EnCoffin Me Chapter 116
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 116
He was submerged in the Underworld River. The God of Slander struggled as if drowning, twisting and trying to reach upward with his hand. Suddenly, his movement stopped. He looked at his outstretched hand. His fingers were shriveled, covered in wrinkles and spots. He trembled as he touched his own face.
This body was aging… No! He himself was aging! He was bound to this shell.
Just as his mind was in turmoil, the saint appeared in front of him, wielding the god-slaying sword.
“! ! !”
The god's blood spread widely through the dark waters. The God of Slander let out a silent scream. His divine power was being stolen, and his divinity began to shatter. He regretted it. He should have waited longer. He should have avoided the goddess' youngest child. But he had been too impatient, too eager to incite conflict between the goddesses, hoping to seize the opportunity to grow stronger and claim the supreme position of God King.
He should have… he should have…
“Slander... will never die!” he shouted his final cry from the Underworld River. “When there is division in your hearts, I will return! Then the God King's throne will be mine! The world will be mine!”
With that scream, Theo's body, along with the god within, was completely turned to ashes by the Underworld River.
Lucius sheathed his sword. His first instinct was to go to where Alexio was. In the gray-black waters of the Underworld River, Alexio hung motionless, but a vivid red glow radiated from his body, faintly outlining the shape of a red fish.
“…Alexi!”
“Don't move!” The words of the goddess' youngest child, whose divine power had mostly returned, were impossible for mortals to defy. Lucius was forced to stop in place, the vast waters of the Underworld River flowing slowly between them.
“I really like you,” Alexio said, lowering his head, unwilling to embarrass himself too much. “Maybe I liked you ever since I saw you by the riverbank.
“You shone brightly, wearing a crown, having gone through countless adventures protecting the world. I'm just a prisoner who can only wander the Underworld River.
“Perhaps it was because of this liking and longing that, after entering the mortal world, my first dream was to become a radiant hero, remembered in the ballads of bards. But… I don't regret becoming a vampire, because that's how I was able to meet you.”
He took a deep breath and slowly swam toward the motionless saint.
He kissed the saint's beautiful sky-blue eyes, his slightly pointed fangs gently touching the eyelids.
“…I bestow my favor upon you, granting you eternal life that you can end whenever you wish.”
Alexio spoke. His red eyes seemed to glow softly in the dim light. The sound of the river's tide came closer and closer. Lucius felt something moving on his back, a vibrant tail wrapping around his waist. Qizhi's divine favor vanished from his shoulders, replaced by a red fish tattoo covering his back. The little red fish had closed its eyes as if sunken in deep water, or in a dream.
The tide surged again. The glass bottle Alexio had kept in his pocket shattered. Sprites flew out and swirled around him along with those born later. Large phantoms passed overhead. Behemoth, Leviathan, and Qizhi. The Underworld River began to flow again, returning the child to his mother. The three pillars were merely visitors who would return to the mortal world. The youngest child would stay forever, the only splash of color wandering the dark Underworld River.
Everything was just like it had been at the beginning.
Riding on Behemoth's back, Alexio kept looking back. Leviathan tried to make him smile, but with just a blink, Alexio was nearly in tears.
“I really liked him.”
【……】
【Gods are good at protecting themselves. Once you return to your father and mother, you will forget him.】
Alexio fell silent.
The darkness before him grew thicker. He felt Behemoth moving swiftly beneath the earth, so he closed his eyes as well.
When he opened them again, the dim light floated gently.
He stirred his veil-like tail and rose from the water. The shore was gray and barren, with countless dark shapes moving about. He was all too familiar with this scene, but now, seeing it, he felt an inexplicable sadness.
He stared at the golden gates that transported souls, staring for a long time.
* * *
【Quickly, commit suicide.】
Lucius opened his eyes. Before he could react, he heard Qizhi's voice.
Qizhi's tone was very urgent. It even sent the three children over before urging Lucius again.
【Hurry! You won't really die! The guardians of the three pillars can hold the gates for now! You still have time!】
Lucius looked at the white bird. Qizhi fidgeted under his gaze.
【I admit it! I ship them, okay?! Can’t I just ship them?!】
【Zhen! He's stunned! Hurry up and stab him!】
Zhen: “……”
Lucius: “……”
Without hesitation, Lucius pierced his chest with the god-slaying sword. The hilt was still wrapped in roses, reminding him of the roses climbing the walls at the home he shared with Alexio.
He felt his soul leave his body and pass through a glowing gate. Ahead lay a gray wasteland.
“Your porridge and bread.” Someone spoke, and almost immediately the two items were placed in his hands. Lucius felt a blank in his mind. He only remembered that he urgently needed to do something. But after a few seconds, he no longer felt urgency. He just looked down at the two items.
“These are the last things you can enjoy in the mortal world. Cherish them.”
He was glowing. The guardians by the Underworld River called it a ‘crown,’ indicating that this soul had been a hero in the mortal world, and thus they treated him with extra respect.
The saint carried the porridge and bread. He slowly left the crowd and approached the riverbank.
He could hardly remember anything. He took a bite of bread and a sip of porridge, and soon the food was almost gone. He looked at the last corner of bread and the empty porridge bowl. Then, he glanced up and saw the guardians of the Underworld River coming over, seemingly to collect the bowl.
He thought for a moment, then calmly washed the bowl in the river and tucked it into his chest, while clutching the piece of bread tightly in his hand.
Underworld River: “……”
The guard who came to collect the bowls looked at his empty hands in surprise and asked, “Where's the bowl?”
“I ate it.”
“……”
After hesitating a moment, the guard scratched his head, thinking this soul must be especially hungry. So he bypassed him to collect others' bowls instead. No one paid attention to Lucius anymore. The souls who had completed their final rites were free to scatter across the wasteland. Time would gradually erode all their features, and eventually, they would become shadows, wandering here forever.
For some reason, Lucius knew he was not here to seek that fate.
His gaze gradually shifted to the Underworld River.
He found a secluded corner, placed a piece of bread in the empty bowl, and then dipped the bowl into the dark river. The water was so black he couldn't see what was beneath. He squinted and waited quietly.
A bright splash of red suddenly appeared in his view.
This red streak swam through the dark river like a flame. Many glowing sprites surrounded it like stars circling the moon, creating an ethereal beauty in the black water. Lucius held the bowl patiently. Suddenly, a small red fish emerged in front of the bowl.
“Are you an idiot? Who would fall for this kind of trick!”
The little red fish said disdainfully. The sprites jumped around him, eagerly echoing the insult.
Seeing Lucius' expressionless face despite the mockery, the little red fish lost interest, flicked his tail, and sank back into the depths.
After about ten seconds, the little red fish popped up again.
“Are you an idiot? Who would fall for this kind of trick!”
After mocking him to his heart's content, he turned and disappeared into the depths of the river.
Lucius said nothing.
He seemed to have noticed something.
The third time the little red fish just barely popped his head up, Lucius calmly cut in.
“I don't know if I'm an idiot, but your memory is really poor, barely more than ten seconds.”
“……”
The little red fish held his breath, and the sprites hurried to help him catch some air.
“But doesn't that also prove this piece of bread has some appeal to you? Three times in a row.”
“Not at all! I was looking at the shiny surface of the water! Why is your hair so bright?!” The little red fish stubbornly snapped. “You even left the bowl here, making so many ripples! Of course, I had to come check!”
“You checked three times?”
“Shut up!”
“How pitiful, how pitiful,” Lucius sighed. “Fine, I'll just let you have a taste.”
“No way!”
“That's perfect.”
Without hesitation, Lucius reached to pull the bowl out of the water. The little red fish looked stunned at first, then suddenly realized what was happening and leapt into the bowl.
No! Now he insisted on eating.
He bit off the corner of the bread and triumphantly looked up, wanting to see the expression of this arrogant creature. However, a sudden jolt made it hit the side of the bowl, stars flashing before his eyes. Lucius ran holding the bowl, his hands shielding the little red fish inside. This familiar scene stunned the Underworld River for a moment before reacting.
History was repeating itself!
The river could not let this human soul succeed again. It surged forward with unprecedented speed, trying to reclaim its child. But Lucius seemed prepared. He was close to the glowing gates. Without hesitation, he threw the bowl and the little red fish out through the gate.
Little red fish: “???”
Turning back, he faced the menacing river. As he neared the gate, his memories gradually returned.
“Father.”
He called out with a blank face but genuine feeling.
The Underworld River spliiiiiit in half!
(T/N: split in half — internet slang that conveys extreme shock)
Lucius had already vanished through the gates. The raging waters remained wild and snarling. The river guards trembled, not even daring to look up at the river.
The goddess' flowing dress swept in, guiding the Underworld River back into its course. But this time, there was no little red fish swimming within it.
【The pact was between me and Galotti. She won't harm my child, the one who dissolved the hatred between us.】
【As long as he doesn't use divine power, what does it matter if he stays in the mortal world?】
Her voice was gentle, and the river gradually calmed.
【I'm quite fond of how he is in the mortal world. Little wings, little fangs, so cute.】
【My child, my…】
【Alexi.】
* * *
He woke up.
All around him was a silence deeper than even the darkest night. Slowly, he began to feel his body again. A faint, damp softness touched his fingertips. That initial sensation gradually awakened his other senses. Slowly, he caught the delicate fragrance of flowers and heard, very close by, the rhythmic beating of a heart.
That lunatic's heartbeat echoed beside him. Alexio turned his head blankly. His memory was still lingering in the Underworld River.
What was he…
A sudden heat touched his lips, then the tongue met fangs. Startled, Alexio jerked back. A dull thud sounded from behind his head, but someone had already moved to cushion it. The impact came out muffled.
“Awake?”
The rustle of fabric followed. This time, the kiss landed on the side of his neck. Alexio's senses returned all at once. He pressed down on the lunatic's head, stopping him in place.
“Where are we…”
“In a coffin.”
Alexio was silent for a few seconds. Then, relying on memory, he reached for the latch. He remembered this was a twist-off coffin.
After fumbling for a long time, the spot where the latch should have been was perfectly smooth.
“……”
What the hell kind of coffin was this?!
“You forgot, didn't you? The coffin was modified. It opens a different way now.” The saint pressed a small remote into Alexio's hand. Holding it, Alexio felt as if ten thousand Helgodon were stampeding through his mind.
“New technology, automatic lift coffin lid.”
“……”
Lunatic!!!
Regardless of Alexio's internal complaints, the coffin lid slowly rose. Light from outside streamed in, and excited voices filtered through. Some surprised exclamations were heard, along with what sounded like celebratory poppers. Alexio vaguely saw the brilliant decorations around them.
“Xixi!”
“Alexi!”
Alexio sat up and hugged the children who had rushed over. Then he turned slightly. Lucius had also risen beside him, a few petals of starmoon roses clinging to his hair.
Alexio couldn't help but smile. The first time he'd been pulled into this, it was that lunatic trying to save him from the firestorm, and he had, in turn, used the power of the Underworld River to save the dead lunatic. Now, waking here again, it all felt strange, but worth smiling about.
The saint turned his sky-blue eyes, and Alexio's figure reflected clearly in them.
Sprites danced between them. Amid the dewy scent of starmoon roses, fate seemed to blush crimson once more.
The stars and moon never withered. The sprites floated gently—
It was destiny.
.
.
.
T/N: And the story ends. Thank you for reading here! Let's meet in the next bus 🚌💨
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U: Dage is a fish! ! ! /ᐠ ↀДↀ マ.ᐟ