CHAPTER 67 - BEACON OF FAKE AND FALSE-

After finishing the Clocking Vow spell, it had decided to follow me for some reason and not to stay in the Angelic City with the Queen. However, that was the least of my worries right now, with the Vow already finished, now it was time to visit CinderHell and listen to whatever he has to say.

Besides, if I had to go there through a portal–Sol’gonol must have the device for that–my visit to Layla’s laboratory was important as well, seeing as my mana ring was no longer being able to hold my phases or even my transformation of the Halo King ability.

At any given moment it would backfire on me, exploding and denying me from all my phases, leaving me powerless to the core. Halo King has its own field of mana, but with the use of my mana ring, it is capable of utilizing the elemental mana instead of regular mana. Opening many doors to my own ability, using whatever there is that elemental mana and Halo King are capable of doing.

Without the mana ring, the once powerful Alter Violet, turns into a measly Ancient Walker with the ability to use Halo King elementally.

“What type of body does it have to be?” I heard the Angel Queen say, already planning for the future of when the next generation of higher-dragons will overtake the soon to be war.

Nevertheless, I thought she was talking about something else, confusing it with something that had to do with my preference of women. If I had known it wasn’t, my facial expression screamed out ‘what’ wouldn’t have been revealed, but it was.

Instantly, Queen Betty let out a rapid talk, rushing over whatever she was trying to say and mean. I wasn’t able to fully understand her meaning behind it, but I took it for a moment for a little joke. “Well you see, I was talking about the body for—“

“I know what you are trying to say, Milady. However, my preferences are a bit too excessive, but your build is much appreciated as well.” To make the joke more funny, I let out a smile that didn’t bother my eyes while I made eye contact with her.

Lady Betty’s golden eyes widened slowly when my words began to register. The reddish color hunting in her cheek bones as well as her ears, showed and brightened her skin before she walked away from me. Hiding her face with her wings and even hands, seeing this reminded me of some name the people of Earth had for these specific Angels; Seraphim.

Multiple wings, and used for covering up their body. It all kind of made sense of their naming skills. I felt a dark sense of feeling veil down my body, remembering my past life and how it was full of memories—painful and beautiful.

I had to shrug it off, after all this wasn’t Earth, not one tiny bit more or less than Earth. No. It was majorly different from Earth. Magic. Races. System. Hierarchy. Everything else was different, for the better or for the worse, it was all just different.

In all my thirteen years here after being brought against my will, things have always gone south. Gone wrong. Barely six years in this world and I was already put into war, dragged by the sole King of that kingdom and dimension. Fake lies and emotions were veiled as the truth and genuine feelings, and I fell for that.

Dammit…

I cursed, unable to confine or allow any other emotions that I had brought with me from Earth here. I just needed to play whatever role I had at this moment, seeing CinderHell after seeing Layla in Afreon was the best choice and most convenient.

“My Lord…”

Turning to the source of the familiar voice, I had another idea already playing in. It was the Apostle’s leader, though her name is something I don’t remember being given or asking about it.

She was kneeling down to me with her right hand on her chest. The hood covered up her features that I was curious about when Sammael had taken over. However, everything is going to be a puzzle which I alone have to solve. If anyone notices it, the worlds between the dimensions will be in chaos.

Perhaps she can help me, I thought, looking at the hooded woman leader of the Apostles’. But there wasn’t a clear reason for me to trust her, not in the slightless.

Nevertheless, something deep down told me to do so. That I could trust her in keeping whatever I wanted to–like the continent of Afreon–and tell her to not lose any city to the gods army if they ever decide to invade it. She would not only let Afreon be in a battle of victory but also kill whatever threat there is to it.

That is what my gut told me. Whether Sammael or myself, Sirjana or Onyx, were the ones telling me this. Testing it would be more simple rather than handing a big plate to someone who can’t chew more than a newborn child.

I let out a sigh, one that caught everyone in the room off guard. Queen Betty switched her vision from the Apostle’s leader to me in less than a second, a grave of concern waved into her face and eyes.

The feeling of the circle object above my head returned, mana around me was exposed to my will and followed my will. Bright and white wings spread like they had been trapped in a tight space for far too long, dropping a couple of white feathers in the process. Still, I had my eye on my mana ring in case of some anomaly forming more than before.

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In a deep voice, yet gentle. I ordered the Apostle leader, “You came at a convenient time, no matter. I will give you and the rest a mission.” When I briefly stopped, I glanced over to her. Seeing her graceful face full of emotion that was only described as thankful and honored, scared me to a moment of my sudden followers in this world. “Find the rest of the Eternal Crystal’s shards, bring them here and give them to the Angel Queen Betty Alexander…”

“At once, your majesty.” She quickly responded, once again, the feeling of honor in the air swiftly changed to worry and confusion. “Is there something wrong, my lord?”

Hm? Was my intention leaking from my face? I thought, rubbing my hand across my face trying to feel the expression if it did leak somehow, betraying me its owner. Yet, there was no answer or rather it was futile as I didn’t recognize it at all, I thought I had a normal expression.

Instantly, I thought about my mana ring. With it being almost broken to a million pieces, there has to be side effects for it, right?

If that is not the case then how?

A sense of anxiety entered through my mind, thinking that I was losing my composure to some lowly apostle. No, wait, this isn’t my thinking or my own thoughts… These are…

‘The cat is out of the bag I see.’ The voice said, inside of my head as the scenery changed in my eyes–since Queen Betty or even the Apostle changed expressions but instead stood frozen like stone–to a gray and gloomy place. One that was brought down by a war.

Buildings as tall as they were called skyscrapers were brought to half of their height by a clean cut, like it was a sword that had done it.

Other buildings were also brought down but by other means, like bombs—atomic and non nuclear—from the first floor or even different buildings stacking up to each other.

It was abandoned. Everything was. Cars—new or old. Stores—clothing, furniture, markets, convenient stores—all of them. Lonely as it could have ever been, the once lively crowd of this city was now littered with despair and solitude.

My eyes couldn’t get enough of the feeling that I had since and before my reincarnation, the sense of guilt for these people and the ones who still struggled after my death.

Scanning through every inch of rubble and debris around me, indulging me twitch the feeling of a never ending tsunami of pain and suffering.

‘This is what you had caused. Death to millions of people from each nation. Death of those who fought at your side, day in, day out. There is no denying, no doubt, it was a great matter of your own decision.’

The voice echoed through the debris and rubble, confusing me. I had reached one of the closest broken buildings thinking there was a survivor.

Without a doubt of it, I had activated my second ring phase. Though my appearance changed in the corner of my eye, my mind and concentration was on the survivor. Buried in giant pillars of the building’s support, the hand reached out to me with hope, that disappeared the moment I lifted the last debris from them.

It was a middle aged man, black hair and black eyes… they were similar to my… I stopped. Reforming the words that I was about to say. It had been years since I had seen this face and to actually remember who this was, it truly made me terrified.

My body jolted backwards and landed on my rear, holding one hand up as I covered some parts of the lifeless body in front of me.

I felt terrified seeing that person once more but now he was dead, having his black eyes stare at my soul. I tried to form words but instead was cut off by the harsh words that came from his mouth.

His words were like he was a zombie in control of his body, minutes or seconds before losing consciousness and turning into a full fledged brain eating monster. “You have all that power and you still couldn’t save me or her. So much for calling you the hero's child.”

After he had spoken, more bodies arised from the ground, hands of dead people who I had known for a long time. Pulling their bodies from the ground to then standing up to their feets while chanting, “You are no Hero! You are not innocent! You are a murderer!”

“I know that!” I screamed out, letting go of my second ring phase and instead activated Halo King. Lighting came from the top, signaling to me that the halo was already on my head. The shadows of my wings were revealed by the light of the halo. In all of this gloomy city, I was the beacon of light, of attention to these monsters. I shook my head, leaving whatever feeling I had inside to rub off me like cold water.

No, these were human beings. Humans that have died because of my mistakes. If I had to be a beacon of a lie to them, of false hope just for others not to end up like them, then that is how I shall be.

A fake hope…

A false Angel…

‘That is right, be the false hope of these people. Of the dead and living, all together.’ Said the voice once more after being silent for all this time. ‘That is the way you will become stronger, like the past you.’

I let his words and my surroundings sink in, and I’m glad I did, because this path I had taken will be different. I will do it my way, not by the rule or book, so that in that way I could not end up like him.

Subsequently, the gloomy city that had overrun my sense of vision and thinking, had broken down like a glass dome. Queen Betty and the Apostle girl were simultaneously sharing the same thought and words, “”Sammael?””

Right besides me was the SoulBlade stuck in the ground, hinting at me to pick it up, that it was tired of being there. Don’t worry, you will soon reunite with your original owner, I said in my mind. Reasoning with my thoughts, I picked it up and stored it in my storage bracelet. It was surprising that my mana ring hadn’t shattered after I used my second phase so bluntly. However, I was relieved by it. If it had shattered, my trip to Afreon would’ve been more hard since I needed mana to envelop the device that Sol’gonol had.

“I’m fine,” I finally answered, showing a different facial expression than worry. Yet, it paid off, not suspecting anything I turned to the Apostle girl that was standing up by kneeled down once my eyes turned on her. “Your name,” I called.

“M-My name?” she hesitantly spoke, looking up to me and then down fast.

I nodded.

“Amirah. No last name,” Amirah added after giving me her name with a hazy look towards me.

Amirah, huh? It doesn’t sound like any names of the twelve races or any other clans there are. Yet it does have a hint of Giant race but Fallen as well, it’s confusing.

“Well, Amirah, by your face I could tell that you are confused. However, let me tell you the reason for your name.” I added a tone of what a leader needed, one to give orders as special as the soldier. “It is because I need you to pick four of your best people in the Apostles, send them to gather the shards of the Eternal Crystal and have them go with the Millguards when Queen Betty is done with her promise.”

Amirah then vanished from her post, following my orders. A deep breath I took before even thinking about the talk that CinderHell wanted with me–I had forgotten about it.

Now is the time for that.

“Queen Betty, if I may make this sudden request. Give this to him when you have made the host.” I pressured the mana that I had in my ring into the bracelet. Upon igniting, I pulled out SoulBlade with its scabbard and handed it the brown haired Angel.

She settled her eyes on the weapon before extending an arm towards it. By her hand movement, I could tell that my suspicions had been correct. SoulBlade is really a rare treasure that most races would kill for, and I haven’t used it like it should be treated like.

When she took the sword, she gripped it hard enough for her to feel the details in the scabbard. “And now, as for my two promises, you may use them as you like. Whether I am not here yet or I am, it doesn’t matter to me. Glory or to brag, I will come back to fulfill them.”

Afterwards, I walked out the room and closed the doors behind me and headed towards where Sol’gonol was. My mind was still in awe of the mana ring, when a sudden aura appeared next to Sol’gonol.

Though I didn’t run or hurry, I took my time instead. Wondering about who the aura was from, since I still couldn’t tell apart from the auras of the Millguards or the Angels.

When I got there, my eyes widened to find out who it was. Yet, in reality I was expecting this but not to this extent. The reddish black horns that came out of the side of her head going upwards and turned like a goat’s.

“What the hell are you doing here, Susan?”