Chapter 176: The Worst Decision

In her desperation to preserve her life and existence, Envy had made what she believed was the best possible decision.

Natasha was one of Elias’s three wives, so even if Envy took control of her body, Stella would never dare to harm her.

The woman always had a passionate heart, and that would surely prevent her from attacking blindly.

It was a perfect plan.

Unfortunately, there was one thing Envy did not know.

Natasha possessed the Heavenly Demon Physique.

Once that physique was activated, demons were not supposed to stand above her.

They were supposed to prostrate themselves before her.

And by entering Natasha’s body, Envy had unknowingly chosen the worst possible vessel she could have found.

The Extraordinary Sugar Fruit’s effect, which should have lasted for an hour, had already been greatly weakened by the power of Hellbreaker.

Stella’s awakening due to the sword’s influence had reduced those remaining minutes even further, meaning Envy could have survived if only she had continued to dodge, flee, and desperately run around like a panicked rat for just a little longer.

Yet now that she had chosen to enter Natasha, her existential death was inevitable.

The moment Envy entered Natasha’s body, she passed through her physical structure, slipped through her molecular structure, and crossed the barrier separating the physical world from the spiritual self.

She expected to emerge into the pale white world that normally existed within a human’s spiritual self.

Instead, darkness greeted her.

It stretched endlessly in every direction, swallowing everything beyond what her eyes could perceive.

Envy slowly looked around, her expression twisting into confusion.

"What is this place?" she mumbled.

Her voice echoed faintly through the darkness, gradually vanishing into it.

Then her gaze shifted forward, and she finally spotted something at the edge of her vision.

Natasha.

A grin immediately split Envy’s face, and she chuckled as her confusion faded.

"It does not matter. What matters is taking over this body," she said.

Taking control should have been simple.

All Envy needed to do was strip Natasha’s spiritual body of its original nature, assimilate it into herself, and turn what remained into a simple spiritual shell that she could wear.

It was a method she had used before, and there was nothing particularly difficult about it.

With that thought, Envy flew closer.

Her eyes widened and widened and widened until they were nearly as large as saucers.

"What...?"

She halted and lowered herself to the dark floor as she stared forward.

The spiritual body before her was enormous.

It was so massive that Envy could barely comprehend its size.

Natasha’s spiritual body sat in the darkness, her head lowered and her arms wrapped around her legs, seemingly oblivious to the approaching presence.

No matter how Envy looked at her, Natasha appeared to be in a deep slumber.

"What is this thing?" Envy muttered, her voice filled with genuine confusion as she stared at the gigantic spiritual body.

Then Natasha moved.

Her head slowly rose.

Envy’s entire body stiffened as Natasha’s enormous figure lifted her face and looked down at the tiny Crown of Envy.

Their eyes met, and the moment they did, something ancient and overwhelming crashed into Envy’s mind.

Raw, primordial fear washed over her first, but alongside that terror came something equally powerful.

Reverence.

Absolute reverence.

Her body moved before her mind could even understand what was happening.

Envy collapsed onto the floor of the spiritual space and prostrated herself, her entire body trembling violently as though it might break apart at the mere exposure to Natasha’s gaze.

She stared upward into Natasha’s eyes.

Her right eye was golden.

Her left eye was purple.

And somehow, those two eyes alone made Envy feel as though she were standing before something that should never have existed.

Yet even while her body trembled uncontrollably, Envy’s mind continued processing what she was seeing.

The being before her was not merely a demon.

She had a touch of Divinity, but she also clearly belonged to Demonic.

The two forces existed together without rejecting one another.

Envy’s thoughts raced as she struggled to understand the impossible existence before her.

She was a contradiction.

A paradox.

An infant demon that would also become a god.

An infant god that would also become a demon.

A being that would one day become either a Demonic God or a Divine Demon.

Envy’s thoughts stopped.

Natasha’s enormous hand suddenly began moving toward her.

The Crown of Envy trembled even harder as the instinctive fear of existential death overwhelmed every other thought in her mind.

Tears of demonic energy gathered at the corners of her eyes, yet she could not flee.

She could not even move.

She had never been as powerful as the other Crowns to begin with, and the escape from the rift had already consumed an enormous amount of her strength.

Now, before this existence, she was completely helpless.

Natasha’s fingers descended.

Then they gently closed around Envy.

Envy’s tiny spiritual body was completely trapped between them.

Natasha lifted her hand, bringing Envy closer to her face.

Envy stared in horror as Natasha opened her mouth.

Inside her jaw, a violent swirl of purple and golden energy churned endlessly, resembling a miniature vortex that threatened to swallow everything that came near it.

"Noooo!" Envy screamed desperately.

Her cry echoed through the darkness as Natasha’s fingers released her.

Envy fell.

She dropped directly toward the swirling purple and golden vortex.

The instant her spiritual body touched it, her form began to disintegrate.

Her crimson hair scattered into streams of demonic energy, her spiritual body cracked apart, and her existence began dissolving piece by piece as the overwhelming power devoured her.

"No—!"

Her final scream became a blood-curdling shriek before her entire spiritual form dissipated completely.

The Crown of Envy was gone.

Natasha slowly closed her mouth and exhaled through her lips.

A thin stream of purple smoke escaped with her breath.

It was all the demonic energy Envy had possessed when she entered Natasha’s body.

The smoke drifted through the darkness before twisting around Natasha’s enormous spiritual body.

Then, a small purple horn made entirely of pure demonic energy emerged from Natasha’s forehead.

Natasha did not give it a thought and lowered her head once more, her arms wrapped around her legs, and she returned to her slumber.