Worse Than Hell 2

Time had passed and all three thousand matches of the first year students had come to a close. Now, it was time for the last of the elimination round, the seventh round, to begin. Forty eight matches were about to take place.

[A/N : For those who are wondering about how they were able to finish 3,000+ matches and 7 round in one day, it was thanks to the principal's ability. Some of the matches were taken inside her ability because the time inside her mirror world work slower than the time outside.]

Unexpectedly, the first match of the round of forty eight would be Arthur's turn, and his opponent was Leigh!

Arthur was now heading to his second to the last match for today. Leigh was also with him as they head to the arena together.

"You're not planning on holding back, aren't you?" Leigh asked, the side of his lips curling upward into a smirk.

Glancing at him from his side, Arthur sighed deeply in contempt. He replied, "Your strength is almost matching at mine. If I don't go serious, you'll be able to defeat me."

"Hmm...."

He was lying.

Leigh knows it.

He knew that Arthur was still trying to hide a huge portion of his strength from people's watch. He was fine with this though, as he didn't want more trouble.

"Your lies are already spot on."

Leigh mumbles, however, Arthur didn't heard this as his attention was turned directly toward Athan (Deus) walking in front of them.

He saw him as their eyes landed on each other.

For some unknown reason, he felt a sense of dread the moment they came face to face. And because of this, he abruptly stopped walking, slightly surprising Leigh as he turned his attention to where Arthur was looking at.

𝘈𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯... Although Arthur wanted to call out for him, he couldn't due to the immense fear he's experiencing at the very moment.

Neither any of them spoke or tried to break their eye contact. It was only until Deus walked past the two.

Arthur took a brief glance at him before returning his attention back to his general direction.

"What was that...?" He clutched his heart and felt his heart beating faster than the time when he was fighting his opponent. It was the first time he felt this in this round, the last time was before his previous regression.

"I really hope that it's nothing..."

Arthur mumbles as he continued walking.

As for Leigh, he also took a glance toward Deus before he once again followed Arthur from behind.

...

..

.

-Wooooo!

The excitement screams of the people watching the fight echoed the whole arena.

Most of the people were cheering for Arthur, this includes Lumine, Sophia, and Athan's sister, Chloe.

"Beat him up, Arthur!"

"Eh, ah! Big bro Arthur, you have to win this fight!"

"Arthur, win this."

While as for Leigh, although their numbers didn't reached one thousand, they still couldn't be called few either. Most of them were girls who fell in love with him due to his face.

"Are both competitors ready?" The referee asked and waited for the two's reply.

"Yes."

"Uh hu."

The two nodded in synchronized manner.

They then prepared their stances and waited for the referee to start the match.

Chopping his hand down in the air, "Begin!" he started the match as he immediately disappeared on the arena, reappearing outside the barrier protecting the people who is watching from the possible harmful attacks of the competitors.

"Haaah...." Arthur took in a mouthful of air as his breathing began to change. He vanished on spot. A huge pit appeared on the shaking ground as he reappeared right in front of Leigh.

Moving his body to the side, "You're fast." Leigh dodged the attack by a hairbreadth with smirk on his face. He took his dagger hidden under his waist and slashed up.

"!!?" The dagger managed to put a light scratch in Arthur's eyes as he hopped backwards. He wiped the blood from his eyes using his wrist before he dashed forward.

Leigh saw him, "You do know that I'm quite the defensive type." And made a barrier to protect himself from the incoming attack.

Arthur spun around in the air, gathering enough momentum and slashed his sword from the side.

-Clang!

-Triiing!

It released a metallic hitting another metal as a sound. His sword slid through the surface of the barrier until the tip finally gave out and broke.

"Tch!" Clicking his tongue, a quick second later, he grinned.

Leigh noticed this and felt cold chills running down his back. He immediately used his sins magic to slow down Arthur's attack.

[Deceleration]

However.

With a sudden bursting noice, the air rippled and the effect was dispersed due to the fact that Arthur's fist was fully strengthened with force from his gravity magic and mana. Arthur's fist broke free from the hindrance in the air and moved towards the barrier more faster.

[Impact]

"!!?"

An explosion that produces a massive shockwave imploded. Arthur's attack demolished the floor around them and created a huge crater. After the dust settled, Leigh was trying to look for him as he didn't see a trace of him anywhere.

Arthur, already flying, used the falling cements and rocks as a foothold and his legs were tensed like a spring. Now holding a giant pillar that weighting a ton, "Gotta use my environment to fight too!" he rushed at the opening the Leigh presented and swung with all his might for a grand slam.

His weapon bent at the impact as the swing sent the Leigh flying across the streets. Creating tremors as he landed, "I'm not done with you yet!" He used the pillar like a javelin and threw it like a testbook olympian.

Unfortunately, "Ah... That almost scared me." Leigh was able to react on time as he created a barrier in the air to protect him.

"You have to do better than that!"

Taking advantage of this, twisting his torso, Leigh's body twisted 180 degrees. Holding the dagger by the back of his hand, he threw it towards him. The tip of his dagger quickly approached the other side of Arthur's face.

Staring at the dagger by the side of his eyes, Arthur once again cursed. He moved his head to the right side, dodging the dagger by only a hairbreadth.

Taking advantage of this situation, Leigh flew toward him as a barrier formed in the air that was shaped like a fist. He managed to hit Arthur, "This'll hurt..." and sent him flying in the air.

"Urk!"

He used his broken sword and foot to crouch down and forcefully stop himself from flying by plunging it deeply on the ground.

"Come on, get up. We're not done yet." Leigh instructed Arthur before cracking his knuckles, the barrier also followed his hand movements, "I told you I was feeling a bit rusted. I need to freely move my joints you know."

Arthur exhaled his breath and used the sword that was plunged on the ground as support, "I won't go down easily." he said, walking limp due to exhaustion.

"It's you who'll lose this match." When Leigh heard this, he grinned. "That's what I like to hear. Now let's continue!" He dashed his way through Arthur in a matter of three seconds.

In the span of three seconds, Arthur's fist and Leigh's barrier fist collided, sending tremors in the whole stadium they were standing on.

"Haaaaaa!!!!"

"Haaaaaa!!!"

They both used their own strength to push each other away.

But.

It seems like Arthur was still considered as the protagonist of this world.

-Crack!

The barrier began to reveal cracks.

For the first time,

"O God, O great one, lend me your power to defeat my opponent. In the name of Arthur Ains Delfeld, striking from the heaven down to earth..."

Arthur used a magic that need a chanting.

"Break and shatter...!"

Arthur's right hand grew veins reaching up until his shoulder. His eyes became more sharper, and released a purple lightning rather than the golden color.

In every explosion, it comes with a,

"[Bang...]"

He said so in a whisper.

Foooooooooooosh-!

...

..

.

-BAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!

And so, the winner between them has been determined.

-------

Deus, who had been watching the fight since the beginning, made a small smile on his face. He heaved out a sigh and turned his attention to Alicia who was holding his arm and also watching beside him.

"Alicia," Deus tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned her attention to him in confusion. "I need to go. My match is about to start after the next fight." He hopped for her to let him go, so that he could prepare himself from what he was about to do.

But.

"No." Instead of letting him go, Alicia tightened her hug and smirked, "I won't be letting you go this time...."

Deus became confused from what he heard. This time? Although Athan did often leave Chloe to her before leaving, he never left without bidding the two farewell.

Sighing, "...Look-?!" Before Deus could even speak what's in his mind to her, Chloe, who was right beside him, also hugged his left shoulder tightly as if not wanting to let go.

"Where are you going...?" She innocently looked at him with puppy eyes, that made him go completely silent. He didn't dare say anything about leaving as he knew that she might feel upset about it.

"Nowhere... I'm not going nowhere." When the two heard this, their hugs tightened even more that Deus felt he was being suffocated because he was in a middle like a sandwich.

"Yay!"

Thud-!

He almost accidentally fell forward after someone behind them kicked the back of his seat. Thankfully, he was being held by the two, because if not, he would've went straight and fall to the people below him.

"Quit flirting with both of your girlfriend." The boy who looked similar at his age said in annoyance.

"Haa?" The two was about to stand up from their seat, planning to cause some ruckus when Deus stopped them.

"Leave that guy alone and don't cause some trouble. We don't want ourselves to be kicked out, right? That guy is just envious because he can't even find a girlfriend." Deus said, lightly making a smile on his face.

"Tch!" The boy clicked his tongue and leaned back to his seat out of embarrassment.

The two girls also sat back down to their seats while grumbling like a child that had their candies taken away by their parents before going silent.

"..."

"..."

"..."

It was now back to being peaceful.

Few moment after that, the next match began.

While the referee was reminding the two competitors about the rules in the middle of tbe arena, Alicia was the one to break their silence.

"Athan..." She took a glance to him, "Why have you not watch any of my match?" She questioned, gathering Deus' attention.

"That's because I don't deserve it." He half-heartedly replied.

"...Eh?"

"Brother, what do you mean?"

After saying that, he never opened his mouth even after Alicia and Chloe asked what his words meant.

They only gave up after questioning him for the fifth time as he didn't answered. Because of this, Alicia couldn't help but heave out a long, deep sigh in defeat.

"You know Athan," Her lips curled into a small smile, "You are my first friend and the sole reason why I've been able to interact with people. It was thanks to you that I realized what I always wanted in life. The promise you told me, I still remember it clearly..."

Alicia placed her hands on her chest, feeling her heart beat getting faster.

She continued, "Athan, I know that you have a lot of secrets that you still kept in you without telling me and the others. I'm not mentioning all of this because I want to ask what your secrets are... No, I don't even care what it is nor am I planning on asking about what that is. And all I'm asking is only one thing and that is for you to watch my match and support me like you did back then."

Alicia held his hand and look at him with a genuine smile. He sighed when he heard this as he leaned back to his seat.

"I see... I promise that I'll attend your last match a day after tomorrow no matter what." Deus said without looking at her in the eyes.

-Shang!

"And the winner for this match is Chrowel Sinfold!" The referee announced as he raised the lad's arm.

With a smug-looking expression, the boy happily left the arena and headed outside.

Deus stood up when he saw this, "I guess that's my cue." He placed both of his hands inside his pocket as he left the two alone to head to the competitor's waiting room to start the match.

...

..

.

"Are both competitors ready?" The referee asked. Deus and his opponent, Roche, stood still as they nodded in unison.

"Yeah..."

"..."

Roche gave a response while Deus remained silent. The referee ignored his attitude though as he started the match.

"You may begin!"

As soon as Roche heard his announcement, Roche got into his fighting position.

However.

[Mindscape]

Before he could even attack, Deus was already ahead of him first.

He combed his hair up as his right eye began to turn crimson-red. With an indifferent expression, he said,

"You are already under my spell."

With that, Roche's vision suddenly turned black.

***

"...Wh-where am I?"

By the time Roche noticed it, he woke up in a strange environment.

Roche stood up from the ground and patted his butt before turning his head to look around.

The surroundings changed. He was not in the arena anymore. He felt... unknowingly uncomfortable. He was in a place devoid with any lights and only darkness and the grassy field, however, the field isn't normal either. The grass he stepping on were red, almost as if it was covered in blood.

He was about to try and step forward when, "My my~ And what do we have here?" someone spoke behind him. He didn't know why, but he felt something cold touch the skin from his nape.

"Are you lost, perhaps~? Do you need any help?"

He promptly turned around and backed away from what he saw. Behind him, a boy who looks to be similar to Athan, but with silky black hair and peerless obsidian-black eyes stared at him with a gentle smile. He was tied in strings as he was left hanging in a floating cross (+). His body were half naked from his upper part, revealing his skin that was more flawless than Athan's.

For sure, in Roche's eyes, the Athan(?) in front of him was the real definition of 'Perfect'.

However.

"Ara~ Are you planning on leaving too soon~?" The boy in before him lifted his right hand slightly.

Before he could take a step to back away,

Triiiieek-!

Something stabbed him from behind.

"It's been around many years since the last time I've been able to feel the soul of a someone, consuming their fear and their very self~ Oh how much I've missed this feeling!" The boy chuckled as the strings around him began tighten, "Hnn~ I thank you for this meal. I'll make sure to savor your taste~!"

As soon as he said this, the part where Roche got stabbed began to turn black as if his body was slowly getting corrupted. He tried to pull himself from the spike, but then a bloody hand pulled his shoulder down, that made the spike penetrate more deeper.

He tried to scream, however, when a new hand emerge once again from the ground and ripped his jaw off. At that point, few more hands emerge from the bloody grass as it began reaping, twisting and pulling some of his body parts off his body.

"He-her (help)!" He tried to speak, but he couldn't speak his sentence properly. It was as if he was a baby who just started learning how to speak.

"We still have a few more time to spare~ There's no need for you to leave."

"Hnnn!!!"

Suddenly, his eyes popped out as it spilled blood on the ground. He tried to scream loudly, but due to his already damaged vocal cord, he couldn't. His body was infested with worms, some got out from his throat, ears, nose and even from his empty socket.

It was eating him from inside.

And yet, he couldn't do anything about it.

The pain he felt was insufferable.

He wanted to call out for someone's help,

Splurt-!

But no one could hear even his slightest scream.

-Kiiieek!

More and more worms popped out inside his body.

Right now, he felt fear.

"Hnnnnnn!!!!!"

Not just any normal fear, no...

He tried to raise his hands, but the bloody hands didn't let him go.

"You seem to be enjoying it, aren't ya~?" The grin in the boy's mouth widened that all of his teeth were shown outside. From this point, he couldn't be described as 'Perfect', for it would be more accurate to call him a devil.

It was pure dread.

"Let's play more longer. I'll be careful not to break you~"

Before he could move his fingers, he heard a voice inside his mind.

«Oy, make it quick. I still have more things to do later.»

It was a message sent by Deus.

"*Sigh...* Fine."

And so, the torture continues.

***

-Why are they both just standing there doing nothing?

This was a question that the people asked seeing the two do nothing except for stare at each other.

-Can you both just fight already? You guys are just wasting our time!

-Yeah! The referee already started the match few minutes ago, yet none of you moved a muscle nor tried to attack each other.

Hearing the complains of the viewers, the referee panicked as he teleported inside the barrier to talk to Deus.

"Hey kid, here's the thing. If you both stood there without doing anything after a couple more minutes, both of you guys will be disqualified." He whispered in his ear. However, Deus ignored this as he continues to stare at Roche.

Because of this, the referee got slightly annoyed. He was about to start talking when he suddenly heard a loud bursting noise from the distance.

-Triiiiek!

-Splurt!

Roche slowly flew up in the air and stayed there. His body began to crack as if every bone of his body was getting twisted apart. His eyes were white, blood slowly gushing out from his mouth and ears. He look as if he was possessed.

-Kyaaaaaa!

-Wh-what the hell!?

The people who was watching this scene suddenly grimaced.

Even Lumine who was silently watching from above looked at the scene in fear and disgust.

"What is happening to him...?" Lumine asked herself.

"H-hey..." The referee became speechless, but he managed to recover quickly than the others. "Oy! What's happening to him?! You know that you can't kill someone in the match, if you do, you'll get disqualified and worse, you might get kicked out of the academy!" He tried his best to stop Deus from what he was doing, however, Deus just remained quiet.

-Splurt!

After a few seconds, Roche finally fell down on the ground.

-Thud!

The people and the referee were stunned from what happened as they went silent.

While this happen, "What kind of gift does he meant by doing this?" Deus shaked his head lightly as he looked at Roche's body that was laying on the ground.

Without further ado, he sighed and walk toward Roche with an impassive expression. Deus crouched down, grabbing Roche's hair and lifting his head up. He looked at him straight in the eyes and said in a whisper, "You still have to do your job. Don't disappoint me."

And so, after recovering from his shock, the referee began to announce the winner of this match.

"The winner goes to-"

"I give up my match."

But before the referee could even finish, Deus cut him short by speaking up, making the poor guy go silent.

"...Give Up...? But-??"

He didn't wait for him to continue as he left the arena in complete silence. Deus ignored the people shouting around him saying that his attitude was quite arrogant.

He also ignored the direction of Alicia and Chloe from where they are earlier.

He was just... Silent.

"Why did you gave up?" Stopping in front of him, Arthur asked, "I thought you wanted to win this to fight me, so why did you gave up your fight even though it was clear that you are the winner of the match?"

Arthur's curiosity reached it's peak. He started doubting that Deus was planning something he didn't know due to what happened earlier when he was about to enter his match.

He didn't know what that is, however, something is telling him that it'll be answered soon.

Unexpectedly, the side of Deus' lips curled up into a smile. It wasn't the same helpless or forced smile he usually show.

"No..."

For some reason when he heard him spoke, he felt something crawling up from his behind.

He didn't know if he was imagining,

"!!?"

but at that moment, Athan's face overlaps a boy with white hair and red eyes he met in the past.

"Let's just say that I'm saving the best for last." Deus spoke, his hair fluttering through the gentle breeze.

----

Few hours zipped by.

It was now night.

-Thud!

"Michael! Why do you not care about what happened to Roche!? Isn't he supposed to be our little brother?" Lilian slammed her hands to the table in anger. However, Michael merely raised his head up slowly to look at her, while completely indifferent.

"So what?" The side of his lips slowly curled up into a satisfied smile, "That'll only make things quick. I don't care what happened to the two of you even if you guys die, but instead, I'll be happy with that outcome. So don't bother scolding me with such useless things."

When Lilian heard his words, she gritted her teeth before turning around.

"I hope that you die!" She said, stumping her foot strongly as she walked out of the room.

After Lilian left in anger, she slammed the door behind her and went outside to take a quick walk.

As soon as she left, a shadowy figure emerge from the darkness inside Michael's room. He noticed this and leaned to his seat.

"You mentioned something in your letter earlier about wanting to quit this job, right? Is there a proper reason why?" Michael took out a letter from his drawer and placed it on the table.

Shadow nodded his head in response to his question, "No reason at all. I just want to take a vacation on doing a lot dirty work. It's just really tiring..." He took a seat.

"If you say so, why don't you just ask for temporary leave? You're a useful asset I have and I would immediately approve this."

"Mmm..." Shadow shook his head, "I still have few major problems I have fix. And unfortunately, it would be quick this way."

When Michael saw his determination, he shaked his head and heaved out a sigh in defeat.

"Haaa.... If that's what you want, I'll let you leave. However, you have to remember that you're still welcome to join me once you're done dealing with your 'problems'."

While Michael says this, he placed a wine and made a hand gesture as if he wanted Shadow take it.

"...."

"...."

It was quiet.

"Uh... Aren't you--"

"What is manipulation exactly?"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Shadow cut him short by speaking up. Although Michael wanted to ask him why he was talking about this, he decided to play his game for the last time.

"Hmm," Michael thought for a bit in silent, "Manipulation? Isn't controlling someone part of manipulation?"

"Technically, yes. But... What does it mean to you?"

"... I don't know. Do you?"

Shadow sighed, then proceeds to stand up before he spoke, "The art of manipulation is an powerful technique that had been used since the ancient time to gain control over others and to accomplish one's goals."

When he was done speaking, "You just repeated what I said..." Michael looked at him slightly annoyed. However, Shadow ignored this as he continued.

"It can be used for good or evil, to benefit others or to benefit oneself. The purpose and methods of manipulation are up to the manipulator, but there are certain basic principles which should always be kept in mind when using manipulation as a tool. It is important to know what one is trying to accomplish using manipulation, and to know the best way to do so. It is also important to be careful when manipulating others and consider all the potential consequences of one's actions."

After he was done, he turned to look Michael direction. He was frowning, probably because he was confused why Shadow was mentioning this to him.

"...."

Taking the glass of wine that was given by Michael, Shadow took a sip before returning his attention back to him and saying, "I'll make this an example, If you put one frog in hot boiling water, the frog will jump out, right?"

"Hmm.... Well, of course."

"However, if you heat the water very slowly, the frog will remain still. It won't notice that the water is gradually warming up, and once it do, it's already too late."

Michael then gave him weak nod as a response.

"Similar comparison can be made to us humans, you must prepare, move cautiously, maintaining composure, and slowly putting them to corner. And they won't notice when you gradually cornered them..."

"I see... What you said make sense, but can you just get straight to the point?"

Sighing, Shadow once again took a sip at my wine and sighed deeply, "I guess you don't really get it at all...."

He walked forward toward the mirror and looked at the bright moon outside.

"But still, allow me to demonstrate."

-Taaack!

Suddenly, after he said this, Michael dropped his glass of wine as it shattered on the ground. He backed away as he felt his body losing it's strength.

"Y-You! What did yo- Guah!?"

At the same time after I said that, he suddenly spew out blood from his mouth and fell on his knees, looking at him completely shocked from what is happening right now.

"Y-you!! You betrayed m-- Huk!!"

Shadow then proceeds to kick his face, cutting his sentence short.

"«Law 3, CONCEAL YOUR INTENTIONS»"

Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelop them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late...

Removing his mask, his face began to twist itself. Slowly, his body became short snd turned into a small child in a matter of seconds.

His black cloak fell on the floor, revealing a face of a child who looked no older than 12 to 13 years old.

He had a messy ashy-brown hair that was cut short up until his shoulder, a bright aquamarine eyes that was almost comparable to the sea.

He was tall, lean and had perfectly broad shoulders.

"You should be glad you're about to die in my hands and not to Athan. Or else, you'll experience far worse than this..."

This boy was none other than Deus himself.

-Thud!

Once Michael finally fell unconscious, Deus drank his wine and threw the glass on the ground. He walked toward Michael's corpse and abruptly stopped to look at him briefly.

"...."

While doing so, he suddenly had a flashback about what happened after Athan found out that someone tried to hurt his older brother.

"It's your fault for trying to hurt Athena... If your stupid little brother was the only one at fault, this would have never have happened to you in the first place."

Deus crouched down and thought back about what he accidentally saw from Athan's previous life memory.

For the guy who tried to assassinate his older brother he utterly destroyed his mentally without resorting in any violence, that the guy ended up committing suicide after going to a mental hospital.

Truthfully, Athan is not just special just because he's mentally strong, physically strong, smart in a whole new level above geniuses, talented that he can learn through his observation without even needing much training, no... It was because he was on another level when it comes to understanding someone, however, he could never understood himself.

When he found out that the guy was about to proceed to his plan, he knew that at that moment, something awakened inside him.

It was none other than his alter ego.

After getting consumed by his emotions for the first time in those brief second, he destroyed someone's life without even lifting a finger.

Three words.

This was all he needs to destroy someone... Anyone.

"I'm really lucky that he's not the kind of person who always lose himself in his emotions." He sighed deeply, turning his attention back to look at Michael's corpse.

"His body is still useful. I guess it would be a waste to just throw it out." Saying this, Deus raised his arm and casted something.

In a matter of second, a black fog manifested in Michael's body, entering his mouth, nose and ear.

Michael's body shook uncontrollably as this happen before stopping after a few moments.

"Stand up." Deus ordered as he turned around to face the window. And then, Michael suddenly stand up from the ground.

The once dead corpse was standing up as if none of that ever happened. Though, one thing that was noticable was that his eyes looked dead, with it's shine had been lost, Michael stared at Deus emotionlessly.

"Do what you have to do."

When Deus said this, he took a lighter and light the room on fire while covering the whole room with barrier, so that the fire won't spread out. Michael nodded his head and walked out of the room just as he ordered.

At the same time,

"Ugh... I can't sleep."

Lumine could be seen walking around the corridor.

"Damnit! Just where did that guy disappeared into after surrending his match?" She asked herself, recalling back Deus' fight. Suddenly, her face became twisted.

When she was about to knock onto Arthur's room, she suddenly noticed someone walking toward her direction.

It was...

"What do you want from me again, Michael?"

...

..

.

While this happened, Lilian was finally able to calm down as she returned to Michael's room, "Damnit! He's our big brother and yet, he act indifferent about what happened to Roche..."

When she raised her head, she suddenly noticed a familiar figure walking pass her. Out of curiosity, she then turned around to see who it was.

"Athan..."

.....

....

...

In the morning, after waking up, Athan went to the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror.

Touching his face, he looked at his reflection with a small smile.

"I'm finally back..."