Villain Path

Chapter 57. "Rebirth" suite

Shen watched grimly as the senior spellcasters replaced each other every half hour, never stopping their recitative. It couldn't go on forever, but they could hold out for a day. He slowly extended his hand towards the energy grid. Force immediately tried to push him away, but, enduring the pain, he suppressed it, continuing to move his hand forward.

"Oh, what a beautiful sight: a captive demon!"

Shen immediately pulled his hand away, pretending that, in fact, languishing inside without any hope of escape. Lord Ren was slowly approaching him, walking around the place of Shen's imprisonment in a wide arc.

"I knew that he would come to gloat!"

"Do you think you can be free tomorrow? No matter how it is!"

"No?" asked Shen, following his movements around the hall. "But why should I stay? I'm not guilty."

"Thy lips are deceitful!" Ren spat out.

Shen paused, looking at him.

"I have long wanted to ask. Why do you hate me so much?"

Ren turned pale and then blushed so much that Shen wondered if he was having a seizure.

"You! Scum! You dare ask me this question?!"

"Well, yes," Shen nodded calmly. "I don't remember hurting you so much."

If the Lord's Dew Incense Peak was not sticking out of the floor now, bestowing energy for the containment cage, he would have snatched it and used it. If I dared, of course.

Pulling himself together a little, Ren said:

"I am sick of the very thought that such scum is considered one of the Lords of the League RR! If it were my will, you would have been banished long ago!"

"Yes? And who would hold back Deep Darkness, would you?"

"Why are you so proud of this Deep Darkness? Is it because of you that she came into this world, huh? A worthy person would give his life, sealing Deep Darkness where it belongs, and not blackmail the entire league with his exceptional necessity!!"

Shen could not find an answer. Is this how the Lords view this situation? He had no idea how Deep Darkness was born, but he had already heard that it was Shen's fault. However, this did not seem to him to be something shameful before. Now, after Ren's words... Was all his bragging about containing Deep Darkness perceived by others as a threat every time?

Lord Ren spat on the floor and left without saying anything more.

«Demons take these Lords!» thought Shen in his hearts. «I hope they warned Annis!»

But his heart was still out of place. He simply could not accept now and wait for a denouement, sitting in a cage.

Agonizingly slipping time tortured worse than Deep Darkness.

Shen once again plunged his hand into the flowing energy. Pain, starting from the fingers, immediately pierced his body. It seemed that the bones would break and break if he continued in the same spirit. Shen stubbornly moved forward, ignoring the tears in his eyes. His hand shook, and immediately the energy took over and threw him back. Striking the opposite wall with force, he could not stay on his feet and fell to the floor.

The arm ached as if he had broken it.

His black hair scattered to the sides, falling softly onto the carpet pile.

Taking a breath, Shen fumbled for the sword on his belt and sat down, taking it with his not-so-injured hand. Looking thoughtfully at the naked blade, he nevertheless decided not to experiment with it, because there is a high probability that he will ironically die by running on his own sword, which just bounced off the energy grid in the same way, and will give Lord Ren a good mood for the next six months. Hanging it on his belt again (and the second one did not even try to reach it), Shen got to his feet and walked to the grate.