Chapter 752 Abandonment
- While Blood Lily was in Muspelheim -
Og'tharoz, with Fryft in his arms, stared at Belial with a serene expression. The tension on the battlefield was palpable.
"Can you stand?" Og'tharoz asked Fryft, but she immediately denied it with her head.
Surprise and, at the same time, recognition filled Belial's eyes. It was clear that Og'tharoz's presence would not go unnoticed by the most powerful demon in Muspelheim. The shadow of the past emerged in front of everyone, and the shock on Belial's face turned into an expression of fury.
Then Belial raised his left hand, engulfing it in flames, and his gaze fixed on Og'tharoz. A wrinkle of perplexity was stamped on his complexion, as if something within his memory had suddenly emerged. It was then that he uttered the words that echoed with a menacing tone.
"Well, well, if it isn't the demon Og'tharoz, the most insolent superior demon that ever lived, who dared to leave Hell. He abandoned the heat of the eternal flames, and now he dares to intervene in our affairs?"
Og'tharoz didn't back down. Holding Fryft in his arms, he stood and replied calmly:
"I have chosen to follow a different path, to seek more than an existence from eternal suffering."
Belial snarled, the black flames in his hand intensifying: "You are a traitor, Og'tharoz! Your destiny is to burn in the depths of the Abyss for all eternity. You are one marked by the Abyss."
Og'tharoz remained silent for a moment, holding Belial's gaze with a calm that bordered on indifference. It was Fryft who broke the tense silence, whispering:
"What does he mean by 'Marked by the Abyss'? Is there such a place in Muspelheim?"
The superior demon sighed before answering, as if recalling a distant past. "When you're born in hell, every choice is a chain that binds you. I chose to cut those chains, to seek something beyond. And the greatest punishment there is for a demon or not, is to be marked by the Abyss, in other words, to be thrown into a place where no one knows if a living being has ever set foot or not, because according to the legends everyone who sets foot there is erased. And I'm bound to be thrown into that place one day or another."
Belial spread his arms with a proud smile, even though the corner of his mouth was bleeding profusely.
"You were weak, Og'tharoz. You abandoned the power and glory of hell in search of something that cannot exist. What did you find here in Midgard that instigated you so?" Belial asked, his voice laced with disdain.
Og'tharoz didn't hesitate in his response. "I found freedom, I found the ability to make my own choices. I am no longer a plaything in Surtr's hands."
The superior demon's words struck Belial as a personal affront. He raised his left hand, the black flame enveloping it, preparing to launch an attack against Og'tharoz, and exclaimed:
"That means you are more than prepared to face the consequences of your actions!"
The black flames in Belial's left hand increased in intensity, and the air of the battlefield shook with magical energy, as Belial's gaze fixed on Og'tharoz with a mixture of disdain and anger.
"You will be consumed by the flames you dared to abandon, Og'tharoz!" roared Belial, his words echoing with fury.
Og'tharoz remained unfazed, his calm expression never wavering in the face of threats. Fryft, still wrapped in his arms, was practically unconscious, so it was impossible for her to help. Belial knew that he had practically won. So Belial unleashed his magic. Black flames erupted from his hand, forming a fiery wave that headed inexorably towards Og'tharoz. The heat was overwhelming, and for a moment, it seemed that nothing could stop the destructive force of the demonic magic.
However, Og'tharoz raised his right hand in a calm, controlled gesture. A red aura surrounded him, a mixture of demonic energy and something else, something that transcended the very darkness of hell. The flames advanced, enveloping him completely, but instead of consuming him and Fryft, the flames began to rotate on a strange axis and then began to diminish, until they disappeared completely.
Og'tharoz, still holding out his right hand, smiled. He soaked up the flames as if he were a sponge, absorbing not only the fire but also the magical energy.
Belial, for a brief moment, was stunned. The black flames he had worked so hard to learn were the pinnacle of power a demon could reach. Flames that never go out, there was nothing like it. So how had Og'tharoz managed to make it seem so futile?
Og'tharoz raised his eyes to Belial. His serene expression remained and he said:
"Finding freedom is not weakness, boy. It's a hunger I've always felt and the first chance I got, I grabbed it. I bet you've learned that there's no defense against the black flames, but deep down things aren't so simple."
Og'tharoz's words resounded across the battlefield like a defiant declaration. Belial, still stunned by the apparent nullification of his black flames, gritted his teeth in anger.
"Your words are nothing but nonsense to me. The freedom you seek is an illusion. In the end, everyone will serve the inevitable fate of bowing to Surtr's divine power. He will be the cause of Ragnarok and his kingdom at the base of Yggdrasil will be the only one to withstand the end of time." Belial retorted, rekindling the black flames in his left hand with even more intensity. "And when Surtr is tired of his responsibilities, I will be by his side to take on the burden of commanding Muspelheim and the other kingdoms!"
Og'tharoz continued to look seriously at the man: "Very well, if you don't want to listen to me, I'll make a point of teaching you with actions. What are you waiting for, come and attack me head on?" He taunted his opponent.
...
Edited by: DrHitsuji
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