Make the Exorcist Fall in Love Chapter 118 – Release date, Fan Theories
There’s a weird feeling in the fandom right now after Chapter 117 of Make the Exorcist Fall in Love. Not disappointment. Not hype alone either. It’s more like that nervous silence after a massive twist where everyone suddenly realizes the story might be heading somewhere much darker than expected.
And honestly? I think Chapter 118 is shaping up to be one of the most important chapters in the entire series.
The official release is set for June 9, 2026, on Shueisha’s Manga Plus platform, and after the insanity we just witnessed, the community has been exploding with theories about Satan, Belphegor, Imuri, and Joshua’s increasingly unstable relationship.
What surprised me most is that the manga somehow managed to stop the apocalypse while simultaneously making the atmosphere even more terrifying.
Chapter 117 Wasn’t About Destruction — It Was About Exposure
At first, Chapter 117 looked like pure endgame chaos.
Bodies everywhere. Catastrophic imagery. The feeling that humanity had genuinely lost.
For a few pages, it honestly felt like the series had crossed into full irreversible tragedy territory. Social media reactions were brutal because fans thought the manga was actually pulling the trigger on total annihilation.
Then came the reveal.
The destruction existed inside a manipulated dream-like layer rather than reality itself.
Normally, fake-out apocalypse scenes can feel cheap in manga, but here it worked for one major reason: the emotional consequences were still real.
The fear was real. The choices were real. The psychological damage was real.
That’s why the chapter still landed so hard despite the twist.
Instead of reducing stakes, it shifted them from physical destruction to mental collapse. And in this series, psychological suffering has always mattered more than flashy battles anyway.
Belphegor Just Became the Most Interesting Character in the Manga
Nobody expected Belphegor to suddenly become the centerpiece of the arc.
For dozens of chapters, he existed mostly as an unpredictable but passive Sin Lord. Dangerous, yes — but inactive. Lazy. Detached.
Now?
He may have saved humanity.
That moment where he completely outplayed Baba Yaga, the witches, and the lower Demon Lords instantly changed fan perception of him. I’ve already seen readers comparing the scene to iconic manga betrayal moments because of how unexpectedly effective it was.
What makes Belphegor fascinating isn’t simply that he stopped the Rapture.
It’s why he stopped it.
There are currently two major interpretations floating around the fandom:
| Theory | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Redemption Path | Belphegor genuinely opposes total destruction and may slowly become an ally to Joshua |
| Ideological Conflict | He only interfered because he wants to prove Lucifer’s worldview is flawed |
Personally, I lean toward the second option.
This manga loves morally warped motivations. Characters almost never act out of pure goodness. Even moments of compassion usually come from obsession, loneliness, guilt, or pride.
Belphegor feels less like a redeemed villain and more like someone pursuing his own twisted philosophy.
And honestly, that makes him far more compelling.
Satan’s Calm Reaction Was The Real Horror
The scariest part of Chapter 117 wasn’t the fake apocalypse.
It was Satan barely reacting to any of it.
That composure changes everything.
Most manga villains would rage after a subordinate sabotaged their plan. Satan didn’t even seem irritated. He watched Belphegor interfere like someone observing a minor inconvenience.
That tells me one thing:
Belphegor may have walked directly into a trap.
There’s a growing theory that Satan intentionally allowed the Sloth Lord to expose himself. Since Belphegor constantly avoids direct confrontation, forcing him to actively project his power may have finally revealed his location or weakened his concealment.
If that theory is correct, Chapter 118 could become terrifying very quickly.
We may finally see the difference between ordinary Sin Lords and the absolute ruler of Gehenna.
And if the manga truly wants to remind readers who the final monster is, this is the perfect moment to do it.
Joshua and Imuri Are Headed Toward Emotional Collapse
A lot of fans celebrated Joshua and Imuri finally accepting each other around Chapter 100, especially after Joshua revealed his true name and embraced her despite her succubus nature.
But ever since then, the relationship has felt unstable beneath the surface.
Chapter 117 made that instability impossible to ignore.
Imuri’s reaction to the crisis revealed something uncomfortable: she cared almost exclusively about Joshua.
Not humanity.
Not the innocent victims.
Not the global consequences.
Only him.
That obsessive focus is exactly why many readers still struggle to fully trust her character development. Her love feels genuine, but also deeply unhealthy in a way only this manga could portray.
And I think Joshua is finally starting to notice it too.
That’s where Chapter 118 could hit hardest emotionally.
Not through action.
Not through another apocalypse fake-out.
But through Joshua realizing the person he loves may never truly value humanity the same way he does.
The Manga Is Quietly Preparing Bigger Battles
Now that the immediate end-of-the-world scenario has been delayed, the story suddenly has room to shift into direct conflict arcs again.
There are two confrontations fans are desperately waiting for:
- Joshua vs Dante
- Lucifer vs Satan
Joshua fighting Dante especially feels inevitable now. The series has spent too much time building Joshua’s internal conflict between faith, violence, and personal attachment for it not to explode eventually.
And with Belphegor temporarily disrupting Gehenna’s plans, the heroes may finally get breathing room before the next catastrophe arrives.
Though knowing this manga, that “breathing room” will probably just lead to even worse suffering.
Chapter 118 Release Date & Time
The new chapter officially launches worldwide on June 9, 2026 through Manga Plus.
United States Release Times
- Pacific Time (PST): 8:00 AM
- Mountain Time (MST): 9:00 AM
- Central Time (CST): 10:00 AM
- Eastern Time (EST): 11:00 AM
Like previous chapters, it should be available free at launch, though Manga Plus only keeps the latest chapters accessible for standard readers.
Final Thoughts
What makes Make the Exorcist Fall in Love stand out right now is how unpredictable its emotional direction has become.
Most dark fantasy manga escalate through bigger fights.
This series escalates through psychological pressure.
Chapter 117 didn’t just stop an apocalypse. It exposed how fractured every major character truly is — from Belphegor’s suspicious heroism to Imuri’s obsessive love and Satan’s terrifying patience.
And if Chapter 118 follows through on that tension, we may be entering the manga’s best stretch yet.
At this point, I honestly don’t even trust the story to give readers a “victory” anymore.
Only consequences.
