"Ahhhhh!"
The scream tore from his throat, both raw and primal, a sound that was carrying his shattered heart. But the cry of agony only drew more ghouls, yet he was beyond caring.
Gradually, dark energy began to seep from his skin, coiling like smoke around him. Something deep within him, a power he had never known, stirred and awakened, responding to his grief and fury.
[Ding! Umbral Infusion was forcefully ignited by the host's emotional turmoil]
[Warning: Host is being consumed by his own emotions]
[Warning: Mental instability]
[War…..]
His body twisted, enveloped by shadows—his own shadow, darker than the night around him. Invisible in the darkness, yet always present with him, like a silent companion that never left.
His crimson eyes darkened, merging with the shadows that swirled around him, deepening their hue even more, while while blood leaked from the corner, a manifestation of the internal anguish he was experiencing. It felt as if a part of him had been irrevocably lost.
His body was now fully covered by a shadow of his own, transforming him like a warrior of darkness– as he unknowingly used Shadow Augmentation. The transformation increased his overall physical strength, increasing his Power to that of Low-level Earthbringer.
Although his power was increased by a large margin, there was a side effect to it that Lucifer didn't know… well, he was not in his right mind, so how would he know? Even if he knew it, he might not care about it, at least not in this situation, where a part of his heart was lost and right now he wanted nothing more than to wreak havoc.
He then surged ahead towards the boss ghoul; all of this occurrence had just happened in a matter of seconds, yet he felt as if he were trapped in an unyielding grip of darkness. Lucifer's attention was solely directed at the thing he deemed responsible for Seraphina's death.
The ghoul lurched forward, its skeletal frame hunched and ashen skin stretched tight over jutting bones. Green eyes glowed with malice above a jagged mouth full of decayed teeth.
Notably, its weapon was a bone protruding from its elbows, sharp and emanating a dreadful aura, distinguishing it as elite among the other ghouls. It then charged at Lucifer, accompanied by a horde of lesser ghouls, while the leader of the ghouls remained stationary.
Lucifer was unaware of anything as he was not thinking anything at this moment of shock, his rational mind had already left him when he saw the death of Seraphina. The emotional attachment was so deep, which made his heart bleed even more deeply.
Despite knowing the hopelessness of their predicament against this overwhelming horde of ghouls, he knew that they had no way of winning this battle, yet the sight of Seraphina's sudden death plunged Lucifer into a frenzy of madness.
Consequently, his instinct was telling him to kill all of it, just kill whatever was standing before him. Now as a result, he was in a solitary battle against the ghouls, enduring attacks and sustaining injuries without concern, as he savagely dismantled their bodies, part by part, resembling him that of a mad monster driven by fury.
[Warning: Host is losing blood]
[Warning: Host vitally is being consumed by Shadow Amplification]
...,
In this moment, Lucifer continued to eliminate the ghouls one by one, unburdened by the need to protect anyone. He had reverted to the primal man he once was, akin to a liberated bird soaring through the skies.
Bang!
Lucifer had now vanquished the last of the ghouls, including the one responsible for Seraphina's demise, holding its severed head while glaring at the boss ghouls.
[Gained 1 hatred points (Malice)]
…..,
If it was capable of displaying emotions, then its existence was genuine, which implied that Seraphina was also real. Nevertheless, Lucifer remained indifferent, kicking a severed head like a football toward the boss ghouls and charging forward as if this were his final battle.
Kick!
With a powerful kick, the head soared toward the boss ghoul, only for it to be effortlessly shattered by a mere slap, which made sure that compared to the other ghouls, the boss's physical strength was superior.
Boom!
The boss ghoul leaped high, after seeing the pray was done playing with other ghouls and it must be thinking, have you done playing?
Lucifer, on the other hand, was indifferent about its showcase power; then he too dashed towards the boss ghoul.
They collided with tremendous force. Both were uncertain of whose strength would prevail. Their every exchange move was lethal and within a mere three seconds, more than ten blows were exchanged, showcasing their incredible speed and power.
However, closer observation put that, Lucifer was slightly at a disadvantage as the raw force of the boss ghoul was too powerful. As for its unique skills? Boss ghouls had sharp claws, more endurance, more powerful than other ghouls, and had a higher intellectual ability than other ghouls. That did not still put him to have an IQ to learn some skills.
The boss ghoul's heavy punches, kicks, and claws were overwhelmingly powerful, pushing Lucifer back. Yet, each time he fell to the ground, he would rise again and again, demonstrating his unwavering perseverance. At that moment, his desire was nothing more than a bloodbath, a true and unrestrained bloodbath.
"Kyahaahaha! More! Come on, kill me, you worthless bastard!"
"Why does my heart feel like it's breaking apart? What is this... crushing sadness?"
"Why!?"
"Damn it! AHHHH!"
Lucifer screamed, the anguish in his heart was so severe that he yearned for something that could relieve this torment, a pain more intense than being set ablaze? Whatever it was, he just did not want to feel this anguish.
Thus, He unleashed a series of punches and kicks, displaying his expertise in kickboxing, with fluidity and agility in his hand and kicks. His footwork was instinctual, driven by a primal urge to annihilate everything before him as he just wanted to vent whatever he was feeling right now.
He felt utterly weak—not in body, but in spirit. Something inside him had shattered, something vital. But what was it? He couldn't understand... only that it left him hollow.
Regardless of the turmoil within, he was determined to unleash chaos, that might surpass even the ghoul before him for the— desire for destruction.
The more anger surged within Lucifer, the further he descended into a berserk state, startling the ghoul with his raw instinct. Lucifer's killing intent was surging even more with each passing time.
Although the boss ghoul lacked significant intellect compared to an average human, it possessed enough instinct to dominate lesser ghouls. Thus, feeling the suppression of the killing intent, the ghoul let out a thunderous roar.
"ROAR!"
As the roaring sound echoed through the desolate town, then more ghouls began to emerge from all sides, yet Lucifer remained unfazed and his instinct was also roaring in response more violently, urging him to tear apart every piece of them that dared to approach.
***
In this forsaken town, Lucifer stood as the sole survivor. All around, ghouls were slowly amassing, and at the entrance of the gate leading in and out of Forgotten Star Town, a boy with fluttering white hair was visible.
His body was shrouded in a shadowy aura, and his face was obscured, revealing only his piercing dark red eyes that glimmered in the dim light. He fought with fervor against the oncoming ghouls.
He did not remain stationary; rather, he moved with the grace of a frenzied dancer amidst the carnage, tearing apart the ghouls with relentless ferocity. As a result, dark blood and viscous fluids of ghouls splattered across the ground, mingling with already dismembered body parts.
As time trickled away second after second, Lucifer reveled in the chaos around him, his smile was that of a creepy devil, yearning for more bloodshed. Though his body was giving up and vitality was getting worn off, much like every part of his body was slowly disappearing, but he did not care as his mind was not in the right place.
[Warning Warning]
Ego continued to issue alerts, but he paid them no heed.
[To heal the host, 2000 hatred points needed to be consumed]
[Are you willing?]
[Warning: Unable to proceed with this, the host can't be healed now, the host is @$@#! so, the host could not be healed]
[$#&@&$]
…..,
The battle kept going for some hours before ending. The battleground where Lucifer had fought was now strewn with the headless corpses of ghouls, including that of the Boss Ghoul, who lay motionless by the side where Lucifer stood like a lone warrior.
Gradually, Lucifer's dark power also started to diminish, and various parts of his body were also torn from the fierce confrontation.
Nevertheless, he did not celebrate the victory and he also paid no mind to his injuries as he then slowly began to approach Seraphina's lifeless body. Then he knelt beside her. Gently, not wanting to disturb her as if she was asleep, he took her in his arms and began to stroke her beautiful face tenderly.
He remained silent looking at her face, unable to utter any single word, then kissed gently, feeling guilt as he could not save her. Then his gaze drifted on the devastating scene around him, his eyes reflecting a sense of weakness and emptiness. The town now had truly transformed into a scene of desolation and devastation.
"So, this is how it ends... Even with a second chance, I couldn't do anything. I am a worthless shit for a reason."
With a soft sigh, Lucifer closed his eyes, surrendering his fate to the hand of the unknown and he did not ask the Ego to save him this time.
Cradling Seraphina's body in his lap before collapsing to the ground.
Now, two lovers lay alongside….
Silence enveloped the surroundings; there were no anguished cries from individuals, no menacing growls of creatures, only the anticipated wailing of the wind.
His form began to disintegrate into particles, scattering through the air, as the entire surroundings followed suit, gradually fading away as if the very fabric of the world was unraveling at that moment.