A Heartless Monster

Now, in the present.

On the battlefield, Ray was gazing at the divine water as a blank look was creeping on his face.

"Torture, torture, torture, torture…"

Continuously mumbling the same word, Ray's grin widened as he vividly remembered the agonizing hundred years he spent enduring relentless torture in the punishment room, all in pursuit of justice.

Ray couldn't help but reminisce about the immense suffering Lady Celestia endured, facing Nerothen for nearly a hundred years.

There were rumours of an engagement between them, but it was abruptly put on hold when the war between God and Demon erupted.

Then, when he was finally freed, he had precious little time left with Lady Celestia.

Unfortunately, their time together was cruelly cut short, as she passed away just two godly years after the war ended.

"You sure know how to start a play, no, Nerothen?"

Still grinning, Ray lifted his right eyebrow, as if talking to Nerothen.

"First, my life as an angel, and now…"

He commented as he placed his flintlock in his right pocket, gripped his blade tightly, and swirled it around him as it vanished into tiny particles of golden energy and surrounded him.

He paused for a moment, his voice dropping to a contemplative tone.

"...you deities never left a chance for me to have a rest, eh?"

"Hrgh!"

Meanwhile, Alfred, on the contrary, let out a battle roar and gazed at Ray.

His crimson eyes started blazing with vibrant azure light, as if filled with divine energy.

His white hood fell away, revealing a cascade of red hair that now gleamed with the radiant hue of divine blue.

In the blink of an eye, a divine blue armour materialized around him, with each piece attaching to his body, giving a bizarre sensation as if he had transcended into a divine being on his own.

"Ho~ Things are getting interesting now."

Ray smirked as his eyes gleamed with a glint of intrigue, but soon his expression changed to being serious as he continued.

"You've become a traitor to mankind, Alfred, by taking divinity from that bastard. So, don't expect me to be merciful."

*Swish!*

Completing his words, Ray vanished into nothingness, leaving only air to blow.

"Hmm?" Alfred, who had noticed Ray's disappearance, lifted his left eyebrow and gazed around, wondering where Ray would attack from now.

"Focus, Alfred."

"Wha—URGH?!"

Moments later, a voice pierced the air above Alfred, causing him to falter in surprise.

But before he could even react, a powerful kick crashed into his skull, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"ENOUGH!!!"

But abruptly, Alfred roared, somewhat managed to control his body, and halted in mid-air.

With his nose now seeping with blood, Alfred shot a glare at Ray and yelled, "You foul creature! A true warrior fights head-on, not from the shadows like a coward!"

"Is that so?" Ray responded in a deep voice while lowering his gaze.

Then, in a flash, he vanished and reappeared in front of Alfred at a point-blank distance, causing Alfred to be left stunned by his speed.

"Do you even know whose power you're using?"

While glaring into Alfred's eyes, Ray questioned; his crimson eyes seemed to be glinting in anger. As he continued,

"If you do, then you should know what kind of coward he is. Always attack from behind, right, Alfred?"

"Y-You…" Alfred gritted his teeth over hearing disdain for his lord.

But he was also astounded, realizing that Ray still had the upper hand in the fight.

"Don't you dare badmouth him!"

However, suddenly, with a shift of tone, Alfred darted his spear at Ray. In response, Ray didn't react, but muttered,

"Ashen Reborn."

Upon his command, a thick yet invisible aura surrounded him, and hence,

*CREAK!*

"Ha?"

Momentarily, a gobsmacked look shaped on Alfred's face, and a bemused response came out of his mouth.

He noticed that the tip of his spear had shattered into pieces after hitting Ray's chest.

"You…you're a monster!" Alfred sputtered and moved backward in dread, his face turning pale.

"Yes," Ray nodded as his expression saddened a little. He added, "I'm indeed a monster."

Then, a look of maniac crept on his face, and he exclaimed, "But thanks to those divine bastards!"

"What did you just—GUH?!"

Again, Alfred's voice got cut off by Ray as a hefty punch landed on his belly, making him cough blood with his eyes popping out.

For some inexplicable reason, it felt as if Ray was releasing his anger for Nerothen on Alfred.

"Playtime is over, Alfred." Ray spoke in a hushed tone, grabbed tightly on Alfred's skull, and started descending like a meteor while letting out a battle cry, "Time to end this!!!"

"W-wait!!!"

Alfred, in response, screamed, but to no avail.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!*

Shortly, a deafening explosion echoed as his head struck the ground with devastating force, creating a massive crater and causing the ground to tremble.

"What's that?!"

"An earthquake?!"

The hooded men and the sergeants outside panicked, looking around in alert as the earthquake struck suddenly.

"Wow, that was something."

After the impact subsided and the ground stilled, Oscar, who had witnessed Ray's attack, smirked as he looked down at the battleground and muttered, "And where are those two—?!"

But shockingly, his eyes burst open as he witnessed a gruesome scene at the battleground, and a faint smile crossed his face as he commented, "My, my. This kid knows no mercy, hmm?"

"Ugh…" Meanwhile, Alfred let out a final, guttural noise after taking a devastating blow.

His skull seemingly burst open, with blood spurting all over the crater.

His lifeless body lay there with eyes rolled back, signifying as if he had already died by the last blow.

His crystal blue hair reverted back to its natural red, and his divine armour dissipated into tiny particles of water vapour, leaving only white clothing behind.

"....." Ray, on the other hand, remained silent, unfazed by the gruesome scene he'd created.

Gradually he bent forward, calmly reached into Alfred's pocket, and retrieved the red device that had blocked Miss Erika's power.

'This skill is truly amazing. This match ended way more unexpectedly than I thought, thanks to this skill.'

Ray wondered since his skill, 'Ashen Reborn' finally worked as his triumph card during this battle.

"W..h..o.."

"Hmm?" Ray shifted his gaze to Alfred after noticing him saying something in his last moment.

"Who am I, you mean?" Ray responded, recognizing that even in his final moment, Alfred's lingering curiosity to know Ray's true identity wouldn't let him rest in peace easily.

He knelt beside Alfred, and with a faint smile, he asked, "Have you ever heard about the angel of protection, Requaniel?"

"?!" Even though Alfred wasn't able to react since he was already on the verge of death, his eyelids faltered, making it apparent that he was horrified after hearing this.

He knew how much his lord loathed Requaniel and how happy he was when he thought Requaniel was dead.

"Yo…u…can't…be…"

He mumbled with his last ounce of strength, but in response, Ray grinned menacingly and whispered in his honorable tone, "No, child. I'm indeed Requaniel."

He knew that no one would find out since, once Alfred died, he wouldn't be able to tell this little secret to anyone.

After all, no gods can easily meet the souls of the deceased unless they are ancient gods.

"Re…qua…niel…? Ugh…"

In the end, Alfred muttered Ray's real name and finally met his demise.

*CREAK!*

After noticing Alfred's departure, Ray tightened his right fist and ended up breaking the red device into pieces.

***

"Huh?" Miss Erika, on the contrary, reacted while blinking her eyes as a red aura surrounded her.

She smiled, realizing that her power had returned. She then quickly flashed towards Ray's location.

***

"Ray!!"

A shrill voice echoed through the air as Miss Erika finally reached the corner of the battleground.

Ray, after hearing her call, neither said anything nor moved an inch but continued to gaze at Alfred's lifeless body.

"Good job! I've never thought that you'd take down—?!" Miss Erika began to praise him, but her voice trailed off as her eyes widened in shock and dismay upon seeing the horrifying scene in front of her.

"E-Eden…" She called him, but this time by his human name, taking a step backward in disbelief, and asked, "W-who did this? I-it can't be you, right…?"

Although she knew it couldn't have been anyone else but Ray, however, this gruesome scene had horrified her to the core, and she didn't want to believe that her student would do something so atrocious like this.

"It was me, Miss," Ray replied with a solemn tone, his gaze fixed on his right palm, stained with Alfred's blood. He muttered, "I've changed quite a bit."

Then his gaze shifted towards the moon, and he began, "You were right, Miss Erika. This quest for vengeance has changed me. My heart is already dead. I no longer feel anything when I eliminate those who support those who've harmed me."

Then, his eyes, which were ordinary crimson, turned bloody red, and he gazed at Miss Erika with wide eyes, remarking in a grave voice, "I'm a heartless monster now, Miss Erika."