Arlo couldn't help but feel terrified. Azathan's power was unquestionable. Each flap of his wings shook the thick glass of the dome's ceiling. Every breath he took stirred the silver flames. His strength could even make hell tremble.
Yet, Arlo desired only peace. He deserved it after the kindness and courage he had shown throughout his life. So he raised the sword, feeling its weight trembling in his hands.
In the blink of an eye, Azathan crashed into him. He slammed Arlo against the wall, causing him to cry out. His bones cracked, pleading for mercy, but Azathan gave him no quarter.
As Azathan grasped his body and hurled him onto the granite floor, a face emerged from his memories. The face of a little girl with pinkish-red hair that he could never forget. Her cries and screams as she was forced to leave Arlo alone in battle.
Lunabelle.
Arlo leaned his sword against the floor and forced himself to stand. As Azathan flew towards him again, Arlo's sword was already unsheathed, slicing Azathan's wing and causing the demonic angel to roar in agony.
"WHAT MAKES YOU SO STUBBORN, ARLO?!" he yelled angrily. "I promised you a life after death that only hellish creatures could dream of!"
A bitter smile formed on Arlo's lips. "I want to meet my little sister again in the best version of myself!" he declared loudly. "I don't want her to see me as a heartless, terrifying demon!"
The demonic angel laughed loudly. "Then I'll make sure you never meet her again at all!" he threatened. His sword slowly transformed into a bow, aimed straight at Arlo's chest with an arrow already drawn taut.
"GO INTO OBLIVION, ARLO!"
Arlo knew the arrow wouldn't miss. He closed his eyes, grateful that at least Lunabelle wouldn't witness him selling his soul to the demon.
Strangely, for several seconds, nothing happened. Arlo opened his eyes to find himself staring into a pair of red eyes.
He instinctively recoiled. His elbow rested on soft, plush velvet. The owner of the red eyes stepped back, revealing a beautiful face with fiery red hair.
Morana, he thought with surprise. He glanced around and realized he was in his bedroom at the palace. And there, sitting in the corner of his bed, was his foster father, his old friend.
"Thank you for bringing him back, Morana," Kieran said with sincerity that felt almost excessive. "I don't know how I can repay your kindness."
Morana didn't have a chance to respond. The revenant sorceress collapsed to the floor, her hands still on the bed, prompting Kieran to teleport and kneel before her immediately.
"Are you okay?" Kieran asked, genuinely concerned. Revenants didn't typically falter easily, especially those centuries old.
"For some reason, death didn't want to let go of him," Morana whispered, her voice trembling heavily. "I used all my strength to pull him back to life."
Kieran's eyes, as blue as the night sky, briefly glanced at Arlo. "I think it's because you've brought so many back to life today," he murmured while lifting her. "I'll take you to your bedroom."
A moment later, they disappeared, leaving Arlo bewildered and unsure of what had just happened to him. Nevertheless, his dream of meeting the demonic angel named Azathan in Hell was so vivid that he felt disoriented from the real world.
Ten minutes later, his room was crowded. Julian and Serena took turns embracing him. Meanwhile, Lunabelle sat quietly by his bedside, her swollen eyes still teary.
Arlo gently rubbed his sister's arm. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked softly. He had never felt more grateful to be able to talk to her again.
Lunabelle stared at him as if he were a frog leaping out of a witch's cauldron. "You abandoned me, Arlo!" she exclaimed, full of anger and disbelief. "You left me when you should not! What kind of brother are you?"
"Oh, come on," Arlo rolled his eyes. "I left you to slaughter dead souls that were chasing after you, Lunabelle. What's wrong with that?"
"That's very wrong! You shouldn't have done that! You..."
Lunabelle's voice suddenly faded in his ears as his gaze caught someone standing in the corner of the room.
The man's hands were folded across his chest. His back leaned against the wall, causing his wings to uncomfortably fold. His eyes, the color of fresh blood, locked onto Arlo. Calm and threatening.
Arlo clenched his fists. It turned out, none of it was a dream.
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Ghost Slayer: His Charge From Beyond The Grave 004 | Blurry Line Between Life and Death
"Arlo!" Lunabelle's cry forced Arlo back to reality. Yet truthfully, her presence only intensified his fear. "Why are you just silent?"Kieran, standing near Arlo, followed his gaze. But the powerful revenant, who could even read minds, remained mute, perplexed."As strong as you wizards may be, only those blessed by the Gods can see and hear us, the spirits of the netherworld," Azathan explained unprompted. His low, resonant voice sent shivers down Arlo's spine. "No matter how powerful you wizards become, you cannot touch or oppose us."Azathan is here, Arlo reminded himself. Azathan is here to kill me."Kieran." Arlo turned to his foster father, disbelieving that even with the powerful revenant staring and reading his thoughts, he still couldn't detect the presence of the mighty demon nearby."You've neglected me and Lunabelle, putting us in danger," Arlo continued. Despite his trembling hands, his voice was firm and loud. "You don't deserve to be our father!""Arlo," Kieran started
Ghost Slayer: His Charge From Beyond The Grave 005 | The Weakness of the Demonic Angel
If Arlo had a choice, he wouldn't want to fight against the demonic angel, especially one residing in the highest palace of hell. But his recent encounter with Azathan in hell had made him realize one thing: he still wanted to live.Arlo tightened his grip on the ornamental sword handle in his hand, watching how Azathan stood nervously before him. He knew exactly what made the demon hesitate. Yet, it did nothing to diminish its immense power.While the angel still stood hesitating, Arlo launched his attack. He drew his sword just as Azathan moved with the speed of light to a corner of the room. His broad wings collided with picture frames and paintings on the walls, causing them to crash, shatter, and scatter.But his hesitation ended there. As Arlo suspected, the cramped space filled with furniture did nothing to diminish his immense power. In the next moment, Azathan was already on the offensive.The demon advanced towards him, thrusting his large sword until it pierced the bedside
Ghost Slayer: His Charge From Beyond The Grave 006 | Rapid Changes in Life
Arlo couldn't remember why he and Kieran couldn't chat as freely as they used to. When Kieran invited him to teleport to a garden on the palace roof, Arlo still felt a tangible awkwardness between them.At a glance, Arlo knew Kieran had indeed changed. His sharp, luxurious attire for some important meeting or another, the magical aura surrounding his body, his nobility, his paternal demeanor... all of it was very unlike the Kieran from nine years ago when the man had adopted him."Arlo, you know I can hear your thoughts very clearly," Kieran whispered. The immortal man sat on a bench in the garden, looking weary as if he had just saved the world—which he had. "But I did bring you here to speak heart-to-heart."Arlo quickly took a seat on another garden chair, trying to restrain his eye roll. Handling his own battles without anyone knowing, let alone assisting him, was equally exhausting."Before I returned to your room earlier, I had resolved not to let you go, Arlo," Kieran whispered
Ghost Slayer: His Charge From Beyond The Grave 007 | Unique Joy
Although his life was upside down, everyone around him could still laugh and joke. So Arlo just sat in his chair, cutting through his steak with resentment."Oh my, Arlo, just relax!" exclaimed Lunabelle beside him, sitting upright and graceful like a sudden princess of Varidianth. "We should eat with gratitude and love.""Yeah, but my love already burned in hell," grumbled Arlo offhandedly. He began to eat, trying not to direct his frustration towards her."By the way," Lunabelle's hand groped the table until finding his arm. "I hope nothing changes between us, Arlo."Arlo softened. "Do you want to tell me the reason now? The reason why you want to live with Elios and Lana?""It's because," Lunabelle's voice faltered. "The weather in Remirer is always warm. I can imagine lots of stars at night, and blue skies during the day. It's so nice to stroll in the park with Cloud."Arlo chuckled, though not genuinely happy. "Alright. Weather is just one of Remirer's many perks," he murmured. "
Ghost Slayer: His Charge From Beyond The Grave 008 | The Man Without Shadow
The weather in Umbravale was bright this afternoon, prompting Lord Xavian to invite everyone to enjoy the sunlight in the backyard. Knights practiced swordplay while servants lounged and chatted. This was the Nyxshade couple's desired homecoming celebration.After Lord Xavian returned from a brief swordfight with their family's best knights, Kieran said to him, "You owe me a lot of explanations, Father."Arlo, sitting leisurely with Lady Chandie, simply sipped his lemonade. Silent and observant, he pondered what Kieran's upbringing in this family was truly like. Surely it wasn't as flawless as depicted in paintings or recounted by the servants. There must be untold stories, not all of them pleasant."About what?" replied Lord Xavian as he joined them, taking his glass of lemonade and sipping it. With every movement, there was a dense magical aura that moved with him, indicating that the power he possessed far surpassed Kieran's.However, unlike Kieran, Arlo felt no fear towards the ma
Ghost Slayer: His Charge From Beyond The Grave 009 | Searched for Someone Who Had Died
"I never thought you were the type of boy who enjoys hiding away in libraries and devouring a few books," muttered Lord Xavian as he entered the library.Arlo didn't look up from the thick Umbravale population data book he was reading, a book as thick as a bowl that had been unsettling him since earlier."Oh, so you're spying on my people," remarked Xavian. He sat in the nearest chair, crossing his legs. "If you're looking for the address of the girl you fancy at school, you should be reading the latest volume. Not that one.""If only it were that simple," Arlo grumbled inwardly. "No. I'm, uh, learning to become a good Nyxshade," he lied. "Since I'm destined to be the future Duke, who knows, right?""To become a good Nyxshade doesn't necessarily mean you'll make a good Duke," Xavian lamented. "Just tell me the name of the maid you're trying to find out about. I might know her family."Arlo set down his book. He was now gaping. "How did you know I was trying to find out about a maid?"
Ghost Slayer: His Charge From Beyond The Grave 010 | Life Chronicles
As Arlo hurried through the streets of the small town, the magical pattern Azathan had painted on the back of his hand began to softly shimmer with a silvery glow. It was beautiful, albeit faint.Umbravale City continued to breathe. While across town, Kieran might be exorcising the remaining dead souls, the townspeople carried on peacefully in their homes, emanating warmth.Arlo tucked his hand into his coat pocket, feeling the night breeze whispering something peculiar to him. It hinted that in the darkest corners of this small town, the ghosts were hiding from the pursuit of hell. They wandered and threatened, perhaps content that neither witches nor sensitive children could sense their presence.No, that thought was mistaken. Moving nimbly through the narrow gaps between houses, Arlo began to feel that emptiness. The complex feelings severed upon death's arrival. Feelings of being sidelined and ostracized when life mocked.That's what Arlo felt as his steps led him to the grand hou
Ghost Slayer: His Charge From Beyond The Grave 011 | The Haunted House
Azathan stood calmly before him. He appeared radiant and alive amidst the crumbling house's courtyard. His wings, as black as the universe, gently flapped on his back. Meanwhile, his feet hung steadily a few inches above the ground. His bare chest was covered with shimmering greenish bubbles where Arlo had once stabbed him.Arlo quickly drew a dagger from his coat pocket, but it crumbled into dust in his hands."You've just witnessed the Life Chronicles," murmured Azathan. His deep voice was smoother than the blowing wind. "Be careful, as long as you watch it, you become more vulnerable to attack.""Why don't you attack me then?" Arlo questioned.Azathan laughed, like an old chimney wheezing smoke. "Attack you at your weakest moment? I do not need such lowly deeds," he said. "But there's a wretched spirit in this place eager to do so. Just watch."Then, as swiftly as he had appeared, Azathan vanished in a cold red mist. Leaving Arlo alone in the courtyard of Darklake House. Or at leas
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