XVII: Face it Alone

With all of the pressure being built up inside my body, I took a chance to call into the prophet himself again for one last time, asking for his guidance to my final mission and how much I've come; I wanted to thank him and promise him one thing. However, the pull of the world's core was so strong that I felt my own soul being pulled by the Prophet's hand and still failing, I saw him high up in the heavens with a very worried face, he tried his best to pull me out of hell, to save me but it was no use. It's too late.

I have no choice, I smiled back and as I continue to fall and the light slowly disappear I saw my team glimpsing at the pit, I don't know if they can see me or not but I'm sure, they were trying to save me. Unfortunately it's too late. I already accepted my fate. I'm just gonna wish my new variant the best of luck in him. I hope he won't get a mental breakdown on the journeys that I have took to create the guide to my own variants. I think I made it a little complex.

As I turn my body to face the darkness, my eyes quickly recognized Beelzebub unable to recover from the damaged I've caused. She tried to pull herself up back into the land but, even I, who have the prophet's guide and the god's grace I still couldn't do it. She tried to eat the spirits of the animals falling together with us, to use them as a way to fast recover but I stabbed her again. A small percentage of her spirit vanished in the air and I know she didn't have much power left.

She grabbed into the blade of my sword and pulled it away to my direction, I raised it high again to try and end things already but then a group of spirits came to our path, Beelzebub quickly spotted it but due to her weakness, I was able to kill those spirits before she even got close to them, her frustrations grew over time and I just laughed to myself knowing that once I am at the core I'd kill her off, then commit suicide for I have no more options.

"Dang it, I hate you so much Joseph Castlevine! why won't you just listen to my plan from the start?! We shouldn't have started this stupid scenario in the first place!" I heard her frustration's tone more than what she actually said. I tried to stab her again for one last time, but the gravity pressure pulled me away from her, I tried to fly back close to her but I failed, however she screamed again and my ears we're focused on her before its too late. "Joseph, it's the only time I command you to rewind the damn time!" She slowly vanished in my visions as gravity continued to pull us away from each other, until the temperature started increasing and increasing, I felt that I'm getting closer to the core of the world.

I started to feel like I'm being cooked in very high temperature, it felt worse than the acid rain, the prophet and my team supported me by spending all their magical ability to keep my self alive while the ritual continues, however in this hell pit, I am all alone and no where to go. I don't even know how can I return, how would I return, and how would I undo everything and save everyone from above. I  started to lose my visions due to the lack of light, it felt like my eyes we're slowly closing before I sleep, but I am not gonna be in the comfort of my bed, I'm gonna be stuck in a place I'd never imagined myself to be in.

How much time do I have left, to live as a physical man, and a lost spirit?

After a few hours of doing nothing but waiting for my soul to reach the grounds of hell, I finally arrived into the core, I stabbed the walls of the world and landed safely into the boiling semi liquid metal, everything smelled horrible, the sulfur, all of the dead bodies of dead animals from the ocean and even a few of non believers, the skeleton of the Giant Black Queen, they were all here, slowly burning as the temperature increase overtime. I casted a small magic fire in my hand end my eyes wondered around as I started to step while also enduring everything, the heat, the physical pain, the mental trauma, and the endless curiosity of what's gonna happened to me.

I am here, all alone wondering the pits of hell. My heart and soul both have a mental breakdown.

I should have chosen the safer option of just saving Scaramouche instead of being greedy to a devil that would eventually be here.  If I knew that the gravitational pull would be that strong down there it shouldn't have just pushed her away instead of charging onto her leading to my fall as well. I have so many regrets this time that I can undo but cant to avoid chaos in the power of time. Everything is already messed up I can't mess it up even more. I only wish my team, nothing but the best to restore and save the world. Folklore about me is already enough, to tell my legacy.

I'm not gonna be a hero, I'm gonna be a legend.

All those days when I used to work hard every day, every time Scaramouche had a scheduled interview to me, we would joke around about the alternative realities from the other countries. Like what if the March of the Black Queen happened in the country of Asuhattel, turns out his guts were right. He trusted me the most with that sensitive information that might ruin the royals during that time if it was leaked, why didn't I trusted myself in saving him instead? I'm such a fool.

Asides from my own mistakes, I didn't know what happened to him as well, as far as I remember he was with the White Queens' before I entered to meet the devil. Did they split up; did they lost track of each other? The Miracle we're full of blood after all, they also look tired for they have been fighting since the start of the day when an attack at the bridge were reported to them. The wind told me, everything, but never this one question that keeps bugging me.

We're a little late when we encountered The White Queens' at the bridge the report was made an hour before we arrived. We should have been safer crossing the bridge if we weren't a little late; the monsters should be a little weaker that time.

But that voice who called to me before I fell. It was Scaramouche. He is safe.

I stepped into something that hit my arch, it was quite pointy and I felt it started bleeding; it was so bad that I fell into my knees and it caused my leg to be covered in liquid metal that hurts even more. I noticed that it was a human skull, its sharp dead teeth, poked my ankle, but that's not what caught my attention, it was his eyes, they were still there. They we're still well preserve, and I remembered those exact pairs of eyes, I knew who it was and I think he learned his own lessons. The man who did nothing but to mock us at the Lily of the valley, that old poor man, that Grave himself promised to bring in hell, verified to be present in hell.

He's just a poor boy, from a poor family.

I stood up and made my flame light brighter, and my eyes quick roamed around as I feel the movement of unknown creatures from around the walls of the world, I saw them crawling away as if they we're afraid of light of maybe afraid that I am a hunter for prey. Yet, my eyes they also notice something, this place is deeper that I could imagine, light can even enter this place, the water falling at the edge, they all turned into steam before even landing here.

This place is far from what a human could imagine. It's so scary and disturbing.  This place is also quick wide, and every noise I made, made an echoing sound which I'm very observant. Unknown creatures are also lurking in the dark; they must be holding a power that an average human can't defeat. I've yet to found out if they ever attack.  And out of all the creatures in this place, I'm keeping a lookout for Beelzebub, she must be around somewhere, I still need to finally put her to rest in this place so I can think properly on how would I go back up and how would I save restore this world.

I am willing to be a human sacrifice just to fix everything, since I'm already at hell, I no longer mind.

I continued to walk around the endless path of darkness; it's just full of rotting corpse, bones slowly eaten by the boiling metal, monsters afraid of the light from a small fire, and very strong odor that would be toxic to a human. I'm still confused and surprised why I'm not dead yet. I think the White Queens' still have hope in me, and if failed, I'm sure they can reset my life, create another variant of me and fix my own mistakes. Maybe they are just counting a few more days or hours before finally letting me go. They have the knowledge of everything, all thanks to my journey, they can fix it and my new variants can be the hero, I no longer mind. Nothing really matters after all of the sufferings, still ends up in hell.

My own problems keep on looping in my head, I want to see what's on the other side of life, and maybe I can finally rest in piece together with my wife, after my painful and lonely death.

I continued to walk around fully aware that this road had no end and a total waste of my time, for I literally got nothing to do now. No prophecy's mentioned of a man falling in hell to finally defeat a billion year old spirit demon, no warnings from the prophet are made either, his visions to me only showed hell, I was not involved in it and he didn't have a guide to show how I would escape. I opened my bag and tried to search for somethings, but there nothing that could help me, just a few unused potions from a local dead alchemist when I did search for loot at the main island before traveling at the fourth island.

I had forgotten which is which and what's their cause but as far as I remember some of them are just random potions for healing and some magic spells for magicians. Even I am surprised that these potions managed to survive in here; I thought that the temperature would just make it vaporized. Maybe it's been casted by magic, I don't know.

I searched my pockets and there are just a few empty bottles and my eyes quick widened to see something I'm not supposed to be holding. Bell's spirit potion, I have it, it was supposed to be in the hands of Grave where it's safely handled. I totally forgotten about it, and I think im screwed. Unless he gave it to me for a reason, I feel like Grave has more knowledge in these kinds of scenario more than anyone does. However, he didn't guide me on how to use and where to use this potion. All I know is that Beelzebub probably wants this potion, in her own two spiritual hands.

I am taking full charge of the possible outcomes of the fate of the world, if I failed then the blame is on me, if I ended up being a hero, then I want to dedicate it to all of the people who helped me, the people of Foshof who believed in me, The Prophet, Scaramouche, Grave, The Lost Sprit, The White Queens' and my wife, Valkyarie Redstar Castlevine. If I ever get a chance to step into the world again, I now would be the master of my own home, unlike before I myself struggle to find my own home. After this mission if I ever have a chance to step on the world again, I would have a chance to live my own life normally, hopefully.

Unfortunately the visions, they were all buried now, there not much time left and I feel like my body isn't capable of lasting for another full day in this place. In the end, I'm here, facing it alone.

My head started to ache as I continued to panic, what the heck am I thinking? I know that I can do this, my fate has been written already, and all I needed to do is to fulfill those prophecies. I did most of them already, my only mission left is to defeat the devil and end the chaos. I have to believe my self in the end, I have to strengthen my faith and loyalty. I have to stand on my own two feet and find a way to end all of my sufferings.

I looked up into the sky and slowly I started seeing small lights, they we're a bunch of colors, but slowly they also faded away. I quickly felt something big coming near me, I gently raised my sword and hold it with my own two hands and gaze around me, slowly a strong odor hits my nose however it was something new, the ground shake a little as I heard more and more steps coming closer and closer to me, I turned around and burned my own sword with flames and behind me was a devil, a devil with a very familiar face.

I looked inti his eyes and quickly recognize it, I still didn't understand your reason to why you landed here, let me hear your side now, father.

"I finally have a chance to meet you, you have been a fool to me on the land, try to fool me even more in the over world go on!" his eyes quickly burned as soon as he heard my roaring voice again. He always hated me, and I always hated him. Look at your son fool, all powerful and achieved something you failed to even try. "What is your connections to Beelzebub, father? Why did you sold your soul to her, to achieve power that you didn't even use. Now look at you, burning in hell dead and alone, no one to love and everyone hates you! How does it feel? Fool!" his upper teeth scratched his lower teeth, and his own hand started to bleed for his long and sharp fingers nailed though his huge hands and his body language showed frustrations against my words. I started laughing at him, I knew I have to show him my true emotions, that absolutely hate him and he's the reason why I'm involved in the prophecies in the first place.

After a few minutes of endlessly laughing at his face, he vanished like air, but I quickly read his move and I dashed to the left avoiding his sharp claws the moment he teleported into my back, he was quick annoyed by it and quickly started to land continues attacks against me to which I made him dance on his own by avoiding his predictable moves, he became more frustrated and charged to my direction to which I took seriously, my blade hit his claws and I quickly pulled it up his hands swings into the sky and I slashed off his left arm first.

He quickly screamed in pain but tried to attack me again to which I just played along, I avoided his attack and I heard him laughing, he quickly vanished again and my senses told me he's  gonna attack in a few seconds. He was invisible in the darkness, but not invincible. I managed to time his attacked as he tried to stabbed me from my back, I dashed to the left and quickly sliced off his left arm and then felled into the ground like a child, he gazed angrily at me and the vanished again.

"AS YOUR FATHER I AM DISAPOINTED AT YOUR LIFE CHOICES JOSEPH!" I gaze around and he was nowhere in my sense. My choice in life, did he see his reflection in the mirror already? "ALL YOU HAVE TO DO ON YOUR LIFE IS TO MARRY THE QUEEN OF HELL, WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RICH AND OUR POWER SHOULD HAVE BEEN REIGNING UNTIL NOW!"

"Your poor decisions are your mistakes, father. Do not blame me for I have my own free will! I refuse to your offer because she hated me, you planned it and now she's hungry for me. I found somebody who truly loved and understood me, what did she do? She killed my wife, in front of my own two eyes. She's not a woman who got a beat off my heart. She's a devil in a human body, manipulating an innocent spirit, then killing an innocent child. What choices are you thinking?" I quickly slashed him as he jumps from behind me and I was shocked when he managed to land a hit in my arm, it bleed and my blood quickly boiled just after a few seconds.

"JUST DIE! DIE!" he quickly rushed to try, but I got a proper momentum to finish him off, as soon as he land a punch over, I jumped into his arm, his eyes knew it was the end for him. I raised my sword up into the sky and I quickly smelled the scent of the devil running away. I knew I have to move quickly.

I beheaded my devil father and as soon as his body fell into the ground.

"I pity you so much for all of your mistakes, but unfortunately there's no going back… I would have two options." I gazed into the wall and saw a few monsters crawling into it, quickly casted a magic into them and all of their cries, echoed into the endless pit of suffering.

They distract me and it's making me uncomfortable. I gazed back to my father and I took his head with my left hand, with my right, I slowly moved my sword near his face. "Tell me where Beelzebub is right now, and I will set you free, but you will remain here, right where you belong. Or traitor your own powerful son again, and if you do, I will be the one who will punish you every time, all of the time." I quickly noticed that he's breathing heavily and slowly, and he's slowly regenerating his body, but I didn't let him, I sliced it off quick and this time it was so loud that I have to cover my own ears; the screams were probably heard in the land.

"Beelzebub… the spirit inside the Black Queen, I sold my soul for your own future, to gain power by the bloodline of the royals, you keep on rejecting my offer when you we're a child, that's why I rejected you as my own son, I wanted to end our poverty by giving you a life at the kingdom–"

"Chose between the two, tell me where is that demon, or die endlessly with my power is." I stabbed his left eye and quickly pointed at the endless road in the left side. He was weak, and I suddenly became bored, I gave him one final look in his remaining eye and I beheaded him. To be surely safe, I stabbed his head three times and his heart we're cutted into multiple pieces before I could even process what happened.

Slowly, I felt my tears dropping into my cheeks, and quickly I realized that I was too cruel to him. But my cruelty is reasonable; he is still a big fool.

I just wiped my tear and continued on with my journey, I doubt his soul would rest well in whatever place he's gonna go after the death in hell. I don't care.

In the end, I have to face every alone.

After a few minutes of walking, my nose smelled something familiar, that scent, I knew where it's coming, I quickly run towards the direction and there I saw the devil's spirit still fixing her self alone, I smiled to my self and quickly took out the potion in my hand.

"We meet again, Beelzebub!" I called her attention and in fear she almost run away to me, but her eyes widened the moment I raised my hand with the spirit if Bell inside. "You want this thing right?"

***

Queen - Face It Alone

Verse 1 - Chorus 1