#755 (Patreon)

God's Will (6)

“Pierce through.”

After a relentless assault focused on the abdomen, Oliver's quarterstaff finally penetrated the abdomen of Burnt One.

However, just as in the past, Burnt One showed no signs of pain, confusion, or distress, even as his abdomen was pierced.

Instead, he grabbed Oliver’s arm through the wound and unleashed an intense heat.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz──!!

The halo above his head spun rapidly, bathing the world in a blinding white light, consuming and evaporating everything around.

The surrounding darkness, the lava beneath their feet, and even Oliver were no exception.

Within it all, Burnt One gazed silently at Oliver.

“······!”

It was impressive.

His willpower to rise after such trials, his composure in protecting despite witnessing humanity's horrendous sins, and his ability to put up a fight against him were all commendable… for an incomplete prince.

But, conversely, that was all. It wasn’t much different from the past, just marginally better—

—Thunk!

A wet sound rang out, and Burnt One turned his head.

A dagger was lodged in his side. A different kind than before.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

The dagger moved so quickly it seemed like there were multiples, shredding his side. Then Oliver gripped the quarterstaff that had pierced Burnt One's abdomen and tore off a large chunk of flesh from his side.

Beneath the charred, cracked skin, burning flesh was exposed, erupting in massive flames.

“That’s not… what?”

Oliver, standing amidst the flames, questioned. At the same time, he hurled the torn flesh far away and swung his quarterstaff, striking Burnt One.

Perhaps due to the wound on his side, Burnt One couldn’t withstand it and staggered backward. In that brief moment, Oliver examined the flesh he had thrown to the ground.

Twitch… Twitch… Twitch…

Charred skin, pulsating flesh beneath, and burning blood flowing.

The chunk of flesh, embodying both death and life, remained alive and tried to return to its owner.

Simply tearing it off wasn’t enough to completely subdue him.

“Shadow.”

Oliver summoned his shadow through the wound on his palm.

The blood-fed shadow opened its many eyes to inspect Burnt One’s flesh and, as if making a decision, opened its massive maw and swallowed the flesh whole.

“Not a bad method.”

Burnt One, who had been flung afar, approached and spoke.

“Sealing my flesh by consuming it will indeed make recovery difficult.”

As if to prove his point, Burnt One’s side continued to bleed fiery blood without showing signs of healing.

There was no sign of regeneration.

“The problem is how long your shadow can endure.”

Burnt One’s observation was accurate.

At first glance, it seemed Oliver’s shadow had consumed Burnt One’s flesh, but it was more akin to swallowing and sealing it.

Even that seal was far from perfect. The shadow struggled to contain the intense heat emanating from the flesh, constantly attempting to regurgitate it. Moreover—

Drip. Drip.

Oliver also felt the heat the shadow endured, sweat trickling down his face.

The heat from the lava, Burnt One, and now the flesh his shadow had consumed—all surrounded and filled Oliver’s body with overwhelming heat.

“You look hot.”

“It’s warm and pleasant. I can understand why angels came to hell.”

“A curious joke.”

“Glad someone finally appreciates my humor. Even if it’s ironic that it’s a demon. Is that discriminatory?”

“The commonality between humor and bravado is that they shine brighter in adversity… In that sense, I offer you my respect.”

Burnt One bowed his head in courtesy toward Oliver.

Oliver returned the gesture, bowing equally in response. It was a matter of etiquette. Burnt One acknowledged that courtesy.

“As a token of respect, I’ll make you a promise. As long as you stand, I won’t pursue others. So, give it your all.”

Not pursuing others—it was an ambiguous statement open to various interpretations. But Oliver didn’t bother questioning it. He was grateful enough.

“Thank you. Then I’ll do my best to honor that sentiment.”

To prove his resolve, Oliver widened the wound on his palm with a dagger, spilling a substantial amount of blood into the lava.

The lava, melted by Burnt One’s flames and heat, received Oliver’s blood.

In an instant, the lava fell under Oliver’s control. Using this opportunity, Oliver infused his chronic hunger, life force, and the magical power from the vial into the lava.

[Hunger]

Oliver’s hunger, life force, and the magic from the vial fused with the lava created by Burnt One, giving birth to multiple creatures.

They had grotesque appearances—large, patchy heads, gaping mouths torn to their ears, disproportionately thin, branch-like necks, emaciated limbs, and bloated bellies.

"Hahaha—!!"  

"Kyahahaha!!!"  

"Kyaahahahaha!! Kyaahaaah!!"  

Despite being mere creatures, they drooled molten lava like saliva as they surrounded Burnt One.  

It was a spectacle made possible by Oliver’s hunger and life force, the molten lava created by Burnt One, and the blood mixed within.  

However, it wasn’t enough.  

Even if ‘Hunger’ could devour anything to satiate itself, the material was flames and lava, and it was impossible to inflict meaningful damage to Burnt One, who bore the title of the King of Fire and Darkness.  

“Cool down.”  

Understanding this, Oliver activated his power through his blood and commanded the lava to become cold, the exact opposite of its natural state.  

To everyone’s surprise, the lava infused with Hunger instantly cooled, not only solidifying but exhaling a frosty chill as if it were liquefied snow and ice.  

“Aaaaah…!!”  

“Gyaaaahhh!!”  

“Oooouuuu…!!”  

The Hungry Ones screamed, surveying their surroundings.  

For beings born from scalding lava, such cold was deadly. They sought heat for survival and soon fixed their gaze on Burnt One.  

Despite the surroundings freezing due to the chilled lava, he continued to radiate intense heat.  

The creatures, made from Oliver’s hunger and life force, raised their massive, emaciated arms and struck Burnt One.  

Fwoosh!  

Burnt One swung his hand, melting the Hungry One’s icy arm crafted from the chilled lava.  

“Kahahahak!! Kyaahahahaha…!!”  

The Hungry One, whose arm had melted, let out a hysterical laugh while looking at its disintegrated limb.  

Crunch!  

It shoved the molten remains of its arm into its mouth, chewing and consuming the heat.  

Shuahahahahaha!!  

But that wasn’t the end.  

One of the many Hungry Ones exploited an opening, approaching Burnt One’s torn side. With its massive maw wide open, it absorbed the burning blood and heat from the wound.  

Sensing his heat and flames being drained, Burnt One smashed the heads of the creatures, only for Oliver to emerge from the shattered fragments and launch an attack.  

Oliver’s quarterstaff targeted Burnt One’s wounded side, but his hand intercepted the attack.  

The destroyed Hungry Ones were devoured by others, turning into nourishment amidst the inferno. Taking advantage of the chaos, Oliver drew a dagger and swiftly stabbed Burnt One’s arm.  

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!  

Realizing his arm was on the verge of being severed like his side, Burnt One withdrew it.  

The moment he did, Oliver thrust his quarterstaff into the wound on Burnt One’s side, forcing the gash to widen.  

Fwoom!  

Flames erupted from the wound, scorching Oliver, but he didn’t falter. Instead, he pushed further, expanding the injury and cutting into the abdomen with his dagger, tearing out a portion of the flesh.  

The torn belly skin.  

“Shadow.”  

Oliver’s shadow swallowed and sealed the flesh.  

Shuahahahahaha!!  

The Hungry Ones absorbed Burnt One’s heat through the fresh wound.  

Seizing the opportunity, Oliver manipulated his body through his powers, healing his burned injuries and launching another attack.  

Burnt One grabbed Oliver’s quarterstaff again, while Oliver attempted another stab with his dagger.  

This time, Burnt One swung his arm to deflect the dagger and aimed to strike Oliver, but his attempt failed.  

“Aah…!”  

Numerous Hungry Ones extended their skeletal arms, grabbing hold of Burnt One’s arm.  

Such a feat would have been impossible for ordinary creatures, but Oliver’s hunger, life force, and blood made it achievable.  

The hunger and life force of a noble being.  

“It’s the same method you used on Pied Piper.”  

The Hungry Ones opened their jaws wide toward Burnt One, siphoning his heat.  

Gradually, the heat diminished.  

From the cracks in his wounds and skin, a deep red and fiery orange glow shimmered before his entire body erupted in a fiery explosion.  

Snap!  

In response, Oliver raised his scorched right arm, snapping his fingers to unleash a blast of white flames that countered Burnt One’s fiery surge.  

───────────────!!!  

Though he couldn’t completely neutralize it, it was enough.  

The remaining flames were absorbed by the Hungry Ones, who sought heat for their survival.  

In the silence, as if the sound of the world had burned away, Oliver and Burnt One exchanged attacks once again.  

“Truly befitting of the Prince of Hell,” Burnt One remarked, raising his claws to strike.  

Oliver deflected it at an angle, countering with a dagger thrust.  

"An absurd method, crushing those below with lofty status. Isn’t it ironic?"

Burnt One grabbed Oliver’s dagger and raised his other fist, slamming it down from above.

Oliver narrowly dodged, but Burnt One channeled heat into the chilled lava, attempting to reclaim control of it.

In response, Oliver hacked relentlessly at the descending arm with his dagger, severing it and reclaiming control of the lava. He didn’t forget to feed the severed arm to his shadow.

The now one-armed Burnt One continued speaking.

“For the Prince of Hell to stand against me.”

From Burnt One's severed arm, flames erupted, and a massive fiery arm grew in its place, lunging toward Oliver.

Oliver extended his scorched right arm, releasing white flames to counter the fiery arm. At the same time, the creatures made of chilled lava intervened, tearing into Burnt One’s arm and consuming it for sustenance while attacking him.

Of course, the Hungry Ones’ attacks were little more than a nuisance to Burnt One, but for Oliver, it was enough.

Amidst the swarming Hungry Ones, Oliver found an opening—a fleeting gap—and thrust his knife into Burnt One’s exposed vulnerabilities, carving away.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!  

The right shoulder.  

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!  

The thigh.  

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!  

The chest.  

Piece by piece, Burnt One’s body fell away like fragments of a puzzle.  

Yet, Burnt One remained composed, while Oliver grew increasingly anxious.  

The more the shadow devoured Burnt One’s flesh, the greater the burden on both it and Oliver.  

Oliver’s battered body, its outer shell cracking, struggled to withstand the heat emanating from Burnt One. A more decisive blow was needed.  

“Hunger.”  

At Oliver’s call, the creatures ceased their relentless feeding frenzy. Instead, they transformed, striking downward at Burnt One in unison from above.  

Rather than feeding their hunger, they acted in support of Oliver.  

Oliver seized the moment, pouring his emotions into his quarterstaff and thrusting it at Burnt One. Predictably, Burnt One caught it with his one remaining hand.  

Oliver swung his dagger at Burnt One’s head.  

It was the very dagger Jane, controlled by Pan, had used to stab Oliver, and later, Puppet used to stab Kent. Now, Oliver wielded it.  

The blade aimed for Burnt One’s neck, but as their eyes met, Burnt One’s lightning-like gaze burned fiercely.  

Without a sound, Oliver let out a silent scream, stumbling backward.  

“······!!”  

Just meeting Burnt One’s searing gaze had set Oliver’s left eye ablaze.  

It wasn’t a joke. Smoke rose from his blackened, scorched eye socket.  

‘It… won’t heal.’  

Panicked, Oliver tried to heal his eye with his powers but found it impossible.  

“Can’t heal it?”  

Burnt One saw through him.  

Despite his missing arm, shredded body, and the pressure from the Hungry Ones, he stood with overwhelming confidence.  

As if such injuries weren’t even a threat.  

Oliver realized Burnt One’s composure wasn’t bravado—unlike his own.  

“But it’s not strange. It’s perfectly natural.”  

The reason being—  

“This flame contains my authority. Your powers cannot heal it. You are but an unclaimed prince, whereas I am a sovereign.”  

Oliver took a step back.  

Not from reflexive pain, but from a faint yet undeniable fear growing within his heart.  

Realizing this, Oliver forced himself to stop retreating, pushing forward toward Burnt One, who remained pinned by the Hungry Ones.  

Burnt One, watching Oliver’s charge, raised his one remaining hand toward the sky.  

“Come, my sword.”  

In that moment, Oliver saw it—a massive fire plummeting from the blackened, perforated sky.  

The fire consumed everything below it, converging into Burnt One’s hand and forming the shape of a sword.  

As Burnt One gripped the blade of flame, the lava and the Hungry Ones disintegrated, leaving the world veiled in a void of nothingness.