Rise of the Rejected Deity from Chaos-Chapter 61 - 60: The Bloodied Path to Freedom XIV

Ms. Onoya’s body stilled for a moment before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. Seiya pulled his staff from her fallen form and swung it in a fluid, whipping motion to shake off the blood that clung to it—though its stainless steel was already stained red from the battle. Releasing the staff, he allowed it to float beside him as he walked back the way he had come.

When Seiya reached the now ruined main hall where he had left everyone, he encountered Hayne, who was glancing around as if searching for something.

Upon spotting Seiya, Hayne sauntered over to him, causing those who had been wary of Seiya to stare in awe at his casual approach.

"I’ve been looking for you. Where did you go?" Hayne asked.

Seiya remained silent, unsure how to respond, as he hadn’t been anywhere significant.

Noting Seiya’s silence, Hayne continued. "Forget that. Anyway, we need to start leaving now."

"There are a lot of people to carry, so it’s going to be difficult," Hayne added.

He began counting on his fingers. "Eiro’s down. Your mom is still unconscious. Some of the kids are too weak to walk, and others are already asleep."

"Tell me, what’s with that one over there? Why’s he still alive?" Hayne asked, gesturing toward the elite with vitiligo lying motionless on the floor.

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Seiya glanced at the elite, then back at Hayne, replying with indifference, "He works under me now."

Hayne blinked, clearly not understanding. "What?"

Seiya stared back at him with a look that seemed to say, ’you clearly heard what I said. I’m not repeating myself.’

"…."

"Yeah, I did. I just can’t seem to digest it," Hayne admitted, looking confused.

The others, who had been watching the exchange between Seiya and Hayne, couldn’t help but marvel at the ease with which Seiya conversed now, after having seemed so ruthless and merciless moments before. They exchanged glances, surprised by the way Hayne was interacting with Seiya so casually.

Looking back at the elite, then at Seiya, Hayne raised an eyebrow. "How sure are you that he’ll work under you and not turn on you the moment he’s treated and regains his strength?"

Seiya’s gaze was sharp as he responded immediately, "He can’t."

"…." Hayne stared at him, speechless.

"Why?" Hayne finally asked, regaining his voice.

"Because I will kill him," Seiya said flatly, his tone serious.

Hayne shook his head as if trying to shake off the weight of his thoughts. "Anyway, with him included, that’s a lot," he muttered, referring to the long list of people that needed to be carried.

Seiya glanced at Hayne with a questioning look before turning away. "No, he won’t be carried. He’s strong so he can walk."

Striding over to the elite, who lay weak and exhausted, Seiya looked down at him, a shadow casting over half his face in the dimly lit hall, illuminated only by the glowing moonlight.

"Get up," Seiya commanded harshly. All eyes shifted to him, their gazes fixed in quiet anticipation.

The elite, who appeared too drained to even twitch a muscle, struggled to his feet with startling speed.

A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers, Hayne included, who had assumed Seiya was joking when he had claimed the elite worked under him. They were all struck by the immediate obedience with which the elite responded to Seiya’s words.

The elite’s disheveled black hair fell over his face, lengthy but not so long as to obscure his eyes—just below his brows. A streak of white ran through the front of his hair, divided in the middle so that the white strands framed his face on both sides.

Seiya cast a glance back at Hayne, as if to say, ’see’?

Hayne gave a small smile. "That’s one less burden," he said with a note of relief, thinking they now had one less person to carry. But just as they were about to settle into this moment, Riena’s voice broke the silence. "Suhei also needs to be carried."

Hayne and the others exchanged puzzled glances, then looked back at her.

Seeing their unspoken confusion, disbelief spread across Riena’s face. "What’s with this reaction? Were you all planning to leave Suhei here without letting him rest in peace?"

"Seriously? After everything he’s endured in this hellhole for years?!" Riena asked, her shock palpable.

Hayne and the others lowered their gazes, a sense of unease settling over them. They seemed bewildered by their own lack of compassion, wondering if the harsh years they had spent here had drained them of any semblance of sympathy.

Looking up at Riena, the bulky senior hesitated before speaking. "But Riena, the funeral rites and all—"

"There’s no need," Riena cut him off firmly.

He was about to explain that they lacked the time to properly honor Suhei, given their circumstances.

"We don’t need an elaborate ceremony," Riena continued, her tone unexpectedly light. "We just need to find a river."

The bulky senior fell silent, recognizing that some traditions permitted the kind of funeral Riena had in mind.

Stepping forward, Hayne approached Mr. Sanio where he sat in quiet exhaustion. "As we prepare to leave, I trust you’ll honor your end of the bargain and ensure no one follows us," Hayne began, his gaze fixed on the weary man before him.

"We will remain silent about everything that’s occurred here and spare your life. In return, we expect you to allow the children to live the lives you’ve robbed from them."

"Just leave," Mr. Sanio replied weakly, his voice clouded with exhaustion. "You’ve always known me as a man of my word."

From a distance, Riena watched for a moment before stepping forward. Her footsteps were soft as she approached Hayne and Mr. Sanio.

Her gaze dropped to Mr. Sanio, her eyes clouded with quiet sorrow. "There was no need to kill Suhei."

"I know you only planted an elite among us, the third floors, for a time like this, and had him go for Suhei first because he possesses the ability to expose everything that’s happened here over the years. But…" Her voice trembled as tears began to well up, threatening to spill. "You didn’t have to kill him, because he would’ve been the first to suggest we keep everything that happened here a secret, so that the children could lead peaceful lives." Tears slipped down her cheeks, her head bowing as the grief overwhelmed her. "He was that kind, so…. there was no need," She whispered, barely audible through the tears.

Mr. Sanio fell silent, his gaze dropping to the ground in response to her sorrow.

The silence stretched on, the wind howling and brushing against their skin, the only sound in the stillness. Riena’s hair fluttered in the breeze as she wept quietly before the man responsible for Suhei’s death.

After a long moment of tension and sorrow, the air seemed to calm. Hayne woke the sleeping children, and the bulky senior from the third floor gently lifted Eiro. Another carried Seiya’s mother, while one more cradled Suhei’s lifeless body with tender care.

Without hesitation, they set forth, their footsteps carrying them away from the darkness of their past—like birds at last breaking free from their cages and venturing out to explore the outside world.