Chapter 755: Divine Will (6)
"Pierce through."
After a relentless assault focused on the abdomen, Oliver’s quarterstaff finally pierced the abdomen of the Burnt One. Yet, just as before, despite the penetration, the Burnt One displayed no hint of pain, bewilderment, or sense of crisis.
Instead, through the wound, he seized Oliver’s arm, releasing an intense surge of heat.
Zzzzzzzzzing──────!!
A halo above his head whirled rapidly, flooding the world with a blinding white light that incinerated and vaporized everything around it. Neither the pervasive darkness nor the lava roiling beneath their feet spared Oliver from this scorching radiance.
In that intense blaze, the Burnt One gazed quietly at Oliver.
"...!"
Impressive, truly.
His resolve to rise after facing that ordeal, his stomach to defend humanity despite witnessing their appalling sins, and his resilience in fighting the Burnt One to this degree... all remarkable. For an incomplete prince.
But, to put it differently, that was about it. He had improved only slightly—compared to the past, he hadn’t changed significantly—
—Squish!
With a wet sound, the Burnt One turned his head.
A dagger, different from those seen before, was lodged in his side.
Squish! Squish! Squish! Squish! Squish! Squish! Squish! Squish! Squish!
The dagger moved so swiftly that it seemed to multiply, slashing through his side. Then Oliver, tightening his grip on the quarterstaff, tore a chunk of flesh from the Burnt One’s side.
Charred, cracked skin revealed burning flesh beneath, unleashing a massive wave of flames.
"...What was that, again?"
Braving the flames head-on, Oliver inquired, hurling the torn flesh far away. Without missing a beat, he swung the quarterstaff, striking the Burnt One.
Due to the injury on his side, the Burnt One faltered and was pushed back, while Oliver took the opportunity to examine the discarded piece of flesh.
Wriggle... wriggle... wriggle...
The charred skin, the seething flesh underneath, the blood ablaze as it flowed.
Even ripped away, the torn flesh—straddling life and death—remained alive, seeking to return to its master.
Simply tearing it off wasn’t enough to suppress it entirely.
"Shadow."
Oliver summoned his shadow through the wound on his palm.
Fed by blood, the shadow opened multiple eyes, scrutinized the Burnt One’s flesh, and, as if making a decision, opened its massive maw, devouring the flesh whole.
"Not a bad method," said the Burnt One, who had been flung far back, now advancing once more.
"By eating and sealing my flesh that way, you make it harder for me to regenerate."
To underscore his point, his injured side remained unhealed, with molten blood dripping down, showing no signs of recovery.
"The question is, how long your shadow can endure."
The Burnt One’s observation was accurate.
While Oliver’s shadow had seemed to consume the Burnt One’s flesh, it was more accurate to say it had swallowed and sealed it. Yet even this seal was imperfect. Unable to withstand the intense heat emanating from the flesh, the shadow kept attempting to regurgitate it. Furthermore...
Drip. Drip.
Oliver also felt the heat experienced by his shadow, causing sweat to trickle down his face.
The heat of the lava, the Burnt One’s searing aura, and the heat transmitted from the shadow—all surrounded Oliver, penetrating his body inside and out with immense heat.
"You look hot."
"It’s warm and nice. I think I understand why angels chose to go to Hell."
"That’s an amusing jest."
"Finally, someone appreciates the worth of my jokes. Although it’s ironic for a demon, wouldn’t you say? Is that a discriminatory remark?"
"Humor and bravado both shine brightest during hardship... In that sense, you have my respect."
The Burnt One inclined his head respectfully toward Oliver.
Oliver returned the gesture in kind, acknowledging the courtesy. The Burnt One reciprocated, honoring the exchange.
"As thanks, I’ll make you a promise: as long as you remain standing, I won’t pursue the others. Do your best, then."
He wouldn’t chase them. A phrase open to various interpretations, but Oliver didn’t care to overanalyze it. Even this much was already more than he deserved.
"Thank you. In that case, I’ll do my utmost to meet your expectation."
To prove his resolve, Oliver reopened the wound on his palm with his dagger, scattering a significant amount of blood onto the lava.
The lava, molded by the Burnt One’s flames and heat, now yielded to Oliver’s control. Seizing the moment, he drew upon his chronic hunger, life force, and the energy infused in the vial, bestowing it upon the lava.
[Hunger]
His hunger, life force, and the vial’s energy combined with the Burnt One’s lava, giving birth to several grotesque creatures.
They had large, patchy heads and mouths stretched to their ears, their necks long and slender like tree branches, their limbs skeletal and bellies distended grotesquely.
"Hahahahaha━!!"
"Kekekeke!!!"
"Cackling laughter echoed around as these Hunger creatures, despite being born from lava, drooled over the Burnt One, surrounding him.
Oliver’s hunger, life force, the Burnt One’s lava, and the blood mixed within allowed this scene to unfold.
But it still wasn’t enough.
Even with the ravenous Hunger able to consume everything, their composition—of flames and lava—rendered them ineffective against the Burnt One, the so-called King of Fire and Darkness.
"Turn cold."
Aware of this limitation, Oliver activated his authority through his blood, ordering the lava to take on the opposite of its original nature: to freeze.
Incredibly, the lava imbued with Hunger chilled instantly, releasing a frigid air like that of liquefied ice and snow.
"Aah... AAAARGH!"
"SKREEEEEE—!"
"UUUUH...!"
The Hunger creatures shrieked, looking around in panic.
To them, born of scalding lava, the intense cold was lethal. They sought out heat to survive and soon spotted the Burnt One.
Despite the surroundings freezing over, the Burnt One continued to emit a fierce heat.
The creatures, desperate to survive, raised their gangly arms and struck at the Burnt One.
Swoosh—whack!
The Burnt One swung his arm, melting the chilled lava making up the Hunger creatures’ limbs.
"Khak! Khahaha...!"
The creature whose arm melted looked at its dissolving limb, letting out a laugh mixed with a shriek. Then...
Crunch!
It bit into the melted part, consuming the heat as it chewed.
Sizzle—sssss!
But it didn’t stop there.
Among the mass of Hunger creatures, one managed to slip past the Burnt One’s guard and approached his wounded side, opening its enormous maw to devour the searing blood and heat that seeped from his injury.
Feeling his heat and flames being drained, the Burnt One struck, crushing the heads of the creatures in his path, only to be met with another attack from Oliver.
Oliver’s quarterstaff aimed directly at the Burnt One’s side, while his opponent’s hand shot out to block the weapon.
The shattered Hunger creatures were consumed by the remaining ones, who then turned their sustenance into strength. Amid this chaos, Oliver drew his dagger, stabbing swiftly at the Burnt One’s arm.
Squish! Squish! Squish!
Seeing that his arm would likely be severed like his side, the Burnt One pulled it back.
As he did, Oliver took advantage, thrusting the quarterstaff into the exposed side, widening the wound further.
Fwooosh!
Though flames erupted from the open wound, scorching Oliver, he ignored the pain, driving his weapon deeper and carving out part of the Burnt One’s abdomen with his dagger.
The torn abdominal flesh...
"Shadow."
Oliver’s shadow swallowed and sealed the abdominal flesh as well.
Sizzle... hiss...
The Hunger creatures latched onto the newly exposed wound, greedily absorbing the Burnt One’s intense heat.
Taking advantage of the moment, Oliver manipulated his body with his authority, restoring his burned wounds, then attacked once more.
The Burnt One reached for the quarterstaff, his hand halting it. Meanwhile, Oliver thrust his dagger again.
This time, however, the Burnt One deflected the dagger with a swat of his remaining arm, attempting to strike Oliver, but missing.
"Aaah..."
The multitude of Hunger creatures stretched out their emaciated arms, seizing the Burnt One’s arm.
No ordinary creature could have managed such a feat, but it was possible with Oliver’s hunger, life force, and blood imbued within them.
The hunger and life force of a noble being, and the essence of blood.
"You're using the same tactic as with the Pied Piper."
The Hunger creatures latched onto the Burnt One, opening their maws wide to drain his heat.
The Burnt One’s heat slowly ebbed away.
The cracks in his skin deepened, revealing brilliant red and orange glows before a powerful burst of flame exploded from his entire body.
Snap!
In response, Oliver raised his charred right hand, snapping his fingers to unleash White Flame, countering the explosion of fire from the Burnt One.
──────!!!
Though it wasn’t enough to block it completely, it sufficed.
The Hunger creatures absorbed the remaining flames, eager to consume the heat for their survival.
Amidst the silence, as if the world itself had been scorched and silenced, Oliver and the Burnt One resumed their deadly exchange.
"You’re indeed fit for a Prince of Hell."
The Burnt One raised his claws to strike at Oliver, who parried and thrust his dagger forward.
"To oppress those below from your lofty status... isn’t it ironic?"
The Burnt One caught the dagger, raising his other fist to slam it down. Oliver barely evaded it, but the Burnt One infused the chilled lava with heat, trying to regain control.
In response, Oliver slashed the raised arm with his dagger, severing it, and promptly had his shadow consume the detached limb.
Now one-armed, the Burnt One continued, "So, the Prince of Hell stands in my way."
From his severed limb, flames erupted, forming a massive arm that lunged at Oliver.
Oliver extended his burnt right hand, unleashing White Flame to counter the flaming arm, as the Hunger creatures, made of chilled lava, tore into it to consume its essence while simultaneously attacking the Burnt One.
Although the Hunger creatures’ assault was little more than a nuisance, it was enough for Oliver.
Using the gaps between the creatures, Oliver darted forward, targeting the Burnt One’s vulnerable spots with his dagger.
Squish! Squish! Squish! Squish! Squish!
His right shoulder.
Squish! Squish! Squish! Squish! Squish!
His thigh.
Squish! Squish! Squish! Squish! Squish!
His chest.
Piece by piece, the Burnt One’s body came apart like fragments of a puzzle.
Yet, even as parts of his body fell away, the Burnt One remained composed, while Oliver grew increasingly tense.
As his shadow consumed more pieces of the Burnt One’s body, Oliver himself felt the strain, his physical form beginning to crack and burn, unable to withstand the Burnt One’s relentless heat. A more decisive strike was required.
"Hunger."
At Oliver’s call, the Hunger creatures, which had thus far been driven solely by their ravenous need to feed, transformed, slamming down upon the Burnt One en masse.
This was not to satiate their hunger, but to assist Oliver.
In that moment, Oliver shrouded his quarterstaff with his will, aiming it directly at the Burnt One, who naturally moved to block it with his one remaining arm.
With his opponent one-armed, Oliver slashed his dagger, aiming to sever the Burnt One’s neck.
In that split second, Oliver’s and the Burnt One’s eyes met. His gaze, sharp as lightning, caused Oliver to recoil with a silent scream.
"...!!"
Meeting the Burnt One’s eyes, more intense than any fire, Oliver felt his left eye ignite.
It wasn’t a mere sensation; Oliver’s eye socket charred, wisps of smoke rising from it.
‘The healing... won’t work...’
Trying to heal his eye with his authority, Oliver hesitated, shocked.
"Can’t heal it?"
The Burnt One’s piercing gaze took him in.
Despite having one arm torn away, various parts of his body dismembered, and being restrained by the Hunger creatures, he appeared supremely confident.
As if this was no crisis.
Oliver understood that it was no bluff. Unlike himself.
"But this isn’t surprising. It’s perfectly natural."
The reason?
"This flame was created by my authority. It cannot be healed by yours. While you are a prince who never became king, I am a sovereign."
Oliver took a step back, not out of pain, but due to a small yet profound fear sprouting within him.
Realizing this, he quickly stopped his retreating leg and rushed once more at the Burnt One, who was still pinned by the Hunger creatures.
Seeing him approach, the Burnt One raised his only remaining hand, commanding the empty air.
"Come, my sword."
In that instant, Oliver saw it—a colossal flame falling from the pitch-black sky as if it had punctured the heavens.
The flame scorched everything beneath as it fell, transforming in the Burnt One’s hand into the shape of a sword.
With the fiery blade in hand, the lava and the creatures forged from it burned away, engulfing the world in a void of nothingness.