Stray

For an instant, it was like sunlight shoot into the Abyss.

Countless shining layers of light closed above their heads, getting brighter and brighter. The dark void above everyone’s heads was instantly filled with white light that pierced people’s eyes with pain. The large black cracks were exposed to strong light, and the original auburn appearance of the rocks was revealed for the first time.

Aurorae turned all the blood-red magic glow into a light shield, using all the burning power for defense. Then he took out a weird prop and carefully activated it behind the light shield…

Based on the abyssal magic fluctuations, it seemed to be some kind of advance teleportation prop, but it was no longer important.

Nemo didn’t hold back. Turning the staff horizontally, the black shadow shot away in all directions. He tried to hold up a safe space, but unfortunately failed abjectly.

His cognition wasn’t completely clear yet. Even if he had the top power that a human form could achieve, he wasn’t the “complete Demon King” at the peak of his power. At the moment, Nemo’s dark shadow was becoming more unstable, and under the increasingly intense white light, the darkness melted as quickly as the ice and snow brushed on by heat.

The battlefield was already in chaos.

The lantern blind bugs had no eyesight but could feel the strong aura of destruction from the white light. They stopped attacking at the same time, screeched for their lives, and quickly crawled down.

Their stout limbs twisted frantically, causing boulders to fly wildly and sharp rocks exploded and scattered everywhere. Under the hurried guard of the soldiers, the people of the reconnaissance team couldn’t help but raise their heads, squinted their eyes, and looked at the bright brilliance wrapped in the aura of destruction.

Preceptor Felix took in a cold breath. His brain was numb, as if he had been hit on the head by a hammer.

Felix and the leader of the Mooney Sect recognized their enemy. Having existed for thousands of years, the mysterious and odd Demon Slayer Aurorae had set a deadly trap in which they would all perish.

They had long forgotten about it, but Aurorae still remembered and turned it into a weapon…

Hundreds of sleeping destruction formations were all composed of extremely lethal erosion spells.

The original expeditionary army feared the Demon King could crawl out and use the teleportation array, or paranoid that some other dangerous power would design some way to release the Demon King that thousands of years ago, the surface race built a group of destruction array on the lower part of the Abyss. They would automatically activate if the Demon King tried to climb up from the bottom of the Abyss after it reached a certain height.

Unfortunately, for demons at the level of the Demon King, the effect of the spell was more inclined as a warning and suppression than to kill.

The powerful destruction formation couldn’t really hurt the Demon King, but the majestic surface power was enough to make it choose another way because of discomfort, like a strong light used to dispel a beast that enjoyed darkness.

But for other surface races, that power was enough to destroy all hopes of survival.

It was normal when one thought about it. In order not to let the danger leak, just sacrificing a few surface teams was really a good deal.

Unfortunately, for thousands of years, the Demon King had been quietly guarding the bottom of the Abyss and had never triggered it. The surface didn’t have the opportunity to recharge these magic arrays, so over time, this group of destruction magic became lines of text in an old, ancient book.

The Preceptor clenched his teeth and tasted blood from his mouth. Even if he had faced superior demons on the surface and experienced countless dangerous and crazy battles before, he had never given up hope.

It was the first time he felt desperation from the bottom of his heart. Felix closed his eyes desperately, nailed to the spot by the biting chill.

The time left for them wasn’t even ten minutes, and it was impossible for the reconnaissance team to repair the teleportation array, or just rely on the dragon to leave the area of influence of the destruction array.

Aurorae calculated everything in advance.

The magic array that has been sleeping for thousands of years was difficult to start immediately, so Aurorae took advantage of the approach of the underground Demon King to trigger the arrays and stall the reconnaissance team.

Perhaps it was the tacit understanding between demons, or maybe it was because Aurorae knew some special information, but the Demon King was uncharacteristically attracted by the battle and rushed straight at them.

Until it was close enough to trigger the magic array.

It seemed that Karapan from the Mooney Sect wasn’t so old that he was delirious. The terrifying aura that could make the destruction array react like this, which was quickly approaching, undoubtedly belonged to the Demon King.

Everything was coming to an end.

The Preceptor Bishop raised his eyes. His complicated gaze swept across the two young mercenaries of Horizon and finally stopped on the members of Tumbleweed who were still fighting.

…It was a pity about these young geniuses.

Dozens of meters away.

Having only acquired the knowledge in the Abyssal Church collection, Nemo wasn’t sure of the details of the destruction spell, but according to the current situation, he could form a rough guess— The surface should have made some kind of protection against the Demon King, and Aurorae took advantage of it.

Because this surging force undoubtedly belonged to the surface.

Nemo didn’t know if he could escape from this power, but since the Demon King hadn’t been completely killed so far, he most likely would survive.

But he knew Oliver may not be able to, and Debby certainly wouldn’t.

The lover who has been with him all the time, the loved one who clamored to protect him before they set out, the person he held dear would turn into dust in this light. The reconnaissance team would be annihilated here and if Mr. Cross in the distance haven’t been able to leave…

‘How weird,’ Nemo thought to himself. There was still ten minutes at most before this place would be complete razed to the ground. His lover and companions were facing a dead end, but the initial panic in the moment had disappeared.

Perhaps because he already had a solution in his heart.

Since realizing that he was the Demon King and successfully liberated part of his power, Nemo had become good at calculating these things. It stood to reason that he should feel sad, angry, and desperate at this moment.

Yet right now he was filled with a strong sense of reluctance within him, as well as a fear that could corrode his internal organs.

“Ollie, come here,” Nemo called softly.

Oliver’s face was still full of anxiety, and he was busy commanding the gray mist, trying to erect some kind of shield, but they all understood that the unprepared power was still too fragile before this heavy breath of destruction.

As strong as they were, they may not be defeated and wouldn’t die as a result, but they also couldn’t protect anyone. If there was enough time, maybe the two of them could still find a solution with the least sacrifice, but now they were…

Oliver dashed back to Nemo.

Nemo had never looked at him so seriously— His lover’s face was pale and his forehead was full of sweat, but there was still some kind of hope burning at the bottom of his eyes.

His Great Hero.

“It’s okay, Ollie.” Nemo spoke as calmly as possible, hiding the bitterness in his tone. “I have a way.”

Oliver’s eyes lit up and he breathed out fiercely. “What do you need me to do?”

No matter how painful and anxious his gaze was, when they looked at him, those eyes were always gentle.

Nemo opened his mouth, as if a poisonous thorn was stuck in his throat. He couldn’t spit out the answer directly. Ulysses was getting closer to them, and the scorching light above his head was almost devouring everything. He didn’t have time to be sentimental here.

As if trying to escape from a desperate situation for a few seconds, Nemo glanced around.

Godwin was setting up a protective formation in no disorderly manner, delaying the time for the white light to come down. Debby tried her best to use magic to treat people who were burned by the light. The dragon spread its wings and protected its head and the entire reconnaissance team under its wings. Although they couldn’t see any hope of survival, they hadn’t given up yet.

If he chose to watch and protect himself at this moment, maybe he and Oliver could survive and go back together, but it would only be the two of them who would go back alive.

God knows how much he wanted to return to the surface right now, and Nemo had never wanted to see the sun again like he did in this very moment.

Nemo thought he wasn’t the type who had the courage to sacrifice himself. During his time as “Nemo Light”, most of the time, he was just a weak and ordinary person.

If he were still the Nemo Light who had just stepped out of Roadside Town, he would be carefree and had no strong attachment to “life” itself. He wouldn’t have any complaints if he chose to give his life for the survival of his companions.

He used to like to give up like that.

But…

Nemo turned his gaze back to Oliver’s face and forced himself to squeeze the words out of his throat. “Do what you always do. Make the right choice and try to keep everyone alive. You will, right?”

He said as gently as possible, looking seriously into the other person’s emerald eyes.

Oliver remained silent. His lover seemed to be aware of something. For the first time in so long, Nemo saw panic on Oliver’s face.

But he must continue.

“The teleportation array is still there, and I can use the remnants of the circuits inside. I can’t directly split the abyss and the surface, but I still remember the coordinates of Return Town. Return Town is within the Abyss.”

“Yes, you can create a spatial rift.” Oliver licked his lips nervously. His face was becoming paler.

“Spatial rifts require clear coordinates on both sides, Ollie. Now I only know the coordinates of the end point, and the force collision here is too intense, and it needs to be adjusted at any time.”

“I can help you; I tore open the space in the Great Isamel Labyrinth—”

Oliver quickly interrupted Nemo’s words, his lower lip trembling slightly. Like that would be a way to deny what was about to happen.

“Yes, but that’s when everything is calm. The current situation… Well, anyway, I will help you locate the coordinates on both sides, you just need to tear the space apart.”

Nemo continued cruelly, stroking the Oliver’s cheek with one hand, and wiping the dirt and sweat with trembling fingers.

“But you just said that under the influence of power, the coordinates here cannot be simply positioned…”

“Yes.”

In the ever-brighter brilliance of the destruction array, Nemo sighed.

“…but I can stay here and use myself as a coordinate.”

The world around them was collapsing rapidly, and all colors gradually faded in the dazzling white, and then disappeared. Nemo could no longer maintain the calm on his face. His lover may well have guessed what he was thinking…

Oliver stood in front of him, looking fragile and in a daze. Strong power fluctuations still entangled the Rest in Peace, but it seemed that a gust of wind could turn him into dust.

This was the first time Nemo saw Oliver shed tears directly.

Oliver didn’t make a sound, tears kept dripping down his cheeks, his gaze sad and desperate. He opened his mouth slightly but failed to say anything successfully. He grabbed Nemo’s hand on his cheek and held it tightly.

“Ollie, you know who I am, you know I won’t die. This is so that everyone can survive.”

Nemo continued with difficulty, he tried to pull out a smile, but failed.

He wouldn’t really “die” in the true sense, but no one would know what would happen next— At least Nemo knew very well if the body was completely destroyed in this kind of place, and the “Demon King state” of the last battle with Witherspoon appears, what will happen next won’t be a good thing.

If that memory was restored in this way.

If he woke up again and is the complete Demon King.

If the “former self” plan had come to an end…

This time Nemo didn’t raise his staff. He stretched out his right hand. The red dragon that shrank into a ball was entangled in the dark shadow and it was pulled over together with the stone platform carrying the reconnaissance team.

The black shadow penetrated into the lines of the teleportation array, forcibly adding new lines, and kept surging. After the unpleasant tearing sound, an irregular dark gap appeared out of thin air, filled with discord and chaotic powers.

“Ollie, I’ll help you hold up the passage, you need to tear the space along it. Protect the reconnaissance team and protect Debby.”

“I…”

There was finally a choking in Oliver’s voice, and his tone was soaked in despair. He still grasped Nemo’s hand tightly and pressed it to his cheek, shaking badly.

“I want to go back with you,” he said. “You can’t just leave like this, we… I can’t even stay with you, it’s not fair…”

“I know.” Nemo gritted his teeth. “I understand, I have no interest in being a saint, Ollie. I even thought that we could escape regardless of it and remember the death of our loved ones with Aurorae’s head. I don’t want to leave you… I really don’t want to.”

Nemo’s voice also began to tremble badly.

“But you survived the Withered Castle. I couldn’t forgive myself if I hide this solution now. I can’t let you continue to like a selfish and cowardly bastard.”

At least at this moment, he wanted to be the one who could stand by Oliver’s side with a clear conscience.

Oliver didn’t hesitate. Since the moment they met, he had never hesitated on matters about life and death. The gray mist surged into the cracks in the space, tearing out a stable channel in the turbulence. The red dragon shrank his body and led the still unresponsive reconnaissance team into the passage. The aura of destruction has been pressed within five meters above their heads, and it may erupt at any time.

But his Hero’s tears didn’t stop. Oliver moved his lips in vain, trying to say something. Looking at the mouth pattern, he seemed to have a lot to say.

The same goes for him, Nemo thought. This journey was far too short.

He stretched out a hand and gently and firmly pushed Oliver into the rift, adjusting the spatial magic with one hand at any time to ensure that the passage wouldn’t collapse halfway.

Seeing Oliver stepping into the safe area, he tore off the gold pendant on his chest and threw it in Oliver’s direction. “I’m very happy, Ollie. At least until now, I am still Nemo Light from Roadside Town.”

“Nemo…”

“Remember, no matter what happens afterwards, I…”

At this moment, the white light poured down, and Nemo didn’t have time to finish speaking. The explosion was approaching, and he quickly merged the rift in the space in front of him.

Then he was stunned for a few seconds at the empty air in front of him.

“Ollie,” He called subconsciously to no response.

The energy from the closing of the spatial rift was scattered uncontrollably. The original explosion that was less than a minute away seemed to have advanced ahead of schedule. Nemo continued to adjust the spatial magic to maintain the stability of the channel.

It was a lot quieter here all of a sudden.

Nemo finally grasped the staff in his hand and began to tremble uncontrollably.

This time he really learned to fear, and it didn’t feel good at all.

Finally, he got rid of his bad habit of giving up. Now he didn’t want to “die” alone, he didn’t want this feeling to disappear, and he didn’t want to give up his life as a human being.

But he probably won’t have a chance to continue anymore.

He had mustered up the courage to make a choice, but now, fear was about to chew him to pieces.

All along, Nemo always felt that the word “love” was too heavy. He never really said it, and at most replaced it with “like”— like, interest, trust, tacit understanding. Everything accumulated through their shared experience and eventually turned into a heavy love.

Oliver had never let him down, even in the end. The person he loves didn’t stay stubborn because of a breakdown and didn’t seek destruction capriciously because of loss. Oliver cooperated perfectly with his actions.

He actually knew long ago that no one in this world could ever replace his Hero. Not now, and not ever in the future.

I should have said it sooner. Nemo closed his eyes among the roar that shook heaven and earth.

“…No matter what happens afterwards, I will always love you.”

He said as if talking to himself, and then let out a small sigh.

In the next second, the world was filled with only pure white light.

In the temporary space passage.

Oliver flew to the front with floating magic, using all his strength to split the razor-sharp turbulence. From time to time, a fish that the net missed would rubbed against his cheek, leaving a bloody gash, but Oliver seemed to have lost the sensation to feel pain. His movements were getting faster.

The dragon dragged the stone platform forward in the calm area behind him.

Godwin suffered severe burns, and Debby turned her back to the direction of advance, holding back her sobs while treating her own bloody wounds.

She raised her eyes inadvertently.

Behind them, the end of the dark space passage began to twist and collapse. The turbulent current surged frantically, and then was filled with stones that were originally there.

The girl stopped her treatment, covered her mouth, and forcibly swallowed a sob.

“Mr— Mr. Ramon,” she warned in a hoarse voice. “The passage is collapsing. We need to hurry. It means that the spellcaster has…”

She couldn’t go on.

In the end, Debby Light didn’t hold back the choking in her voice, crying loudly in the deep darkness.

The author has something to say:

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……..Please don’t hit me.

A little abuse is good for you… A little abuse is good for you (……

Kinky Thoughts:

NEMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!