Chapter 18: Walking Curse

Nero jumped and punched, then kicked the titan--then jumped to the statue and kicked it on the helmet.

The statue was holding a sword in one hand and a spear in the other one, so it couldn't defend itself. But the titan's hands were free, and it was moving its hands to stop Nero.

Nero landed and jumped to punch the titan— but the titan grabbed Nero and threw him at Emilia with full force.

Emilia's eyes widened as she saw Nero was going to crash— but, as Nero was about to hit Emilia, he stopped in the air as Emilia fell down on her knees beside Sophia.

Nero had wings made of blood, and they were beautiful and shining crimson.

Emilia caught a glance of Nero's face and saw him smirking as though he was enjoying that fight.

Nero once again jumped, but this time— he was much faster than before. He punched the titan, and it was brought to its knees. Nero then kicked the titan's face, and it fell on its back.

After kicking the titan, Nero flew to the statue— but the statue started spinning its spear. Nero stopped in the air and noticed that the titan was trying to grab him from behind.

SIGH~

Nero sighed quietly and dove down, then flew back up before punching the titan again.

The statue swung its sword, but Nero dodged it in the air and started running on the sword upside down.

Nero flew past the statue's hand and severed it by waving his hand in the air— then, Nero grabbed the statue's sword and cleaved the titan into two as it turned into black ashes and disintegrated.

Nero plunged the sword in the ground and stood straight on its hilt.

"One down. Now time to babysit the statue."

Nero dashed in the air to the statue— due to which the sword he plunged in the ground bent a little— but as Nero was about to reach the statue, it started spinning the spear.

"Come on! Just give up already." Nero landed on the ground.

He then stood there for a while as if he was thinking something.

The statue aimed the spear at Nero and attacked him— but Nero didn't move.

"Nero!" Emilia shouted. "Watch out!"

Emilia stood up and began running towards Nero— but she was too late.

The spear penetrated Nero, or so Emilia thought, but as soon as the spear touched Nero's body, it started evaporating.

The statue kept plunging the spear at Nero, and the entire spear eventually evaporated.

Emilia couldn't believe her eyes, and she was about to open her mouth to call Nero but stopped after looking at Nero's smirk.

"How… scary," she muttered.

"Well, well. I am so cursed that none of the blessings work on me— and this spear… this statue is one of the guards from heavens— and guess what? Their attacks won't work on me here because I currently don't have my power. I am nothing but a walking curse right now."

Nero smirked wider. "Talk about ironic."

Nero raised his hand in the air, and the identical spear appeared before his hand— even the spear size was the same— just it was made from blood, and it was shining crimson-red.

Emilia sighed in relief, seeing Nero was still the same 'Nero'.

Nero walked one step forward and walked two more steps— then, he disappeared from Emilia's sight.

Emilia looked up in the sky and saw Nero penetrating the spear in the statue's head. The statue turned into golden ashes and disintegrated into thin air.

Emilia smiled bitterly as if she was hiding her pain. "He defeated them like it was nothing."

Emilia was scared, knowing how strong Nero was, and she was glad that he was on her side.

Nero stayed in the air for a while and looked up in the sky.

"I know this sky is fake, but if you are watching this— I am out! The seal has finally broken! And I am coming to kick your ass!"

Nero landed in front of Emilia, and his wings disappeared as he stared into Emilia's eyes.

Emilia stared back at him and waited for Nero to say something as she was too scared to speak.

"I guess there was no need to read that book," Nero commented.

Emilia squinted her eyes and frowned her face.

"If you are going to ask about my wings, then I have no idea how they popped out all of a sudden."

Emilia chuckled and said with a grin on her face, "You speak too much."

Nero walked to Sophia as he said, "That's the second time you said that."

Nero picked up Sophia and carried her in his arms, then stood there.

Emilia stood beside Nero, and after waiting for a while, she glanced around.

"So… how do we go back?" she asked.

"I defeated the guard, so we should be out by now."

"What if—"

"Keep quiet." Emilia was trying to say something, but Nero shut her up. He glanced around and kept glancing around. He was looking all over the arena erratically— as if he could see something or someone.

"Nero?"

Nero looked back in Emilia's direction and yelled, "I don't know what you are doing here, but--!"

Emilia looked back to see a male figure with two big horns and red skin jumping back far away in the corner of the arena.

His face clearly showed how scared he was.

'I didn't even sense him here.' Emilia thought as she hid behind Nero.

"But! Don't ever come after me, do you hear me, Kay? And if you do, I am going to raid the hell and destroy it— before I destroy the heavens."

He nodded and disappeared.

Nero exhaled sharply and looked at Emilia. "What are you doing?"

"Hiding behind you?"

Nero scoffed softly. "You don't have to hide as long as I am with you."

Emilia's face flushed as she glanced at Nero and bit her lips after looking at Sophia.

"That titan; Zay, was a low ranking guard from the gates hell— sent for me, and that statue; Say, was a low ranking guard from the gates of heaven— sent to fight Sophia.

"Who was the person… just now?" Emilia asked curiously.

She wasn't sure what to call the entity she just saw. It certainly wasn't a human, but it didn't give the vibes of a demon either.

"Kay, the leader of the guards from the gates of the mortal realm."

Emilia looked at Nero and nodded with a puzzled face.

SIGH~

"It should happen now," Nero uttered.

The scenery changed, and they were standing in front of a wall.

Emilia glanced around and saw a one-way path, and then she looked at Nero.

"We are out of the prison realm," they both said in unison.

"Yeah, we are," Nero added.

Emilia still couldn't believe she was able to escape her fate and death like that.

"Apparently, no one has ever escaped from the prison realm— we might just be the first one…" He stopped and sighed softly. "If you don't count that mortal, though he wasn't sealed there, so yeah, we are the first one."

Before Nero was sealed, Nero hadn't heard from anyone or anything escaping from the prison realm— and he had no idea or knowledge of anyone escaping after he was sealed.