BXBX NOVEL Chapter 116: This is Hell.
"What's going on?"
"Lordship, this woman claimed to be your slave when we found you in the ruin of a great calamity, she gave us your name and accounts of who and informed us of your status as a demon-god who has recently returned from great conquest, otherwise we would never associate ourselves with her, and clearly you know her, but if she is an imposter then we will immediately dispatch-"
"Anyone who touches my property will die a miserable death by my hand." Sol's eyes widened with a sincere hatred toward the old man who had spoken after raising his head, and immediately the demon slammed his forehead to the ground again in fear.
"F-forgive my impudence lordship!"
"Forgive us, lord and lady!" The others all shouted in unison after him.
"Arla, come." Sol called her, closing his eyes and taking a seat on the bed again.
"Sir?" She quickly arose and took a seat next to him, but he shook his head and patted his lap when the others slightly glanced at them.
"Forgive my intrusion." Arla sucked in a breath to calm herself as she sat across his lap and melted from the sensation of his mana seeping into her body, like waves Sol held on to her hand and forced divine magic into her flesh, causing the sigils to take on a light burgundy colour instead of the black that they were and then react whenever his hand hovered above them, just like Ikaris's.
"That's better," Sol cleared his throat and looked at the others. "You have been gathering information?" He asked, and she nodded with a bright blush at how gentle he was being, even if she knew it was just a farse to cover up after almost blowing her lies the sensation of his hand on her lower back had her fighting to remain focused.
"Y-Yes, Zola-Prime is quite the difference from Arkadia, Master." Arla stood at his request and sat next to him again folding her hands on her legs and lowering her head in a very submissive manner.
"Before that then," Sol looked at the ceiling and then at the demons who quietly waited for him to speak. "What is your name?" He asked the old demon, and he raised his head to meet Sol's gaze but quickly bowed again when his black eyes were greeted by burning crimson.
"I am Law, your lordship, leader of this humble backwater clan, I-"
"That's all I care to know." Sol leaned forward in an authorative manner. "Get out, everyone except you." He pointed at the girl he nearly killed earlier.
"M-my daughter, please your lordship, she is just-"
"I wasn't asking a question." Sol's mana slightly boomed around the room and everyone started trembling, several of the demons were so terrified that their teeth even started clattering, this made sense, their mana was so little he had to stare intently to find traces inside of them, they were no more gifted in magic than earth humans were.
Without another word of protest everyone immediately left while the girl continued shaking on the floor, fearing for her life.
"Master Vestic-"
"Hold on, Arla." Sol rested his hand on the half-elf's head and her mouth slowly hung open and her eyes widened when her mana was intruded by a foreign entity through his touch.
[Assimilation of familiar host is complete, welcome back, Arla Amastacia, I will quickly re-integrate my functions into your general action, please standby]
The system notified her, and she stared at Sol in shock.
"I'll explain later." Sol raised his hand to the demon girl who in comparison to the others had a lot more mana and so was an optimal choice. "Come here, girl."
"Yes, my lord." She arose and walked over to him, taking a knee before him with her head lowered nervously awaiting punishment, but instead she was shocked stiff when Sol's warm hand rested on her head and she was greeted by no pain, rather an intrusion of mana that swelled and ran trips around her body.
"Do not move."
[Measuring mana, calculating...]
[Calculating]
[Calculations are completed, mana signatures and makeup have been successfully stored. The mana of this world is surprisingly low, but there seems to be a very high and disgustingly dense concentration of demonic mana above you, with the mana assimilation I will begin spreading my roots... Calculating]
"Above, huh?" Sol stared at the ceiling, clearly sensing what the system was telling him. It felt like thousands of demon-gods converged in one general area, their mana overlapped with each other and made it impossible to sense anything else.
[I suspect this is where Ikaris is]
"You're of great help, thank you." Sol stared at Arla who was still lost as she was being briefed on everything the system was saying to him.
[This Planet is called Zola-Prime, it is the secondary of two large bodies and home of lesser-demons and low-tier nobility, upon missing Ikaris's direct location because of her motion you crashed here, but due to your exhausted mana reserves you only managed to protect Arla Amastacia while losing consciousness-]
"How did you end up coming with me?" Sol looked at Arla, and she cleared her throat awkwardly and averted her eyes.
"The moment you were taken, I had secretly been holding on to you, I was only trying to comfort you after... I never expected that..."
[Remember Master Sol, (Path) will not be available for another ten years whatever action you take must have long-term benefits] The system notified him, reminding him that he was stuck here in the Reversed-Dimension of demons and demon-gods.
He raised his arm to scratch the side of his head but was obstructed by a horn sticking out of his temple.
[Demon god-transformation] has become a passive and permanent race swap-option after much tampering, I calculated there would be trouble if you were not a demon after sensing several sentient demonic signatures close to you upon impact, Arla on the other hand has survived thanks to her wits and quick-thinking upon realising the predicament she was in]
"How long until you've completely assimilated with Zola-Prime?" Sol asked causing the girl to open her eyes confused.
[Arkadia was instantaneous, but this new world has no similarities, and is many times larger, it will take at least a day before I am able to adjust and seize control over the laws of this universe]
***
"I want to escape, I sensed him, I am sure of it, I would never mistake him for another, he came, on the same day we did; he came, it was a few hours later but he still..."
"Eat, Ikaris, do not lose strength." Dina was seated with the goddess in a small cell, their clothes were torn and their bodies severely bruised, and around them there was blood everywhere, splashes of it on the white floor, the walls, and the single bed they shared which they currently sat on.
"I refuse to eat the filthy food these beasts give." Ikaris had her forehead to her knees, and her eyes closed tightly. "I will fast until master comes."
"You have to keep your strength, if you keep wasting mana on this you will eventually run out." Dina retorted, shaking her head. "Please-"
"I refuse!" Ikaris snapped at her raising her head revealing a thick chain locked around her neck that bound them together and to the walls, and then on their ankles and again on their wrists there were more chains. "I will not eat this poison!"
"Keep it down over there!" Someone from beyond the wall banged their fist against it angrily. "Do not draw attention to the rest of us what the fuck is your problem?"
"I miss him, Dina," Ikaris teared up immediately while the mage at her side placed the plate down and rested her bruised hands on her shoulder and arm. "I know I sensed him, it was not my imagination, if there was anyone who could make it then it would be him."
"That saviour of yours will never come, nobody makes it out of here as anything other than a demon's whore or an abused and broken corpse, give up and accept your fate, goddess, here there is no hope." The person on the other side calmly responded, carefully tearing her hopes away from her.
"I have been here for hundreds, nay, thousands of years, I have been used and healed over and over again my power has long dried out, mayhaps with the arrival of a new goddess they will finally kill me, for I am unable to kill myself."
"Don't listen to her," Dina hugged Ikaris as horror slowly crept in on her face. "You won't... I won't let them touch you, if anyone comes, I will offer myself first-"
"No, a simple daughter of eve will die quickly, it is better to let the goddess commit to her duties and save the little power you have for healing yourself."
"My only duty is to Sol Vestic, if any other dares to touch me I will tear them to pieces!"
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"It is amazing that you survived a week of torture with such a strong spirit intact, and the demons seem bent on breaking you before they touch either of you; you must have been a stubborn or powerful one to have earned that level of tolerance... Someone like me, I was broken in just a day, and they had their way with me for years without a moment of pause.
"Powerful?" Ikaris raised her head and punched the wall with a growl causing the two conjoined cells to rattle. "You pitiable sinner, I AM god, above all heavens I am the exalted, I am the chosen, the most powerful... the absolute peak!"
"Well... That is a shame, this is not above all heavens, oh mighty one, this is below the heavens, below the mundane, this is hell." The god on the other side sobbed and rested her forehead against the cracked wall staring at the one beside her who listened quietly whilst crying.
"Here, beneath the castle of the great God of demons, there is no hope, you will be broken in mind, and then he will break your body and leave you with his slaves and servants."
Dina covered her mouth almost throwing up at the thought, and Ikaris was only able to stare at her without feeling the usual concern she had grown used to as she too found this unimaginable and unthinkable.
"This is Hell."