CHAPTER 74 #7
Rassia and Lucy Pearl remained focused on Valroth.
Valroth's appearance became even creepier. Mas lalo siyang tumangkad, mas humaba ang kaniyang tenga at sungay, making his appearance even more unnatural than before. Muli siyang umiyak ng itim na dugo, slowly flowing down from his eyes as his demonic aura continued to grow around him.
"The power of Demonio Venticinco is back, Master," Anastacio said.
Mabilis na pinaikot muli ni Rassia ang kaniyang scythe, preparing to attack Valroth. Ngunit bago pa man siya makagalaw, natigilan ang lahat sa sumunod na ginawa ni Valroth.
Valroth suddenly raised his fist and began striking his own head.
"What is he doing?" one of the knights asked in shock.
Rassia's eyes narrowed as she watched him carefully.
Valroth continued, as though he was fighting against something inside himself.
"Stop..." he muttered.
But then he raised his fist again. "A-ayoko na!"
His voice grew louder.
Rassia remained still, trying to understand what was happening.
Valroth was not attacking them. He was fighting himself.
I don't want this anymore! I don't want to keep doing this! I am tired! I don't want to kill anymore! I don't want to keep listening to that voice! I-If e-ending their suffering is supposed to be mercy, then why am I the one who is suffering the most?!
Mabilis niyang pinagsusuntok ang kaniyang sarili. He even used his sharp steel fans to brutally cut off his own head and slice his arms, but his body continued to regenerate no matter what he did.
"Argh! I already lost! Why?! Why?! Why do I keep regenerating?!"
Patuloy na dumaloy ang itim na dugo mula sa kaniyang mga mata habang pilit niyang nilalabanan ang sarili niyang katawan. He no longer looked like the terrifying Upper Demon they had been fighting moments ago. Instead, he looked exhausted and desperate, as though he simply wanted everything to stop.
Some of the knights began to lower their weapons.
They had seen enough.
They no longer saw Valroth as merely a demon they needed to defeat. They saw a creature desperately trying to escape his own fate.
Tahimik lamang na pinagmamasdan ni Rassia ang lahat, her eyes remaining fixed on Valroth as she slowly began to understand what was truly happening to him.
Tuluyan nang bumagsak at napaluhod si Valroth habang patuloy niyang sinasaktan ang kaniyang sarili. He seemed exhausted, but he kept trying to end his own life.
"Orythea! Come here and finish me off! huwag mo na itong patagalin..."
Lumingon si Valroth sa gawi ni Rassia, ngunit ibang pigura ang kaniyang nakita. Napakurap siya at napakunot ang noo.
Wala na rin ang kagubatan na kanina lamang ay nakapaligid sa kaniya. He was now surrounded by darkness, with only a light coming from the figure standing in the distance.
Ang paligid ng babae ay puno ng liwanag, samantalang sa paligid ni Valroth ay purong kadiliman, with flames surrounding him as if they were burning him.
Dahan-dahang lumapit sa kaniya ang babae tila walang pakiealam sa apoy na kaniyang dinaraanan. The woman smiled sadly while staring at Valroth.
Kumunot ang noo ni Valroth habang tinitigan ang babae. It was a human, a mage who belonged to the continent of Vermeleyon.
Yumuko ang babae sa harapan niya at marahang hinawakan ang magkabilang pisngi ng demonyo.
Valroth seemed confused. He was a demon. He had hurt humans before. Yet this woman was looking at him with sadness instead of fear or hatred.
Valroth remained still, unable to understand why a human would treat him with such gentleness.
"Valron... that's enough. You don't have to continue anymore. Come with me. Matagal na kitang hinihintay, at alam kong pagod ka na. Hindi mo na kailangang dalhin ang lahat ng sakit at paghihirap na ito. Hindi mo na kailangang isipin ang mga taong hindi mo kayang iligtas.
Let everything go and come with me."
Saglit siyang natahimik bago tumingin sa mga pamaypay na hawak ni Valron.
"Do you still remember these fans? They were not only your weapons. Ito ay regalo mo sa akin..." bahagyang nanginig ang kaniyang boses. "Sana... sana ay huwag mo nang gamitin iyan upang makapanakit ng iba. Alalahanin mo ako, Valron."
Marahang hinaplos ng babae ang kaniyang pisngi.
"Hindi ikaw si Valroth."
Bahagya siyang ngumiti kahit may lungkot sa kaniyang mga mata.
"Ikaw si Valron."
Unti-unting nanlaki ang mga mata ni Valroth. Tuluyan nang nawala ang itim na dugong kanina ay umaagos mula sa kaniyang mga mata, at naging tunay na luha ang mga ito habang unti-unting bumabalik sa kaniyang isipan ang kaniyang mga alaala.
Valron was once a simple mage from the continent of Vermeleyon. He was a marquis who lived an ordinary life with his wife, Maria, and their two children, a pair of twins.
Twenty-five years ago, umalis si Valron patungong Wintergard dahil mayroon siyang kailangang asikasuhin.
Ngunit isang gabi, pagkauwi niya mula sa Wintergard, natagpuan niya ang kaniyang pamilya na nakahandusay sa sahig.
Hindi niya alam kung sino ang gumawa nito o kung bakit nangyari iyon.
His wife, Maria, and their two children were gone, leaving Valron completely devastated.
Hindi niya matanggap na sa isang gabi lamang ay nawala ang kaniyang buong pamilya.
Habang nagluluksa si Valron, isang babaeng may maitim na presensiya ang biglang lumitaw sa kaniyang harapan.
Hindi niya alam kung sino ito, ngunit dahil sa kaniyang matinding pagdadalamhati, wala na siyang lakas upang lumaban o magtanong.
The woman offered him a new purpose, and from that moment, unti-unti niyang natagpuan ang kaniyang sarili na naglilingkod sa kaniya.
He became a demon. He became Valroth. Sa loob ng dalawampu't limang taon, halos tuluyan nang nabura sa kaniyang alaala ang kaniyang dating buhay.
Ngunit ngayon, habang nakatingin siya sa babae sa kaniyang harapan, unti-unting bumalik ang lahat. His eyes trembled as his tears continued to fall.
Mabilis na niyakap ni Valroth si Maria at mas lalo siyang napaiyak. Mahigpit ang pagkakayakap niya sa kaniyang asawa, na para bang natatakot siyang muli itong mawala sa kaniyang harapan.
"Maria!"
Marahang hinaplos ni Maria ang kaniyang likuran habang tahimik siyang nakatingin sa kaniya.
"I am watching you, Valron... always. It seems like you are grieving for us even without your memories. You keep crying nonstop..." marahan siyang ngumiti.
"Hush, now, Valron. Tulungan mo ang ating tagapagligtas. Sabihin mo sa kaniya ang tungkol kay Erishkigal. Siya ang tanging pag-asa ng mundong ito."
Nanatiling nakatuon ang tingin ni Rassia kay Valroth.
Hindi na ito gumalaw at nakatingin lamang sa kawalan, na para bang may ibang bagay siyang nakikita na hindi nakikita ng iba.
Natigilan ang lahat nang unti-unting naglaho ang itim na dugong patuloy na umaagos mula sa kaniyang mga mata.
Tanging tunay na luha na lamang ang nanatili sa kaniyang mukha.
Maya-maya, dahan-dahan siyang tumingin kay Rassia.
"Valroth!" muling sumigaw ang boses na palagi niyang naririnig. Ngunit hindi na iyon narinig ni Valroth. Tinakpan ng kaluluwa ni Maria ang kaniyang mga tainga, protecting him from the voice that had controlled him for so many years.
"Orythea, makinig kang m-mabuti." bahagyang nanginig ang kaniyang boses habang pilit na nagsasalita.
"A p-powerful demon is coming for Arcadeya. Naririto lamang siya... may kakayahan siyang gawing demonyo ang isang nilalang. I am one of her victims. Wala na kayong laban sa kaniya... masyado na siyang maraming nagawang demonyo,
at marami pa siyang mga k-kakamping tunay na mga d-demonyo na galing sa Infernov."
Nanlaki ang mga mata ng lahat sa narinig.
Napakunot ang noo ni Rassia habang tahimik na nakikinig kay Valroth.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense as everyone realized that the demon he was talking about was not an ordinary Upper Demon.
If Valroth himself was one of her victims, then the threat they were facing was far greater than they had expected.
"T-The d-demon's name is..." saglit siyang natigilan, ngunit pinilit niyang ipagpatuloy ang kaniyang sinabi.
His eyes slowly widened as the name finally left his lips.
"E-Erishkigal."
Napaatras ang lahat nang masaksihan ang sunod na naganap. Nang sandaling mabanggit ni Valroth ang pangalan na iyon, napansin ni Rassia na ngumiti ito sa kaniya at kay Lucy Pearl.
Then, in just a second, nanginig ang buong katawan ng demonyo. Napapikit si Valroth, tila alam na niya kung ano ang susunod na mangyayari.
Biglang may lumitaw na malaking braso mula sa kaniyang bunganga. Napakalaki nito at mahahaba ang mga kuko, habang nababalot ito ng madilim na aura. Everyone could tell that the arm belonged to a woman. Nanatiling nakapikit si Valroth habang unti-unting lumalapit ang braso sa kaniyang mukha.
?"W-what is that?!"
"T-the f-fuck?!"
Mabilis na umabot ang braso sa mukha ni Valroth.
Sa isang iglap, hinawakan nito ang kaniyang mukha at mariing pinisil.
?With a loud, sickening crunch, Valroth's head was completely crushed by the mysterious hand that emerged from his mouth.
Mabilis na kumalat ang kaniyang dugo at pira-pirasong katawan sa lupa.
Unti-unting lumapit si Rassia sa katawan ni Valroth na dahan-dahan nang nagiging abo. Tahimik lamang siyang naglakad palapit habang pinagmamasdan ang demonyong unti-unting nawawala sa harapan nila.
Nagtaka ang lahat at nagkatinginan nang makita nilang yumuko si Rassia at kinuha ang pamaypay ni Valroth. Saglit niya itong tinitigan bago marahan niyang inilagay ang mga ito sa palad ng demonyo, na gumagalaw pa rin na tila may hinahanap.
Samantala, nagbalik si Anastacio sa kaniyang anyong tao. Mabilis siyang lumitaw mula sa likuran ni Rassia at tahimik na tumabi kay Lucy Pearl.
Hinawakan ni Rassia ang kamay ni Valroth na mahigpit pa ring nakahawak sa pamaypay. Bahagyang gumalaw ang kamay ng demonyo at marahang hinaplos ang kamay ni Rassia, na para bang isa iyon sa huling bagay na nais niyang gawin bago tuluyang mawala.