Eternal Elysium

The sharp snap echoed through the room, freezing everyone mid-breath, jaws slack and eyes wide with shock.

"AAAARGH!!"

"AAARRH!!"

A loud unbound scream left Arnus' throat as he rapidly staggered back holding his right hand.

His fingers were bent grotesquely backward, turning an unnatural pale black as if dead.

Everything had happened in an instant, Arnus touching Asher's back, Lath and Hestor taunting him. And everyone else watching them with fear present in their eyes.

And then, without warning, Asher had snapped Arnus's fingers like dry twigs.

"YOU BASTARD!! I WILL KILL Y–!!"

Arnus shouted and moved toward Asher with his eyes reddened and tears welled up in them. But before he could take another step, Asher's fist slammed into his face, toppling him like a felled tree.

Thud!

"H-How…?" Waley wailed, as he looked up from the floor, blood trickling down from his lips.

Just like other men, he was also beaten by the trio. They had retaliated when they first entered the workshop, but after getting beaten up they could only beg for the women and the children to be let go.

Waley, remembering two more of Arnus' companions were present in the workshop, was about to shout, to let his boss know about their strength and numbers. Having faint hope maybe he could deal with them after witnessing how he had broken Arnus's finger and then punched him in the face.

"Huh?"

But only a sound of confusion came from his mouth. Waley's gaze was fixed on Hestor and Lath figures, they both had their eyes wide open, faces darkened. Hestor had taken a single step forward ready to move, while Lath's leg was in the air, taking his first step.

Yet neither moved. They stood frozen, expressions locked in stunned horror.

Tak—

Tak—

Asher started to take slow steps forward, the only sound left in the workshop was his footsteps as no one dared to make a sound. Even those who have been twitching and shivering on the ground from pain held their breath.

He moved past Hestor and Lath not baiting them an eye. But Waley saw his boss' pale cold expression as Asher reached near Elda.

His hand shook slightly as he held his hand toward her, touching her face which had been hit so hard that it turned purple.

"E-Elda, Elda! Wake up!"

Seeing Asher's voice tremble, a chill ran down Waley's spine.

Waley was certain—those three froze the moment Asher walked in, not from fear, but from sheer presence.

Asher who had not hesitated to decapitate those three was now trembling, this was something to fear. Waley thought.

Because he was sure it was not due to fear or worry.

Asher was trembling with rage held by a single strand of sanity.

*****

Those who I had known for a long time and cared for were dead.

Now not many were left, the number was so small I could count it on two hands.

I had seen Elda in a condition worse than this before.

When I first met her she was shackled by chains, her face looked like that of a ghost with several injuries all over her. Even her leg was cut off at that time.

She was even begging for death…

Yet, at that time I didn't feel this much anger that my mind went blank like this, right now.

Maybe it was because I didn't know much about her at that time, due to not considering her a friend and just a pitiful stranger I met along the way.

But now seeing her like this, my hands were shaking, my breathing had quickened, and my chest trembled all at once. I didn't know what was going on with me.

Was it rage? Or was this feeling fear?

Maybe a mix of both.

Then Elda's figure in my arm trembled slightly, her face frowned and her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Ah, A-Asher. I,I–"

"I am sorry, please forgive me."

I stopped her mid-sentence repeatedly asking for forgiveness.

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Her eyes teared up, as she rapidly shook her head.

"No, No… Y-you."

I smiled and shook my head, placing my hand on her forehead.

"Shhh… It's alright, we will talk later."

As I helped her stand, the storm inside my chest began to calm.

Biting my lips, I moved my gaze to look at others and solemnly said in their direction.

"All of you, please forgive me for what you have to go through… I will take responsibility for all of this…"

Unknowingly my tone went colder and horash as my gaze fell on Arnus whose time had been frozen on the floor.

"But sadly I can't allow any of you to leave right now. I know you all must be scared and must think of escaping with your family now that no one is moving… However, I plead with all of you to take the injured and the children to the third floor and stay there till I take care of things."

I looked at Elda leaning on my shoulders and nodded.

Her eyes locked with mine as she gave a tired smile.

"You troublemaker…" Elda whispered with a faint smile, her voice weak but teasing.

I couldn't smile at her words, as several emotions were raging inside of me. I held her close and tightly in my arms and walked toward Lilia's mother standing amidst the crowd.

Her eyes shook, and then her gaze went from us towards her daughter standing on the second-floor stairs.

With a determined face, she stepped forward and took Elda off my hands.

"Thank you…" I muttered in a small voice.

Seeing her carry Elda's weight along with several other women, I sighed in relief.

Tak—

And appeared near the fallen figures in an instant with [Kairosflow] accelerating my steps.

Previously when I had entered the workshop my vision had turned hazy due to the horrific scene inside. But now that I had calmed my racing heart, I could finally look at them calmly.

And hopefully, think calmly as well…

'Yeah, that was going to be hard.'

Looking down I saw Mr. Waley, his cheeks were a little swollen and red from blood splashes. Someone seems to have repeatedly kicked him in the face.

"Are you okay…?" I asked, helping him stand.

"Y-yeah, thank you, boss? Are they?"

"Thank you… to all of you, but please go now. We will talk later."

"I,I see…" Waley stuttered at Asher's sudden words, but didn't refute them. He saw Asher bow his head in their direction as all the injured slowly stood up with others' help.

Just as all of them started to pass by Asher nodding in gratitude one of them stopped.

He was a man who looked to be in his late fifties, one eye was closed from pain, and when he opened his mouth one of his teeth was missing as well and traces of blood were still visible inside his mouth.

"Don't worry kiddo, weak people don't survive in slums. Those who are in front of you are people who have seen days worse than this… and still lived to tell the tale till now." He smirked and looked around him before patting Asher's shoulders.

"We will wait to hear your side of the story, just make sure to compensate us well with some food and hopefully good quality drinks…"

My face which had been stone cold till now finally cracked as a small laugh escaped my lips. Smiling in the man's direction I nodded.

"You deserve that now."

"That's the spirit!"

Cheering he rubbed the blood off his face and walked away along with the others, seeing them off with a smile I finally turned to look at the three figures left there.

Feeling my hands itch I calmly moved toward Arnus' fallen figure, whose mouth was still open and tongue almost out like a dog.

'I shouldn't waste much time now…'

I still have enough essence left to keep [Static] active for the next ten minutes, but my mental state is not the best right now. With all the emotions tormenting me from the inside, my mind felt fragile after a long time.

This was also due to the fact that I had faced Hollows not long before, even though my recovery was complete the after-effects would take time to clear.

Crack—

My knuckles cracked as I clenched my fist tightly.

As I neared Arnus, I noticed his head was still hovering above the floor—frozen mid-fall.

I had stopped his time at quite a lucky time it seems.

Raising my right foot I placed it above his head and released him from the effect of [static].

" –O Argh!"

Thud!

And pressed his face down on the ground.

His mouth picked up where time had paused—but I didn't care to hear what came next.

"You, I will— urgh!"

"Shut up." I kicked his jaw, making him grit his teeth.

As he tried to stand up, I again froze his time and kicked him on his guts with enough force to make him puke a mouth full of his blood.

And then again kicked him.

Thud!

Thud!

Each blow was stronger than the last one. My boots had turned red from all the blood splashing over them, making me frown.

"Khrg" His words seemed to choke on his mouth as I pressed my foot harder on his neck.

"That hurts? Good. If not, I'll try harder."

Grabbing him by his collar, I pulled him near me.

"Hey, bastard, which one of you injured the girl?" I asked coldly.

"Y–"

Thud!

I again punched his face, almost breaking it.

"Only answer what's asked."

Arnus' eyes were now bloody red, his face had turned blue and his shirt blood-soaked.

He was not given a chance to rest and was beaten with enough force to change the map of his face.

"L, Lath— I, I swear."

A final punch landed over his face, turning it to the side and making him go unconscious.

"His turn now…" I said looking over at the man with his one leg raised.

I let go of [static] and let him take his first step.

"You can fig– Huh?"

Just as Lath opened his mouth to say the word in his mind he stopped mid-sentence and started to look around in confusion.

No one was in the room besides him and his two companions.

"Hey, Arnus—?"

Just as his gaze finally stopped at Arnus' bloodied figure something hit Lath in the face.

He staggered back, his legs trembling.

"Who—!"

"Just your friendly neighborhood merchant," I said coldly and grabbed him by the neck from behind.

And smashed him on the floor.

Thud!

Gripping him by the hair I didn't give him any time to think and smashed his head on the floor.

One more person was left, so I had simply chosen to interrogate him and let others suffer till then.

"Hey!"

With his nose broken Lath tried to shout and raised his hand. I swiftly grabbed both his head and the raised limb and pressed my knee on his back.

And then twisted his right hand backward, feeling resistance I again smashed his head on the cold paved floor, and then a snapping sound followed.

"AAAARRR!!"

His hand snapped back, hanging back like a twisted twig falling off a tree.

He whimpered as I placed my free hand over his mouth making him grit his teeth and kick his foot on the floor.

"Kick again, and I'll make sure your legs never forget the price."

Lath slowed down, his figure trembling as his whimpering sound was like that of a wild dog.

His figure stiffened, and then I noticed it. Lath's fingers twisted in my direction as small particles of light flickered over them.

I jumped back letting him go as a ray of light flew past making a hole through the wall.

Just as Lath was about to stand I again stopped his time and moved in front of me, removing the mask of panoply in between.

"Huff– Huff– Now I will show you hell!" Just as Lath was about to raise his head and turn to look back, he stopped seeing someone standing in front of him.

I kicked his face at full speed enhanced by [Kairosflow].

"Oh, don't worry I know hell better than you—Let me show you around," I whispered, as his head twisted back.

Seeing him not move I frowned and leaned forward, placing my hand over his head I pulled him up.

"Damn it… he's dead," I muttered, rage boiling again with nowhere left to go.