home

search

Chapter 1219 Ritual Purge—Banquet of Despair

  The spiral city has ceased to be a realm of life or death. All that repeats must come to an end, yet the world feels heavier—time seems to be squeezed, leaving only the remnants of lost souls, forgotten names, and smoldering grudges. The city of Yamato now shrouded in a blue haze, the echoes of lamentation seep through every crack in this reality.

  Fitran's form has returned to its former state: Corpus Memoratum extinguished, the essence of memory and void flows like dust in the air. A mere spiral man, he stands marred by scars and the flicker of hope that endures, facing Kagutsuchi, who now sheds every restraint; her body is a fusion of dragon, goddess, and spirit. Tension thickens the air as their eyes lock.

  Distance stretches infinitely between them, as if the very seconds refuse to pass. Fitran straightens his back, his gaze a fiery arrow aiming to pierce the layers of reality that bar their clash. “Kagutsuchi,” he begins, his voice trembling yet resolute, “do you genuinely believe you can reign unchallenged in this darkened realm?”

  She regards him with a chilling superiority, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips, “You underestimate the fabric of power, little man. This world bends to my will, and your defiance is but a fleeting shadow against the dawn.”

  Fitran’s heart pounds like war drums, the air thick with the scent of decay and magic, a wild tempest swirling around them. The moment hangs suspended, charged with an electric intensity, before the first strike of their clash shatters the silence—colors explode in the gloom as his hand ignites with ethereal fire, and her eyes glimmer like shattered glass, reflecting a vast, cold cosmos as she counters with a fluid elegance, conjuring dark energies that dance like wraiths in the night.

  The ground trembles beneath their feet, resonating with their fierce spirits—a visceral crescendo of desperation and supremacy, a haunting symphony played upon the strings of fate. Every heartbeat echoes with the weight of their destinies, entwined in this battle forged from the ashes of forgotten dreams.

  The distance between them felt endless, as if time itself was dragging its feet around them. Fitran straightened his back, his gaze burning with an intensity that seemed capable of piercing through the veil of reality standing in their way. "Kagutsuchi," he began, his voice trembling yet defiant, "do you truly believe this will culminate in your victory?"

  Kagutsuchi, her expression grim and eyes flickering with flame, merely smirked. "Victory? This is not a game of triumph, foolish one. It is a reckoning. The world has languished in the cycle of emptiness for too long, and now it’s time to obliterate the old." With a fluid motion of her hand, she conjured a wave of energy that resonated even from their distance.

  Kagutsuchi stood at the center of the spiral altar, her sickle ablaze with a ferocious fire, hair glimmering with an unsettling light. Her voice echoed, laden with an ominous tone as if the very fabric of existence was poised to deliver grim tidings.

  “This is the final feast. Souls have been trapped in this realm for far too long, wandering aimlessly. Now is the time for them to ignite a new existence.”

  Fitran inhaled deeply, Voidlight pulsating in his grasp, a shadow of despair wrapping around him.

  “There’s no joyous return in this cursed place. All that awaits is the rehashing of ancient sins clad in a new guise.” His voice overflowed with helplessness, emotion bubbling forth like lava ready to erupt.

  Kagutsuchi raised her scythe high, tendrils of flame unfurling from the earth around her, amplifying the air of chilling mystery.

  “Soul Banquet.”

  From the very depths of the earth, thousands of spirits soared into the heavens, drawn toward a glowing altar. Faces of men, Yokai, and machines that once thrived flickered with silent expressions of torment—trapped within a vortex of roaring energy, wrenched from their original memories. Their voices intertwined, creating a symphony that rattled the dark clouds above.

  Fitran struggled to catch his breath, desperately trying to stabilize the shock that enveloped his heart, his eyes wide and unblinking as his pulse pounded fiercely.

  “You never know when to stop, do you, Kagutsuchi? Nothing in this world can ever truly satisfy your insatiable hunger.”

  Kagutsuchi, the gleaming scythe twirling effortlessly in her grasp, gazed at the leaden sky with a frigid smile, tinged with enigma.

  “Lily Rain.”

  As if born from the very shadows, thousands of blue and red lily petals cascaded from the ominous clouds, carrying the remnants of lost souls. Each petal that graced the earth birthed a small magical circle, drawing in the essence of the surrounding nature. Weakened spirits, along with those humans and Yokai who had only just realized the threat, were drained to dust—leaving behind swirling ashes in the twilight air.

  Fitran's voice was husky, tinged with anxiety, yet resolute as he wielded Voidlight, feeling the pulsing magic thrumming within him.

  “Soul Eater Edge,” he declared, determination lacing his tone.

  Voidlight reshaped into a long, scaly blade of obsidian, mercilessly devouring every lily petal that fell. The energy of the departed shattered and was greedily ensnared by Fitran’s blade—strangely, for each petal he touched, two more would defiantly sprout in its place.

  Kagutsuchi fixed her piercing gaze upon him, a faint, chilling smile gracing her lips—a harbinger of her ruthless intellect.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Listen well, Fitran. None possess the strength to resist the feast of the underworld. The souls that have passed linger, waiting for their turn to be cast aside.”

  Fitran clenched his jaw, biting down on his lower lip, feeling a sharp pain as the blade grazed his skin.

  “Null Harvest,” he gasped, his voice trembling, yet filled with iron will.

  A wave of empty energy surged from Fitran's body, forming a vortex that engulfed everything in its vicinity. The delicate petals of lilies, wandering spirits, and remnants of souls seemed ensnared by an unseen web, all drawn inward, vanishing into the void. Within the expanse of Null Harvest, a profound silence enveloped him. Yet, beyond that circle, he perceived something greater; the spirits struggled with a pulse of power that thrummed in his bones.

  Kagutsuchi's voice slithered through the air, gentle yet menacing, like a storm wind lurking just beyond sight.

  “Seeds of Oblivion.”

  Her grip tore through the earth, fissures radiating an aura of darkness. The black seeds began to creep, shaking the ground beneath them, tendrils of magic snaked their way swiftly, siphoning life from every creature that dared cross this threshold. Amidst the chaos, Fitran felt a peace dissipate in an instant; hope melted away, his identity fading, while everything around them crumbled into indistinct shadows, succumbing to the stillness.

  Staggering, Fitran fought against the magical whirlpool that stole his strength, his eyes blazing with resolve.

  “Exist Drain,” he forced out, his voice catching in his throat as if each syllable demanded him to resist.

  With every ounce of his remaining strength, he poured Voidlight into his being, crafting a gravitational field that consumed each flicker of existential energy present. The beings around the circle, once vibrant with color, now appeared hollow, drawn into a single point of fear that pulsed in his hands. Yet, Fitran felt his body begin to fracture; every technique gnawed at the last strands of life within him, the pain multiplied, as if the weight of the entire world pressed against his weary shoulders.

  Kagutsuchi, her eyes glinting with a wild hunger, observed Fitran with a curiosity that was both unsettling and mocking.

  “The more you siphon from this world, the more swiftly you'll be consumed by the very hunger I endure, Fitran,” she remarked, her voice laced with a sharp challenge and caustic disdain.

  Fitran replied, his breath heavy and voice hoarse, yet his resolve rang clear as a bell.

  “I care nothing for that hunger. All I seek is to ensure you never taste your feast,” he shot back, his gaze narrowing on Kagutsuchi, as if daring fate itself to intervene in their grim confrontation.

  Kagutsuchi's smile widened wickedly, her scythe trembling lightly in her grasp as she awaited the next move.

  “Death Nectar,” she breathed, her voice a chilling whisper that reverberated in Fitran's chest, quickening his heartbeat into a frantic rhythm.

  A viscous blue liquid oozed from the blade, tracing a sinister path like a serpent of poison, defying the very laws of nature. Each drop that kissed the ground—be it flesh, spirit, or metal—swiftly crystallized, hardening into stone, only to shatter painfully into clouds of black dust. The remnants of Yamato staggered, one after another collapsing into despair, while colossal machines ground to a halt, their gears silenced. The cries of Yokai filled the air, weaving an atmosphere thick with dread, as if shadows themselves were preparing to engulf the world.

  Fitran gripped the Voidlight tightly, the cold resolve in his voice echoing through the heavy air.

  “Eternal Scar!” he shouted, shattering the oppressive silence, as dark silhouettes coiled around him, forming an aura both menacing and haunting.

  With a swift motion, he carved a massive wound into the spiraled earth, conjuring a gaping chasm of emptiness that loomed ominously. Anyone daring enough to approach the precipice would feel the void consume everything—their past memories stripped away, leaving behind naught but a hollow shell; a bleak future extinguished. Trapped in a dreadful eternity—it felt as if existing between two realms, neither alive nor truly departed. This abyss brutally cleaved the battlefield, fracturing souls and magic alike, spiraling outwards like an unquenchable inferno.

  Kagutsuchi, her scythe raised high, a spiral of light igniting her form.

  “Ritual Pyre!” she shouted, her voice resonating with grandeur, as if the very cosmos bent to her will, while flames encircled her, enveloping every dark corner with blazing intensity.

  A ring of roaring fire emerged, an ominous presence permeating the battlefield. All souls, both valiant and fragile, were driven towards the heart of the circle, ensnared with no escape in sight. They were scorched, entrapped in a whirlwind of flame and lilies, their anguished cries morphing into an echo of unimaginable sorrow. Smoke billowed skyward, coalescing into a colossal figure dancing above the city of Yamato, now almost unrecognizable in its transformation.

  Fitran, blood spilling from his palm, drove Voidlight deep into the ground.

  “Expel the Spiral.”

  A jet of dark energy surged forth from beneath the surface, mercilessly engulfing the entire whirlpool of souls and flames, casting them far beyond the veils of reality. Everything the spiral touched vanished without a trace, their names and memories seemingly erased from this existence.

  Kagutsuchi, gasping for breath, her eyes wild, burned with a fusion of rage and fear.

  “You’ve incinerated more names than I ever could, Fitran. Are you truly prepared to bear the weight of this world after everything that has happened?”

  Fitran, even as his life flickered like a dying ember, his gaze shimmered with unwavering resolve.

  “I seek no burden. What I will ensure is that this world receives no chance to repeat the same festival of fury.”

  Kagutsuchi bit her lip, her fingers clenched tightly, an unmistakable tide of emotion roiling within her.

  “This feast… seems endless. You’ve merely been swifter in its conclusion.”

  Fitran, tension coiling within him, fought for breath, grappling with an unbearable weight.

  “Perhaps you are right. Yet, I’d rather see it end than remain trapped in this ceaseless cycle.”

  The blue lily fog enveloped the city, seeping into hidden crevices, while the wails of wandering souls slowly faded away. The nightmare machine that had been tirelessly churning finally fell silent, signaling the emptiness of this shattered world. The once-resounding screams grew faint, leaving behind a silence that felt almost suffocating. Among the ashes and darkness of the ruins, two figures stood resolutely—Fitran, nearly paralyzed by the weight of despair, and Kagutsuchi, gripping her scythe with a trembling hand, her fury smoldering like embers poised to reignite.

  The ritual known as the Banquet of Despair had reached its conclusion, yet the void it created ran far deeper than mere death itself. Amidst them, the final duel loomed, the specter of failure looming large for the souls trapped in this relentless cycle.

Recommended Popular Novels