The Return of the Demon Emperor 3

"Maybe..."

The Manifested finally spoke, his voice melting like snow under a black sun: "...Is it possible...? Am I just a memory? Am I merely a passing line?"

His voice began to rise, anger evident in his tone: "Am I just a Manifesteddddd?!"

If anger could take form, it would be standing right there in his shape.

"No! No! No! I refuse! I refuse! I refuuuuuuse!"

His aura exploded, choking Karso and splitting his face open. A final scream erupted from the Manifested:

"All my memories?! All my goals?! My entire life—just a teeeeeeest?!"

His voice ruptured Karso's eardrums, yet even though he could no longer hear, he understood the words as if they were being spoken directly into his mind.

"Ha? Hhha? Hahahahaha!"

He burst into laughter, then said:

"No problem. If this is the truth, then I can't run from it. So, I'll simply... stick to my previous strategy!"

He stretched out his arm and said: "Qaz."

His palm opened fully, releasing a flood of water—enough to drown an entire village.

In an instant, the sea bursting from his hand crashed against Carso, who sank and choked immediately, flailing like a weak fish. But the Manifested began closing his fingers, tightening his grip until all the water compressed into a dense sphere around Carso, drowning him, crushing his bones.

But he wasn't done yet.

The water grew hot... then hotter... and even hotter, until it started melting Karso's skin before his eyes. His screams were completely silenced under the immense pressure of the water, until his entire body dissolved within it.

Seconds later, Karso emerged from nothingness once again.

Yet the very moment he appeared, he turned into a cloud of blood and shattered bones.

The Manifested had woven tens of thousands of threads, covering the entire space—so densely that even water was being sliced apart. How could flesh and bone possibly survive?

Again, Carso reappeared. And the moment he did, his body disintegrated into blood once more.

But suddenly, the threads stopped.

This time, when he reappeared, he wasn't instantly obliterated—he was crushed under an overwhelming pressure, crumpling like a tin can.

This cycle continued for hours, with countless methods of killing and torture.

Yet, little by little, Carso began to adapt.

Then, at last... the killing stopped for a moment.

The Manifested spoke in a calm voice:

"Don't worry. I've thought of a better way to resolve this conflict. You, Karso—just surrender. Hand over your body and consciousness to me, let me take control. That way, you'll be free from suffering, and I'll finally get to live in peace. My life will finally have meaning!"

Karsu replied sarcastically while looking at his embodiment:

"Was I really that stupid?! I remember that I was smart."

Karsu's gaze was filled with disgust… not from his embodiment, but from himself. He felt a tightness in his chest, he felt humiliation and insult, he felt that he was very weak. Then Karsu took a deep breath and said:

"These are the first steps of failure… oh me… no, rather, oh embodiment!"

The embodiment laughed a terrifying laugh:

"Heh… himhamhamhama! Are you trying with this to make me angry so that I will come back and kill you?… Alright… you have what you want!"

Then, four very thick ropes emerged and transformed into four cords… each cord went to an extremity of Karsu.

(Although Karsu tried to evade, their speed was faster than sound.)

The embodiment said:

"I am the demonic emperor… or shall I lose myself?!"

Then he continued and said:

"Oh, my peer… do you know what this is?! For we have tortured most of our enemies in this way… sometimes for pleasure, and sometimes for extracting information!"

And a truly diabolical smile spread:

"You know that method of execution… right, Karsu!"

Each rope extended to an extremity of Karsu: his hands, his feet, his head… The ropes began to stretch slowly, deliberately, like a net pulling his body in four opposing directions. Karsu refused to scream, his eyes glaring with hatred and terror while the distances between his joints widened… Then—suddenly—the ropes opened like ravenous mouths!

The sound of flesh tearing traversed the space: shrrrrraq…

Flesh, bones, tendons… everything came apart like torn paper. A leg flew toward the east, an arm rolled in the mud, half a torso clung while its ribs were crushed like a matchstick. Even his head…!

The embodiment said, his voice rolling like a poisoned ball:

"This is our old method… do you not remember? You were the one who designed it for your enemies! I play with your carcass as you played with their souls… hihihihi!"

Karsu's remains fell… a moment of silence… then the accumulation began: blood pooling, bones dancing in the air, flesh weaving itself once again…