Chapter 9

This is a very intense and graphic scene, and I will translate it as accurately as possible while maintaining the original tone and content.

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This is basic torture, so those who cannot handle "violence" should skip it.

Next time, I will include a brief summary of the previous story in three lines.

When Asura woke up, he found himself hanging in the middle of an empty warehouse, suspended by a pulley and chains.

His mouth was gagged to prevent suicide, and his hands were tied behind his back with chains attached to his wrists, which were hooked to the pulley on the ceiling. His feet were also chained, with rings attached to the chains for hanging objects.

In front of Asura stood a woman in her thirties with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a black coat over her nun's habit.

The Holy Maiden, Tasha.

Looking up at the hanging Asura, Tasha smiled viciously.

"You seem to have woken up. Shall we start right away?"

Tasha reached for the reel at her feet and released the lock. The chain connected to the pulley and Asura's wrists, suspending his body. When the lock was released, Asura's body fell towards the ground. However, just before touching the ground, the chain tightened and stopped him. The sudden halt caused the handcuffs to dig deeply into his wrists, and a strong shockwave hit his entire body. Pain shot through his wrists, shoulders, and shattered pelvis.

Asura let out a silent scream.

"This is called the pulley torture. About a hundred years ago, the Martial Church used it during the Dark Ages for heresy trials and witch hunts. As you just experienced, you are lifted to the ceiling by chains and then dropped. Just before hitting the ground, the chain reaches its limit and stops. The momentum of the fall causes the joints in your wrists and shoulders to break or dislocate. In your case, your pelvis is also shattered, so the pain will also affect your waist. If you don't vomit, we'll add weights to your feet to increase the impact. That's the general flow. If you want to confess, just speak to the crystal in your mind. We can't have you biting your tongue, so the gag will stay on. By the way, all your teeth have been pulled out."

As she spoke, Tasha attached a chain with an iron ball to the ring on Asura's feet.

"We'll start with ten pounds. What I want to know is what you did to Veldt. Why did Veldt die from just a small cut from you?"

Asura had no intention of answering. He couldn't. If he did, he would betray Aresta.

The glory he gained from losing his beloved sister would be for nothing.

"Shall we continue?"

Without hesitation, Tasha released the lock on the reel. Asura's body, now weighted, was suspended in mid-air. A terrible shock and intense pain ran through his body, and Asura's eyes widened. But Asura was a spy. He wouldn't break from this level of pain.

"Twenty pounds."

The weight was increased, and Asura was lifted back up to the ceiling. He was then dropped towards the floor.

His right shoulder dislocated.

The shattered pelvis caused unbearable pain, and Asura writhed in agony.

"Quite impressive. You're not talking yet, huh? Let's keep going."

Tasha added more weight and lifted Asura again. His left shoulder dislocated, and Asura lost control of his bladder, sobbing uncontrollably. Tasha continued to add more weight, lifting and dropping him repeatedly.

He wasn't even allowed to die.

When his senses numbed, he was healed with recovery magic. When he weakened, potions were force-fed to him. When he became delirious, he was brought back to his senses.

He endured for a day.

But he couldn't endure any longer.

"…I don't know much… I followed Prince Meishin's instructions and cut the back of the Hero's neck, that's all…"

Through the crystal for telepathic communication, Asura spoke.

"Specific details of the instructions?"

"There's a thin bruise on the back of the Hero's neck."

"I know that."

"The bruise is the magical symbol 'emeth.' I was told to cut the 'e' on the left end of the symbol, and I did. That's all I know, nothing more…"

"Interesting."

Tasha said in a cold tone.

"I've told you everything! Everything! I've told you… I've told you… I really have, so please… forgive me, please!"

With clouded eyes and covered in his own filth, Asura pleaded.

"I believe you. You've confessed everything."

Smiling, Tasha began to add more weight to the hook.

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Three hundred pounds.

Four hundred pounds.

Five hundred pounds.

Asura's face contorted in agony, and his eyes filled with despair.

"Stop! What are you doing! I've already told you! Please stop!"

"I know. The torture is over. From here on, it's execution time."

Looking into Asura's face, drenched in blood and tears, Tasha said cruelly.

"Actually, I can't laugh at you either. I was planning to crush you after the Demon King was defeated."

"What did I do! I never did anything to harm you or the Martial Church!"

"I heard what you did to Kagura."

"What… what are you talking about…"

"You can deny it if you want. I heard everything from Kagura herself, and I believe her. I received her confession. She told me that you had been sexually abusing her since before she turned ten. She was suffering. She felt that her mind and body were completely tainted. She wondered if she was worthy of being by the Hero's side, if she could even be friends with him."

One of the first companions of the Hero Veldt, the spy Kagura from the Yaksha family, had been sexually abused by her much older brother, Asura. The girl who first entered her heart and became her first friend was Veldt. However, the damaged heart of Kagura, who had been hurt by lust, could not affirm her friendship with Veldt.

"I couldn't save her. Before her heart's wounds could heal, she died for her friend. I'll tell you what she said at the end. She said she was happy. She was happy to die for Veldt, for her friend. She was so broken that she could find happiness in such a hopeless situation. And yet, you went after Veldt too. You trampled on what Kagura cherished, what she died to protect. So I will kill you. I will kill you as atonement to her."

Tasha began to wind the reel.

"…Please, forgive me, don't drop me again, I'll apologize! I'll do anything! Please…"

"Don't worry. I won't drop you again."

Tasha laughed.

"If I drop you with this weight, your body will tear apart and you'll die instantly. Instead, I'll leave you here to die slowly. Feel the pain as your joints slowly break and your body is torn apart, and take your time dying."

"Wait! Please wait! Help me! Don't kill me! I don't want to! Please wait!"

Stopping the crystal that transmitted his telepathic pleas, Tasha sat down on a wooden box.

"You don't need to repent. I'll watch you die miserably, struggling."

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This concludes "The Heretic's Hanging (Provisional Title)." Next time, we will focus on Aresta's reaction and Isuma's movements in "The Demons Come to the Capital (Provisional Title)."