"I'm tired… of waking up every morning"
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Those whose souls are lost from their gods grace. Once they lose their sense of self upon arriving to Hell's universe to experience eternal damnation, their bodies are nothing more than hollow husks.
All things that made them human were then completely erased. However in this moment, Cain began to feel the one human emotion that not even damnation could rid his husk of.
The feeling of primal fear was the only thing that his demonic husk contained. As he used two of the nameless tombstones to support his weight as he brought himself up to his feet, that fact came all the more true.
The moment he was brought to his feet, he brought his milky eyes up and watched in both confusion and dread as the damned man suddenly spoke in a raspy voice.
"Kahal."
The damned man speaking his own name into existence suddenly caused the cursed flowers all around to retract as if they sensed an evil omen emitting from their master's emptied husk of a body.
A moment later, a single thick tree grew from behind Aaliyah's unconscious form and from a single flower bud which sprouted from the curved corner of the tree's branch, smooth vines began to wrap around Aaliyah's body and soon after, she was completely absorbed into a crimson cocoon.
The sight of this sudden scene made Cain's body tremble violently. Even as prideful as he is, primal fear overwhelmed his pride as if telling him that there was no way in hell he could defeat the damned man who stood before him.
Once Aaliyah was completely encased inside the crimson cocoon, the damned man looked over his shoulder. His eyes still had their black scaleras and dark crimson irises as he locked eyes with Cain.
Suddenly, in a raspy voice he asked:
"Do you know who I am… boy?"
The sudden question made Cain's legs shake violently as if they were carrying an unbearable weight. With a shivering voice, he responded:
"I assume you're the whore's father?"
The boldness in Cain's response slightly lifted kahal's brows. He found himself a little intrigued by the boldness that the demon before him had suddenly found despite his obvious fear.
Kahal remained silent and stared indifferently as Cain continued.
"The scrolls that were taught to the general public about your heroic acts during the war one thousand years ago…"
However we know the truth… how the legend whose name is forbidden even amongst his own kin, went berserk and went on to become the inevitable prelude to a second blood war."
Kahal's eyes opened up a little wider, a sense of slight disbelief. Of course he had not been surprised from hearing this nonsense. Then suddenly, he let out a displeased scoff and said:
"Honestly, I shouldn't be surprised by the thought of those grimy sacks of shit filling your ignorant heads with that indoctrination."
There was a slight feeling of bitterness in Kahal's words, though Cain chose not to question him any further.
Kahal took a second to close his eyes and inhale deeply. With an exaggerated exhale, he spoke again.
"But that's not what I wanted to hear… what I want to know is the context behind some of those atrocious memories my daughter has, most of which involve you."
Suddenly, it seemed as though the crimson hue in Kahal's eyes turned darker. Then in the next moment, Cain's deformed body tensed up as though a giant invisible hand had wrapped around his body.
Thin waterfalls of blood streamed from his nose as it felt like an intangible force had begun encroaching the contents of his mind.
There was no doubt that Kahal had begun scouring through the memories which resided within Cain's mind. And in that moment, the fear in Cain's eyes had surged, not only because of the clear gap in power between the two monsters, but because of the calmness the damned man was exhibiting after learning of the atrocious horrors his daughter had experienced.
***
Half an hour had passed once Kahal had stopped his encroachment on Cain's mind. Once again, a tense silence stretched over the hot area of withered flowers where the two husks had stood.
Tiny droplets of sweat slowly raced down Kahal's face, his dirtied strands of hair which had only allowed his eyes to narrowly focus on the demon who stood before him made his doll-like face all the more horrifying.
Soon after a long silence, Kahal's raspy and deep voice filled the gap between the two.
"During my younger years, I had resolved myself to kill all who stood between me and survival… but then, I met a woman who changed my viewpoint on life…"
Suddenly, Kahal bent his knees enough to lower himself to the level of the withered flowers, only to then pinch one between two of his fingers as he brought it up to his nose and inhaled deeply.
"Once I met her, I started naively believing that maybe I could change and become the lesser of two evils, so I made a deal with a devil that stripped me of what little humanity I had left inside my hollow body…"
The flower between Kahal's pinched fingers had withered as he held it between his two dark shaded eyes and focused them toward Cain.
Suddenly, the countless hordes of flowers that were scattered around them all began to jerk violently before shriveling up. And once Kahal spoke again, his body seemed to have grown more lively.
"All it took was one man's sin to damn the entire world… and my sin, is taking actions that led to pests like you making sure to spread my curse into the world."
With those words, Kahal flicked the flower away into the air and watched as it immediately went up in ashes from the light pressure brought by a sudden gust of hot wind.
"In the time that I've been released from my imprisonment just a few hours ago, I wondered for what reason would an empty husk like me would be allowed into the world my actions damned a long time ago, but now I realize…"
Fresh wildflowers bloomed as Kahal's footprints as he began to walk forward towards Cain, he tensed all of his fingers and furrowed his eyebrows.
And with a look as if he'd been eyeing a cockroach, he uttered the words:
"This is the task that my curse had given me… to exterminate pests like you."
Kahal bent his knees, and planted his feet into the ground enough to make cracks form around both his shackled feet.
In the next instant, he vanished in a blurring speed that Cain only had barely managed to keep in his lines of sight.
Cain felt his heart pounding to be released from his chest as he brought his forearms up to his chest. But he was too slow.
Before he knew it, Kahal's open palm was already latched onto the side of his head. His fingers pressing down on his thick skull.
In the next second, Cain found himself involuntarily crashing through multiple desolate structures and pillars in one of Hell's lost civilizations.
He landed right on the floor inside of one of the desolated structures which was partially shrouded in thick shadows.
Once he stumbled to his feet, he felt a sudden chill spidering its way up his spine as a pair of crimson colored eyes peeking through the shadows behind him.
Cain swiftly twisted his body and tried to prepare a counterattack, but Kahal was just too fast. In that moment, Cain's body exposed ribcage felt an unbearable heavy pressure before his mind even had time to comprehend the fact that Kahal had moved from his place in the shadows.
His eyes widened as sweat and blood jumped from his colorless face and landed onto Kahal's paled yet indifferent face, which only complimented his black scaleras and crimson irises.
The pressure of Kahal's fist which had drove into Cain's exposed ribcage had sent Cain flying like a blurring phantom through some of the thick pillars which stabbed through the crimson sky, just below Hell's red sun.
'This is fucking bullshit!!!'
Once Cain managed to focus his eyes on Kahal, he was more unsettled by the slow approach the damned man took. His footsteps called for flowers to bloom beneath his feet as a gust of wind swept through the desolate landscape.
Suddenly, kahal's brows curled up and he said:
"Oh, that looks painful… and I didn't even need to use any sorcery on you."
Confusion found itself in Cain's expression. Just then as he lowered his gaze, he noticed that his exposed ribcage was completely shattered. It was amazing to say the least, how could someone have this level of strength without enhancing his body with spirit energy?
Cain let out a pained groan as his eyes went back up to meet Kahal's indifferent eyes. Though it seemed like there was a subtle smirk of satisfaction etched onto the damned man's pale and dirtied face.
"With an injury like that, you won't be able to move for a while… that's more than enough time for what's coming to you."
A sense of confusion latched onto Cain's face, his lips moved though no words came. It seemed as though each time he tried to speak, his body was then convulsed in an unbearable pain.
In that moment to Kahal, sight of Cain's pathetic state was akin to a wounded animal casting its fearful gaze onto the apex predator who played with its food.
Cain simply waited in silence for the devilish man to finish him off, but that time never came. The damned man simply turned himself around and walked off into the distance.
The slaughter was halted for the moment.
***
Back at the space where everyone remained after their tense encounter with Kahal, General Asami was combining her blood powers with the priest's reverse prayers of the divine to heal Athena's internal organs which were damaged by Kahal's sorcery.
It had been almost an entire hour since that happened, so by now most of the damage was already restored. There was an uncomfortable silence, with no one knowing what to say in a moment such as this one.
Then suddenly, everyone's eyes along with their guards went up as they heard the sound of rocks smacking against each other.
Jason clutched the hilt of his katana, ready to unsheathe it in a reverse grip, though he immediately loosened his grip once he saw Aria who was being supported by Kaida who helped her walk.
With a sigh of relief, Jason approached the two girls and helped Kaida with sitting Aria down on a nearby boulder.
"Aria, are you alright?"
Aria simply nodded, and raised her bloodied hand which was now restored.
"I'm fine. It took a lot out of me and Kaida to regrow my hand… but we're okay."
As Aria looked up, she noticed her wounded mother who was being healed by the priest and general Asami.
"Mom, w-what happened to her?"
"That man from earlier, he attacked us and Miss Athena was hit by those flowers he uses… but, she's okay, don't worry."
Aria felt as though an invisible weight had been relieved from her chest. But it was immediately replaced with a startling sensation as everyone felt a sudden malevolent aura which was slowly approaching.
Jason and Hinari were the first ones to draw their weapons. In front of her, Hinari clutched her bladed staff with both hands at its center.
While Jason held his katana with his good hand, while he held the smooth end of the blade against his forearm.
Just as they suspected, the aura came from Kahal who walked through the space where the door should've been. But he didn't attack.
Now with the knowledge he had of Aaliyah being his daughter, he now knew that in front of him was his grandson and behind Jason was his granddaughter.
Kahal remained indifferent to the blades aimed at him, and spoke in a calm tone.
"I'm not here to fight you all… but I'm gonna need you shrimps to use your heads and understand the situation we're all in."
Selene took stand in front of Jason, and said with a sharp gaze:
"Why should we trust a dirty bastard like you?"
Suddenly, Kahal let out a chuckle which didn't sound as friendly as he intended, due to his deep raspy voice.
"You're smart to distrust me. But unfortunately, Selene… you don't have the luxury of being stubborn, because right now seven hell lords, along with their crazy-ass mother are after all of us."
Kahal tuned around, and gestured with his hand raised.
"If you're smart, you'd come with me. And I'll even answer all those questions you all have, if you want."
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Continued in 107: Lore
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