Vengeance of the Returner

Chapter 143: Emptiness & empathy

Emptiness and empathy

Holding a black three three-meter long trident a Devil approached Nix as he was falling down.

"Human... What is your section?" The Devil questioned pointing her trident towards him.

"Section?" He turned back unsurprised and questioned.

"Yes, out of seven which one are you from?"

"I don't understand..."

He uttered and abruptly pressured his muscles and moved past the devil and grabbed her neck and climbed onto her.

"You imbecile human!"

The devil squealed as he choked her, tightening the chains of resentment around her neck.

"Ahh! Ahh!"

The devil screamed suffocated by his grip. Soon, everyone around him peered at him in a daze. While the other devils dashed towards him pointing their weapons. 

[Private ability: Doom prediction vision activated]

[Awakened ability: Latent instinct activated]

[Private ability: Truth eye activated]

His eyes looked straight at the Devils that approached him unwaveringly, he was calm and his face was void of any emotion as though he was not agitated to face them.

He simply roused his mana and tightened the burning chain and killed the devil in his clutch.

"Insolence! Which section are you from?"

Fighting while falling from great altitude without possessing the power to fly. It was certainly not his forte for sure.

He simply surrendered, noticing the number of devils that piled up around him.

"This is my first arrival to the underworld."

He said calmly and noticed the devil he killed regaining her life. She didn't seem so grotesque even though the name devil seemingly makes people imagine Devils with a creepy appearance.

Indeed they were very different in terms of appearances. All the devil-possessed wings and horns. Their skin colors varied by six colors like violet, purple, black, dark brown, grey, and Dark blue.

The female devil before him had her bosoms covered with a pair of metal and grey loin cloth covering her crotch.

Her eyes were green and her pupils resembled that of a snake's and her forearms were covered by thick fur similar to wolves. Yet her face was similar to that of a normal human. Her long black wings and her curvy figure would certainly be enchanting even for a human. Her long purple hair seemed silky and smooth.

These features made Nix doubt if the devils were truly devils because almost every devil seemed like a decent intellectual being, unlike the stories he heard as a kid or what he expected.

Well, they are just a different alien race in Empyrean possessing the name that's it. Anyway, he already fought Gemnir who possessed charming features that could attract young women, so this didn't surprise him much. 

The female devil rushed through the distance and grabbed both his hands.

"Are you an outsider? How did you get to carry a weapon?"

She questioned.

He thought she'd definitely punish him for attempting murder. 

"Indeed, I am an outsider. This weapon is attached to me."

Abruptly she grabbed his wrist and tried to separate the chain from his hand. 

"Ahhh! AHh!"

He shouted in a loud voice and clenched his fist as the chain stuck with his skin the more she tried.

"Ouch!"

Immediately it released fire making the devil back away in a startle and gave her slight burns.

"Haha, you incompetent bitch... Move away!"

A towering Devil who was observing in the crowd mocked her and pushed her away.

Nix's instincts alarmed as the devil tried to chop his head away. He simply moved in mid-air making the devil slice away the guy that was in the distance.

"I surrendered and you are trying to kill me?"

He asked and waited for the Devil to approach him.

Just as doom prediction predicted he tried to grab him by his neck. Without waiting any time Nix sliced off his Wings using the chain that was shape-shifted into a dagger.

"I'd rather speak to higher devils than you."

He said in a cold tone and drifted his attention towards the female devil and took his hands back in a submissive manner.

"I don't want any further trouble. I am new here and the weapon cannot be taken away from me. I'll comply with your orders for now."

The woman nodded her head and grabbed Nix.

Soon the devils backed away from that place one by one as he quietly submitted to her.

"What's your name?"

" "

"You said you'll comply...But now are doing the opposite."

"What's the use in knowing it?"

"Most people cannot use Mana unless they are Outsiders who reached high levels, so I was curious."

"I see..."

" "

Silence remained between them and they were still falling towards the ground for an hour.

"What's your name, Devil?"

"It's Azaliane."

"Hmm... I did not expect for you to give out your name."

"Anyway, what is your name?"

"Narag- Narag Ishwar."

"Hmm... How did you die?"

"Suicide..."

"Suicide huh? I don't know what sins you've committed but, judging by the looks and as a result of opposing authority you'll be tortured for longer than you could expect."

"Is that so? May I know when we  will go to the sections?"

"I am not explaining those. You shall see by yourself..."

Within seconds he was transmigrated back to Midworld. While Azaliane just stuck in mid air baffled by what happened.

Opening his eyes all he found was a fully destroyed city. His heart sunk as he witnessed the destruction he caused. No matter what, he committed a massive genocide just to prolong his very own life. As Azeliane said he'd be punished for years and years maybe even for eternity. 

He rose from the ground, picked up the dagger and chain and slowly walked gazing at the destruction he had done.

{Hmm, you are one magnificent soul.}

" "

He didn't reply to Astaroth's and just continued walking.

There were people burnt into crisp including women and children. The buildings were crumbled down, the city's ecosystem was messed up, and far beyond resurrection.

'I have reached depth... I shall take responsibility for that I have sinned. In this world everything is crooked. Good? Evil? Is there really a difference between these. If so, am I evil? Or am I a good guy?'

He questioned himself.

Suddenly a hollow image surged out of the dagger. 

It was a Devil possessing two horns, long silky white hair and skin dark as charcoal and a fit physique. He smiled at Nix standing opposite him toweringly.

{You are an existence just like any other. What makes you alive is good and evil. And everything has a certain proportion of both good and evil.}

{From the other's perspective you might seem evil but, from your point of view, you might seem good. Or those who feel empathy towards you might feel you've done right. There is no point in questioning these. You are you. Do what you need to do.}

"Thanks..."

He uttered.

{You are not surprised, that I have revealed myself?}

" "

He didn't reply and gazed at a huge broken building where a man was begging to kill him as he reached the border and there were several others just like him who were struck between life and death. They were suffering to die instantly.

What scared him the most was the emptiness. His heart barely showed any emotion or compassion. Somewhere in the corner of his heart, he slightly felt repentant. 

As he walked by the streets. He killed those who were suffering, with his own hands. After two hours he walked to the end of the city and sat on the floor.

"Fuck"

He massaged his temples and gritted his teeth..

{You may believe that you are evil. And that's quite true but beyond that, you feel empathy while being evil. That is an admirable quality of yours. Make it certain that you don't lose that.}

Astaroth said, looking at him with a smile standing opposite him in his spirit form.

He used the dagger to kill far beyond what he demanded and this had helped him regain his existence and potential back. Though he wouldn't get the chance to regain a body anytime soon.

"I am worried about my clan members. Would they accept me? I committed genocide and more than that many of them have died."

He said worriedly.

{Well- Well, stop whining! Your circumstances led you to this certainty. They cannot deny the fact you saved their town.}

[Awakened ability: Latent instinct activated.]

"Hah"

[Private ability: Truth eye activated]

[Private ability: Doom prediction vision activated]

He sighed and got up from the ground, noticing angels circling him in the sky and a few more soldiers that came towards him riding a carriage.

Slowly a woman wearing a white cloth and an encaptivating beauty descended down from the sky. It was the same angel that banished from the city.

"I am the archangel of Ranr..."

Before she could finish her sentence he clutched her neck and stared at her with his reddened eyes.

"Yeril... This was all because of you. This was all because of your gods."

He said in a low cold voice.

He had certainly evolved. If he was the same naive guy in the past he'd be shouting at her and slit her throat in an instant but, this time he was cool-headed.

"Hngg! Hngg!..."

She wailed and her legs kept on moving as he raised her in the air. Her hands tried to slip Nix's away.

Immediately she used her mana that blinded him yet, his hands didn't let her do.

"You will suffer by the curse."

A soldier said, pointing his crossbow as he slowly approached Nix descending from his carriage.