As the name implies, this is an act performed by hell-descendants to annihilate themselves. As a result, the hell-descendant does not return to hell or any other realm; they simply cease to exist. The ritual is impossible for almost all hell-descendants to perform. Only high-ranking entities may be able to commit to this form of suicide out of pure loyalty to the Kingdom of Inferno.

Although the true purpose of this act remains unclear, some suggest it serves as a sacrifice for the high-ranking nobility of hell. Demons generally do not understand the fear of death because almost all of them are immortal; they can only be imprisoned or cast back to the layers of hell. Unlike the human perception of mortality, death has no existential meaning for demons. Considering these facts, choosing complete annihilation is a terrifying path for a high-ranking descendant. It only becomes logical when viewed as an act of ultimate sacrifice.

What does it look like?

This act has been exercised only a handful of times in history and myth. Only twice has it been witnessed by non-descendants who survived to tell the tale. Although neither witness completely disclosed the event, the core narratives align despite some differences.

Neither witness could clearly describe the initiation of the act. Generally, a moment of trance overcomes the demon, often accompanied by observed weather turbulence. There are no recitations or vocalizations, as the ritual appears to be entirely internal.

Since hell-descendants are born of fire, this act subjects them to "true fire," eventually burning them out of existence. This process can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes.

If the demon is in their true form, cracks of light and fire emerge slowly from the surface of their body. They become agitated. One witness noted that the demon was clearly terrified, claiming he could see an ultimate fear in the demon's eyes. However, they never showed a sign of regret, as this was their final chosen act. In addition to fear, a profound sorrow is felt in their behavior. John mentioned seeing tears on Naauha’s face near the end as she embraced her final moments.

Note

Naauha is the demon John witnessed performing the Self-Annihilation Act. See the entry for Naauha for more information.

How does it end?

When the act is nearly complete, Lucifer appears before the demon and inflames them. The demon burns intensely for a split second before turning into smoke and ash. One witness recalled the final scream of the demon haunting him for the rest of his life, stating that nothing had ever terrified him more. It is said that Lucifer holds the demon in his arms until the act is complete.

One notable difference between the two narratives is that John could not see Lucifer or any visual sign of him, yet Naauha was apparently looking directly at him. Furthermore, John never mentioned Naauha screaming as she burned into ashes.

Note

The significance of the Self-Annihilation Act lies in the revelation of why Naauha committed this final deed. [To be continued]

NOTE ON USAGE OF AI: I used AI to improve my writing including help finding my grammatical errors, using better wording, and research, as English is not my native language. I did not use AI to come up with the story, or the core idea in any form or shape.

Max