those who had long been buried.
The corpses were piled in the open space before the high platform, drenched in flammable oil.
Sephirot took two steps back and gave a slight nod.
This was how it was handled in the original story; it shouldn't go wrong.
"Constantine, it's up to you."
Constantine spat out the cigarette butt from his mouth.
In just that short wait, a pile of cigarette butts had already accumulated at his feet.
He stepped forward, standing opposite Papa Midnite on either side of the pile of corpses.
Their expressions turned solemn as they began to chant the tongue-twisting Lay-to-Rest Incantation in low voices.
As the chanting grew more rapid, Papa Midnite suddenly let out a loud cry.
"Lost souls, return to where you belong!"
Boom!
The piled corpses spontaneously combusted without a spark. Orange flames soared into the sky, and before long, they turned into a pile of ash that scattered with the wind.
—--
At the same moment.
On a highway in the outskirts of Los Santos.
A little boy standing alone by the roadside, waving his hand for a ride, seemed to sense something.
He lifted his head, his originally blank face breaking into a relieved smile. His form transformed into specks of starlight, dissolving into the wind.
—--
In an alleyway within the city.
A Female Model holding a pair of scissors, preparing to find a passerby to question, suddenly froze.
She dropped the scissors, covered her face in agony, and faded into nothingness.
[Ding!]
[Side Quest: Truth of the Urban Legend]
[Completed]
[Quest Reward: 500 Points]
Hearing the notification in his mind, Sephirot felt a stir of emotion.
Including this reward, his point balance had reached 4,700.
He had finally completed half of the goal required to exchange for the Alastor Devil Arm.
However, the progress was still a bit too slow.
He figured he should think of other ways to increase his channels for obtaining points.
Or... obtain a Devil Arm directly?
Sephirot's thoughts suddenly branched out.
Since Constantine mentioned that many demons had ignored the pact and escaped into the human world... Did that mean he could proactively filter and accept relevant mission requests?
Could he try beating those demons into submission, forcing them to surrender and transform into his own personal Devil Arms?
Sephirot's eyes brightened slightly as he kept this idea as a backup plan.
The next time he took on a commission, he could certainly give it a try.
Even if the Devil Arms those demons eventually turned into weren't suitable for him, he could still rent them out to Enzo the black market dealer, turning them into a steady stream of continuous income.
—--
Coming back to his senses, Sephirot looked up and saw that Papa Midnite had, at some point, produced a human skull covered in carved runes.
He pressed the skull tightly against his own forehead, his eyes closed tight as he chanted under his breath.
This was Papa Midnite's most trusted ritual tool, crafted from the skull of his own sister, whom he had decapitated with his own hands.
Through this skull, he could use his sister's soul as his eyes and ears in Hell, eavesdropping on secrets hidden beneath the abyss.
"Sister, what exactly is happening in Hell? Why did my ritual go so horribly wrong?"
Papa Midnite asked softly, his eyes still shut.
A few minutes later, he slowly lowered the skull and looked toward Sephirot and the others, his voice laced with a hint of suspicious dread and terror:
"Darkness Approaches..."
"Mammon, Son of Satan... is about to descend."
Upon hearing these words, Constantine's pupils constricted violently as he looked at Sephirot in total shock.
Because just a short while ago, Sephirot had uttered those exact words: Darkness Approaches.
At the time, Constantine had been completely bewildered, not understanding the meaning behind those words.
But he never imagined that this guy had already known a piece of intelligence capable of overturning the world!
Just how many secrets was he still hiding?!
Papa Midnite took a deep breath and continued, "In order to descend into the human world, Mammon has dispatched a vast number of demons as a vanguard to smuggle themselves across."
"He seems to be wary of something, which is why he has stayed behind the scenes, using this vanguard to constantly test the waters."
"But now, the testing is over. He is prepared to take the field himself."
"Then how was the barrier between the human world and Hell breached?"
Constantine pressed urgently.
This was currently his greatest concern.
This barrier was co-constructed by Heaven's Council and generations of the world's top exorcists.
Never mind Mammon – even if the Lord of Hell, Satan himself, personally attempted to break it by force, it would take hundreds or even thousands of years.
"..."
Papa Midnite glanced at Constantine and shook his head. "I don't know."
Meanwhile, Sephirot stroked his chin, a look of sudden realization crossing his face.
How could he have forgotten this crucial part of the plot?
Mammon, dissatisfied with his father's method of ruling Hell, had been secretly plotting his descent into the human world in a reckless attempt to establish a kingdom here under his absolute dominion.
If things followed this path, then all the previous clues were finally linked together.
The fundamental reason Papa Midnite's spirit channeling had suddenly spiraled out of control was that the barrier between the human world and Hell had been damaged, causing certain laws of magic to shift.
Since Mammon was already prepared to make his move, did that mean the most essential key item for the descent ritual – the Spear of Destiny – had already been unearthed?
Legend says that after Jesus was nailed to the cross, a Roman soldier pierced his body with a spear to confirm his death; such was the origin of the Spear of Destiny.
A saying had long circulated in Western mythology: whoever possesses this spear shall control the destiny of the world.
However, most of these claims were mere exaggerations used by rulers to demonstrate the legitimacy of their reign.
Much like the Heirloom Seal of the Realm in his previous life.
But in this world where Gods and demons truly existed, this legendary artifact undoubtedly contained terrifying power.
In that case, it was worth planning this out carefully.
Regardless of whether the item was useful to him or not, seizing it first was definitely the right move.
—--
Just then, a notification popped up on the system panel once more.
[Ding!]
[Triggered Main Quest: Darkness Approaches]
[Quest Description: Forces lurking in the shadows are paving the way for the descent of the abyss.]
[Quest Objective: Completely eliminate the mysterious organization behind the scenes.]
[Quest Reward: To be calculated based on final quest completion and exploration degree.]
[Ding!]
[Triggered Darkness Approaches Point Quest: Ambition of the Demon Prince]
[Quest Description: As a harbinger of the approaching darkness, Mammon audaciously seeks to cross the boundary and turn the human world into his personal hunting ground.]
[Quest Objective: Stop Mammon's descent ritual.]
[Quest Reward: 10,000 Points, bloodline awakening degree: 5%, Mammon's Original Sin Demon Soul x1]
Sephirot frowned as he looked at the flood of information popping up in his mind.
Mammon's descent was merely a harbinger of Darkness Approaches?
He looked again at the objective for Darkness Approaches: Completely eliminate the mysterious organization behind the scenes.
It seemed that, just as Constantine said, there really were traitors in the human world plotting in the shadows.
This couldn't help but remind him of the miniature device he had found on the heart of the Ancient Ogre.
Could that thing be related to the organization behind the scenes, or were they the organization itself?
After all, the only purpose of planting monitoring equipment inside an ancient demon with immortal traits was to collect data for research.
It had been several days since he destroyed the device, yet the other party had made no move.
This indicated that their reference samples included far more than just the Ogre.
Perhaps even other demons had these devices inside them?
Even if this mysterious organization wasn't the one who broke the barrier between the human world and Hell, they were definitely inextricably linked to it.
Perhaps the methods those demons from Hell used to evade Heaven's Council's detection were also their handiwork.
If that were the case, this group's ambition was truly massive.
—--
Sephirot refocused his consciousness on the system panel.
He looked at the mission objective to stop Mammon's descent ritual.
A bold and frantic idea suddenly sprouted in his mind.
Why stop it?
Not only did he not want to stop it, but he also intended to secretly give Mammon a hand at the critical moment so that this Son of Hell could successfully complete the ritual.
He would wait until the very moment it was born – the moment it was at its weakest – and then strike to kill it once and for all!
This was the son of Satan, after all. If he could slaughter it, perhaps he could trigger additional kill rewards from the system.
As for whether this would provoke Satan afterward or invite a frantic retaliation?
Sephirot chuckled inwardly. If Satan had a problem, he could take it up with his uncle, Dante.
Satan's authority leaned more toward the torture of souls and the governance of Hell.
When it came to raw combat power, Dante was a ruthless man who had single-handedly torn through the Demon World and personally executed numerous demon emperors and ancient demons.
If Satan truly dared to come looking for trouble, Dante would likely be more than happy to acquire a new Devil Arm.
According to the original plot's progression, for Mammon to successfully descend into the human world, three extremely strict conditions had to be met:
First, it required a medium with powerful spirit channeling abilities to serve as a physical vessel for its soul.
Second, it needed the Spear of Destiny, stained with the blood of Gods, to grant it new life in the mortal realm.
Third, and most importantly, it required an angel possessing immense Angelic Power to act as a guide. That angel would have to wield the Spear of Destiny to help it deceive and bypass the power of the treaty signed between Heaven and Hell.
Although the barrier between the two realms was now riddled with holes, it wasn't something Mammon could just slip through at will.
Without an angel's protection, it would be detected the moment it showed its face.
In the original story, the one with the strength to accomplish all of this was the Archangel who harbored deep prejudice against humanity and sought to test human faith through destruction – Gabriel.
However, Sephirot didn't need to worry about any of these tedious preparations.
Originally, the descent ritual had proceeded very smoothly. Gabriel would arrange everything to welcome Mammon.
If Constantine hadn't slit his wrists to commit suicide at the last second, forcibly drawing Satan out, Mammon's plan would never have been exposed.
Therefore, he only needed to watch and wait for changes, then control Constantine at the most critical moment.
Sephirot felt a faint surge of excitement. He glanced at Constantine, who was currently chain-smoking.
Though he didn't know exactly how far along Mammon's ritual preparations were, Constantine's relaxed demeanor suggested the plot hadn't fully kicked off yet.
Before that happened, he still had some time to develop and raise his base combat power.
At the very worst...
Sephirot swept his gaze over the Yamato resting in the system space. This top-tier Devil Arm would provide him with his ultimate insurance.
—--
Lost in thought, Constantine suddenly felt a chill run up his spine.
He turned his head and met Sephirot's burning gaze, causing him to instinctively tense up.
"What's with that disgusting look? I'm not interested in men."
Constantine complained with a look of high alert.
"I have already completed what you asked of me, and I have even provided this valuable intelligence."
Papa Midnite said coldly, "Now, can you two leave my territory?"
Sephirot snapped out of his thoughts, his gaze falling on Papa Midnite as a flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes.
Papa Midnite was a master proficient in all kinds of bizarre sorcery and Black magic.
Offending such a figure meant needing to stay on guard against his underhanded schemes at all times.
Even if Sephirot himself had nothing to worry about, he had the human Patty and Lady by his side; he had to be cautious.
Leaving him alive was a massive hidden danger.
The next moment, his figure suddenly lunged forward.
To the onlookers, it was nothing but a blur before Sephirot appeared directly in front of Papa Midnite.
He seized the man's throat with one hand, lifting the tall Black Wizard off the ground.
Snap.
A crisp sound rang out.
Papa Midnite's head slumped to the side, the expression he had while speaking still frozen on his face.
"Ah!!"
The sudden turn of events caused the surrounding attendants to scream in terror.
Sephirot looked at the body in his hand, feeling that this wasn't quite secure enough.
He slammed the corpse onto the ground, then, like popping a balloon, he stomped down heavily with a surge of violent demonic power.
Bang!
Constantine, standing to the side, finally reacted: "Have you gone mad?!"
While he and Papa Midnite weren't exactly friends and had their share of friction, he never imagined that Sephirot – who was peacefully discussing a collaboration just a second ago – would resort to lethal force the next.
Sephirot wiped the blood from the sole of his shoe, his tone flat. "When dealing with a wizard proficient in curses, once you've offended them, it's better to just kill them and be done with it. It eliminates any future trouble."
"I don't fancy finding myself the target of a voodoo doll one day."
Lady, who had been watching the scene unfold, raised an eyebrow in approval. "Nicely done. I was planning to make a move myself, but I didn't expect you to be faster than me."
However, in the next second, a bizarre sight occurred.
The corpse on the ground, its head crushed to a pulp, was suddenly enveloped in a cluster of green light.
Immediately after, the flesh and debris began to reorganize rapidly, as if time were flowing backward.
In just a few breaths, Papa Midnite's head had restored itself completely, unscathed.
He scrambled up from the ground, gasping for air, staring fixedly at Sephirot with eyes full of horror and suppressed rage.
"I am a pure businessman! Provided there is no conflict of interest, gaining revenge against you would bring me no benefit whatsoever!"
Sephirot looked at the man's unharmed state and merely curled his lip in slight disappointment.
Don't be fooled by Papa Midnite's appearance as a man in his thirties.
His true age likely rivaled the founding of America.
He carried an ancient curse: unless the white man no longer ruled this continent, he was an immortal being.
So, Sephirot had acted with a "might as well try" mindset.
If he could have killed him to end the threat once and for all, that would have been best; if not, he could use violence to assert dominance, forcing the man to carefully weigh the consequences before ever considering retaliation.
"It had better be as you say, Mr. Businessman," Sephirot said with a faint smile, acting as if nothing had happened at all.
(Translated by yourtl.app)
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Some references in this chapter come from source universes that may be unfamiliar to some readers.
The notes below are here to help readers unfamiliar with these universes follow along more easily.
TL NOTES - CROSSOVER GUIDE
Characters
Gabriel (Archangel) - In the Constantine film (2005) and DC/Vertigo Hellblazer comics, an archangel who appears as an antagonist harboring deep prejudice against humanity. In the film, he is half-angel and half-human, serving as one of the two main antagonists alongside Mammon. In the Hellblazer comics, Constantine secures Gabriel's heart and cuts off his wings to force him into servitude; Gabriel is later murdered by Satan (the First of the Fallen) in Hellblazer issue 79, condemned to "damnation and agony eternal." Already a known figure in the DC/Vertigo universe.
Mammon - In Christian mythology and DC/Vertigo lore, one of the Seven Princes of Hell, representing greed (avarice). In Constantine (2005 film and Vertigo comics), the wayward son of Lucifer, conceived before his father's fall from Heaven but born after Satan was cast into Hell. As a High Prince of Hell, he plots to descend to Earth and establish his own kingdom, turning the human world into his personal hunting ground. He works with the renegade angel Gabriel to bypass the treaty between Heaven and Hell. Whether Mammon's descent follows the canonical Constantine plot in this story remains to be seen.
Artifacts
Spear of Destiny - The lance that pierced Christ's side on the cross. In DC/Vertigo lore and the Constantine universe, a divine artifact capable of invoking or banishing celestial and infernal entities. Legend holds that a Roman soldier pierced Jesus's side with this spear to confirm his death. The Spear subsequently passed through the hands of many historical and military leaders (Constantine I, Charlemagne, Frederick of Barbarossa, Adolf Hitler), with its possessor said to be invincible. In Constantine's universe, the spearhead was found by a man named Manuel scavenging in a ruined church, wrapped in a Nazi flag; upon touching it, he became possessed, demonstrating its power to channel supernatural entities. Whether the Spear of Destiny actually exists in this story's world remains unclear.