Chereads / 9th Life / Chapter 13 - CHAPTER 13

Chapter 13 - CHAPTER 13

Somewhere in a mountainous region,a bald monk is seen meditating.He shuts off his mind from the world.He could hear every thing and maintain silence at the same time.After a while,he descends from the mountain and walks through the little town at the bottom.He makes various stops before walking towards the monastery.Days later,whilst meditating in the mountains,he feels an unease in his environment.He sighs and opens his eyes.From the edge of the cliff,a hand appears as the figure stands in front of him."Mountain climbing sure is an exciting sport.Wouldn't you agree?"Daegal smirks at the monk."I had nearly forgotten your face,"he says.Daegal scoffs,"I don't know if I should feel offended or not.Either way if you see my face,then you know your time is up."The monk sits there calmly,"Time is of no essence here,"Daegal then interrupts the monk."Spare me the crap.I am always watching you.You will always be a person of interest.By the way if it helps,I have not touched ypur family.Yet."The monk Pongso gets up to his feet and looks at Daegal,"It may come as a surprise to you but I have been eagerly waiting for you as well."Daegal raises a brow,"Oh really now."Pongso nods,"We have been doing this dance for far too long.You erase my existence and destroy my families.You have become quite predictable."Daegal snickers,"And yet you repeated the same mistake."Pongso looks up at Daegal and grins,"Because I wanted you to believe that was the case."Daegal sighs,"I do not have time for this shit.Come with me or you know what happens next?"Pongso scoffs and takes a stance.Daegal transforms into the Hellhunter,"Have it your way!"

The Hellhunter charges at Pongso waving his giant blade at him.With every hit,Pongso maintains his position whilst dodging the attacks.The Hellhunter is taken aback and pants."What's the matter?I'm not resisting.I am unarmed so come and take me,"Pongso mocks the Hellhunter.He roars and charges at him.The monk steps aside and the demon trips on his foot flying head straight into the rock.He turns around and begins to throw punches.Pongso grins,"Finally you decided to fight fair!"The Hellhunter manages to tackle him out of his position.Pongso uses the Hellhunter's momentum against him and throws him instead.As the Hellhunter gets up,Pongso kicks him in the face.He attempts to punch him but falls to his knees.His helmet had been shattered and blood runs from his nose.Pongso appears in front of him and another punch shatters his body armor.The Hellhunter falls back to the ground.He shudders in pain and tries to get up to his feet.Pongso stands in front of the Hellhunter and smirks.He then moves out of the way as Nick drives his blade into Daegal's face.Pongso kicks Nick's hand before landing a kick to his face.Pongso ruthlessly batters Nick who barely touches him.He falls to the ground,his face entirely swollen and a couple of bones broken.

Pongso stands in front of Nick,"You don't own me.You tell that to your boss.Me and him are done."Nick grunts and tries to sit up,"You will regret this.Mark my words I am going to kill you."Pongso walks away from Nick who falls back looking at the skies.His vision quickly darkens as a giant boulder is thrown at him.Pongso looks at the crushed body of Nick with much satisfaction.His life however is short lived when he succumbs to an illness which takes his life.Nick returns to the region with a horde and lay waste to it's people.He leaves empty handed,much to the fury of the demon lord.

A few minutes to 4a.m...

Demons cry out and crash through a door.Pierre walks into the room and looks around.He catches sight of Nick sitted in the dark,"Hey fuckhead!"Sitting up into the light was Daegal and not Nick,"Looking for me?"

Pierre steps up to him,"I do not have time for the bitch.Where is your boss?"

He gets up and transforms into the Hellhunter,"Somewhere you can't reach him."

Pierre nods,"I guess we are done here,"he turns away from the Hellhunter and begins to walk away.The Hellhunter is infuriated and quickly stands in his way,"You will not overlook me boy!"Pierre raises a brow,"Move or I will knock your ass out!"The Hellhunter leans closer,"Give it your best shot!"

The two have an intense staredown.Pierre shoves the Hellhunter with so much force he trips and falls.He quickly gets up and tries to punch Pierre.With every miss,Pierre counters by landing successful shots at the Hellhunter.He grunts and tries to use brute force but Pierre uses his momentum against him.Nearly incapacitated,the Hellhunter jumps into a portal.Pierre snickers,"Yeah,you better run bitch!"He rubs his knuckles and turns around.He is startled by the neigh of a horse and looks around,"What the fuck?"A long silence creeps in before a shadow runs past him from behind.Pierre hears a loud ringing in his ears as stars appear in his sight.He is kicked on his jaw by the heels of a horse,flying,hitting to the ceiling and drops to the ground.He cries out in pain and holds his dangling jaw.The Hellhunter inhales sharply,"Music to my ears."He looks up at the undead steed and the Hellhunter on top of it.He laughs,"What's the matter toothless?Oh yes this place is no good for you!"He points at the sigil markings to inhibit angelic abilities.Pierre removes his hand as his teeth fall out.He takes off his shirt and ties it to his head in order to support his jaw.The Hellhunter scoffs,"Had I known this would shut you up,I would have done it a long time ago!"Pierre looks at him angrily,"Why don't you get off your horse so I can kick your teeth in?"he speaks with much difficulty."Seems like you weren't hit hard,let's try that again!"the Hellhunter jumps into a portal and vanishes.Pierre looks around,unable to deduce where he will come from.A sword is poked into Pierre and hoisted in the air before being pinned to the ceiling.The Hellhunter drags him along the wall and tosses him to the ground.The horse gallops in and out of the portal before narrowly kicking him again as he dodges.The Hellhunter manages to stab Pierre who grabs onto the sword.Channeling his chi,he breaks the sword as they seperate.He takes a shard and drives it into the horse.The animal let's out an unholy neigh and disappears.The Hellhunter appears in front of Pierre and digs it's finger into his open wound.Pierre exhales and his fist touches the face of the demon.It's mask is shattered,taking the full effect of the steel hardened knuckles.He staggers back as an unrelenting Pierre unleashes a flurry of punches and kicks.The Hellhunter throws a punch to which Pierre ducks and punches it's lungs,which internally rupture.Pierre howls and hits the Hellhunter with a southpaw.Pierre runs behind the Hellhunter and kicks its knee,breaking its femur.The demon falls to his knees as Pierre grabs its ear and punches it's face till it was swelled and covered in blood.He grunts and takes out the mystic container,"This is for all my friends you have killed.Have fun dealing with them!"He drives the canister onto it's chest.The pain of a million souls engulf the Hellhunter who falls back and dissipates.He pants and staggers out of the area.

Pierre finally exits the building.He looks around and is able to spot Nick across the street.Nick turns around and his gaze meets that of Pierre."Fuck me!"he grunts and begins to run.Pierre takes off the shirt as his teeth and jaw had regenerated."You are not getting away that easily motherfucker,"Pierre jumps over a little fence and follows in pursuit of Nick.

Falling behind,Pierre decides to take shortcuts in order to intercept the fast runner.He makes a stop and grabs a tshirt which he wears on the move.Nick dives through a car's window and quickly starts the engine.Seeing Pierre in the rear,he drives off.Pierre grunts and jumps high to the rooftops.He leaps from building to building before he flies up again.Like a torpedo,he flies up down and crashes into Nick's car.The car is wrecked and comes to a halt.Nick quickly jumps out holding onto his arm which had been dislocated.Pierre rolls on top of the wreckage and sees Nick back on his heels."This guy is like a fucking cockroach!"he gets down and continues his pursuit.

Nick looks back and sees Pierre was nowhere in sight.He retreats into a closed down opera house.He leans against the dirty counter and pants.From behind Pierre wraps his arms around Nick and chokes him."Gotcha!Prepare for an ass whooping!"Nick frees himself and tries to run.Pierre dives and grabs his foot,falling to the ground.The two wrestle on the ground for a while before they get up.Pierre punches Nick who staggers across the place.His attacker relentlessly pursues him.Nick tries to hit him but Pierre dodges and continues to batter him.About to deliver a vicious blow,Nick uppercuts Pierre.This slows his momentum as Nick puts him in a sleeper choke hold."Despite all your efforts to resist him,he is coming for you.Your time is up,"Nick says to him,tightening his grip on Pierre.

Nick cries out and loosens his arms.Pierre coughs and gets up.He looks up and sees Lexi dragging Nick.She picks him up and digs her claws into his face,"This is for everything you have put me through,asshole!"They both grunt and exchange blows.Nick kicks Lexi and pulls her hair,"Stupid bitch!You will pay for this!"He drives his knee continuously into her stomach.He summons his sword and stabs her through the chest.Nick slowly pulls out the blade as Lexi cries out.Pierre tackles Nick and the pair tumble into the auditorium.Both men get up and kick each other falling back.Pierre sits up and grunts,"I never understood this.This is not motivation nor obsession.You have a grudge against me.What is it that I did to you?"

Nick sits up and snickers,"It's obvious you do not remember me."

Pierre raises a brow,"Am I supposed to remember you?What role do you have in all of this?"

Nick shakes his head,"My father was a nephilim.He had an annoying hero complex you possess.He pawned me to the demon lord,the same way you sacrificed everyone you have come across.You are a weakness that I need to cut out of my life."

Pierre stays silent and sighs,"You are fucked you know that.You need to find a therapist and stop stalking me.But if you don't I'm going to send you to Hell."

Nick grins,"You are coming with me.No matter the cost!"

Nick's body is strapped in demonic armor.As he jumps at Pierre,a sword materializes and misses.He goes on a rampage,swinging and hacking every thing in his path.Pierre kicks away the sword and lands a kick in the face of Nick.He smirks,"Too slow."

This infuriates Nick who charges at him.Pierre turns heel and goes to scale a wall and flips.Mid air,he is grabbed by Nick but slips out of danger.He angrily grunts,"Stand and fight coward!"Nick dashes and bashes Pierre with his shield.The shield which had a symbol of a lion's head comes alive and tries to bite Pierre.He shoves Nick off of him.Nick manages to land a few punches before bashing him and flings him into a wall.Nick flies towards him,his shield in front of him.Pierre takes a stance and extends his fist which lands on the shield.The force not only shatters the shield but does damage to the body armor of Nick.Out of frustration,he takes off the bits of his armor.Both men cry out battle roars and clash.

The shockwaves of their blows crack the walls in between them.They exchange head on vicious blows.Pierre once again has the upper hand.Nick grabs Pierre and unleashes a vicious knee to his chest.He retaliates by driving his elbow into his knee.Both men step back and pant,wincing in pain.They had broken each other's bones.Nick runs to Pierre and wildly misses a punch.Nick's body goes numb as he feels himself float up in the sky before laying on the ground.Pierre had just rocked him with a massive punch.Nick looks up at Pierre who stands in front of him,"It's over.Stay your fucking ass down!"Nick sits up and sighs.Pierre turns around and begins to walk away.Nick then flies,tackling Pierre into the next room.Both fall and look up ahead and see two guns on the ground.They exchange glances and rush to the weapons.Both men proceed to shoot at each other.Once out of bullets,the pain creeps in.Both of them were not regenerating.Pierre looks around and comes to realise Nick planned their encounter here.Pierre scoffs at Nick,"Seems like I'm not the only one suffering the effects of your recklessness."

Nick snickers,"I told you I'm taking you down with me!"Both then eye a belt of grenades and a missile launcher.After a momentary hesitation,both men take dives.Pierre rushes to a belt of grenades whilst Nick slides to pick up the missile launcher.He turns around and fires sending Pierre flying.He conjures a cloud of smoke to prevent severe damage.His body hits the wall and explodes.His hand falls lifeless,revealing grenade pins that were in his palm.Nick looks down and sees the grenades surrounding him.He sighs,"Fuck!"Unable to get away fast,he is caught in the explosion.His body lies there mutilated beyond recognition.

The guild and the angels arrive on the scene.They walk in and rush to help Lexi who was still unconscious."Get her some help,"Zack orders one of the guild operatives.They search the place when one of the operatives shouts to them.They converge to the room where the bodies of Pierre and Nick laid on the ground.Jon looks at the angels,"Is he dead?"

Zack kicks the body of Nick,"I know this motherfucker deader bro."

Aubrey turns to his friends,"This place is marked.We can still save Pierre.Let's move his body."The guild carry the body of Pierre to a safe distance.

They all look on with concern."His body should have regenerated whilst we were free from the dampening energy,"Jaciel says.

"Is he dead?"Zack turns to the angels who too had no idea what was happening.Celestiel then sighs,"He is stuck in between."Aubrey crosses his arms,"In between,what does that mean?"The guild and the angels look down on the body of Pierre.It was 5a.m.

Pierre slowly opens his eyes when he feels a gust of wind blowing on his face.He glares at the sight of the red skies in front of him.He was free falling from the sky when Nick flies towards him.The two wrestle with Nick grabbing Pierre's t-shirt,"I told you.The circle always comes full.You will always end up back where you are supposed to be."

Pierre clinches his fists and punches Nick who let's go,"This is for my mother."Pierre grabs the collar of Nick,"This is for my second family."He hits him again,"This is for the professor,my father,my brother and Genesis!"Nick was almost passing out from the unrelenting punches,"This is for my fallen comrades."He looks at Nick,"And this is for trying to destroy my lives!"Pierre lets him go and creates a distance.He steps on the back of Nick and crash into several storeys of a tower.Both emerge unscathed crashing in front of the demon lord.Pierre's eyes begin to glow,emitting an unusual aura.Nick jumps on Pierre and the two wrestle on the ground.

"That is enough,"the demon lord says but his words are in vain as the two continue trying to pin the other.He raises a brow and looks at his hellguards,"Are they listening to what I'm saying.I said that is enough."They pay no attention as Pierre begins to roar and foam at his mouth.He frees himself from Nick and jumps on top of him.He begins to punch him.The demon lord shakes his head,"Goodness,separate these two."

The hellguards attempt to separate the two.Pierre shoves them away,accidentally pushing the demon lord.He knocks away the hellguard and tackles Nick.He grabs his arm and breaks it,causing Nick to cry out in pain.Pierre continues to pummel his opponent.Nick kicks him off and tries to get away.Pierre grabs his leg and twists it."You Fuck!Ow!"he cries out.Pierre hoists Nick on his shoulders and brings his body to his knee.His back shatters before being hoisted back up and tossed into a ravine.Pierre let's out a demonic roar.He marches towards him with bloodlust intent.Nick glares in fear and tries to crawl away.However he bumps into a force field.Pierre turns to the sight of the demon lord,"I said that is enough."

In a blink,the demon lord takes a step back avoiding being caught by the mindless Pierre.He is surprised he managed to get this close to him.The demon lord creates distance between them.Pierre wildly foaming at his mouth and growling flies towards the demon lord.He bounces off the shield he conjures.The first hit leaves a sizable dent much to his concern.Pierre gets up and tries to charge at him.Chains spring up and wrap around him.Pierre grunts fixated on killing him.The hellguards and the demon lord look at each other with concern.Tremors are felt in the ground,leading to it cracking open as Pierre roars violently.The demon lord walks up to him and looks him in his eyes.Pierre exhales and comes to a halt.The bloodlust slowly fades away and exhales sharply.

The demon lord snickers,"That was something."

The chains fall off Pierre as he rubs his wrist,"Why are you being nice to me?"

He raises a brow,"Excuse me?"Pierre looks at the demon lord,"I know you are my father.You never wanted to see me.All you have done is let your fucking cronies torture my ass my entire life.Why are you being so nice?"he angrily heaves and momentarily nearly reverts to his darker side.The demon lord takes a step back,"Could you walk with me son?"Pierre sighs and hesitates,"Yeah I can't do this right now.Like for the hundredth time I really need to get back to my body before someone cuts me open."The demon lord smirks,"It's going to be worth your while,"the demon lord insists.He scratches his head and sighs,"Twenty minutes,starting now."

The two begin to walk besides each other in the company of the hellguards.The demon lord begins to narrate,"I used to be Elyon,an archangel in the glory of the Almighty.Ours was to protect humanity from the fiends of Hell.I stood up for those who were treated unjustly.Then that day came."

A woman walks down a bumpy road carrying a basket.Four masked men jump out of the road side bush.She looks around,"What do you want with me?"

One of the men tries to touch her but she takes a step back,"No please get your hands off of me!"The woman is pushed around until she falls.The men grab her basket and run off."Motherless men!"she grunts and picks herself up.The woman walks with her head hanging into her compound."Dear,where are the herbs I asked you to collect?"an elderly man who was sitted asks her.She sighs,"Some idiots jumped me along the way father."

He gets up to his feet,"Oh no!Are you alright dear?"he asks her with much concern in this tone.She nods,"Yes father.They were probably a hungry bunch of hooligans."Her father raises a brow,"I do hope they did not eat the herbs you picked up."She picks up her basket,"I will go tomorrow and collect more.Hopefully I do not run into any more trouble."Her father pats her shoulder,"Worry not,the batch we have is quite enough.I'm happy you are safe."

As the sun was about to set,they hear cries from outside.The man and his daughter rush outside.Two men carried what seemed like a near lifeless body of their fellow."Healer please assist our elder brother!"one of the men cries out.

"Quick!Bring him inside,"says the man as the brothers bring the sick to his hut.His daughter quickly walks in with a bowl of water.As she stands next to her father,she realizes the clothes of the man laying on the mat.She takes a peek outside and scans the other men."Farah,"the man calls out to her distracted daughter."Yes father?"she turns to him."Don't just stand there.Hand me that basket,"he says to her as she quickly does as she was told.Fifteen minutes later,the healer and Farah step out of the room.The brothers get up anxiously looking at the man who smiles,"Do not worry.Your brother caught a very high fever.He ingested a large amount of pain killers.Did you recently come across any plants that seemed like vegetables?"

The brothers exchange glances before one of them clears his throat,"We went into the forest and did pick out this plant."They take out a last of the herbs and hand it to the old man."Uh yes.They do look familiar but the key difference is the stem.Do not worry.Your brother is out of danger,"he nods.The brothers sigh in relief,"Thank you healer."Her father steps out of the hut as the brothers sit besides the patient.Farah narrows her eyes at them,"You should be thankful I have not informed the town guards to arrest you."The brothers look at each other confused,"Arrest us?"She points her finger at them,"You want to act dumb?You are the idiots who took my basket!And look,you nearly had your brother die!"The two go on their knees,"We are sorry miss.We were hungry,"they plead to her.She scoffs,"Take your brother now and leave.Consider this an act of mercy."The brothers nod and quickly take their brother with them.

Later in the evening,Farah throws away some used up herbs when she hears footsteps from behind her.She stops and drops her basket before turning around.She points her dagger at the figure that had appeared before her,"Who are you?"The figure is revealed to be a man,"Pardon me.I did not mean to startle."Farah menacingly waves her dagger at him,"That does not answer my question."The man sighs,"I was fetching some wood earlier when I caught a glimpse of the clothing the thieves who robbed you wore?"He tilts his head,"You could have told your father the truth.I am certain he wouldn't have treated them.Why did you help them?"Farah sighs and puts away her dagger,"Everyone deserves mercy.If I don't show it to them,who will."She picks up her basket and looks at the stranger,"Today was a vital lesson.One that has changed their lives."

He taps his chin,"Interesting."A wind blows as Farah's veil covers her eyes,"You still haven't told me who you are,"she brushes it aside and finds herself speaking alone.The stranger was nowhere in sight.Her father walks up to her,"Dear,whom where you talking to?Has the patient left?"She turns to her father,"They were eager to get him home father.I could not stop them."

The stranger revealed to be Elyon is intrigued by her.He continues to visit her at unexpected times.With time,he befriends her.Their friendships blossoms into an attraction which both could no longer deny.The two then consummate.Elyon flies into the Halls of Glory and presents himself to the Almighty.

He bows before him,"Forgive me my Lord.I have fallen short of your glory."He then looks up at the blinding bright figure,"I do not wish to be cast out.At least give me a chance to live out the rest of my days as a mortal."The angel takes off his halo and places it on the ground.In an instant,the skies open as the angel is cast out of Heaven and onto earth.Elyon freely pursues Farah.After working hard for six years,they are wedded.Shortly before the year could end,she gives birth to a son.

During one fateful summer,the couple is visited by the healer.Whilst the men conversed,Elyon feels the presence of a malevolent being.He looks around the place."What is it son?"the old man asks.Elyon scans his surrounding and turns to his father in law,"Father,could you please go and check on Farah."Before he could act,the earth tears open as both men are immobilized and chained.Farah hears a scream and walks out of the house.Seeing the sight of the men captured frightens her.She finds herself a spot to hides.She looks on in terror as the regional demon general emerges.The demon takes one look at the former angel and smirks,"Bring this one with us."He looks at his father in law and tears his body apart,blood splashing everywhere."No,father!"Elyon grunts and struggles as he is dragged to Hell.Shortly Farah packs hers and her son's belongings and leaves.

Elyon is tortured and exposed to the agony of the other souls for decades.The angel loses his sanity,hence absorbing all the hatred and breaks free of his restraints.He then kills the demon General who had dragged him to Hell.Elyon then ascends to his throne and declares himself as the demon lord.He looks on as hordes acknowledge his rule and pledge their allegiance.