The Dark Pact
1
My brother and I were reborn on the very day we were to be handed over to the Demon Realm as consorts. Our wives, the Water Goddess and the Fire Goddess, came to our rescue, just as they had in our previous life.
But this time, we made a different choice. We rejected their salvation and willingly offered ourselves to the demons.
In our past life, after they saved us, the demons took the Water Goddess's young apprentice as a substitute. He suffered a gruesome death, skinned alive and stripped of his bones. Blaming us for his fate, our wives spread rumors that we were the Twins of Destruction, turning the entire celestial realm against us until our very souls were obliterated.
When we opened our eyes again, back in that moment of capture, my brother and I exchanged a single look. We understood.
"We willingly offer ourselves as consorts to the Demon Empress and the Beast Queen," we announced to the stunned crowd. "Take us."
Our wives, relieved to have saved their precious apprentice, returned to the Heavens without a scratch on him.
Later, they would come to regret their choice with a madness that consumed them.
...
Just like before, my brother and I were bound by immortal-binding ropes, unable to move.
The demon general laughed raucously, shouting at the assembled immortals, "You lot better know what's good for you and scurry back to your Nine Heavens! I only came for these two today. Anyone who wants to die, step right up!"
I looked at the crowd. They were bloodied, some with damaged souls, none daring to make a move. The Nine Heavens hadn't seen a new God of War in ages, leading to this pathetic stalemate.
Just then, my wife, Azure, the Water Goddess, and my sister-in-law, Ignis, the Fire Goddess, arrived.
Seeing them, my fists clenched involuntarily. My brother, Noctis, shot them a glare filled with pure venom.
The other immortals, however, looked at them like saviors.
An elder stepped forward. "You demons insist on taking these brothers. Do you want to plunge the Six Realms into chaos? The Nine Heavens will never agree to this!"
"Exactly! The Water and Fire Goddesses are here. You'd better release them!"
"They are husbands to powerful goddesses! If you want to take them, you'll have to ask if their wives agree!"
Their voices were loud, full of bravado now that reinforcements had arrived. Azure and Ignis exchanged a confident smile, showing no fear of the demons.
"You heard them," Azure said coolly. "Release my husband!"
Before the general could reply, a subordinate rushed over, dragging a young man. "General! This one was sneaking around our camp. Probably a spy!"
He yanked the man's hair, forcing his head up. River, Azure's apprentice, looked at them with tear-filled eyes. "Master... Mistress Ignis... save me."
The calm demeanor of the two goddesses vanished instantly, replaced by visible panic.
"River! What are you doing here?!"
The demon general wasn't stupid. He laughed and grabbed River by the throat, pulling him against his chest.
"Bastard! Let him go!"
"Don't touch River!"
They rushed forward like madwomen, but the general only had to tighten his grip slightly for them to freeze in their tracks.
"Hahaha... you two are interesting. Is this little one your actual husband? Then who are these two?" He pointed at us.
Azure gritted her teeth and shot me a cold look. "Wait."
Ignis, at least, offered some comfort to Noctis. "Don't worry, Noctis. With me here, they won't dare touch you. River's magic is weak; I have to save him first."
My brother and I sneered but said nothing.
Compared to River, we had never won.
River was the son of Azure's closest friend, who had perished failing a celestial trial, entrusting him to her before dying. They were more like family than master and apprentice.
But somewhere along the line, that bond had twisted.
Whenever she shared my bed, she would talk about him.
"River is growing fast. You should make him some new clothes."
"He's been complaining that the food is too greasy lately. Make him something lighter, but make sure he eats enough. Boys shouldn't be too thin."
She seemed to forget that I was even thinner than River.
She personally taught him swordsmanship and even created a unique cultivation technique just for him. Later, when River was injured and saved by Ignis, he began receiving double the affection.
The demon general seemed highly amused by our domestic drama. He conjured three arm-long ice needles, levitating them before my brother's chest, mine, and River's.
"Which of these three do you want to save?" he asked softly.
"Save River!" they shouted in unison.
Instantly, the ice needles plunged deep into our chests. Blood sprayed from our mouths, and pain clouded our minds.
The celestial elder immediately stepped forward. "Goddesses! You cannot do this! They are the incarnations of the Chaos Twins. If they die, chaos will be unleashed, and the Six Realms will cease to exist! They are your husbands! How can you abandon them for him? You must think of the greater good!"
Azure hesitated.
But the demon general tightened his grip, making River cough up blood. The sight nearly broke them.
"Let him go! I'll do anything you want if you just let him go!"
"Oh really? I heard your husband, Caelum, has a dragon tattooed on his waist. Go carve it off."
2
Azure looked troubled at his demand.
River sobbed, "Caelum, why did you lie to me and say Master was gravely injured so I'd rush over here? If not for you, Master wouldn't be in this difficult position!"
Azure looked at me with disbelief. "It was you? You tricked River into coming here? You hate him so much you'd send him to his death?"
Even though they had hurt me a thousand times before, hearing their baseless accusations still chilled my heart.
"We've been fighting this war for three days and three nights! We barely had time to save ourselves, let alone trick him into coming here!"
My explanation met Azure's eyes, and I could see she didn't believe me.
I lowered my head with a bitter smile. "Forget it. Why would you ever believe me?"
Ignis snorted coldly, looking at Noctis. "Everyone knows you brothers are experts at putting on an act. Noctis, were you involved in this? If you dare harm River, I'll divorce you!"
"As you wish," Noctis replied coldly, making Ignis uncomfortable.
"You..."
Before she could finish, the demon general interrupted. "I want that dragon now! Or else..."
River's face was pale as a ghost. "Mas... Master..."
At his weak cry, Azure instantly appeared by my side, tearing open my robes. "Bear with it. He's the only child my best friend left behind. I can't watch him die. Besides, this is your fault to begin with."
Without waiting for my reply, she plunged the knife in.
"Azure! Are you crazy?! He's your husband!" Noctis roared, struggling against his bonds. "Stop! Stop it!"
But nothing could stop her.
I trembled with pain, gritting my teeth as I asked her, "Is it really because of your friendship with his mother, or is it something else?"
Azure wouldn't meet my eyes, only quickening her movements.
The demon general watched with gleeful delight. "I heard Noctis has a Vitality Orb within him that can greatly increase one's cultivation. Fire Goddess..."
Before Ignis could speak, Noctis immediately said, "I'll give it to you! I'll give you anything! Just make Azure stop!"
"That won't do. You celestials always say everyone has their own fate. Today is his."
Ignis stood before Noctis and, without hesitation, began to extract his Vitality Orb. "I didn't like what you said earlier. Consider this a lesson."
Moments later, the general had what he wanted, laughing maniacally. "You five are truly fascinating. I've never seen anything like it. If you had to choose who lives and who dies?"
Everyone's face darkened at his words.
The elder couldn't stay silent any longer. "You absolutely cannot! If the Chaos Twins die, chaos will begin! Think of the Six Realms!"
We were born from the Sacred Tree of Mount Feng, the Twins of Chaos. Together, we could wipe out all life in the Six Realms and return everything to primordial chaos. But the realms also depended on the Sacred Tree; without it, all life would suffocate. That was why they feared us, yet couldn't live without us.
As Azure wavered, I looked at the demon general and rasped, "They've already made their choice. Can't you see?"
"Even if you asked them a thousand times, the result would be the same."
"Didn't your Demon Empress and Beast Queen want us brothers as their consorts? We'll go with you."
Noctis echoed me, "Yes, we are willing."
Azure panicked. "Caelum, how can you be so base? Willing to be a consort to vile creatures!"
"Are you both insane?!"
Their feigned concern didn't last long, cut short by River's sobbing.
"Master... Mistress Ignis... it's my fault for getting caught, making it impossible for you to escape. Let me bear the consequences."
He made a show of trying to kill himself.
3
But a second later, his hand "slipped," and the dagger fell.
As he went to pick it up, Azure immediately shouted, "We'll give you Caelum and Noctis! Just let River go!"
"I agree! Release River!"
For River's sake, they truly disregarded the bigger picture.
The elders cried out in desperate protest. "You really can't do this! Letting the demons have the Chaos Twins is like handing our lifelines over to someone else!"
"Yes! And the Twins were raised by the Heavenly Emperor himself, practically his sons! How can you abandon them for an outsider?"
Their accusations and pleas fell on deaf ears.
Azure looked at the demon leader. "Give us River, and you take them. Deal?"
"Deal. Or else we all die together."
"Fine by me. But it's not that I'm afraid of you; I'm just in a hurry to report back."
Before the elder could interrupt again, Azure said, "Don't worry. I have a way to ensure they can't unleash chaos."
Noctis and I exchanged puzzled glances. Even we didn't know of such a way.
Ignis addressed the general, "You don't want to bring back two ticking time bombs, do you? Keep them restrained. We'll handle it."
The general readily agreed.
Azure came to me, extending her right hand. Six wooden stakes, crafted from the Sacred Tree itself, floated above her palm.
"Caelum, don't blame me. You chose to offer yourself to the demons."
"If I hadn't, would you have saved me?"
She didn't answer my question.
Ignis, holding similar stakes, looked hesitantly at Noctis. "You two framed River. You deserve this. Be good little consorts in the Demon Realm. Maybe when I'm in a better mood, I'll come save you."
With that, she drove a stake deep into Noctis's left ankle, forcing him to his knees.
"Brother!"
The next second, I coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed. Azure hadn't gone easy on me either; her first stake went straight into my heart.
They hung us up and embedded the stakes into our limbs, foreheads, and hearts until we were barely breathing.
The elder, though pitying us, still asked, "Are you sure this will stop them from initiating chaos?"
"These are made from the Sacred Tree. They've severed their connection to it, so naturally, they won't be able to."
The demon general clicked his tongue. "You two are ruthless to your own husbands. You'd fit right in with us demons."
"This is how the Twins of Destruction should be treated."
Blood tears streamed from my eyes. Everything I had with Azure turned to ash in that moment.
But they had only read about this method in ancient texts and still felt uneasy. Azure came to me and whispered, "This is just a stalling tactic. I will come to the Demon Realm to save you."
Ignis surprisingly wiped the blood from Noctis's face. "You'll have to suffer for a bit. Wait for me to come save you. And whatever you do, don't use the power of chaos."
They still thought we would blindly love them, using that love to deceive us even now.
Sadly, I was in too much pain to retort.
Once it was over, River was released. He immediately hugged Azure, sobbing breathlessly. "Master... I was so scared just now. I thought I'd never see you again."
Ignis tenderly touched the red marks on his neck. "Does it hurt, River?"
"It's okay. I'll make you an even better ointment. I promise it won't leave a scar."
While our wives fussed over another man, we were thrown into a prison cart like garbage by the demons.
As we moved away, River called out to us, "Caelum! Noctis! It's okay that you tricked me into coming here. I've forgiven you! I'll take good care of Master and Mistress Ignis in your place!"
He seemed to think this was the end for us.
...
As we entered demon territory, many demonesses were attracted by the pure celestial energy radiating from us. They drooled with desire.
"These are the Chaos Twins! General, you're amazing! Only you could fulfill the Empresses' request so quickly. But... before you present them, can we sisters have a taste first?"
The general thought for a moment, then laughed. "Why not? They're going to be consorts anyway. Enjoy yourselves!"
Instantly, a wave of sycophantic praise washed over him.
Noctis had already passed out. I struggled to stay conscious, glaring at them weakly. "How... dare you... I am..."
My voice was too weak; they ignored me. Some demonesses began to grope us, tearing at our clothes. Just as I was about to be stripped bare, the Demon Empress, Lyra, appeared behind them.
Seeing me, her pupils constricted. "Caelum!"
The next second, the Beast Queen, Sable, blasted everyone away with a wave of energy. "Noctis... Noctis!"
Held in Lyra's arms, I finally felt a flicker of warmth.
"You... finally came."
My brother and I were reborn on the very day we were to be handed over to the Demon Realm as consorts. Our wives, the Water Goddess and the Fire Goddess, came to our rescue, just as they had in our previous life.
But this time, we made a different choice. We rejected their salvation and willingly offered ourselves to the demons.
In our past life, after they saved us, the demons took the Water Goddess's young apprentice as a substitute. He suffered a gruesome death, skinned alive and stripped of his bones. Blaming us for his fate, our wives spread rumors that we were the Twins of Destruction, turning the entire celestial realm against us until our very souls were obliterated.
When we opened our eyes again, back in that moment of capture, my brother and I exchanged a single look. We understood.
"We willingly offer ourselves as consorts to the Demon Empress and the Beast Queen," we announced to the stunned crowd. "Take us."
Our wives, relieved to have saved their precious apprentice, returned to the Heavens without a scratch on him.
Later, they would come to regret their choice with a madness that consumed them.
...
Just like before, my brother and I were bound by immortal-binding ropes, unable to move.
The demon general laughed raucously, shouting at the assembled immortals, "You lot better know what's good for you and scurry back to your Nine Heavens! I only came for these two today. Anyone who wants to die, step right up!"
I looked at the crowd. They were bloodied, some with damaged souls, none daring to make a move. The Nine Heavens hadn't seen a new God of War in ages, leading to this pathetic stalemate.
Just then, my wife, Azure, the Water Goddess, and my sister-in-law, Ignis, the Fire Goddess, arrived.
Seeing them, my fists clenched involuntarily. My brother, Noctis, shot them a glare filled with pure venom.
The other immortals, however, looked at them like saviors.
An elder stepped forward. "You demons insist on taking these brothers. Do you want to plunge the Six Realms into chaos? The Nine Heavens will never agree to this!"
"Exactly! The Water and Fire Goddesses are here. You'd better release them!"
"They are husbands to powerful goddesses! If you want to take them, you'll have to ask if their wives agree!"
Their voices were loud, full of bravado now that reinforcements had arrived. Azure and Ignis exchanged a confident smile, showing no fear of the demons.
"You heard them," Azure said coolly. "Release my husband!"
Before the general could reply, a subordinate rushed over, dragging a young man. "General! This one was sneaking around our camp. Probably a spy!"
He yanked the man's hair, forcing his head up. River, Azure's apprentice, looked at them with tear-filled eyes. "Master... Mistress Ignis... save me."
The calm demeanor of the two goddesses vanished instantly, replaced by visible panic.
"River! What are you doing here?!"
The demon general wasn't stupid. He laughed and grabbed River by the throat, pulling him against his chest.
"Bastard! Let him go!"
"Don't touch River!"
They rushed forward like madwomen, but the general only had to tighten his grip slightly for them to freeze in their tracks.
"Hahaha... you two are interesting. Is this little one your actual husband? Then who are these two?" He pointed at us.
Azure gritted her teeth and shot me a cold look. "Wait."
Ignis, at least, offered some comfort to Noctis. "Don't worry, Noctis. With me here, they won't dare touch you. River's magic is weak; I have to save him first."
My brother and I sneered but said nothing.
Compared to River, we had never won.
River was the son of Azure's closest friend, who had perished failing a celestial trial, entrusting him to her before dying. They were more like family than master and apprentice.
But somewhere along the line, that bond had twisted.
Whenever she shared my bed, she would talk about him.
"River is growing fast. You should make him some new clothes."
"He's been complaining that the food is too greasy lately. Make him something lighter, but make sure he eats enough. Boys shouldn't be too thin."
She seemed to forget that I was even thinner than River.
She personally taught him swordsmanship and even created a unique cultivation technique just for him. Later, when River was injured and saved by Ignis, he began receiving double the affection.
The demon general seemed highly amused by our domestic drama. He conjured three arm-long ice needles, levitating them before my brother's chest, mine, and River's.
"Which of these three do you want to save?" he asked softly.
"Save River!" they shouted in unison.
Instantly, the ice needles plunged deep into our chests. Blood sprayed from our mouths, and pain clouded our minds.
The celestial elder immediately stepped forward. "Goddesses! You cannot do this! They are the incarnations of the Chaos Twins. If they die, chaos will be unleashed, and the Six Realms will cease to exist! They are your husbands! How can you abandon them for him? You must think of the greater good!"
Azure hesitated.
But the demon general tightened his grip, making River cough up blood. The sight nearly broke them.
"Let him go! I'll do anything you want if you just let him go!"
"Oh really? I heard your husband, Caelum, has a dragon tattooed on his waist. Go carve it off."
2
Azure looked troubled at his demand.
River sobbed, "Caelum, why did you lie to me and say Master was gravely injured so I'd rush over here? If not for you, Master wouldn't be in this difficult position!"
Azure looked at me with disbelief. "It was you? You tricked River into coming here? You hate him so much you'd send him to his death?"
Even though they had hurt me a thousand times before, hearing their baseless accusations still chilled my heart.
"We've been fighting this war for three days and three nights! We barely had time to save ourselves, let alone trick him into coming here!"
My explanation met Azure's eyes, and I could see she didn't believe me.
I lowered my head with a bitter smile. "Forget it. Why would you ever believe me?"
Ignis snorted coldly, looking at Noctis. "Everyone knows you brothers are experts at putting on an act. Noctis, were you involved in this? If you dare harm River, I'll divorce you!"
"As you wish," Noctis replied coldly, making Ignis uncomfortable.
"You..."
Before she could finish, the demon general interrupted. "I want that dragon now! Or else..."
River's face was pale as a ghost. "Mas... Master..."
At his weak cry, Azure instantly appeared by my side, tearing open my robes. "Bear with it. He's the only child my best friend left behind. I can't watch him die. Besides, this is your fault to begin with."
Without waiting for my reply, she plunged the knife in.
"Azure! Are you crazy?! He's your husband!" Noctis roared, struggling against his bonds. "Stop! Stop it!"
But nothing could stop her.
I trembled with pain, gritting my teeth as I asked her, "Is it really because of your friendship with his mother, or is it something else?"
Azure wouldn't meet my eyes, only quickening her movements.
The demon general watched with gleeful delight. "I heard Noctis has a Vitality Orb within him that can greatly increase one's cultivation. Fire Goddess..."
Before Ignis could speak, Noctis immediately said, "I'll give it to you! I'll give you anything! Just make Azure stop!"
"That won't do. You celestials always say everyone has their own fate. Today is his."
Ignis stood before Noctis and, without hesitation, began to extract his Vitality Orb. "I didn't like what you said earlier. Consider this a lesson."
Moments later, the general had what he wanted, laughing maniacally. "You five are truly fascinating. I've never seen anything like it. If you had to choose who lives and who dies?"
Everyone's face darkened at his words.
The elder couldn't stay silent any longer. "You absolutely cannot! If the Chaos Twins die, chaos will begin! Think of the Six Realms!"
We were born from the Sacred Tree of Mount Feng, the Twins of Chaos. Together, we could wipe out all life in the Six Realms and return everything to primordial chaos. But the realms also depended on the Sacred Tree; without it, all life would suffocate. That was why they feared us, yet couldn't live without us.
As Azure wavered, I looked at the demon general and rasped, "They've already made their choice. Can't you see?"
"Even if you asked them a thousand times, the result would be the same."
"Didn't your Demon Empress and Beast Queen want us brothers as their consorts? We'll go with you."
Noctis echoed me, "Yes, we are willing."
Azure panicked. "Caelum, how can you be so base? Willing to be a consort to vile creatures!"
"Are you both insane?!"
Their feigned concern didn't last long, cut short by River's sobbing.
"Master... Mistress Ignis... it's my fault for getting caught, making it impossible for you to escape. Let me bear the consequences."
He made a show of trying to kill himself.
3
But a second later, his hand "slipped," and the dagger fell.
As he went to pick it up, Azure immediately shouted, "We'll give you Caelum and Noctis! Just let River go!"
"I agree! Release River!"
For River's sake, they truly disregarded the bigger picture.
The elders cried out in desperate protest. "You really can't do this! Letting the demons have the Chaos Twins is like handing our lifelines over to someone else!"
"Yes! And the Twins were raised by the Heavenly Emperor himself, practically his sons! How can you abandon them for an outsider?"
Their accusations and pleas fell on deaf ears.
Azure looked at the demon leader. "Give us River, and you take them. Deal?"
"Deal. Or else we all die together."
"Fine by me. But it's not that I'm afraid of you; I'm just in a hurry to report back."
Before the elder could interrupt again, Azure said, "Don't worry. I have a way to ensure they can't unleash chaos."
Noctis and I exchanged puzzled glances. Even we didn't know of such a way.
Ignis addressed the general, "You don't want to bring back two ticking time bombs, do you? Keep them restrained. We'll handle it."
The general readily agreed.
Azure came to me, extending her right hand. Six wooden stakes, crafted from the Sacred Tree itself, floated above her palm.
"Caelum, don't blame me. You chose to offer yourself to the demons."
"If I hadn't, would you have saved me?"
She didn't answer my question.
Ignis, holding similar stakes, looked hesitantly at Noctis. "You two framed River. You deserve this. Be good little consorts in the Demon Realm. Maybe when I'm in a better mood, I'll come save you."
With that, she drove a stake deep into Noctis's left ankle, forcing him to his knees.
"Brother!"
The next second, I coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed. Azure hadn't gone easy on me either; her first stake went straight into my heart.
They hung us up and embedded the stakes into our limbs, foreheads, and hearts until we were barely breathing.
The elder, though pitying us, still asked, "Are you sure this will stop them from initiating chaos?"
"These are made from the Sacred Tree. They've severed their connection to it, so naturally, they won't be able to."
The demon general clicked his tongue. "You two are ruthless to your own husbands. You'd fit right in with us demons."
"This is how the Twins of Destruction should be treated."
Blood tears streamed from my eyes. Everything I had with Azure turned to ash in that moment.
But they had only read about this method in ancient texts and still felt uneasy. Azure came to me and whispered, "This is just a stalling tactic. I will come to the Demon Realm to save you."
Ignis surprisingly wiped the blood from Noctis's face. "You'll have to suffer for a bit. Wait for me to come save you. And whatever you do, don't use the power of chaos."
They still thought we would blindly love them, using that love to deceive us even now.
Sadly, I was in too much pain to retort.
Once it was over, River was released. He immediately hugged Azure, sobbing breathlessly. "Master... I was so scared just now. I thought I'd never see you again."
Ignis tenderly touched the red marks on his neck. "Does it hurt, River?"
"It's okay. I'll make you an even better ointment. I promise it won't leave a scar."
While our wives fussed over another man, we were thrown into a prison cart like garbage by the demons.
As we moved away, River called out to us, "Caelum! Noctis! It's okay that you tricked me into coming here. I've forgiven you! I'll take good care of Master and Mistress Ignis in your place!"
He seemed to think this was the end for us.
...
As we entered demon territory, many demonesses were attracted by the pure celestial energy radiating from us. They drooled with desire.
"These are the Chaos Twins! General, you're amazing! Only you could fulfill the Empresses' request so quickly. But... before you present them, can we sisters have a taste first?"
The general thought for a moment, then laughed. "Why not? They're going to be consorts anyway. Enjoy yourselves!"
Instantly, a wave of sycophantic praise washed over him.
Noctis had already passed out. I struggled to stay conscious, glaring at them weakly. "How... dare you... I am..."
My voice was too weak; they ignored me. Some demonesses began to grope us, tearing at our clothes. Just as I was about to be stripped bare, the Demon Empress, Lyra, appeared behind them.
Seeing me, her pupils constricted. "Caelum!"
The next second, the Beast Queen, Sable, blasted everyone away with a wave of energy. "Noctis... Noctis!"
Held in Lyra's arms, I finally felt a flicker of warmth.
"You... finally came."
First, search for and download the MotoNovel app from Google. Then, open the app and use the code "272239" to read the entire book.
MotoNovel
Novellia
« Previous Post
The Unforgivable Sin: A Cigarette
Next Post »
Ask Not of Time
