WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS HIGHLY VIOLENT SCENES, NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER READERS!
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Blood continued to drip from her hands, pooling at her wrists before falling to the ground, drop by drop, like ruby-colored tears.
The nails, exposed to air and body fluids, were now rusted, but she couldn't see that anymore.
It doesn't hurt anymore.
The girl thought.
The first days had been the worst. A pain so overwhelming that it drove her to the brink of madness.
"Mhm... I see you've grown accustomed to it..."
A familiar voice reached the young woman's ears.
The man's hand gently stroked her cheek.
He stepped back and admired his work.
His eyes traveled over his creation: hands and feet nailed to the cross, bones and muscles of her forearms exposed, face disfigured without eyes or tongue.
Perfect.
The only thought in Father Jeffrey's mind.
"Do you want to die?"
He asked calmly.
No response. Just a slight nod.
"Good."
A small flame appeared above the priest's finger.
"Song of Songs 8:6: Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy as fierce as the grave: its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord!"
And then hell engulfed the girl.
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"Four left."
Noah said, staring ahead.
The blood of the fallen began to move as if it had a life of its own, slithering among the corpses like a serpent before rising into the air, forming a reddish arch.
The space inside it reflected no light, creating a void as dark as pitch.
From the other side of the portal, darkness stared back at them.
When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes back into you.
John thought as he walked toward the gateway to their next battle.
Crossing the portal, an immense hall unfolded before the two of them.
Ahead, a stunning woman with sinuous curves eyed them, like a snake watching its prey.
Her crimson eyes enhanced a perfectly proportioned face, framed by two luscious lips. Long white hair cascaded down her face, falling over her shoulders and reaching her back. A pair of long horns adorned her forehead, pointing toward the sky.
A black leather dress accentuated every inch of her body, leaving her back exposed.
From her shoulder blades, two large, dark-feathered wings spread out, embracing her form.
Above her head, the familiar message displayed the name of the being.
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LUXURIA, The Primordial Sin
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"Mhm... two new toys have arrived, huh?"
Luxuria said in a hypnotic voice.
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"Hey, John! How was school today?"
"W-what?!"
"Come on, tell me!"
"It went... fine... but why am I here?"
"What do you mean? Where else would you be if not home? Dad will be late today, how about we get sushi?"
"O-Okay..."
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"While he takes a nap, what do you say we have a little chat? You know, you're just my type."
Luxuria whispered as she slowly approached Noah.
Her hand rested on his chest, then gently slid up his neck, brushing his chin.
Noah's eyes scanned the hall, revealing the hidden reality behind the illusion.
At the sides of the room, hundreds of men and women stood still like mannequins in various poses.
Next to him, John stared into the void, his eyes lifeless.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're very handsome?"
The woman whispered in his ear.
"Few can resist me... but eventually, they all break."
"Sorry. You're not my type."
Noah responded coldly.
His hand shot up, grabbing the woman by the throat.
"I like it rough, you know?"
But just like that, her body vanished like smoke through his fingers.
"But usually, I prefer to be the one in control!"
Luxuria proclaimed, reappearing on her throne.
"Let's see how you handle this, boy."
And the mannequins began to move.
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Kevin's eyelids fluttered open gently.
Every inch of his body ached.
His wrists, tied to a metal chair, had begun to show the signs of his futile struggle to free himself.
It had been a couple of hours since Father Jeffrey had taken Grace with him.
A couple of hours too many.
He had tried in vain to protect her, failing.
I have to do it... How much can it hurt?
The boy thought, desperate.
Calmly, he slid his right thumb under the rope binding him.
He brought his face to his collar, biting down on his shirt.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed his arm upward.
Crack!
God, that hurts!
Kevin thought, tears welling up in his eyes.
The boy looked down at his finger, red and swollen, bent unnaturally.
With precision and patience, Kevin slipped his hand through the knot, freeing himself from the remaining restraints.
"Shop."
Scrolling through the catalog, he selected a potion.
As soon as the liquid touched his mouth, his finger twisted back to its original state.
"Good."
Reaching behind his back, Kevin pulled out a massive shield from his inventory.
Only one door stood between him and his goal.
A tremendous amount of mana condensed around the shield.
"Shield Dash!"
Bending his knees, the boy charged at the door.
Boom!
An explosion echoed through the room.
The wall he had charged at nearly collapsed, revealing a long, unlit corridor.
The boy stepped forward into the darkness.
"I'll free you, girls!"
Kevin promised himself.
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There are too many...
Noah thought, dodging another strike.
And to make matters worse, they're all Hunters!
Swinging his scythe around him, the young man deflected more of the assailants' blows.
Looking for an opening amidst the swarm of enemies, Noah leapt into the air.
Before him, a sea of bodies stared, ready to devour him.
The sound of an arrow whistled past his ear.
Twisting his body, he dodged the shot, grabbing the arrow and throwing it back at its sender.
Splat!
With the bow still in front of his face, the arrow pierced the archer's eye, killing him instantly.
Like a cat always landing on its feet, Noah regained his balance, landing silently.
"Blink!"
The moment he spoke, he vanished in a cloud of dark smoke, reappearing a few meters away.
The scythe rose above him, then came down, slicing another enemy in two. The man's guts spilled out, falling to the ground like a coiled rope.
Damn it!
Noah's sharp instincts detected a group of beings charging at him, ready to impale him.
He focused all his concentration.
Stepping back, he dodged the thrust of a girl with black hair, then spun, positioning himself behind her.
The second assailant leaned forward, brandishing a long, serrated-blade naginata.
His back muscles tensed, and his arms extended, releasing the power of the blow.
Noah reached back, grabbing the girl's hair and pulling her downward.
At the last second, Noah watched as the blade came closer to his right eye.
Ten centimeters.
One centimeter.
One millimeter.
Now!
"Blink!"
The blade continued its course, slicing through the smoke left behind by Noah and impaling the girl's skull.
Once again, Noah appeared a few meters away, feeling every pair of eyes in the room now focused on him.
Someone among the enemies released their mana into the air.
The floor around Noah began to freeze rapidly.
Attempting to avoid the spell, the boy leapt into the air.
But it was too late.
A cold sensation, like dipping one's feet into icy water, spread up his leg.
Noah looked down.
Damn it!
From the tips of his toes to his knee, a thick layer of ice had enveloped his leg, immobilizing him in place.
The hairs on the back of Noah's neck suddenly stood on end.
On instinct, Noah ducked.
Shoom
Something whizzed past him.
Noah raised his head.
Above him, a series of magic circles appeared out of thin air.
Slowly, chunks of ice began to form within them, then launched toward him.
Noah raised his scythe above his head, spinning it with all the strength he could muster.
Each impact with the icicles sent intense vibrations up his wrists and shoulders.
"Death Flame!"
A flame erupted on Noah's leg, melting the ice that had been holding him back. However, there was a heavy price to pay.
The moment Noah activated the skill, for a fraction of a second, the rotation of his weapon stopped, allowing one of the ice chunks to slip through.
Splat
Noah's eyes flicked downward to inspect the wound.
Between his chest and right clavicle, a gaping hole exposed nerves and tendons.
A sharp pain shot through Noah's body as he quickly opened his inventory, downing a potion.
Rapidly, the lung that had been pierced healed, covered by muscle and skin once again.
Whoever stays still in battle dies... you taught me that, John!
Looking around, Noah spotted his companion, standing still a few meters away.
Leaping between enemies, Noah moved with supernatural grace and precision, dodging strikes from every direction and delivering fatal wounds in return.
Mhm... don't tell me he's going to end up like these bastards too?! That would be a big problem!
Suddenly, Noah dropped to the ground, sliding for a few meters between the legs of one of the enemies.
The man with the naginata stood in front of him once again.
The puppet-like figure raised the weapon high above his head before bringing it crashing down toward the boy still on the ground.
Noah planted his feet, halting his slide and pushing himself back upright.
The blade sliced past him, grazing so close it sheared off a lock of his hair before embedding itself in the ground just in front of him.
Using the man's hunched form to his advantage, Noah rolled over his back, passing effortlessly beyond him.
With a single motion, Noah swung his arm back, holding Lady of Death firmly in his grip.
The blade sank deep into the exposed neck of the man, severing it clean from the rest of his body.
"I'm sorry, John!" Noah shouted.
And then, he charged straight at him.