Chapter 2858: Hell Guide |
Nephis glanced up, measuring how high the sun was. Then, she lowered her gaze and regarded Azarax with a concerned expression.
“The battle in Ariel's hell must have happened in the early years of the Doom War. So, you would not have witnessed its end... still, you must have been aware of the strongest champions of both the Demon Legion and the Divine Host. Those who were Sacred, those who were Divine."
Azarax cackled.
“Why do you ask, abomination?"
Neph's frown deepened a little.
"Because my Domain — the last human Domain — is going to face the Cursed and Unholy rulers of the Dream Realm one day soon. Beings like that do not appear out of nowhere. Many of them must have been Sacred and Divine once, at the same time you were Supreme. So, knowing about the minor deities of that bygone era will help me vanquish them in the future."
Azarax stared at her silently for a while, then shifted.
"I'll happily answer your questions... after you set me free."
Nephis smiled.
The ancient skeleton raised his skull and laughed.
"Me? I can even conquer the Underworld for you, if you want."
Neph's expression did not change. Instead, she raised a hand and made a small white flame dance on her hand.
“I can conquer the Underworld myself."
Extinguishing the flame, she used the same hand to point into the distance.
“There. Promise to guide me there, and I will pull you off the tree."
Her finger was pointing at the Tomb of Ariel, of course.
Sunny observed Azarax carefully, waiting for the answer.
The ancient tyrant did not make him wait long.
"That old tomb? Naturally. Pull me off the tree, and I will deliver you there with ease."
Sunny chuckled.
“Look how amiable you are."
He shook his head and smiled darkly.
"However... she is Weaver's thrall, and I am Shadow's slave. Those two were your sworn enemies once. Who's to say you won't attack us the second you're free?"
Pulling Azarax off the tree was not a problem — after all, Nephis had managed to liberate Eurys as a Sleeper. But there was no guarantee that the ancient tyrant would not immediately turn against them. That was why they had not freed him already.
Azarax stared at them, an eternal grin frozen on his skeletal face.
Eventually, he scoffed.
“Weaver and Shadow God are both dead. They had been dead for thousands of years. Why should I attack you?"
He shook his skull.
“Ah, but make no mistake. I will kill you, one day... just not anytime soon."
Azarax glanced in the direction of the Tomb of Ariel, the darkness nestling in his empty eye sockets brimming with somber, malevolent glee.
“l am Azarax the Mighty, the conqueror of a thousand thrones. Once I fulfill my promise and guide you to Ariel's Tomb, I will finally join my fallen comrades in their eternal battle... but I will not be like the rest of them, pathetic weaklings.”
He turned the eyeless gaze back to them.
“It might take me a while... but in time, I will conquer the Hell of Ariel, as well. And then, I will lead my great Deathless army out of this desert and descend upon the rest of the world like a plague once more. Only, this time, nobody will be able to stop me. I will conquer all of existence, just like I almost did before!"
Sunny stared at the ancient tyrant with an incredulous expression.
Azarax was definitely suffering from the delusion of grandeur... but for some reason, Sunny could easily imagine him being true to his word.
Who was to say that a few centuries after they had liberated the ancient conqueror, he wouldn't lead the Deathless out of the Nightmare Desert to conquer the Dream Realm?
That would be quite the calamity.
But funnily enough, that was exactly what made Sunny feel like Azarax was telling the truth about not planning to break his promise to him and Nephis. If the ill-tempered skeleton readily agreed to help them in exchange for freedom, Sunny would have suspected him with all the endless power of his paranoia.
Now that Azarax had shared his plans to kill them someday, though, Sunny strangely believed him. After all, why would Azarax attack them now if he was already planning to eradicate them later?
Sunny glanced at Nephis.
Despite the fact that neither of them said a single word, they somehow managed to have an entire conversation without making a sound.
He sighed.
“You do realize that we will either be Divine or dead by then?"
Azarax chuckled.
"Who would dare kill someone whom I, Azarax, have claimed as prey?"
Sunny shook his head.
"Countless beings, actually. But that's beside the point."
Nephis spoke at that moment:
"The point is... we agree. We will rescue you from the tree, and in exchange, you will do your best to help us reach Ariel's Tomb."
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded at Suuny.
He took a few steps forward and stood in front of the sacred tree. Reaching up, he grasped one of the silver nails that impaled Azarax.
The ancient tyrant watched him intently. Holding his breath, Sunny pulled.
To his surprise, the nail left the ivory bark without any resistance. Soon enough, the second nail followed.
And soon after that, Azarax slid off the tree and landed on the white sand.
A wicked laugh escaped from between his teeth.
“Free.. I am finally free!"
His voice was full of a profound, deep emotion that was too vast to be described with just a single label. Joy, exhilaration, vindication, ambition... there were all these emotions and more, all mixed together.
He glanced up at Sunny, remained silent for a moment, and then said with dark glee still ringing in his voice:
"You'll regret this, shadow. One day, you'll regret this dearly."
Sunny glanced at him, then turned away and sighed.
"Life's too short for regret.”
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