Chapter 53: Broken Floor: Stars of Oblivion (I)

[Haruki Hotaru POV]

After our tiring battle in the forest of Sheol, we finally returned to Hans' mansion.

Even if many died and were severely injured, I was happy to see that their morale didn't get worse.

Carrying the dead bodies, bandages throughout their entire body, and some were missing their body parts.

But despite that, everyone was happily chatting and letting out a smile on their faces. And most of all, I can't see any hint of anger or sorrow inside of them;

seeing that gave me hope for being the leader they want.

When we finally got back to Hans' mansion, we decided to ease up our mind thereby Gremory proposed a toast for the soldiers.

I didn't decide to go, because I have some other matters that I wanted to do.

Because I was worried about the condition of Akemi, Ruri, and Sora, so I that's why I want to check on them if they're okay.

I'm already near Akemi's room, and when I was about to open the door, someone talked behind me.

"Excuse me for a moment, my King."

Hearing the voice behind me, I got scared and freaked out.

When I looked behind me, I saw Gusion. "I apologize for startling you, my King." Gusion said with a bow.

"No it's okay- it's okay, so is there anything you want to ask Gusion?"

"Actually, if it's okay I want to ask you a small favor, my King."

"That's it? Sure, I'll do it."

"Actually Ryou is inside Akemi's room right now, and if it's okay, can you please leave them be?"

"Oh okay... I can do that..." Leave the two be? Why though..? Wait, wait, could it be?

No, no way, don't tell me... I'm gonna leave now and ask someone about this. "Then, I'll go and visit someone's room then. Bye!"

Gusion bowed again and said. "I'm grateful my King."

Since Ruri's room was the closest and there's something important I want to discuss with her, about what happened with her during on the north.

When I opened the door, I saw Ruri sitting on her bed while admiring the view of the scenery on the window.

I entered the room and Ruri noticed me coming. "Yo, I came here to check on you." I said to her.

"*Tsk* I knew you would come."

"Here I am worried about you, and you come back to me with an insult? Seriously, you never change. I could've thought that you were nicer to me after our fight happened." But I guess I was wrong when she's getting close to me.

"Ha! Shut up! Shut up!" She's throwing a fit at me, seriously her mind changes a lot.

"Okay, stop now Ruri. *Sigh* Actually there's something I want to ask you."

"*Hmp!* What it is?"

"*Sigh* I know that without using your skills, chances are that you won't be here right now, but please Ruri I want you to stop overusing your skills until you faint on the battle defenseless."

"Okay okay, jeez... What are you, my father? You always keep on worrying about me."

"How couldn't I be worried Ruri?! You, Akemi, Sora, and the others are my precious friends, so how couldn't I get worried?"

"Sure you always say that, but thank you Haruki for worrying about me and the others."

"Okay, I know you're the same too, especially if it's Akemi."

"So that's all?"

"Oh yeah, also Ruri... Actually, I went to Akemi's room first but Gusion asked me a favor and I did what he asked me."

"So what is the favor Sir Gusion asked you Haruki?"

I replied to her with a soft voice. "To leave Ryou and Akemi alone..."

Ruri let out a smug smile when she heard what I said. "Oh... Are you perhaps jealous of Ryou, Haruki? Hoho... I see; I see..."

"No, I'm not! Well... Yes, but... Okay, I am Ruri! Can you just tell me what their relationship is?"

"Don't worry, don't worry Haruki, there's nothing to be jealous of Ryou."

"Really? Can I trust you Ruri?"

"Of course, trust on your master."

"Hearing you say that made me lose hope in trusting you."

"Joke, but believe me... You don't need to be jealous, okay?"

"*Sigh* You're always wishy-washy. Then goodbye for now Ruri, I'm gonna go to Sora."

"Okay! Then bye-bye!" Ruri said that and went back to her bed. "Idiot..."

"Hmm? Did you say something Ruri?"

"Nothing! Get out now you idiot!"

I left after Ruri shouted at me yet again, and I went to Sora's room to check on him next.

When I opened the door to Sora's room, as I expected he was asleep, so I didn't wake him up.

But now what do I do? Even if Lucas was injured he's drinking with the soldiers, and Chizuru too.

Wait, where are Talya and Flint anyway? I guess I'll go to Talya's room then.

I finally got to Talya's room, when I entered I saw her playing with Flint and Phenex inside.

Talya saw me come and came to me happily with a hug. "Big brother Haruki!" She shouted in joy and hugged me.

"Hmm? Is there something wrong Talya?

"Nothing, I'm just happy to see you."

Oh how cute, seriously Talya is the second cutest here in Hell.

And also for some reason, I can see that Phenex was looking at me; like she wanted to kill me or something. So I asked her. "Umm... Phenex, is there something wrong?"

"*Sigh* Nothing, but if I were to have one, why would you think that I would tell it to someone like You?"

"*Tsk*" Seriously, what's with this Turkey? For some reason she really hates me. "*Sigh* Okay do whatever you want then."

"....." Not even a reply to what I said...

"Then I got to go and rest now Talya, so make sure to take some rest too okay?"

"Okay!"

After I visited their room, I finally got back to my room to take a rest. "So tomorrow is going to be a deadly fight again." Just thinking about what the outcome of the war would be is making me nervous.

I'm just afraid of people dying and us losing, but at the same time, I'm afraid of killing someone with my own two hands.

And before I even noticed it, it was finally a new day and another fight that will happen.

We were already at the gate to the 7th floor.

Our group only consists of me, Flint, Chizuru, Sora, Ryou, Phenex, Gremory, and Gusion.

And the soldiers who were with us were gonna be used as backups if we didn't return, so they're still at Vladamir's mansion preparing in case we needed their help.

Faust also said to us that he got a message from Millie, so when we read the message we prepared immediately.

And right now, we are waiting for Mammon to come. "Oh, I heard that you called for me, Haruki." While walking in the forest alone, Mammon appeared.

"*Sigh* We already told you what we want Mammon."

"I know, I know, no need to be hasty, so you wanted to know about that star Milicas created with the souls of our soldiers right? The answer to that is a wormhole. If you don't know what a wormhole is Haruki, it is like the portal created by Space Cutter that we always use to transport ourselves, but the difference is the sizes. A wormhole is about the size of two blue giant stars combined together, which is why they would use the wormhole to transport the death of the star."

"Death of the star? What does that mean Mammon?"

"*Sigh* You still don't know? Seriously, a 5th grader might be smarter than you Haruki. What I'm saying is one of the most deadliest phenomena that the Universe created, the black hole."

Hearing what Mammon has said, everyone was shocked.

I asked him in fear "Mammon to make this clear, Satanael isn't planning to put the black hole on the 8th floor right?"

"You got it right Haruki, Satanael is planning to put the black hole here on the 8th floor!"

It shook all of us, it made us tense, and scared from what we heard.

"*Tsk* I'll kill that son of a b*tch!" That is what Ryou said aggressively.

Everyone was angry when they heard what Mammon said, but this is a good thing for us; because we'll show Satanael how serious we are to bring victory on our side.

"Mammon, let me ask this one more time, which side are you really on? And what is your plan?"

"Hmm? Didn't I tell you? I'm not on anyone's side or team, all I care about is what I want and to satisfy my taste for Greed. That's all I want, but if you wanted to know I can be in your service by telling you what their next move gonna be, so that's all I'm gonna say and bye!" Mammon created a portal in front of him, and when he was about to enter the portal, he stopped walking and looked at us with a smile. "I forgot to mention, the way to defeat Satanael with the star that Milicas created is inside Camael's base." And Mammon finally left.

When we entered the gate, all of us saw two bright stars that are keep changing their color above us. The two stars were huge as expected and a giant barrier was around the two stars.

We saw many dead bodies on the ground, but what shocked us is that they're all fallen angels. I clenched my hand with anger and fear from what I saw. "So it's really is true that they used the soldiers as their tools for the stars..."

Gusion already messaged Millie that we were already here, and Millie said that Luna, Dawn, and Shota are all gonna come here to us, and the others are going to the lab because they saw Satanael inside Camael's base alone.

In the sky, someone fell and landed in front of us, and when we looked at who the person was, we saw that it was Milicas. "Yo, so all of you finally came here huh? What do you think? Isn't wonderful? The stars that I created with the souls of the fallen angels, it's extremely magnificent, as expected from someone like me who created it. I don't even think that my own father can create something beautiful as these stars."

"What are you talking about Milicas? Something like these stars isn't beautiful at all! Because the wasted blood and soul that you used on these stars aren't gonna cut it to the word beautiful, but more like disgusting."

"What did you say!?" Milicas was enraged by what I said. "How dare you! *Whistles*" When Milicas let out a loud whistle, a strong earthquake occurred, and when we looked at the ground we saw it drastically change to sand.

Seeing the entire landscape change, I immediately knew that Milicas wasn't the one who did this, but Azazel was the one.

I looked above us, and I saw both Azazel and Baphomet flying near one of the stars; watching us with smiles on their faces.

After the entire environment changed, both Azazel and Baphomet went to the ground beside Milicas.

Azazel was already powered up and was holding his spear, and Baphomet was also using his partnered weapon which is also a spear.

Everyone and I who were with me got readied for a fight and summoned their weapons, and Flint and I used our Soul Bound.

When we were standing, a message came from Shota and he said to us silently that Luna, Dawn, and he are behind them and are ready to attack when we start.

Phenex ran to them angrily with her whip and went after Azazel, and Gremory with Gusion came with her.

"Haruki, you, Flint, Luna, Dawn, and Shota will go after Milicas, and us three will go after Baphomet." Chizuru said

"Sure, I understand." I replied

Ryou, Chizuru, and Sora then started running toward Baphomet and fought him

I touched Flint's mane and asked him. "Are you ready Flint?"

"Flint then let out a happy woof at me. "Then let's do this!"

***

[Millie Hotaru POV]

Running inside and out of the lab were Millie and Lilith to look for what Mammon was saying as an answer to defeat Milicas.

But when they entered the lab, Satanael saw them come and went after them; starting another fight between Satanael against Ifrit, Hans, and Vladamir.

And when Millie and Lilith went inside they didn't expect that ghouls are gonna start chasing them. And as of right now they were hiding in one of the rooms to avoid getting caught by the ghouls that were after them.

"Millie, do you know where could this solution that Mammon was talking about?"

"No idea, but since the lab has three floors and a basement and we checked every room here on the first floor, it's gotta be in one of those three floors that we haven't set foot on yet."

"Then let's split up then Millie, I'll go to both the 2nd and 3rd floor and you go to the basement, and since I'm gonna go above I'm gonna take the ghouls with me so that you can go to the basement without worrying about getting caught by them."

"Are you sure Lilith? It's dangerous you know that? To go alone to two floors with the ghouls chasing you."

"I know, but if it's to keep you safe Millie, then I'll do it. So can you please do this for me Millie?"

"*Tsk* Fine..."

Lilith let out a smile and went inside; shouting at the hallway. "I'm here you freaks!"

All of the ghouls heard what Lilith shouted and starts chasing her.

"Stay safe Lilith." Millie remembers that when they were still imprisoned here at the lab, the armory on where Luna was at and where Azrael killed the angels was located in the basement, so Millie immediately knew where's the entrance to the basement is.

And finally, Millie was now in the basement, and she has started looking for any suspicious things in the basement.

"Memory Lane!" Was a skill that she used.

The skill Memory Lane has the power to see what happened in a room she's in in the past.

"Jackpot." Finally happy that she found something in the basement.

It was a secret tunnel that she didn't even know that's located here when she was imprisoned.

So Millie entered the tunnel and she saw a massive laboratory hidden in Camael's base.

In the lab were many books and gadgets that she doesn't even know existed, the lab was like a thousand years in the future than her that was stuck in about 30 to 40 years.

"*Tsk* I gotta do good next time I create one."

Continuing her search, Millie saw a huge vault in front of her.

But it was locked with a passcode. "Now let's see..." Using the skill Memory Lane, Millie saw Camael entering the password.

It was an easy task for her so she's glad that she was finished quickly. "The password is... Omega, Psi, Xi, Iota, Kappa, Alpha."

The vault lightens and started to open on its own.

When it was finally open all the way, Millie looked at what was inside and she was shocked to see what it is. "What is this?!"