"I want to die... Please end this pain."
Those were the words that had erased Skyler's wicked smile not long ago.
Soft and nearly swallowed by the crashing crimson waves of the voilent Sea of Blood, the words still reached him—clear as day.
"I want to vanish..."
His eyes dilated. His heart raced when the voice echoed again. The boat he occupied was in the middle of the Sea of Blood—the heart of Sea, where sinners were tortured.
Yet, amidst the countless cries, it was as if that voice was the only one he could hear.
He had abandoned all his logic and jumped into the Sea without a second thought. The demon had shouted, but it was far too late.
Yet, even then, Skyler had the presence of mind to wrap Riruru in his jacket and place her in the corner of the small wooden boat.
It was strange—so strange.
He dove into the very churning Sea he had once sworn never to touch. His words had been firm—so firm—when he told the voice in his subconscious that he wouldn't move forward without a way to cross the Sea.
Yet here he was, plunging in without a plan, without preparation—all because of a dying voice whose owner he didn't even know. His mind screamed only one thing: he couldn't let that voice disappear. Not now, not ever.
Otherwise, he would once again vanish to start all over. But start over what, exactly?
He didn't know.
The hot, bloody water whipped against his skin, sending searing pain surging through his nerves—an agony so fierce it felt it would consume him whole as he plunged deeper.
Worse, the desperate souls of the damned clawed at his body from all directions, their jagged nails tearing at his flesh in a frenzy.
His clothes had long since been scorched to ashes, stripped away by the burning Sea as he dove even deeper, his breath choking in his throat with every passing second.
How long could he survive like this?
Without even breathing? And yet, it felt as though he had spent days within the Sea.
If not for Skyler's single-minded focus on the voice pleading for death, he would have long since lost his way in the dark—would have given up. And yet, the pain wracking his body never once made him hesitate.
When he finally met those crimson eyes—glowing like precious gems, yet hollow and devoid of hope—the relief that flooded his chest was indescribable. An old promise, long forgotten, echoed through his mind.
It was his voice—just sweeter.
'Thank you for saving me from losing myself... again.'
He reached out toward the figure of light resting at the bottom of the searing Sea.
'I promise... I swear I will find this part of you, no matter what it takes... no matter which layer of Hell you are trapped in.'
A faint smile tugged at his lips amidst the pain as he held the glowing figure closer to him. Her eyes lost in the emptiness of pain, finally shifted with a hint of awareness. Her long, wavy red hair flowed around them like red flames dancing in the water, as the final words of his promise echoed in his mind.
'After all… your pain is my everything.'
Skyler's gaze was hazy. Still, he wanted to apologize for being late, for forgetting his promise. Yet no words escaped his lips.
His eyes were bleeding, and his body was marred with wounds he could barely count, yet he still swam to leave the Sea, holding the transparent figure close to him.
She remained deadly silent, but due to their closeness, the torture she had endured for many long years flashed through his mind.
She had accidentally entered Hell with no clue who she was and sank into the Sea of Blood while escaping from an old Overseer who wanted to capture her and offer her to the King of Hell after seeing her beauty.
Skyler was already in so much agony after only a short time in the Sea—how could she not have lost her will to live after enduring the same torment for nineteen long years?
He clenched his jaw and kicked fiercely to escape the Sea, his legs pushing away the crying souls that tried to drag him down.
Bubbles escaped his lips as he could no longer hold his breath. The seawater that invaded his lungs tasted bitter and burned along his tongue, throat, and every organ.
Considering how long he had managed to hold his breath, it was already a miracle.
He thanked his 10-star strength for it.
Just as he felt himself sinking, a familiar long white tail surged through the crimson water, striking aside the souls around him before coiling tightly around his waist.
Skyler gasped at the familiar coldness, his eyes widening as he was yanked from the water, the glowing figure still in his arms.
His hazy eyes met the piercing gaze of the massive snake coiled around the shaking wooden boat he had jumped from earlier.
"Riruru...?"
The familiar demon sprawled on the boat looked horrified, gripping the wooden boat tightly to avoid falling into the violent Sea.
After all, no matter who it was, falling into the raging Sea of Blood meant near-certain doom. Seeing the frail mortal emerge alive was already a shock beyond belief for him.
Skyler smiled at the furious snake. Riruru looked angry, he mused quietly as he was gently lowered onto the boat. The demon shouted at him, his fury barely contained.
"How dare you bring such a creature here! The white snake nearly toppled the boat—"
His words were cut short as a sharp kick struck his face, sending him crashing into the water with a splash. Skyler groaned as the demon cried out in agony. The foot he just used to kick him throbbed with pain.
That was really the last of his strength as he leaned toward the transparent figure in his arms and muttered against her neck.
"Too noisy..."
Naturally, his actions didn't go unnoticed. All around him, the dark beings standing on boats snapped their heads in his direction, their amused laughter fading into silence.
Angered, they all instantly started moving toward him, eager to discover why the hell their leader had been cast into the Sea, and to learn who the snake was, along with the injured individual holding the glowing soul.