Chapter 520: Milena's Resolve

The glow of the magic circle in the Umbral Depths finally faded.

The once-fresh blood and flesh had already begun to rot, the mixture slowly darkening into a deep, dull red.

The summoning had failed. Sariel had never responded at all.

Black Rose tried once more, but the outcome was the same each time. Sariel wasn't giving them any opening whatsoever, not even a flicker of her presence.

After two failed attempts in a row, Black Rose didn't dare place Milena at the center of the summoning circle. She was terrified Sariel might suddenly manifest and devour her own daughter as an offering.

At that moment, both Aige and Black Rose felt keenly just how much more capable Ambrose had been.

That lich had a genuine gift when it came to dealing with the gods. No one else was as utterly unimpressed as he was with divinity.

And it was precisely that irreverence that had let Ambrose exploit these gods' weaknesses more easily than anyone else ever could.

Black Rose frowned, unable to help herself. "What now? Sariel won't even give us a chance to talk."

Aige had no better answer. "Maybe we should ask the President for help again."

Even as she said it, though, Aige suspected the idea wasn't especially promising.

The President had always been secretive and cautious, and rarely intervened personally. They'd already discussed this exact issue at the last gathering. If the President had wanted to help, he would already have acted.

At that moment, Milena stepped forward. "Mother, let me go! I can travel to Hell myself and bring Father back!"

"I refuse to use you as bait!" Black Rose snapped.

Sariel wasn't so easily fooled. The two of them were petitioning her for a favor. She had the upper hand. Sariel would never pass up the chance to seize Milena as a sacrifice. She'd drag Milena down to Hell at the first opportunity she had.

But Milena shook her head. "I'm not talking about summoning Sariel, Mother. This is the sword Father left me. I can use it to enter Hell myself."

Milena raised the longsword in her hand, and infernal flame burst to life along its blade.

This was the "proof of contract" Sariel had left behind back when she and Ambrose had first struck their deal, a hellforged blade steeped in Sariel's own essence, practically an artifact in its own right. Even a spellcaster like Ambrose possessed tremendous power simply by wielding it.

But Ambrose had known that, even if he were a hundred times stronger, he would still perish. He'd chosen to give the sword to Milena instead.

Milena had grown to love the blade dearly. She possessed such raw strength that there was hardly a weapon in the entirety of the Umbral Depths worthy of her. However fine the magical equipment Black Rose provided, none of it could compare to a weapon blessed by a god.

Not only was the flaming blade tremendously powerful, it could enhance every aspect of its wielder's abilities across the board. It could even tear open a small gate to Hell and summon thirty cambions to serve as subordinates.

Cambions were half-devil, half-human hybrids with formidable combat prowess, the elite of devilkind. They were Hell's equivalent of high-ranking paladins.

Milena had never imagined that, one day, she'd need this sword to enter Hell herself.

"Mother, all I need to do is open a Hellgate. Then, I can go in, and—"

Before Milena could finish, Black Rose cut her off. "No. You absolutely cannot do this!"

Milena asked, puzzled, "Why not?"

Black Rose shot back, "You're asking me why not?! You'd go into Hell and get talked out of your own head before you even noticed!"

A gray dwarf had once tricked Milena into digging for ore with just a few words. And now she wanted to walk into Hell itself, into the very plane where devils lived? Black Rose was fairly certain Milena wouldn't last an hour before someone tricked her into slavery.

Never mind finding her father—the real question was how far she'd even make it into Hell before something went wrong.

But Milena remained resolute. "But what other option is there? I can't let Father stay in Sariel's hands. Sariel already invited me to join her before, anyway. I'd rather trade myself for him!"

Black Rose stroked her daughter's hair. Her devotion was touching, but Milena had no idea just how vastly the two of them differed in value.

To Sariel, Milena was, at best, a fine plaything. But to any Archduke of Hell, Ambrose was the single most precious, irreplaceable treasure imaginable—a chance to shake the very authority of the Lord of the Nine Hells himself.

The thought that Milena could trade herself for him was a mere fantasy. Sariel wouldn't even consider it for a second.

Aige, however, didn't see it that way. "I think it's worth trying. Milena might not be able to make Sariel let go of Ambrose, but she could at least get a message through to him. As for what you're worried about..." Aige turned to Milena. "Milena, if you're only delivering a message, don't trust anyone until you actually reach Sariel. If anyone tries to stop you, cut your way through. There really aren't many threats in the first layer of Hell that could actually endanger you..."

"Aige!" Black Rose interrupted. "What are you saying? How could you send her into danger like that?"

Aige stayed calm. "Rose, when you first created Milena, it was to have a powerful warrior at your side. The blessing she carries is unbelievably strong, but you've kept her sheltered this whole time, and never let her demonstrate her full strength. Trust me. On this particular matter, my judgment is keener than yours."

The moment Milena saw Aige backing her, she brightened with excitement.

"Mother, I can do this! I really can. I promise I won't be fooled. I'll cut my way straight through, all the way to Sariel!"

Black Rose still refused. "No. It's far too dangerous."

"But every day we wait is another day Father suffers in Hell. Mother, even if something does go wrong when I go in, the worst that can happen is for me to get caught and dragged before Sariel. I might end up as one of her subordinates. But if that's the worst-case scenario, why not at least try?!"

Black Rose wavered. The thought of Ambrose being tormented by the lords of Hell, even now, was more than she could bear.

But could she really let Milena go into Hell?

Seizing the opening, Aige pressed on. "Rose, I know this is a hard decision. How about this? We'll send Milena to Gareth first. If Gareth thinks her strength is up to it, we can let her go into Hell. If not, we'll find another way."

"Gareth?"

Black Rose hesitated a moment, then finally nodded.

Setting aside the Elegiac Society's two enigmatic leaders, the President and Poet, Gareth was, without question, its strongest member. And like Milena, his strength came not from cleverness, but from sheer, overwhelming power.

If Gareth judged Milena capable, then perhaps it really was worth letting her take a chance in Hell. And if things went wrong, they could always stay in touch through the magic mirror. An alchemical device that allowed communication across planes, it would work even from within Hell itself.

Black Rose finally nodded. "Fine. I'll let Gareth take this seriously."

Milena let out an excited shout. "Wonderful! I'll definitely bring Father back from Hell!"

Black Rose: "..."

Could she really trust this daughter of hers?

Milena, for her part, wasn't remotely worried. All she had to do was earn the Dullahan's approval, didn't she? She'd barely ever used her full strength since the day she was born. If she got even a little serious, then even if she couldn't beat him outright, her anti-magic barrier alone would keep her undefeated!

But that confidence didn't last long.

Milena followed Black Rose through the teleportation array to the Dragon Graveyard, where they found Gareth and Alabastra lazing on the beach, soaking up the moonlight.

Once Black Rose explained why they'd come, Gareth snatched up his greatsword and said to Milena, "Then you'd better be ready. I'm not going easy on you."

Milena confidently drew her longsword, its infernal flame coiling around the blade as a surge of tremendous power flooded through her, enhancing every part of her being at once.

Gareth grinned, delighted. "Not bad, not bad. This might actually be interesting."

His greatsword left its sheath, wreathed in violet flame. With the plainest swing imaginable, Gareth brought it down on Milena.

There was a deafening clang as his blade met her flaming sword. Milena went flying, driven deep into the barren hills of Dragon Graveyard Isle.

Half-conscious, Milena heard Alabastra's furious roar in the distance. "Going full force on a child? Are you an idiot?! If anything happens to Milena, I'll beat you to death!"

Gareth protested, thoroughly wronged, "I really didn't! That was a third of my strength, tops!"

Milena spat out a mouthful of black blood, then passed out completely.

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