SH Chapter 86: Baal (Part 2)

 

Translated by Rook of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

It happened right in that instant that Locktini turned back.

The two huge blood-red and silver webs collided in mid-air.

Light coming into contact with light momentarily emitted even stronger, blazing rays of brilliance!

Feisha felt a sharp pain in his eyes, tears gushing forth like a spring. His vision was temporarily obscured by a blurry fog.

Baal’s laughter buzzed and echoed by his ear. “Isefel, Angel of War. Your strength has actually degenerated to such an extent?”

As he laughed, the light grew more and more intense. Even with his eyes closed, Feisha could feel that everything was enveloped by a sea of red.

Isefel abruptly cried out, “Retreat.”

Feisha was briefly caught by a force pulling at him and he was pulled back!

Bang!

Following the sound of a tremendous explosion, the earth began to sway.

Feisha strained to open his eyes only to see that the view before his eyes shook and twisted continuously.

The ceiling was actually slowly rising.

Feisha saw the walls floating higher and higher and the emptiness all around him and mumbled repeatedly in shock, “What’s happening?”

Isefel flew backwards through the air, landing beside him to say, “He used the red light to form a barrier. We are all within this barrier.”

“Then what about Hughes and the others?”

“They are outside the barrier.” Isefel said in a low voice. “He only pulled us into the barrier.”

The walls had finally stopped ascending.

On the wall right opposite of them, a colossal shadow slowly came into view. Baal’s low and hoarse laughter could be heard from the shadow. “Welcome to my domain. Hehe, Isefel, it’s been a long time since you were here, you should miss it very much, huh?”

“Didn’t he say he’s in a hurry? Why is he so carefree right now? Is there something wrong with his head?” Feisha thought about it and said, “Just now, we used Mani to bet. But now, Mani is dead and the dead can tell no tales. Why don’t we change to betting using him? This time, I’ll bet there’s nothing wrong with his head.”

Isefel responded, “Do you want to win or lose?”

Feisha was shocked. “How can you ask something so direct?”

Isefel straightforwardly reached a verdict. “See you at the swimming pool.”

Feisha shyly lowered his head. “Okay.”

Baal said furiously, “Do you think there’s no other person here?”

Feisha very earnestly replied, “Yes. Because to speak truthfully, over here, other than me, I really don’t see a second human.” (1)

“Playing word games?” Baal was so angry, he laughed. “Very good. I want to see how you’ll cry!”

Isefel pushed Feisha behind him to protect him, speaking in an extremely quiet voice, “Later when I tell you to throw, throw the Black Star.”

Feisha was stunned for a moment and then shook his head multiple times. Isefel was right in the Black Star. If he threw the stone, wouldn’t it be the same as throwing Isefel?

Isefel silently looked at him, unquestionable firmness engraved in his black eyes. “Do not worry, the Black Star is a Black Star. I am me.” Just now, if he hadn’t been so careless and didn’t realize that the red light was actually a barrier, then he wouldn’t have fallen into the trap and even dragging in the Black-Stone-wearing Feisha.

Feisha’s heart wavered.

“Tsk, tsk, things are at this stage and you are actually distracted by a mere human.” Baal’s laugh contained several shades of regret. “Isefel, what happened to your coldness?”

[T/n, Baal is clicking his tongue]

Isefel responded, “It’s all with you.”

“Oh? Then I want to see, how cold can you be, to be judged by God with a sin of coldness!” As he said that, the room was abruptly flooded with red.

The temperature shot up like a rocket.

Isefel single handedly drew a barrier of ice.

But the momentary coolness quickly dissolved into nothing. The soles of Feisha’s feet had been scalded so badly there were blisters and the water in his body was evaporating at a frightening rate. Isefel’s illusion stepped back so that he and Feisha overlapped. Feisha felt the heat briefly lower and his spirit couldn’t help but rise.

“Can you see the black shadow?” His voice, neither hot nor cold, rang beside Feisha’s ear.

Feisha forced himself to keep his eyes open, slowly nodding. The dryness of his body made his thoughts tangle and knot.

“Look closely at the very center of the black shadow.” Isefel unceasingly channelled the Black Star’s energy to withstand the room’s heat, where it was now comparable to magma.

Feisha’s eyes continuously widened, searching blindly within the black shadow.

Isefel groaned, “Remove the Black Star.” Because the Black Star was the source of his illusion, so he couldn’t touch it at all.

Feisha wanted to lift his hands, but they felt as heavy as a thousand weights.

Baal was still laughing. “Isefel, don’t tell me you want him to use the Black Star to destroy the barrier? Mm, this is really the only solution. But, without the Black Star, what are you going to battle me with? Ruby? Sapphire? Amethyst? These gemstones are completely incapable of channelling your full strength.”

Isefel ignored him entirely, still speaking in a soft voice to encourage Feisha. “Remove the brooch.”

Feisha’s fingers twitched and moved towards his chest in excruciating slowness.

Baal said, “Isefel, shall I give him a hand?” As he said that, a beam of red light shot out from the black shadow on the wall immediately towards Feisha and Isefel.

Isefel reached out a hand and once again created a barrier.

But creating a boundary and resisting the intense heat at the same time drained the Black Stone’s power intensely. The gold and silver lights on the Black Star began disappearing at a rate that even the naked eye could see.

Baal smiled to say, “Children have to do things faster, otherwise…” (2)

Feisha bit his lip, focusing all of his energy onto his hand. When he was lifting his hand, he could barely feel it and only felt the throbbing pains of his muscles. Once his hand pulled off the brooch, he was about to collapse from heat exhaustion, as though his life was was out of his control.

Isefel suddenly dissolved the barrier, swiftly pulling his arm forward. The Black Star drew an arc in midair and accurately smashed towards the heart of the black shadow. At the same time, because the red light was no longer being held off, it pushed straight into Feisha’s body.

“Pop!”

Feisha flew out after the red light collided into him.

Blood splashed and blossomed.

Hughes watched helplessly as Feisha, who had disappeared into thin air just now, reappeared out of thin air again.

Accompanying his reappearance was glaringly scarlet blood!

He moved forward in a flesh, catching Feisha in both hands. He hadn’t even opened his mouth, and Locktini was by his side in an instant, using healing spells desperately.

It was only after seven or eight spells that Hughes opened his mouth and stopped Locktini, who was still, unceasingly, using the healing spells. “His pulse is stable, he’s out of danger.”

Locktini let out a breath, so weak that he half crouched.

“Your progress is not bad, huh. I only disappeared for a little while and you’ve gotten rid of all those useless things and the puppets.” ‘Mani’, who was originally lying weakly in his seat, was now filled with energy and full of smiles as he looked at everyone before him.

The black armored soldiers and the clerics had obviously been outnumbered and had already been utterly decimated by the troops Lanka was leading.

Although Houllier was still alive, he was in a sorry state, a far cry from how carefree he had looked at the start.

“Yi?” Baal swept a keen eye over the surroundings. “Where is that clown from the Titan clan?”

[T/n: yi is a sound of surprise]

Houllier forcibly used his arm to take a blow from Antonio’s claw. Only then was he able to escape Layton, Lanka and the warlocks who had trapped him in a circle. “Left.”

“Left?” A hint of surprise flashed across Baal’s face. “He could actually leave my barrier without making a sound. It looks like the Titan Clan’s clown is not as useless as he seemed.”

Houllier wiped off the blood on his arm, forcing a smile. “Lord Baal, won’t you attack?” (3)

“Houllier, your power has weakened quite a lot.”

Houllier’s face darkened. “Lucifer sealed four-fifths of my power.”

“Lucifer again.” Baal’s face looked vicious. “No wonder you are so timid and full of false bravado, afraid to attack anything.”

Houllier’s eyes spun. “Where’s Isefel?”

“Where he is supposed to be, obviously.” The corner of Baal’s mouth turned up and he smiled with contempt. “What’s the difference between an Angel of War withstanding a siege at Noah’s Ark and a defanged hunting dog of Hell?”

Likely hearing Isefel’s name, Feisha’s eyes twitched and he slowly opened them.

Hughes quickly propped him up. “Just what on earth happened just now?”

Feisha looked blindly around him, his pupils slowly shrinking. He suddenly grabbed Hughes’ hand to ask, “Where’s Isefel?”

Hughes stared blankly for a moment. “I also want to know that.”

The memories of just a moment ago attacked Feisha with earth-shattering significance. His face turned white. “The Black Stone is gone.” But luckily, it was just the stone that was gone and Isefel was fine. As he thought of that, he slowly breathed out in relief.

…..

Hughes and Lanka exchanged a glance.

They were all very clear on what the Black Star was. Because Isefel himself had no way of leaving Noah’s Ark, all that he could use of his power depended on using the Black Star as a medium. The Black Star of Hell was well-known as the gemstone that could channel the greatest amount of power among all other gemstones. If Isefel could not subdue Baal even using the Black Star, then using any other stone would be hopeless.

Baal stroked his chin and said, “Alright. I think the current situation is very clear to everyone. Shall we start?”

Antonio and Layton had already retreated and were standing by Hughes.

Feisha, with Hughes’ support, managed to stand. “Is our side much weaker than theirs?”

Hughes thought for a moment. “Do you know why Isefel can’t leave Noah’s Ark?”

Feisha gaped. “No.” Although he was indeed very curious, wasn’t it a little inappropriate to discuss this at such a critical moment? He sent this question with his eyes.

“Because Isefel’s power is comparable to the seven archangels and archdemons’ power.” Hughes continued, “So if he stood on the side of Hell, it would tilt the scales in favor of Hell.”

Then God was surely too selfish. Making him fall, and then not even letting him fall thoroughly. Feisha criticized silently.

Lanka added, “Baal is also as powerful as an archdemon. Except he doesn’t belong to Heaven nor to Hell, so killing Baal is the common goal of both Heaven and Hell.”

Feisha said, “How is this related to the current situation?”

“How it is related is… angels and fallen angels’ power are already far greater than any world, let alone Baal,” Lanka replied.

Feisha frowned. “You could’ve just said we have no hope of winning.”

“That may not be true.” Hughes’ gaze fell onto the coffin. “If we had Gin…” After all, Gin was the second most powerful fighter in the Blood Clan after Cain.

Feisha looked at the password and asked helplessly, “Add his weight?” (4)

Baal unhurriedly interjected, “About the password, I can’t help you either. But I’m in a hurry, let’s start.”

Feisha 囧囧 and thought, honestly, ‘in a hurry’ was his favorite catchphrase, right.

—–

T/n:

(1) Not sure if the pun comes through here. Baal actually says 你们会不会太目中无人了 Nǐmen huì bù huì tài mùzhōngwúrénle. This means something roughly like: aren’t you being too arrogant? The phrase Baal uses, 目中无人 Mùzhōngwúrén, is an idiom which means to act as if one considers everyone else beneath one. Specifically, 人 means human or person. Feisha then plays on the meaning to say that he’s the only human/person present. So I translated Baal’s line as ‘do you think there’s no other person here’ so Feisha can make the pun, lol.

(2) Baal calls Isefel 小朋友 Xiǎopéngyǒu which means ‘child/children’ and it actually sounds pretty condescending.

(3) Houllier is speaking very politely to Baal.

(4) Not sure why Feisha says this here. The original line is: 加体重吗? Jiā tǐzhòng ma which literally means ‘add weight?’