Era of Players: Death God

"Be prepared–"

Before their warning could finish, their bodies slump.

The heads of those next to them vanished before their eyes, and blood spurted out, leaving them with dumbfounded expressions.

They couldn't comprehend this phenomenon of heads disappearing without a trace.

"Annoying, ah."

But she didn't give them a chance to understand.

Just as they obstructed her sole purpose of accomplishing her mission and returning.

Click.

With a flick of her fingers, the gazes of those surrounding her instantly lowered.

No one dropped to their knees or bowed their heads.

The very ground beneath their feet vanished.

And with it, their legs that had once stood firmly on that ground.

"Aaaahhh!"

In an instant, all the legs vanished and blood gushed forth from the void, filling the air with cries of anguish.

"Ah, aah! What's happening? Where are my legs...?"

"Silence."

Click!

Once again, her finger snapped, and the screams vanished into thin air.

As if she were harvesting and casting aside bundles of wheat with a sickle.

The faces of those who were lifting their heads in agony where the ground had vanished disappeared in a single stroke.

Splat! Whoosh!

Fountains of blood erupted where the screams had ceased.

It all washed away in the rain, staining the earth below.

In the puddles filled with muddy blood, the decapitated and limbless bodies began to convulse with post-mortem spasms.

"Um, um, you there."

In the midst of a scene teeming with the horror of death, she showed no interest.

Her gaze had already shifted from them to the towering structure ahead...

The headquarters of the criminal organization we had originally targeted loomed in her vision.

"T-this is taking too long. I-I don't think it's good... Can I do it?"

A soft voice spoke just as the Jester became aware of it.

But the situation was unfolding so rapidly that she couldn't grasp her words.

What did she mean by "Do it?"

The Jester couldn't comprehend what had transpired until that moment; what was she planning to do now? She was even more unhinged than her.

"You mentioned it was in the basement, right?" Mature Lilith asked the Jester, seeking an answer. But the Jester was too consumed by her own thoughts to respond.

"If you won't answer, I'll take matters into my own hands..."

Interpreting the Jester's silence as permission amidst the chaos, she snapped her fingers once more.

And just like that, everything was gone.

The people, the building, everything that once occupied that space vanished without a trace from this world.

The survivor let out a startled exclamation, realizing that he was the only one left amidst the disappearance of the criminal organization's building. Confusion and fear filled his voice as he tried to comprehend the situation and the whereabouts of the others.

But before he could fully process what was happening, the Jester closed in on him, looking down with a smile.

"Oh, there's still a survivor? How interesting," she remarked.

The survivor, frightened and injured, warned her not to come any closer. But his plea was cut short as blood gushed from his hand, seemingly severed without him feeling any pain. He stared in disbelief at the empty space where his hand used to be.

Ignoring his distress, the Jester remained relentless. The mature Lilith demanded to know the location of the basement rumored to be beneath the organization.

"Tell me, where is the basement?" she asked, her voice heavy with anticipation.

"What... what is...? Aaah!"

"The cellar..."

With every mention of 'cellar,' a limb vanished.

First, the arm, then the side, followed by the shoulder...

"Where is the entrance to the cellar?"

And then, the moment her finger pointed towards his head.

"Aaah! Stop... stop it! I'll talk, there is indeed a cellar, so cease now!"

The survivor, left with only his chest and head, screamed in horror.

Can he even be called alive anymore?

With just his mouth left open, he is soon to be no different from the lifeless bodies in that pool.

"So, there truly is a cellar?"

She, gazing down at the man in such a horrifying state, withdrew her curiosity from the scene with a bitter smile on her face.

"So if I go there, it's over, and you're worthless now?"

"What... what?"

Splash!

In an instant, her finger snapped and his head disappeared.

The remaining body collapsed with a thud, and soon, only silence filled the area.

That was the end.

The headquarters of the Bloody Gang and all its members completely wiped out from this world.

If you're wondering why Lilith, now mature, went through all those troubles instead of simply asking the Jester for help, the answer is quite simple. It was because it amused her, and more importantly, it allowed the Jester to experience true terror. Lilith wanted the Jester to feel utterly helpless and overwhelmed with fear. And indeed, the Jester was afraid.

The thought of escape had completely vanished from her mind. All she wanted now was to learn as much as she could from this monstrous being and perhaps leave a message for her organization, warning them to never underestimate this young girl. She may have temporarily gained access to this power, but it still belonged to her. It was her future form, her true form.

'So, this is the Witch of Destruction? a class that truly suits her. I must leave behind some words of advice,' the Jester thought to herself. She had discreetly started recording the events, carefully planning where to hide the recording so that her organization could retrieve it safely. The Jester knew that her time was running out. She would inevitably meet her end at the hands of the mature Lilith.

This was an unchangeable fact, and she had come to accept it.

Out of nowhere, the grown-up Lilith, who was confidently striding ahead, abruptly halted in her tracks. She swiftly pivoted her head towards the Jester, causing the latter's body to involuntarily stiffen.

In that fleeting moment, a wave of uncertainty washed over her as she pondered whether her covert act of recording Lilith had been exposed. However, a sigh of relief escaped her lips as she heard the words that flowed from the lips of the mature Lilith.

"What does fear signify?" questioned the experienced Lilith.

While an odd inquiry, the Jester opted to provide a response. Some textbook answers.

''Fear is a powerful emotion that's wired into us from a very basic level. It's a primal response to danger, alerting us to something that could potentially cause harm. This threat can be physical, like a speeding car, or emotional, like the fear of public speaking.

Here's a breakdown of what fear is:

*Function: Fear's main purpose is to keep us safe. It triggers a fight-or-flight response, giving us the adrenaline surge we need to react quickly to danger.

*Physiology: When we feel fear, our bodies go into high alert. Our heart rate and breathing increase, blood sugar spikes, and muscles tense up. This prepares us to either confront the threat or escape from it.

*Experience: Fear can feel very unpleasant. It can manifest as a feeling of dread, nervousness, or anxiety. Sometimes it can even lead to physical symptoms like sweating, nausea, or dizziness.

Fear is a normal and healthy emotion. It helps us avoid danger and survive. However, when fear becomes overwhelming or unreasonable, it can turn into a phobia.''

''Your responses are dull, providing only textbook answers. However, I must admit that what you said was not incorrect. Fear can manifest itself in various ways. Despite my outward calmness, I must confess that I am feeling afraid.''

This statement left the Jester utterly astonished, her mouth gaping wide in disbelief.

Undeterred, the mature Lilith nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders as she pressed on with her thoughts.

"You see, my fear lies in the possibility of losing Noah, while your fear stems from the apprehension of not leaving behind a cautionary message for your organization," she declared, her gaze fixed on the concealed recording drone nestled within the Jester's right pocket.

As these words hung in the air, a sudden chill coursed down the Jester's spine, sending shivers of unease throughout her entire being.

The Jester's voice quivered with disbelief and realization as she took a step back, her mind reeling from the revelation.

"No way... How... How did you know? Have you been pretending not to notice all along?" she stuttered, the weight of the truth sinking in. In that moment, she understood that everything was lost. From the very beginning, she had never stood a chance against this person.

She had unknowingly played into the hands of this woman, a cruel irony that now became painfully clear.

The Jester's original plan had been to secretly record the mature Lilith. As she reached the basement and stepped into the teleportation device, her intention was for the record drone to send the video to her cloud, automatically uploading it for others to see. However, unbeknownst to the Jester, the mature Lilith had detected the record drone from the very beginning.

She swiftly isolated it in a separate space, rendering it useless. Even if they were to get closer to the teleportation device, it would never work as intended.

Feeling dejected, the Jester expressed her frustration and resignation. She remarked,

"You are very cruel."

In response, the mature Lilith replied,

"Thank you for the compliment. You deserve much for meddling with someone you shouldn't have. If it weren't for the fact that I'm running out of time and that the current vessel is not strong enough, I would have paid a visit to your headquarters and caused chaos to quell my rage. Alas, I will leave that task to the two youngsters."