456 Wrath (1/2)
Chaos Evil God Donatis was rather hesitant as he stood in a patch of fog. Just one moment earlier, he had been standing on the battlefield, observing the enemy that he had sworn to kill. Yet at the next instant, he found himself lost in a patch of fog.
”He's able to forcefully change my location without my noticing?”
Despite having experienced countless battles against powerful opponents throughout so many planes, this strange scene still somewhat confused Donatis. Even though his expression didn't change, he couldn't help but feel uneasy in his heart.
The tactic of divide and conquer against more powerful opponents was quite a common strategy. It was quite obvious that he was now the divided one who was now alone.
*Clang!*
Donatis didn't immediately act. Instead, he inserted his greatsword into the ground and appeared to close his eyes and enter a contemplative trance. He was actually using his unique combat instincts to observe and sense this world which had become distorted even further.
Donatis wasn't waiting for his own allied reinforcements. The fog had gotten even thicker to the point where it was impossible to even see his own fingers. But imperceptibly, the fog had become red and bloody.
”Asmo?”
Donatis attempted to mentally contact Asmo, the commander of all his heroic spirits. Asmo was a fallen hero who forever remained calm while giving wise and decisive opinions. Yet, Asmo didn't instantly respond as he always would. Instead, the only response that Donatis received was a strange roaring sound with limited intelligence.
”Ahh!!! Why can't I kill them all… Die, die! All of you go die!”
Under a strange interference, his other heroic spirits also responded with nothing more than chaotic thoughts, as if they had all gone insane.
Not only that, Donatis had lost the ability to sense the exact location of all his subordinates. Although he could clearly sense that they were nearby, he remained unable to see any of them or receive any coherent responses.
Donatis was rather astonished at this situation. Unlike other Demon Lords that summoned expendable cannon fodder, War God Donatis would only respect true courageous warriors. It could be said that there wasn't a single weak existence in his heroic spirit army. All the weak ones would be culled out by the endless amount of battles.
Not only that, Donatis only summoned the elite of the elite into this battlefield. Some of the more powerful ones would even have the power level of True Gods. How could these heroic spirits all be vanquished so easily?
And, after the fallen heroic spirits entered this plane, they obtained the recognition of the dimensional law as they were also dead. Not only were they strengthened by the aura of death here, the heroic spirits even gained the property of endless revival, just like their opponents. That was because this was supposed to be a country for the dead.
Strengthening one's enemy sounded rather foolish? That was just how dimensional laws worked. The dimensional laws would limit specific targets and always have the same result. As long as conditions were met, there would be no difference.
Unlike dimensional laws that could be manipulated in other dimensions, Roland created a dimensional law of death in Hell that was even more ”rigid” than others, which also allowed this dimensional law to have greater ”restraints” and ”adaptability”.
”Since the dimensional law has been set, I would never allow it to be trampled on so easily. If Law can be adjusted because of someone's identity, status, or characteristics, then what makes us any different from the Gods' churches? Why would we need to exist?”– Roland Mist.
Donatis didn't feel reassured or relieved at all when his enemy appeared to foolishly strengthen Donatis's fallen heroic spirit army. That was because he knew that Soul Worlds represented what a person desired the most. Ever since Donatis entered this world, he could detect just how distorted and insane the dimensional laws here were. Being able to create such a Soul World was already the best evidence of Roland's extremeness and insanity.
And since willpower was capable of transforming into concrete strength, that meant extremists and the insane were the most difficult type to deal with in this world. Extremists' stubbornness would always create Soul Worlds with ridiculous restraints and effects, while it would be impossible to predict the laws of an insane individual's Soul World.
Still, doing nothing wouldn't be a solution to this predicament at all.
Finally, Donatis chose to step forward. But, the moment that he took the first step, the entire world distorted around him yet again.
”…This… is… a battlefield!”
That's right, this was a blood-red tundra that stretched for as far as the eye could see. Even the land had been drenched red with blood. Countless souls were currently fighting against each other here, including ghostly knights, butchers with vegetable knives, and undying heroic spirits. No matter how powerful, glorious, honorable, or what they believed in, they were nothing more than ordinary soldiers here.
This was the most insane of battles where all souls lost their sense of reason. They were using sharp weapons to slash each other, or even tearing into each other with teeth and hands. They ripped off their own heads and innards to toss at each other. Their only thoughts were to tear apart the enemy before them. Every moment, a flag and its holder would be slashed to death. But the next instant, countless souls would revive and begin fighting again.
At this battlefield, even the strongest of heroic spirits was no different from a butcher. Their originally clear eyes now contained nothing apart from distorted insanity and bloodthirst. In fact, Donatis witnessed some of his most powerful heroic spirits on all fours, tearing at each other as if they were wild dogs. No matter if these fallen heroic spirits had been venerated kings or glorious heroes in the past, they had become nothing more than raging beasts being controlled by wild, raw emotions.
”Asmo? Diboer? Kalii?”
Donatis was rather hesitant to identify these figures with the fallen heroic spirits that he knew. However, the master's summons still received no response. These souls that had died multiple times and constantly revived here had already lost their most basic senses of logic and reason.
At the end of the red mist, Roland was currently standing there in his silver robe and mask, apparently enjoying the scene before him.
”A battle for the sake of justice? A Holy War for cleansing evil? A battle for the sake of survival space? Don't joke around. Since you all love to find so many excuses to fight, then let me give you a reason to fight each other here for all eternity, just like the wild beasts that you love to be.”
When Roland turned around, his holy robe of Law was glowing with the pure light of Law. Yet, the lich's vicious skeleton face was evilly laughing maniacally. The insanity and distortion on Roland's face caused even Donatis's expression to flicker.
”Welcome to Hell. This is the first of the Seven Circles of Hell, the Bloodbath Inferno. Those who casually take the lives of others, love to slaughter, participate in war, and revel in bloodthirst, yep, along with so-called heroes and outstanding talents, and anyone that participates in war and takes others' lives, no matter the reason, excuse, or identity, shall all fall into this Circle of Hell.”
And when Roland noticed Donatis looking at him, he suddenly bowed, filled with evil intentions, as if he was a friendly host.
”My venerated War God, please forgive me for the impolite greeting. But, I feel that as you're a War God who's the literal incarnation of War, this Bloodbath Inferno is the most appropriate place to greet you at. Do you happen to like it? Or, perhaps you're not enjoying your subordinates' performance of fighting against each other? Or, perhaps you're intending to personally participate?”
The silent War God didn't respond verbally. His greatsword which glowed with a murky black attacked through all dimensional limitations, acting as his only response as always.
However, his greatsword that was always able to pierce through even dimensions met with an opponent. A gigantic monster standing in the red mist blocked his greatsword.