Chapter 147 - Tophet#6

AETHER'S POV:-

At the edge of this world, an enormous gate came into our view when we reached almost near the God's Torture Chamber. Observing the man in front of me, I couldn't help but shake my head. His condition…is beyond saving.

The divinity has already filled his body and his body is now deteriorating at a slow rate as I observe him. 

'They must have been here in this world for quite a few centuries at least, otherwise based on the rate of divinity entering their body, they would have long been turned into those statues that I destroyed before.' I think as I observe that guy, Marcel, guiding me towards the chamber.

The more we walked towards the gate, the clearer the situation around the gate became. Voices started ringing in our ears that were more than enough to make normal people deaf. I decreased my sense of hearing according to the sound which was coming and increased my other senses so that a balance is maintained so as to not disturb my fighting capabilities.

As we moved closer to the gate, I saw a few more guardians standing there with various types of weapons in their hands. 

A few…more?

"Aren't…they…too many?" I ask as I look at Marcel, who looks back at me and explains, " There are many more inside that place. It's like they are being created there. If we kill one, ten more comes for us. Nobody knows exactly how many are there," he then puts his head down as if feeling shameful for his lack of information.

"It's okay. Though, if there are so many guardians, why are they still not coming to that place and only staying here and beyond this gate?" I ask with a slightly interested look at which he looks at me and shakes his head signalling that he does not know anything about that 

'So only a few guardians can cross this place and come to capture people here? Ummm…doesn't make any sense..what could have possibly led to this scenario?' 

I ponder over it as we move closer towards the gate.

"Well, looks like they are here," I speak as I look at a few guardians coming to attack us. I observe their movements and do not find any difference between the ones I destroyed before and the ones who are in front of me.

'Interesting…how very interesting!' I think before…

-Time Stop-

I start moving towards the guardians who are moving in our direction. Since the previous ones did not have any information, I doubt they would have any?... Though, it's not like I have any way to get information from them either.

I then take out my dagger and force soul magic into them before slashing them into pieces. 

I then move back to my original place.

-Time Start-

Everything turns normal as we move towards the gate. A few more guardians came and once again I destroyed them, repeating the same process. My eyes are more and more confused as to what is really going on? Why not send a bunch of guardians at once? Surely they must have a system with which they could communicate and interact, and know that something is wrong with the current situation as their fellow guardians were being killed like this.

I keep walking at my own pace and wonder if there is anything I can do other than just…what I am doing 'normally'

AMYYL' POV:-

I observe the phenomenon in front of me and wonder if I am in a dream or something. The guardians that we have been running from for so many months…are being killed like flies here. This guy…just who is he? He seems like a human…and that is all I can say about him. He is way stronger than anything or anyone I have ever seen. It doesn't look like he is a bad guy of any sorts since he only asked questions about this world and did not create any problems if we did not know the answer to it.

'I wonder if he is someone, or something, who is above a God. Like a judge who passes judgements and punishes the ones who are doing the wrong deeds? That probably solves a multitude of questions. Though, without any sort of information, jumping to that point will only make these things a mere hypothesis and not a concrete answer…sigh…' I think as I look at him with a ton of curiosity in my eyes. 

His whole existence is so…mysterious. 

We then walked closer and closer to that gate before finally reaching it. A big black gate comes in front of me as I observe its size with pure stupefaction in my eyes.

"What are they hiding behind this gate?" Adrin asks as he too looks at that gate.

'Wait! Shouldn't he know the answer since he is one of the oldest here along with Marcel and Ozlo?'

"Wait! Shouldn't you know the answer since you are one of the oldest here along with Marcel and that guy?" Morpheus asks the same question in my mind with a bit of a surprised look.

Adrin looks at Morpheus before speaking,"Well…

—

LIGHT'S POV:-

"Why did you tell everyone about it?" Chase speaks as he looks at me with a slightly confused face.

"What do you mean?" I answer his question with another question, at which he glares at me before speaking.

"The fact that you are Light. Why not pretend to be like him until he comes back and starts leading us?"

"I know everything he knows," I answer him and his eyes widen a bit before an understanding expression forms on his face. He looks like he wants to speak something before giving up and finally answers.

"How long before he will come back?"

"Don't know," I answer him, at which he gets angry and attacks me with a punch, but stops right before it reaches my eyes. I observe him for a few moments and sigh before speaking.

"You and Corey already knew that he was not your real brother for a long time, didn't you? So why act like this?" 

Yeah…they already knew…long before we came to Alfheim. It was in Eslaine, as I remember, that they finally knew that Aether wasn't their brother but a person from another world. 

'But they accepted him. They accepted him over me because…there wasn't much difference between us. Chase even looked like he had calculated when Aether came into the world and if I am not wrong, he calculated it right.'

"Is it that you are feeling guilty about me being your real brother and not Aether? Tsk tsk, I feel bad you know? You shouldn't be like this Chase," I tease him a bit at which he looks at me for a few moments before speaking.

"Yeah. I do feel guilty about it. Had you kept everything hidden, things would have been much simpler for all of us."

"I am not Aether, Chase. I can never be him. I tried, you know? I have his memories and the knowledge he has, but…I am not him. You too, are trying to beat him, aren't you? It must be frustrating at times too-"

"It's not frustrating, Light. I feel safe when he is around us. It feels like even Gods won't be able to touch us if he is around. I can never be frustrated with him being around me. In fact I feel blessed to have someone like him be my brother. Honestly, I left the urge to try and beat him the moment he killed the Supreme Devil back in Eros Town. He isn't someone I can catch up to, but all I want is not to be a burden to him, if and when the time comes. That's all." Chase speaks before standing up and preparing to leave from there.

"It's…different for me. Well, since I have seen his life with my own eyes and felt what he felt. All I can say is that, I have never seen anyone in my life or lives, this much benevolent and kind yet that much ruthless and scary," I add on to Chase's words at which he gets confused and I sigh before speaking,

"What do you think Corey will think?"

"Corey has…a bit different yet the same feelings, I guess. He will surely accept Aether too, though. Aether…he is our brother, just like you, Light. I guess…it does feels odd at times to know that your brother is not what you think, but Aether was always caring towards us as if we were his real brothers, even more than our parents were, and that is enough for me and Corey to accept his existence into our lives "

He finally leaves before adding one last sentence to his words,

"Well, it's good to have you back too, Light.. Though, I wonder whether it is for the better or worse, given our situation with the Gods n all."