Chapter 960: Shiller's Sharp Blade (Part 3)

Batman remained completely unmoved, but Zatanna spoke with a touch of urgency, "Since he has just died recently, where is his soul? Shouldn't his soul linger in its original spot? If we could find his soul, there might still be a chance to save him."

Batman quickly turned his head to her, but Zatanna had already floated to the vicinity of the phone booth and started searching for Shiller's soul. Batman followed her, with Zatanna explaining as she searched:

"The souls of ordinary people won't be ferried off that fast. They aren't that attractive, so there won't be a dedicated demon or angel sent to retrieve them. They usually linger in the same place for 24 hours or even longer."

"From the clotting of the blood, it seems that the professor has only been dead for less than an hour. He isn't Constantine, with a group of demons and angels waiting before his death. Demons and angels have paths to travel, how could they possibly be here this quickly?"

"Where is he?!" Batman asked frantically: "Where is his soul?!!"

"Don't rush." Zatanna said as she continued searching: "He must be somewhere close by. He didn't have the support of magic power, so he couldn't have drifted too far. Perhaps he's attached to some object around here… No, not here…"

Suddenly, Zatanna's nose twitched. She said, "I smell the scent of a demon. I sniffed it; I'm certain it's them—the lazy buggers from hell. How did they get here this fast this time?"

"Find him! Catch up to him!" Batman said. Just as Zatanna was about to speak, Constantine spat out a name: "Hell Edge."

"Hell Edge!" Zatanna exclaimed, raising her tone: "Yes, that's right. We should indeed head towards Hell Edge, it is the boundary between the human world and Hell, not yet belonging to any territorial jurisdiction!"

Constantine continued: "If we could intercept the demon there and retrieve the soul, Hell wouldn't have any jurisdiction. Then, there is still hope!"

"Let's go now." Batman stared at Zatanna unblinkingly. Zatanna hesitated for a moment, but then finally stomped her foot and said: "Alright, I'll teleport you."

The next second, she waved her hand, summoning a ring of fire. Three souls flew into the fire ring and soon, the trio arrived in a pitch-black space.

This place was a wasteland shrouded in black. Constantine pointed in a direction and said, "That's the way toward Hell. We need to catch up to them, so we must take the shortest route."

The group rushed in the indicated direction, where everything was a monotonous landscape full of desolation.

Suddenly, a light appeared ahead. Batman looked closely and noted that there was no road ahead. Far off on the horizon was a river of magma cascading from the sky.

They were at the base of a cliff's abyss. In front of them was a massive protruding cliff. Under the illumination of the magma, the towering cliff looked even more majestic.

"Hell is up ahead." Constantine began to say, "Jump off this cliff, and you will end up in Hell. Be careful, don't fall off or let the demons' hands drag you down."

"Hold on, who's that?…Shiller! Shiller!!"

Following Constantine's yell, Batman saw a figure standing at the top of the towering cliff.

Against the backdrop of the grand cliff and the flowing river of magma, Shiller's silhouette appeared very small yet so grand.

Constantine saw countless ghostly hands emerging from Hell, reaching up desperately, trying to grab at Shiller.

At this point, a beam of light suddenly appeared in the dim sky above Hell Edge. A holy light pierced through the dark clouds as numerous white arms reached out from it towards Shiller's cheek.

Constantine suddenly realized that he was familiar with every figure that appeared here, both from Heaven and Hell. They were all his old debtors.

Then, Shiller's voice echoed at the border between Heaven and Hell:

"Today, I have called you all here to announce one thing. I know that my dear friend Constantine has accrued substantial debts to all of you and that he does not plan on repaying them."

"But it doesn't matter, for I have just died."

"I believe you can see many things in my soul, the sin or salvation you have always desired."

His words reverberated, and flames erupted from Shiller's soul.

In the raging fire, a high tower stretching to the sky appeared on the cliff of Hell Edge. It was brimming with countless acts of sin and righteousness, stories of indebtedness and enmity that drove all demons and angels mad.

Shiller's figure emerged once more. He then turned around, with his back toward all the demons and angels, and spread his arms. From behind him, the fire highlighted his silhouette.

He stood at the top of the cliff, overlooking all his guests like a king about to be crowned. His first words made both heaven and hell tremble.

"I will use my soul to pay off all of Constantine's debts."

"From now on, what he sought in vain will be satisfied, and everything that kept him awake at night will eventually dissipate."

"He shall be freed from his destined unrest, and from the inherent evil he was born with — he shall — be reborn!"

As Shiller's words echoed, Constantine froze for a moment, then started heading towards the cliff in a frenzy. Shiller, however, took a step back, reaching the very edge of the cliff – watching Constantine quietly.

Gazing into Shiller's gray eyes, Constantine shook his head then instinctively said:

"No..."

Shiller opened his arms, slowly falling backward. Constantine scrambled to the edge, but his outstretched arm, couldn't grab onto anything.

Constantine looked down from the edge of the cliff. Below him, the flames of Hell raged on. Above the flames, in the shifting of light and shadow, Shiller's figure descended like a migratory goose plummeting from the skyline.

"No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Constantine's roar shattered Hell's peace.

At that moment, Constantine felt a shadow pass overhead.

Batman leapt off the edge of the cliff, plunging into the abyss. Light yet forceful, just as he did when diving off a loft on a cold night.

Then, Constantine saw a look of insane satisfaction on Shiller's face as he fell.

His benefactor who had once earnestly desired to save him and now offered his soul to pay off all his debts, was falling into Hell right before his eyes.

Constantine felt as if a sharp blade had pierced through his heart.

Precise, graceful, and lethal.