Chapter 12
Felix's vision swam with pain, but rage kept him standing. The centipede sinner thrashed wildly on the ground, still stunned but far from defeated. Its segmented body coiled and uncoiled violently. The demonic baby in his grip wriggled and slashed, its spider legs scraping painfully against his already torn arm.
With a guttural roar, Felix raised the demonic child like a living weapon and brought it down hard on the sinner's head.
CRUNCH!
The carapace smashed into the vulnerable spot with brutal force. Black corrosive blood sprayed across Felix's hand and arm, sizzling as it ate into his skin. The pain was excruciating — like acid burning through flesh and bone — but he didn't let go.
The sinner screamed and retaliated instantly. Its massive body whipped around, slamming Felix sideways into a crystal pillar. The impact jarred his pierced stomach, sending fresh waves of white-hot agony through his body. Blood sprayed from his wound as the centipede tried to crush him. The nearby purple crystals trembled from the force, tiny cracks spreading across their surfaces.
He smashed the demonic baby down again. And again. And again.
The sinner fought back fiercely, its countless legs slashing at Felix's legs and sides, opening new gashes. Its black humanoid upper body roared and clawed at him, nearly tearing the demonic baby from his grip. The two creatures screamed together in a horrific chorus. The demonic baby's legs flailed wildly as it was used as a weapon against its own kind. Felix's bitter laughter mixed with their screams as he continued the merciless assault, each swing sending fresh torment through his corroded hand and stabbed stomach.
CRUNCH. CRUNCH. CRUNCH.
The sinner refused to die easily. It bucked and thrashed, nearly throwing Felix off balance multiple times. Its corrosive blood continued to burn his skin and arm, the pain growing so intense that black spots danced in his vision. The surrounding crystals dimmed slightly under the pressure of the struggle. But Felix kept smashing, driven by pure rage and the refusal to die here.
Finally, with one last savage smash, the centipede sinner's head caved in completely. Its body went limp, the black humanoid upper part twitching once before going still. The demonic baby, battered and broken from being used as a weapon, let out a final weak cry before it too stopped moving.
Both creatures were dead.
The air in the crystal cavern grew heavier for a brief moment, as if the land itself had felt the death of the sinner.
Felix laughed bitterly, the sound raw and broken. His corroded hand throbbed with unbearable pain, skin melted and raw. Blood poured steadily from his stomach wound. His entire body screamed for him to collapse.
But he wasn't done.
He dragged himself toward the dead centipede sinner, leaving a trail of blood on the crystal floor. "I will not go to hell on an empty stomach," he growled through gritted teeth.
He tore into the sinner's flesh with his teeth, chewing savagely. The meat was bitter, foul, and still warm. "Fucking bastard left me here to die," he grumbled between bites, resentment burning in his chest. "What stupid power did he even speak of? That veiled man… all talk and no help. Left me to face this monster alone."
He kept eating, grumbling and cursing the soul he had encountered. The taste was disgusting, but the demonic energy in the flesh gave him the tiniest bit of strength. Pain and anger fueled every bite.
Finally, Felix turned and fell onto his back with a sharp pang of pain. His corroded hand, pierced stomach, and exhausted body all screamed at once. He lay there among the corpses and shattered crystals, staring up at the glowing purple ceiling.
He didn't know how, but something was healing him.
An unknown force moved gently through his wounds — slow, steady, and warm. The bleeding slowed. The corrosive burns on his hand tingled as new skin began to form. His stomach wound itched deeply as flesh started knitting itself back together.
Felix's eyes fluttered, confusion mixing with exhaustion. He had no idea where this healing was coming from. The veiled man? Or the demonic energy inside him?
He didn't have the strength to question it any further.
His body gave out, and darkness took him once more.
Aahhh!… Aahhh!
Dreadful screams of something unidentifiable echoed from far, far away in the darkness, carrying deep agony in every cry. The sound alone made the distant tunnels tremble.
"Calm down, human… You know you hurt me."
The voice spoke in an ever-changing tone. With every word, the surrounding darkness seemed to thicken and press closer.
Aahhhh!
The so-called human screamed in agony as the sound of ripping and slow chewing followed. Each wet tear and chew sent ripples of dread through the air.
"Please… I beg of you, kill me. Everything I hold dear is gone. Please."
The voice was hoarse and low, every forced word dripping with pain.
Hihihihi.
The darkness lit up in a gloomy purple. The light was heavy, oppressive, and unnatural — so dense that the air itself seemed to resist breathing. Tons of drooling sinners were revealed, all of them kneeling or trembling under the weight of the presence. In the center — the source of the light — a pale humanoid with towering horns was devouring a young man, starting strictly from his flesh.
Like some sort of twisted fetish, the demon left the man's face uneaten.
"Do not rush death, human… Death will come when it's ready. That is why I don't like you humans. You like to rush things—"
The pale demon paused mid-sentence. The purple light around him pulsed once, and the very ground beneath him cracked slightly.
He looked up into the darkness.
"What is going on? Is my pet dead?"
He pushed the half-eaten human to the floor. The body hit the ground with a wet thud, and the surrounding sinners flinched as if the impact alone carried weight.
Waaaaaasoooh!
Air exploded from his chest. The blast was so violent that the gloom purple light flared outward in a wave. The sinners around him were thrown back, scattering in every direction like leaves in a storm. Distant crystals throughout the prison trembled. The darkness itself recoiled for a moment under the pressure of his anger.
"What is happening in this lowly prison? Do I have to step out… because why is someone killing my pet?"
The question hung in the air. The entire space seemed to grow colder and heavier, as if the prison itself was holding its breath.