Tengoku e no Hangyaku - Rebellion against Heaven (english version)

CHAPTER 7: FEAR OF DEATH

The pain still pricked in Ryuusei's body. His breathing was short, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to process what had just happened. Death had sent the Beast... and the Black Herald. It was no longer a hunt, this was an execution.

-He wants to end this, -Ryuusei murmured, gritting his teeth. "He wants to see me dead as soon as possible."

Around him, the landscape was devastated. Plumes of smoke rose from the rubble, and cracks in the ground bore witness to fierce combat. In front, the Black Herald's figure stood unwavering, his obsidian scythe resting on his shoulder. Its black hood fluttered like a living shadow, while its presence exuded an unsettling calm.

-You are taking too long, -the Herald said in a deep, distorted voice. -Finish dying, human.

Ryuusei raised his hammer, though his arms trembled. He couldn't give up.

-I'm going to resist -he shouted, rushing to the attack.

The clash was immediate. The sword and hammer collided with a force capable of splitting the sky. The shock waves burst the nearby trees, and the ground fragmented into a thousand pieces. Ryuusei teleported to attack from different angles, but the Herald predicted every move with chilling ease.

-Boring, -the Herald whispered, blocking each blow with one arm.

-Shut up! - Ryuusei roared, feeling his fury crackle inside him.

But then, the Herald changed its strategy.

-When I'm done with you, I'll go get your family.

Ryuusei's hammer came to rest in mid-air.

-I'm going to rip out their organs one by one. I'm going to make them scream for their lives while I tear their flesh.

Ryususei's mind froze. His stomach sank as if he had fallen into an abyss. His breathing became erratic. Cold sweat ran down his back.

Fear.

The Herald noticed it and smiled sadistically.

-Ah... So that's your real fear.

Ryuusei tried to move, to attack, but his body didn't respond. Her mind was blocked, trapped in the image of her family being massacred.

And at that instant, the Herald struck.

A devastating impact hit him in the stomach. It was as if five trucks had run him over at the same time. His bones creaked. Blood flew from his mouth. His body was thrown through a tree, completely shattering it.

He fell to the ground in convulsions. His breathing was uncontrollable, his eyes unfocused. The pain was unbearable. His conscience staggered.

Death was approaching.

The Herald moved slowly, enjoying every second of Ryuusei's agony.

-It's over,-he whispered, raising the scythe for the final blow.

The black edge was descending. Ryuusei tried to move, but her body was unresponsive. His muscles screamed in pain. His mind, however, had only one thought.

"I don't want to die."

A burst of light interrupted the attack.

The Herald stopped and frowned, turning his head.

Ryuusei, barely conscious, also looked. Something else had entered the scene.

And then, the earth trembled with the arrival of a much more monstrous presence.

The Beast.