"There's no beauty in a world without you in it"
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There was a reason why Asami was known as the most feared sorceress from the old earth.
Not only was she one of the few sorcerers who've managed to tap into the true essence of their soul, and reach a level of power no other sorcerer could, but her mental state had deteriorated near the war's end, and her sorcery adapted to the change in its master's soul.
The metamorphosis which changed the roots of her soul's dormant power nearly drove her insane, and she had to be locked away in the lowest level of the world's prison, even lower than Kahal.
Her fellow supreme generals who were the only few who knew what really happened during the war which took place in the old earth knew all too well what had been the true cause of her mental deterioration.
Since it was a warring era she had no time to cope with the loss of her daughter, whose life had been taken from her at the hands of hell's king. Maybe she didn't even want to cope.
She spent her days in solitary confinement, reflecting on the flaws of both the world and war. And even herself…
'What's the purpose of living a life of numbness?… my child died, and we won the war, yet all I feel is a burning desire to kill the ones who took her away from me'
At some point in time shortly after Malum had revived, she had managed to free herself and through the years began forming her own special unit of powerful sorcerers currently known as the black lotus division.
The squad would quickly earn a reputation as ruthless bandits who would return from the closed off section of the world, now known as the old earth, and ruthlessly slaughter any survivors of the foreigners which began the war in the first place.
Even receiving aid from an elusive sorceress who would remain on the old earth even a century after the war had ended.
Once the black lotus division had gotten word of Malum's revival and Hell's king residing within a human vessel, Asami would go on to kill the man who unwillingly housed her daughter's murderer.
And from that point on, even centuries later… wherever her bloodlust directed her, her blade would indifferently pierce through the hearts of all who do evil.
But now, something was different…
***
The soul space, which was a power the spirit king Kesean crafted, was a technique which took all opponents inside the soul of their opponent.
Each telling of how the power works would vary depending on how it was wielded in battle. But one thing was clear for Asami who had the deepest understanding of her soul…
The power was most effective when the two fighters could spiritually understand one another the moment their fists or blades connected. Therefore any damage done inside the soul space, would only be soul damage in the physical world.
This fact became all the more true once Asami's blade pierced right through Jason's heart.
For a brief moment, she was staring into the smug eyes of Hell's king who had a mocking grin on his unseen face. But immediately, the space around them dispersed into a black fog, and they were brought back in front of the catacomb's second eternal shrine.
The mass of undead foreigners who lurked in the shadows stood still. Their deformed faces were contorted in fear and repulsion as they laid their eyes on Asami's blood stained face.
Though she paid the fearful stares no mind, and focused her lifeless eyes down onto Jason whose face was in a daze.
His once dark grey eyes were now milky as he looked up. He felt his entire body tremble, and yet he also couldn't move at all.
Asami whose expression now seemed oddly somber cast a glance over to her katana which was wedged into a narrow crack from the ground.
With an exhausted sigh, she with her rough hand, pulled the blade up and looked over her shoulder.
'End of the line'
In these silent moments which felt like an eternity, Asami couldn't help but recall the first time she had taken the life of a vessel whose body housed Malum's essence.
The first time, with the aid of the first generation of black lotus lieutenants she had put a temporary end to the life of Hell's king.
Though his power was so immense that killing him would only be a fool's fantasy. So much so that Asami's addiction to the long game of hunting for vengeance was the only linchpin that kept Asami's soul functioning even when her heart and mind had stopped.
But even when she exorcised Hell's king, her heart and mind remained unresponsive to the colorless cage that surrounded her soul.
But now, in the face of the eternal shrine. Now the time for revenge against the demon who took the life of her child was finally here, and yet something was wrong…
As she took slow and heavy steps toward the trembling body of Hell's king, She realized something. In the dark reflection of her eyes, she realized that she was looking at a young man.
"No…"
Jason's eyes narrowed. As he leaned against the wall of skulls behind him, the sight in front of him became confusing. Earlier, all he could feel radiating from the northern tribe's supreme general was nothing but bloodlust…
'She's… crying?'
Jason had thought for a moment that his dazed eyes were playing tricks on him, but no. Asami's cold, pale cheeks now had hot tears freely flowing down to her chin.
"No… d-dammit!"
***
For Selene and Sidra, it seemed as though hours had passed since they'd been trapped inside the soul space of the dead soul.
They were still nailed up to the two crosses which stood opposite to each other.
Through Selene's blurred vision, she could barely make out sidra waking up. The black lotus division's current lieutenant began weakly coughing up blood.
And strained her blood stained body enough so she could look around. Every muscle in her body ached so much that she couldn't even form a straight thought.
Selene let out a cough which was followed by blood, and in a strained voice, she called out to Sidra.
"H-hey…"
That was all she could manage before she felt her brain throbbing. Despite being under the passive effects of the dead soul's soul space, the black flowers from Kahal's sorcery and Sidra's blooming lotus spell were both barely dulling the space's damage.
But after a few moments, the sea of blood now had countless numbers of black crosses shooting out from all around. Sidra who was in a slightly better state than Selene, noticed corpses nailed to each cross.
The corpses no doubt belonged to the foreigners from the blood war. But for some reason, their unrecognizable faces were twisted in what seemed like peaceful smiles.
'W-what?'
It somewhat made sense to Sidra.
After all, the shrines were believed to lead Hell's dead souls to paradise. And based on what Kahal had informed them of on the essence of the dead souls, she thought that maybe the dead soul was only trying to find its way to a land of paradise.
The shrine could very well have been a manifestation of the long dead essence of the old earth's foreigners, while their corpses bound to the will of Hell's seven lords, and their will at the moment had been to stall the enemy while Aaliyah was undergoing the assimilation in Hell's second circle.
But the moment her mind became clouded in these thoughts, Sidra suddenly felt a wet sensation on her cheek. Which would be followed by another, and then many more.
Once she brought her half lidded eyes up, she noticed that pressured rain began to downpour from the soul space's
sky.
This sight for whatever reason ignited a small flicker of hope that sparked in Sidra's crushing chest. If her suspicions were correct, then…
Once she laid eyes on the dead soul who was now standing right below Selene's battered body, she noticed through blurred eyes that black tears were flowing from the drunken beast's eyes.
In that moment, Sidra's eyes grew heavy. And without much resistance, she gave in to exhaustion.
Falling into a tired slumber before witnessing the dead soul, now grasping the god reaper in his large hands.
Raising the blade to his black heart which was pulsing through its transparent skin, the dead soul muttered in an old language while black tears streamed down his smiling face.
"Now, we rest in eternal paradise, my brethren."
Closing its eyes, the sharp end of the weapon pierced its black heart. Then cracks of divine white light engulfed the dead soul, and soon after sent a crushing shockwave that crashed down on the soul space, bringing only Selene and Sidra back to the wide room of skulls.
After a few moments, Sidra fluttered open her purple eyes. And weakly gazed from the corner of her eye, only to notice an empty space in the wall of skulls.
The first eternal shrine had been destroyed.
***
Jason felt a sudden sense of fear creeping up his spine. The sight of Asami suddenly crying was unsettling to him especially since she was just trying her hardest to kill him, and now was the chance.
But for some reason, Asami's dark eyes were now showing an emotion between anger and maybe sadness.
She was staring right into the fearful eyes of the monster who had took the life of her child, but now she wasn't…
'Why?…'
Now, she had been looking into the eyes of both a monster who hadn't a single ounce of compassion in it's eyes, but she was also looking into the shaken eyes of a child who no matter how prepared he was for it, was still terrified of what lied beyond his final breath.
"What's happening?… Sachi?…"
Asami's voice trembled with her shaken hands as she clutched the hilt of her bloodstained blade.
The sudden emotions which now embraced her heart like a plague made no sense to her. Throughout her lifetime she had taken countless lives with her blade, and with each life she'd taken she felt no remorse or sympathy for anyone…
So why now?
What difference was there now that she had been looking into the eyes of a child and a monster?
The fear… the hesitation… it was confusing, but also infuriating.
So much so that Asami began breathing like a wounded beast on its last leg, while hot tears blurred her vision.
Gritting her teeth, she drove her knee into Jason's chest. And he immediately felt as though his lungs were collapsing as he coughed.
"Close your eyes!"
Asami shouted as she pressed the sharp end of her black blade against Jason's chest. Ready to thrust it through his heart.
Jason's eyes narrowed for a split second. For some reason, he felt as though all of Asami's feelings were now clear.
What she was feeling, was conflict.
As though answering asami's command, Jason squeezed his eyes shut.
Immediately, all he was surrounded a darkness that separated him from all things around him. He heard nothing, saw nothing, but felt a sense of isolation that forced out hot tears that he hadn't even realized was forming in his eyes.
Through her blade, Asami felt his body tremble as he let out pathetic whimpers. The sight made Asami's eyes narrow, yet also sparked something inside her.
"Why are you crying?…"
The sight of the one who took everything from her crying made her skin crawl. Her eyes filled with both contempt and confusion.
"You're mocking me, aren't you?… you bastard…"
"WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO MOCK ME EVEN AFTER TAKING FROM ME OVER AND OVER AGAIN?!! WHY ARE YOU SO FIXATED ON MAKING ME MISERABLE?!!"
The words cut right through the darkness that had taken over Jason's vision. And all they did was simply call for more tears to stream down his face like an endless waterfall.
Suddenly, Asami's katana fell from her grip and she began pounding weakly onto Jason's chest.
Opening his eyes, Jason saw tears also streaming down her blood stained cheeks. All the earlier anger was now gone, and all he saw was a grieving mother.
"I hate this… I hate myself…"
She sniffled as she muttered one final word.
"Sachi…"
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Continued in chapter 115: What's called a heart
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