Chapter 125 - 1312-1321

1312 The True Face Of Wrath [Part 2]

The Hellhound's lifeless body hung on the wall impaled by several spears, holding it in place.

After fighting against Felix for nearly two hours, the injuries it accumulated, thanks to the green-haired Demon's cronies, piled up, allowing its opponent to seize an opportunity to inflict a lethal blow to its body.

Things went on a downward spiral from there, and even though it fought fiercely, despite its injuries, the outcome of the battle was decided the moment the Heir of Darkness gained an upper hand.

With the help of the Four Wrathful Kings, Felix overpowered their enemy until it drew its last breath, while hanging on the wall.

"Let's go," Felix gave the Hellhound one last glance before walking towards the stairs that would lead them to the next floor.

Now that the last hurdle blocking his way was gone, there was no stopping the green-haired demon from claiming the prize that was waiting for him at the top of the tower.

——-

Celine's body trembled as her connection with Felix intensified.

She had hoped beyond hope that the Gatekeeper would be able to defeat him, and stop the Heir of Darkness from reaching her. Unfortunately, her prayers weren't answered.

A moment later, a loud explosion was heard behind her, as the gate that barred anyone from entering her room was demolished.

"Knock knock…," Felix said as he entered the room with a devilish smile on his face. "So, this is where you are hiding, Celine."

The Elf had her back to the door, and the only thing that Felix could see was her long purple hair that rested behind her back.

She had been inside a silver cage that prevented her from escaping her prison ever since she had been taken to the Underworld. But, right now, her cage was the only thing protecting her from the green-haired Demon who was eyeing her with lustful eyes.

"What's wrong?" Felix asked as he walked towards the silver cage. "Aren't you glad to see me?"

Felix's teasing tone made Celine's skill crawl because he was the last being that she wanted to see in the Underworld.

Getting no response from the Elf, Felix decided to walk around the cage in order to see her face. However, Celine moved to match his movements, making the Heir of Darkness only see her back.

As a last attempt to hide the child in her womb, she had covered herself with a blanket, and ignored Felix's teasing for the next few minutes. However, it all ended when one of the Wrathful Kings said something that completely erased the smile on Felix's face.

"Felix, is this your wife?" an Ogre holding a spiked mace asked. "You didn't tell me that you were going to be a father. So, this is why you're so adamant about climbing the tower. Your pregnant wife is locked up on the top floor."

Felix took a step, and immediately appeared on the side of the cage that gave him a good vantage view of the beautiful Elf's face.

His eyes locked onto the slight bulge that could be seen under the blanket covering her body, which made his eyes immediately turn bloodshot.

"You slut!" Felix growled. "Who is the father of that devil spawn?!"

Since the secret was already out, Celine raised her head and stared at Felix fearlessly.

"A man who is many times better than you," Celine answered.

The Four Wrathful Kings who had heard the exchange immediately understood the situation.

"Hahaha! Felix got c*ckblocked!"

"Wow! Maybe I should give him a green hat as a gift. It will fit him perfectly."

"Fools! Hahaha! This is no laughing matter. This is actually serious."

"So you say, but aren't you laughing right now?"

Felix's face contorted in anger as he glared at his subordinates.

"Shut up!" Felix roared. "The next one who says a word will die!"

His face was already red from anger and embarrassment after learning that his bride was pregnant with someone else's child. This was something that made his blood boil, but suddenly, a pang of realization hit him.

"You're pregnant?" Felix reigned in his anger as he observed Celine's body with a critical gaze. "That's right. You didn't die. I see… so that's how it is."

A sinister glint flashed briefly inside the depths of Felix's eyes as an evil plan formed inside his head.

"I order you to punch your abdomen," Felix ordered. "Punch it… now!"

Celine's body trembled as her left hand immediately grabbed her right hand to hold it in place. Her body was starting to move regardless of her will, and it made her panic.

"Stop!" Celine shouted. "Stop this at once!"

Seeing that his order had taken effect, Felix laughed as his green eyes filled with malice locked onto the beautiful Elf, who was desperately doing her best to protect her child from being harmed by her own hands.

"Want me to stop?" Felix asked. "Beg me, and I will consider it."

"I beg of you, please, don't kill my child!" Celine pleaded in a heartbeat. "Please, don't kill him. I beg of you."

The once proud Elf who hadn't shed a single tear after she had been banished to the Southern Continent pleaded with tears in her eyes.

This motherly act fanned the flames of anger that Felix had held back inside his chest. He didn't expect Celine to not hesitate to throw away her pride in a heartbeat and beg him to spare her child.

Felix had expected the proud Elf to at least resist at first, and he would use that opportunity to make fun of her, but the reality in front of him made him clench his fists in anger instead.

"You are going to tell me who the father of your child is," Felix ordered. "Tell me now or I will order you to kill that child!"

"… Will," Celine replied through gritted teeth. "The father of my child is William Von Ainsworth."

A metallic sound spread throughout the room as Felix smashed his fist against the silver cage, causing white sparks to fly into the air.

"That filthy Half-Blood," Felix gnashed his teeth in anger. "I see. So it was him. Good! You did good!"

Felix punched the silver cage a second time, and this time, a dent appeared on it.

"Please… don't kill my child. I beg of you!" Celine wrapped her arms protectively around her abdomen as soon as the strong urge to punch her stomach disappeared.

Felix ignored Celine's pleading and continued to punch the silver cage until it slowly broke apart. A creaking sound echoed inside the room as the green-haired demon grabbed hold of the door of the silver cage and threw it away.

"You don't want that devil spawn to die? I can consider it," Felix said as he broke the silver cage in half, making the entire thing fall to the side, making the body of the defenseless Elf inside it tremble.

"What do you want?" Celine asked. She knew that this was the moment of truth and she couldn't afford to antagonize Felix any longer for the sake of her child's survival.

"Become my woman, in heart, body and soul," Felix replied as he walked towards the Elf.

When he was close enough to grab her, he extended his right hand towards her long purple hair and pulled it upwards, making Celine grimace in pain.

"Satisfy me, and I will consider sparing your child," Felix's voice was filled with killing intent as he whispered in Celine's ears. "If you don't satisfy me then…"

Felix moved his left hand to caress the bulge on Celine's abdomen in order to make her understand that her child's life was completely at his mercy.

He planned to use Celine's love for her child to break her little by little. Of course, Felix had no intention of allowing William's baby to live. He would just spare it for the time being to force Celine to agree to all of his requests.

He wanted to make her submit.

He wanted to make her fall.

He wanted to make her unable to live without him.

Just as Felix's hand was about to touch Celine's abdomen, the wall right next to them exploded, and a golden staff smashed into his chest, sending him crashing into the wall on the opposite side.

Everyone in the room was shocked at the sudden turn of events because they didn't expect something like that to happen.

Sunlight spread inside the room coming from the hole in the wall. However, a shadow fell upon it as a black-haired teenager appeared inside the room, making the beautiful Elf cover her lips, as tears streamed down her face.

"It seems that all of you haven't died enough."

A voice filled with killing intent spread inside the room, making everyone who saw the newcomer feel their hearts tremble inside their chest.

William wrapped his left arm around Celine, while his right summoned the golden staff back into his right hand.

"Tell me, you fools who dared to harm the mother of my child," William said as black flames sprouted from his back, forming four pairs of black wings, "have you seen the true face of Wrath?"

No one dared to answer his question because the strength that was emanating from William's body was enough to make them understand that this was a person that they couldn't afford to mess with.

"No?" William arched his eyebrow. "Good. I will let all of you understand… what the true face of Wrath looks like."

A thunderous clap of thunder reverberated across the Plains of Wrath, causing everyone to glance in the direction of the Black Tower in the distance.

Those who were close to it gasped in shock as several pieces of the tower started to fall to the ground. This had never happened in the past, and all of them was curious about what could have caused such a thing to happen

Soon, the sound of screams filled the surroundings as the Four Wrathful Kings found themselves falling to their deaths, alongside their subordinates.

But before they could even hit the ground, countless black lightning bolts descended from the sky, searing their bodies with black flames and making them howl in pain. At the top of the tower, Felix stared in horror at the face of the person whom he didn't want to see in the Underworld.

William's usual calm face was now distorted in wrath, making the Heir of Darkness remember the creature who had tormented him, and made him experience true horror, until he drew his last breath.

"N-No!" Felix hurriedly backed away. "Stay away!"

A minute later, he jumped off the tower and flew away in panic. His fear of the William who had fought Aka Manah was ingrained in his very soul, destroying all thoughts of resistance.

The Half-Elf watched as the green-haired Demon flew away in haste with a sneer.

"As if I'll let you go that easily," William said in contempt as he pointed his finger at the fleeing Demon who didn't want to fight him at all cost.

"The Power I wield will obliterate one and all," William's golden eyes glowed as the dark clouds in the heavens swirled, waiting with bated breath for the call of their Lord. "Pierce through the Darkness and hear my call!"

The Thunderclouds illuminated the surroundings, bathing the entire Plains of Wrath in the radiance of countless lightning bolts.

"Thunder God's Wrath!"

1313 The True Face Of Wrath [Part 3]

A few minutes before Felix broke Celine's Cage…

William, who was running towards the Black Tower, felt cold sweat streaming down the side of his face.

He felt as if he was having trouble breathing as the nagging feeling inside his brain started to intensify.

Suddenly, from the distance he heard Celine's heartbreaking shout, which made him feel as if a stone had been lodged inside his heart.

"Stop!"

"Stop this at once!"

"I beg of you, please, don't kill my child!"

"Please, don't kill him. I beg of you."

William roared as he summoned Ruyi Jingu Bang.

"Optimus, assist me!" William ordered. "Lock on to Celine's coordinates!"

< Understood! >

The System immediately went to work and calculated Celine's exact location in the tower, despite the view being covered by the thick clouds in the sky.

< Coordinates locked on! Go! Will! >

"Quick Shot War Art, Fusion Form,' William roared.

"Blitzer Railgun!"

Just like an arrow loosed from its bow, William flew towards the top of the tower surpassing the speed of sound.

The Black Tower was still a great distance away from him, but this gap had been covered in a matter of seconds.

Originally, no one would be able to break the walls of the Tower of Wrath because it was made from a special material that not even the strongest blows could destroy.

However, using William's Rule Breaker ability and Ruyi Jingu Bang's power, they smashed through the walls of the tower without too much resistance.

However, as soon as he entered the room, William saw Felix pulling Celine's hair with his right hand, and his left about to touch her abdomen. This scene infuriated William as he smashed the golden staff against Felix's chest, sending him flying.

After disengaging from the fusion form, William landed beside Celine, and held her waist with his left arm.

The Half-Elf wouldn't allow anyone to harm his first love in the World of Hestia, as well as their unborn child. Anyone who dared to try would face his wrath!

"Tell me, you fools who dared to harm the mother of my child," William said as black flames sprouted from his back, forming four pairs of black wings, "have you seen the true face of Wrath?"

"No? Good. I will let all of you understand… what the true face of Wrath looks like."

Without another word, he swung Ruyi Jingu Bang around him, smashing Felix's minions, as well as the walls of the top-most floor of the tower, making it collapse.

The people, and monsters that had followed Felix found themselves falling to their deaths, but William had no intention in giving them the easy way out.

With his command, countless black lightning bolts descended upon the falling bastards, searing their bodies with black flames, making them scream in pain.

While all this was happening, William looked at his Master, whose tears were still streaming down her face.

"It's going to be fine, Master," William said softly before planting a kiss on her tear-stained cheeks. "I won't let them hurt you and our child."

Celine wrapped her arms around the Half-Elf as she rested her chin on his shoulder. Her body shuddered from time to time as her tears fell freely on the black-haired teenager's tunic, drenching it completely.

She felt both happiness and relief at the same time.

Happiness because William had come to save her, and relief because her child was now safe from harm.

panda (nov)el She had prepared herself to suffer humiliation and agree to Felix's demands in an effort to save her child. In the past, she would not allow herself to bow and submit to anyone, but after carrying the child in her womb for more than ten months, something inside her had changed.

Celine had suffered a lot during her childhood, and even cursed the world for giving her such a fate. But, after becoming pregnant with William's child, and staying in the Underworld—trapped in her cage—she suddenly had some free time to think about herself, and what the future would hold.

In that future, she could see herself raising her child with the love and care that she didn't experience in the past.

She intended to spoil, and educate her child to become a good person, and to not live their life in despair and hatred.

Celine had decided to dedicate her life to raising her child and become the best mother in the world.

The mother she never had, and would never have in this lifetime.

"Y-You! What are you doing here?!" Felix asked as he propped himself from the floor. "

William shifted his attention from his lover, to the hateful, green-haired Demon, who attempted to make her suffer in his hands.

The Half-Elf's face contorted in anger as the images of "what might-have-been" appeared in his mind.

In one of those images, Celine was kneeling on the floor while servicing Felix's… with her lips, while her arms were wrapped around her abdomen, in a protective gesture.

This scene alone brought out an intense feeling of hate that came from William's very soul, making him look at Felix with a wrathful expression on his face.

"N-No!" Felix hurriedly backed away. "Stay away!"

The Heir of Darkness didn't hesitate to jump off the tower and fly away in order to escape William's wrathful eyes that glowed so bright, they were like two miniature suns that wanted to burn him alive.

"As if I'll let you go that easily."

"Thunder God's Wrath!"

A blinding light illuminated the world, forcing everyone, with the exception of the Half-Elf, whose eyes burned even brighter, to close and shield their eyes.

His gaze was firmly locked on the green-haired Demon who was being ravaged by countless lightning bolts, giving him no room for escape and letting him experience an otherworldly pain that tore through his very soul.

A few minutes later, Felix's body dissipated into a red mist that flew away from the tower.

The Half-Elf cold gaze firmly locked on it as he gave Optimus another order.

'Put a trace on him,' William ordered. 'I don't care how much it costs. Just do it. Make sure that it will not disappear even after he dies over and over again.'

< Understood! >

< Tracker successfully placed! He will not be able to run away unless he manages to enter the Cycle of Reincarnation! >

William gazed at Felix's soul until it disappeared into the horizon. He had no intention of letting the green-haired Demon go that easily. He would hunt him over, and over again, until the wrath that was burning in his chest was gone completely.

"Is it over?"

A voice that made his heart skip a beat reached his ears.

"Yes," William replied. "It is over."

The Half-Elf let go of Ruyi Jingu Bang, leaving the weapon to hover beside him. He then held Celine in a protective embrace, making sure that he didn't apply too much pressure on her abdomen.

"How?" Celine asked as she cupped William's face. "Don't tell me you died? Did Ahriman kill you? Felix is here, so it means that he died. But, did you die with him?"

William smiled before pressing his forehead over Celine's.

"I didn't die," William replied. "Felix died, while Ahriman escaped. Don't worry. The Goddess Adephagia ate his Primordial Body. Only his soul escaped to the void. He won't be bothering us anytime soon."

Celine breathed a sigh of relief because she thought that William had also died. Now that her greatest crisis had passed, she felt as if her legs had turned to jelly, making her lean on the black-haired teenager completely.

William supported her body before giving her a long, and passionate kiss on the lips. Celine didn't resist, and returned William's kiss with her feelings of love.

When she was taken to the Underworld, alongside the souls of Ashe, Princess Sidonie, Morgana, and Chiffon, she thought that William had died in the hands of the God of Darkness and Chaos.

But, her Patron Goddess, Lyssa, came to visit her and told her that William was very much alive and was currently raising an army to fight against Felix and Ahriman, who had started their conquest of the Central Continent.

Due to certain restrictions, Lyssa wasn't able to stay for long. However, before she left, she promised to visit Celine when her child was about to be born.

The Underworld was no place to give birth to a child because it would only cause harm to the newborn baby. Perhaps striking a deal with Thanatos, Lyssa had assured Celine that she would take her to a place where she could give birth to a healthy baby.

In return, she would stay locked up in the Tower of Wrath until the day of her delivery.

Celine had agreed to the condition, and had lived in the tower since then.

However, now that William had arrived, she didn't know what would happen next.

As if sensing her anxiety, William held her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"Let's go," William said as he used the power of wind to make him and Celine float in the air.

"To where?" Celine asked. "I am not allowed to leave this place. The God of Death…"

"It's fine." William patted Celine's hand. "We will be seeing him soon."

William raised his head to look at the Heavens. He could feel that someone was observing him from a place that he couldn't see. However, he had a hunch that the person that was monitoring him was the same person that he wanted to meet.

'Wait for me, Thanatos,' William said as he carried Celine in a princess carry, making sure that she was in a comfortable position. 'I will come for you soon.'

1314 Erinys' Secret

"Happy Tenth Birthday, Erinys!"

A little girl said as she looked at her reflection in the full body mirror of her room.

She looked so happy, as she greeted herself, hoping that today, her father would visit her and tell her happy birthday.

After taking a bath, and eating the pancake that was prepared for her by her maid, she busied herself by looking outside of the window of the house to wait for her father's arrival.

An hour passed…

Two hours passed…

Several hours passed…

But the person she was waiting for didn't appear.

Even when the sun had set, he still hadn't returned home.

"Happy Birthday to Me~

Happy Birthday to Me~

Happy Birthday… Happy Birthday…

Happy Birthday to Me~"

panda (nov)el Erinys pressed her hands together to make a wish.

"I wish my father will come on my eleventh birthday," Eriny said softly.

A moment later she blew the candle on the cake and clapped her hands to congratulate herself. She was all alone at the table, with only a small cake to mark that she had turned ten years old on that very day.

The maid had already left the house to return to her own residence for the night, leaving her to celebrate her birthday all alone. That night, she slept peacefully hoping that on the same date next year, her wish would become a reality.

—–

"Happy Eleventh Birthday, Erinys!" Erinys said as she looked at her reflection with a smile on her face. "I hope Daddy comes home today for my birthday!"

But, after waiting for many hours, her wish didn't become a reality.

"I wish my father will come on my twelfth birthday," Eriny said as she pressed her hands together before blowing her cake.

Once again, she celebrated her birthday all alone, with no one to greet her but herself.

Thirteen…

Fourteen…

Fifteen…

Sixteen…

Seventeen…

Eighteen…

The years passed by and still, Eriny celebrated her birthday alone. Her wish every year was the same, but this year, she no longer hoped that it would become a reality.

——-

Eriny slowly opened her eyes, gazing at the image of William in front of her.

The Half-Elf didn't know that Eriny had bought a hug pillow from Ama-Soon, using him as the model for its design.

After the black-haired teenager had left to look for Celine on the Plains of Wrath, Eriny's had lived alone on her flying boat, waiting for his return.

The little Half-ling then turned her head to the side to look at the calendar that hung on the wall. A big red circle could be seen on the 27th day of the month, marking her birthday.

Erinys was born on the 27th day of the month of the Wheel of Fortune. Back then, she thought that this day was incredibly special because it was the day of her birth. But over the years, the special feeling she felt had faded, which led her to treat her birthday as another ordinary day.

"One more week before my birthday," Erinys muttered.

The Half-ling propped herself up into a sitting position before doing some light stretches with her arms. After she finished her daily routine, she looked down on her hug pillow and started to poke the cheeks of the Half-Elf who had a smile on his face.

"When will you return?" Erinys asked. "It has been three days already."

Naturally, the hug pillow didn't answer her. It simply smiled back at her, which made the Half-ling poke it repeatedly.

Suddenly, a thunderous clap of thunder shook the entire Plains of Wrath, making Eriny's jump up in fright.

She then hurriedly ran towards the outside of her cabin to see what was happening, only to see a sight she had never seen before in the Underworld.

Innumerable lightning bolts rained down from the heavens, striking the ground, and making the entire plains tremble.

Even from the safety of her flying boat, Erinys could hear the screams of the people that were being hit by these stray lightning bolts, with some of them turning into red mists. These mists then merged together, forming a red cloud, and flew towards the direction of the spawn area of the Plains of Wrath.

'What in the Ten Circles of the Underworld is happening?!' Erinys screamed internally as the thunder storm raged on without any signs of stopping. She couldn't tell if the lightning bolts were just randomly hitting the ground or not, but one thing was for sure, those that were unlucky enough to be targeted by such a thing would find themselves dead before they could even blink.

To those that had survived, they were in for a very painful experience because lightning could hit the same place twice.

Many of the survivors of the first wave of lightning bolts died in its second, third, and fourth wave, leaving them no place to hide within the plains, which had no concept of shelter, except for the Tower of Wrath that was at the center of this calamity.

For some reason, although Eriny's boat was anchored within the Plains of Wrath, not a single thunderbolt landed near her.

In fact, no lightning bolt fell within a mile around her boat, making the anxious Half-ling breathe a sigh of relief.

An hour later, the Diabolical Thunderstorm finally ended, leaving only devastation in its wake.

Black smoke rose from the ground, making visibility very hard. However, beyond the black mists, Eriny's could sense someone approaching her flying boat at a great speed.

Sensing that her life might be in danger, the Little Halfling hurried inside her cabin to grab her Ferryman Badge.

This was like a protective charm given to her by her father, on the day she became a Ferryman of the Underworld.

Raising the badge high up in the air, the Half-ling gritted her teeth as the presence she felt earlier came closer.

Suddenly, a silhouette emerged from the black smoke and landed on the deck of her flying boat.

"This is a private property of the Ferryman of the Underworld!" Erinys shouted as she showed the badge to the newcomer. "Don't come any closer or you will be punished!"

The Half-ling was already teary-eyed from fright, so her vision was blurry. Nevertheless, she still held her ground because as long as she held the badge, no one in the Underworld would dare to harm her.

"It's me, Erinys. What's wrong? Are you crying?"

When the familiar voice reached Erinys' ear, she immediately wiped away the tears in her eyes using the back of her hand.

The moment her vision cleared, he saw the Half-Elf looking at her with worry, while carrying a pregnant Elf in his arms.

"W-Will?" Erinys stuttered. "Is that really you?"

"Of course it is me," William replied before gently supporting Celine's body so she could stand. "Who did you think I was? Santa Claus?"

Erinys patted her chest as a feeling of relief washed over her body. She then glanced at the beautiful Elf by William's side and connected the dots.

"Is she one of your wives?" Erinys asked.

"We're not yet married," William replied. "But we will marry as soon as we can. Erinys, this is Celine. She is my Master and is currently carrying my child."

Celine blinked before glancing at the Half-Elf beside him. It took her a while to understand what William had meant because the idea of marriage had never crossed her mind. For her, she didn't care whether she was married to the black-haired teenager or not.

The only thing that mattered to her was raising the child in her womb with love and care, regardless of what her relationship with William was.

"Maste– I mean, Celine, this is Erinys," William introduced the Half-ling who was eyeing the Elf with curiosity. "She is the one that has guided me here in the Underworld to find you, Chiffon, Ashe, Sidonie, and Morgana. I wouldn't have arrived so soon if not for her help."

Celine smiled and gave Erinys' a brief bow.

"Thank you for bringing him here to see me," Celine said softly. "If he had been late by a day or two, I don't know what might have become of me."

Erinys tilted her head in confusion because she didn't know what Celine was talking about. However, William did, and a shiver ran down his spine after this realization.

Indeed. If he had been late by a day or two, Celine would have suffered a fate worse than death due to Felix's sadistic tendencies. He couldn't even imagine how hurt she would be while trying to protect the child she was carrying in her womb.

This new realization made William clench his fists. He had made up his mind that before he left the Plains of Wrath, he would make sure that Felix would regret touching his woman.

"Ah! Are you two hurt?!" Erinys snapped out of her daze as she immediately grabbed hold of William's body. She then started to pat his body here and there to check for injuries.

After making sure that the Half-Elf weren't injured, she then eyed Celine from head to toe. Seeing that aside from her disheveled hair and clothing, she was mostly fine, which made Erinys feel relieved.

"Erinys, Celine has been through a lot," William said as he held onto Celine's waist. "Can you let her rest in your cabin for a while? I still have some business to attend to."

Erinys nodded her head. "Okay."

She didn't know what kind of business William still had to do on the Plains of Wrath, but seeing the determined look on his face, something was telling her that she didn't want to know what it was.

For the time being, the Half-ling took Celine inside her cabin to let her rest. However, the little girl's body stiffened when the beautiful Elf saw the hug pillow with William's face on it.

Due to the incident earlier, she had completely forgotten to return the hug pillow inside her storage ring.

This was a secret that Erinys didn't want anyone else to know, especially William, and his lovers, who had been reunited with him.

Celine glanced at the hug pillow then at Erinys, making the Half-ling cover her face in embarrassment. Her thoughts spun as she did her best to come up with an excuse she could tell William's future wife, as to why there was a hug pillow of the black-haired teenager on her bed, who was smiling innocently at the both of them.

On that day, Erinys wanted to dig a hole so deep that she could hide herself inside it. Fortunately, the Half-Elf had left the flying boat and had gone somewhere far away.

If she could convince Celine to keep everything she saw a secret then, perhaps, she would be able to escape the teasing remarks that the Half-Elf would say when he was finally done with his business.

1315 To Let Go, Or To Be Let Go

"How long have you been together with William?" Erinys asked Celine.

"Since he was ten years old," Celine answered. "He was a real troublemaker back then."

After the incident earlier, the Half-ling properly stored her Half-Elf hug pillow and managed to convince Celine to not tell William about it.

Fortunately, the beautiful elf agreed, making Erinys feel as if an olive branch had been given to her by the heavens.

"A troublemaker? Well, he still looks like a troublemaker even now," Erinys commented as she looked at Celine's swollen belly.

Celine smiled because she couldn't refute the Half-ling words. Even before William had embarked on a journey to look for her in the Demon Continent, his life had been filled with ups and downs.

He would always be part of something big and wherever he went, trouble hounded him like a mad dog wanting to bite his bum.

Nevertheless, Celine felt a little proud because she had shaped the Half-Elf to be who he was today. Her only regret was that she wasn't there when his soul had been corrupted by Darkness, after he lost some of the most important people, and things, that he held dear in his heart.

As someone who had mastered the Dark Arts, she immediately felt, and saw the changes in the Half-Elf when he came to rescue her in the tower. These changes made her feel sad, and yet, there was nothing she could do about it.

The only thing she could do was to ease the pain and heartbreak that the Half-Elf was feeling, by giving birth to his children, and raising them with love and care.

"You know, the Underworld is not a good place to give birth," Erinys said after a moment of silence had passed. "Fortunately, Will found you at the right time. As long as he can bring you to the Surface World, everything will be alright."

Celine didn't reply right away. Instead, she lovingly caressed her abdomen as if she was deep in thought.

"I don't think that it will be that easy," Celine commented after organizing her thoughts. "Even my Patron Goddess, Lady Lyssa, had to threaten the God of Death to allow me to give birth in a place away from the Underworld. I haven't told this to William yet, but my Goddess will pick me up soon, so I can give birth without worry."

"You mean you will not return to the Surface World with William?"

"I probably can, but according to my Patron Goddess, the World of Hestia isn't safe right now. It will be best if I give birth away from the conflicts. Also, she added that there is a person among William's women that might harm me and my unborn child. To prevent such a thing, I must not return to Hestia for the time being."

Erinys' eyes widened in shock after hearing Celine's explanation.

"This is just like the scene in the Cold Palace when the Empress sneakily forced one of the Emperor's concubines to abort her baby!" Erinys exclaimed. "Oh, no! We can't let that happen. We need to let William know that the Empress is scheming something behind his back!"

"Cold Palace? Empress? What are you talking about?"

"Relax. Trust me, I have nearly four years experience in watching Methflix. I know what I'm talking about."

"… Okay."

Celine didn't understand the term Cold Palace and Methflix, but seeing Erinys' determined expression, she decided to just nod her head and ask William what the Half-ling was talking about.

While the two were chatting together, thunder claps echoed across the Plains of Wrath, but Celine told the Half-ling to ignore them. The beautiful Elf was certain that it was none other than William who was taking revenge on her behalf, and punishing Felix and his cronies with the power of lightning bolts.

Perhaps, only lightning bolts and the fire of Hell could truly hurt a person's soul in the underworld. Both were used to purify souls, but since everyone on the Plains of Wrath couldn't enter the Cycle of Reincarnation unless they farmed a billion hell credits, they had no choice but to suffer William's wrath, which showed no signs of fading anytime soon.

"Erinys, do you like Will?" Celine asked as she gazed at the doll-like beauty in front of her.

She had already met William's Half-Dwarf wife, Chiffon, so seeing that the little girl in front of her had feelings for the Half-Elf didn't come as a surprise to her.

"Actually, I don't really know," Erinys replied. "The short answer is, I like him, but I don't know if this feeling I have is due to loneliness, or because I genuinely like him. I haven't felt anything like this before, so I am not certain."

She had decided to be honest about her feelings because she could tell that Celine meant her no harm, and was genuinely curious about her relationship with the black-haired teenager, whom she had accompanied all the way to the Fifth Layer of the Underworld.

"Erinys, William doesn't belong here in the Underworld," Celine said. "If you really care for him, promise me that you will not do anything to trap him here."

Erinys felt an ache in her heart after hearing Celine's words.

She knew that William did not belong to the Underworld, and would leave sooner or later, but this was something that she had tossed aside at the back of her head. Erinys didn't want to think about it, so she had conveniently imagined that this journey of theirs would still continue for a long time.

But, now that William had found the last person he was looking for, the curtain was about to close as well.

Her role as his supporter had also come to an end. It was now time for her to give the audience a bow, signaling the end of the story, in which she had briefly appeared as a lead character.

Suddenly, Erinys remembered the words that her friend, Calli had said before they parted in Lust's Abode.

———

"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?"

——–

The Half-ling lowered her head and bit her lip. She couldn't look Celine in the eye because the thought to bind William to the Underworld was starting to grow in her heart. In the end, she had to forcefully erase these thoughts from her mind, making her feel teary eyed.

'I'll be alone again soon.'

This was the thought that appeared in Erinys' head as William's smiling face appeared in her mind.

In truth, after having that dream earlier, a new wish had appeared in Erinys' heart that she hoped would come true on her birthday.

A wish where William would sing her a happy birthday, and eat her birthday cake with her.

Unfortunately, she had long lost hope that such a thing would ever happen. Her only choice right now was to let go… or to be let go, by the one person who made her feel special in the short time that they had been together.

1316 l'm Her Bestest,Best Friend!

"F-Forgive me!" Felix pleaded as his red mist hovered within the spawning area of the Plains of Wrath. "I didn't know that you were here. If I had known, I would have never touched Celine!"

William didn't say anything. Instead, a thunderous clap answered for him.

A lightning bolt that had taken the shape of a Dragon descended upon Felix, as well as the other red mists that were near the Heir of Darkness, and dispersed them like leaves that were swept away by a giant broom.

Shouts of pain, frustration, and grievances spread in the surroundings as the Lightning Dragon rampaged at the will of its Master, whose eyes had locked onto the scattered mists of the green-haired Demon, who had a tracker embedded in his soul.

Over and over, before they could even reform their bodies, their souls were being tortured non-stop, making the other red mists, that had almost formed their bodies, flee in fear that they would be attacked by the Lightning Dragon.

They had noticed that it seemed to be targeting a specific soul, who had tried to hide among the other souls in order to escape the Half-Elf's wrath.

Unfortunately for him, there was no place he could go because the tracker on his soul wouldn't disappear even after dying several times.

For half a day, the spawning area of the Plains of Wrath had become a slaughterhouse.

The souls that had died from William's earlier lightning strike around the Tower of Wrath, who had been killed randomly, internally cursed as the black-haired teenager, who now looked like a devil in their eyes, mercilessly tortured anyone and everyone he could see.

"Um, the higher ups have sent me because an abnormality appeared on this layer. You are Erinys' friend, William, right?" Calli, who had been tasked by her superiors to check on the abnormality that was happening on the Plains of Wrath, said with an anxious expression on her face. "Can you please stop this? You're making things difficult for the staff in charge of this layer of the Underworld."

The Souls who had been tortured repeatedly by William glanced at the Ferryman who was standing on her flying boat with gratitude.

"Is she an angel? Did she come to save us?"

"Finally! Our savior is here!"

"Sob… I didn't know that dying repeatedly like this would hurt so much. Please, can you take this madman away from here?"

"Take him away!"

"Punish him!"

"Banish him!"

"Kill him!"

Soon chants of "Kill him" spread in the surroundings as the vengeful souls all shouted in unison.

William, who had shifted his attention to the Ferryman of the Underworld, glanced at the souls who were shouting for his demise.

Immediately, a pin-drop silence descended upon the spawning area. None dared to anger the black-haired devil who had momentarily stopped the Lightning Dragon from attacking all of them.

"You know Erinys?" William asked.

"Yes!" Calli answered. "I'm her bestest, best friend! We've known each other since forever!"

"Is that the truth?"

"Of course! If you want, you can ask her! I'm telling the truth, so, please don't hurt me, okay? I haven't bought any life insurance plans from our company."

Calli breathed a sigh of relief because her plan to use Erinys name to calm the rampaging Half-Elf worked. In truth, she was afraid to even talk to the Half-Elf because she was afraid that she would also get attacked by him.

If not for the fact that her superior had threatened to keep her salary for the next six months if she didn't fix this problem, she would have definitely remained a spectator and waited until the Half-Elf had quelled his anger.

Originally, the guards of the Underworld would be dispatched to handle any wrongdoers within the Underworld. However, after seeing the maddening thunderstorm that had rocked the entire Plains of Wrath, all of them decided to sit this one out and pass the problem to someone else, forcing Calli's superior to send her over like a sacrificial lamb to smooth things out.

William crossed his arms over his chest as he appraised the Ferryman who was very different from Erinys.

In his eyes, the pretty lady with long brown hair, and eyes, didn't really match the vibe of a Ferryman. But, after spending some time with the little Half-ling, he understood that the Ferryman of the Underworld was not as scary as their title seemed to make them out to be.

"What will you do if I don't stop?" William asked, making all the red mists in the spawning area shudder uncontrollably.

"I-If you don't stop… the enforcers will come to apprehend you," Calli stuttered. "They are very strong, you know? You don't want to get on their bad side."

William glanced in the direction where Felix's soul was located. The green-haired demon had hidden himself among the other souls, and was doing his best to stay out of sight.

"I can stop on one condition," William said before pointing in the direction where Felix's soul was located. "I want that soul thrown in the River of Hell."

"Soul?" Calli blinked before shifting her gaze to the large cloud of rest mist that William was pointing at. "Which one?"

The souls had all lumped together, which made it impossible for her to identify which soul the black-haired teenager was talking about.

A moment later, William waved his hand and the lightning dragon dispersed. Tendrils of lightning flew towards the lump of souls, making them scatter. A moment later, the tendrils of lightning formed a cage, and enclosed Felix's soul, making the latter unable to escape.

"This soul," William stated. "As long as he is thrown into the River of Hell, I will stop at once."

Calli took out a pair of glasses and stared at the soul that was locked in a lightning prison.

"Soul Identification Number: 09875422154564, Felix Hal Gremory," Calli stated as she read the information about Felix's soul. "Crimes are genocide, rape, and other major offenses, such as kidnapping the soon-to-be High Priestess of a God.

"The Ferryman who had ferried him across the Underworld decided to send him to the Plains of Wrath first before sending his soul to the River of Hell for two hundred years. Only after that, would he be eligible to enter the Cycle of Reincarnation… hiss…. This guy is a big fish."

Calli didn't expect that such a person was currently in the Plains of Wrath. Usually, she would not do anything and simply let the term decided by the Ferryman responsible for Felix come to pass, but in order to pacify William, her superior had said that everything was negotiable.

"You want him sent to the River of Hell?" Calli asked.

William nodded.

"After that you will no longer cause trouble here?" Calli inquired.

"Yes," William replied. "I will leave this place and no longer cause any trouble for everyone."

Calli adjusted her glasses as she gazed at William with a solemn look. Five minutes later, she reluctantly nodded her head and agreed to the Half-Elf's condition.

"I will take him to the River of Hell so he can serve his 200 year sentence," Calli replied. "After that, I will return him here to the Plains of Wrath to finish the rest of his punishment. Is that acceptable to you?"

William nodded.

He didn't know if he could convince the God of Death to free Celine from the Underworld. If he failed, the beautiful Elf might be sent to the Tower of Wrath again, but William wouldn't be able to rest easy knowing that Felix was also on the same plane of existence as her.

Since that was the case, he was fine with the green-haired demon being tossed to the River of Flames to suffer for two hundred years, while he negotiated with the God of Death.

As long as Felix wasn't able to threaten Celine, he would agree to stop his harassment of the souls that had been brought to the Plains of Wrath.

Calli waved her hand, and the lightning prison flew towards the deck of her boat. Felix had complicated feelings because he didn't know which one was worse. The River of Flames or William's unending torture.

"I will take my leave now," Calli said. "Please keep your word. Also, please take care of Erinys for me. She has been lonely for a very long time."

After saying her parting words, Calli urged her flying boat to rise to the next layer of Hell.

She was afraid that if she stayed longer, William would change his mind, and her salary for the next six months in the Underworld…

Would disappear right before her eyes.

1317 l Will Take You To See The God of Death

As soon as Calli's flying boat disappeared in the sky, William flew to where Erinys' flying boat was anchored.

He had left Celine in her care because he was confident that no one in the Underworld would dare attack a Ferryman who was responsible for ferrying the souls of the dead.

, Also, he didn't want to take the pregnant Elf with him to harass Felix's soul because it might cause her unnecessary stress, which was bad for the baby.

When he arrived at the flying ship, he saw Erinys sitting on the crow nest of her flying boat, dangling her feet as if she was deep in thought.

The boat of the Ferryman didn't have this feature, but she had modified her own boat using her Hell Credits because she was inspired by the movie, Pirates of the Carry-bee-an.

William suddenly felt like teasing the little girl and sneakily hovered behind her. He then lowered his head and said "Boo!"

The Half-ling almost fell off her look-out-point due to being startled.

The Half-Elf placed his hand on her waist to prevent her from falling off, which made Erinys curse him repeatedly.

"Dammit! I almost had a heart-attack!" Erinys angrily shouted as she started to pound William's stomach with her little fist. "How dare you sneak behind me?!"

William smiled and just allowed the Half-ling to vent out her anger due to his prank. A few minutes later, Erinys stopped and simply glared hatefully at the black-haired teenager who had a faint smile on his face.

"Erinys, I need a favor," William said as he tried to coax the little girl who was glaring at him.

Erinys crossed her arms over her chest and said "Hmph!" before turning her head away. Clearly, she planned to ignore the Half-Elf completely.

"Now that I have seen my lovers, it is time for me to talk to the God of Death," William stated. "Is it possible for you to take me to where he is?"

Erinys, who was hell-bent to ignore William, suddenly turned her head to stare at him in shock. She didn't expect that the favor that the black-haired teenager wanted to ask of her was to see the Big Boss of the Underworld.

"You want to see the God of Death?"

"Yes. Can you take me to him?"

Erinys didn't know how to answer because William's request was so sudden. A part of her wanted to take him to that place, but another part of her didn't want to do it. Simply put, she was afraid to see the Big Boss of the Underworld because she might get punished for bringing William to see him.

"Why do you want to see him?" Erinys asked.

Although she already had an idea of what William's answer would be, she still needed to ask just in case her guess was wrong.

"I want to take my wives' souls, as well as Celine out of the Underworld," William answered. "I want to take them back with me to the Surface World."

Erinys just stood and glanced at William with a sad look on her face. It felt as if a part of her soul had left her body after hearing his reply, making her feel faint.

"Erinys, what's wrong?" William asked. "You look pale. Are you alright?"

Erinys then tried to talk, but no words came out of her mouth. A moment later, her legs collapsed under her, making the Half-Elf hurriedly grab her to support her body.

"Erinys?" William lightly shook the little girl in his arms who seemed to have lost consciousness. "What's wrong? Speak to me."

The Half-ling stared at the Half-Elf for a few seconds before she lost consciousness. However, before her senses left her, she had seen William's anxious expression, and heard him call out a name that she hadn't heard before.

"Optimus, run a diagnostic scan. Hurry!"

——-

Erinys' felt as if she was floating.

She couldn't move her body, and simply allowed herself to be carried off by an invisible current.

Everything around her was dark, and she couldn't see anything. This lasted for an unknown period of time before a faint light appeared above her head.

Soon, images of what had happened in the past appeared to her one by one.

"You want to be a Ferryman of the Underworld?" an otherworldly beauty asked with a smile.

"Yes, Grandma!" Erinys replied.

"Very well. I will give you a custom made flying boat. As for the Ferryman Badge, I will send someone to handle the paperwork for you."

"Thank you, Grandma. You're the best!"

——

The image then shifted to a handsome man with blonde hair and crimson eyes, who was staring down at her with a calm gaze.

"Starting today, you are a Ferryman of the Underworld," the man said. "Perform your duties well."

"Yes, Sir!"

—–

"Have you heard the latest news? There seems to be a living person that has somehow entered the Underworld," Calli said like an Auntie who had just discovered a very juicy gossip.

"Really? What should I do?!" a Ferryman asked anxiously. "I'm supposed to be the one on duty today. What if that living person attacks me? I'm so scared!"

Erinys, who had just entered the Ferryman's lounge, heard this news and immediately walked towards her colleagues with excitement.

"Is it true? A living person has appeared in the Underworld?" Erinys asked.

"Yes," Calli replied. "This came from a credible source. I can't be wrong."

"Then, since you don't want to go, can I take your place instead?" Erinys asked the Ferryman who was supposed to Ferry the souls on that day. "After I take the living person away from the port, you can ferry the other souls afterwards."

"You will do that? Thank you! You're a real lifesaver, Erinys!"

"Don't mention it. That is what friends are for, right?"

———

"Hah… wearing the Ferryman uniform is so exhausting," Erinys said as she took off her robe. "Hey, you're a living person right? How did you get in here?"

"What's wrong?" Erinys blinked in confusion. "Is there something wrong with my face?"

"No," William replied after he had recovered from his shock. "I just didn't expect that the Ferryman would be someone as cute as you."

——-

More memories appeared around her like stars, forming constellations.

Then it happened.

A familiar voice filled with concern called out to her from beyond the heavens.

"Erinys. Hey, wake up, Erinys."

The Half-ling then slowly raised her hand towards the dark sky, as tears streamed down the side of her face.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew towards her, carrying her body upwards. The constellation of memories that had appeared above her now merged together, forming a golden light.

She found herself flying towards that light, to that familiar voice that was calling out her name repeatedly, making another tear stream down the side of her face.

—–

William glanced at the little girl with long blonde hair, who laid on the bed. Her hair was spread on the white sheets like a waterfall. Her very pale face didn't diminish her doll-like beauty, which seemed to be sculpted by the very Gods themselves.

However, the Half-Elf could feel his heart ache after seeing the tears that slid down the sides of her face, not knowing if Erinys was having a bad dream or not. The only thing he could do was call out to her, while holding her hand.

While he was at a loss about what to do, he saw Erinys' eyelashes flutter briefly. A moment later, they opened.

Her tear-stained eyes, that were as blue as the sky, stared straight into William's own eyes. Erinys held this gaze for nearly half a minute before she opened her mouth to speak.

"I will take you to see the God of Death," Erinys said before closing her eyes. "Make your preparations. We will leave at once."

Her voice was weak, and filled with resignation, which made William feel as if the little girl on the bed had lost her will to live.

Even her hand, that he was holding firmly in his own, felt so cold and devoid of warmth. She was just like a candle whose light was about to be snuffed out at any moment.

"Please leave," Erinys stated. "I need some time to be alone. Don't worry, even if I am inside my room, this ship will fly according to my will.

"The journey will take five to six days at most if no incidents, like the last one, happen. Rest assured, I will take you to the God of Death. So, please, leave me alone for a while."

William didn't want to go because he was worried about her, but Erinys' words were firm, telling him to leave her alone. With no other choice, William followed her will and left her alone.

However, before he left, he planted a kiss on her forehead and tucked her blanket around her.

Once William had finally left her room, Erinys raised both of her hands to cover her face and cried. She didn't hold back as her body trembled with every sob that came out of her lips. She knew that this time would come sooner or later, yet, she still took that leap of Faith into the unknown.

Just like the Little Mermaid who wasn't able to get her "Happily ever after," Erinys steeled herself to return to her old ways before she met William.

The Fairy Tale was coming to an end, and her feelings would disappear, just like the little mermaid who turned into seafoam after she failed to marry her prince.

Erinys' flying boat sailed smoothly towards the Tenth Layer of the Underworld, using an exclusive path that was only open to the Ferryman of the Underworld.

During the journey, Erinys had shut herself up inside her room. She didn't come out even though William had repeatedly called out to her.

The Half-ling would only say that the black-haired teenager shouldn't disturb her because navigating the boat required all of her concentration, leaving William no other choice but to leave her alone.

This setup continued until they finally arrived at the final layer of the Underworld, which was called the Aetherius.

Many souls had wanted to reach this top-most layer because it was the place that had a gate that led directly to the Elysian Fields.

The Elysian Fields, or Elysium for short, was the final resting place of Heroes and Virtuous individuals that had made great contributions to the world when they were still alive.

This was the promised paradise, that equaled Heaven, and the destination that everyone in the Underworld wanted to reach.

Erinys' flying boat headed straight to the port, and parked in one of the vacant places that was reserved for the Ferryman of the Underworld.

"We have arrived," Erinys' tired voice reached William's ears.

.me

A moment later, the door of Erinys room opened and the little girl, whom he hadn't seen for the past six days emerged with dark circles under her eyes.

William immediately walked up to her to crouch down to see if she was alright, but Erinys just shook her head and prevented William from touching her.

"This is Aetherius," Erinys replied. "The Tenth Circle of the Underworld, and the gateway that leads to the Elysian Fields. If you wish to talk to the God of Death, you will find him in that castle over there."

Erinys pointed at a towering castle in the distance that seemed to have been inspired by a horror film.

"You should go now," Erinys said before turning around to return to her cabin. "I am tired, and I will rest. Do me a favor and don't disturb me. I haven't slept for the past six days of our journey. Goodbye, Will. May you find the happiness you are looking for in the Underworld."

A moment later, the cabin door shut tightly, leaving the Half-Elf staring at it with a complicated look on his face.

He could tell that Erinys was really exhausted, but aside from that, she was clearly avoiding him. William didn't know what had transpired between the little girl and his lover, Celine.

But, right after he returned from dealing with Felix, the Half-ling's attitude towards him had taken a ninety-degree turn, making him feel as if he had done something wrong towards Erinys, who was now treating him coldly.

Celine sighed internally as she looked at the Half-Elf that was still staring at the cabin door. She had a serious talk with Erinys while William was away, and understood that the little girl still didn't understand her true feelings towards the black-haired teenager who looked so lost at the moment.

"Let's go, Will," Celine said as she wrapped her arms behind William, giving him a hug. "Let her rest. She's earned it."

William didn't reply and remained rooted in place for two more minutes before reluctantly nodding his head. He then carried Celine in a princess carry before flying in the direction of the gloomy palace in the distance.

"Goodbye, Will," Erinys muttered as she gazed at the Dark Prince who was carrying his lover to meet with the God of Death. "This is goodbye."

Erinys sighed before laying on her bed to sleep. She had been thinking a lot for the past six days. During that time, she had already steeled herself to part with William. This was why she firmly rejected his touch when he came over to check her condition.

The Half-ling knew that the longer she dwelled on the topic, the sadder she would be. This was why she had drunk a Heart Numbing Potion before leaving her room, so her emotions would be suppressed, preventing her from feeling anything for an hour.

If not for the potion, she might have broken down and clung to William while crying. She would have wailed in his arms, telling him not to leave her behind.

But, Erinys couldn't do that.

She couldn't be selfish.

She wasn't the Lead Heroine of the story, and merely a supporting character.

Since her role had ended, she should just quietly take her bow and leave the stage, allowing the Main Actors to shine in the spotlight.

"I'm tired…," Erinys muttered. "Finally, it's over."

As soon as those words escaped the Half-ling's lips, she fell into a deep, and dreamless sleep. Not knowing when she would wake up again.

—-----

An hour later, William arrived at the Palace of the Underworld.

Since he was carrying Celine, he didn't travel too fast because she might feel uncomfortable during the journey. Although the beautiful Elf didn't mind getting roughed up a bit, William did, so their arrival at the castle was delayed by half an hour.

"We have been expecting you, Sir Ainsworth," a lady with long black hair bowed respectfully to the Half-Elf as soon as he landed on the gates of the palace. "Please, follow me. His Excellency is already waiting for you in the throne room."

William and Celine exchanged a glance before nodding their heads in unison.

Now that they were about to meet the Boss of the Underworld, they no longer needed to hesitate, and followed the guide that had been waiting for their arrival.

From within the Palace, a pair of crimson eyes looked at the Half-ling who was sleeping inside her flying ship. Her disheveled and haggard condition made faint ripples pass through their crimson depths.

A moment later, dark clouds covered the tenth layer of the Underworld. Clearly, whoever was sitting on the throne of Death at the moment was in a very bad mood, which affected the weather around him.

"You're finally here, Celine."

"Lady Lyssa? What are you doing here?"

The Goddess of Wrath stood in the hallway with a smile on her face.

"I've come here to pick you up," Lyssa said. "I've already talked with Thanatos. This is not a good place for you to give birth, so I'm taking you with me to the Elysian Fields."

"B-But, this is too sudden," Celine replied.

Although she was happy that her Patron Goddess had appeared to ensure her pregnancy wouldn't have any problems, she had been reunited with William, making her feel reluctant to leave him.

"I know that this is sudden, but you have to leave sooner or later," Lyssa stated. "I know that this is too much to take in all at once, so I'll let you say your proper goodbyes to him. Why don't we go to the reception area for now? They have already prepared it for your arrival."

The black-haired lady who was guiding William and Celine earlier bowed her head, and made a gesture of, Please follow me, leaving no room for negotiations.

After arriving at the reception room, the Goddess Lyssa made herself at home and sipped her tea as if she owned the place.

"Go on," Lyssa said as she eyed the Half-Elf and the beautiful elf beside him. "Treat me as if I'm not here. Feel free to take as much time as you need to say goodbye to each other."

.me

"..."

"..."

William and Celine were both at a loss for words, but one thing led to another and, before they knew it, the time for them to part again was here.

The two of them had stayed in the same room for the past six days while they traveled towards the Tenth Circle of the Underworld and had talked about many things.

William had told her everything that had happened since they were taken away by the God of Death, and Celine had also told him about all the things she had experienced in the Underworld.

Once could even say that, over the past six days, they had aid almost everything they wanted to say to each other, except for their farewells.

In the end, it was Celine who broke the ice and cupped William's face. She then gave him a long and passionate kiss, making him feel all the emotions that were inside her heart at the moment.

Naturally, William returned her kiss, and made Celine feel his overflowing feelings for her.

They kissed, kissed, and kissed some more, making even the Goddess of Wrath feel as if becoming the third wheel was a very bad idea.

After the two kissed for the Umpteenth time, Lyssa was unable to take it anymore, and left the room before she started vomiting sugar.

When the Goddess had finally left, William and Celine stopped kissing and stared at each other with affectionate gazes.

"I promise to give birth to a healthy child," Celine said. "I will care for him until you finish your business in Hestia. Make sure that it will be a place where our child can grow in peace and happiness. But, don't force yourself too much, okay? If it's hard, you can take a break. I will wait patiently for you to take me back."

William nodded as he lightly squeezed Celine's hand.

"I will do my best to take care of the problems as soon as possible," William replied. "I can't bear to leave you, Ashe, Sidonie, Morgana, and Chiffon here in the Underworld for a long time."

"We believe in you. But, don't make us wait too long. All of us look forward to the day where we can be by your side, under the same sky."

"Mmm."

William pulled Celine closer to him, and the latter rested her head on his shoulders. Although the Goddess, Lyssa, had told them that they could take their time saying their goodbyes to each other, they also knew that they couldn't spend the entire day in each other's arms.

The world wouldn't stop turning because of them, and time wouldn't bother to wait for them either.

Since that was the case, they said their final farewells, with the promise to meet again as soon as possible.

"Please, look after her for me, Your Excellency," William said before bowing his head respectfully to Celine's Patron Goddess.

"Of course I will," Lyssa replied. "The next time you see each other, your child will have been born. Have the two of you already decided on a name for your firstborn?"

William and Celine glanced at each other before nodding their heads in unison.

They had already agreed on the name of their child if it was a boy, or a girl.

William wished that Celine would have a smooth pregnancy, and their child to be born healthy. With the Goddess Lyssa watching over Celine, the Half-Elf was confident that everything would be fine.

Even so, he couldn't help but feel anxious. After all, Celine was about to give birth to his first child. His only regret was that he wouldn't be there when their child was finally born in the world.

As a father, this was something he wished he could witness, but since the circumstances prevented him from doing so, there was nothing he could do about it.

"Until we meet again," Celine said softly as she caressed William's face. "Do your best, Papa. Me and our child will be rooting for you wherever we may be."

"Mmm," William nodded.

Lyssa smiled and held Celine's hand.

"William, allow me to give you a piece of advice," Lyssa said before moving closer to whisper something in William's ears. The Goddess' words were so faint that the Half-Elf almost didn't hear her properly.

"When you leave the Underworld, don't look back no matter what," the Goddess Lyssa whispered. "As long as you do that, everything else is in the gray area."

The Goddess then winked at William before waving her hand.

A moment later, a golden portal appeared, leading to the promised paradise of Elysium.

Celine gave William one last glance before following her Goddess inside the portal.

As soon as the beautiful Elf had fully entered the portal, it disappeared completely, leaving nothing behind but a Half-Elf, who was still trying to understand the advice that was given to him by the Goddess of Wrath.

Chapter 1320 Well, She Sure Ls Ugly

William found himself staring at a giant gate with a white skull at its center. Beyond the gate was the throne room where the God that ruled over the Underworld was waiting for him.

"Please, enter," the black-haired lady politely bowed to William. "This is as far as I go. I bid you a good day."

Without another word, the black-haired lady walked away without a backward glance. Her role was complete, and it was now time for her to attend to her other duties that required her immediate attention.

William took a step forward and pressed his hands over the gate, pushing it open. He didn't exert a lot of strength, and only opened a gap wide enough for him to enter.

"You've kept me waiting, Half-Elf."

A cold voice, that didn't bear a single trace of warmth, reached William's ears as soon as he stepped inside the throne room.

William didn't reply and walked forward. His steps were steady as he made his way towards the giant throne where a figure draped in a black robe sat.

"Greetings, Your Excellency," William said as he gave the God of Death a respectful bow. "Thank you for not kicking me out of your Domain the moment I arrived. I am here today because of your benevolence and mercy."

"Well, I almost did," Thanatos replied. His voice reeked with restrained anger that threatened to burst out at any minute. "You're just lucky that some troublesome Goddesses are on your side. But, enough of that. Let's talk about the reason why you came to see me."

.me

William nodded his head. He also didn't plan to make any small talk to prolong his conversation with the God of Death. He assumed that the Goddesses that Thanatos was talking about were the Trinity of Adephagia, Astrid, and Lyssa.

These were the three Goddesses that had descended to Hestia when Ahriman decided to attack him. Since that was the case, he decided to start the negotiation for the lives of the women he loved.

"I wish to take the souls of my wives, as well as my lover, Celine, back to the Surface World," William stated. "Name your price."

The God of Deaths snorted before snapping his fingers.

The throne room became pitch-black with nothing to see aside from William's glowing golden eyes, and Thanatos' crimson eyes.

A few seconds later, images appeared above them showing the battle that recently happened in the Ainsworth Empire. The black-haired teenager's expression became serious as he watched the forces of the Holy Order of Light clashed with his subordinates, who were just defending his empire.

A few minutes later, William saw how Loxos was captured by the enemy, and how she suffered under the Pope's hands. He also saw his First Wife, Wendy, fight against a black-haired young lady wielding a bow, who was perched on top of a Roc.

The images didn't have any sound in them, so William simply watched as the event transpired. He felt relieved when he saw the Six-Eared Macaque and the Bull Demon King rescue Loxos from the Pope's hands and taken back to where her sisters were.

After losing their hostage, the Pope alongside her subordinates left in haste. The scene once again returned to Wendy's fight, and Thanatos paused the battle to let William take a good look at the black-haired beauty who had a sneer on her face, as she aimed her arrow at the Valkyrie whom William hadn't seen for quite some time.

"I want her dead," Thanatos stated. "Kill her and I will return the soul of your wives, as well as Celine to the surface world. This is the price you need to pay for an equivalent exchange."

William rubbed his chin as he gazed at the black-haired beauty that was frozen in time.

"Well, she sure is ugly," William said after gazing at the black-haired lady for a full minute. "She must have really ticked you off for you to ask for her life."

"She didn't tick me off," Thanatos replied. "I have no quarrel with her. I just want her soul in exchange for your wives. That's it."

"Well, I have no problem with that. So, what is her name?"

"Belle. Her name is Belle."

"Belle…," William muttered. "Very well. I will kill this Belle for you. After that you will keep your word, right?"

Thanatos nodded. "Yes. Kill her and our transaction is complete. I will keep my word."

William nodded. The moment he saw Belle's face, an anger that came from the darkness of his heart surfaced. He understood that he was being influenced by the Power of Darkness inside his heart, but for such anger to appear made him feel as if his heart was about to burst.

? After calming himself down, he glanced at the fading image above him one last time before the throne room returned to its normal state.

"Can I now return to the Surface World?" William asked.

"You can," Thanatos replied. "I give you permission to return to the Surface World. Just remember, when you take the flight of stairs leading back to your world, you are not allowed to look back. Once you do, you will be trapped here in the Underworld, unable to leave."

"Understood." William nodded. "I will just first say my goodbye to a person that helped me along the way. This won't take long."

"There's no need to say your goodbye," Thanatos snorted. "You may go."

Thanatos once again snapped his fingers, making the Half-Elf disappear from the throne room.

"You've already hurt her enough." Thanatos scoffed. "Saying goodbye will break her completely."

When William opened his eyes, he found himself staring at a flight of stairs leading towards a golden portal.

The throne room and the God of Death were gone, and what replaced it was a pin-drop silence, making the Half-Elf feel bitter because he wasn't able to say a proper goodbye to the Half-ling who had accompanied him on his journey through the Underworld.

Chapter 1321 This Ls Where You Belong

Erinys' abruptly woke up from her sleep in the middle of the night.

The clock had just struck midnight and, with it, another day had passed in the Underworld.

Erinys, who looked disheveled and miserable, slowly propped herself up from the bed. Her beautiful blonde hair, that had been tied up in a ponytail in the past, now hung freely behind her back.

She hadn't taken a bath for almost a week, and her eyes had lost the luster they once had due to sleepless, and stressful nights that she had stayed inside her room.

Dark circles could be seen under her eyes, and dried up tear stains could be faintly seen on her cheeks. Her doll-like beauty was still there, and yet, her current state made her look so vulnerable and frail.

Standing up from the bed, Erinys walked towards the full body mirror at the corner of her room. The pajamas she wore was crumpled, and the buttons were buttoned in the wrong places. But, Erinys didn't care about that.

Placing her right palm on the mirror's surface, her dry and chapped lips opened as a hoarse voice escaped her once soft and delicate lips.

"Happy… Birthday… Erinys."

Yes. Today was her nineteenth birthday. The day she was born in the world, and a day of celebration.

But, Erinys didn't plan on celebrating. Not today, not on her next birthday, not ever.

.me

Suddenly, an arrow with a heart-shaped tip flew through the open window of her room and hit the surface of the mirror, missing the side of Erinys' face by a few inches.

Surprisingly, the Half-ling didn't scream, or jump in fright after the arrow flew past her. In fact, she even felt that it was a shame that the arrow didn't hit her to end her life. That was how numb she was at that time.

But, after a few seconds, she realized that even if she died, it wouldn't change anything.

Why?

Because even if she died, she would still be in the Underworld.

Nothing would change. It will be the same as always.

"Hah…"

A long, bitter, and sad sigh escaped her lips as he stared at her reflection in the mirror. Suddenly, the mirror in front of her glowed, and an image appeared on its surface.

A black-haired teenager stood at a flight of stairs that led to a golden portal in the distance. Erinys immediately recognized the place because there had been more than one occasion when she tried to go to that golden portal in the past.

"Heaven's… Gate," Erinys said hoarsely as a tear streamed down on the side of her face. "Will…"

She thought that she had no more tears to shed because she had already cried her heart out during the six-day trip towards the Tenth Layer of the Underworld.

However, after seeing the Half-Elf slowly climb the steps to return to the surface world, the pain, sadness, and loneliness she thought had long disappeared once again resurfaced.

"We… weren't even… able to say… goodbye," Erinys muttered between sobs as she placed both of her hands on the surface of the mirror. "Will…"

It was at that moment when a powerful gust of wind entered her room, carrying a pink teddy bear that pushed the small, and frail body of the Half-ling towards the mirror.

"I hate sad endings. Sometimes, I wish Life had a rewind button."

A playful voice, that seemed to belong to a little girl, reached Erinys ears before her entire body was swallowed up by the mirror.

Immediately, a clap of thunder reverberated within the Tenth Layer of the Underworld. Clearly, the God that ruled it wasn't happy with the uninvited guests that were causing trouble inside his domain.

"He found us! Run, Cupid!"

"Lily! Don't leave meeeeeeeeeee!"

—----

Erinys fell face first on the ground right after she entered the mirror. She then slowly raised her head, and placed her hand over her aching forehead.

"Ouch," Erinys muttered as the pain she felt snapped her out of her daze.

It was then when she realized that she was no longer inside her room, but in the place that she had just seen in her mirror a moment ago.

There, halfway up the staircase, she saw the familiar Half-Elf who was walking steadily towards the golden portal to return to his homeworld.

Erinys, who had been feeling weak earlier, suddenly found the strength in her body to stand. She then opened her lips to call out the name of the black-haired teenager whom she still hadn't said goodbye to.

But, as if to snuff out her hope, instead of a word, an orb of golden light escaped her lips.

Erinys immediately felt that something was wrong, and once again shouted. However, no words were heard.

Her voice was gone.

The Half-ling, who had lost her voice, then gritted her teeth as she ran towards the stairs. However before she could even step on it, several black snakes rose up from the ground and wrapped around her legs, her arms, her waist, and even wrapped around her lips, so that she couldn't even whimper.

No matter how much she struggled, she was unable to take a single step, or even catch the Half-Elf's attention, who was only ten steps away from the golden portal.

'No!' Erinys screamed in her heart. 'This cannot be! I still haven't said goodbye. Will! Will!"

—---

Thanatos, who sat on his throne, eyed the struggling Half-ling who was frantically doing her best to escape the bindings he placed on her.

"Give it up, Erinys," Thanatos said coldly. "This is where you belong."

—----

Erinys screamed with everything she had as her tears fell like rain. However, no matter what she did, no words, or even the slightest bit of sound could be heard from her struggle.

'Will! Will! WILL!' Erinys's shouted in her heart. 'I just want to say goodbye! Why? WHY? WHY ARE YOU STOPPING ME! FATHER!'

When William had taken the final step towards the Golden Portal, Erinys had stopped struggling. She just cried while her entire body was held in place, unable to do anything.

Just as her heart was about to break completely, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her small and frail body, from behind, dispersing the black snakes that held her in place.

Slowly, Erinys raised her head to look up at the familiar, yet blurry outline of the person whom she wanted to say goodbye to.

A silent wail escaped Erinys's lips as she buried her face in William's stomach. No words came out of her mouth, and yet the Half-Elf clearly felt the sadness and hurt that she was suffering from.

"Why are you crying?" William asked as she picked up the crying Half-ling and held her in a princess carry. "Is it because we weren't able to say goodbye to each other?"

Erinys didn't speak and simply gripped William's clothes and buried her head into his chest, drenching his clothes with her tears.

The Half-ling didn't know how long she cried, but her sobs completely stopped when she heard a song that came from William's lips.

"Happy birthday to you~

Happy birthday to you~

Happy birthday… Happy Birthday…

Happy Birthday to you~"

Erinys pulled back and looked at the Half-Elf who was smiling down at her.

"I'm sorry, Erinys," William replied. "I wasn't able to tell you happy birthday earlier."

'How?' Erinys asked but no words were heard from her lips.

"A friend of mine knows when someone's birthday is coming," William replied. "He is the one that told me that today is your Birthday. So, Happy Nineteenth Birthday, Erinys. What gift do you want for your birthday?"

Erinys couldn't believe what she was hearing, and her mind couldn't process everything properly.

But, when Williama asked her what she wanted for her birthday, her hands moved subconsciously and grabbed hold of the Half-Elf's clothes, pulling them closer to her.

Her lips then slowly opened and said a single word.

Just like before, no sound could be heard, but William understood what she wanted.

"You don't want your voice back?" William asked in a teasing tone. "Is your wish more important than your voice?"

Erinys nodded her head.

At that moment, an angry roar shook the plane where William was currently at. However, the Half-ling in his arms didn't hear the roar, nor feel the trembling.

William was hovering in the air, and had applied a sound-proofing spell around them. The only thing that Erinys could hear was his voice.

"I'll ask you one last time, are you sure this is what you want?" William inquired.

Eriny nodded.

"Fine," William replied. "If that is really your wish then I will be your genie for today and grant it. No… it will not only be for today. I will grant it until this body of mine breaks into pieces."

William then started to walk up the stairs for the second time.

Earlier, when he was on the very last step, Optimus had finished surrounding the Domain with the power of William's own Domain, using a few items from the God Shop which were worth a few million God Points.

This allowed him to momentarily take complete authority of the Domain, stripping it away from the God of Death himself for a brief period of time.

When everything was ready, William jumped back and landed behind Erinys, hugging her and dispersing the black snakes that bound her.

The only way to leave the Domain was to walk up the staircase step by step. The Half-Elf couldn't fly, or run towards the stairs. It must be taken one step at a time, or none at all. Even after he had stripped Thanatos of his authority, this rule never changed, so William took one step at a time until he reached the middle-area of the stairs.

A moment later, black snakes erupted from the ground and wrapped themselves around William's body.

Erinys screamed as she tried to slap the black snakes away, but it was of no use.

"Don't worry," William said. "I'll handle this."

Black flames erupted from William's body, surrounding himself in a dome of black flames, disintegrating all of the black snakes that had once held him in place.

"You're not going anywhere, Half-Elf!"

Thanatos' roar of anger split the Domain in half but William didn't even bother to look behind him. He just took one step forward, carrying the Half-ling in his arms, who was also clinging onto his clothes as if her life depended on it.

Erinys then heard Thanatos' roar, and tried to poke her head over William's shoulder to look at her Father, but a golden metallic staff gently pressed her head back down, preventing her from looking back.

The moment William stepped into the golden portal, the stairway that led to the Gates of Heaven, shattered into a thousand pieces, as the angry roars of the God of Death made the entire Underworld tremble, making the souls of the departed fear for their lives, even though they were already dead.