Wicked Reincarnation

The heart-tearing sounds filled the whole capital and followed Lia even to the second layer. Lia tapped on the circle once they've hidden in the third layer where the G family's residence used to be.

The huge land was perfect for Yano and the others to hide in.

"Yano?" Lia quickly asked as no one spoke up.

"Yes, sorry," Yano's breathless voice appeared, "Just had to rush. Where are you?"

"We're hiding in the third layer of the capital. G family's mansion, you know where that is?"

"Just about, we are already in the core. Wait a bit, almost there."

"Ok," Lia ended the call and then turned to Noel and Lily, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, no worries," Noel grinned while Lily looked at him, "You're alive?"

"You sound as if you want me dead!"

"No, it's good. Someone is still alive," a sad smile hushed across Lily's face.

"Lily, how-"

"You're in trouble, aren't you? I already told you before, young master would've wanted me to help and there's no way the Ghost King allowed to destroy the Immortal World, but-" Lily looked out of the window seeing the smoke emerging from the centre, "Things look pretty bad."

"Actually there's something good," Lia could guess it was good, "The three captains that were supposed to take care of the Mortal World are here now which means the Mortal World might be safe for now, but, on the other side, it means Mi- trash has focused all of the fire here which is weird though."

"Weird how?" Lily needed to be briefed on the current situation.

"As in why not focus on the Immortal World in the first place, why bother attacking the Mortal World just to pull all forces out again?" Noel caught on.

"Exactly, and," Lia also knew of the other possibility, "It could be that the vengeful ghostsr are doing all the work in the Mortal World."

"Aren't there still some exorcists left?" Lily couldn't follow.

"Yeah, but they aren't enough to take care of the whole Mortal World. It's immense."

"Either way, I'm already here, might as well help but that doesn't mean I'll forgive you."

Lia gave Lily an understanding smile as the latter turned away, "By the way, reinforcement coming?"

"Yes, they should be here soon," just as Lia answered, noises came from outside, "They're here."

The three of them rushed outside and were met with an incredible sight.

"Why have you brought the mortals here?'' Lia, Noel and Lily were all confused.

"We gotta fight head-on," Holn answered but then saw Lily, "Ohh~ Who's this?"

Lily introduced herself while Yano took Lia in his arms.

"They wanted to fight with us. Couldn't keep them at bay," Yano nuzzled his head in Lia's shoulder for few seconds before he noticed Noel's stare. Yano's eyes widened, "Noel! So you were the one in the palace?"

"Yano, it's been a while," Yano and Noel gave each other a high-five but Noel's feelings were still complicated. Noel regarded Yano as a good friend but seeing him and Lia together still stung.

"Heh, Yano, by the way, let me copy your power," Yano and Lia turned to Noel with shocked expressions.

"Ha, can you? It's impossible," Yano shot the idea down.

"We dunno, lemme try at least."

"Alright," Yano gave in before calling Holn, Skyla and Lu with him, "Guys come and help too."

After that things got a bit busier. They couldn't remain here forever and soon decided to head to the battle. Things were escalating around the Immortal World. Yano, however, reassured Lia, "My dad, Zero, and the rest of the hidden families are taking care of the other parts, so we should be reassured."

"Elder D too," Lily chipped in.

"Do they even have powers?"

"Heh," Yano smirked, "Min got these pills now, right? Got a few and gave them to everyone, so they can hold their own."

That's really reassuring," knowing that took off some burden of Lia's weight.

"We gotta head out," Mil came with Skyla into the room, followed by Noel, Holn and Lu.

"Did you successfully get their powers?" Lia asked Noel who had a bitter smile, "Yeah, just not that jerk's."

Lia found it funny that one jerk called the other jerk a jerk.

"Have you done all the preparations?" Yano watched them.

"Yes, our men are ready," Mil threw a look at the table but found no snacks.

Lia felt even more funny, even though everything was going to hell, they were all here cautiously yet casually preparing themselves while war was going on, until Skyla said the cue words, "We've got no time to lose. We'll head first. Take care."

"You too," as they left, only Lia, Lily and Yano and the mortals remained in the mansion, while the others went to risk their lives to stop the Ghost King and the captains.

"What are we waiting for?" Lily eyed Yano suspiciously.

"I figured trash would burn the corpses after learning what Lia's power is," Yano started but Lia cut him off.

"I'm basically useless now."

"Not necessarily, there's a way to gain corpses but," Yano sighed and refused eye contact with Lia, "It's up to you to decide if you want to take it this way or not."

"What do you mean?"

"We should head out but first Lily, do you have powers?"

Lily shook, "I don't want any. I'll just help purging the ghosts. I'll be fine on my own without powers. I'm good at providing support. I trained too."

"But-"

"Lia, I don't want your powers."

Lia immediately understood, "Ok."

She should've known Lily would react this way.

"So what about your solution?" Lily turned to Yano.

Lily already saw Yano when Lia visited her at the D family's mansion but getting a closer look at him, she didn't expect the top exorcist to be this… well attractive and carefree.

Looking at him and Lia, Lily did think Yano was a good counterpart to Lia but most of the others weren't alive to witness this couple. Lily now wondered what Noel was thinking when Yano tore her out of her thoughts, "Let's go and see."

Yano walked to the outside of the mansion, the garden where the mortals had assembled.

"Where are the corpses?" Lia thought Yano would've asked the mortals to collect the corpses.

Yano hesitated and said, "Right in front of you."

"I don't see them," Lily raked her head to see the whole place but Lia immediately caught on.

"No," Lia stepped back and shook her head, then she shot Yano a glare, "I didn't expect you to resort to this."

"What? What?" Lily didn't understand.

Yano looked a bit sad, "It wasn't my idea. It was theirs."

"You should've refused it!"

"I know, that's why I said it's up to you to decide."

Lily saw the tension between Yano and Lia and was dumbfounded. She still had no clue what was going on.

"It was indeed our decision," the bartender steped next to Lia as the mortals all knelt down, "Because we want to help."

"Are you insane?" Lia grabbed the bartender and pointed at the mortals, "You all, this is suicide!"

Lia couldn't believe they'd come up with a suicide mission out of everything. Not only suicide, this was also torturing them after they died.

"We'd die anyways, isn't that so? We shouldn't have come to the Immortal World in the first place," the bartender was calm and logical. Too calm and logical at this moment.

Why? Lia didn't understand at all. Why would they be willing to risk their lives for another world, for beings that basically decided over them? If it was only the bartender, Lia would've understood but all of these 200 mortals? What united and drove them to have the same mindset?

"We want to help and save our world. Just like patriots defend their countries in war, we'll defend our world in this war! We'll become greater heroes!" the bartender exclaimed and the mortals all held their hands up and nodded.

They couldn't cheer because it'd attract the enemies.

"Stop with your hero syndrome," Lia bluntly cut down the bartender's fantasies.

"We all decide over our own lives. This is our decision. Because we willingly part, we won't turn into ghosts."

Resolute. Determined and unyielding. All these emotions were portrayed the mortals' eyes.

"Even so… this is a joke no?" Lia understood their reason, accepted their sentiments but she couldn't allow more people to die because of her, for her, for this rotten world, to the pleasure of heavens and to the likes of Min. How many more deaths did she have to witness for it all to stop?

"This isn't," a light smile spread on the bartender's face as if he already parted from this world, "You're running out of time, right?"

Yes, right now ghosts were swarming over their heads to invade other parts of the Immortal World. Everyone could see it if they faced the sky.

"But still-" Lia didn't want this outcome.

Just stop. Stop! Stop!

"I lived a good life," the bartender continued, "It was boring, a struggle for money, no success for my love life but well- now there's some action. Isn't that the dream of every fiction lover? To be able to step onto an adventure that seems too great to exist?"

Lia wordlessly listened to the bartender reminiscing. This person who played a tiny part in her life but still helped her, now took on a major role in the fiction he desperately wished for. He became a great character that sacrificed itself for the end goal, the type that everyone admired but no one wanted to be.

These kinds of roles always needed to be filled. Regardless of one wanting it or not. It needed some to fulfil it. So the bartender and all these mortals took it upon them.

Yet Lia could clearly see it. Among some of the peaceful faces, there were also terrified and anxious ones, some who were praying to the twisted god they believed in, some that shed tears about their oncoming end, and then Lia's view fell back on the bartender.

This youthful face that was overridden with inexplicable tiredness. How could Lia not have noticed all the fatigue and exhaustion that were buried deep in his face, into every wrinkle of his face that tried to light up with a smile.

Only now did Lia realise. The white strand of hair now sprouted between his black ones. The mortals really didn't have long anymore. The process of their ageing has been sped up. The Immortal World wanted to expel them.contemporary romance

"I see," Lia's hands trembled.

Choosing an honourable death, having control over their own end was better than to anxiously wait for an unknown death. Lia also noticed the regret and questions some mortals portrayed, 'Why did they come here? Why did they act so spontaneously? What were they thinking?'

Agonising over this very day until their death, they wanted to put an end to it. With their own hands.

"Then please take care of us," the bartender joined the mortals. Lia closed her eyes as the mortals all pulled out a knife at the same time.

Kneeling, praying, sobbing and smiling. There were all sorts of people yet Lia has tried to group them into one.

Of course, no one wanted to die. No one wanted to discard their lives if they had a chance but for these mortals, they, unfortunately, let go of their chance to pursue a fleeting dream that turned out to be a nightmare.

Then Lia opened her eyes and witnessed the suicidal massacre.

Blood sprayed. Mortals fell.

"Rise."

And with a single word all of them came back to life without knowing it, "Follow me. I will lead you to victory, for your sacrifice will not be in nought. For your sacrifices will shake heavens."

And so with an army of 200 corpses behind Lia, the battle would commence.

done.co