Chapter 26: The Strongest Teacher
1188 Words
Louise stared at Iblis struggling to get out of the lake of blood, but the man wouldn’t let him breathe. The entire corridor then became scaled as she walked forward. The scales wrapped around Iblis, and she teleported him in her arms. Iblis was barely conscious by then. His body relaxed in her hold, and he coughed blood several times. She grabbed his chin and kissed him again. “This will prevent you from drowning.”
She poked his scales. “This is a shield. Don’t take it off.”
She helped him sit down and glanced at the man. “I don’t care who you are and what you want, but bullying those who are weaker than you isn’t good. I will banish evil, so prepare yourself!”
He laughed uproariously and slapped a hand against his mask. “I like you lot. So earnest. So ambitious. So honest.”
He folded his arms. “But that doesn’t match your strength. Watch this.”
The others glanced at Iblis as he gasped, gripping his heart and tilting his head backwards. He started hyperventilating and whining in pain. Bayn sat next to him and summoned a healing plant that examined him. “Wh-What’s happening?!” Horror appeared on Bayn’s face as he touched Iblis’s chest. “His heart is… shrinking?”
Iblis gasped softly, his hand falling to the side, and the corridor fell silent. They turned to the man. “Why are you doing this?”
“I’m making him die as many times as the number of people he killed with his cunning methods. There are billions of people, but he almost paid back. He’s got one hundred more deaths left.”
They gasped. “You killed him… billions of times already?!”
“Yes. I have a lot of free time,” the man explained, “Now, let me ask you. Do you think I will stop killing him after one hundred times?”
A white light flashed on Iblis, and he tilted his head to the side. He gazed down blankly, not responding as Bayn called out his name. The man laughed briefly. “I live to see that broken look on his face. Breaking people who have so much pride is a hobby of mine, after all.”
Bayn gritted his teeth. “You monster… You deserve death!”
“And will you give it to me?” The man appeared in front of him and grabbed his jaw, lifting him up. “Will you kill me?”
The others tried to interfere, but chains stabbed their arms and legs into the wall. Bayn attempted a kick, but the man broke his leg. The man suddenly frowned as a blue sword stabbed his belly. He let go of Bayn, who ran to his friends after treating his leg. He freed and healed them. Meanwhile, Iblis was forcing himself to stand, holding his sword with shaking hands. The man smiled and pulled him by the hair. “Bold! Bold! SO BOLD!”
He smashed the jinn’s head against the wall several times and threw him on the floor.
“Should I kill your son to pay back for your betrayal?” Iblis’s eyes widened. He shook his head, unable to speak.
He gasped as the man stabbed him with the sword. “No, I think I will.” He walked towards the exit of the tunnel to pick up Yayis.
Iblis jumped on him from behind and bit off a chunk of his flesh, started drinking his blood. The man then stopped walking and threw him down on the floor before stepping on his face. “You’re turning me on.”
He smirked widely, hearing the jinn struggle to breathe and watching him sweat and bleed. He leaned down. “How about this then?”
He sat down behind him and hugged him, sliding his hand along his skin and down to his privates. “If you allow me to make love to you right here, right now, then I will forgive you.”
Iblis nodded instantly. The man glanced at the others all while proceeding to apply his plan. The others couldn’t look, too embarrassed. Shams looked down with clenched fists, hearing the moans that were mostly out of pain not pleasure.
A few minutes passed, and the man pointed his fingers at Iblis’s forehead. “Now, you will have to die. You understand, right?”
Iblis remained silent, and the man poked his forehead as the back of his head bled. He then threw the lifeless jinn on the floor and stood up, wiping his hands.
“Now, what should I do with you?” He smiled. “How about killing you?”
“No! Give him back!” They objected.
“Let’s start with the human.”
Shams blinked as the man appeared behind him. He turned behind and frowned as a black wall appeared in front of him.
“I’m afraid…”
He glanced behind and heard slow footsteps.
“You’re overstepping the line.”
Malik appeared from the shadows of the tunnel and stood in front of Iblis’s corpse.
“You have no right to lay your hands of the students.” He lifted his chin, staring through the mask into the man’s eyes. “Unless you wish to be punished.”
He widened his eyes slightly as black flames burned on the walls.
The man glared daggers at him. “Flashing your borrowed powers so arrogantly. You didn’t even work to get them.”
Malik remained silent, not answering the provocations.
Shams smiled brightly. “You’re here!” He frowned, seeing the others’ reactions. They stared at Malik in fear. “Oh, it’s him…”
Mika was shaking, trying to keep a straight face. “I thought it was just a joke when I heard it,” he whispered.
Shams blinked. “What are you talking about?”
“He’s… Malik, the strongest teacher in this academy,” Louise mumbled, “Who doesn’t know him?! His characteristics are… those black flames. His title is… the keeper of Jahannam!”
Shams glanced back at Malik. “A-Are you… really?”
“Some of what she said is wrong,” Malik answered and fell silent again.
The man then huffed and threw the revived Iblis onto his shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. I will leave. Never show yourselves to me again. Scram!” He left.
Malik looked down at Shams, who was hugging him. “Why do you want to help Iblis?” Malik asked.
“Because he’s Yayis’s father… and… because he helped me first.”
Malik narrowed his eyes. “Explain yourself.”
“When… When I was twelve, he broke into the underground city and made a strange blue bomb. When it burst, it removed whatever mind control we were suffering from. It also showed humanity the real world, and it exposed so many lies. I know his intention wasn’t helping us. He only wanted to anger the Sirkus people. Nevertheless, he helped us.” Shams paused. “And then, he’s Yayis’s father. Yayis says he hates him, but he worries about him so much. I know he does. It’s all over his face.”
Malik snorted and patted his head. “All right. Go back to the arena. The event ended. You need to join the students. You will get your uniforms and your room keys. This is a boarding academy. The dorms are a bit far, but you will find your way.”
He glanced at the others. “Good luck.”
He walked in the opposite direction.
The others exchanged glances and returned to the arena. They found Yayis waiting for them with a smile. “I saw what you did.”
He hugged all of them. “Thank you so much.”
Their gaze saddened, unable to tell him about they saw. Louise forced a smile and patted his head.
“Good! Let’s follow the others students before we get lost, okay?”
- Writer
