Chereads / The Immortal Eve [Apocalypse] / Chapter 54 - True fear

Chapter 54 - True fear

As Alexander returned through the portal, his body drenched in the blood of countless enemies, **the battlefield fell silent**. His expression was cold, his eyes burning with an intense fury as he walked towards Zadkiel, who stood battered and broken, yet defiant. The **few remaining warriors** of Zadkiel's army, seeing their leader in peril, rushed forward with desperate cries. But before they could even get close, **Alexander moved like a shadow**, slaughtering them all in an instant. Each warrior was cut down **without mercy**, their bodies falling lifeless at his feet, one after the other.

Zadkiel, severely injured and struggling to stand, tried to summon his strength to heal, but **his body refused to recover**. Confusion and frustration twisted his expression as he looked down at his wounds, wondering why his regeneration wasn't working.

Alexander stopped in front of him, his gaze locked onto Zadkiel with an eerie calm. He spoke, his voice low and unrelenting.

**Alexander**: "You're probably wondering why your wounds aren't healing."

Zadkiel's eyes flickered with a mix of fear and anger as Alexander continued, taking a step closer.

**Alexander**: "The moment I struck you in the chest with my palm, I infused a little bit of my black flames into your body. They're burning you from the inside, constantly damaging you—preventing you from fully healing."

Zadkiel's face paled as he felt the truth of Alexander's words. **The black flames**, though unseen, were indeed eating away at him from within, searing his flesh and disrupting his regenerative abilities. Every attempt to heal only fueled the flames further, **burning him alive from the inside out**.

For the second time, **Zadkiel felt true fear**.

Alexander's eyes glowed with demonic intensity, the black flames flickering around him as he raised his hand, ready to finish the fight once and for all.

**Alexander** stepped closer, his voice steady but filled with dark intensity as he spoke to the now terrified Zadkiel.

**Alexander**: "According to the message the Demon Queen left in my head, these flames… they're not from here."

He paused, watching as Zadkiel winced in pain, the black fire continuing to eat away at him from the inside.

**Alexander**: "They're fire from another dimension. A place called Prime Hell. Flames so hot, they can burn through anything… even the soul. You'll suffer, Zadkiel—suffer even after death."

Zadkiel's eyes widened in shock and horror as he realized the magnitude of the torment awaiting him. **The black flames** were unlike anything he had ever encountered. They were otherworldly, primal, and merciless. Every attempt to fight them only made the pain worse.

**Zadkiel**: "Y-You can't…"

**Alexander**: "Oh, I can."

Alexander's voice was calm, almost cold, as he clenched his fist, the black flames intensifying around his body. The very air around them seemed to tremble with the raw, destructive power coursing through him.

**Alexander**: "The flames will consume you, body and soul. You won't just die, Zadkiel. You'll burn forever—your essence trapped in eternal suffering."

Zadkiel stumbled back, his confidence and power shattered as the reality of his fate sank in. The once-mighty warrior was now helpless before the unstoppable force that was Alexander. **The black flames** flickered, growing brighter and hotter as they continued to devour Zadkiel's very being.

**Zadkiel** trembled as Alexander's words sank in, his once impenetrable arrogance now replaced with pure terror. He felt the intense pain radiating from the black flames, the searing agony that burned him from within but didn't let him die. His body writhed, but no movement could free him from the torment.

**Alexander**: "I just kill you. And if you're ever reborn again, I'll kill you again. You can change your name, your face, your entire identity... but I'll still find you."

Zadkiel's panic was palpable now, his breath quickening as he realized there was no escape, not even through death. He struggled to form words, but the black flames that coursed through his body robbed him of even that luxury.

**Zadkiel**: "N-No... no..."

**Alexander**: "But you won't die by my hands today."

Zadkiel's terror deepened as Alexander's cold words filled the air. His body convulsed, the flames inside him feeling as though they were ripping him apart. But death wouldn't come, not with these flames—these flames weren't meant to kill, only to punish.

**Alexander**: "You don't deserve an honorable death in battle. That would be too merciful for someone like you. No, you deserve to be executed. Stripped of all dignity and suffering for eternity."

With a flick of his wrist, Alexander poured more of the black flames into Zadkiel's body. The energy surged through him like a tidal wave, magnifying the burning agony tenfold. Zadkiel could do nothing but scream, his body paralyzed by the fire, his soul forever condemned to a torment beyond words.

**Alexander**: "This pain will never leave you, Zadkiel. It will be your prison, your punishment, your eternity."

Zadkiel's eyes filled with tears, his once-powerful form now nothing more than a shell, twisted and broken by the overwhelming force of Alexander's black flames. His mind began to fracture under the unending pain, knowing that there would never be release—not in this life, nor in any life to come.

Alexander turned his back on Zadkiel, his face expressionless as he walked away from the pitiful creature that had once been his greatest enemy. Zadkiel, still burning from the inside out, could only watch in silent agony as Alexander left him to suffer in the black flames of Prime Hell.

As the dust and debris settled in the destroyed city, the surviving **allied forces**—the **Cloud Knights**, the **Celestial Army**, and the **Frontier soldiers**—finally arrived at the outskirts. They were battered, bruised, and exhausted from their own battles, yet their eyes widened in disbelief at the wreckage before them.

**Commander Cooper** and **Lieutenant Lastimosa** surveyed the carnage, their expressions hardening as they tried to process what had transpired. Even **Xiao Ling**, though weakened, stood at the front, her eyes scanning the desolation.

**Seraphina**, alongside **Kane**, hovered slightly above the ground, using her enhanced vision to peer deeper into the city, but no one could get closer. They had been pushed back by the sheer force of the clash between **Alexander** and **Zadkiel**. The overwhelming surge of energy and destruction that rippled from their battle had formed an invisible barrier of power, preventing anyone from entering the city itself.

**Seraphie** landed beside her sister, **Elysia**, her wings slowly folding as the two Celestial leaders gazed into the heart of the ruined landscape. The aftermath of the titanic struggle was evident—the entire city was shattered, buildings reduced to rubble, flames still burning in the distance. However, the oppressive force that lingered in the air made it impossible for anyone to move further.

**Seraphie**: "What… what could have caused this?"

**Elysia**: "It's Alexander. His power… it's beyond anything we've ever seen before."

Even from this distance, the air was thick with the remnants of Alexander's **black flames**, their dangerous heat seeping into the ground, the atmosphere, and even the sky above. The soldiers, though hardened by battle, couldn't withstand the energy surging through the ruins. Any attempt to move closer was met with an invisible force that knocked them back, leaving the allies to watch helplessly from the city's outskirts.

**Kane**: "We couldn't help him… no one could get close."

His voice was grim, frustration evident. He clenched his fists, staring at the point where Alexander had vanished into the chaos.

**Xiao Ling**, still breathing heavily, put a hand on Kane's shoulder. "He did this… for all of us. That kind of power is something only he could control. But what now?"

As they stood, their eyes fixed on the ruined city, the allies could feel the shift. The battle was over, but the cost was immense. They could only hope that, when the dust fully cleared, they would find Alexander standing on the other side of the destruction.