DEMIGODS: The Empyrean's Sanctity

Chapter 43: The Last Croceus Mission

“Stupid,” I mumbled.

“Gumagalang demigods.” Pagturo niya sa amin nina Aizen. Sumimangot siya’t tinuro si Belphegor, “Gumagalang demonyo.”

“Alam n’ya bang kayang-kaya siyang patayin ni Belphegor kapag nainis sa kanya ‘yan?” Patanong na bulong sa amin ni Dylan.

“He’s Phoenix 2.0. So, do you think he knows?” Aizen asked Dylan.

Kasabay nang paglapit ni Night ang pagliwanag ng mga mata ni Xian. Ilang beses kinurap ni Xian ang mala-ginto n’yang mga mata saka dahan-dahan na tinuro ang gitna sa pagitan ng dalawang isla.

“Let’s go,” Belphegor ordered.

We followed Xian’s footsteps. And even with my eyes looking straight into the path Xian was pursuing, my body could feel those devious, wicked eyes darting at us. Night is the only grim soul that we could trust; not only is he Aizen’s contracted soul, but he is also a friend.

“Aizen, your life is in danger here.” I heard Night say.

Aizen grunted and squinted his eyes at him, “Sa tingin mo ba hahayaan kong maglaho na lamang si Sapphire?”

“I’ll be your knight, then.”

“The fuck? Ano ako prinsesa?”

Dylan and I immediately looked away from them, suppressing our laughter. Nakabusangot akong tiningnan ni Aizen, ngunit nakuha ni Belphegor ang atensyon ko. He fell in love with a mortal, right? And it must be… one of the reasons why he is willing to lend us a hand, for the human he fell in love with, for Sapphire Mendoza.

“Ice…” Mabilis akong napalingon sa gilid ko kung nasaan si Sapphire. Bumuntong-hininga siya’t tumingin sa baba, “I’m sorry for—”

“You shouldn’t be. Kung hindi dahil kay Sab… masaya ka sana ngayon sa tunay mong katawan.”

“Not really. If it weren’t for Sab… my soul already has perished… if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t receive Psyche’s blessing.”

“What blessing did you receive?”

Mahina siyang tumawa’t tumingin sa ‘kin, “Hindi ko rin alam. The only thing she told me is that… magkaiba ang ability ng pagiging isang Empyrean Soul ko sa mismong binigay niya sa akin.”

I smiled and looked in front. The Realm of Souls seemed to be an island divided in half earlier, with nothing but only ice and lava in it, but looking around this place is as peculiar as the beings residing in it. There are castles built upside-down around filled with moss and dust as if they have been abandoned for thousands of years, and in every window, each glimpse was like looking at your own soul, a part of you that even you do not know of.

The grim souls around didn’t hide their thirst and hunger in claiming Aizen’s body, but all of them seemed to be afraid of the demon with us. Yet, even though Night is one of them, his oath and presence as a friend overpowered his desire to take the body of his master.

“Do you want to know why the Seraphim rejected my soul?”

I just looked at Sapphire without uttering any word. The only thing I had were the details that Belphegor told me and nothing else.

“I…” Marahan niyang pinikit ang kanyang mga mata at kinuyom ang kanyang braso bago muling ngamulat ng mga mata. Mapait siyang ngumiti at direstong tumingin sa direksyon nina Belphegor, “My face… resembles the Queen of the Dark Continent.”

Lilith, the mother of all Demons.

Napatigil kaming lahat nang tumigil si Belphegor at lumingon sa direksyon namin ni Sapphire. Nakasimangot ito at tila kinekwestyon niya kami sa kanyang mga tingin pa lamang, “Don’t you dare mention her name.”