Family heirloom, then turned into a demon girl

Chapter 201 Mission: 05-5 In the Name of the Beast
Nero drew his sword and retreated, activating the power of "Samael" and disappearing from the Wendigo's sight, while thinking about the puzzle again.

Acting on instinct, the Wendigo couldn't even solve the puzzle, and Nero doubted it even had the ability to understand the rules of the game. Yet, its presence on the playing field under these circumstances meant that the "Beast of Six Hundred and Sixty-Six" didn't just need a solver.

So what exactly does it need?

Now that the target had vanished, the Wendigo seemed to regain some of its sanity and turned its head to search for Nero. Nero silently moved to its right and saw the dark mark.

This is indeed a mark representing the participants of the game, and the rule book describes it as "all persons holding the 'Mark of the Beast'".

The mark of the beast?

Nero suddenly thought of this term and realized something.

The "mark of the beast," also known as the "mark of the beast of six hundred and sixty-six," comes from the Book of Revelation. The beast of six hundred and sixty-six that appears in Revelation is the enemy of God. It demands that all living people accept this mark and bow down to the beast's image, and will kill all who resist.

Therefore, in the rules of the game, whether it is "erecting statues, finding breath", or "offering the kingship of the beast to the real beast", there should be metaphors for this part!

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. It exercised all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and it caused the earth and those who lived on it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound had been healed.

Izayoi Sakamaki sat on the city wall, watching the parchment in his hand and the battles in the distance, and spoke slowly.

"Master, have you solved the puzzle?" Leticia, who was standing in front of him and had shot a bird monster with a javelin, turned her head and asked.

"Not yet, but I do feel like I've found a clue." Izayoi held his chin and answered, "The sentence above is the original text of the Book of Revelation. The 'First Beast' and the 'Second Beast' are both demons that have gained some power from Satan, and the one about the statue and the breath is this one—

“—He deceives those who dwell on the earth, saying, ‘Make an image to the beast, who had the wound by the sword and yet lived,’ because of the signs he was given power to do in the presence of the beast. He was given power to give life to the image of the beast, so that it could speak, and to cause all who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

"Among them, [Six Hundred and Sixty-Six Beasts] refers to the 'Second Beast'."

"Wounded by a sword but not dead", "Statue that kills humans", "The identity of the second beast".

The moment he thought of this, Nero almost immediately understood what the "First Beast" meant.

She appeared from nothingness, and her scythe landed almost instantly on the Wendigo's neck. The haunting scythe tore through the Wendigo's throat, knocking it to the ground. Nero then vanished again before it could launch a counterattack.

Nero had seen with his own eyes the demon Nero, who had a sword wound on his chest and moved around in a statue, killing humans. That demon was Mondes, the demon king who was sealed twice by Sparta and Dante.

And if the "First Beast" refers to Mundus, then the statue that should be erected is probably—

A statue that can absorb life and kill humans, and is related to the "secret treasure" and "kingdom of the beast" sealed by the Demon King's six hundred and sixty-six beasts.

Most likely it doesn't actually mean "statue".

Rather, it refers to the "Demon Tree," the source of Mondes's power, the very fruit that allowed him to become the king of the Demon Realm. The reason [Six Hundred and Sixty-Six Beasts] allowed mindless beasts like the Wendigo to join the game was to allow them to serve as nourishment for the growth of the "Demon Tree." The so-called "Kingdom of Beasts" refers to the "Demon Tree Fruit," which grants the power to rule the Demon Realm.

But let’s not discuss for now why the Demonic Tree appeared here and whether there is an environment that can allow it to grow.

What needs to happen to make it appear to complete the game?

Pale blue flames descended from the sky, engulfing the Wendigo as it tried to rise. Nero watched Jack and Aisha, who had secured the kill, turn and walk away, their figures slowly emerging from the flames.

The "Demon World Tree" is the source of the demons and demons in the world of Devil May Cry. There is only one such tree in the entire world. If Sparda really brought something to grow the Demon World Tree when he arrived in the small garden, then in order for it to truly take shape, it must be watered with sufficient blood.

At this point, the answer is clear. This Wendigo before us, along with the many demons, devils, and evil spirits that have come here, are all sacrifices summoned for the birth of the tree.

In order not to violate the laws of the Little Garden, [The Beast of Six Hundred and Sixty-Six] chose the mindless cannibals that existed outside the Little Garden as their targets - it wouldn't be wrong to think so.

The quality of life of these creatures is much higher than that of ordinary humans, and perhaps they can really make the tree grow. But on a darker note, perhaps Nero and the other members of the small garden are also part of the sacrifice; even darker still, perhaps all the humans in this outer gate have been wiped out because of this.

I hope not. Otherwise Nero will be very, very angry.

Not only because this tarnishes the name of Sparta and is an inhumane act, but also because this evil act reminds Nero of the beastly things done by a certain blue demon in the fifth "Devil May Cry" movie.

Nero raised his head and looked at the hurricane that was still raging in the city.

Now there was only one more unsolved mystery for Nero.

What effect does the "Mark of the Beast" engraved on the back of her hand have at this moment?
Will it affect Nero's subsequent plans?

"—and he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads. So that no one could buy or sell except one who had the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom: Let anyone who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; his number is 666."

Izayoi once again recited a passage from the Book of Revelation, analyzing, "Based on this archetype, this mark should represent our obedience to the 'beast' and the immunity from attack from the 'statue' it erects. This is likely a prerequisite for completing the game. Those without this mark who attempt to join the game will be counterattacked."

"Then there's the meaning of 'the beast.' The beast is the ruler of all nations, the antichrist emperor, or perhaps the dictator of a dystopia—"

"Dystopia, you say?!"

Hearing this name, Leticia suddenly raised her voice, turned her head and let out a scream.

The calm expression on her face faded, replaced by astonishment and panic.

　Next chapter will be posted in the afternoon
　　
　
(End of this chapter)