Chapter 164: 164 - Unmasked

His body felt heavy and in pain from the unrelenting pressure the so-called god, Zaduriel tried crushing him with, but he still stood up and tried approaching him. Everything was a daze to Adaloun. His eyes blurry and felt puffy after the punishment he had been through. His body in pain and was constantly protesting to him that he just lay down. But he stood up and wanted to give the god a good beating from what he did to him. Unfortunately, his body wasn't cooperating with him, he went down as soon as he took his first step.

He looked at Zaduriel sprawling on the floor holding his shoulder where the arrow pierced perfectly. The so-called deity was in a world of pain. His grotesque face contorted as ever as the pain came rushing through his body.

"Aggghh!" The deity howled as he tried to take out the arrow from his shoulder, unfortunately, it was too deep for him to take away.

Adaloun on the other hand went up on one knee. The crushing pressure he felt earlier took a toll on his body. With his left arm broken and his legs weakened from the pressure, but he was persistent to stand up. He looked straight at Zaduriel's eyes and saw the god's fear and confusion to the situation.

He tried going back up again, but he was still too weak or rather, he's body wasn't letting him. But Adaloun was tough, he won't take no for an answer even if his body was the one protesting. He gritted his teeth and brought himself back up.

"W-what…are you…doing?!" The horned god asked as he crawled away from room. "D-don't come…near me!"

"If I have to crawl just to get to you," Adaloun said as he was about to crawl forward. "I will!"

"No! NO!" Zaduriel begged as he stood up and tried to run, fortunately another arrow came and pierced his through his right calf. The god screamed in pain and tumbled down on the floor.

Adaloun wanted to look back, but he doesn't want to take his eyes off the fallen god. It took him some time, but he finally was able to stand up again. He took a deep breath and began to approach the god, forcing his legs to take a step—a very painful step.

He limped forward dragging his body towards the god who he saw was in a pool of his black bile blood. Zaduriel's eyes were bloodshot and filled with fear. Adaloun hasn't seen a god's fear-ridden eyes since he transmigrated in this world. He wanted to beat the hell out of the arrogant deity who was now begging for his life.

He was only inches away from getting his wish, when suddenly Zaduriel tried to hit him with a beam of dark light coming out from his finger.  The light slightly grazed his cheek and burned his skin in the process, but Adaloun didn't flinch.

This led to the horned god firing another one and hit him in the chest. Adaloun, too tired to dodge, simply gambled and risk to take the hit. He gritted his teeth and took the beam that seared his chest. Luckily that was the only damage Zaduriel could muster at that point. It seemed like the arrows that got him also drained or restricted his exousia.

"I-I warn you! You will die if you ever lift a finger on me!" Zaduriel threatened Adaloun with empty words.

"Tell me truly, Zaduriel" Adaloun said. "Do you truly know me? Because you keep calling me by my old name."

Zaduriel nodded, "I-I truly know you! That's why I even offered to get her back. You know the—"

Before the god could finish, Adaloun went down on his knees and delivered a punch to the god's face. Zaduriel's head bounced on the cold stony floor. The god's mouth bled as his lower lip broke from the impact of his punch.

"Don't…you…ever…mention her…name!" Adaloun said as he continued to pummel Zaduriel's face.

The wounded god, wailed in agony and tried fighting back but, Adaloun overwhelmed him with his strength and fury. He held the god's neck using his broken arm and delivered vicious elbows to his face as if he intended it to cave in.

"Not…so…powerful now, are you?" Adaloun spat as he relentlessly delivered every blow without a care.

"Pleafffe…staahpp… I—" Zaduriel took another fist to the face.

Suddenly, the ground shook violently and got Adaloun distracted. At that same moment, Zaduriel took his opportunity to push him away before whistling as hard as he could. Out of nowhere, the rabid giant burst from the wall and roared so loud its voice made flung Adaloun away farther from the horned god.

"Thear 'im tho piecesh!!!" Zaduriel said as pointed at Adaloun. 

The giant growled at him and ran towards him with an attempt of crushing him. The giant leapt and was about to deliver his big fists unto Adaloun when a barrage of arrows came descending on the giant. The giant dropped just a few paces from him groaning in pain as the floor shook from his drop.

Adaloun took the distraction and tried to ran, but the his body was too damaged for him to move, let alone stand. The giant speedily recovered from the attack and tried to go at him again when another barrage of arrows came in rapid succession hitting the giant in the face and chest.

As the giant covered his face and chest, Orphella came out from the dark corner of the room and dragged him away from the scene.

"W-whath are yeh stadinth ther?! Get 'em!" Zaduriel shouted angrily at the giant.

But as the giant went on for an attack, Orphella stopped it on its tracks by shooting it and this time, it finally hit on of its eyes. The giant wailed in agony as the arrow pierced and seemed to burn a quarter of its face.

The giant fell unto the ground once again, wailing in agony. Zaduriel stood up limping and threw curses at the giant for its incompetence. Just as he was about to spat another insult at the fallen monster, Orphella pulled her bow once again and fired it directly at the horned god.

Luckily, the arrow was partially touched by the giant slightly moving its trajectory. The arrow only took out a portion of his horn instead of lodging in between his eyes.

"Agggh!!" Zaduriel screamed as his horn broke into two with, he upper of it completely gone. "Giant, get me out of here!" He commanded.

The poor giant wobbly stood up and scooped his master from the floor before jumping out of the room from the hole it burst from earlier.

Adaloun laid motionless in the ground, his vision becoming blurry as his body had already taken a good beating from earlier. He's eyes was slowly getting dark and the last moments he saw was Orphella's face gesturing to him something, but he was too much in pain to bother what it was.