Cold Blood

Gesine's face was trembling as she tried to understand what was going on. Cassandra only stared at her with proud eyes. "Damn it, why did she tell? Wait, how does she even know I'm here in the first place?"

"Maybe I misheard, right? And who even are you?" She looked at Cassandra with angry eyes. If they're going to fight, this might be bad for Gesine as she doesn't have her weapon.

"What do you mean, who am I? It's me, your best friend."

"Best friend?"

Cassandra cleared her voice, and it suddenly changed. It turned back into the voice she used when she was in disguise as a commoner. "Doesn't this change anything on what you think, Gesine?"

As she heard this, Gesine's trembling feet gave up on her, and she was on the ground, even her hands were trembling.

"All this information must be hurting your heart and brain. It's okay. I'll give you an offer. I was originally going to eliminate you, but since our bond was special, I'll let you leave in peace."

Gesine looked up at her, and then she looked at me. Our eyes met. She looked betrayed, abandoned. I could guess what's on her mind. She must be thinking, why I didn't tell her anything. Of course, I had good reasons, but at this moment, maybe it's too late.

"Gesine, I..." I don't know what to say. If I tell her not to believe Cassandra, that might work, right? I looked at her, and she was on the brink of collapse.

If a friend you knew was a murderer, how would you react? I mean, I'd react normally, but that doesn't mean Gesine will do the same.

"You'll let me leave peacefully, right? Can you guarantee that?" With her trembling feet, she stood up and looked Cassandra in the eye.

"Of course, you just have to be quiet about this and you're all good."

Gesine clenched her fist and bit her lip as blood was dripping down. She was angry with herself, Cassandra, and me. I don't care about her choice as long as it's hers.

"Alright, no one will hear this," she turned back to the door and opened it. The shaking hands touched the doorknob as she looked back at me with a single glance and left.

Silence fell in the room as I was facing the ground.

"Did you lose hope? Your hope for humanity, the only thing that's keeping you sane?"

Sane? I was already insane a long time ago, the moment I was banished from the human territories, I had already given up.

"Look outside the window Esmond, do you see the bright light of the moon?"

The moon, yeah, I see it. I see how she looked at me, the moon who did decently to help me, but there is always a time where the moon will disappear and be replaced by the sun.

"Look carefully, since it will be the last time you see it. You will no longer see it, since you will stay with me in the palace forever."

"B*tch, please. I'm already suffering, and you want to make me suffer some more?"

She slapped my face with her right hand and continuously did so, first with her right and then with her left.

I tried again to break free from the chain, but as the previous results showed, it was still the same. Should I do it? I've got nothing left to lose.

Though I might lose the support of the 7 goddesses, "Hahahahaha, ah f*ck it, who cares at this point!" Cassandra looked at me with a confused face.

As I murmured the words that will decide the entirety of my fate, risk comes with rewards, but with this risk, only suffering is the reward.

"Come Solais," immediately the room that was quiet and peaceful collapsed as a ray of light shined down towards me. Once again, heaven has been opened.

Along with the explosion, the screams of the passersby were heard. I, who was hit directly by the light, lay down on the pieces of wood that were shattered. I was in the middle of the road as well.

Lying down, I looked at the dark night and saw that the stars formed a circle; the middle had no stars, that's where Solais came from. My hands were finally freed as the broken chains scattered on the ground.

The building in which I was previously in was halfway destroyed. I could see Cassandra's blue hair peeking out.

Her face was really satisfying with her angered and perplexed expression at the same time. I couldn't help but enjoy it.

I looked beside me and saw Solais; its burning radiance was so bright that the entire street lit up. I should probably get going.

I stood up using my hands and felt like I was touching something liquid. Is it water or maybe a puddle? I looked at my hand and saw the color of red.

The wood pieces that were shattered became red as the screams of the people became louder and louder. I couldn't unhear it.

I stood up and walked with Solais in my hand. My feet were drenched in blood, and as I continued to walk, I was leaving footprints of blood. It's gruesome, yet my remorse hasn't come yet.

"Demon king!" A scream from a frightened lady up in the buildings echoed in the crowded streets.

And such a stampede was created as I walked. The ground shook; it was because of the people that were running away.

Where are the Holy Empire's knights? Shouldn't they be here? Isn't that the classic way for the introduction of the army, but I don't see any army.

The once rowdy and crowded streets became empty and vast; it was covered in silence.

"Finally, someone came," the distant smoke cleared up and revealed a man wearing a heavyweight armor. He was holding a giant great sword; he looked like he could carry it with one hand.

"Demon king, quite a huge surprise," he said in a mannered way as he took his great sword and struck it to the ground with his strength.

"I'm Raguel, 2nd division vice-captain of the Holy Knights," he introduced himself first. Does he expect me to do the same?

"Well, I'm—" My words were cut off when Raguel suddenly appeared in front of my face with his great sword, doing a forward slash.

"I know you, Demon King, as well as the blood that is on your feet."

Once again, he appears in front of me, this time with a vertical slash. I could block it easily using Solais, but the burning sensation was getting worse.

My hand felt like it was about to come off. I can imagine a massive burn in my hand by now.

"Do not think of other things while you're facing me!" he leaped towards me as he was about to strike me with his massive sword.

But unfortunately, I was faster. Before hitting the ground, I was behind him mid-air. The thing he was about to hit was a mere afterimage I left a few seconds ago.

"I was a hero once." With that, I thrust Solais deep into Raguel's body. As his body hits the ground, I tried to take Solais out of his body, but I couldn't.

My hand was suddenly repelled, and what's strange is that with no command, Solais disappeared, and even stranger, Raguel, who was down on the ground, suddenly stood up again.

"Gaurrghhhh!!!," he screamed like a bear, the sound ringing in my ears. He held his weapon in his hands, and the wind suddenly started blowing as I watched the sword swinging down on me.

I could dodge this. I could even kill him with these slow movements of his. But what good would that do? I finally met a man who had enough holy powers to send me to hell.

Should I just give up here? What was I even fighting for in the beginning? I was made to fight and be abandoned. Was that on purpose?

Time was slower than usual, and the swinging blade was slower than I thought. I give up.

Clang!

The sound of two swords colliding can be heard. Strange, I didn't defend myself. Oh, I see, it wasn't a sword. I looked in front of me and felt a bit of fighting strength.

It wasn't a sword; it's a spear...

"The hell? Is that all you've got after all?" A girl with her shining white hair came in front of me and blocked the attack with her long silver spear, it's quite a surprise for me.

"You're here? Gesine"