49 [Ch. 49] Fighting Demons (Past)

[Author's note: This chapter gets a *tad* dark. Reader discretion is advised.]

Once the sun disappeared, we decided to return back to the inn for dinner.

We walked into the main room and heard clamoring voices. "Ah! It's the white demon!"

A roar from the corner of the room caught my attention. The pirate gang from the ship greeted us with wide smiles, "Gyles will be here later. Here! Sit and eat with us!"

I wanted to agree, but I had a feeling that the rest of my group would be uncomfortable. Pirates didn't have the best of reputations.

The pirate noticed my hesitance and frowned, "You wouldn't be rude and decline our offer, would you?"

Amanda winced, "Of course not! We would love to eat with you."

We sat down and ate what was placed in front of us. Korph thoroughly enjoyed the mutton meat while I didn't touch my food. Raylon motioned to it, "Do you not like it?"

I stared down at it without answering.

Amanda spoke up hesitantly, "My lady doesn't like eating meat."

"Who needs to eat when you can drink!" We turned to the voice to see Gyles holding jugs of liquor accompanied by a scantily dressed red-headed girl hanging off of him. I accepted the drink as he sat down across from me with the beauty.

I noticed Raylon glaring at Gyles as if accusing him of being a womanizer. Gyles ignored Raylon's accusatory stare and smiled at me while drinking. As we all enjoyed the drinks and food, the group slowly relaxed. Something caught my eye and I immediately put the drink down. It was snatched up by Korph in an instant. I didn't pay him any attention as my hand moved to my hidden weapon. I could feel unusual killing intent focused on us.

Raylon noticed my unusual movements, "Is everything okay?"

He hadn't noticed the two men glaring in our direction without eating or drinking anything. In the blink of an eye, I disappeared from the table. While jumping over another table, I pulled out the dragon hilt forcing a scythe to appear. I swung my scythe before landing on another table.

*Schlop*

Two heads rolled on the floor belonging to the men who had been staring.

Amanda stood up and shrieked. The rest of the men in the inn that weren't pirates stood up, "Kill the target!"

They all brandished whips and charged at the unexpecting Korph. I saw the whip charge towards Korph and jumped in front of it, knowing I wouldn't be able to stop it. The whip struck me in the chest causing me to fall backward. Raylon stood up quickly after seeing the gashing wound. However, before he could rush to help, I had already stood up.

Unimaginable rage consumed my body.

The only sound in the room was my blood dripping to the floor. The temperature in the room dropped substantially with every drop. It was as if my blood was freezing the room.

My hand slowly felt the wound and I gazed at the crimson blood covering my hand. Another whip soared through the air and stopped. I caught the electric whip with ease. My sharp eyes glared at the attacker while blood trickled down from my hand.

I hissed, "Now you've made me angry."

He was stunned as he stared at me, "How did you catch the whip? It has enough electricity to knock out a high-leveled spiritual beast!"

I sneered, "I'm a demon, not a beast."

He amplified the electricity and looked at the other guys who were standing and staring, "Idiots! Help m-"

I yanked it forward, causing him to fly towards me. In one fluid motion, I slashed my scythe and his head fell to the ground. Three of the men rushed forward and I effortlessly slashed their heads off. I began to target the rest of the men, killing indiscriminately. As I killed, one rushed out the door in a panic.

My head snapped up and I changed my scythe to a whip instantaneously. My whip wrapped around his ankle causing him to trip. He looked down at his foot in horror as he was being pulled back. His panicked eyes looked back at me only to see a sight that deserved to be called a demon.

My bright green eyes flared as I dragged him to me. I was covered in blood but didn't feel a thing about it.

He panicked as he realized he was a sinner being dragged to hell. He tried to grab the planks, but his fingernails rip off as they made claw marks in the wood. No matter how hard he tried to get loose, he just kept getting pulled to me.

I grabbed his arm and placed my foot on the side of his face. My voice was cold, "Who sent you?"

"I'll never tell you! You b- AH!"

A cracking sound cut through the air.

I bent one of his fingers back, breaking it.

The sight in front of me began to overlap with a time before this world. I spoke through clenched teeth as I tried to stay in the present, "Next will be your wrist."

"You think I will tell you just because-"

I grabbed his wrist and palm pulling them in opposite directions simultaneously ripping apart his skin in the process.

His bloodcurdling scream rang out through the air.

A voice echoed in my head: <Did he die? I only broke 42 of his bones. What a baby!>

My crazed eyes tore through him, "I'm growing impatient."

Seeing that he didn't answer, I stomped my foot onto his shoulder dislocating it. His horrified screams echoed off the wall. I watched him wriggle underneath me in pain.

I snickered as I felt my mind slipping, "Feel free to stop me by talking."

I jumped in the air and slammed down both of my feet on the back of his kneecaps, shattering them. I kicked him onto his back and stepped on his broken wrist. His screams amplified with the sound of cracking bones.

The bodiless voice taunted me: <Today we should try a new technique! I heard ribs are more sensitive. Heh... Let's try breaking those!>

My head tilted with a crazed look in my eyes, "Did you know that one of the most sensitive parts of the body is the ribs? There are so many nerves located there that even a single crack in it can cause you to pass out from the pain."

I placed my foot on his ribs. He shook his head while sobbing, "Wait, no! Please wait!"

The voice laughed icily: <How boring. All he does is scream... We ought to just kill him.>

I grinned, "Don't worry. If you pass out, I will just wake you up."

I put more pressure on his chest until he finally screamed, "Stop! Please! I will tell you! Just stop!" I halted, causing him to breathe in relief, "The Guang's sent me."

I sneered, "I know."

"Why would you ask if you knew?"

I merely stared at him with lifeless eyes filled with endless hatred.

He gulped, "R-Regardless, I told you. You p-promised to let me go."

I tossed my head with a laugh, "I never said that."

I placed my foot over his throat. As he struggled for breath under the increased pressure, the last thing he saw was my cold expressionless face and dull eyes before his neck snapped.

A voice I recognized to once be mine, echoed in my head: <P-Please... K-Kill... Me...>

I closed my eyes to dispel the unpleasant memories.

I stepped away from the lifeless body at my feet and changed the whip back into a scythe. I slowly walked towards Jack and Fillandra still teeming with hatred. Instantly they fell to their knees and bowed so low that their foreheads touched the grounds.

Jack shouted, "Please! Show us mercy Lady Moao! They made us do this! We had no idea they would attack you!"

I ignored his pleadings with cold eyes, "How much did they pay you?"

"Really! We didn't know-"

I put my foot on his fingers causing him to shout in pain.

Amanda shrieked with a pale expression, "Lady Moao! Please stop-"

I ignored her as I glared at the man beneath my feet, "Do not lie to me."

"Lady Moao!" Fillandra shouted through tears, "He did this for me!"

I took my foot off of his hand and turned to her. Jack shouted, "Wait! Fillandra don't!"

I sealed his mouth and turned my sharp eyes to her, "Why?"

She trembled as she explained, "It's my son. He is dying. I couldn't afford a healer, so we had to make this deal. Please Lady Moao... If you must kill someone- kill me! Please don't kill Jack. He was only trying to help."

I narrowed my eyes as I clenched the weapon in my hand, "You betrayed my trust."

Fillandra grabbed her hair as she wailed.

I turned away from her miserable look and muttered to myself, "Everyone always does."

I dropped handfuls of gold coins in front of the lowered Fillandra. She cautiously looked up to see my cold face. My voice was cold, "Bring your son to the Royal Healers Quarter. Ask for Pascal. Tell them Moao sent you. He will heal your son for free."

She blinked in disbelief, "B-But... Why?"

I turned my head, "I like it here."

She spoke hesitantly, "L-Lady Moao? Are you giving us mercy? You won't hang us for treason?"

"I'll be back next year. Will that be a problem?"

"No, no! It would be an honor to serve you."

I sat back down at the table. The redhead fainted from the sight of my bloody appearance. When I looked up, I noticed everyone staring at me in fear. They had never seen this side of me before. Only Korph and Gyles looked unabashed.

"Um. Moao? Your chest is bleeding a lot." Korph looked at the blood covering me, "At least, I think it's yours."

"Mmn." I healed my wounds instantly with a blue light produced from my hand.

Gyles cleared his throat, "Your dress is ripped..."

"Mmn."

He continued while staring, "Aren't you going to fix it? Your chest is very distracting..."

"Mmn."

I didn't bother with it and took a drink from my glass. Everyone sat around in silence as I drank as if nothing had happened. Amanda was the first to break the silence, "Where did you get that weapon?"

They all turned their attention to the dragon hilt. Korph looked away guiltily and Amanda understood immediately, "Did Prince Korph give that to you?!"

I didn't respond so they all looked to Korph who tried to hide his face. Korph whispered under the gaze of the onlookers, "...It was mine."

Amanda fell back down to her seat, "L-lady M-Moao. Do you know what it means when someone from the Dragon clan gives you their weapon?"

I actually have no idea.

Mona explained in a shaking voice, "It is one of the most serious oaths in the Dragon clan. It means you are brothers in arms spiritually and physically. He will protect you even if it means his death. If you were to die, he would avenge you or die trying. It is the symbol of utmost loyalty and the Dragon clan takes it very seriously."

"Mmn."

I looked over to Korph who refused to meet my eyes out of embarrassment. I found it rather cute. The corner of my lips twitched.

I reached out and tousled his hair, "I too will do the same little dragon. As long as you don't betray me."

He shooed away my hand, "Don't touch me! You're all bloody!"

Gyles suddenly interrupted, "Why were the assassins targeting him?"

Raylon stared at Korph with a frown, "When we were last here, did you tell anyone about your identity?"

Korph looked down and began to fidget with his clothes nervously. I turned to Gyles and motioned at him. He didn't fool me with the whole 'I don't know anything' attitude.

Gyles sighed, "Okay, okay. I did hear something through the grapevines. I heard that Lin Guang had interviewed the individuals in the area where the slaves were stolen. One said that the man who set them free announced himself as a prince. Even though there were no surviving guards, he believed that Prince Korph was the one to set his own people free. Even though Lin lost power, he still wants revenge."

Amanda clutched her chest in a panic, "What are they talking about, Lady Moao?!"

I ignored her, "Tomorrow morning, we will be returning to the Academy."

Everyone looked down at their plates suddenly feeling that the joyous atmosphere was now gone and never coming back. Despite the tense and awkward atmosphere, I happily indulged in my drink.

Gyles was the first to break the silence, "Moao, you are covered in blood."

"Mmn."

Why do they keep bringing this up? I have eyes.

He smiled slyly, "If you need someone to help you take a bath, I will gladly offer my assistance."

I narrowed my eyes, "I can bathe myself."