Looking Forward to Another World Chapter 742: True Hell?
Previously on Looking Forward to Another World...
The scene unfolding before them left both Thanatos and Kali in a state of stunned disbelief.
"You... you weren't ensnared by her charm?" Kali's voice quivered with astonishment, her eyes wide as if struggling to comprehend the impossible.
"Th-This..." Thanatos echoed, a wave of bewilderment washing over him. He had harbored a subtle suspicion that Ishtar's charm might not be entirely effective, but the reality of Riezel's unyielding resistance was far beyond his expectations. To directly confront her potent charm and retain his senses was simply unfathomable.
If Loki had witnessed this display, she would have undoubtedly erupted in raucous, schadenfreude-filled laughter, likely mocking the now slumbering Ishtar, who lay sprawled on the ground.
"Actually, it is I who should be expressing admiration for you," Riezel stated with remarkable calm, sidestepping the unconscious Ishtar. He continued his measured advance toward Thanatos and Kali. "That you would approach me so willingly is quite telling. Are you emboldened by your divine nature, perhaps believing yourselves unkillable?"
Riezel's words sent a jolt through Thanatos and Kali, causing them to instinctively recoil a step.
"...You do not intend to harm us, do you?" Thanatos managed to ask, his expression becoming incredibly strained.
The concept of mortals striking down gods in the Lower World was considered a profound sin, the ultimate taboo. Even though gods in this realm possessed abilities no greater than ordinary mortals – making them vulnerable to any seasoned adventurer – any mortal blow that proved fatal would trigger the Arcanum within their being, preserving the sanctity of their divine form and preventing true death.
In essence, a god in the Lower World, despite suffering a seemingly mortal wound, could never truly perish. Upon the activation of their Arcanum, they would be forcibly recalled to Heaven, their presence in the Lower World, and thus their games of entertainment, abruptly concluded.
This mechanism underscored why god-slaying was deemed a taboo of the highest order. Firstly, it was an act of immense disrespect; a god remained a god, and mortals exhibiting such impudence risked inciting the wrath of both the divine and their devoted followers. Secondly, even an assault on a god could not result in their demise, only in offense. Thirdly, and perhaps most crucially, individuals sought to avoid divine retribution. Even if a god could not personally exact revenge upon returning to Heaven, they possessed myriad other means to inflict suffering—curses, or a more patient approach of dealing with the mortal's soul after their natural death.
One must not forget that in this world, upon a mortal's passing, their soul journeyed to Heaven for divine judgment. After absolution of their earthly transgressions, they were permitted to reincarnate. However, this ethereal process was not inviolable. Some gods, driven by capricious desire or malice, would intercept souls they favored or disfavored, retaining them to manipulate as they saw fit. Freya, for instance, had a notorious habit of collecting souls whose radiance pleased her, treating them as personal trophies, an act of arrogant, unreasonable, and forceful appropriation.
For mortals in the Lower World, this fate represented a horrifying loss of autonomy and an agonizing existence. Thus, for a multitude of reasons, the act of god-slaying had solidified into an absolute taboo, universally shunned throughout the Lower World.
While Riezel himself felt no fear, he understood that transgressing this taboo would inevitably implicate the Loki Familia. The principle remained: only gods could directly confront gods. Even during the eradication of Evilus five years prior, when its malevolent deities were banished to Heaven, it was the gods associated with various Familias, including Loki's, who carried out the task. Under normal circumstances, even if the divine being before him was deeply unpleasant, Riezel could not be the one to directly send them away.
However, abstaining from banishing a god did not preclude other actions.
"My only concern is ensuring you don't sustain fatal injuries." Riezel offered a disarming smile to the two deities, though his eyes remained devoid of any mirth.
"Speaking of a physical confrontation, nearly every member of our Familia has had their share of tussles with that wretched goddess back home. What is there to truly fear?"
"A mastermind and their two accomplices. Once I escort you from this place, Loki won't even need to lift a finger—the Guild alone will suffice to bring you to ruin."
"Especially you, Thanatos. As the sole surviving evil god from Evilus, you'll likely be making a swift return to Heaven, won't you?" Riezel's implication was clear: once Riezel facilitated their departure from this location, numerous other gods waited outside, poised to deliver the final, decisive blow to Thanatos.
Grasping the chilling implication behind Riezel's words, Thanatos made an immediate decision—he turned and fled without a second thought.
Just as Riezel was preparing to make his move, a contingent of individuals clad in dark robes emerged abruptly from the direction Thanatos was retreating. "Protect our god!" they cried out. "For our esteemed god, we readily offer our lives!" "Stop him!" "Even in death, we must prevent him from harming Lord Thanatos!" With these declarations, each person ripped away their black robes, revealing bodies encrusted with numerous Kaenseki. After disengaging the safety measures on the Kaenseki, these remaining members of the Evilus, sworn to the Thanatos Familia, charged at Riezel with utter disregard for their own existence. Riezel responded with a single, potent incantation. Instantly, a formidable shockwave detonated outward from Riezel's being. The fanatical combatants, whose Kaenseki had ignited upon their bodies, were violently propelled backward by the shockwave, erupting in mid-air as engulfing torrents of flame consumed them, leaving behind only scorched remains that tumbled to the earth. Having neutralized the suicidal attackers, Riezel employed teleportation magic, materializing instantaneously before Thanatos, who was fleeing with his back toward the dilapidated temple. "AH!" Thanatos experienced a dizzying blur as a figure suddenly materialized in his path. Unable to halt his momentum, he collided directly with it, crashing to the ground with a pained cry. Riezel extended his hand, poised to cast sleep magic upon Thanatos, but— "E!" Thanatos, his head throbbing from the impact of the fall, instinctively yelled without concern for his decorum. At that very moment, the ground beneath Thanatos cracked open, and he plunged directly into the abyss, vanishing from sight. "An escape trap?" Riezel paused, momentarily stunned, then swiftly drew his sword, preparing to shatter the adamantite floor to pursue. However, before he could act, a subtle sound slicing through the air arrested his motion. Emerging from the shadows, a figure surged forward with incredible velocity, launching a surprise assault. It was akin to Revis's initial strike, but this assailant was swifter, and their attack was not a blade's edge but a punch delivered from a metallic gauntlet. A faint, translucent glint flashed in Riezel's eyes, and without hesitation, he raised the Fool he had just unsheathed, deflecting the incoming blow with the flat of the blade. The punch, imbued with shocking power, struck with an impact that generated a concussive blast of wind, forcing Riezel back nearly ten meters. "It's you?" Sensing the immense power emanating from the figure, Riezel deduced their identity even before clearly discerning their appearance. With both Revis and Olivas already vanquished by him, only one Creature remained among the subterranean forces. Standing before Riezel was a figure shrouded in a long, hooded robe, their face concealed by a mask, and metal gloves adorning both hands. More significantly, the aura they projected, coupled with the ferocity they exuded, surpassed even that of Revis. Undeniably, this Creature was the one whom Thanatos and the others had referred to as Ein. "..." Following the failed strike, Ein remained silent, observing Riezel for a brief moment before swiftly withdrawing. Witnessing this, Riezel's gaze turned markedly colder. Without the slightest hesitation, Riezel unleashed fast attack magic. Potent flame lightning erupted from his hand, searing through the air at high speed, its fiery radiance dispelling the surrounding darkness as it hurtled towards Ein. Facing this rapid magical assault, Ein opted to counter with magic of their own. Accompanied by a guttural incantation, as if multiple voices were merging into one, the opponent unleashed their spell. It was a single-target spell with a lightning attribute. The moment it was cast, a bolt of obsidian lightning shot forth like a strand of silk, piercing the gloom and rushing towards the crimson, flaming lightning. When the crimson flame lightning and the pitch-black lightning violently collided in mid-air, a deafening explosion resonated, causing both attacks to annihilate each other. "Liberator Riezel Brynhart." It was only then that Ein addressed Riezel in a peculiar, layered voice. "You have disrupted many of Lord Enyo's schemes. Sooner or later, we will settle this score." "For now, you should first witness the hell that awaits." "A true hell." Having uttered these words, Ein initiated another chant, casting a further bolt of roaring lightning. Riezel raised his hand, nullifying the lightning bolt aimed at him. The formidable obsidian lightning promptly fractured and dispersed, transforming into myriad arcs and sparks before vanishing. However, Ein vanished along with it. Nonetheless, Riezel's concern now lay not with them—or rather, her. What occupied his thoughts were her preceding words. 'A true hell...? Could it be...' Riezel’s expression shifted, recalling an event from the original narrative. At that precise instant, a world-altering phenomenon commenced. A deafening roar exploded forth, reverberating throughout Knossos, piercing the heavens, and even reaching the surface, immediately followed by a violent seismic upheaval. Riezel beheld a miraculous sight with his own eyes: a colossal beam of light, stretching from the firmament to the earth. This pillar of light originated from profound depths below, as though born from the abyss of the cosmos. It tore through successive layers of Knossos's structures, both above and below, unleashing thunderous clamors and earth-shattering tremors akin to a magnitude ten earthquake. The luminous column ascended relentlessly, finally breaching the surface and erupting into the sky above.