Chapter 124 - 1302-1311

1302 l Will Take That Load off Your Shoulders [Part 2]

"What's wrong with me?" Erinys muttered as she lightly scratched her head. "This is weird."

As someone that had stayed in the Underworld since the day she was born, Erinys didn't know what the budding feelings in her chest represented. All she knew was that her chest ached the moment William was kissed in front of her. It was as if someone stole something that belonged to her.

Erinys had gathered many things along the way and treated them like treasures. She was like the Little Mermaid collecting things that fell from the surface world into the sea.

Figurines of her favorite characters.

Wallpapers of her favorite idol groups, and even the signed merchandise of her favorite actors.

She treasured all of them and treated them as priceless objects.

But, the Half-ling's little heart had been shaken when she saw William's wives stripping him in front of other people, not caring where they were.

This in turn made her state of mind a bit unstable, and the feeling of something that belonged to her being taken away by others made her feel bad.

Because she was deep in her thoughts she didn't hear the sound of footsteps coming from behind her.

A little further away, an exceptionally handsome young man with blonde hair and blue eyes walked in her direction.

Dominic, who had been left behind by Princess Sidonie earlier, had suffered the shock of his life.

'Why didn't it work?!' Dominic gnashed his teeth in anger. 'Why?'

This was the first time that his Charm ability hadn't worked on his target, making him feel angry inside. Originally, he didn't plan to use it on Princess Sidonie and just wanted to genuinely talk to her, and form a close relationship.

He was prepared to spend days, weeks, and even months, to chip at the defenses that protected her heart from his advances.

, Dominic knew that he had eternity to waste, so he didn't mind playing the long game, while fornicating with other women on the side. However, the shock earlier made him lose a bit of his confidence, making him wander aimlessly in Hell's Abode.

While randomly walking around, he noticed a little girl hugging her knees in the distance. Her doll-like beauty, which looked so innocent in his eyes, made the chaotic feelings in his heart rise.

'Good,' Dominic thought. 'Someone I can vent my frustrations on. So young, and yet already so lustful? No wonder she died young.'

The handsome Prince assumed that Erinys was one of the people in the Fourth Layer, like him, who had been sent there because of their addiction to carnal desire. He wasn't aware that the little girl in front of him was the one responsible for bringing William to Lust's Abode, to meet up with his wives.

Taking a deep breath, Dominic used his most dazzling smile as he walked in front of the little girl to catch her attention.

"Good afternoon," Dominic said with a smile. "What are you doing here all alone? Are you lost?"

Erinys looked up at the handsome blondie in an irritated manner because someone dared to disturb her "alone time".

"I'm not lost," Erinys replied. "Scram, blondie. I'm not interested in talking to you!"

Instead of being angry, Dominic just chuckled as he sat beside the little girl, ignoring her glare.

"I didn't expect to see a beautiful sunset in the Underworld," Dominic said as he glanced at the setting sun. "But, this sunset is nothing compared to your beauty."

Erinys cringed internally after hearing the cheesy pick-up line that the irritating blondie just said to her.

"Blondie, I'm not in the mood for your games," Erinys stated. "Just find yourself a random girl here in Lust's Abode and knock yourself out! I'm not interested in you!"

"Oh, but I am interested in you." A devilish smile appeared on Dominic's handsome face as he gazed down at the glaring doll-like beauty, whom he was planning to use to vent out his frustrations.

"Why don't we… get to know each other more?" Dominic leaned on Erinys as his eyes glowed subtly. He didn't believe that the power of his Charm was defective because his eyes contained the power of Divinity, which he had inherited from the Patron God that their Royal Family served.

Erinys was about to punch Dominic's nose in order to make him back away, but her little fists stopped mid-air as she fell into a trance.

The Half-ling had a very strong will, however, it had been shaken earlier due to the incident with William and his wives. Because of this, a small crack had appeared in her heart's defenses, which Dominic's Charm had taken advantage of.

"See? There's nothing to be afraid of," Dominic said softly as if coaxing a child. He then held Erinys's closed fist, which she had used earlier in an attempt to punch him, and gently placed it over his chest.

"I can sense that you are feeling troubled. Don't worry, I will take that load off your shoulders," Dominic whispered seductively in Erinys' ear. "By the time I'm done with you, you'd be sprawled naked on the ground with my seed gushing out of your little crac–ack!"

The sound of something breaking reverberated in the garden.

William's hand was gripping Dominic's shoulder, making the latter feel a world of pain. A moment later, the blonde prince found himself off the bench as he was slammed into the ground.

"S-Stop!" Dominic gasped as he looked up to see a black-haired teenager whose eyes glowed faintly, as the final rays of the sunlight disappeared, drowning the world in Darkness. "W-Who are you?!"

"You don't need to know," William replied as he pressed his foot on Dominic's neck, applying pressure on it little by little. "There are some people that you shouldn't touch no matter what, and one of them is Erinys."

William applied greater pressure with his foot, making Dominic struggle with all of his might. A moment later, a loud crunching sound was heard as the blonde prince's body turned into blue mists nd flew toward the entrance of Lust's Abode.

Since they were already in the Underworld, Dominic couldn't die again, but his soul could be injured. Fights rarely broke out in the Underworld, but when they did, the souls just return to the entrance of the Layer they were in, and stayed there for a few days so they could rebuild their bodies.

Just as William was about to check on Erinys' condition, he felt a pair of delicate hands wrap around his waist.

"Don't turn around," Erinys said as she pressed her forehead against William's back. "I don't want to see you right now."

"Okay," William replied as he stood completely still, allowing the Half-ling to use his body as something to lean on.

In truth, Erinys was able to regain her wits after half a minute. Although Dominic's Charm was powerful, and had managed to slip past the crack in her heart, she was still a Deity.

Having her own Divinity, it pushed the Charm Spell out of her. When Dominic finished whispering in her ear, Eriny's had already prepared herself to smack the irritating blondie's lower half in order to break his balls.

However, before she was able to do that, William had arrived and personally punished the guy who dared to take advantage of her. She just sat on the bench while looking at the Half-Elf who had lived with her for quite some time.

Although he looked calm on the surface, Erinys could tell, after living a long time with him, that William was really angry.

The air around him felt so sharp, that for a brief moment she thought that the air around him was cracking like an egg shell.

Several minutes later, William felt Erinys let go and turned around. He patted Erinys' head, while she looked down, hiding her face from the Half-Elf's gaze.

"Let's go back," William said softly as he playfully rubbed both of Erinys' ears, as if disinfecting them from Dominic's whisper. "My wives want to meet you."

"Fifteen more minutes," Erinys said as she leaned forward and let her forehead rest on William's stomach. "We'll go in fifteen minutes."

William nodded. "Okay."

As the stars in the sky appeared one by one to illuminate the Fourth Layer of Hell, William's cold hands lightly rubbed the back of Erinys's head, making the latter close her eyes to enjoy this act of skinship.

Although the Half-Elf's hands were as cold as ice because he drank blood sparingly, the Half-ling felt his touch start to seep into the cracks of her lonely heart, filling it with his warmth.

1303 Quest To Find Hope

"What are you doing?!" Dominic's soul shouted as he was being carried away by a Ferryman of the Underworld. "Where are you taking me?!"

The Ferryman didn't reply and simply dragged the struggling Dominic away from Lust's abode. Half an hour later, the blonde prince's eyes widened in shock when he saw a raging river made of flames, whose current was so fast that he felt that the moment he was dropped in there, he would be trapped for eternity.

"Wait!" Dominic shouted in fear. "D-Don't tell me you are going to…"

The Ferryman grabbed Dominic's neck and pulled him close to his face.

"If you want someone to blame, blame yourself for being stupid," the Ferryman stated coldly. "You dare lay your hands on a Ferryman of the Underworld? Fool! You courted death ten times over."

"I-I don't know!" Dominic shouted hysterically. "I will apologize! Allow me to apologize! I will set this righ—aaaaaaahh!"

Perhaps getting irritated with his pleading, the Ferryman tossed Dominic towards the River of Flames, making the latter scream his heart out as he fell on the fiery waters to be tortured for over a hundred years.

"Nooooooooooooo!"

"Arghhhhhhhhhh! It Burns!"

"Save me!"

"Have mercy! Forgive me!"

The Ferryman sneered at the suffering blonde prince whose face had already melted, along his body, making him wail in despair.

Five minutes later, the Ferryman sailed his flying boat away, leaving the lustful prince to suffer the punishment that he so rightfully deserved.

——–

Somewhere in the Underworld…

"Is it done?" a man wearing a black robe asked as he sat on a throne made up of skulls.

"Yes, Your Excellency," the Ferryman knelt as he replied. "A hundred years of torment in the River of Hell, a Hundred Year of torment in the plains of Hell."

"Two Hundred."

"Your, Excellency?"

The man wearing a black robe shifted ever slowly as his powerful gaze locked on the Ferryman who had become frozen in place.

"Make his sentence two hundred years each."

"A-At once, Your Excellency. It will be done."

The Ferryman hurriedly left because he still needed to handle the paperwork of Dominic's forceful punishment. They needed to keep tabs on the punishment of each soul to ensure that their punishment didn't exceed the necessary sentence that was placed on their heads.

Only after they had been judged, and paid for their sins in full, would they be allowed to enter the Cycle of Reincarnation as pure souls who had forgotten all of their memories of, including the crimes they had committed in, their past lives.

"Erinys…," the cloaked man muttered softly. "Child, you're playing with fire."

—–

Somewhere in Lust's Abode…

"So, your name is Erinys," Morgana said. "I've heard many things about you from my husband. He said that he wanted to XXX you after breakfast, XXX you after lunch, XXX you after dinner, and XXX you in his dreams. I thought I've seen it all, but for him to target someone smaller than Chiffon makes me worry about what the future holds."

"Pffftt!"

Erinys spat out the mouthful of tea she was drinking and coughed repeatedly after hearing Morgana's words.

William, who was seated beside her, sighed as he rubbed the Half-lings back, in order to allow Erinys to recover from his wife's teasing.

"I'm no longer a child," Erinys replied. "I'm already eighteen years old. Also, I'm small because I'm a Half-ling!"

Morgana covered her lips and giggled because Erinys looked so cute and adorable with her cheeks puffed up in anger.

Princess Sidonie and Ashe, who calmly drank their tea at the side, glanced at the Half-ling who was blushing profusely after correcting Morgana's statement.

They could understand why Morgana wanted to tease Erinys. She was simply too cute to ignore.

"I'm telling you now, although our handsome husband looks like a gentle soul, he is a wolf in sheep's clothing," Morgana stated. "He will eat you up, and spit out only your bones. It is best if you don't bind your fate with him. I mean, look at us. We love him so much that we ended up here in the Underworld.

"You should learn from your seniors. That handsome, charismatic, delicious, titillating, and peerless hunk seated beside you is one of a kind. I doubt you'd survive a single round in bed with him. You can still turn back, Erinys."

The Half-ling snorted as she gazed at Morgana fearlessly. "I think you're making a mistake. I am not interested in Will. We are merely travel buddies."

"Friends with benefits? I like that term."

"Tra-vel Bud-dies!"

"That's what I said. Friends with benefits."

William sighed for the second time before glancing at his seductive Succubus wife.

"Don't tease her too much, okay?" William said. "If not for her, I wouldn't have arrived here so early. She saved me a lot of trouble by teaching me how things work in the Underworld."

Princess Sidonie placed her cup on top of the table before voicing out her thoughts.

"Erinys, in the past, our husband said that he would only have ten wives," Princess Sidonie stated. "Now, he has surpassed that number, and I believe that it might continue to grow in the future. There might be times when you will feel that you are being ignored, but don't worry. We can just pin him down on the bed together. This big sis of yours will teach you the ropes."

"What are your three sizes by the way?" Morgana interjected. "Don't worry. Will doesn't care whether they are big or small. He loves all sizes equally."

William was at a loss for words due to how the conversation was turning out.

He thought that his wives would just ask Erinys things about the Underworld, and what he had been through to meet them. However, before he knew it, they were already asking her for her three sizes and other very personal questions.

They like the managers in a job interview who were interviewing an aspiring employee. However, from the way he looked at it, they were just like Aunties who were looking for something to gossip about.

Ashe giggled after seeing the Half-Elf's expression, so she decided to take him outside the residence in order to take a stroll.

"I really thought that I would not see you again, Will," Ashe said as she walked holding onto William's arm. "If not for the fact that I am with Sidonie and Morgana, I might have felt so lonely that I might have died a second time."

The Half-Elf stopped walking and kissed his wife's forehead.

"I will go to Hell and back, so that all of us can be together," William replied. "Don't worry. I will negotiate with the God of Death and ask for him to release your souls."

Ashe nodded before resting her head on William's chest.

"Be careful, Will," Ashe said softly. "The price of our release might be something that will make you lose something important in return."

William didn't reply and just hugged the beautiful mermaid in his arms. He had the same opinion as Ashe, and was prepared to bargain with the God of Death until they reached a proper settlement.

With Adephagia's promise to cause havoc if Chiffon wasn't released, he believed that even the God of the Underworld would have no choice but to compromise. Princess Sidonie had already told him that her Patron Goddess, Lady Eros, had also visited the Underworld before William came.

She said that if Thanatos wouldn't budge, she would charm all the souls in the Underworld and start a civil war. Princess Sidonie didn't know if her Patron Goddess was joking or not, but she could tell from her teasing voice that she was half serious about it.

After cuddling for quite some time, the two found a bench. William laid on Ashe's lap, while the latter brushed his black hair.

"Will, what is your relationship with Erinys?" Ashe asked. "I can tell by the way she looks at you, that are someone special to her. Also, I can tell the way that you look at her that she is also special to you. So, spill the beans. What is your relationship with her?"

"… it's a bit complicated, but are you willing to hear me out?" William replied.

"Of course. It's not as if I have anything to do here in Lust's Abode, except from getting attacked everyday by Sidonie and Morgana in bed."

"You've suffered so much…"

Ashe chuckled because she found WIlliam's words funny. Indeed, she had suffered so much from the pleasure that the two succubus ladies had given her for the past few months, but she'd rather suffer in their hands, than suffer in the hands of others.

"Come on, start talking," Ashe urged. "Sidonie and Morgana will probably come looking for us soon. You better finish your story by then."

William smiled bitterly as he started to retell his story about the Deadlands.

"Haleth, Amelia, Pearl, Priscilla, a pretty lady with a single horn on her forehead (Anh), a green-haired beauty with a tail that resembled that of a lizard (Vesta)," William said as he ended his tale. "And a Half-ling who looked like a doll that was only a little more than three feet tall. In that dream, someone told me that if I gathered all of them together, I would find Hope."

Ashe listened silently as William finished his tale. A few minutes later, she playfully pulled on the Half-Elf's ear with a smile.

"Are you sure that what you are looking for is Hope, and not to add more girls into your harem?" Ashe inquired. "Those are seven girls all together. Also, don't you think it is quite convenient that you already know some of them, while the rest you were able to meet in your journey?

"Does that mean that if we hadn't died. You would not have gotten the opportunity to meet Erinys, who is the last girl to complete your quest to find Hope?"

William blinked when he realized what Ashe was hinting at. Just like the beautiful mermaid said, more than half of the girls he was looking for were the ladies that he had already met. As for Vesta and Anh, he only met them when he went to the Demon Continent.

Erinys, who was the last person missing to complete the set, was found in the Underworld. Even the Half-Elf had to agree that if his wives hadn't died, he wouldn't have had an opportunity to meet with the doll-like Half-ling, who longed for the Surface World, while trapped in the Underworld.

It was as if Fate had played her hand in order to allow him to meet the ladies that would play a major role in his life, and lead him to finding the fleeting Hope, whom everyone chased after during the darkest moments in their lives.

1304 Spending Eternity With Him,Wouldn't That Be Wonderful?

(Disclaimer: Trust me. This is not an R-18 Chapter.)

———–

Ashe greedily licked Williams… as Princess Sidonie kissed his lips, sliding her tongue inside of it.

Morgana, on the other hand, was leaving kiss marks on the black-haired teenager's body, while his fingers teased her insides, preparing her for what was about to come next.

This was William's fourth day inside Lust's Abode, and Ashe, Princess Sidonie, and Morgana all knew that he would leave them soon to look for Celine, who was pregnant with his child.

Because of this, they decided to take the initiative and pin William down any opportunity they got, preventing him from leaving their private residence, and simply indulged in pleasure day by day.

'… Can't you guys tone it down a bit?" Erinys grumbled. "I'm trying to sleep here!"

She was currently staying inside Ashe's room because she and William would be leaving when morning came.

Princess Sidonie and Morgana even invited Erinys to join them a day ago, but the latter firmly rejected their offer with a beet-red face. The Half-ling knew that the two beautiful succubi were only teasing her, but deep inside, she knew that they were half serious as well.

William's and Erinys' next destination were the Plains of Wrath, where those that had succumbed to acts of war, violence, and any extreme actions that harmed anything, and everything around them were sent after they had died.

This was the place where they would spend their days fighting with each other, until all of their pent up anger was vented, allowing them to move on to their next stage of life.

Since that was the case, William's three wives had locked him inside Princess Sidonie's room, right after the sun went down, in order to engrave his touch, kisses, and essence, into their bodies and souls.

Several minutes later, Erinys gave up on sleeping and left the residence. As someone who had no experience in the acts of carnal pleasures, the Half-ling could only imagine what William's three wives were doing to him.

Naturally, she wasn't that naive about it because she had stayed in Lust's Abode for a few days, observing the people inside of it from afar as they fornicated in broad daylight.

But, surprisingly, she couldn't find herself imagining doing the same thing with the black-haired teenager whom she would accompany to the next layer when the sun rose from the East.

Back then, Erinys' didn't really care too much about this act of love making because she couldn't imagine herself falling in love with someone, and surrendering her heart, body, and soul to them.

Because of this, she had watched many romantic telenovelas to better understand the feelings of love. This was why she was feeling confused about her wish to stay by William's side. Was it due to the feeling of puppy love, or just her wish to play a supporting role to the tale of the Prince going to the Underworld to save his wives?

When she first saw the black-haired teenager and found out that he was a living person, Erinys' interest in him grew.

Then, when she had gotten to know him a little better, she found out that, although William looked standoffish, he was actually a very caring person.

Also, she didn't want to admit it, but on the day that William saved her from Dominic's sinister attempt to take advantage of her weakness, she felt as if she had become a protagonist in one of the shows she frequently watched.

Just like the Leading Lady being saved by the Male Lead in her darkest moments and forming a connection with him that led to a romantic relationship.

That was the scenario that happened to Erinys, and yet, she didn't know if that feeling of gratitude had something to do with love, which made her confused.

"It's no use to think about these things, Erinys," the Half-ling muttered. "Even if he manages to rescue his wives, they alone will be able to leave this place. I can't do that… I will forever be stuck here in the Underworld."

A long and deep sigh escaped Erinys' lips as she laid on the deck of her flying boat, which was currently hovering above Lust's Abode.

'I hope morning comes soon,' Erinys thought as she closed her eyes. 'Then we can leave this place, and I will have some time alone with Will to better understand what I feel about him.'

Just as she was about to fall asleep, she sensed a presence coming near her boat.

The Half-ling immediately propped herself up and glanced to her right, just in time to see another flying boat, led by another Ferryman, hover beside her own.

"It's been a while, Erinys," the Ferryman greeted the Half-ling. "How are you doing?"

"It's you, Calli," Erinys smiled widely after hearing the voice of her friend. "What are you doing here?"

The Ferryman named Calli, took the black robe off her face, showing a pretty face with long, dark-brown hair, and green eyes.

"I'm just on my way back from tossing someone into the River of Hell," Calli replied. "The Boss sure made things difficult for me. I have to do a lot of paperwork after dealing with that bastard."

"Sounds rough. How is the boss doing?"

"Well, he's the same as always."

"… I see."

The smile on Erinys' face dimmed a little after hearing Calli's words. However, the Ferryman, who was also Erinys' close friend, jumped over to Erinys's boat and gave the Half-ling a bear hug, making the latter struggle in Calli's embrace.

"Um, did you become a bit heavier?" Calli asked as she put the panting Half-ling down. "Have you only been eating junk food? No good, you've become a slouch since you got the Ferryman Badge. This will not reflect well on your record."

"N-Nonsense," Erinys stuttered. "I am eating properly everyday. Also, I'm still a growing girl. It is only fine for me to gain a little weight in order to get taller, right?"

"Taller?" Calli looked at Erinys from head to toe before circling her three times. "Your height is the same since I last saw you. Give it up, Erinys. You stopped growing a year ago."

"K-Kuh… are you my friend or not?" Erinys wasn't able to refute Calli's words and the latter just chuckled while patting her head.

"Well, enough about your height," Calli said with a smile. "What are you doing here in Lust's Abode? Don't tell me you finally got curious about doing THAT. I can't believe it, my little Erinys is finally curious about having se-arggh!"

Calli found herself being headbutted on her stomach, making her body bend like a cooked shrimp before falling down on all fours coughing.

"D-Don't talk nonsense!" Erinys' shouted with a beet-red face. "W-Who is interested in learning how to do that thing!"

"C-Calm down. I was just joking."

"Hmph!"

Calli massaged her stomach before propping herself up. She didn't expect Erinys to have this kind of reaction, so it piqued her interest.

"Say, Erinys, I heard that you've been traveling with someone as of late," Calli said with a smile. "Is he a boy?"

"That's none of your business," Erinys replied with a pout.

Calli walked closer and crouched a bit, so that she could look eye to eye with the Half-ling who had a wary look on her doll-like face.

"I see, it's a boy. So, is he handsome?"

"… I didn't say if he was a boy or not."

Calli giggled. Of course she knew that Erinys was traveling with a boy. She was one of the Ferrymen that had been ferrying souls for hundreds of years in the Underworld, so it was fairly easy for her to gather information on the person that Erinys was traveling with.

"I heard that he is still a living person," Calli commented. "For him to appear here before his time of death is truly intriguing. Tell me, what is he like? What kind of person is he?"

"No comment," Erinys replied.

"Awww… don't be like that. Your Big Sis is here to give you some advice about love."

"I don't need your advice."

Calli smirked before moving her head closer to the Half-ling who had subconsciously taken a step back.

"Since he is still alive, it is fairly easy to bind him to you," Calli said. "Just let him eat the food of the Underworld. As long as you prepare it yourself, he will be bound to you for eternity."

"I will not do such a despicable thing," Erinys replied. "Will and I are friends."

"Oh, so his name is Will? I've seen his picture, and he looks like a very fine person…" Calli smiled. "If you are not interested in him, maybe I can feed him some food in the Underworld and make him my…"

Before Calli could even finish what she was about to say, she felt the cold, and sharp blade of a Deathscythe hanging over her neck.

"Calli, don't even think about it," Erinys said as her eyes turned crimson. Her hair fluttered lightly in the breeze as she held her weapon firmly in her little hands. "Will is off limits. He is mine."

Instead of feeling afraid, the smile on Calli's face widened.

"I see," Calli commented. "Since you've already made the decision to make him yours then you know what to do."

Calli lightly pushed away the blade of the Deathscyhe from her neck with a finger.

"There is more than one way to bind the living to the Underworld, and it is not just about food," Calli whispered in Erinys' ear as if she was a devil tempting her to do bad deeds. "Just imagine… spending eternity with him, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Erinys snorted as she unsummoned her weapon and turned around. She didn't want to look at Calli's face right now because the latter's words had shaken her heart.

"Get out of my boat," Erinys said. "I don't want to see you anytime soon."

"Fine, I'm leaving," Calli replied before casually jumping to her own flying boat, which was floating beside the Half-ling's. "But, remember this, Erinys, you belong to the Underworld. The Surface World is not as beautiful and peaceful as the ones you see in your telenovelas.

"It is an ugly place filled with wicked men and women who do vile things to each other. You should know that more than I. After all… you've been ferrying those who have departed to the many Layers of Hell. You should know by now what Human nature is like."

Having said her words, Calli steered her boat away and headed towards the Third Layer of the Underworld.

Although she said some pretty harsh things, she was just worried about her friend, Erinys. She even went as far as to remind her that there were other ways to keep William in the Underworld if she truly wished for it.

"Erinys' you're still too young and innocent," Calli muttered as her boat descended towards the Third Layer. 'I don't know what the Boss is thinking, allowing that Half-Elf to freely move around the Underworld, while he is still alive, but I have a feeling that whatever is in his mind right now… it is something that you should stay away from no matter what.'

Calli had been in the Underworld for a very long time, and she had seen all the faces of humanity during those many years of ferrying the souls of the dead.

Although she knew that there were also good humans among the bunch, she had just seen so many evil things that her heart had already grown cold and numb when it came to interacting with people who had made others suffer just for the sake of their selfishness.

"Well, whatever happens, I got your back," Calli said softly. "It's good to be young. So innocent and foolish at the same time."

The Ferryman of the Underworld sighed before giving the Lust Abode one last glance before continuing her journey, leaving her friend behind, whose mind was reeling from the thought of keeping the handsome Half-Elf by her side…

For eternity.

1305 A Part Of Her World

"Please be careful, Will," Ashe said as she hugged the Half-Elf who held her in a tight embrace.

"I will," William replied. "Wait for me. I will return, definitely."

"Yes." Ashe looked up to her husband with a loving gaze. "I will wait for you."

The two kissed passionately for a few seconds before both of them reluctantly parted.

As soon as Ashe had backed down, Princess Sidonie took her place. Instead of saying words of farewell, the Succubus Princess kissed William for half a minute, before playfully biting his neck, leaving a kiss mark.

"Behave while I'm away, okay?" Will said as he caressed Princess Sidonie's cheeks.

"Don't worry," Princess Sidonie replied. "No matter how many handsome men are here in Lust's Abode, you are the only one for me."

Princess Sidonie playfully kissed William's nose before backing away giggling.

"Now, it's my turn, Darling!" Morgana opened her arms wide as she embraced the Half-Elf tightly.

Just like Princess Sidonie, she kissed William repeatedly, but this lasted for an entire minute before she pulled back.

"Darling, be careful," Morgana whispered. "When Erinys returned, she seemed to be in a daze. My woman's intuition is telling me that she might use a honey trap against you."

William flicked Morgana's forehead making the latter yelp in surprise.

"Erinys is too innocent for that," William replied. "I'm more worried about you honey trapping other people here in Lust's Abode."

"Ah. you don't have to worry about that. We'll just eat Ashe while waiting for you. Rest assured, our heart, body, and soul, only belong to you."

"As it should be."

William smiled as he pressed his lips over Morgana's forehead. As much as possible, he didn't want to leave, but he still needed to find Celine and ensure that she was doing well.

He didn't know how time worked in the Underworld, but according to his wives, it had been almost ten months since they arrived in the Underworld.

If that was true, then Celine might have already given birth to his child, while she was trapped in the World of the Dead. This possibility made William feel anxious because he didn't know what kind of situation she was in right now.

After bidding his goodbye, William jumped on the deck of Erinys' floating boat before turning around to face his wives.

"I'll see you all soon," William said.

Ashe, Princess Sidonie, and Morgana waved at him. Morgana even playfully blew a flying kiss to him, making the Half-Elf smile, as the flying ship started to ascend to head to the next Layer of Hell, which was called the Plains of Wrath.

William kept on looking at his wives until they disappeared from view. According to Erinys' they would need to hitch a ride on the River of Hell in order to arrive at their destination.

"We will arrive there in a week at the earliest," Erinys said as she stood beside William, who was still looking in the direction of Lust's Abode. "When we arrive there, prepare yourself. There is a high chance that you will get attacked the moment you step onto the Plains of Wrath."

William didn't reply as he continued to stare in the distance, while his hair lightly fluttered in the breeze. William's hair had gotten longer, and now rested on his back. It was tied with a small, silver butterfly hairpin, which Erinys' had purchased in order to tease the Half-Elf.

But, contrary to her expectations, William didn't mind it, and wore the hairpin that Erinys had bought with over a hundred thousand Hell Credits.

"I'm sorry, but if I remember correctly, you said that your fourth wife is pregnant with your child, right?" Erinys asked.

"Yes," William replied without even turning his head to look at the Half-ling standing beside her.

"… The Underworld is not a good place to give birth to a child," Erinys said softly. "Also… if she did give birth in the Underworld, it would be impossible to take the child out of this place without the permission of the God of Death."

William slowly turned his head towards Erinys, who was looking up at him.

"I will find a way," William stated. "Not even the God of Death can stop me."

"Don't push yourself too hard, okay?

"Mmm."

William smiled before ruffling the Half-ling's hair, which made the latter shout in surprise. A moment later, Erinys repeatedly pounded the Half-Elf's waist with her fists, as payback for making a mess of her hairstyle.

, After a few minutes, the two went inside the cabin of the floating boat to rest. The black-haired teenager laid on the bed, and soon dozed off from exhaustion.

His three wives had made love to him until the last minute, milking him dry. It was as if they were trying to store up his essence inside their bodies, before they went into hibernation while he was away.

A few minutes later, the door of the bathroom opened and Erinys came out with her hair still wet. Due to her excessive thinking, she hadn't taken a bath before they left the Lust's Abode, so she decided to take one, while William was asleep.

Drying her hair with a towel, the Half-ling hummed as she took out a set of pajamas from her little closet. She out them on without much fuss before sitting on top of the bed, looking at the sleeping Half-Elf.

'You're too defenseless, Will,' Erinys thought. 'All I need to do is pinch a grape and allow its juices to enter your lips, trapping you here in the Underworld.'

Erinys' sighed before lying beside the Half-Elf, and resting her head on his chest.

Her friend, Calli, had told her things that had shaken her resolve. In truth, Erinys was still trying to understand what the Half-Elf meant to her.

A friend?

A close friend?

More than a friend, and less than a lover?

'Stupid Calli…,' Erinys sighed as she drew circles around the obsidian gem on William's chest with her fingers. 'What kind of friend would make their friend suffer in the Underworld? Doing that is the worst… and yet, I was almost tempted to do it.'

After being alone for several years, Erinys knew that she might have longed for a companion. Someone that would always be around and accompany her as they explored the hidden mysteries of the Underworld together.

She found William very pleasing to the eyes, and the Half-Elf treated her kindly, even going as far as spoiling her from time to time, like letting her sit on his lap while she watched T.V., and cuddling with him when she slept at night.

'His wives are so lucky,' Erinys mused as she raised her head to look down on William's sleeping face. 'They kissed him many times before we left.'

The Half-ling cautiously traced William's lips, and marveled at how soft they were.

Before she knew it, she was already lowering her head in order to press her lips over his. It was already too late for her to stop as if she was pulled down by the law of gravity, making her soft lips touch William's, with her eyes firmly closed.

A few seconds later she immediately pulled back as if she had been electrocuted by something. Placing her hands over her lips, she stared down at the sleeping Half-Elf, as her face slowly turned crimson.

As if sensing that something wasn't right, William sleepily opened his eyes to look at Erinys who was looking down at him with her hands firmly pressed over her lips.

"Erinys?" William lightly rubbed his eyes before propping himself up to a sitting position. "You shouldn't sleep on the bed with your hair still wet. How many times do I need to tell you that?"

The Half-Elf grabbed the hand towel that was currently lying on top of the bed and nonchalantly started to dry the Half-ling, whose cheeks were burning in shame and embarrassment.

'That was close' Erinys could feel and hear the strong beating of her heart inside her chest, as William wiped her hair with practiced movements.

This was not the first time he had done this thing, because he had already done this countless times with his lovers.

A few minutes later, Erinys' hair was finally dry after the Half-Elf used his wind ability to help dry it.

"Let's sleep," William said as he tossed the towel away and laid down on the bed. "Come."

With the Half-Elf's invitation, Erinys' obediently laid her head on his shoulder, and hugged him like a pillow. The Half-Elf, in turn hugged her back and planted a kiss on her forehead before going back to sleep.

This had been their regular routine when they were sleeping together due to Erinys' request. William wasn't aware that the Half-ling in his arms had slowly started to feel things she had never felt before.

Experience things she had never experienced before.

As the boat of the Ferryman sailed the River of Flames towards their destination, Erinys was starting to consider Calli's words, and make the Half-Elf who was holding her in a warm embrace, a part of her world.

1306 The Plains Of Wrath

"Ha… Mmm… Fwah…"

A trail of blood streamed down on a body void of any imperfections.

Due to an unexpected incident while sailing through the River of Flames, Erinys' boat was dragged off by a great flood of fiery, hellish waters that surged out of nowhere.

Using everything she had to prevent the boat from capsizing, and prevent William from falling into the River of Flames, Erinys was able to steer her boat to safety.

However, she collapsed afterwards because she had bumped her head hard when she was blown away by the hellish waters at the beginning.

She only held on for as long as she could because he didn't want the Half-Elf, whom she had forced to remain inside the cabin, to be tainted by the flames of the Underworld.

The boat that had lost its Master wandered aimlessly as it was carried away by the current, far from their intended destination.

Several days passed before Erinys regained consciousness. William, who was trapped inside the Cabin, was unable to help her because the Half-ling had shut it tight using the power of her Divinity.

Without her permission, no one would be able to break through it. If they did, she would receive a backlash that would make her suffer internal injuries.

Knowing this fact, the Half-Elf could only helplessly call out to her from within the cabin while pounding the door.

Perhaps due to her head injury, or perhaps due to exhaustion, her body was paralyzed from head to toe.

After hearing William's constant calls from the cabin, Erinys lifted the seal, allowing the Half-Elf to come to her side and tend to her injuries.

The Half-Elf did his best to care for the injured Half-ling, but nothing he did worked. Erinys had told him that healing potions that belonged to the Surface World had no effect on the denizens of the Underworld.

Only the Medicines from the Underworld would heal their injuries. Unfortunately, the Half-ling didn't have those things because she never thought that she would receive any injuries while traveling through her birthplace.

The days turned to weeks, until a month has passed.

Although Erinys was slowly recovering, it was still too slow for her to move her body. The only thing she could move was her eyes, and mouth that she used to talk to William.

To make things worse, William had also run out of blood packs. Staying within the River of Flames exposed his body to fumes that were stronger than miasma. These fumes were fanning his blood thirst, making him use more of the blood packs that Erinys had packed for their journey.

The Half-Elf had also noticed that after his battle with Aka Manah, his bloodthirst had somehow increased to the next level. Even so, this wasn't a problem because there were many women who were more than happy to give him their blood.

Unfortunately, there was no steady supply of fresh blood in the Underworld.

No matter how much he tried to hold on, William was nearing his limit, which would make him lose all reason and attack the person closest to him, which was the immobile Half-ling who was unable to defend herself.

Finally, on a day that he was using massage therapy to help Erinys recover the feelings on her body faster, William subconsciously brushed his lips on the nape of her neck, licking it as if to stave off his hunger.

"It's okay, Will," Erinys had said back then. "You don't have to endure. It will be more dangerous if you went berserk and started tearing my limbs to drink my blood. You're not only doing this for your sake, but doing this for my sake as well."

Gaining her permission, and left with no other choice, the Half-Elf finally gave into his instincts and sank his fangs on her delicate neck, drinking a mouthful of her blood.

"Ha… Mmm… Fwah…"

A sigh escaped Erinys lips as her body, which had grown numb over the past month, suddenly tingled.

Just like a dried up field that hadn't received a single drop of rain for several years, she started to regain the sensations that she had lost, as an unfamiliar wave passed over her body, making a soft sigh escape her soft lips.

A line of blood flowed down her young body that was devoid of imperfection, making the Half-Elf, who had nearly lost his senses, stare at it with ragged breaths.

A moment later, he licked the trail of blood, up to its source before kissing it, closing the wound completely.

pan,da n<0,>v,el As if the month-long suffering they experienced was a lie. Erinys regained full control of her body, breaking free from the paralysis that had taken hold of it for weeks.

Right after that, she willed the boat to fix its course, so they once again sailed towards their destination.

Even so, the journey towards the Plains of Wrath would take another two weeks. Leaving the Half-Elf no choice but to rely on the Half-ling for sustenance, which the latter willingly gave him.

Two weeks later, they finally arrived at their destination.

"This is the Plains of Wrath?" William inquired as he stared out of the cabin's window.

"Yes," Erinys replied as she leaned on the Half-Elf, who had just finished drinking her blood. "This is the Fifth Layer of the Underworld, and the place where I have seen the lady that bears the resemblance of your Master, Celine."

Hearing the weakness in her voice, William lifted her up in a princess carry as she laid her down on the bed.

"Rest first, we can explore it tomorrow," William said softly as he hugged the Half-ling who had done so much for him.

"Might as well," Erinys commented as she buried her head on William's chest. "I am really tired. It has been a very long journ… Zzzz."

The black-haired teeenager held the naked girl in his arms. Ever since the day he had drunk her blood, the two would sleep together without wearing anything, holding each other in an embrace.

They hadn't done anything sensual, because the two of them only longed for each other's warmth during that long, and perilous, journey to their destination.

William cared for Erinys and the Half-ling understood this. This was why she trusted him with every fiber of her being, knowing he wouldn't do anything to harm her.

Although she still wasn't sure what to feel about him, one thing was for sure. She liked being together with William.

She liked being hugged by him, with their skin touching each other, and her body pressed over his. Just as they were doing now, making her feel safe, and warm.

As the black-haired teenager held the sleeping girl in his arms, he pondered the true meaning of Hope.

Now that he was in the Underworld to see his wives, and negotiate with the God of Death, he didn't know where Hope came in.

He didn't know what role would "Hope" play in his life.

'Perhaps I will know the answer to the question once all of them have been gathered to one place,' William thought. 'Haleth, Amelia, Pearl, Priscilla, Anh, Vesta, and Erinys. These seven hold the key to Hope, and whatever that would give me in the end, I'll take it whatever form it may take.'

——-

Plains of Wrath…

A green-haired demon threw black fireballs at his enemies before summoning a dark whip to lash at the foes that tried to surround him.

Within the Plains of Wrath, everything was a free-for-all.

With each person you killed, you gained one Hell Credit, which was a pittance compared to what you could gain from the first few floors of the Underworld. However, this was the law in the Fifth Layer, and they had no choice but to gain a Billion Hell Credits, in order to get a chance to enter the Cycle of Reincarnation.

Everyday, everyone would die countless times as they are killed by the people who were farming these precious credits to end their suffering.

Within the Plains of Wrath, every sensation was multiplied a hundred times. A single stab wound would send anyone screaming in pain, as if their entire body were on fire. Only the strong remained,

The surprising thing was, everytime a person died, they would also gain one Hell Credit.

Simply put, this place was Hell.

So whether you killed others, or died in the process, you would gain one credit in the process. However, due to the extreme pain that one would suffer at the moment of their death, everyone preferred killing other people over experiencing a pain that transcended the bounds of mortality.

"She's here," Felix muttered right after pulling out his black sword from the chest of the person he just killed. "I can feel it. My bride is here."

The Heir of Darkness gazed towards the North where a giant Black Tower stood. No one could see the top of the tower because it was hidden above the clouds. Even so, Felix could feel the connection between him and his prophesied bride, which surprised him.

He didn't expect to find Celine in the Underworld, but this surprise soon turned into desire. Now that his bride was on the same plane as him, there was nothing to stop him from going to her side, and staking his claim on what rightfully belonged to him by birth.

"Wait for me, Celine," Felix stated as he walked towards a group of men that were running in his direction with weapons at the ready. "I'll be there soon."

1307 Past And Present Grudges[Part 1]

"Take care," Erinys said. "I will be waiting for you here."

"Okay," William said as he lightly patted her head. "I'll return as soon as I can."

Erinys nodded before giving William one last hug. A minute later, she reluctantly pulled back and stepped away.

"I'll be waiting for you inside my boat," Erinys stated before pointing at the black tower in the distance. "Your wife is located at the top of the Tower of Wrath. But beware, this place is the most chaotic place in the Underworld.

"Everyone here in the Plains of Wrath is out to kill you, so don't trust anyone. It will be safe if you just kill anyone you see. They are all bad guys anyway."

William smiled. "Don't miss me too much, okay?"

Erinys snorted. "Go. Make sure to keep your blood packs with you. I don't want to see you crying like a little kid when you get back because you ran out of blood packs."

"You're the small one here."

"Height is irrelevant! I'm a Half-ling! Have you seen a tall Half-ling?!"

William smirked before waving goodbye to Erinys.

As much as he wanted the little girl's company, the latter adamantly refused to accompany him across the Plains of Wrath, saying that none of the Ferryman were allowed to step on it without permission from above.

The Half-Elf didn't know whether Erinys was telling the truth or not, but he decided to trust her.

Watching his back grow smaller, and smaller in the distance. Erinys placed her right hand over her chest.

In truth, she could accompany William just fine. However, she didn't want to experience the discomfort she felt in Lust's Abode, when the Half-Elf was being intimate with his wives.

She was still confused about her feelings towards the black-haired teenager, who had drunk her blood several times during their trip down the River of Hell.

Erinys didn't even know if William treated her as a lady, instead of a little girl due to her small physique.

She didn't see him blushing when the two of them slept naked together, which made her feel that he didn't find her attractive, and only used her as his blood supply and a hug pillow that he could cuddle at night.

"Who am I kidding?" Erinys sighed. "I'm the one that forced that setting to him every night."

It was indeed her who liked to cuddle with William, and the one responsible for telling him to not wear anything when they sleep together, because she liked the warmth of his skin against hers.

'Is this what it means to become an adult?' Erinys thought as she rested her left hand over her chest. 'I didn't know that I'd feel this hurt to see someone leave me.'

Erinys sighed for the second time as William's image disappeared from her view.

"Come back soon… Will," Erinys muttered. "I'm lonely…"

——

As William embarked on his journey in the Plains of Wrath, a great battle was taking place in the sky above the Ainsworth Empire.

After their loss against the Half-Elf's subordinates, the Pope became lowkey for nearly a month before launching an all out offensive against William's Empire.

Although there was suspicion that there was a spy among their ranks, the Pope once again gathered the five Pseudo-Gods and took them to the special domain that belonged to the Holy Order of Light.

After that, the Pseudo-Gods erected several barriers, and signed individual contracts with the Pope that none of them would leak their plans no matter what.

Because of this, they had managed to catch William's forces by surprise, taking the battlefield to the capital city of the Ainsworth Empire.

"Dammit! Don't you care about who we have as our hostages?!" Loxos cursed out loud as she guided the ranged attacks of her allies towards their enemies.

The Pseudo-Gods didn't respond and simply attacked their respective targets, according to the plan that the Pope had drafted beforehand.

The sound of the whistling wind reached Loxos' ears, forcing her to dodge to the side as Belle's arrow flew past her.

A moment later, a portal opened two meters in front of her, revealing one of the Pseudo-Gods that specialized in close ranged combat.

"Got you, girlie!" the Pseudo-God said as he delivered a powerful punch to Loxos' stomach, making the latter's body bend like a shrimp.

Loxos' pained gasp lasted for only a second before the Pseudo-God grabbed her body and pulled her back inside the portal, which closed as soon as she was captured by the enemy.

"No! Loxos!" Opis shouted. "Dammit!"

Hekaerge gritted her teeth before glaring in the direction where the young nymph was taken.

As someone that held the Divinity over distance, she was able to see where the enemy had taken her sister.

"Finally, we got you," the Pope pulled Loxos' hair, who was sprawled on the deck of the flying ship after she was captured by the Pseudo-God under the Palace of Light.

Her hands, and feet were bound by golden manacles, preventing her from using her power. Right now, she was not different from an ordinary girl, which could be found all over Hestia.

"You like to curse right?" the Pope sneered as she pulled her hair harder. "Let's see how you talk big this time."

"You old hag, you won't get away with this!" Loxos shouted. "William will save me!"

The Pope smirked as she pulled Loxos' face close to hers. "That's what we're counting on. We've long wanted to catch that bastard and make him understand who he is dealing with."

Belle, who was standing at the helm of the ship, gave Loxos a side-long glance.

'Another one of his women,' Belle thought as she narrowed his eyes. 'Her name wasn't on the list last time. It seems that he has really forgotten his promise.'

The black-haired beauty then nocked another arrow on her bow as she aimed it at Triton, who was fighting against a Pseudo-God whose strength matched his. Her role was to support the other Pseudo-Gods as they followed their strategy to weaken William's forces.

Capturing Loxos, whom they deemed as the greatest threat in the battlefield, was only one of their strategies in order to gain the upper hand in the battle against foes that outnumbered them.

However, before she could even fire her arrow, something caught her attention, prompting her to jump back from where she stood. A moment later, a silver spear embedded itself into the helm of the ship, exactly where she was standing just a second ago.

After missing its target, the spear disengaged itself from the deck of the flying ship and flew towards the sky.

The Pope as well as the other Pseudo-Gods were alarmed because they hadn't noticed that an enemy had managed to get so close to them without them detecting their presence. This was simply unbelievable, and even Belle, who specialized in scouting long distances, didn't notice the enemy's attack until the very last second.

"You…," Belle muttered as she gazed at a familiar face.

"Yes. It is me."

A confident voice coming from someone that Belle had met in the past reached everyone's ears.

"… This is troubling," one of the Pseudo-Gods frowned as he looked up at the young lady who was riding on top of a wolf with lightning streaks in its fur.

The Pope snorted before letting go of Loxos' hair. She then pointed her finger at the newcomer who was standing fearlessly above their flying ship.

"Who are you?" the Pope asked. "Why are you getting in our way?"

The beautiful lady with long blonde hair that fluttered in the breeze, glanced down at the Pope with her clear blue eyes that were similar to the sky around her.

She was wearing a feathered helmet, and light-plated armor, which held a design that the Pope had not seen in the past.

"Who am I?" the blonde-beauty asked back. "You don't know who I am?"

The beautiful valkyrie pointed the tip of his spear towards Belle, ignoring the Pope completely. A smile adorned her beautiful face, and an air of confidence could be felt around her. It was as if she didn't care if the one she was fighting against were beings stronger than her.

"Since you don't know who I am, allow me to introduce myself," the Valkyrie said, ignoring the two Pseudo-Gods that had risen up in the air to confront her.

"I am the Prince of Darkness' First Wife…," Wendy announced, making the battles around her momentarily stop as everyone looked at her enchanting figure.

Even Loxos, who laid helplessly on the ground, forced herself to turn her head to look at the lady who claimed to be Wiliam's first wife.

Wendy ignored the gazes aimed in her direction, and stared down on the black-haired beauty, who was gazing back at her with a determined look on her face.

They had met once on Earth, and both of them knew that there would come a time when they would settle their score with each other.

"The Prince of Darkness' First Wife?" The Pope muttered as a dawn of understanding came upon her.

"Yes. His First Wife," Wendy gave Belle a sweet smile, making the latter arch an eyebrow at her.

Belle had been saved by Wendy during the battle in K-City. Back then, the black-haired beauty was even captivated by how amazing the Valkyrie was when she drove off the monsters that were trying to attack the people around her.

Now, that same person had reappeared in front of her. Only this time, she was pointing the tip of her weapon in her direction, as if challenging her into a duel in the name of the man they both loved.

"I am Wendy Von Ainsworth," Wendy declared. "And I have come to teach you trespassers a lesson you will never forget."

1308 Past And Present Grudges [Part 2]

'She is William's first wife.' The Pope narrowed her eyes as she gazed at the Valkyrie in front of her. 'If we capture her then we will have the upper hand!'

As if sensing the Pope's intentions the two Pseudo-Gods that had already flown up in the sky attacked Wendy on her left and right side. They didn't care if what they were doing seemed to be unfair. Since the enemy had presented herself to them, they would teach her a lesson she would never forget.

Suddenly, the Six Eared Macaque, and the Bull Demon King, appeared and engaged the two Pseudo-Gods, keeping them away from Wendy, who was still looking at Belle with the "what are you waiting for?" gaze.

Before William left, he had freed the Bull-Demon King and made him one of the Guardians of the Ainsworth Empire. The orders he was given were simple, he would follow the orders of the Six-Eared Macaque without fail.

With the Power of the Shepherd, he had branded a rune on the Bull Demon King's body, making him unable to disobey his order. Because of this, he had no choice but to listen to the Six-Eared Macaque's orders, who used to be his subordinate.

The Pope's eyes widened in shock because she was very familiar with the Bull Demon King. How could she not be? The Pseudo-God had served as Felix's general during their invasion of the Central Continent and the Pseudo-Gods under her command had suffered greatly because of him.

Belle, who had decided to face Wendy's challenge head-on, summoned Aethon and jumped on his back. She was a bow user, so she decided to gain some distance in order to fight against the Valkyrie who seemed to be confident in her own strength.

A moment later, Wendy and Belle flew away until they were beyond the boundary of the Capital City of the Ainsworth Empire.

As soon as they deemed that they were far enough, the two immediately battled each other without holding back. This was the first time that they would be facing against each other, and both wanted to know just how strong their opponent was.

Using her bow, Belle released countless arrows in rapid succession towards the Valkyrie who was riding on her mount, Thor.

"Get me as close enough as you can, Thor," Wendy ordered. "I'll handle the rest."

With a growl of agreement, Thor charged straight towards their enemy. Lightning snaked around its body as it dodged the attacks that were aimed in its direction. Those it couldn't dodge were swatted away by Wendy's silver spear that glowed faintly.

'She can block my attacks?' Belle frowned after realizing that Wendy's way of blocking her attacks wasn't a fluke.

Although she had only appeared in the World of Hestia recently, she was able to tell that the Valkyrie in front of her was only at the Demigod Rank.

She was a Pseudo-God at its peak, so if they were basing their attacks on strength alone, Wendy shouldn't be able to take her blows head-on because of the disparity in rank.

But, the reality was that Wendy was indeed charging fearlessly at her with a confident smile on her face, while blocking her magic-imbued-arrows.

Half a minute later, Thor had bridged the gap between them and Belle was forced to split her bow into half, creating twin swords to block Wendy's powerful stab.

As soon as the silver spear collided with her swords, Belle felt as if she had been hit by a bus that sent her flying off Aethon's back.

The Roc immediately swerved to the side to catch its rider, allowing Belle to regain her foothold.

"How?" Belle asked.

She couldn't understand why Wendy was able to overpower her despite the great difference in ranks between them.

"How?" Wendy snorted. "You're still too green. I have seen countless battlefields and blocked the blow of the God of Destruction himself during the War of Ragnarok. Compared to him, your attacks are as light as a feather."

When she was still a Valkyrie Captain in Asgard, Wendy had already possessed super-human strength that surpassed all the Valkyries under Freya's command.

After regaining all of her memories and battle experiences, with the help of Takam's artifact in the Kyrintor Mountains, Wendy had been able to wield the powers that once belonged to her, thousands of years ago.

She had indeed fought in the War of Ragnarok and faced the Gods of Destruction fearlessly.

With that battle experience back under her belt, Belle's attacks were simply too light for her. She, who had once been the Valkyrie Captain commanding a Legion of Einherjars, including William, had carried the fate of the world on her shoulders.

A Pseudo-God's attack was nothing!

"Aethon, gain some distance," Belle ordered. "We can't beat her up close."

The Roc shrieked agreeing to her command and flapped its mighty wings to fly away.

"Follow her, Thor," Wendy urged.

The Lightning Wolf growled and turned into a lightning bolt, streaking across the sky towards the black-haired beauty whose deadly arrow was aimed in their direction.

"Pierce through the veil," Belle chanted as the radiance on the arrow in her hand intensified.

"Illumina!"

A sharp, shrilling noise spread in the surroundings as soon as Belle released the arrow in her hand.

Thor stopped in his charge, while Wendy narrowed her eyes as she held the handle of her spear firmly in her hands in a throwing pose.

"Turn the world asunder!" Wendy roared as she threw her silver spear towards the arrow that seemed to pierce through the very fabric of the world. "Rend my foes, Falarica!"

The spear hummed as soon as Wendy released it from her hands. A trail of fiery blaze erupted from behind it as it flew straight and true towards the arrow that was flying in its direction.

Suddenly, a powerful explosion rocked the sky as the two attacks collided, pushing Wendy, and Belle, hundreds of meters away from the point of impact.

The two of them watched as a giant mushroom cloud soared up towards the sky, and the land below them cracked due to the sheer power that the two blows created. Visibility was nearly zero as the dust cloud covered the battlefield for miles on end.

Although she couldn't see Wendy's form within the dust cloud, Belle could tell where her opponent was due to the presence of her aura.

"Let's go, Aethon," Belle said. "This battle is a draw."

The giant Roc screeched before flying away towards the East. In truth, Aethon didn't want to fight against Wendy, but William had ordered it to take care of Belle, and become her protector. Since that was the case, it would ensure her safety and prevent anyone from hurting William's beloved.

Within the dust cloud Wendy clicked her tongue. She was baiting Belle to get her to attack her, but the latter didn't bite her bait. Instead the black-haired beauty decided that she had enough and left the battlefield.

"I guess William doesn't love you for nothing," Wendy muttered before patting Thor's back. "Let's go back, Thor. I'm sure that the battle at the capital is over as well."

Thor nodded its head before running towards the direction of the Capital City of the Ainsworth Empire.

Just as Wendy had guessed, the members of the Holy Order of Light had retreated as soon as the Bull Demon King appeared. However, before they could escape completely, Estelle, (Est), arrived at the scene and rescued Loxos.

Riding on the winged-serpent, Dia, Estelle was able to sneak into the flying ship, while everyone was busy fighting each other.

There was nothing the Pope could do at that moment because she wasn't much of a fighter.

Just like Wendy, Estelle was emitting the strength of a Demigod, which made the Pope choose to stay behind one of the Pseudo-Gods protecting her, rather than engage the unknown opponent who she was seeing for the first time.

"Good Job, Est," Wendy said after seeing the young nymph riding on Dia's back.

"You were a very good distraction," Est replied with a smile. "They didn't see me coming."

Loxos, who had been released from the chains that bound her feet and wrists, looked at the two beautiful ladies who had come to help them in their time of need.

"N-Nice to meet the two of you," Loxos stuttered. "My name is Loxos. I am one of William's concubines."

"Nice to meet you, Loxos," Wendy replied. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Loxos shook her head. Although the Pope had pulled her hair, and slapped her earlier, that pain wasn't enough to hurt her completely.

"Are both of you Will's wives?" Loxos inquired. She had already heard Wendy's declaration as the Half-Elf's first wife, but the silver-haired lady beside her hadn't said anything earlier as she was saving her.

"My name is Estelle, but you can call me Est," Est replied. "I am Will's fiance. We'll get married as soon as he comes back from wherever he is right now."

"… how envious," Loxos muttered after hearing Este's introduction.

"Let's get along from now on, Loxos," Est extended her hand for a handshake, and the young nymph accepted it gratefully.

"I have a lot of questions regarding Will," Wendy stated. "Can you help answer some of my questions later?"

Loxos nodded. "Of course."

"Thank you."

"Please take care of me from now on as well."

Loxos bowed respectfully to the two ladies whom she felt had a very strong connection with her Master. She was very curious about them and decided that she would also ask them a few questions when they got back to the Royal Palace where William's cousin, Eve, was waiting for their triumphant return.

1309 Nisha's Reply

"W-Wait! What are you planning to do?!" Cherry backed away when she saw Nisha walking towards her with a devilish look on her face.

"What am I planning to do?" Nisha asked back. "Naturally, I am going to make your Pope understand that she can't just waltz inside our territory and attack us just because she feels like it. The old fool, maybe she thinks that we are a bunch of softies…"

Two men grabbed onto Cherry's arms and pulled on them, holding the little girl in place.

"S-Stop!" Cherry teared up when she saw the dark blade in Nisha's hands. "Don't!"

Nisha sneered as she raised the blade up high. "You are the Virtue of Charity, right? Since you like being charitable, I plan to give the Pope something that belongs to you. If you have someone to blame, blame your Pope for her stupidity!"

Without another word, the veiled beauty brought her sword down on one of Cherry's arms, severing it completely from her body.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The Virtue of Charity's pained cries echoed inside the walls of the room where she had been confined. Blood spurted on the ground as the little girl's cries grew louder and louder. As someone that had been spoiled by the members of the Holy Order of Light, as well as her sisters, this was the first time she had experienced true pain that made her bawl her eyes out.

"You, send that arm to the Palace of Light," Nisha ordered the man holding onto Cherry's severed arm. "Make sure that the Pope receives our gift as fast as you can."

The man bowed respectfully. "Yes, Your Excellency!"

Nisha glanced at the wailing little girl that had collapsed on the ground and sneered.

'It's a good thing that William isn't here,' Nisha thought. 'Even in his corrupted state, he might still not be able to do something like this to one of our enemies.'

The Steward of the Ainsworth Empire and the Demon Continent turned around to walk towards the exit. As soon as she left the room, Audrey gave her a scathing glare before running inside the room to care for Cherry's injury.

Nisha didn't even bother to look at the Virtuous Lady of Fortitude, and continued to walk down the hallway. After making a right turn, she came face to face with a beautiful Elf, who had a solemn expression on her face.

"Was there no other way?" Celeste asked. "Is that the only solution you can come up with?"

Celeste felt extremely sad about what happened to Cherry because she had treated the little girl as her sister. Although the Virtuous Girl of Charity was quite mischievous and liked to play pranks on people, it didn't change the fact that she was still one of the Seven Virtues, and all of them had a good relationship with each other.

"The original plan was to cut an arm from each of you girls," Nisha replied. "Do you mind donating your arm to ensure that the Pope's stupidity doesn't continue to step out of bounds?"

"Yes," Celeste replied. "You should have taken mine, instead of Cherry's."

"Well, it's too late for that. But, I don't mind sending the Holy Order of Light one more arm if that makes you happy."

"Do it then."

Celeste stared straight into Nisha's eyes to show her how serious she was.

Nisha smirked, but at the next second a black blade appeared in her hand. With one smooth slash, Celeste's arm was cut off of her body, catching the Virtuous Lady of Chastity by surprise.

"I think you've misunderstood something here," Nisha said before picking the severed arm up off the floor. "I am the leader of Deus. An organization that had stood against the Holy Order of Light from the shadows. Don't even think that I'll bat an eye into cutting off an arm, a leg, an ear, a tongue, a nose, or even plucking out one of your eyeballs.

"Many of my subordinates have died because of your organization. Believe me when I say that I hold no love for any of you," Nisha moved her head closer towards the face of the beautiful Elf, which was contorted in pain. "The only reason why all of you are alive is because William gave me explicit orders not to kill any of you, while he was away."

"You won't get away with this," Celeste replied as she applied pressure on the place where her left arm used to be.

"Oh, but I can," Nisha replied. "Just wait, Missy. I don't care if you are William's prophesied bride, so remember this, and remember it well… If any of you get in the way of my Prince's happiness, I will gladly cut off your heads, right here, right now."

With a snort of contempt, Nisha left Celeste on the hallway with blood flowing down her left side. Now that the Pope had dared to attack them in William's absence, it was up to her to ensure that a second attempt wouldn't happen again in the future.

Celeste gritted her teeth as she sealed her wound with the power of her Divinity. Unlike Cherry and Audrey, who were wearing shackles that bound their powers, Celeste was free to use hers, anytime she pleased.

'Will… come back soon,' Celeste prayed that the Half-Elf would return to the Surface World along with her sister, Celine.

That was the only reason why she betrayed the Holy Order of Light, and allowed two of her sisters to be captured by the Pontifex of Deus, whose bottled up hate for them had now risen to the surface.

Celeste didn't know if he would take their side when he returned, but one thing was sure. The Half-Elf would not allow the sister of the person she loved to suffer such a cruel fate.

———

Palace of Light…

The Pope, Lira, Ephemera, Shana, and Melody had grim expressions on their faces as they looked at the "gift" that Nisha had sent them, right after the battle in the Ainsworth Empire ended.

In a black box, two arms that were still dripping with blood could be seen. A letter was also included, which all of them had already read. The written message was short, but it contained a threat that could no longer be pushed aside.

"Next time, it will be their heads."

The message only contained seven words, but it was more than enough to make the four Virtuous Ladies glare at the Pope for her failed attempt to attack the Ainsworth Empire.

"We can't be sure that these arms belong to your sisters," the Pope replied after regaining her composure. "There is only one way to confirm. Follow me."

The Pope held the black box in her hands and headed towards the top of the castle with the Four Virtuous Ladies, and the Pseudo-Gods, including Belle.

Several minutes later, they arrived at the altar where they had performed the summoning ritual which had summoned a hero from another world. The Pope then walked towards the circle of charity and placed the small arm, which they assumed belonged to Cherry, on it.

As soon as the arm was laid on the magic circle, it immediately lit up, confirming that the arm did indeed belong to the Virtuous Lady of Charity.

Ephemera's knuckles made cracking sounds as she clenched her fists tightly. However, she didn't say anything and allowed the Pope to place Celeste's arm on the circle of Fortitude. Naturally, it didn't light up because this was not the place where it was supposed to be placed.

A minute later, the Pope laid the arm on the right magic circle, and just like what happened with Cherry's Magic Circle, Celeste's circle lit up as well.

Melody wasn't able to take it any longer and immediately picked up the arms of her sisters, and sealed it with the power of her Divinity. As long as they were properly stored, there was still a chance for them to be re-attached when they were able to meet them again.

"There will be no next time. Do you understand?" Shana stated calmly, although her body was trembling with anger. "How dare you take my sisters' life too lightly? Just who do you think you are?!"

The Pope glared at the Virtuous Lady of Prudence and shouted.

"I am the Pope of the Holy Order of Light!" the Pope shouted. "I was the one that raised half of you! How dare you shout at me?!"

"The Pope?" Ephemera asked back in contempt. "You're only here in your position because we are here. If we are out of the picture, you are nothing! Just a miserable, and greedy, old woman whose ambition is bigger than your head!"

"Make no mistake, if you do this again, there will be no Holy Order of Light," Lira said icily. "There will only be you."

Lira, Ephemera, Shana, and Melody left the Altar of Light one after the other. They were quite disappointed that the Pope had launched an attack at the Ainsworth Empire without even bothering to consult them.

The Pope watched them go while gritting her teeth.

'You fools, do you really think that you can get away from this place?' The Pope gave two of the Pseudo-Gods a side-long glance and both of them nodded their heads in understanding.

Since it had already come to this point, she could only use desperate measures in order to ensure that the influence she held over the biggest organization in the Central Continent would remain, allowing her to fulfill the ambitions that she had held in her twisted heart for a very long time.

1310 There Will Always Be Someone Stronger Than You

Trudging into the Plains of Wrath, William found himself attacked repeatedly by groups of people with the sole intent to kill him.

The majority of them were highly skilled individuals, but none of them was a match to the Half-Elf, who was determined to get to the Tower of Wrath as soon as possible.

"M-Monster!" a skinny man screamed before running away.

Unfortunately for him, William had no intention of letting any of them get away. Since they dared to attack him, he didn't show them any mercy and killed them down to the last man.

"Noooooo!"

That was the last thing the man shouted before William's black lightning bolt pierced through his chest, turning him into a red mist that flew towards the entrance of the Plains. There, they would have to wait for a day for their bodies to return to normal.

After that, another cycle of life and death battles awaited them. This would continue until they reached a billion credits, which would be enough to allow them to buy a ticket to return to the Cycle of Reincarnation.

These souls would then be cleansed of their past sins, and have their memories erased, so that they could start their brand new lives without being shackled by their past. This was the place where majority of those that had committed great crimes, including murder, arson, and genocide were brought in order to suffer the same kind of suffering they had forced upon others.

Just as William was about to continue his journey, a dust cloud appeared at the corner of his vision. A moment later, a dozen motorbikes stopped several meters away from him.

"I have been watching you for the past two hours, and found you quite interesting," a man wearing sunglasses said with a smile. "My name is Modo, and I am the leader of the Renegades. How about you join our group? Although we're not as strong as the other people here in the Plains of Wrath, our teamwork is second to none."

"Not interested," William replied in a heartbeat as he walked away, leaving the bikers behind.

"Um, don't be in a rush to reject our offer," Modo caught up to William and walked beside him, while dragging his motorbike. "The Plains of Wrath is a dangerous place. You might be strong, but there will always be someone stronger than you."

William ignored Modo's words and continued to walk. He didn't plan on staying long in the Plains of Wrath, so he wasn't interested in becoming part of any group in order to gather Hell Credits so he could leave this place.

"Hah~ don't waste your time on him, Boss," one of Modo's comrades said. "Let him suffer a beating first. After he faces the strong fighters of this plain, he will definitely change his mind and beg to join our group."

"That's right, Boss," another one of Modo's subordinates commented. "Who does he think he is? Does he think he is Felix, who was able to gather the Big Groups after beating them and started his own faction?

William halted his steps before glancing in the direction of the biker who said a familiar name.

"What does this Felix look like?" William asked. "Does he have green hair?"

"You know him?" The man who mentioned Felix's name arched an eyebrow. "Are you perhaps one of the people he has beaten to a pulp recently? If you plan to join our group just to take revenge on him, you better forget it. That person already has the Four Wrathful Kings on his side. It is not good to antagonize their faction."

Modo, who had intended to recruit William to their team, nodded his head in agreement.

"Friend, you might be strong, but there is greater strength in numbers," Modo stated. "The Four Wrathful Kings are the true Overlords of this place. Their goal is to gain enough Hell Credits to Enter the Tower of Wrath, and take the Trial that will allow them to go to Heaven."

Modo smiled wryly as if the mere thought of the word Heaven disgusted him.

"Based on your path, I am guessing that you are headed for the Tower," Modo commented. "However, that is also where Felix and his cronies are currently located. None of the other groups in this area dare to go near it. If you go there, it is the same as committing suicide."

William shifted his attention towards the Black Tower as a devilish smile appeared on his face. Truth be told, he was unconscious when he "killed" Felix, who was possessed by Aka Manah.

The Half-Elf had long wanted to crush the green-haired demon with his own hands for everything that had happened in the past. Also, the mere thought of his Master, Celine, being paired up with Felix as his Bride of Darkness made his blood boil.

He had already made his Master his woman, and he would be damned if he allowed the green-haired Demon to even touch a single strand of her hair, especially now that she was carrying William's child in her womb.

"Are you sure that I can find Felix and his cohorts near the tower?" William inquired as he gazed at the tower whose peak couldn't be seen.

"Yes," Modo answered. "Don't tell me…"

They had already told the black-haired teenager about the danger that was waiting for him near the tower, but the expression on William's face made them wonder if they were just imagining things.

The Half-Elf's devilish smile that was plastered on his face made the Renegades feel as if they had encountered a madman.

William's started to run towards the Black Tower in the distance. Now that he knew that Felix was also here, he decided to increase his pace in order to reach the tower.

He was worried that the green-haired Demon would start to climb it and find Celine along the way.

If something bad happened to his Master, William would definitely go all out against Felix, and make the green-haired Demon understand that he wasn't safe from the Half-Elf's wrath, even though he had already died and was currently paying for his sins in the Underworld.

1311 The True Face Of Wrath [Part 1]

Celine softly patted the bulge in her abdomen with affection.

According to her Patron Goddess, her child would be born in a month's time, and she was looking forward to holding her baby in her arms.

However, two weeks ago, she started to feel a foreboding feeling in her heart. With every day that passed, this feeling that something bad would happen grew, making her feel anxious.

Then suddenly, she felt a familiar connection which made her blood turn cold. She had felt this exact same feeling back in the Demon Realm, so she was sure that she wasn't just overthinking things.

"He is here."

Celine knew with utmost certainty that the one person whom she didn't want to see in her life was now in the same plane as her. Fortunately, she was on the very top of the Tower of Wrath.

The beautiful Elf thought that Felix wouldn't be able to find her there, but two days later, one of the gatekeepers who took care of her on a daily basis, told her that there was a rowdy bunch that was trying to climb the tower.

When Celine asked who the leader of the group was, the gatekeeper said that it was a green-haired Demon that went by the name Felix.

With this revelation, she finally confirmed that the Heir of Darkness could sense her presence in the tower and was trying to climb it in order to find her.

While Celine was deep in thought, she felt a kick in her tummy, making her tear up.

"It's going to be fine," Celine said as if coaxing a child, while patting her belly to calm the little one that was starting a ruckus. "We are going to be fine."

The beautiful Elf started to hum a lullaby as she rubbed her belly. Although she knew that it was only a matter of time before Felix reached her location, she would do everything in her power to preserve the proof of William's love for her.

Death wasn't an option for her because, if she died, her child would also die. The only thing she could do was wait, and hope that the prison that held her in place, would be strong enough to prevent the green-haired Demon from taking away the life that she had protected since she had been brought to the Underworld by the God of Death.

"Will…," Celine muttered. "Give me strength."

That was the only thing Celine could say to herself as she dreaded the day that Felix would reach her location, and force her to submit to his will.

——

"I'm getting close," Felix smirked as his entourage continued to climb the tower, fighting against the strongest opponents within the Plains of Wrath.

The Tower of Wrath was one big slaughterhouse where only the strong reigned supreme.

People living outside of the tower dared not to go in because they would just be slaughtered by the powerhouses that had been living inside the tower for dozens of years. The Four Wrathful Kings could freely go in and inside the tower whenever they pleased.

However, the farthest that they had gotten was only the middle-section of the Tower. Past that point, the true monsters of the Plains of Wrath lived, and even the Four Kings had to team up just to have a chance of winning against those strong beings.

After meeting Felix in the Plains of Wrath, the green-haired Demon managed to convince them to climb the Tower of Wrath with him and see what was on top of it. Naturally, the Four Kings didn't like to be bossed around, and decided to fight Felix.

All of them were of the Myriad Rank, and they were Monsters that lorded over the Plains of Wrath for hundreds of years. How could they possibly allow a newcomer to call the shots?

Unfortunately for them, Felix's strength was of the Demigod-Rank. The green-haired Demon was able to overpower them one by one, and gain their allegiance. With each Leader that he defeated, his army grew steadily in size until he became the Top Dog of the Plains of Wrath.

After gathering the strongest fighters he could find, Felix took them to the tower and fought their way up. Their group both had quality and quantity to their side, so even the stronger beings, who had been in the tower for a long time, were unable to stop their advance.

Finally, after several days of climbing the tower, they had reached the last few layers that would take them to the very top.

Felix could feel Celine's presence becoming stronger than ever, so he was very excited to reunite with her in the Underworld. With only a few floors remaining, the green-haired Demon knew that it was only a matter of time before he would see his Bride again.

"What are you looking at, Mongrel?" Felix asked the six-foot tall Hellhound whose entire body was burning in hell fire.

"Turn back, Demon," the Hellhound replied. "Everything beyond this point is under my protection. You are not allowed to continue moving forward."

The Hellhound was the Gatekeeper that was taking care of Celine. After being around the beautiful Elf for many months, it was easy for it to understand that the Elf was feeling anxious about the group that was headed to the top of the tower, where she was currently imprisoned.

Felix sneered. "Oh, really? What makes you think that you can stop me? Isn't that right, boys?"

The Four Wrathful Kings and their subordinates laughed as if finding the whole situation funny.

They had managed to move unhindered in the tower, and their confidence had grown a lot due to their winning streak. Because of this, they didn't believe that there was any creature inside the tower that could stop them. That was until now.

The Hellhound roared and unleashed its aura, making the Four Wrathful Kings and their subordinates stop laughing.

"Demigod," Felix arched an eyebrow. "But, so what? You're not the only Demigod around these parts."

Felix covered his body in black flames as if to ridicule the hell fire that the Hellhound was emitting on its body. A moment later, the two clashed, sending red, and black flames flying in every direction.

"What are you fools waiting for?" Felix growled as he blocked the Hellhounds fiery paws. "Attack it!"

The Wrathful Kings and their subordinates all gritted their teeths as they attacked the Hellhound, who served as the Gatekeeper of the topmost floor of the tower.

All of them knew that after it was defeated, they would finally be able to reach the top of the tower, which no one in the past thousands of years had managed to set their eyes on.