In Hell We Live, Lament!

Arya was the first to make a move, stepping forward to challenge Cydonia to a separate duel.

"I'll be your opponent."

"Huh? So you're volunteering to be the first bug I crush? Fine by me. That's the kind of arrogance I'd expect from a necromancer."

"Arya, be careful."

"Is that the same demon who attacked earlier? Are you sure you don't want me to take her on?"

"Are you insane?" Edward snapped at Peter—not because he doubted his strength. "If she touches you with those claws, you’ll turn into one of them."

"Eh? You're serious?"

"Dead serious. As a close-range fighter, you'd be at a disadvantage. For now, let Arya handle her. Let's focus on taking out the other two."

"Alright. I’ll leave the strategy to you guys."

With that, both sides lined up on the battlefield.

On one front, Edward and Peter faced off against Masafumi and Kosuke in a tag-team clash.
On the other, Arya had summoned Cerberus once more to face Cydonia head-on.

Cerberus lunged at Cydonia, but was knocked back by a single blow from the demon. As he was hurled through the air, he dug his claws into the ground to slow his momentum.

Arya used Cerberus' new position to leap onto his back again, gaining speed and agility to better combat Cydonia. The two began an intense exchange—Cydonia trying to trap the beast in webs, while Cerberus weaved through them and countered with bursts of flame.

After some time, Arya commanded Cerberus to jump onto the rooftop of a two-story building, careful not to expose their defenses again.

Cydonia followed swiftly. She couldn't land another direct hit, but managed to shoot a web that ensnared Cerberus, immobilizing him.

Eager to finish Arya off, Cydonia leapt onto Cerberus’ back, aiming to drive her spider legs through the girl.

But Arya was no longer there. She had anticipated the move and jumped off the roof the moment Cerberus was trapped.

While airborne, she set her next move into motion. Cerberus dissolved into ash in an instant, letting Cydonia’s attack hit nothing but air.

Before Arya reached the ground, Cerberus reappeared beneath her—now in a much larger form.

“Cerberus!!!”

Still mid-air, fire gathered in Cerberus’ mouths, quickly forming a massive fireball that he launched straight at Cydonia.

Cydonia raised her spider legs to shield her torso, but the searing heat of those hellish flames still engulfed her.

Arya and Cerberus landed safely, while Cydonia writhed in agony from the burns.

Meanwhile, Edward and Peter were gradually gaining ground against Masafumi and Kosuke, but still couldn’t land a finishing blow.

"You don’t need to pity us," said Masafumi. "Being in this demon form is worse than death. If you feel sorry for us, end our misery already."

Masafumi and Kosuke were living a nightmare. Not only were they corrupted, but they’d also spilled human blood with their own hands.

"Would be easier if you guys didn’t fight back!" Edward complained.

"It’s not that simple. Her commands force us to fight."

"Then let me handle this!" Peter shouted.

He rushed at them solo, bringing a wave of fire with him—but Kosuke raised a magical barrier, a semi-spherical shield enveloping the two.

"You should back away," Masafumi warned, as he began channeling magic within the barrier.

Peter ignored him and continued pounding the shield with his fists, trying to break through.

"Peter, get back, now!" Edward shouted, sensing the air inside shifting unnaturally.

"Huh?"

"Yoake no Kaze: Gyaku Shinkuu!"

It was a deceptively simple yet powerful technique. Inside the barrier, Masafumi unleashed wind magic in every direction, forcing it against the shield from within.

At the perfect moment, Kosuke dispelled the barrier, releasing all that built-up pressure in one explosive gust, amplified by the surrounding air.

“Woahhh!” Peter was blown away, crashing into the ruins of a nearby house.

"Argh…" Edward was also knocked back, landing hard on his back.

Arya, though farther away, still felt the force of the blast ruffle her hair—safe, but alert.

"What was that?"

She shielded her eyes against the rising dust cloud—just as Cydonia seized the moment to leap at her.

"You little brat! You’ll pay for these burns!"

A bone spike erupted behind Arya, branching out into multiple jagged points aimed at Cydonia, forcing the demon to abandon her attack and dodge.

“Uwah!!”

Sensing Cydonia’s presence, Arya used Cerberus to retreat swiftly, putting distance between herself and the demon.

She rushed over to the boys to check on them.

“I told you to be careful.” Edward gave a little scolding.

“I’m sorry!”

A pile of wood shifted among the rubble, revealing Peter as he slowly rose to his feet once more.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, it’s nothing,” he said with forced confidence, though his body was already riddled with broken bones. “Help Arya take care of that spider. I’ll handle them.”

“Hey, are you sure about that?”

“This time… I’m really going to end this. No—I want to end their suffering.”

“…Go for it.”

While Edward and Arya regrouped, Peter staggered through the debris, taking a few steps forward until he once again faced Masafumi and Kosuke.

As he moved, he stumbled on a broken beam and nearly fell forward. His left hand caught him against the ground, while his right arm stayed raised.

Peter’s face had a hardened look. Inside his mind, a storm of emotion churned. Deep down, he still hadn’t come to terms with the fact that he had killed humans—and now he had to do it again.

But his heart began to calm. He listened to the voice echoing in his head.

“All I have to do is…”

BURN THEM ALL.

Flames engulfed Peter’s body, glowing brighter than ever—a vivid red that was as beautiful as it was deadly.

Even Cydonia was momentarily captivated. “Those flames… It can’t be…”

The fire took the shape of a tiger, aligning itself with Peter’s body. Twin spirals of flame formed on his forehead, his hands were wrapped in fiery claws, and even a flaming tail curled at the base of his back.

Peter charged forward with explosive speed, the ground scorched beneath his feet.

Masafumi attempted to halt his advance with blades of wind, while Kosuke prepared to raise his magical barrier again.

Peter pressed on, unfazed by the slicing winds—none of it could overcome the blaze he now carried.

Kosuke cast his barrier just in time, with Masafumi reinforcing it with a shield of wind.

Reaching the barrier, Peter launched himself into the air, twisting his body mid-spin and driving a flaming punch into the shield.

“It’s no use, boy. The Dawn Wind is cold—your flames can’t overcome it.”

But what Masafumi didn’t understand was this: the dawn wind is only cold because the sun warms the earth while rising from the horizon, causing the hot air to rise and pulling the cold air down from the atmosphere.

And in that moment, Peter’s punch shone just as bright—and burned just as hot—as the sun.

The magical barrier cracked, then shattered like glass. The wind shield couldn’t hold back Peter, who now blazed like a falling star.

Masafumi was blown back by the force of his own wind, only to be caught by Kosuke—his loyal friend, always there to support him.

The two stood side by side, just as they did when they were still human. It was the perfect moment for Peter to end their tragic journey.

Peter dashed forward, placing himself between them. With a spinning motion, he extended both flame-covered arms and struck the two at once.

THUD!

“B.D.T.H.: DOUBLE LARIAT!!!!!!!”

His flaming arms collided with their chests, incinerating them in a single, blazing instant.

Before being consumed by death, Masafumi managed to speak his final words.

“Thank you… for freeing our souls.”

Masafumi and Kosuke were launched backward, the fire spreading through their bodies.

There was no agony. No screams. No cries of pain. Only silence—as they accepted death’s embrace and turned to ash.

“…”

There was no reason for Peter to feel guilty. Just as Masafumi said—he had simply freed their souls from the corruption’s control.

And yet, a single drop hit the ground.

Peter couldn’t hold back his tears.

“Uaaahhhhhhhhh!!!”

He cried as if those two had been his lifelong friends. 

In the midst of that hell, Peter lamented.