Blood mixed with mud fell from the sky like a torrential downpour.
Kneeling on the ground, Rachel was like an empty shell with her soul ripped out, staring blankly at everything in front of her.
"If you wish to continue on this path, I can take you to see my master," the raven-feathered woman said softly, gazing at the blood mist filling the sky.
Rachel moved; she got up and slowly made her way toward the center of the explosion.
The woman with raven feathers frowned and said behind her, "If I were you, I wouldn't even think about going there..."
Rachel seemed not to hear and continued walking towards the blood pit.
The woman with raven feathers sighed and followed in her footsteps.
At the very center of the explosion was a small pond filled with blood, bone fragments, and bits of flesh. Nothing resembling human form could be seen inside.
Without any regard for the filth and filth in the pool, Rachel stepped into the 'blood pool' and began to feel around with her hands.
The woman with raven feathers shook her head and advised, "No one could have survived such an explosion..."
“I am connected to his soul. If he dies, I will know…” Rachel said softly, her eyes searching blankly.
Upon hearing the term "soul link," the Raven Feather Woman blinked, a strange expression appearing on her face.
After groping around for a while, Rachel's eyes suddenly lit up, and she plunged into the pool of blood, remaining submerged for a full ten seconds.
With a whoosh!
Two figures covered in blood struggled to climb ashore.
Ignoring the filth covering her body, Rachel pulled the mutilated body to the ground.
The woman with raven feathers leaned closer, glanced at the body, then swallowed hard, closed her eyes, and turned her head away.
It's really hard to call this 'thing' a human being, or even define it as a corpse.
The impact of the explosion tore the body's right arm and left leg off its torso, leaving a huge wound in the chest through which the bright red heart could be faintly seen.
Rachel grabbed the clothes and frantically wiped the blood off the body.
The scales, gleaming with a metallic sheen, gradually came into view, and the owner of this body was about to be revealed—Todd.
Is he still alive?
The woman with raven feathers looked at the trial participant before her and asked uncertainly.
Rachel lay on Todd's chest, listened carefully to the sound, then pried open his mouth and sucked the filth out of him mouth to mouth, little by little, onto the ground.
Half a minute later, Todd took a deep breath and slowly woke up.
With his contorted face and clenched jaws, anyone could tell that this man was enduring immense pain.
Todd opened his mouth slightly and said something, but his voice was too soft for anyone to hear.
Rachel put her ear close to his mouth and waited for a while before she finally heard Todd's request.
"Kill...me..."
Rachel abruptly raised her head, her face filled with shock, and looked at Todd's body. The mutation had taken over his entire body, with only one eye retaining its original human form.
Todd's next words were a little louder: "While I... am still human..."
Rachel picked up Todd's body, first choking back a few sobs, then shaking her head and weeping loudly, her tears washing away the blood on her face and flowing into the ground beneath her feet.
In Todd's eyes, the scene before him began to blur. He stared blankly at the sky and whispered once more, "Anyone... hurry... kill me..."
Rachel wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve, carried Todd's mangled body on her back, struggled to her feet, and with bloodshot eyes, cried out, "He has passed the trials of 'will' and 'strength'! Please save him!"
Looking at the two people before her, the woman with raven feathers gently shook her head: "There is one last trial..."
“Look at him!” Rachel screamed. “Do you think he can fight another battle?!”
The raven-feathered woman turned and walked towards the temple, saying in a low voice, "The final trial, known as the 'Trial of Destiny,' has nothing to do with battle. Come, we have a long way to go."
Carrying Todd on his back, Rachel followed the guide, stumbling along the forest path towards the temple.
She could clearly sense that the man on her back was waging a final battle on the spiritual battlefield between humanity and monster.
That battle was far more brutal and desperate than this trial of 'strength'.
“Todd, do you remember? The first time we met, you deliberately curled up so that your feet wouldn’t face a lady. At that time, I thought, how could there be such a guy in the world…” To divert the attention of the person on her back, Rachel mustered her spirits and forced a smile as she spoke.
“In our interactions after that, I gradually discovered that in this dark and hopeless world, there was a person who could have achieved his ambitions and desires through power and blind faith. In the end, he was willing to give everything he had to everyone.” Rachel seemed to recall something and said with a smile, “The existence of such a person is like that of a savior from another world, who came to redeem us.”
Todd twisted his body, blood slowly flowing from the corner of his mouth onto Rachel's shoulder, muttering something unconsciously.
Feeling the warm liquid on her back, Rachel's tears flowed again: "It turns out... I was right, there really is a savior who came to us from another world. He hates all evil, is hostile to all injustice, and spreads hope and beauty to the world."
“Do you know what I saw in the illusion during the ‘Trial of Will’?” Rachel carried Todd on her back, tears streaming down her face and onto her chest. “I saw a world without you… a world where you never existed. On the church’s stake, dissidents were burned every moment; people turned into demons to fill their stomachs; kings became devils for power. War, famine, plague, and death ravaged the world; hell was everywhere, and humanity was sinking into depravity… So, Todd Fischer, promise me! Don’t die! If you die, this world will become the scene in my nightmare!”
"We've arrived."
The raven-feathered woman pointed to the temple gate and spoke to Rachel.
The latter looked up and saw a stunningly beautiful queen with waist-length purple hair standing on the high platform of the ancient Taro temple, which was covered in moss. She wore a crown of thorns, and her expression was solemn and aloof. Her crimson eyes, which looked at the trial participants, were devoid of any emotion, only coldness and detachment.
The raven-feathered woman slowly crouched down, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and said, "This is my master. She is the Queen of the Shadow Kingdom, the Judge of the Underworld, and the Guardian of the Dark Gate. Her name is 'Scáthach'."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com