The Scourge of war. (2)

Wei Juan Xin brought her Division down to the surface of the planet beneath them, if her calculations were correct then they would have a minute, at best at that, before Azatoth came for them. Well, at least she tried to bring her division down to the planet. It happened a brief moment before they reached the planet, an almost imperceptible shift of the surroundings. The rest of the division didn't notice it and kept descending, but Wei Xin felt it again, that nigh-on invisible shift. She checked the distance, she did the math. 

Yeah, there it was. When they were about a kilometer away from the planet's surface, there was a subtle warp of the space around them, shifting them back about a meter or so. They wouldn't notice, and thus kept descending, running into the warp again. Essentially, they were running in circles without even really noticing it.

She stopped for a moment and unleashed her Qi, a swift surge shooting down. She feared her suspicions would prove correct, but held onto a thin strand of hope But alas, the warp twisted even the Qi back through its loop. Trapped like guinea pigs in a wheel, running until they collapsed.

"Hal…!"

She was just about to tell her men to stop when the warp vanished, as if taunting her for trying to warn them. Whatever the case was, the warp had evidently already accomplished what it was trying to achieve. The moment it vanished, she could feel a great wave of Qi wash over the division, tinged with the scent of space. It was different from the previous subtle warp, this was a violent and forceful folding, a brutish approach that forewent all semblance of technique in favor of power. If this was meant to shift away the entire division then the one responsible for it would have to be an idiot. But clearly, the entire division was never the target.

The fold clamped down on Wei Xin, Lok Kong, and Deshi Li Tsun, as well as about half of the division, passing harmlessly over the division. It only latched onto three of their Sovereign Gods, meaning that they would need about two seconds if they wanted to break free from the shackles. But when you dealt with space and the like, you rarely had two seconds to spare. Especially when space was already done folding by the time it reached you. As such, Wei Xin and her men noticed the clutches of space reach them, and then they were instantly gone.

A large canyon surrounded them, jagged and steep edges that resembled teeth lining the walls. The canyon was wide, this half of the division could fit here snuggly, hells, they could probably fit in the whole division without any issue. The air was a bit acrid, a sour taste and scent that lingered heavily on both nose and tongue. The law of corrosion, it clung to the land here like a plague, eating away at anything that dared to enter its grasp. This place was a wasteland, long dead and abandoned.

And there, a bit in the distance, he stood. Loose and somewhat unruly silvery-grey hair that hung down to his ears, piercing golden eyes with faint bags starting to deepen beneath them. Delicate and smooth features that made it seem as if he had never had to work a day in his life, yet a straight and sharp posture that made it impossible to ignore him. The division was looking at him, some of them observing their surroundings while others were formulating plans on how to proceed in this unknown situation. He too was looking at them, but his eyes held no trace of machinations, no schemes or plots. He was just… Weary.

"Wei Juan Xin, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Liang Chen did not attack Wei Xin and her division the moment they appeared, his voice echoing throughout the wide ravine. In the past he would have attacked them immediately, it was the best way to ensure a swift victory, an immediate justice. But with each passing battle, he found himself talking more and more. To the strong he fought, to the weak he killed, to those he saved, to those he executed. He just… talked. He questioned. Was he trying to understand them?

He… Wasn't sure. What did it mean to understand them? If he understood the morality and position of those he judged, would he spare them? …No. He had killed people he was capable of understanding in the past. Even if he sympathized with their circumstances and desires, he killed them all the same. Even if he understood, he couldn't accept. But even so… He kept talking to them, time and time again.

"Liang Chen, correct?"

The one with curly brown hair and blue eyes, Wei Juan Xin, raised a hand to quiet her men as she addressed the man in the distance, Liang Chen. She understood now. Azatoth… Would not come here for them. All that awaited them here was this man, who seemed to have even left behind the winged snake he was said to travel with.

"Correct. May I proceed?"

Liang Chen was not surprised that Wei Juan Xin knew his name. She and her division belonged to Tian Shen's army, the force of the Existential Lord. Ignoring the fact that they were invading this sphere and thus probably studied all potential enemies they might encounter, just the fact that Liang Chen had the law of the Void meant that they would have to study him no matter how weak he was in the grand scheme of things.

"Please, state your query. I will answer to the best of my abilities."

The atmosphere was cordial but tense. Wei Xin tried to lock eyes with Liang Chen, but his gaze wandered too much for her gaze to be returned, his pupils constantly sweeping across her division. They stood at the ready, primed to burst at a moment's notice. But no one made a move, not even a twitch of their fingers. It was… somewhat rare for Liang Chen to not get underestimated by his enemies, especially when they had such a numerical advantage over him. 

These people… They were strong. They were organized. They were determined. He had dredged up their souls, unraveled their lives. He knew the names of each and every one of them, their first heartbreak, their first kill, their first sorrow, he knew all of their misery and every last ounce of hatred they had once felt. So he already knew. Even before he opened his mouth, even before he arrived here. He knew. But still he asked. 

"Why?"

It was a simple question. A vague question. A loaded question that could have a thousand different answers. But at this moment, between these parties, there would only ever be one answer.

"Because this is war, Liang Chen."

Yeah, that was the simple answer. Why did they decide to attack the planet? Because they were at war. Why did they develop a weapon like the Core-Breaker? Because they were at war. Why were they willing to lay down their lives to take down as many people as possible? Because they were at war. They were at war, and the only outcome they could accept was to win. No matter what.

"Our Lord is merciful and kind, Liang Chen. He wishes not for bloodshed and death, he wishes for everyone to live happy lives until they reach the natural end of their lifespan, no matter how long that may be. We have not had a war in our Sphere ever since he rose to power."

Liang Chen had seen similar things too in the souls of the people he scoured here. Their misery, their sorrow, their hatred… It was all extremely… Personal? If a word like that was applicable here. They did not lose people due to war, they did not lose people due to murder, there were no great famines that ravaged their homes. It was all just pain between people, between one and another. Their home was… peaceful, so the only thing they could hate and blame was each other. But in such a peaceful world, especially with how long cultivators could live, a simple problem would inevitably rear its head.

"But we are running out, Liang Chen. Too many people, not enough space for them all. We have done the math. Within the next millennia, we will run out of proper living space for everyone. In the millennia after that, we will be forced to kill each other for resources just to scrape by. An overcrowded paradise forced to tear into itself. We will become hell, Liang Chen. We will become our own hell."

In the end, all life would devolve into hell. There were no eternal paradises, no safe havens that lasted until the end of time. Eventually, life would catch up with everyone one way or another. And in this paradise of theirs, the hell that was coming was themselves, their own hands clawing at each other in a desperate bid to survive. They had lived beautiful lives, gotten used to their beautiful wealth of resources and peace. And when they descended into hell, they would fight that much more savagely to reclaim even a fragment of it.

"Not even someone wielding the law of Existence can create enough resources to sustain an entire Sphere that is constantly popping out new people. And forget about creating more land, even the Existential Lord can't create new universes to add onto the natural Sphere of Existence that we live in, and creating a new sphere would kill him. Don't get me wrong, he can probably stave it off for a few millennia, but there will inevitably come a day where we will turn on each other and become rabid animals."

Wei Xin spoke of the truth before Liang Chen could even think about asking for it. Tian Shen, the Existential Lord, capable of creating even Spheres of Existence if he gave his life, how could land and resources become a problem for a lord like that? And the answer was just that simple, inevitably they would become too many. Even if he turned himself into a ceaseless factory with an endless supply of Qi, he would one day not be enough. Then, hell would become their home.

Thus, they were faced with a choice. Wei Xin's hand rose, a finger extending as she pointed at herself.

"So we were faced with a choice. We could become our own hell, or…"

The raised hand stretched out, the extended finger pointing at Liang Chen, at his world.

"…We could become someone else's hell."

They could suffer. Yes, they could suffer in their hell. It was created by their own hands, by their own paradise, so they could suffer in it. Or they could force that suffering onto someone else, someone they knew nothing about, someone unrelated to them. In a situation like that, with a choice like that unfolding for you, what answer would you reach? For Wei Xin, it was simple.

"I have a family, Liang Chen. A mother, a father. A husband fighting in a different division, fo…"

Her voice was cut off by Liang Chen, the two finally making proper eye contact.

"Four adorable kids waiting for you at home, and two brothers who were too weak to join the army. I know."

He had seen them in her misery, whenever she felt sorrow for one of them. Their names too were recorded in Liang Chen's golden gaze, their existence burned into his eyes. Wei Juan Xin had family that was beyond dear to her, and she wanted to ensure that they could keep living in peace.

For a moment, Wei Xin winced at Liang Chen's plain utterance, her gaze landing on his eyes for a moment before she let out a breath, something akin to a soft smile spreading on her face.

"You must have seen them with those unnerving eyes of yours, correct? I'm sure you also have family, Liang Chen. A wife or two perhaps? A couple of kids already? How many friends, siblings? How many have you killed for them?"

His eyes were… Unsettling to look at, so she guessed they were what he used to peer into her life. For him to be able to peer into even a Sovereign God like her, it spoke of his strength, beyond just the law of the Void. And the stronger one was, the larger their family tended to be as people naturally gravitated towards them.

Liang Chen didn't need to answer. She could see the truth in his eyes, in the out-of-place gentleness that briefly fluttered through the air around him. She willingly went to spread hell here for her family, and he willingly delivered them to hell for his own family. That… Was all there was to it.

"That's all there is to it, Liang Chen. We kill you because we need our families to survive and live in peace, and you kill us because you need your families to survive and live in peace."

For peace, they spread hell. For peace, they descended into hell. That was their current situation. That was…

"It's just… War."

For peace, unto hell. Such was war. That was why they now stood here, on opposite sides. Why they were willing to kill. It was just…

"Yeah… It's just war."

Liang Chen's gaze momentarily lowered with a sigh as he repeated Wei Xin's statement. Yeah, it was just war. Perfectly understandable, perfectly unreasonable. It was just… War. Liang Chen knew about the invasion of Tian Shen, he had met he Existential Lord's avatar already after all. But to see it firsthand like this, to encounter their armies and see their determination, their grim resolution… He could not stay out of this war. It was beyond just joining the war, he needed to seek it out. This… Was something he had to put an end to, for both sides.

But before any of that could come to pass, he would first have to deal with this present hell. He knew it, and Wei Xin and her division knew it. 

"Come, Scourge King. Let us be hell to each other."

Wei Xin was the first to draw the line, her Qi seeping out as she spoke. The time for names was over, the cordiality and politeness they had shared had to end here. Liang Chen and Wei Juan Xin were no longer here, now it was the Scourge King and the Division Commander.

Liang Chen's gaze rose again, all trace of emotion erased, replaced by that piercing gold. 

Wei Xin was the first to sense it, the trembling of the air, the dreadful heaviness that permeated every inch of the valley. 

"Release!"

She shouted the order and her men immediately acted, their Qi erupting. The Qi gathered around their bodies, following the predetermined paths of their cultivation techniques as they formed the foundational orbs. The Qi then spread out from those orbs and took form around their bodies, most of them forming human figures or silhouettes with varying features, while others took on the forms of animals or demonic beasts. Spectral Reflections was the name used for them back home.

They came from the sphere of the Existential Lord, their way of cultivation was different from the people of this world. Instead of gathering all their Qi within themselves and risking their lives due to a backlash or deviation, their Qi was gathered in orbs around them that formed the foundation of these figures, which acted almost like suits. It was a safer method, a more sophisticated one that had taken the Existential Lord and his men many a year to create and spread out.

Plip.

It was a soft sound, one most people would miss in this roaring eruption of Qi. But Wei Xin was not most people.

Plip.

Another one, shortly after the first one.

Plip.

Plip.

Plip.

Faster and faster they came, soft sounds that quietly grew in volume.

Plip.

Plip!

PLIP.

PLIP!

From soft sounds to a deafening crescendo, it felt as if it happened so quickly that she barely had time to blink.

Rain. A torrential downpour that threatened to drown out all other sounds.

But what fell wasn't clear and beautiful drops that reflected the world around them.

A stark crimson, a beautiful red like blood. Each drop had an otherworldly sheen to it, a reflective coating in which Wei Xin could see herself and her men reflected a thousand times over. But what she saw wasn't them standing as tall and proud as they were right now, what she saw was decaying corpses, rotting and fading away with each drop that hit the ground. And then came a scream.

"GraaRgh!"

"AARrrhhh!"

"GrrRRRGGg!"

Distorted. Gargled. Spat out between lungfuls of blood. The rain pierced through the spectral figures that her men had summoned and splashed onto their bodies, erupting into violent sparks that tore away at them. Each spark struck at their bodies and soul, burned away a part of them. The heavens were crying for them, spilling tears of blood for their fate. And those tears in turn became their fate.

"This…"

Wei Xin and her two adjutants were able to resist the rain with their Spectral Reflections, and some of her stronger subordinates were also able to put up something of a resistance by drastically increasing their Qi expenditure. As for the rest… Decimated where they stood. Wei Xin served as a Division Commander, she had naturally seen a lot in her long life. Thus… She knew what sort of power this was. 

"I've seen a power like this before, the Empyrean of Judgment wields a power just like this. Heavenly Judgment, the wrath of the heavens brought down upon sinners. I heard that this multiverse's consciousness died due to Hades long ago, but it seems like you've picked up the pieces again."

The power of judgment, the right to judge another as a sinner and execute them, the right to have them burn for their sins. One of their nine generals held the very same power, having wrested it from the multiverse he came from. She had seen him use that awe-inspiring power before, as a demonstration of sorts. But there was a very clear difference between that demonstration and the current situation.

"But unlike Lord Empyrean Judgment, you don't seem all that immune to your own power, no? Are you not virtuous, Scourge King?"

The drops also landed on Liang Chen, and Wei Xin saw them erupt into sparks that tore away at him. Empyrean Judgment was able to stand in the crimson flames he summoned without any issue, but Liang Chen clearly did not have the same luxury. That could only mean one thing, Liang Chen had committed the very crimes he burned others for.

"Do you think I received a title like Scourge King because I was virtuous?"

Liang Chen did not pay much attention to the pain that shot through his body with each drop. Each time he used the power of purgatory, it burned him just as much as it burned his enemies. He judged them for their crimes, he told the world of their sins with each burning drop. And in turn, each drop judged him and sang of his crimes.

"And yet you picked up a power like that to punish others. Why?"

Was it because he was power-hungry? No, those greedy for power would not pick up something that would kill them as quickly as it killed their enemies. Was it just because he could? No, to reclaim the lost power of a dead multiverse would be no simple task, he must have suffered immensely to acquire it. Did he hope that he would be exempt from the judgment of the heavens?

"I'm just a hypocrite, that's all."

The answer that came back was simpler than she expected, calmer than she expected. He… Knew he would be burned by the very power he wielded, he knew that his life would be at a constant risk. And yet he picked it up all the same, suffered for it all the same. That was his determination, masked by indifference.

"…Yeah. I shouldn't have said all that. This is war, we're all just hypocrites right now. Forgive me for that lapse, I will not allow there to be another."

Wei Xin exhaled a long breath, her eyes narrowing as she focused to her utmost. As the rain hammered down, bolts of lightning splitting the sky, she focused fully on the man in front of her.

The jagged edges of the raven… They were like teeth, trapping them in the maw of the beast. Azatoth would not come for them, because the beast was already in front of them.