20 Not So Different From Our Hell

An empathic red began to ripple out in the blue shine of the night. Clouds were forced to leave and the gales were pushed to the heaven's reefs.

The moment the bowgun bolt reached the proximity of the demon in red, it was shattered into fluttering ashes until the rest dispersed into nothing of distinguishable form.

The demon within the centerpiece of the rippling red could be described as obnoxious, fear inducing, giving every eyes of Manic Puppets that glanced the slightest of its form to burn into blindness.

It was a humanoid entity in a charcoal black long trench coat. Both hands were hidden within the waist pockets, leaving a commandeering, eerie phosphorous red with the shape of a vertical line partially within a broken crescent-moon circle floating in place of its neckless head.

As that entity gazed upon a crowd of puppets whose eyes were taken away from noticing its existence, an intense pressure was emitted from a rippling red halo.

All if not most of the lesser puppets were crushed under their own weights. Like a reverse star that heats and repels everything away from it, there were only a handful of Manic Puppets who were able maintain their posture.

And a single, wretched healer — coated in blinding green hue, who flung himself to the sky by Overhealing the flames attached to his eyes onto his soles and palms as propelling thrusters.

Lothair's war cry was supposed to reverberate into the night, but it was overwhelmed by the loud churning sound of the flaming halo akin to the surface of the star.

With how close he was in his trajectory to the demon in red, his ears were torn multiple times in such a short amount of time. His sense of touch was coated by nothing but extreme heat, along with the never spark that kept lighting his eyes on fire — Lothair was only left with his instinct to navigate into the battle sky, as he constantly healed himself from disintegrating into ashes.

A large bone scythe sprouted from Lothair's left hand bigger than the size of the weathered glade. It was immediately, ragingly swung at the demon in red — he swung that ridiculously massive thing so hard, that his left arm and shoulder was ripped away due to the immense weight of the scythe.

However, that attack was completely avoided by the demon in red, leaving the gargantuan scythe to sweep a massive chunk of the forest away from their roots.

"I see, when they say that you're one unhinged monster, I didn't think that you would be this aggressive." A sensible calm voice was displayed by the nonchalant godly entity, like that of a businessman hiding his fangs behind a facade. "In case you haven't been informed of me, I'm the Overlord of Riveting Flame, Vista, it's much pleasant to be acquaintance with you-"

Just as the Vista extended his arm for a handshake, another gargantuan bone weaponry in the form of a hammer was swung upward like an uppercut.

Once again, that giant object was completely avoided by the demon in red, as if he slinked away into a hidden space for a moment before reappearing again.

"Not that much of a social demon, aren't you?" The Overlord then realized that the formation of his rippling halo was disturbed by the mountain-sized hammer, gleaming in thick zapping outlines of green.

With the heat decreased in temperature, Lothair was able to completely heal all of his body parts. He then boosted himself towards the upside-down surface of the suspended greenish hammer in the sky, before descending like a falling star as hundreds of spears were created from the reverse platform of bones.

"You have potential." Vista cackled. "But you're too hasty."

The Overlord snapped his finger.

Seeing the gesture, Lothair immediately shifted his course of trajectory onto the top of the mountainous hammer. Alongside the thousands of spears were giant pillars being extended to the ground at an erratic traveling speed — ignoring the Overlord who made himself comfy in the shade.

When Lothair reached the top, he immediately equipped himself with his specialized priest gown.

Heart was stabbed, veins were punctured, guts — and then livers were twisted the very moment he equipped that piece of clothing.

What was coming after Lothair and the entirety of the blue forest was a falling 'star'. Surfing down like a comet invited for a tea party, the insurmountably huge projectile was beaming in white shine.

"Overheal Series." Lothair put both his hands to the sky. Using his bone as the source material, he began to push a huge amount of duplicative healing factor — what looked like a piece of plate began to expand in width and density. "Reverse — Panopticon!"

Block by block, the sky was devoured by the immaculate shade. What was supposed to be the making of protective dome to protect the entire area was beginning to look like a scenery out of an apocalypse from the eyes of the critters of the blue forest.

And then a sharp thump, as the dome fully shut itself from the outside world beyond the isolated forest. Lothair had essentially created what could be called a Nuclear Bunker with the size of a city.

"Haah… hahaha… Now I barely have enough Ayin reserve..."

A reddish hue flashed from the corner of his sight.

Before Lothair knew it, Vista had already dug the heel of his shoe against Lothair's chin. It was almost instantaneous. The power behind that perfectly vertical thrusting kick was also strong enough to instantaneously plant Lothair's head beneath the protective dome.

Not even taking a single break, Vista had already appeared again in the air in front of the stuffed Lothair. He then grabbed Lothair's leg before pulling him out like a forest vine, and dunking him downward towards his very own creation.

The sheer force from that throw was enough to pierce the mountain-size hammer, splitting it into two as Lothair appeared on the other side.

Right before Lothair disastrously kissed the ground, Vista appeared once again. This time, with his leg hurled towards Lothair's stomach.

At the same time, Lothair had already hurled a weapon of his own. A dagger, small enough that the Overlord didn't notice it. With his face shifting into a singular giant red eye, he embraced the next impact while eyeing Vista's chest.

Then a clash.

The dagger successfully inflicted a considerable amount of damage on the Vista torso, marking an X-shaped wound as red flames began to try escaping from the crevice.

Simultaneously, Lothair was flung back to one of the bone pillars that holds the formerly just hammer upright.

And then passed through it.

To the edge of the surface of the inner layer of the protective dome once again.

Before Lothair could do anything, Vista reappeared in front of him once again. This time however, he didn't launch any kind of attack, signifying his peaceful intent for the moment.

"... Not bad." Vista giggled, clapping both of his gloved hands. "Your willpower prevailed the amount of pain that you, and I, inflicted on your mortal vessel. What a masochistic cacophony!"

"I… take that… as a compliment… Heh." A snicker danced through Lothair's cheek.

"You have the potential to become an Overlord, Holy Witch, but it's too early for you to do anything with your current green trick." The wound that was supposed to be non-regenerable was recovered in an instant of a fiery flicker. "Playing war is not your best suit. If you want to hasten the progress, you need to focus on other things besides conquest and battle."

The falling 'star' finally landed, inflicting a disastrous tremor to the inside of the Reverse Panopticon.

It lasted for more than five minutes. Lothair, who was planted right beneath the protective layer, was experiencing the most turbulent massage in his entire life.

After it was over, Vista continued his speech as if nothing happened.

"I suppose I could give you more detailed advice for a demon of your size. Though, any questions gnawing your mind, little witch?"

"What do you want with me…?"

"What do I want with you?" Vista snorted. "You asking that, to an Overlord? Obviously, for no particular reason, of course!"

"I see, ahaha. You Overlords are always like that… you come and go carrying the slightest meaning behind you. You leave a trail of destruction just because you can. All of you are unchained, unleashed, and unfathomably — unequally annoying in my eyes."

"Good, you already possessed the right mindset." Vista turned around, showing his back to Lothair. "But you don't have the same level of detachment we possessed."

Albeit crude and fiery, Vista moved with grace and airiness. Despite the flaming visage and unfathomable demeanor, he seemed lighter than anything in this world — unbound by anything. Contrary to his earlier impression of oppressive playfulness, an image of freedom from all worldly longings accompanied every afloat steps that he took.

And, with just a wave of his arm…

The whole Reverse Panopticon that Lothair painstakingly built was cleanly disintegrated.

What followed it after, was an enmass of prismatic flame on every corner that eyes could see.

"You looked like you were free, but deep inside, your uncertainty made you stop doing what you enjoy, for the sole purpose of achieving a single worthless title. Have you perhaps misunderstood the meaning behind your goal?

"To be an Overlord means to be the freest demon in this vast and bountiful continent. Yet, you haven't freed yourself from your own very limitations of the mind." Vista pointed at his flaming head. "'Kill Your Very Demon'. Everything starts with here, and everything will end here. Do yourself a favor, and take my advice to heart."

The Overlord of Riveting Flame vanished without notice…

Leaving an eternal world of blistering heat, scorching the very lungs of every inhabitant.

It was the last thing that Lothair saw before the unknown force that kept him afloat disappeared, letting his body fall motionlessly to the colorful sea of life.