Who decreed that one was dark and evil if they were the master of Hell? For the living who had lived tirelessly, Hell was a place that would correct their wrongdoings and make them carry the burden of such mistakes. In the eyes of humans, Hell was a very terrifying place. This prejudice made it so that the God of Death was viewed negatively. This started at the origin of the world and has not changed despite many generations that have passed by.
Regardless, one person dared to plant and cultivate flowers in Hell. He also learned to sacrifice and care for others, eventually breaking the mold he was forced into.
This Pillar was not created out of the blue. It had existed since the beginning of time. Anyone could obtain it as long as they met the conditions. Alas, no one had been able to get it until now.
Chaos often sighed at this as he watched over the beings who had become the God of Death. They grew incapable of change because of a stereotypical idea decided by someone else. Because of this, they were reduced to nothing but lonely beings left to guard the bottomless pits of Hell and forced to take on the title of darkness and evil.
Now, the man who had broken free from this concept had finally found his real name. He was no longer the God of Death but the Pillar of Life and Death—the Pillar that governed over Life, the beautiful path one traversed throughout one's life, and Death, the resting place at the end of that path.
Flowers continued to bloom in that sanctuary, that final resting place. The once desolate and dreary Hell was filled with flowers, butterflies, and bees. Even trees began to grow and purify the once stale air in Hell.
Those whose bodies had grown rotten and smelled putrid turned into Hell Horses, carrying flames that would burn forever. These Hell Horses neighed loudly as they showed off their beautiful manes as if they were alive.
The Knights of the Dead, the Undead Kings—these were the terrifying names that the Death Knights carried. And these very same Death Knights were also transforming. Flesh once again covered their bodies, and their once-empty eyes were filled with emotions.
All of them stood in this sanctuary, this final resting place.
[The Pillar of Life and Death is the master of Hell.]
The notifications that rang before changed, too.
[The abilities of all beings living in Hell have increased significantly.]
On one side of the now beautiful and green Hell, a flower bloomed right in front of Minhyuk, whose legs had disappeared after the flames of the Sparks of White Flames devoured it.
[No one can go against the Pillar of Life and Death in Hell.]
[As long as you’re in Hell, the Sparks of White Flames will not bring any harm to you.]
The Pillar of Life and Death’s power encompassed the world and suppressed even the powers of a Pillar Disaster.
Then, Louis raised his scythe as he took a step forward. He said, “Burn her down.”
A massive pillar of flame shot out from underneath Hell’s lands and devoured Helenia. She hurriedly tried to create a shield to counter this terrifying, blazing heat.
[No one can go against the Pillar of Life and Death in Hell.]
“Kyaaaaaaack!!!” A scream was ripped out of Helenia’s mouth, echoing loudly.
Helenia had no doubts about her power. She had confidence that her regenerative abilities were the strongest among all the Pillars in history. It was proven by how her flesh was quickly regenerating just as it was about to melt down.
She hurriedly activated the mana circuit that circulated all over her body and gathered her remaining mana. She was determined to kill the Pillar of Life and Death right here and now.
A considerable force erupted as her mana swirled and concentrated in one place.
[A Ninth Class Magic has been triggered.]
[This is the pinnacle of all the world's magic.]
[No one can go against the Pillar of Life and Death in Hell.]
Alas, the force was neutralized and scattered with the wind. Helenia finally realized she could never beat him as long as they were in Hell.
‘I have to run away. I have to run somewhere far away.’
That was right. There was still a way for her. Just like before, she could also escape to the pits of the Abyss. She could escape just like Minhyuk had crawled in from the depths of Hell’s Abyss.
Light appeared and engulfed Helenia. This was the light of Teleport and she was using it to run to the pits of the Abyss once again.
“Helenia, you coward!” Minhyuk roared.
He knew he would just see her elsewhere if he let her escape. Louis, now the Pillar of Life and Death, was Hell’s emperor. No one could go against him in Hell, though that was not the case on Earth.
Minhyuk bit his lips as he watched her disappear in the light.
[Book of Extinction.]
[A Pillar Disaster has been triggered.]
Helenia’s eyes grew wide from shock as the light disappeared from her body, and she fell back to the ground. At the same time, dozens of chains shot out and wrapped around her neck, her wrists, her ankles, her waist, and even her shoulders. Every part of her body that could be tied up was tied up.
Surprisingly, a vast gate was at the end of the chains. A mysterious bat on two legs stood at the front of the eerie and terrifying door. The bat flashed its fangs as it giggled.
[The Master of Life and Death opens the Book of Extinction.]
Blood dripped down the tip of Louis’s finger as an old, tattered black book[1] appeared right in front of him. This drop of blood slowly flowed, and a name was written down in the Book of Extinction. At the same time, the first two letters that the blood engraved on the book appeared in the air above him.
Following the movements of Louis’ fingers, the blood carved the following few letters.
As he finished writing the last stroke of the final letters, the name of the person that he had written in the Book of Extinction revealed itself to the world.
[Book of Extinction.]
[The person whose name is written in the Book of Extinction will face absolute and eternal extinction.]
[The Gates of Extinction have opened.]
The gigantic gate slowly creaked open. Helenia looked back at the opening gates in horror.
[The Book of Extinction is a Pillar Disaster that no one except the Pillar of Life and Death can have.]
[The Book of Extinction is used to sentence those who do not deserve to live in Hell.]
[They are also considered those who do not deserve to reincarnate.]
The bat standing by the gates looked like it was pulling something. This action inevitably resulted in Helenia being dragged toward the gates. Helenia struggled desperately to resist the pull, but she could not escape. She even tried to let her mana run wild.
[The Book of Extinction is a power you cannot resist.]
[All of your mana has been temporarily blocked.]
Helenia could not resist the pull of the chains and was forced to fall forward. She could only dig her dainty fingers into the ground, resulting in her nails breaking and the ground underneath her fingers being dug deeper.
“Spare me! Spare me! SPAAAAARE MEEEEEEE!!!” Helenia screamed and wailed.
She looked desperately at Louis and Minhyuk as she cried and pleaded, “I’ll live my life anew! I will even live for the sake of humans. NO! I will live for the two of you! So, please!!!”
Helenia’s scream sounded desperate. She even ended up crying pitifully like a child as her fingers dug deeper into the ground, as her body continued to be dragged back. At that moment, a number rose above her head.
“In the name of the Master of Life and Death, you, Helenia...” Louis said as he looked at her coldly. “...are sentenced to execution for the murder of 856,389,019 people.”
“Save me!” Helenia cried pitifully. Suddenly, she stopped crying, while her face distorted as she snarled, “F*ck you.”
Louis raised his scythe and swung it down, cutting Helenia’s wrists and removing her hold on the ground. At the same time, the chains tugged at her and pulled her into the depths of the Gates of Execution. Millions of hands appeared inside the gates and began to rip and tear her apart. The hands wrapped all over her body, covering her face and her glaring eyes.
Then, the gates snapped shut.
“NO! NO! I DON’T WANT THIS!!!”
Bangs resounded from behind the closed gates.
[Extinction has been executed.]
Black flames appeared and engulfed the Gates of Extinction. This marked the unremarkable end of the being who had long terrorized mankind. With this, everything was over.
And now, Hell was no longer a land of the dead but the land of the sojourners. It had become a place for those who wanted to rest from their past lives. Louis looked around him. Hell had finally become the place that Hella hoped it would become.
And in this beautiful place...
A beautiful Hell Horse, not the one that was terrifying and hideous, rubbed its head against Louis’ face. The Death Knights, the skeletons, and the liches, who had now become the sojourners, looked at him.
Amidst the gazes of the sojourners standing in this land that was no longer desolate, smelly, and dirty, Louis self-consciously and awkwardly faced one man. He made eye contact, but he did not know what to say.
Fortunately, Minhyuk was more honest than he was. He approached Louis and gave him a big, tight hug. The warmth he carried was very unfamiliar to Louis, since it had been a long time since he had such contact. Nonetheless, this warmth was a signal for the rebirth of the one who carried the names of the Dead’s Darkness, Dead’s Evil, and many more negative names.
The two hugged like that for a long time. And when they separated and looked at each other...
Just like always, awkwardness bloomed between them.
‘What should I say to him?’
‘What topics should we talk about?’
When the thought flashed in their heads, they realized that perhaps there was no need for them to say anything.
Louis recalled the words that Hell’s Emissary Verak told him before.
‘You don’t necessarily need to say out loud that you’re friends. You’ll know that you’re friends if you’re with him.’
The wild beating of his heart was proof of it all.
The two looked at each other and smiled.
Minhyuk gently placed Hella’s soul in the River of Reincarnation and let her slowly sink back into its depths.
Once everything was sorted out, Minhyuk felt his heart ache as he realized one thing from his interaction with Death and Verak. He realized that Louis had been preparing for his reincarnation.
Louis looked at him, who had finally realized it, before turning to the River of Reincarnation. He smiled silently before saying, “There’s this thing called Book of Reincarnation. If you worked as the God of Death for thousands of years, you will be given the privilege to write your name in the Book of Reincarnation. You can write the time, date, and location where you will be reborn in the book. In six months, I will walk the path of reincarnation through this book. And by then...”
Minhyuk knew without him saying anything. By then, he would be reincarnated with Hella and become ordinary. That was why he had been preparing to give his position to Death.
‘I’m too greedy. I don’t want him to go.’
Even if he was given special privilege in the Book of Reincarnation, the fact that he would lose his memories remained the same. Nevertheless, Minhyuk was Louis’s friend.
“I want you to be happy, Louis.”
Louis smiled faintly at his words.
“As I have said, the Book of Reincarnation allows me to dictate when I will be reborn. It doesn’t matter when, I will be reborn on the day I want.”
Louis looked up at the sky and said, “Just a bit. I will stay a bit longer here.”
Louis smiled bitterly.
“I’m going to live in this transformed and beautiful Hell.”
Louis turned to look at Hella’s soul.
“I’m going to stay just a bit longer.”
For a moment, Louis felt as if he had heard Hella’s voice saying, ‘Stay there longer and experience more happiness.’
He smiled brightly, turned to Minhyuk, and asked, “Can I go to the Beyond the Heavens Empire to eat?”
Without any hesitation, Minhyuk answered, “Of course.”
Louis had been in the world for who knows how long. He had travelled the world and experienced many things. Finally, one day, he wrote his name in the Book of Reincarnation.
In a small village in the Beyond the Heavens Empire, a beautiful girl was born in one of the houses, while a boy was born right next door. The names of the babies born on the same day and at the same time were Louis and Hella.
After ten years, Louis successfully chased after his longtime crush, Hella, and held hands with her as they walked toward the sunset.
“Hella, what should we do tomorrow?”
At that moment, someone approached the two of them. The man was wearing a cape carrying the Beyond the Heavens Empire symbol.
He crouched down and made eye contact with both Louis and Hella. Then, with a slight smile, he said, “Kid.”
The young boy named Louis felt that this person was strangely familiar.
The man said, “Would you like to be friends?”
Louis did not know why, but he nodded fiercely and answered loudly, “Yeah!”
1. D-Death Note???? 0-0 ☜