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

Chapter 11: Betrayal and Agony – Part 2

Ryuusei gasped, his body trembling in sheer pain. The adrenaline no longer protected him, and reality fell on him like an unbearable weight. His back was a burning inferno, pain so excruciating that he could barely breathe without feeling his spine tear. He tried to get up, but his legs...

They did not move.

A chill ran through his skin. "No... no... "No," he whispered, his voice trembling. He tried again, but only felt a lash of suffering that left him panting. His legs were there... but they did not respond. It was as if they were no longer his. Panic took hold of his chest. His heart was beating so fast that he felt like he was going to burst. He wanted to scream, but all that came out of his throat was a muffled sound, a mixture of despair and terror. And then, he saw his companions.

Kenta and Haru looked at each other for a second, fear reflected in their eyes. They didn't say anything. Alone... They turned around and ran.

—N-no... No! Don't go! —tried to scream, but his voice sounded broken, weak.

Daichi, the always calculating, the silent strategist... He stayed a few seconds longer. But there were no words of farewell, not even a look of apology. Just a shadow moving away.

I was watching them disappear. His friends. Their allies. They were leaving, leaving him behind.

Ryuusei felt worse than physical pain.

It was absolute emptiness.

Despair choked him like an infinite ocean. His chest twitched, his throat closed. He wanted to shout their names, plead, curse, but all that came out was a stifled sob.

—W-why...?, —she whispered, her eyes filling with burning tears.

—Ryuusei!

Aiko's voice broke through the fog in her mind.

She was there. She hadn't left.

Aiko fell to her knees beside him, her trembling hands trying to hold him up. His eyes reflected pure panic.

"Ryuusei, tell me something!" Don't fall asleep! You have to hold on! —His voice broke, his whole body trembled.

But Ryuusei could barely answer. His back burned as if he had been torn in two. His legs... they no longer existed in his mind. His breathing was erratic, every attempt to move was an inhuman torment.

—Aiko... —His voice sounded like a broken whisper—. They let me...

Aiko bit her lip, her eyes overflowing with tears.

—They're cowards! They don't care about you! But I do, Ryuusei! Don't you dare give up!

But Ryuusei saw only the crimson sky. His mind sank into despair.

Was this the end?

Is this how it felt to be abandoned?

Is that how it felt to die?

The sound of the Black Heralds approaching echoed in the distance. The shadow of death hung over them. And Ryuusei, broken in body and soul, could only let out a muffled laugh.

—This... it's hell...

The silence after the carnage was sepulchral. There were only 45 players left out of the thousands of souls that had fallen. The greatest slaughter occurred when the Beast and the Herald appeared, plunging the battlefield into an inferno of unprecedented destruction. Amid the rubble and bodies, Ryuusei gasped with clenched fists. His mind was clouded, betrayal had left him on the verge of madness. His own allies had abandoned him, they had condemned him. Now, only Aiko remained by his side, but for how long?

Every shadow, every creak of the ground made his heart race. His eyes, ablaze with paranoia, were fixed on the girl who trembled beside him. I couldn't trust anyone! His thoughts became dark, full of suspicion. Aiko looked at him in fear, noticing the change in her expression. His master, his protector, now looked like a demon trapped in his own psychosis.

—Aiko! Ryuusei roared, taking her roughly by the shoulders. His hands were shaking, his mind was on the verge of collapse. The girl looked at him with terrified eyes, not understanding what was happening.

"T-we have to get out of here..." m," she stammered.

Ryuusei felt a chill run down his spine. A roar of anger rose from her chest, and without thinking, her palm pierced the air and slammed into the girl's cheek. The blow was not strong, but it was enough to make her stagger and be in shock. Aiko brought a hand to her cheek, her eyes full of tears.

"Calm down," Ryuusei ordered, now with a stern stare. Listen to me, we have to do exactly what I tell you if we want to get out of this alive.

The girl, still in pain and scared, nodded between sobs.

—First, go retrieve the Herald's sword. It is still embedded in the Beast's skull. You'll need to use all your strength to get it out.

The girl nodded and ran through the rubble, dodging the corpses that littered the battlefield. Ryuusei watched her closely, making sure she didn't miss.

—I have it! "M," he shouted.

—Second m," he continued as Aiko returned with the sword dripping with black blood—, place my two hammers on my back. I can't lose them. —Ryuusei spoke quickly, his words were direct orders that Aiko had to follow without question.

—Third, hold on to my lying body and throw my daggers!

—W-What? —Aiko looked at him blankly.

Aiko swallowed hard and obeyed. Each movement made her disappear in a flash of light before reappearing a few meters ahead, repeating the process relentlessly. Ryuusei followed her with his eyes, making sure she mastered the technique as the ground crumbled around her.

Once the process was mastered, Aiko ran to where Ryuusei was, grabbed her body and began to throw the daggers one by one and pick them up in the process.

—Come on.

Aiko threw the first dagger with a lump in her throat. As soon as he appeared in his new position, he felt his body stagger from the speed. Every time she teleported, the ground disappeared behind her. There was no margin for error.

The ground beneath them was crumbling faster than they had anticipated. Ryuusei continued to pick up the daggers to pass them to Aiko, securing herself in the process to maintain the teleportation cycle.

As they progressed, the numbers of live players dropped dramatically. Of the 45 players now only 15 were left and he saw a screen where there were already 3 qualified people Daichi, Kenta and Haru. His body was filled with hatred when he saw those names and there were only two places left to pass.

The greatest slaughter had occurred when the Beast and the Herald appeared. The destruction they left in their wake was incalculable. A single confrontation between these entities had eradicated hundreds in a matter of seconds. No one was prepared for such horror.

But the two of them were still standing.

—Ryuusei, the ground is running out! —Aiko shouted, throwing her last dagger.

Ryuusei looked at the edge of the abyss. Desperation hit him for an instant, but then he reacted.

—Hold on a little longer! —He threw the last dagger at a floating pillar in the distance and they both disappeared in a flash.

They landed panting, covered in sweat and blood. Behind them, the coliseum was sinking into nothingness.

Aiko, repeat again the strategy I told you, plus I have a bit of a dirty plan. Ryuusei said

Aiko obeyed, while she teleported with Ryuusei's body, he took advantage with his hammers, breaking the legs of all the players in front of him, thus splattering a lot of blood, they were about to arrive.

Aiko threw the last dagger thus reaching the finish line, and Ryuusei from the back was watching and listening to the screams that was the last thing to disappear before the abyss devoured them. Desperate hands clung to floating debris, only to slip seconds later. One by one he fell, their faces frozen in utter terror. And Ryuusei just watched. A shiver ran down his spine as he realized he didn't feel anything

This one cried with happiness for reaching the finish line with Aiko, and going through hell itself and the worst thing is that it was only limbo.

When he saw Daichi, Kenta, and Haru smiling next to the finish line, he felt something burning inside his chest. His vision turned red. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked. He couldn't afford to lose. Not against them...

Continue...