Killing
The lotus pond high above the temple rippled with ominous golden ripples. Indra was half-submerged in the forbidden waters, chains entwined around his pale limbs like venomous snakes.
A poisonous vine from the abyss pierced his chest, its barbs buried deep in his flesh, wriggling and sucking with his breath. Golden blood, like molten stars, continuously flowed from the wound, dyeing the pool a brilliant amber.
Golden lotuses blossomed on the water's surface, surrounding him, their petals brushing against his drooping eyelashes like a gentle yet cruel funeral. He revealed only a pair of dim golden pupils as he gazed at the clouds drifting overhead.
"Asura is coming to the Heaven Realm!"
Panic cries ripped the temple's silence. The nobles' ornate hems swept across the blood-stained tiles, finally prostrating themselves at the edge of the lotus pond. The leader pressed his forehead against the cold ground, his voice sharp as a blade: "Prince! That Asura is a demon from the abyss—he tore apart Master Shanfatian's soul! Now, only you can..."
"You need a scapegoat." Indra's voice floated out from the lotus bushes, with a chuckle that rippling like water. "I want to water your cowardice with my blood, don't I?"
The noble suddenly looked up, the mask of respect on his face shattering. "When accepting offerings, one should be prepared to make sacrifices! That demon hates you the most. Why not use your life to exchange for peace in the heavens?"
His golden pupils flickered slightly between the lotus leaves. Indra stared at the man's distorted face, and suddenly the chains clashed with a crisp sound. The poisonous vines wrapped around his chest tightened, and more golden blood gushed out, blooming a new lotus on the water's surface.
"If I die," he chuckled breathlessly, "who will be the next one you push to take the blame?"
Suddenly, a loud noise erupted from outside the hall. The bronze door collapsed, and a dark figure approached, treading on flames. Its horned helmet shattered, its claws dripping blood, and each step Ashura took left a etched mark on the floor tiles.
The noble screamed and retreated, only to see the demon walk straight towards the lotus pond. The poison ivy, sensing the murderous aura, squirmed wildly, but instantly withered and died when the demon's claw plunged into the water. The chain shattered into stardust in Ashura's palm.
"Indra! I finally found you." Ashura's hoarse voice brushed past Indra's ear. His ghostly claws grasped the back of his neck and lifted him from the water. Golden blood flowed down his pale body, dripping onto the crumbling floor tiles, forming new lotus flowers.
"I've been waiting for you too, my God of War Ashura."
Indra looked up at the other's scarlet eyes, and suddenly touched Asura's broken horn helmet with his blood-stained fingertips: "You devoured Shanfatian's soul?"
"He touched you." Ashura bared his fangs and his tongue brushed across the bruises left by the shackles on Indra's wrists. "Here... and here." The ghost claws stroked the bleeding chest wound, and the golden blood actually flowed back under the flesh.
Outside the palace, the dying wails of nobles could be heard. Indra, however, laughed out loud, letting Asura's sharp teeth tear away the remaining poison ivy thorns on his neck.
"They said you hated me." He sighed and hugged the demon's neck.
Asura carried the person away from the blood pool completely, allowing the newly born golden lotuses to spread wildly under his feet.
"Hate?" The demon leaned over and licked the water droplets on his eyelashes. "You did betray me. And I, Ashura, have never been one to distinguish right from wrong. What I mean is... I don't care how you deceive and use me. I just want you by my side."
"Can even this be written off?" Indra let out a laugh that sounded like a sigh. He raised his hand, pointing at the terrified celestial beings surrounding him, and said, "What about them? Are you going to kill them all, too?"
"So, are you a devil or justice now? What are you doing this for, Ashura?"
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