Chapter 1.8/Shadows of Paramordial sea

Lugas and Isuki found themselves encircled by a gang of pirate-like robbers, their faces twisted with eerie grins and eyes clouded in deathly hues. The stench of blood lingered in the air, mixing with the salty breeze of the wasteland. The gang's presence reeked of decay — remnants of souls long gone, clinging to a miserable existence. Isuki's heart pounded as those undead eyes fixated on her fragile frame.

One of the hooded men stepped forward, a crooked smile splitting his rotting face. His voice rasped through the silence.

"There would be much fun playing with this little girl... Hey boy, you have a chance—leave now, or we'll tear her apart before your eyes."

He hadn't even finished his vile sentence before a glimmer sliced through the darkness. A small needle, almost invisible to the naked eye, flew with the speed of light. It embedded itself between the man's lifeless eyes. A second later, he crumpled to the ground like a broken puppet.

The rest of the gang froze, their smiles fading into a cold dread.

Without hesitation, Lugas raised his hand, a swirling void crackling into existence — his Paramordial Sea. The air twisted as the black hole expanded, devouring everything in its path. Screams echoed into the abyss, but the vortex showed no mercy. Only the leader of the gang remained, trembling as the shadows wrapped around him.

The man glanced around in panic. The rotting world around him had shifted. No longer on solid ground, he stood on an endless black ocean — the Paramordial Sea — a realm where time and life lost their meaning.

"Wh-Where am I?" he stammered, his voice shaking.

From the darkness, Lugas emerged — a grin stretched across his face, his eyes gleaming like a demon's.

"I am the King of the Paramordial Sea... and you," Lugas's voice echoed, "are about to experience a death no man can comprehend."

The pirate's breath caught in his throat. The black waves beneath his feet began to rise, slithering like serpents. Before he could scream, the shadows consumed him, tearing his soul apart inch by inch. His death would be far from peaceful — a slow, maddening descent into eternal nothingness.

Back in the real world, only six remained. Lugas turned toward the gang leader, his voice a low growl.

"You wanted to play with Isuki?" He stepped forward, his shadow stretching long in the flickering moonlight. "Then let's play... Zukiha."

The leader's eyes widened at the mention of his name — a cursed name whispered across countless blood-soaked lands.

With a snap of his fingers, Lugas summoned a small, black shard from the corpse of Mentos, the gang's fallen member. The shard flickered to life, replaying the memory of the soul's last moments — the instant Uzi had been annihilated without a chance of reincarnation. Zukiha's breath quickened as he realized what he was seeing.

"No... not soul destruction..."

Lugas's grin deepened.

"Yes... soul destruction."

The remaining thugs froze in terror, but their panic only fueled Lugas's sadistic delight. He raised his hand, and with a single flick, he detonated their bodies like bombs, reducing them to bloody mist. Their souls never even had a chance to flee — swallowed whole by the infinite black void.

When the carnage was done, Isuki turned to Lugas, her voice trembling.

"Lugas... where did they go?"

He smirked, wiping blood from his cheek.

"I don't know... Maybe it's the beast's work."

Isuki glared at him, frustration flickering in her eyes.

"You always hide things from me..."

Lugas leaned close, his cold hand brushing her ear.

"Don't worry... You're not alone. I will never leave you."

His voice was soft, but there was something darker lurking beneath — a promise laced with both comfort and control.

The next day, their journey led them to Lantian City — a once-thriving metropolis, now reduced to a cursed ruin under the rule of demons. Crumbled buildings stretched beneath a blood-red sky, and the air was thick with the scent of death. Shadows crawled along the walls, whispering forgotten nightmares.

As they ventured deeper, a low growl echoed through the silence.

Wolves.

Their glowing eyes flickered from the shadows, watching... waiting.

Without warning, one of the wolf monsters lunged at Lugas — but the beast barely had a chance to touch him before it burst into a spirit ball, disintegrating at a glance. One by one, the wolves emerged from the darkness, surrounding them completely.

Lugas's smirk returned.

"Decovered."

A small black hole opened in his palm — not large enough to devour, but enough to distort space around him. He lunged forward, slashing through the beasts with merciless precision. Isuki fought beside him, her blade flashing through the moonlit ruins.

But as the last wolf fell, a whisper cut through the night.

A cold wind.

A sneak attack.

Isuki barely saw the glint of the blade before it struck — slicing through her shoulder. Blood splattered onto the cracked pavement as she crumpled to the ground.

Lugas's eyes widened — not in fear, but in fury.

Behind them stood two figures — cloaked in shadows, with skeletal hands and bones protruding from their bodies. Their eyes glowed with soulless malice.

"One down," one of them hissed. "Now it's your turn."

Lugas knelt, cradling Isuki's unconscious body. His heart pounded, the weight of her fragile frame stirring something dark within him.

He slowly lifted his head — and for the first time that night, his smile disappeared.

"You shouldn't have touched her."

A black aura began to seep from his body, distorting the air around him.

"You... will never... touch her again."