Rise of the Rejected Deity from Chaos-Chapter 65 - 64: Journey Out Into The World III | Final Goodbyes to Suhei

Hayne and the others stepped onto a vast expanse of land, the open space stretching widely before them. In the distance, a big river flowed, its surface shimmering under the pale light.

"There really is a river here," Riena murmured. "But how did he know? Has he been here before, or does he possess some kind of ability that lets him sense things like this?"

Hayne, who had been present when Seiya explained the skills his eyes possess, averted his gaze, offering no response to Riena’s speculation.

A cool breeze drifted through the area, rustling their hair and sending a chill through their weary bodies, especially those with with injuries.

Carefully, they laid Eiro and Seiya’s mother on the ground, while the exhausted children sat nearby, resting.

Riena then directed the boys to carry Suhei closer to the riverbank and lay him flat. She knelt in the seiza position—a posture of respect, with knees together, feet tucked under, and her weight resting on her heels—before clasping her hands together and shutting her eyes tightly. In a hushed voice, she began to chant, the words incomprehensible yet charged with solemnity. She had started ritual.

The others, unfamiliar with the rites, hesitated before following Riena’s example. They mimicked her posture, pressing their hands together and closing their eyes, though some occasionally peeked at her, unsure of the proceedings.

After some time, Riena stirred, and the others followed suit, watching her expectantly.

"But Riena, are you just going to throw him into the river?" one of them asked hesitantly.

"Yes. Now hush," she responded curtly, silencing them without even sparing them a glance. They exchanged uncertain glances, eyes still filled with question but obeyed.

"But… won’t his body float back up?" another boy asked, his voice laced with nervousness.

"Just shut up!" Riena snapped, her patience wearing thin. They stiffened instantly, falling silent.

Then, without another word, Riena reached up and began pulling strands of her hair. The others watched as she plucked several strands before tying them around Suhei’s wrist.

"What’s that for?" Hayne asked.

"To keep him from floating back to the surface," she said firmly, emphasizing it as a reply to their curious question asked earlier.

"How?" another pressed, though his tone carried hesitation, as if bracing for a scolding.

"In our tradition, the hair of a loved one—or someone who shares a deep connection to the deceased—serves as an anchor. As long as the person who gave the hair remembers them, the weight of their memory keeps the departed submerged in the depths," Riena explained and they let out a collective "oh."

"Then we’ll do it too."

One by one, Hayne and the others pulled strands from their hair, tying them around Suhei’s ankles, wrists, and fingers. Since Eiro was unconscious, they carefully plucked his hair for him and tied it as well.

Only one among them remained still, seemingly not interested in joining—the pale red-haired senior, Heiji.

Riena’s brows furrowed as she turned to him. "Pull it," she commanded coldly.

Heiji averted his gaze, blatantly ignoring her.

"Come on, Heiji. Suhei was a friend to all of us," the bulky senior urged.

"Hmph! I don’t know if I’ll always remember him," Heiji muttered. "What if I forget about him one day, and his body comes floating to the surface?" His face was tight with seriousness, the corner of his mouth faintly creased.

"That won’t happen. Pull it," Riena commanded again.

Still, Heiji refused.

"Fine. I’ll do it myself."

Marching over, Riena grabbed his head to hold it in place before yanking out a few strands.

Heiji flinched and thrashed lightly in protest, his sharp teeth clenching as if he wanted to chew her raw. He grumbled in protest but made no real effort to stop her.

"Tsk." He clicked his tongue as Riena stepped away, strands of his hair in her grasp.

Once they had finished, Hayne’s expression darkened with quiet sadness. "Seiya isn’t here to take part in this," he murmured.

At his words, the others instinctively glanced at him, exchanging silent looks that seemed to say: ’He doesn’t have any hair to pull anyway.’

With the ritual complete, they bowed their heads in prayer, offering Suhei their final wishes for peace. Then, together, they lifted his body and carried him into the water, wading as far as they could. Since not all of them could swim, two of the older boys—one a second-year senior and the other the red-haired Heiji—took Suhei’s body and swam farther, until they reached the deeper waters near the center.

There, they finally released him, watching in solemn silence as his body slowly sank into the depths.

The two boys swam back, shivering from the icy water, their wounds stinging as the cold wind bit into their damp skin.

They all paid their final respects to Suhei before turning to leave. Just then, Seiya and his elite arrived.

Without a word, Hayne and the others gathered Eiro, Seiya’s mother, and the children before setting off once more, Seiya silently taking the lead.

They walked through the night in silence, their destination unknown to everyone but him. After a while, Riena quickened her pace to match Seiya’s stride.

"Hey, white head," she called, her fingers laced together behind her head in a relaxed manner.

"Are you taking us to a shelter next? Do you happen to know an abandoned building around here?"

Seiya remained silent, showing no sign that he had even heard her.

"Ugh! Who do you think I’m talking to? Are you ignoring me right now?!" she snapped through gritted teeth.

Sensing tension rising, Hayne swiftly stepped between them, subtly positioning himself to keep Riena at a distance before things could escalate. He carried a young boy on his back, adjusting his grip before speaking.

"Sei, did you already find a place where we can stay for the night?" he asked softly.

Seiya, who had already scouted the area with his eyes before reaching the river, responded curtly. "Mn."

Hearing him answer Hayne but not her, Riena scoffed in irritation and quickened her pace, striding past them without another word—only for Seiya to continue.

"But… there are police"

At this, Riena immediately turned back. "Then why are you leading us there?!" she snapped.

Seiya halted, tilting his head slightly as he regarded her.

The others tensed immediately, Hayne included.

"Then," Seiya let out, his voice calm yet unsettling, "would you rather sleep outside for the night?"

Riena’s face flared with frustration at his cold indifference, but before she could retort, Hayne once again stepped in to defuse the brewing conflict.

"Can we get past them?" Hayne asked.

"I think so. There are only a few," Seiya replied.

"If that’s the case, I could lure them away," Heiji, the pale senior, suggested. "That should give you all enough time to slip by."

"That’s too risky," the bulky senior interjected. "If that bastard back at the facility decides to send people after us, the police seeing you here will only make things worse. It’ll expose our location."

"He won’t send anyone after us. At least, not yet, even if he plans to break his word," Hayne reasoned. "I’m fine with Heiji’s plan."

They continued until they reached a deserted road, dimly illuminated by sparse streetlights. Multiple buildings lined the street, but one, in particular, stood out—dilapidated and filthy. Their shelter for the night.

Three policemen were stationed at different points, scanning their surroundings with watchful eyes.

Seiya and the others remained hidden, peering from the shadows at a distance.

"Alright, time to step up," Hayne murmured to Heiji, who was already limbering up in preparation. Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Heiji took a deep breath before dashing straight into the open road.

"What is he even going to say to them?" Riena wondered, only for Heiji’s voice to ring out almost immediately.

"Yoooo!" he called out, waving at the officers. "Wanna catch me?"

The group collectively let out an exasperated sigh with their hands to their faces, cringing at Heiji’s acti.

At first, the policemen seemed inclined to dismiss him as just another reckless kid, but they couldn’t. Not at this hour. Not with the way he looked—soaking wet, his clothes tattered and smeared with blood, a battered mess. Ignoring him wasn’t an option.

"Young man, do you mind—"

Before they could finish, Heiji spun on his heel and bolted in the opposite direction. Instinct kicked in, and all three officers took off after him.

The moment they were gone, Seiya and the others seized their chance, dashing across the street and slipping into the abandoned building.

"It looks haunted," someone muttered as they ascended the rickety, dust-covered stairs.

"Smells like death," the bulky senior added and the others turned to stare at him, skeptical. Their eyes were filled with questions, curious how death smelt like.

"And how exactly does death smell?" someone finally asked.

The bulky senior smirked, a strange sort of pride gleaming in his eyes. "Trust me. I’ve been in that hellhole far too long not to know."

They reached the third floor, where a few rooms remained intact enough to be usable. The place was filthy and hollow, draped in dimness and riddled with broken windows, holes in the walls, doors, and even the ceilings. The air was thick with decay, but this was the best they had. Beggars couldn’t afford to be choosers.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

Exhausted, they laid down the unconscious and sleeping children before collapsing onto the bare floor themselves.

Just as they thought they could finally catch a breath, Riena was suddenly blasted inside, crashing into the wall.

At the front where Riena came flying from, stood Seiya, his eyes gleaming coldly in the dimness.