Chapter 128: Collapse
"Ugh~~~"
I covered my mouth tightly with my hand, squatting on the ground and dry heaving repeatedly. My stomach churned violently, causing a bloody mist to cloud my eyes.
Is this Hell? No, this isn't Hell. Hell wouldn't be this terrifying.
Before my eyes was a Lake.
There was no water in the Lake, because it was already filled with Blood!
There was no Life in the Lake, because inside were the remains of Life—bone and flesh!
Blood Lake? Bone Lake? Flesh Lake?
I didn't know what words to use to describe the scene before me.
Thick, foul-smelling Blood emanated a light red heat, as if entire living people had been put into a grinder, then scooped into a full pot and boiled over a fire. Countless steaming Blood bubbles rose, flesh and Blood mixed together. One could vaguely find some semi-circular objects resembling Brains, still clinging with strands of hair. White Brain matter was gradually integrating into the boiling, rank Blood. Occasionally, half a round eyeball would tumble continuously with the steaming Blood, along with skulls bearing half a face, their mouths opening and closing as if speaking something, and those writhing internal organs...
How many sins must one commit to do such cruel deed? This wasn't Hell, it was an Abyss more filled with Sorrow and Despair than Hell itself. I seemed to see countless wronged souls and vengeful spirits, their faces tear-stained, bound by this Abyss, crying and pleading in the Sky above, howling ferociously. Even after death, they were branded with the mark of slaves by Demons, doomed to wail in Purgatory for all eternity.
These bloody, struggling faces. What did this steaming, fresh bone and flesh represent? I almost didn't dare to think further.
"No...!!!!!!" I roared like a madman, slamming my fists violently onto the ground.
"Lord...?"
A faint Voice, almost like a hallucination, drifted into my ear, weak as a thread.
"Velas..."
I abruptly raised my Head, straightened my body, and scanned around like a madman.
"Velas!!! Is that you?"
In less than a moment, I spotted her figure by the nearby "Lake", on a tall Wooden Frame. She was tied to it, bound tightly. Her originally slightly curled silk-like long hair, along with her small Brain, hung weakly against her Chest.
"Velas..."
I didn't know how to describe the joy of this moment. Escaping death? Survival after calamity? My Brain was completely chaotic. With stumbling Footsteps, I rushed over in a hurry.
"Lord..." She seemed to be trying hard to lift her Head and turn towards me.
"Don't move from there. I'm coming." I quickened my Footsteps.
Closer, closer. However, an unexpected dark figure, bearing a ferocious Smile, slowly walked out from behind her.
I had never hated a thing like this before, never.
I had never detested and feared that ugly Smile like this before, never.
That ferocious Smile, that smug Gaze, seemed to be mocking my naivety and powerlessness. The cleaver in its hand was even more like it was taunting the Despair deep within my Soul!!
"No——don't——ah!!!!!!"
I casually pulled out a Javelin and threw it with all my Strength. God, if you truly are an Existence, please protect me. For the first Time in my Life, I begged for God's protection so sincerely.
"Whoosh..."
The Javelin cut through the air in a graceful arc, accurately pinning the figure to the ground. I seemed to see its Incredulous Gaze.
"Good..."
The blade fell...
Time seemed to freeze in that instant. The Sky in my pupils seemed to be dyed red...
The Blood gushing out, tragically beautiful like Blood-red cherry blossoms.
Strands of hair fluttering, a face slowly turning in Mid-air. Slowly. Slowly, slowly. Bit by bit, it turned, until finally, our Gazes met...
In those dark, innocent big eyes, a trace of surprised Spirit seemed to linger. Reflected within was a pale, distorted face. Then, as Time flowed bit by bit, that Life which hadn't yet had Time to fade, those originally weak and pale lips, suddenly curved into a slight arc. A gentle Glow flashed in her eyes once more.
A fleeting moment of beauty, encompassing a girl's most precious Life. It was as if all the most beautiful things in the world were concentrated in this single Smile.
Some say the Smile before death is the most beautiful and flawless. But why, in the face of this utterly beautiful Smile, did I feel such Sorrow!!
*As long as Lord is here, everything will be alright.*
*Lord is a true Hero, I deeply believed this point.*
*Hmm hmm... hmm... hmm... Velas's special nutritious Breakfast - Momo Noodles! It replenishes the Strength you need for the day!*
Why why why why...
"Why did you Smile!!!!!"
I held her Corpse in my arms like a lost Soul, muttering to myself, tears streaming down my cheeks.
Why did you Smile? Facing such an incompetent me, why did you still show such a Smile? Didn't I fail to save you?... Contempt, detestation, Hatred, anything would have been fine. Why did you have to show this kind of Smile? What was there for you to Expect from Junk like me, a waste? What was there for you to trust? Why, facing me who couldn't save you, facing such a me, did you still Smile?
Foolish, truly too foolish!!!!!!
I don't know how much Time passed. I put down the Corpse covered in Blood, stumbled back a few steps, my eyes trembling violently from terror! Fear, regret, detestation, my chaotic and disordered heart was gradually falling into depravity. The Pain of losing a Friend, the intense regret of being unable to save her, I completely lost myself.
Just go back like this. Continue being my Hero. All of this was beyond human Strength to resolve. Yes, that's it.
"Hahahaha..."
I burst into loud laughter. Hero? Good, that's truly a fitting title for a stray dog, hahaha...
Look again, look closely! Look more closely! As if tempted by a Demon, I involuntarily moved my Gaze towards Velas's face.
Yes, look closely again, engrave that Smile in my heart, constantly suffering, constantly gnawing at my Soul. Only more and more Pain, more and more regret, can free my Soul. Yes, this is proof of your incompetence. Facing your Friend's plea for help, you could only watch helplessly. You couldn't do anything. You couldn't do anything.
Even so, even so, she still trusted me like this...
"Ugh... ah...!!!"
Heart-wrenching regret finally made me unable to help but burst into tears.
I don't know how much Time passed.
Rustle rustle... A faint sound of Footsteps came from the mist.
"Big Brother..."
That gentle Voice, so familiar it couldn't be more familiar. It made me jolt, and I spun my Head around abruptly.
"Sha La, why are you here? How could you come here?"
What came into my sight was Sha La's irreplaceable beautiful Appearance.
"I heard Vita Village won, so I wanted to come and see. Dad said you were on a Quest, so I snuck out when he wasn't paying attention." Sha La showed a playful Smile.
"Bastard, Lars that guy..."
I was so angry I almost ground my teeth. How could he let Sha La come to a place like this alone? When I get back, I'm definitely going to beat him half to death.
Sha La's Appearance brought a trace of clarity to my heart, which had been churned by Pain and regret.
"Hurry, I'll take you back. This place is too dangerous."
I walked towards her anxiously and urged her. Sha La was always unique in my heart. I didn't want, especially didn't want her, to see my current appearance of Pain and incompetence.
"Big Brother, you're crying."
Sha La was startled. She pointed at the tear stains on my face that hadn't dried yet and said, her face filled with concern, warming my heart.
Yes, I can't lose anything more. I can't lose anything important to me anymore...
"Come, let's go back."
I smiled and reached out my hand to Sha La. Yes, holding her hand, feeling her Existence, my heart would also warm up.
"Don't cry, Sha La will wipe Big Brother's face..."
Sha La placed her small, warm little hand into my palm. Her other small hand gently stroked my cheek. A warm little hand...
At the same Time, a bright long blade extended, piercing through her Chest.
"Huh?"
I looked at the long blade with a confused Gaze, not reacting for a moment.
Then, that warm little hand gently stroking my face, slowly, slower and slower, then gently slid off my cheek.
"Don't cry... okay."
Sha La, with a gentle Smile on her face, called out softly in a weak Voice.
With a "thump", the sound of her falling into my arms...
Behind her, a Fallen with a smiling face was swinging that Blood-stained long blade.
What in the world was going on.
I numbly held the small body in my arms. Warm, viscous red Liquid was flowing through my hands, slowly dripping onto the ground.
I looked again at the Fallen before me.
It was as if something snapped in my head.
Everything was gone.
"Ah ah ah ah ah... ah... ah...!!!"
A heart-rending Voice followed, and by the end, it no longer sounded like a Human Voice.
"Kill you kill you kill you kill you kill you kill you..."
Two veined hands gripped the Fallen's shoulders, pushing it to the ground. The immense Strength in my hands caused its shoulder bones to make cracking sounds.
"Aow..." The Fallen let out a Painful howl. It discovered in terror that the Human before it, with that twisted, ferocious face and that scarlet, brutal Gaze, was something it, even as a Demon, had never seen before.
"Kill you kill you kill you kill you..."
A heavy punch landed on its Head, making it think its Brain had split open. The second punch, the third punch...
The Fallen was already dead. The fourth punch cracked its skull. The fifth punch sent its pale eyeballs flying out. The sixth punch blew apart half of its Brain, disgusting Brain matter splattered everywhere, its Brain a bloody mess. Another punch landed on its Chest, causing the entire Chest to collapse. Some still-beating internal organs squeezed out from its broken neck. Then came the seventh punch, the eighth punch...
Gone, gone, everything is gone!
Destruction, Destruction, Destruction everything!
"Roar..."
Light Snow , who had been roaring softly beside me, sensed her Master's chaotic and tyrannical emotions and finally couldn't help but pounce towards the depths of the mist in the center of the Lake.
The mist dispersed, and on the snow-white Altar, a beautiful figure, like a dream or illusion, appeared.
A figure like a snow-white phoenix, with translucent, dreamlike wings revealing a faint azure Glow. Its ribbon-like Tail swayed gently, creating layers of stunning illusions, dazzlingly beautiful, beautiful beyond imagination.
However, its Name, and the fear it inspired, were even more renowned than its beauty. Belial, the Great Demon King of Lies, Mastery of illusion and falsehood, one of the Four Great Demon Lords of Hell, the source of chaos and Conspiracy, the instigator of the rebellion throughout Hell, the culprit of the Sin War, the Demon King most hated and feared by the Three Great Demon Gods...