Chapter 185: Once Again (4)
Looking down at Aisha’s face as she howled in devastation, Gaionia gave out a hollow laugh.
[Did you not know that death in this place meant perishing for eternity?]
“…”
[I’d rather hear that you didn’t know.]
“Father please…”
[Say it! Tell me you didn’t know!]
The leaking mana around the enraged Gaionia started fluctuating.
His blond hair drenched in blood billowed in the air and his bloodshot eyes shook.
[Did you jump in knowing that? To really die and perish? For whose sake?]
“Father…”
It was a situation even Gaionia himself didn’t expect until he cancelled the attack.
Aisha didn’t jump in thinking that she would be able to survive.
It was because of the sole intention to shield another human…
[You foolish, foolish thing…]
Gaionia bent his knees to grab her chin and forced her head up to lock eyes with him.
[Answer me. What do you want me to do?]
“I want t-that person to…”
[Answer me,]
“…”
[With a response I want to hear.]
AIsha’s lips trembled as she held back her tears from bursting out.
Begging for Hades’ life wouldn’t be the answer Gaionia wants.
But there was nothing else to wish for, nor anything else to say.
Under her closed eyes, her tears ran down her cheeks.
“Spare that person…”
[I have committed…]
“…”
[A grave, mistake.]
Letting go of Aisha’s chin, Gaionia raised himself limply.
His regained their indifference and he spoke in a dry voice.
[I should never have granted you children, beings you would value more than your own lives…]
“…”
[I shouldn’t have created such things.]
“Father…”
[Let’s return to the beginning. If the punishment I gave that child is tormenting you, let’s put everything to a stop.]
Looking down at Abel far below, Gaionia said indifferently.
Though he said he would finally undo the sickening fetters of punishment, Aisha was startled and trembled in fear.
“F-Father…”
[If you want, I will erase all your painful memories too. And let’s return to how it all started.]
“Father, no. Don’t…don’t do this,”
[Didn’t you like to take naps with your head on my lap? Ignis used to chase after a deer he couldn’t even catch and come back covered in dirt.]
Muttering in reminiscence, Gaionia picked up Aisha trembling before him in exhaustion.
There was fear in Aisha’s eyes as she was held in Gaionia’s arms, powerless as a bird with its wings clipped.
She was terrified, vaguely able to see what he was thinking.
[Do you really think I stayed here because I am unable to do anything?]
“…”
[I’ve just let you be because I have loved you all. But now I am tired of that too.]
Aisha trembled in fear, unable to even close her eyes. Gaionia planted a brief kiss on her forehead.
[My daughter. My dear Genus.]
“…”
[Let us go back to how it was before. Wipe out all the useless beings that torment you.]
“Ah… pl…ease…”
When Gaionia blinked, The two of them were now before Michael.
[Let us end this picnic.]
Gaionia placed Aisha carefully on the ground and took a few steps back.
“Father!”
“What are you doing?”
Noticing the oddness, Michael pressed. Gaionia did not answer.
Instead, a transparent boundary appeared around Aisha and Michael.
A protection layer Gaionia had created with the little mana he had left.
“Father! No! Please!”
Blam-!
Though Aisha reached out her hand in surprise, the fist beating on the invisible wall was blocked in vain.
A protection layer was surrounding only the two of them and Aisha was screaming and struggling as she freaked out.
Michael could finally grasp what Gaionia was thinking.
He was going to erase everything.
Not only Hades and Abel and Deborah here, but also…
Orcus, with numerous souls in it, as well as the world on top of it, created by Gaionia himself. All of it.
“He’s nuts…”
Perhaps his plan may not work.
If this ‘world’ that Procreathor recreated after sealing away Gaionia gets destroyed entirely…
If everything that was going according to Procreathor’s involvement was overturned, there may not be another chance.
“Shoot!”
Blam-! Blam-!
Michael had beaten on the layer a few times in vain. His eyes chased Deborah on the other side of the shield. If Deborah and Hades were to both disappear, all plans would be in vain. This wasn’t a situation he expected.
Aisha must have cracked Gaionia’s frozen emotion by standing in his way.
“What is…”
Michael stared at Gaionia in helplessness.
Psh-!
Hades charged at Gaionia at once and drove the sword into his stomach.
Hades expected Gaionia to protect his heart in reflex and he was right.
Instead of his chest covered in armor-like skin with little mana he had left, Hades succeeded in making a critical wound on his unarmed stomach.
Seeing Gaionia right before his face, Hades tilted his lips proudly.
But Gaionia’s indifferent face displayed no bafflement, nor pain.
[What in the world are you that…]
He muttered as he tilted his head as if he could not understand.
Soon the pale hand rose slowly to grab a hold of the sword stuck in his stomach.
As if challenging him, Hades turned his sword in Gaionia’s stomach ruthlessly once.
Yet, Gaionia muttered without changing his face at all.
[…You put my Genus through so much agony?]
“Are you putting the blame on others now that you are about to die? If that comforts your heart, go ahead.”
The mana leaking out of Gaionia’s heart was almost nonexistent now.
Although Aisha’s nullification that protected him from attacks had disappeared, Hades thought it did not matter.
Looking at the state of Gaionia’s heart, it seemed he barely had any mana left to form a proper attack magic.
Gaionia closed his eyes quietly. Hades could sense that he was preparing his last emission of mana.
Swoop-
Hades drew back his sword and backed away, preparing for defense.
But…
‘What is this?’
Gaionia, who Hades assumed would aim him and unleash an attack, stared into the sky in concentration for some reason.
A golden aura sprouted around him started grow in size.
“What are you…” Hades muttered in bafflement.
Whether it was the protective layer around Aisha and Michael, or Gaionia’s expression devoid of anything…
He could instinctively tell.
Gaionia was preparing something ‘final.’
“Abel!” Hades instinctively shouted at Abel standing behind him.
The potion must have worn off the moment Gaionia’s mana was about to unleash, or perhaps it was a reaction to Gaionia’s mana, but Abel had turned back to his real form.
Hades ran towards Abel who floundered in surprise and held him tight.
“No…”
At the same time, Michael’s limp voice rang within the protective shield.
Light reaching out from Gaionia’s heart drew a circle as it got larger and larger, encroaching on the space around it.
Hades Abel, Deborah, who was looking at them dumbfounded, Azar who was barely alive, Aisha and lastly Michael within the barrier…
The space lost its sound and there was a ringing in their ears.
The moment their sight was fogging away, Michael flinched and turned as he sensed a powerful mana beside him.
“Genus?”
Her face looked worrisome with tear marks running down her cheeks, but her expression was unfamiliar.
“What’s up with you?”
He felt that Aisha’s hollow looking blue eyes were shining enchantedly.
As if she lost her own mind and was being controlled, Aisha was without any expression.
And then…
White light emanated from her body and engulfed the space they were in at rapid speed.
It was powerful enough to nullify Gaionia’s mana.
“What is…”
As two powers collided and the ringing in the ears disappeared,
Michael abruptly raised his head.
Gaionia’s surprised eyes were looking at Aisha.
‘What in the world is that ability?’
Michael couldn’t help but recall the future he had seen some time ago. Aisha’s ability which had saved the world from turning into hell, it was beyond his knowledge.
Though that ability to prevent destruction and save lives must have come from a light element ability, the white element power he knew of was not of this sort.
His body reacted to Aisha’s mana and recovered its vitality.
Even Deborah, who was by Azar’s side, was surprised.
Though not entirely, Azar was also back from near death and raising himself up, regaining clarity.
[My child, what are you…]
“Hagh!”
“Are you alright?’
Soon, Aisha broke out of being in a daze and gasped for breath as she stumbled.
Michael got a hold of her in a hurry.
“What have you done?”
“What?”
Aisha has a baffled expression on her face like someone who had no recollection of what she just did.
“You just…”
“Ah!”
Without even a moment to be curious, Michael turned his head following Aisha’s surprised gaze.
Hades was not missing this opportunity and was once again charging towards Gaionia.
His sword sharply aimed at Gaionia’s chest, and pierced it.
Perhaps he has turned his body instinctively, the sword once again missed the heart closely.
Shiiek-!
[Ah.]
An arrow flew from nowhere to run through Gaionia’s shoulder. Two more flew in and drove into him.
Though his body barely recovered enough to hold a bow, Azar had got up and shot arrows to help Hades to the end.
Hades smiled as he faced Gaionia up close.
“I don’t know what you were trying to pull off, but that’s enough of your struggles.”
Hades held his sword with some force.
Gaionia would die the moment he pulls the sword sideways.
Gaionia held on to the blade with his one hand and Hades was forcing it to drive through.
‘Shoot.’
Hades was a little surprised that he still had this kind of strength left in him.
At that moment, Abel, who was standing behind Gaionia’s back with his small body, swung Hades’ heavy sword at a low angle.
The sword was aimed right at Gaionia’s ankle, making him stumble for a moment.
‘A chance.’
It was at that moment Hades once again pushed through with the sword in his hands.
Before his eyes, Gaionia’s right arm drew in close, shaped like a giant sword.
That hideous thing was raised up into the sky with a threatening sheen on it.
His instinct as a warrior alarmed him.
It was not a weapon made to aim at Hades.
It was probably…
“Abel! Get away!”
There was no chance that the young and little Abel would be able to evade that attack safe and sound.
Hades could sense it instinctively at that instant.
At the same time Gaionia turned his body around, Hades let go of his sword and stomped his feet deftly to block his strike with his body.
“Ah…”
Upon Hades’ right arm, Gaionia’s sharp hand shaped like a sword struck down.
In that short instant, Hades could see his own face reflected on Gaionia’s golden iris.
It was like those of the numerous opponents he had met in war.
The expression…
… of knowing that their demise is coming after getting struck with a critical blow.
“Father!”
Abel’s surprised voice rang across the surroundings and at the same time, Gaionia added strength to his hand without even a second of hesitation.
Slice-
Hades’ right arm was ruthlessly chopped off.