Ruins (Conclusion) - Chaos to Comfort

"In the aftermath of destruction, one finds not only corpses, but the remnants of a soul."

The room was wafting with fear and despair, its air thick with the smell of decay and the pungent odor of blood.

Dozens of bodies lay on the floor. Blood had pooled around them, making sticky puddles the reflected the dim light in the room.

These corpses, once full of life, were slowly being chewed up by the monsters crawling around, crunching sounds emerging as the monsters took bites out of their flesh and bones.

There was an uncanny stillness in the room. Everyone was standing with their eyes widened, staring at the figure of the Centipede King.

Just a few moments ago, Sukuna had jumped into its mouth.

The body of the king was moving around, making grinding sounds on the cold stone floor.

Every single movement of its body sent tremors around the whole room, causing the dead bodies to move slightly.

Inside the King's body, there was Sukuna in an extremely uncomfortable position as the creature's muscles threatened to crush him alive.

Despite all this, there was a twisted grin on his face. He had planned the end of this monster.

Sukuna could feel the centipede's heart beating, sending a light vibration throughout its body.

Suddenly, the centipede started to thrash around as it felt the temperature inside its body getting higher.

A fire formed in the centipede's body, spreading throughout its frame, consuming everything in its path.

The creature let out a loud shriek, one which chilled the hearts of the bravest people in the room.

Silvas, barely conscious, lifted his head with difficulty just to witness this spectacle.

The creature's shriek got louder as its exoskeleton started to crack. Bright, orange light escaped through the cracks as the creature thrashed around.

Through the cracks in its exoskeleton came out unrecognizable parts of its body, flowing out like hot lava.

The creature's dreadful screams only intensified as it noticed the heat converging at a single point...on Sukuna's hands.

Inside, Sukuna was enjoying the chaos he had caused, his grin widening as he readied his final attack.

The centipede's muscles convulsed, a final attempt to end Sukuna once and for all.

Sukuna's grin only widened at this discovery, his hand moving in practiced paths as he finally unleashed the firestorm.

The explosion was instant, a violent blast that tore through the centipede's body, its exoskeleton cracking further as its body swelled up.

The cracks widened as a black, thick liquid began to ooze out of them at a quick pace.

The smell of burning flesh filled the room as a sizzling sound emanated from the centipede's figure.

Ultimately, the creature's body couldn't hold on.

With a loud crack, the centipede's body burst open, a violent blast of innards and flesh.

The room was covered in hot blood, burned flesh and shattered pieces of its armor as its body was now reduced to a pool of blood.

The pieces of its armor hit the walls with a loud and shrill clank, creating cracks on the stone.

The creature's insides were laid on the floor in a horrific way.

Coils on intestines were laid bare, tangled with itself. Its flesh was all around the room, charred as if it was grilled.

The bodies of its earlier victims lay around half-destroyed, their flesh mixing with the centipede's.

The blood pooling on the floor still sizzled as it boiled, the heat from the attack still lingering.

Blood reached the ceiling, slowly dripping onto the ground, breaking the tense silence occasionally.

Standing in the middle of this carnage was Sukuna, his body covered in the deep red blood of the creature.

The students, their clothes stained with blood due to the explosion, could only watch in horror as Sukuna slowly walked out.

Sukuna turned around, his gaze meeting the head of the centipede, which was now reduced to a pile of bones.

"You still didn't use your full strength," he admitted, his voice carrying acknowledgement.

He walked towards the pile of bones, burned from his own attack.

"You were a king in your own right, but there is always someone stronger, waiting to claim your throne," He said, his hand touching the bones of the centipede.

His eyes flickered with something akin to admiration as he gave a slight nod.

His hand trembled as he absorbed the Soul of the centipede, which was much bigger than any soul he had previously seen.

He turned away, speaking in a low voice.

"May you find peace."

As soon as those words were said, the ground started to crack, sending some students tumbling to the ground.

The floor opened up, revealing a dark abyss, into which everyone fell.

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(Outside the dungeon...)

The air was thick with tension, the kind that gives the feeling of an upcoming storm.

The family members of the students stuck in the dungeon had revolted, and now had arrived at the Academy grounds demanding their children back.

Many of these were World Nobles, who were extremely angered by the repeated disasters, and had sent a petition to completely remove the Academy from existence.

Blaze, standing at the middle of the revolt, knew that his life was over, all the time he had spent in this Academy would stay as history.

His eyes glinted in despair as he thought of how his life would descend into hellish treatment.

He had offended multiple World Nobles, and that could only mean the worst punishment one could muster.

But even now, he had some hope that his students will we safe, hope that this all will end.

Sounds of clashing metal filled the grounds as the parents tried to get closer to the gate, but were blocked by security personnel.

Sukuna's parents were sitting on chairs a bit far away, their expressions downcast as they prayed for their son's safety.

He was the only source of happiness in their lives, and if he died, then their own lives would become meaningless as well.

Suddenly, a deep rumble echoed across the grounds, momentarily silencing all the people.

Everyone's heads turned to the dungeon gate floating in the air, which had started vibrating, sending tremors across the ground.

With a loud thud, the dungeon gate opened, sending out a torrent of both living and dead bodies falling to the ground.

The corpses of dead students fell to the grass, some landing in twisted heaps, while some sliding across the grass due to the blood.

It was a gruesome spectacle that everyone had to witness.

The parents' panicked eyes searched around the ground for their children, their minds filled with only prayers of their safety.

The ones who found their children alive, cried tears of joy, running to them at full speed.

While the ones who found their children dead, cried tears of despair, running to their corpses at full speed.

Those who couldn't find their children, neither dead nor alive, stood frozen in place, tears rolling down their cheeks as they realized what it means.

The dungeon gate in the air started to shrink, a humming sound resounding from it.

Sukuna fell to the ground, his drenched clothes staining the grass a deep, pure red.

He sighed, his body relaxing in relief as he fell on the grass, closing his eyes for a few seconds.

He pushed himself up, looking for Eva and Nect, his gaze darting across the bloody grounds.

He finally spotted both of them, who were walking, supporting each other.

As he got up to go to them, he noticed a presence to his right. As he turned, he saw the face of his mother, drenched in tears as she jumped on him, tackling him to the floor.

She wrapped her arms around him with all the strength she had, her clothes getting stained a bright red as she clung to him.

"You're...alive," she managed to speak between sobs, her voice cracking with emotion.

"I'm here, mom," he said, his own eyes watering as he saw her gripping him so desperately, as if she would never let go.

His father, who was usually stoic and composed, soon joined them, kneeling beside him as his eyes glinted with tears.

"You're home," he said, his voice breaking as he held back tears. "You survived."

Sukuna felt a lump in his throat, he couldn't get any words out.

His usual, confident demeanor softening as he looked at both his parents.

He felt guilty of making these people worried, his triumphant moment was replaced by this heartfelt satisfaction when he hugged his parents.

It was something unfamiliar for him, a moment of vulnerability, where he felt that he truly was loved.

He fell back to the grass, gazing up at the sky as unshed tears lingered in his eyes.

His mother's hold only tightened on his body.

"I'm sorry...for worrying you," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Sukuna's mother finally pulled back, sitting on her knees as she looked at his with her tear-filled face.

"Sukuna," she said, her voice breaking. "You're strong...we know...but, please, don't make us go through this again."

Sukuna froze as he looked into his mother's eyes. Those eyes were filled with endless love and concern.

He had faced death multiple times, and it didn't affect him in the slightest, but this raw, overwhelming love is what finally broke him down.

Tears fell from his eyes as he took both his parents in his embrace, holding them tight and not letting go.

Eva and Nect, from the side, watched all this, their own eyes tearing up as they witnessed the reunion of a family.

Deep down, they yearned for this love too, but seeing Sukuna so emotional satisfied them.

They had found out that this unreachable, God-like being was human too.

Sukuna, too, had moments of vulnerability.

A small, gentle smile tugged on their lips as they watched the moment, their eyes slightly red but filled with warmth.

They silently walked away, not wanting to disturb the three.

"You should rest," Sukuna's father said, his voice low as he struggled to get words out.

"I'll be fine," Sukuna said, a small smile gracing his lips.

All three of them got up, Sukuna was being supported by his parents, who were holding onto him tight, as if afraid that he might disappear again.

Looking back at the bloodied grounds, he saw many parents crying beside the corpses of their young children, who had died tragically and brutally.

He looked back to his parents, their eyes filled with love that guaranteed unconditional support.

He couldn't help but chuckle as he walked forward.

"I think I've earned an ice-cream?" He said, his grin returning as he heard his parents chuckle as well.

The cries of mourning faded away as they walked.

His gaze drifted to the sky, wondering what events would follow this chaos.

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(Three Days Later — POV: Ryomen Sukuna)

'...and that is the tragic end of the–'

I sighed, switching the television off.

The dungeon was a tragic incident, the lives lost were too many, and the news was nothing but tragedy.

[Report of the Incident]

[Total Casualties: 1157]

[Recovered bodies: 68]

[Alive: 53]

[Injured: 38]

[In Critical Condition: 4]

The numbers flashed in my mind. I felt no sympathy for them, they were just numbers to me, even though they each represent a lost life.

I was sitting on the couch, watching news all day long, trying to find something new.

But, all the news channels were filled with only two things – the permanent closure of the academy and the imprisonment of Blaze.

Blaze was a good-hearted person, being imprisoned for life is something he doesn't deserve.

He was stripped of everything. The people he believed in had betrayed him, supporting the petition to throw him into prison.

He had experienced a hard reality. He had watched all his supporters turn their back on him.

But, he, for his own reasons, fully accepted responsibility, trying to take all the blame from the faculty as well.

I really pity him, but not enough to support him.

Good people die all the time, some cases are just more visible than others.

The surviving students, who had managed to pull through the hellish dungeon, were offered direct training under the Hunter Association.

Most of them accepted as soon as they read the letter, but I was quite hesitant.

I told Eva and Nect to not do so as well.

I still remember the case of the demon attack on the academy, which is forgotten by many as this incident had overshadowed it.

It is possible that some high-ranking official in the Hunter Association was responsible for it, which would make training directly under the Association like entering a tiger's den.

I got up from the couch, walking out to the garden where my parents were sitting, relaxing in the sunlight.

I will start to seriously investigate this case, and only after my...no, our safety is guaranteed, will I join the training.

As I gazed at the sky, my mind wandered to the Soul.

The Soul was a power that I had learned inside the dungeon, and as I see it, it is one of the most important factors in battle.

I will have to find a way to train this as well.

I put my hand on my forehead.

"There's so much to do," I muttered to myself, sighing.

I walked to where my parents were sitting, grabbing a chair and sitting next to them.

"You seem better," my dad said, a small smile on his face.

"I didn't realize I was so tired," I replied, stretching my hands, inhaling the fresh air, filled with the scent of dew.

My mother merely smiled in response, happy that I was back into their lives again.

I sighed, looking up at the flying birds.

"How about we enjoy our day?" I said, a small smile tugging my lips as I raised a cup of coffee.

"Cheers?" I said, looking at them with a smirk.

They both lightly chuckled before raising their cups of coffee as well, simultaneously saying. ""Cheers!""

I smiled, taking a sip of coffee.

I sighed once more, thinking of the future as I said to myself:

'Let's enjoy our day, because we won't get many chances to do so in the future.'

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This is a robbery, give me all the POWER STONES you have!

2400 words :>