「It looks like the heroes of humanity has finally reached!」
The magical broadcast thundered across continents, reaching every corner of the world, citizens gathering in the streets, on rooftops, and around glowing screens.
「This should be the greatest spectacle in human history, one akin to the merging of hell and earth. 」
How could any human or devil miss it? This mission is one that predicts the outcome of the human race. The abolishment of the statue of kafka, the last known lingering symbol of devil rule on Earth, and the last connection the god has on the lands.
「Look! It looks like the heroes have finally reached it!」
A sudden rupture in space cracks, splitting the fabrics of reality open, and the eleven heroes step forth. Every one of them bore the hopes of humanity, yet each smiled and waved, radiant for the blue orb beaming their image to the world.
Regulus took a step forward, his heart pounding not with fear, but with purpose. "Is everyone ready?" he asks, scanning their faces.
"Yeah!" they chorused, faces gleaming with adrenaline and joy.
"Our final mission," Regulus says, raising a fist, "to end the reign of devils…starting with their god. Like true heroes."
"Heroes!" the team echoed, triumphant, as if victory had already been won.
As they approached the engraved waystone, Aporia stepped in, catching his wrist gently.
"Reg…" she whispers.
His heart skips. "O-oh, y-yes?" he stutters, cheeks warming.
"I…" She looks away shyly, a faint blush coloring her face. "I just wanted to cast a power enhancement spell on you before we go." Magic flares gently in her palms. "B-but if you don't want it, that's fine too…"
"No, no!" he says quickly, taking her hand. "I'd be honored."
Her smile brightens. "Great! This will really help us." Following that, pink energy surged around him before it died down into a gentle glow. "They're all done!"
'Weird.'
He flexes his fingers.
"I don't feel any different."
"It'll activate in battle," she says warmly. And with that smile, all his doubts disappear.
"Okay." He nods, stepping onto the platform alongside the others. The portal immediately ignites in red light, and they vanish.
.
.
I believed her, but I was wrong.
.
.
The boost didn't aid me at all
.
.
In fact... my magic began to wither. Until there was nothing left.
.
.
Which cost me my life.
.
.
'It…hurts…'
'Everything burns! My skin! My bones!'
The wet, nauseating sound of flesh ripping apart echoed in the silence. The grinding snap of bone. The savage, gluttonous tearing of meat. Regulus's screams of anguish rattle out into the hollow stone chamber, and still his magic wouldn't activate.
'It's eating me… So why won't they help me!'
The third head of the hellhound lurches forward, sinking its fangs into his side. Warm blood pools beneath him. His voice cracks into a sob.
"Someone... please... help..."
His half-eaten hand extends out, blood spewing out like a crimson fountain with each of his minimized movements, yet his squad stands still, only watching, their faces twisted in worry and uncertainty, but their hands curled to their sides.
"S…save me! I don't want to die!!" He begs, his voice barely a whisper.
.
.
'Why are they just staring!!'
.
.
'F**king help me!'
.
.
Minutes of silence passed, the only sound corroding the air being his cries, even though it's mere minutes, it feels like an eternity with each of their jagged teeth plummeting into him, while his squad only watches.
'Help—'
"Ha…" A scoff finally leaves one of their mouths.
"Can you stop looking at us as if we're your saviors?" The words are sharp, dripping with loathing.
'What…?'
Regulus's eyes widened in disbelief.
"If the book hadn't said for us not to interfere while the sacrifice is being devoured, I would have killed you long ago." Sungur chimes in. "Your screams are so aggravating."
'Sacrifice…?'
Faces that once showed worry now contorted with disgust, hatred, and an icy indifference that froze him in place, just as everything around him began to fade.
'For god's sake." Virago groans. "They're supposed to be hellhounds but take ages to eat someone. Aporia." His attention jerks to her.
'Aporia! She'll help me!'
"Couldn't you also add a silence spell to him?" He finishes, snatching away all of Regulus's hopes.
'She was in it… How could she? I thought.'
His thoughts falter.
'I thought she liked me back.'
Aporia rolls her eyes. "Do you have any idea how hard it was just to fake the buff? Adding magic severance and naming it a buff was already hard to cover up, and now you wanted me to add a silence spell to it as well? Gosh, men are so dumb."
His breath caught.
'Ma…magic severance. She lied to me… She lied to me.'
"Honestly," she says, flicking a strand of hair behind her ear, "making him fall in love with me was the easiest part."
"Easy?" Coronach, the boy beside her, laughed and threw his arm around her. "Didn't you say, 'that pig doesn't even deserve my attention; his only worth is to be sacrificed'?" He leaned in and kissed her.
'A pig…'
A sacrifice…'
'Was that all she thought of me…?'
Erottaa chuckles. "And he called himself a hero. Isn't that pathetic?"
"A hero?" another voice declared, calmly stepping forward. "A hero is someone who makes a cruel sacrifice for the greater good." He explains calmly.
'Pridain…leader.'
"So I suppose," he added, stepping over Regulus's blood, "you are a hero, Regulus. Just not in the way you thought, now die, become our stepping stone for power, and be forgotten."
'No…'
His blinks slow, eyelids becoming heavier.
'I can't…!'
Pridain smiles as he closes his eyes for the last time.