Gate Guardian - Song of the Frozen Soul 67 HATERS GONNA HATE

Hate. Hate. Hate.

There's so much hate inside my heart. All I can think of is hatred. All that's left on me are my memories full of wrath. And all I can feel is that every people hate me.

I can feel the hate from Tiara since I've been trying to kill her twin. I can feel the hate for Amy since she only sees me with disgust. I can feel the hate from Heushac even if he's far away since I failed to save his sister. I can also feel the hatred from the dead too. Chrisprel, Ranley, Daughty… They hate me for failing to save or even avenge them. I can feel Helena's hate for the same reason.

All people only have hatred towards me, and I only have hatred against them.

Thanks to the power of the Curse, and the Old One's nigh-omniscience, I am able to realize these things.

Cthulhu made an inaudible roar that echoed in this dimension. The submerged skyscrapers trembled as the vibration of the deafening noise went on.

<>

"Rikkun!" Tiara shouted. "Can you hear me?"

She was unable to contain me with her worthless exorcism spell, so they jumped to gain distance away.

I just noticed that I'm stuck in the heart of this godly Eidolon. The left part of my body is completely fused with this monster, and the other half remained intact. I can see two views; One from Cthulhu's eyes and the other from the right eye of my dying old body. Soon, my human body will be converted into an empty carcass after I transfer my soul into this godly power.

"... I command you, Alaric Eisenhower, to discard all the hatred in your heart!"

Amy raised her arms, pointing at my human body. She used her and commanded me to calm my anger down, but it didn't have any effect. She repeated it once more, but then nothing happened.

Both of them realized that they should use force to restrain me. Amy activated her Goddess Core to turn into Lord Freya, and Tiara turned into the silver-haired witch with three fox tails!

Cthulhu made an inaudible sound, identical to those cry of the whales. It was so loud and deafening that it made anyone who could hear it be inflicted with insanity.

-----__------_______------!!!!

Tiara devolved back to her normal form and fell to her knees as she held their head, due to unimaginable pain.

"Ah!... Please help me… Mother… Asumi-nee… Rikkun… Help! I'm not a witch! Please don't burn me! Nooooo!"

Tiara cried as she witnessed a scene from her past. Of course, that is my power as Lord Cthulhu, to give nightmares that would make anyone insane. She should be inside an illusion where she's being burned at a stake.

"Tiara!" Freya exclaimed. Then she shifted glare at me.

My ability does not work on gods. Freya is still there, completely healthy. I should dispose of her as soon as I can!

I commanded my gigantic dragon-clawed arms to smash her to a pulp, but the Goddess of Beauty have access to her powerful hip boosters! She flew forward, spiraling through my arm as she slowly paves her way to reach my human body!

If she can land a clear hit to my body before my soul gets transferred to this Eidolon, then that would be the end of me! I let out a mighty roar once again, making a strong shockwave to drive her off!

----_____------__-!!!!

"Kah!" Freya uttered a cry. "I will not give up on you, Ric!"

Suddenly, two persons entered the scene to make a headshot to the head of Cthulhu!

"!!!"

Cthulhu cried as he was blinded on both eyes. It was Heushac's giant sword and the Kozukata Shrine Maiden leader Asumi's electrifying spear that destroyed the eyes of the mighty Cthulhu! These pests are attacking me with a surprise!

"!!!" Another shrine maiden whom I know as Ayano flapped her bladed fans and it released long dragons that swirled and rushed, aiming Cthulhu's neck!

In an attempt to block it, I used Cthulhu's right arm as a shield! But the spell was so powerful that it shredded my gigantic arm away!

"We will never give up on you, Rikkun!" Tiara cried as she gathered prana around her. I can't believe she recovered from insanity in such a short time!

She charged her body with immense energy and jumped forward, aiming for Cthulhu's head!

"!!!"

Bam! There was a huge shockwave. The whole dimension trembled as Tiara bumped the Old One's head with the weight of a cargo ship.

The three shrine maidens surrounded me with a triangle formation and formulated hand seals. I got surrounded by a giant magic circle.

"!!!" The three shouted. And then gigantic wooden shrine gates fell from the sky that pinned my arms, tails, and even neck! Cthulhu is now completely immobilized!

Freya didn't waste any chance as she boosted forward to Cthulhu's chest, where my human body is contained. In a point-blank range, the Goddess of Beauty pointed her submachine guns at my forehead.

But at that moment, Freya failed to pull the trigger.

She doesn't want to kill me after all. Her eyes are filled with tears and pity. Pity towards me. Her hands are even shaking, and slowly, she dropped her guns.

The evil thought rushed to my brain like a flash of lightning. The tendrils of my giant octopus head elongated, and I command the tentacles to constrict the goddess's body.

"Kyaa!!!"

That's all she could mutter when she noticed that the tentacles wrapped every part; her arms, her legs, her feet, her shoulders, her neck, her waist, and her head. I locked all of them so that she could no longer escape from my grasps!

"Hahahahaha!!!"

I made a devilish laugh and talked to her with a smirk as I slowly squeeze her flesh out like a damp rag.

"...Amy… my first love... "

"R-Ric…" Freya cried as she struggles in order not to be buried by slimy tentacles. "Ric!!!"

My human hands touched her cheek. It was a little bit moist due to her tears.

She should know that this is the end of her life. This is what I exactly predicted with my .

This is how she dies.

"... I have loved you… for all my life… Amy... I did everything… for you to love me back… BUT YOU HATED ME!!! … You hated me for loving you… You were disgusted… You made my first feeling of love...turn to my greatest hatred. "

"I-It's not true, Ric!" Freya's eyes sprinkled tears as she cried. "I never hated you!"

"Lies… LIES!!!... You toyed with my emotions! You tricked me! Isn't that a form of hate in disguise?"

Freya closed her eyes, but it didn't prevent her tears from flowing.

"It may be true that I played your emotions. It may be true that I tricked you. It may be true that I lied to you… But I did all those sins because… because…"

She made a long pause as her purple eyes stared on my soul.

"… I love you… "

I never noticed that tears ran down from my right eye. I was so awed. My tongue and mouth are shaking. My heart ached from beating overdrive.

Those are the words… Those are the words that I've been longing to hear… since the day we first met.

Freya reached out her right hand in an attempt to touch me.

"Do you remember our pinky promise that we would stay together, forever? I will never give up on that… Even if you hate me… Even if you no longer have feelings for me… Even if you love another girl… I promise I will be there for you… By your side."

Then she mustered all her remaining strength to reach my cheeks with both of her warm hands. She pushed her face forward until our lips collided.

It was the first time I had a kiss. And it was from the woman I first loved. Her lips are as soft as a jelly, as smooth as a well-refined pearl, but a little bit wet. It was sweet like honey.

It was enough for me to snap back to my senses.

"...Amy…" I muttered.

"...You're finally awake, my dear prince…" Freya smiled gorgeously. She still looks adorable even though there's already blood gushing out from her mouth. "I-I'm glad-"

And then she got swallowed by endless tentacles completely.

"Amy!!!" I tried to reach out my hand but she's no more!

What… What the heck am I doing? Being controlled by my hatred is the lamest thing that could happen to me! I've been going haywire every time I got engulfed by my own selfish emotions! I have to make a step and man up!

"I am the owner of my fate, and my fate will never own me!" I shouted. "I will never let destiny to kill any person dear to me!"

I used the last ounce of my strength to shrug away the flesh that connects me from this disgusting monster, and dived through the tentacles!

It was a good thing that my left part regenerated immediately. My arms and legs are like brand new and full of strength. I wriggled and crawled inside, unaware of my destination. It was completely dark, but once I touched the goddess's soft hands, I transferred all my remaining prana to her.

Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of golden light! The endless swarms of tentacles and disgusting flesh surrounding us burst out, leaving us free falling in the mid air.

When I finally opened my eyes, I was holding hand in hand with Lord Freya. She's making the most beautiful smile I ever saw. Her never-ending charisma and beauty make me feel like I'm surrounded with warm bright stars in a cold lonely darkness!

"Ric…"

"...Amy…"

With her hip boosters, she flew away and gained distance from the gigantic fake god. She reached out her hand, pointing at the Eidolon and forged a powerful spell!

"Tactical Nuke Ready… Target Set… Nuclear Launch Authorized..."

There was a loud siren echoing in the depths of the atmosphere.

"!!!"

A gigantic portal opened from the skies, and in the blink of an eye, a missile went through the wind barrier and pierced Cthulhu's head! In a matter of a second, its whole body glowed gold…

And then a deafening explosion emerged. Golden mushroom cloud spawned from the epicenter of the nuclear blast, and the shockwaves pulsed that even the windowless buildings of this dimension crumbled. The shallow waters made a strong tsunami away from the site.

All that's left is the lifeless lower body of the giant, which collapsed and turned to dust immediately thereafter.

Freya charmed me once again with her adorable smile. Her kissable lips opened as she unleashed the most awesome word I have ever heard in my life.

"This is the power of love~"

Chapter end