"I am unsure how it works because it just doesn't make sense. But it is a fact that I was there, I was him and he was me. Maybe those are just his memories but to me they are much more than that. I remember every single dreadful sensation as clear as day."

"I remember waking up every morning in that sweltering heat. My stomach growling and entire body wreathed in pain as I walked through the sand dunes to practice all the various palm techniques day in and day out until I could barely stand."

"I remember eating that watery gruel every day from the masters in exchange for eliminating dangerous beasts near the city. I remember its bland taste and mushy texture like it's still in my mouth. I remember wondering why I had to suffer when others my age were playing around and having fun."

"From the scoring heat beneath my feet when I first woke up to the freezing cold nights when I went to sleep, I remember ALL of it from EVERY lifetime..."

As Hao Xuan detailed his experiences he came to the realization that in the end, it didn't matter whether it was real or not. He remembered it and that-

"That MAKES it real to me."

The ground lightly heaved up and down as the voice sighed.

"Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds are still as cruel as they are long-lived. To think they would go this far for a mere mortal, tell me, what did you do them?"

The question left Hao Xuan utterly flabbergasted. What DID he do that was so bad that he needed to be punished like that? Because he tried to change his destiny? Or that someone else did it for him?

The more he thought about it the more resentful he became.

"Nothing. I haven't done anything deserving of a punishment like that....at least not just yet."

"Not yet...huh? Hahaha, I like that, I like that very much!"

The Ashura's laughter echoed in this cloudy h.e.l.l as if it was the only thing in existence. And when he finally stopped Hao Xuan asked the question that had been bothering him for so long.

"But why...are you here? When we parted you said you were going to be the next G.o.d of War. How did you end up in Purgatory of all places?"

He only realized it after that it might have been a little too straightforward to ask that of such a powerful being but the trigger was already pulled. And thankfully Ashura of the Six Paths was not the kind of being that would take such minor things to heart.

In fact he appreciated the bluntness.

"That was a very very long time ago. I was but a youngling full of promise, not realizing that I had already fallen into a trap, we all had. At the end of the 'Second Great Celestian War' when the tides of the Abyss had been pushed back something happened, a betrayal of the ages. I was but one of many that fell at that time."

There were a lot of things Hao Xuan didn't understand but the word 'fell' bothered him a little too much.

"You died?"

"Hahaha, no. Beings like me do not die in the same sense as you. We ascend and descend within the various planes of existence. And if we are indeed eliminated then we simply cease to exist."

"Then...how did you end up here?"

The hand moved lightly and even more lightning stung the skies as he proudly replied.

"Because h.e.l.l would not take me and the heavens could not contain me! So I was banished to this realm, the in-between."

Hao Xuan fell silent for a brief moment, "Do you need my help to escape?"

That was both an inquiry and an offer. If the heavens had imprisoned him here then naturally Hao Xuan was going to be on his side.

The clouds began parting in front of him to slowly reveal more and more of Ashura's figure. Hao Xuan still clearly remembered what he looked like but what he saw now was nothing like in his memories.

His entire body was charred black. Instead of his old three heads only one remained intact with three bright red eyes adorning an otherwise featureless face.

Two giant horns shot up into the sky from atop its head and even more p.r.i.c.kly things lined his back.

"What...happened to you...?"

Hao Xuan was speechless. Where Ashura's previous form inspired fervency and pa.s.sion, this one filled him with dread. He looked like a monster. (Reference Image posted in Authors Notes and Discord).

No matter how hard Hao Xuan tried to hide his shock and dismay Ashura could still pick up on it.

And he seemed visibly pained by it. He could still see his previous form being reflected in Hao Xuan's thoughts and the stark difference left him quite depressed.

***

Authors Notes:

All images are posted in the Official Discord.

Link: https://discord.gg/AHdSBFQ

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Reference Image Link: TOO LONG!

Shortened Image Link (case sensitive) : https://urlzs.com/Sc8FB

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