Chapter 25 - A souls worst experience

The hall was short, but for those running through them it felt endless.

“He has to be here somewhere!” Wilfred stated.

“He could be anywhere! Maybe he rushed outside already!?” Audrey threw out an idea.

“He looked tired earlier! I don’t think he could get very far with his condition!” Layla deduced.

The group continued to run, checking throughout the empty castle into various rooms.

“He’s crafty! Try to think like a fat man out of breath would!” Conrad proposed, kicking open a bedroom door and throwing bed sheets.

“What the hell does the demon king have beds for?! It’s an empty castle!” Blubber cursed.

“We have to save Discordia! There’s not a moment to waste!” Elvire’s face dripped of sweat as she threw open a door to another empty room.

Echoes of desperate steps could be heard, bouncing around a large space with grand stairs. The large door was wide open, revealing a battlefield outside that has ended, an army making its approach.

“Heh...” Discordia’s voice cracked.

Lard sat his back to the wall, his large stomach raised and lowered as he caught his breath, sweat drenching his clothes.

“A whole journey to get here and you still can’t take a step.” Discordia mocked, the cold floor was comforting, the blood was slowly ceasing its drainage.

“Shut... Up...” Lard responded.

His hair was greasy, and his body trembled with weakness.

“I used your Goddess... But you betrayed her... That’s human nature at its finest.” Discordia felt the cold, chilling her muscles. “Ah... This feeling...”

Lard glared down at the sadist, his brow furrowed.

“You’re a monster. If I must become one as well to protect the Goddess, then I gladly accept that.” Lard clenched his beating heart, feeling it shatter with each word.

“Ah.” Discordia struggled to bring her face to meet his, her eyes dull in color, but her intent was still strong. “I never thought rage would be your evolution. Awe! I wish I could see you! Bursting with anger, overpowering those you see as better then you! Just like you did with Toshiro.”

Discordia’s sadistic cracked smile frustrated Lard even more.

“Just die.”

“Tch, tch.” Discordia brought her bloodied hand to her face, scribbling the ground with her finger. “It feels sooo good... That power to knock the pegs of those who have everything... To know how to sever the weak link between people we call love.”

“Shut up...” Lard clenched his teeth.

“I know you saw it... The Goddess’s eyes in that fight... The way her body swayed as Toshiro stood strong- Ack!” Discordia grunted as a strong kick hit her side.

“SHUT UP!!!” Lard demanded.

Discordia hacked out her lungs, blood and drool spilled out.

“You're not angry I used you. You’re angry because you were avoiding the Goddess. We both know... You would be by the Goddess’s side everyday while we had her in your “Palace””

“I SAID SHUT UP!!!” Lard gave another kick, weaker than the first. He caught himself from buckling under his weight, Discordia and Lard both grunted with immense pain.

“HAH-AHAHA-HA!!!” Discordia let out a crackling laugh, her breath and voice choked with her blood. “You’re a freak... But so... Entertaining...”

Lard could handle his body, his legs buckled and set him to the floor. As he brought his attention up, his eyes widened, his gaze locked onto dull eyes.

“I FOUND THEM!!!” A shout came from the top of the stairs, Lard turned in fear.

“LARD YOU BASTARD!!!” Wilfred rushed past the spotter Layla who already had Lard in her sights.

The fat belly of Lard’s jiggled as his body was sent flying, Wildfred’s justice kick was the first real kick Lard has ever felt.

“Discordia!” Elvire shouted as she ran down the stairs in a hurry, the group followed behind closely. “Discordia!”

Elvire flipped the sadists body. The group huddled around as Elvire bit her lip.

“Goddess... She’s...” Blubber’s face went blank.

Elvire gave a kiss of blood, letting her blue essence drip into Discordia’s mouth.

“Elvire... She’s dead...” Conrad’s eyes watched in shame as the Goddess desperately help Discordia’s body.

“No! Not yet! It must be Onizuka’s blood mixing in!” Elvire took the blade she used on her palms, suddenly it was taken from her hands.

“Stop Goddess! Don’t bring yourself more harm! She’s dead!” Audrey threw the blade afar, Elvire watched as it slid across the floor.

“NO!” Elvire whipped her arm back, letting Audrey’s unsheathed sword slice open her arm. “I won’t stop until she comes back to us!”

The group sat in utter silence to the scene. Layla made her way down the stairs now able to see the Goddess.

Her eyes trembled, emotions brewed in her chest as her tears flowed. Elvire smeared her blood all over Discordia’s body, trying to coat every pore. The group gave her just a moment before they finally begun to constrain her, urging the Goddess.

Layla could only watch one thing, the thing that scared her the most.

Discordia’s cold eyes met hers, glaring into her very soul despite being a corpse.

“GET OFF ME!!! I HAVE TO SAVE HER!!!”

Elvire struggled to fight the groups strength as she was torn away from Discordia’s dead body.

“Goddess! You must calm yourself!” Audrey ordered.

“I can’t!” Elvire’s eyes poured, snot and drool mixed. “N- No soul should ever-!”

Elvire let her body go weak, not an ounce of strength remained as she was held up by the arms.

“NO SOUL SHOULD EVER EXPERIENCE TRUE DEATH!!!”

Elvire’s tears and cries echoed.

The warriors all looked to the Goddess’s words of compassion. They looked to the corpse of the women who had caused them much trouble.

“You would... You would save someone such as this monster from such a fate?” Audrey’s face dripped of sweat. Her mind was overwhelmed. “Just... Just what does that mean for my father...?”

Wilfred stood aside, he was in utter shock as he stared at Audrey.

“Look what you did!” Wilfred kicked the knocked over Lard.

“ACK!” Lard curled up from the pain, tears welled as he cried.

“Look at what you have done to the Goddess... Don’t you dare turn away from your actions!” Wilfred picked Lards head off the ground, forcing him to watch. “I have never seen Audrey make such an expression. You did this with your anger, your rage.”

Lard gritted his teeth, watching as the Goddess he worshipped cradled the body of their enemy, weeping with passion.

“I... I would do it again... To protect her...” Lard expressed with confidence.

“Why you...” Wilfred readied a punch.

“Stop!” Layla glared Wilfred from a distance, his arm eased with her power. “Stop with this violence, please.”

The group all looked to the red-faced Layla. Her tears were on par with the Goddess’s.

“This- This isn’t how we were meant to win this fight! To hurt your own comrades! To let your rage consume! This! This is messed up!” Layla cried the only words that came to mind, bringing everyone to shame.

Shame overcame everyone, Lard clenched his chest, Wilfred tossed the fat body with disgust. Audrey and Blubber lowered themselves, comforting Elvire in her cries.

“Toshiro... What do we do now...?” Layla let her question flutter into nothingness, knowing this situation was already done.

AHAHAHA!!!

A laughter brought everyone's attention up. The ceiling high above cracked with ice, the room chilled from above.

“GODDESS!!!” With Audrey's quick action, everyone rushed towards a far wall, the Goddess was dragged away.

“I CAN’T LEAVE HER!!!” Elvire shouted, trying to reach out to Discordia’s body.

SMASH!!!

Everyone panicked as the floor above came crashing down.