The Black Book (3)

I opened my eyes. The intolerable had returned and it was greater than before. I screamed again.

「AGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!...」

Such pain-filled my eyes with tears, but I was now nothing more than a pile of mush. And all I could do was lie paralyzed on the ground.

Then again, the unbearable pain slowly became bearable. Transforming into light tickles, then becoming like splashes of cold water. This feeling was like applying a cream, allowing his millions of pores to open and relax.

Just when I thought that this might be the end, I heard the voice again.

「Reconstruction of Soul」

Dammit! There's more?

I was sweating bullets as I sucked in a deep breath through my gritted teeth.

My smile was wiped away by a wail.

「AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!」

I felt as if thousands of ghosts were assailing me, a pain down to the bottom of my core. It was thousands of times crueller than the previous pain I experienced. But unlike before, when my mind was being made to hold onto its consciousness, the pain was now eating away at my consciousness.

I started to grow weaker.

All this while, the strange patterns never stopped spinning, and the remaining Sand-like material on it was soaked in my blood but I was too far gone to even care. I was hanging by a thread, one that thinned by the second.

The strange patterns spun faster and faster, encompassing everything in it in arcane power.

I was now nearing death, I shut my eyes with a trace of regret, as my life flashed before my eyes.

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The pain vanished once again.

It felt like I crossed an endless tunnel at a very high speed. I flew past the space filled with nothing but darkness; the light seeping into this space from such a long distance away slammed into me in an instant.

After the blinding by the light dissipated away...I was once again at that eerie place.

I looked at the battlefield once again to know how the battle had played out.

The ensuing battle was truly intense.

Corpses formed mountains. Blood formed oceans.

This conflagration called 'war' created by countless soldiers swallowed up every single lifeform still standing on this land and continued on its horrific path of destruction.

But, even then –this stubbornly persistent battle that didn't seem to end had slowly marched towards its inevitable conclusion.

The Supreme Being was breathlessly panting away as it leaned against a bizarre rock formation. He weakly faltered his head, but then forced himself to look up. He had already suffered grievous wounds and it seemed unlikely he'd be able to survive its injuries.

His shoulders trembled as it painfully cackled before it raised its head again.

The Six figures were now nowhere to be seen. However, it could be seen clearly that the Supreme Being had lost.

He spat out a mouthful of blood. And that was precisely the moment when my gaze met with his staring back at me.

But, how could this be?!

I had already noticed that none of the individuals present here could notice my presence. I tried to touch some of them but I just passed right through their bodies.

But, that doesn't make any sense.

Looking at me the Supreme Being smiled, the look that he had of boredom until now was gone and he started to laugh maniacally. For the first time, he showed a change in expressions. Even at his deathbed, he looked like he didn't care if he died but now he was laughing while looking at me.

He then stopped and spoke while looking at me. He had a rather sad look on his face this time-

『I'm sorry.........for bestowing.........such a cruel fate.......upon you...yet again.』

Although he could not speak properly, I still understood him. I was surprised for a second there because I thought that I would not be able to understand him as the language he spoke before was different.

His life had ended by then and his body limply toppled to the ground.

What did he say? What did he mean by a 'cruel fate'? Why did he apologize? How could he see me?

The countless questions ran through my mind and I took a step forward to take a closer look at him. However, the moment I did darkness surrounded me at a frightening speed and roused up from the shadows. I couldn't move any further and the pain from before started to return.

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The pain only lasted for a brief moment though and I did not hear the strange voice again. I felt relieved and it felt like a huge load had been taken off me. I could still feel my blood trickling down on my body but it didn't hurt as much as it did before.

I thought that this might be where I'll die. But then I felt someone was approaching.

「...-de! Cla-..! ..ud..! Tha-... G..d!」

Someone's voice spoke my name. I am rather familiar with the voice but I couldn't make out half the words he was saying. I also couldn't quite put my finger on who it might be, still, somebody has come. I must express my gratitude and thank-

Thinking so, my consciousness cut off.