The Slayer Ascension: Cursed and Blessed.-Chapter 56: Offenders got thrashed.... Really.

Chapter 56

Pain.

That was the first thing Gazel’s mind managed to register as he slowly opened his eyes.

His head throbbed like it had been split open and stitched back together wrong. He groaned, lifting a hand to clutch it, only to realize he was lying across a thick tree branch, its bark cold against his back. He sucked in a sharp breath and forced himself upright, eyes scanning the unfamiliar surroundings.

The last thing he remembered was killing yet another demon.

Then the golden moon.

Then everything came rushing back all at once.

The strange golden energy flooding his body.

The White Freak that almost got him killed.

The Gambler who stole his wealth.

The rat that nearly ended his life.

The red haired idiot, Blaze.

And then the lunatic betrayal.

Xon.

The sacrifice.

The volcano.

Gazel’s breathing hitched as his thoughts snapped into place. His eyes widened.

Wait. That bastard Xon overpowered me. He threw us in. He sacrificed us.

Then why am I still alive.

A chill crept down his spine.

Was he dead already. Was this the afterlife.

"No."

He slapped himself hard across the face.

Pain exploded through his cheek.

Real pain.

He sucked in a breath and laughed weakly. That alone crushed the thought. He was alive. Very much alive. Whatever had happened, the frozen world they were trapped in was gone.

And somehow, he felt... better.

Too good.

His body felt refreshed. Whole. Stronger than it had any right to be after everything he went through.

Frowning, Gazel slid down from the tree branch and steadied himself. After a moment, he began searching the area, heart tightening with every step.

"Blaze," he muttered.

He didn’t have to search for long.

Blaze was a short distance away, pushing himself up from the ground, eyes sharp and focused. Unlike Gazel, he looked like he remembered everything in one go. The moment he spotted Gazel, his face broke into a grin and he rushed forward, pulling him into a tight hug.

"I’m glad we both survived," Blaze said, voice low but relieved.

Gazel stiffened, then shoved him away.

"I don’t think we were meant to die," he said quietly, his voice sharp despite the calm. "If we were truly sacrifices, we wouldn’t still be here. Whatever Xon did wasn’t about killing us. It was about breaking that world. He might even be the reason we’re alive."

Blaze stared at him for a moment, then looked away.

He didn’t argue.

After all, they were standing here. Alive. Bodies restored. Whatever Xon did, he didn’t kill them.

"Let’s find him," Blaze said.

They moved together, cautious but fast.

They didn’t get far before they saw him.

Xon was waist deep in a warm spring, steam curling into the air. He leaned back against the stone edge, eyes closed, sipping red colored water from a carved cup. His expression was relaxed, almost blissful, like a man enjoying a vacation.

The sight made something snap.

All the gratitude Gazel felt evaporated in an instant, replaced by raw, boiling rage.

The fear.

The helplessness.

The betrayal.

It all came rushing back.

Gazel and Blaze exchanged a single look.

Understanding.

Then Xon opened his eyes.

He glanced at them, studied their faces, and smiled.

"Oh. You two are awake already," he said casually. "I guess you’ve figured everything out."

Gazel and Blaze nodded.

"That’s good," Xon said, though his eyes sharpened slightly. "But the looks you’re giving me aren’t exactly what I expect from people who were just saved by their benefactor."

Gazel and Blaze smiled.

At the same time.

The smiles were wrong. Too wide. Too calm.

"Believe us," they said in unison, voices eerily synchronized. "We’re grateful."

Their bloodshot eyes told a different story.

"And we’re about to show you just how grateful we really are."

The words sounded rehearsed. Polite. Almost friendly.

Xon’s smile never faded.

"Hey," he said lightly. "You don’t really want to do that. We both know how this ends."

He didn’t get to finish.

Gazel and Blaze lunged at him together.

What followed was the sound of violent impact and savage thrashing that shattered the quiet of the spring.

Some minutes later, the three figures could be seen again.

The battle was over.

But the result was not what anyone would have predicted.

Xon walked ahead with his harmless smile still plastered on his face. Not a single bruise. Not a scratch. No blood. Nothing. He casually sipped his wine colored liquid a little at a time, humming a smooth, lazy melody as if he had just finished a pleasant stroll.

Behind him were the attackers.

Gazel and Blaze.

They staggered along, barely keeping pace. Their faces were swollen beyond belief, eyes half shut, lips split and bruised. It looked like they had fought several rounds with a titan and lost every single one. The aches screaming through their bodies almost made them regret trying to beat the hell out of Xon.

Almost.

"You damn bastard," Gazel hissed under his breath, though it was still loud enough to be heard. "Why couldn’t you go easy on us."

Xon didn’t slow down.

Instead, he asked calmly, "Tell me something. If you were in my place, would you have gone easy on me."

Gazel clenched his jaw and said nothing.

Because the truth was obvious.

He wouldn’t have.

In fact, if he had even half of Xon’s strength, this beating would have been nothing more than a warm up compared to what he would have done.

Blaze spoke next, his voice grumpy and raw. "Why did you do it like that. You could have told us pushing us into the volcano was the way out of the snowy world."

Xon took another sip, still humming.

"And if I had told you," he asked lightly, "would you have believed me. Or would you have jumped into the volcano yourself."

Silence.

The duo didn’t reply because they already knew the answer.

They wouldn’t have believed him. And they definitely wouldn’t have jumped into flames on their own. That was insane.

"There wasn’t much time," Xon continued. "If I hadn’t acted decisively and wasted time explaining, the volcano would have vanished. You would still be trapped there. Possibly forever."

Hearing that made the ungrateful duo feel a sharp twist of guilt.

Xon had been good to them since they met. He used his own essence to treat Blaze’s injuries. He threw them into a volcano not to sacrifice them, but because he couldn’t bear to let them remain trapped.

Gazel felt something heavy settle in his chest.

He felt guilty for doubting him. For thinking Xon wasn’t trustworthy.

If the duo knew the real truth, that guilt would have vanished instantly.

Replaced by a desire to tear Xon apart.

The truth was simple. Xon never used his essence to heal Blaze. All he did was give him Crimson Liquid, which helped dim the fake Azyrato awaken. The whole act of using his essence was just that. An act. Meant to make them feel indebted.

And the volcano.

He would have sacrificed them without hesitation if it meant escaping.

The reason he threw them in first was to test his theory. If the volcano made a sizzling sound, then he was wrong and those thrown inside would die. If it made no sound, then they would survive.

Only after seeing that it made no sound did he gather the courage to jump in himself.

If Gazel and Blaze knew they were nothing more than lab rats, they would have tried to kill him on the spot.

After they finally calmed down, Blaze couldn’t hold it in anymore. He asked the question that had been sitting in Gazel’s mind since they woke up.

"We aren’t back at the Endless Forest," he said carefully. "Right."

Xon stopped walking.

He turned and gave them a meaningful look.

Then he slowly shook his head.

The duo let out a sigh of relief at the same time.

They didn’t notice the way Xon’s smile deepened just a little.

To be continued...