MTLNOVEL Chapter 83: Sacrifice
Luna jerked in her sleep but she was too deep in the slumber to wake up and realize that her mate had received damage.
The sky was dark outside and the whole city was engulfed in serene peace.
However, within the temple, chaos had ensued.
[Above,]
Hades didn't question nor doubt.
He just jumped back before something slashed down and created a deep gash in the floor.
His forehead was glistening with sweat, his breathing uneven as he continued to move around, dodging the attacks of the Goddess.
A column of water burst from the floor where Hades had been a second ago.
[Left!]
He pivoted instantly, barely avoiding the slicing arc of another magic wave. It carved through the marble wall like paper.
The air was heavy with mana, every breath sharp in his lungs. His muscles burned, but he kept moving.
Another torrent of water slammed toward him—this one twisting midair like a serpent. He ducked, felt the icy whip graze his cheek, leaving a stinging line of blood.
[Behind you!]
He spun just in time to see a blade of condensed water slicing toward his back. He rolled forward, the strike passing so close it shredded the edge of his shirt.
Every step was survival—no time to think, only to react.
He lunged in, trying to close the distance, his hand sparking with magic. He swung—
The Goddess raised a palm. A wave of crushing water smashed into his chest, hurling him into a pillar. The stone cracked behind him.
[Move!]
He rolled aside as another magic wave split the pillar clean in two, shards raining down where his head had been.
His eyes locked on her—calm, smiling, not even breathing hard.
Hades dashed again, this time feinting left before sending a burst of fire her way.
The flames never reached her. A wall of water swallowed them whole, steam hissing in the air.
Nothing he threw at her landed. She was faster, stronger, and each strike she sent carried enough force to kill.
A water spear formed in her hand, gleaming under the temple's dim light.
[She's aiming to finish it—]
The spear shot forward.
Hades pushed off the ground with every ounce of strength, barely clearing it as it tore through the space where his heart had been a breath ago, embedding deep into the temple wall.
Hades shouted, "Can you stop?! We can talk this out!"
The girl tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "I exist to kill you. Nothing you say will change that."
Hades clenched his teeth. This wasn't working.
His eyes flicked to Beatrice. She was struggling to breathe, blood running down the side of her head. She had tried to help him, but the Goddess's attacks were merciless—one strike was all it took to send her crashing to the ground before she could even react.
Taking a deep breath, Hades called out, "What did I even do to make you hate me this much? I don't even know who I am."
The Goddess's eyes narrowed. "You haven't awakened your Core?"
He shook his head. "Not yet."
The waves of magic slowed, the crushing pressure easing just slightly. Her voice changed—lower, heavier—as she said, "Then you deserve to know the sin you carry… before you die."
Her gaze burned into him. "Millions—dragons, humans, dwarves, every race you can name—millions died because of you. I lost my family. I lost my father. This world was brought to the edge of ruin because of you. Because you couldn't agree with others. Because you rejected peace. Because you enjoyed killing."
Her words rang out, echoing through the temple, heavy with rage and grief.
She had seen it all—towns wiped from the map, entire races fading into nothing, and after surviving a war that had already bled the world dry, everyone thrown into another.
She had watched it happen with her own eyes. And when her father fell in that chaos, her heart broke beyond repair. She abandoned the world of the living and built this temple as her refuge… and her prison.
But that day, she swore an oath.
If the one who caused it all ever returned, she would wake again—and this time, she would end him with her own hands.
Hades's brow furrowed. 'Is… she telling the truth?'
[Most of it, yeah.]
His jaw tightened. 'Then… doesn't that mean I deserve death?'
He stepped forward. Samarella's eyes narrowed.
She couldn't feel any killing intent from him. No tension in his stance, no sign of an attack.
He simply walked toward her, voice steady. "I can feel it… that rage in you. It's too real to be a lie. If you say I've done such terrible things, then… it must be true."
Samarella's expression darkened. "I've only told you a fragment of what you've done."
Hades exhaled slowly, his stride never faltering. "I understand your hatred. And if killing me would give Beatrice her daughter back… then so be it."
Beatrice's eyes widened. "Hades—!"
Before she could say more, Samarella lazily flicked a finger. A water vine shot up from the ground, wrapping tight around Beatrice's mouth.
"Mmfh!"
Hades didn't even glance her way. His eyes stayed on the Goddess as he came to a stop before her.
"I know I won't survive the weight of so many deaths… so end it. Liberate me from this cruel life," Hades said, his voice low but steady.
Samarella's lips curled into a grin. "Oh… that I will."
Her hands shot forward, clamping around his neck like iron.
Hades choked, the breath crushed out of him as her grip tightened.
"Today… my revenge will be complete! I will finally rest in peace!" she roared, squeezing harder.
His feet left the ground. His skin turned pale, veins rising on his temples.
Through clenched teeth, he glared down at her—then suddenly gripped her wrists and shouted, "Do it!"
[Drawing the Realm.]
Samarella's eyes widened. She instantly let go—but too late.
The world around them warped, and in a blink, she was trapped inside the Realm with him.
The air was thick with violent mana. The sky was dark and the ground was red.
They were no longer in the Temple, but his domain.
The Sovereign's Realm.
Hades dropped to the ground, coughing, dragging air back into his lungs.
Samarella spun toward him, her voice thunderous. "HOW CAN YOU DRAW THE REALM?!"
She lunged, ready to crush him underfoot—but his fingers twitched, and thick vines erupted from the ground, coiling tightly around her ankles and wrists. The earth groaned as they locked her in place.
Hades stood, still breathing hard, but with a smirk tugging at his lips. "You really thought I was going to sacrifice myself?"
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.