425: || Chapter 414 || The Diversion

|| Chapter 414 || The Diversion

One could taste the weighty ghastliness of the atmosphere. The rocks bit Moulin's knees the longer he knelt. However, he didn't even flinch. The aphrodite's whole attention concentrated on the demon speaking to him through the heretic before him. Blood-red eyes glowed, glistening like a bright red sea. One would lose their soul when met with those eyes.

The fragrant smell grew stronger. And Moulin, who was lost in shock, grew stiff. Realization poured into his mind then an explosion of fury bursts in his heart. These demons!

His pale eyes sharpened like a sword ready to cut. In a split second, the wind swirled around him. The temperature dropped and the ropes snapped loose.

SNAP!

WHOOSH!

Moulin swerved his body, frost bloomed from his palms. A frost blade gleamed under the torchlight.

The heretic calmly smiled as he stopped the blade that was about to slash his neck. The thin bony hand that looked so fragile suddenly possessed inhuman strength. It squeezed Moulin's pale and slender wrist tight, threatening to snap it into two.

Moulin narrowed his eyes dangerously. Madness brimmed in his expression as he scrutinized the heretic's calm countenance. His composure only fed the fire in the youth's vengeful heart.

The man glanced at the youth's arm and an amused smile stretched on his lips. His mouth did not move but his ominous voice pierced through Moulin's mind. "Ah, Alha... truly did cut a part of you. I... had doubted him ever since he returned severely injured."

His grin widened and his voice became smoother. "However... he did obtain a part of your body. It was worth his sacrifice. Indeed, you are one difficult prey to trap, little vessel... So bothersome."

Moulin gritted his teeth. An ice dagger materialized in his other hand and he swung at the heretic's wrist. Uldher, the demon, helplessly releases him and retreats a few steps back.

Moulin's hands tightened around his weapons until his knuckles turned white. His heartbeat quickened, pounding against his ribcage. This demon. How was he able to possess a person within Helios's barrier? Moulin didn't know the extent of this demon's capabilities. However, for certain, he wasn't to be underestimated.

The heretic revealed a frightful grin. His cheeks pulled at the corner of his lips as though he was trying to rip his face in half. His gaze never left Moulin while he began to pace.

His voice, although horrifying, softened as though he was trying to bargain with a stubborn little child. "Aw... How cautious you are, little one. Do you... KNOW how long... It took for me... To find you and this... Horrid place? You, mortals, have grown clever... But still so vulnerable... and naive."

Uldher raised his hands, "So easily charmed by the temptations of darkness... Hah! It only took a tiny bite for their faith to collapse... So no matter where you hide... You... cannot escape our God's power."

Anger burned under Moulin's skin. The edges of his blades flashed while he interrogated. "Why are you here? What is it that you want?"

The heretic's smiling face fell slightly. A sulking voice replied. "Agh, rude, little one... If you so desire it... I will tell..."

Silver eyes glowered. Moulin adjusted his stance when the man's steps paused.

Uldehr raised his gaze and replied, "It's... truly simple, my dear... Come with me to the other side... and you shall understand everything."

"Hah!" Moulin spat. He straightened and with a flash, a daring long bow rested within his palm. Pure energy emanated from the crystallized surface of the bow, dazzling and ferocious. The freeze was astounding and destructive.

Moulin faced him, "You think, I would just waltz with you into your lair and be gutted like livestock?"

The heretic frowned. Brows furrowing pitifully, "When you learn the burden you've carried upon your shoulders... Understand and listen to why... No one will have to get hurt again... Everything will stop..."

Moulin scoffed.

The words of the wretched weren't to be trusted. Why should Moulin submit after all he had witnessed? The destruction, the lives lost to the chaos these malibreeds, malefics had created. The souls helplessly lured and corrupted. Corhan had lost so much life to the darkness.

But even so, would it all cease if given the chance? Would all return to its once peaceful state because of a demon's promise?

Moulin was no fool. He knew it wasn't true. However, the one thing they could do was threaten the lives of the survivors of this world.

"Such stubbornness..." Urdehl tsked in disappointment as he scrutinized the youth's determined expression. The distorted glower on the heretic's face grew more menacing.

"Do... you not even want to listen?"

Moulin, this time, was silent. When hesitance flitted across his gaze, Urdehl witnessed and the heretic's expression lightened slightly.

The arrowhead, fizzing with frost, lowered its aim. Moulin wanted to know. However, not once would he lower his guard even for a second. Past the wobbling possessed heretic, Moulin glanced at the little wooden bowl of incense.

He'd buy enough time for Ghana and the others.

"Wonderful!.. Wonderful..." Urdehl laughed in delight. A willing body would be even better.

Whoosh!

A dark barrier activated, swallowing the entire room. It felt oppressive and suffocating. Moulin swallowed. He had never felt such a potent malevolence in demonic mana before.

The mana felt exactly like the ones that possessed the dagger Moulin and the sentinels had acquired.

"Who is your master?" With a sharp expression, Moulin interrupted. He would not tolerate another of this monster's tests. If Urdehl would provoke, Moulin will send an arrow into the man's throat and be done with everything.

"My master..." Red eyes glowed wildly at the bold question. A finger incessantly tapped on a rugged jaw.

When he finally spoke, he flashed another spine-chilling grin. "I serve only my God, my dear... However... I understand what name you seek... Arakiel is one of his many names... Brought the undying plague unto your world and us..."

Arakiel...

"Our great lord had already met you, I remember..." Eyes curved in dark amusement, tickling Moulin's nape. "...the day when all was lost... Including your sweet mother..."

Moulin flinched. Memories flashed like an explosion before his eyes. But what drew him more was the bone-chilling grief that overtook him and his mother's lifeless body laying in his arms. Moulin's head pounds as he tries to keep his composure.

"Ah, yes... don't fight it, young one." The heretic tries to reach out but faced with Moulin's sharp eyes and the powerful weapon in his hands, he withdrew. He kept a smile behind his treacherous intentions.

"Why..." Moulin swallowed hesitantly, "Why-"

"You?" Urdehl finished. "You weren't meant... for this world to begin with... Aren't I correct?"

Moulin's heart jolted.

"Do you wonder why? Why were you brought? Why were you cursed with death only to be reborn?..."

Moulin did not speak and didn't move, even as the man began to pace around him in slow harmless steps.

Urdehl spoke, "We were almost there... My God was to be resurrected years ago. But one day, a single pitiful soul escaped the plate. We let it go, to allow it to nurture itself with the joys and pains of its existence."

"But when the time came to collect him... He refused... And refused and refused... AGAIN AND AGAIN."

Moulin was still when the shouting became more and more hostile.

"He became stubborn, ungrateful for the blessing he was given... He lived off with no means of reciprocating the life bestowed on him..."

"... and... he started REVOLTING against us! Do you know how long it took us? It took me to obtain you, worthless thing?!"

Urdehl's voice cracked, slowly revealing the vengeful fury within his voice. In a split second, his tone softened.

"It is when Alha returned, with a piece of you that I felt myself breathe... There is hope..."

Moulin gazed at those softening red eyes gazing at him.

"You... are a thing to be consumed, boy. You weren't destined to live with all these mortals... You are our one most precious element..."

"... The only one left to finish."

Moulin's pupils quivered. His grip tightened around the sharp edges of his bow. For somehow, he felt the ice bite into his skin.

Moulin spoke, "You... caused all this chaos to collect me?"

"Oh no, I... only came to persuade you, little vessel." Urdehl laughed, "I have no interest in having to cross... your bright vicious city of hope. All I did... was offer a bit of help...."

"What?"0

Urdehl shrugged at his confusion, "You will understand eventually..."

"Now..." With demon eyes, the heretic gently raised his hands slightly. "What more do you want to know..."

"..." Moulin's brows furrowed. After a moment of hesitation, under those amused eyes, he asked.

"What will happen to my people if I agree?"

"Oh?"

It was the first time Urdehl has encountered someone more concerned about the people around him than their own pitiful self. How laughable.

"Do not lie to me, demon..." Moulin gritted his teeth.

"I would not dare... " Urdehl raises his hands with a sinister laugh.

"What becomes of them... Shall be for my beloved lord to decide."

Silver eyes narrowed.

"As I thought..."

The heretic froze when a bountiful amount of mana washed over him. It drove into his soul and grasp the little thread tying the medium and the demon together.

Suddenly, Urdehl's wide grin morphed grotesquely as dark blood bursts from his throat. The black liquid dripped from the gaps in his sharp teeth, streaming a line down his cracked jaw. The single bulging eye on his forehead quakes in pain as pure mana sears itself into his nerves.

Snap!

The heretic stiffened. Arms rigid in the air and legs firm against the scraping floor. The barrier began to collapse. The mana, peeling itself away little by little when it could not grasp the connection with its caster any longer.

When Urdehl finally returned to the medium hateful and mad. Then the body he possessed was slammed into the wall.

"Ack"

The rocks cracked from the force and he could feel the meager bones of this useless body snap. Nevertheless, the pain was great like fire scorching the vast lands of the demonic realm.

The miasma dispersed and released every single soul it controlled.

A slender hand grabbed the incense bowl and icon, freezing it in solid ice. It shattered in the youth's grip like soft sand slipping past his pale fingers.

"You see..." Moulin spoke as he flicked the ice off his hand. "... I do not need to be taken."

Silver eyes glowed, luminous and radiant.

He grabbed the man by the throat and spoke, "I will find you myself."

"Hehehe..." Urdehl struggled to sputter out the words."I-I shall prepare... a-a grand welcome t-then..."

"...I'm sure... to host a wonderful reunion..."

"Reunion?"

The hand around the heretic's neck tightened painfully.

"Who else? But your dear friend?"

Alsander...

A rakish grin stretched mockingly.

The name sank into Moulin's head like a boulder sinking into the depths of an ocean. Shock gripped his body, caging his skin.

Alsander... Alsander...

Suddenly, fury filled Moulin's fierce eyes. He could no longer control the strength of his hand as he forced the man to answer him.

Sneering, the demon laughed at his desperation. "Oh, why -would you waste your energy on such an insignificant rat?... Little vessel... don't you have many things to do? Tend to your sick lover, wait for your dear parents..."

"...rescue poor tiny little children?"

Moulin stopped. His eyes, brimming with sudden confusion.

"Hehe... I told you... All I did was help."

When the words fell, the man under Moulin's hand sagged like a puppet with its strings cut. Moulin's grip loosened. With a thud, the man fell unconscious.

His mind is clouded blankly, confused by the raging thoughts that clouded his head.

And the bow in his hand had long dissipated.

"Soon, we will meet again..." A dark cackle broke through his ears, echoing silently until it faded away. Lost by the ringing and the faint calls that stretched, that slipped through the collapsed.

Moulin...

"MOULIN!"

Ghana's voice through the communication device yelled in his ear. Suddenly, Moulin regained himself and responded.

"What in the world happened to you?!" Ghana shouted.

"I..."

Bang!

Moulin turned around, witnessing an odd scene. The cultists guarding the door fell senseless on the cold damp ground. Nearby, the sentinel who came with him stood confused before checking the vitals of the unconscious men.

What in the world happened?

"Moulin! Respond you fool!"

"I'm here..." Moulin quickly replied stepping out of the room and arming himself.

"Did you find the children?"

"We found them. They're unharmed."

Moulin breathed a sigh of relief. However, Ghana was far from finished. Her voice yelled, panicking.

"Listen! Something has happened at Jagra's home!"

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