6 Blood-Stained

Boom!!!!

An enormous electric shock preceded the ground, making it wave upwards and downwards due to the huge power exerted by the girls slammed to the ground by the little Devil.

The two girls lay sprawled over the ground, one bleeding extensively from the head, coughing blood spewed together with spit. And the other listless, with thick red blood gushing out of her gasped mouth, showing no movement at all.

"Shunko... Oi... Shunko..."

She reached out her hands to Shunko and shook her softly at first and then vigorously seeing that the latter was unresponsiveness. She tried and tried- trying her best to have her accomplice wake up.

"..."

Silence. There was not a tint of anger or sorrow on her face. Just pure emptiness.

"Don't worry... I won't kill you... Only if you run with your tail between your legs, leaving that eyesore of corpse here."

"W-What? Really?!"

(Humans are the really worst, huh?)

The emptiness which coated her face disappeared in an instant.

A voice was heard.

"J... un... o... Sa... ve..."

The listless body showed some signs of life, though they were minuscule. The fingers flicked like a newborn baby sensing life the life in his fingers, the eyes flickered pitifully and sparkling tears came rolling from her eyes as she lay with her hair soaked with red liquid. Junko stared at her with emptiness in her eyes as if she was nothing more than a bug crawling, begging to be spared.

"Hmm... she is still alive huh... kill her, and I will spare you."

"R-R-Really?!"

"Jun..."

"DIE YOU DAMN BITCH!!"

An extremely sharp rock lying beside Junko pierced through Shunko's gut as she howled in excruciating pain.

"Sis... W... hy?"

Her eyes rolled up, her voice died down and all the energy left her body, leaving a hollow vessel deprived of any life.

Sou fell silent seeing Junko's act. Junko turned towards Sou, her eyes shining brightly as if hope was within her reach. But, on the other hand, was Sou, stoic and indifferent, making a face of someone whose slightest hopes have been mashed cruelly.

Junko was staring at Sou with her eyes gleaming with unquivering certainty and hope. But her face turned pale when she saw Sou left eye burning even more fiercely than never, his fists clenched with veins popping out vigorously. But what was even more eye-catching was his smile... the grin he wore.

"Y-You...! You said you will let me go!" Her screams shook the trees but couldn't shake the person itself.

"Huh? When did I ever say that~?"

At that point, it became obvious to Junko that this kid never intended to let her go in the first place. She wanted to run, but there was no way she could outmatch his speed, she wanted to scream for help, but there was no one in that barren vicinity. Just she and an enraged devil. She only saw one path laid ahead of her, to fight.

"F-FUCK YOU!!"

She blasted off the ground, leaving a trail of electricity behind her tracks, towards Sou who was standing still as a rock, staring at the approaching mass of flesh with a tinge of madness.

"DIE!!!"

Junko swung both of her arms at high speeds and clashed them right in front of Sou's stoic face.

Clap!

Fierce winds originated from the clap which made Sou's silver hair flutter vigorously. The clapping sound loomed over the vicinity so loud that it was enough to burst open the eardrums of any average person. But the extreme wave of sound was not the main attraction of this skill, the energy born from the sound was the thing that bore obliterating effects. The sound, from its maximum, dropped down to no sound at all and when it did, a tingling electric wave swept the area and disappeared after covering a certain radius.

Crackle!

A small spark sound echoed the place and in the next moment-

Boom!!

The ground was reduced to craters, charred in thick black. The trees just evaporated in thin air like they never existed. Though the radius of damage was small, the damage was immense. She backed off and saw the white smoke subside from the area.

"Hahahaha!! How do you like that!"

The smoke subsided and her feet trembled in fear. Sou withstood the attack, no, he completely cancelled the attack.

"Is this all you've got?"

{You are in extreme rage. Your mana has been significantly increased. The potency of 'Eyes of Destruction' has increased}

The temperature shot up. The fire which was already burning in the area became even hotter, not just burning the trees to ashes but also melting some of the boulders too.

Destruction once again reigned that certain area- with even more intensity than before. The fuming flame which covered his left eye now engulfed his right eye.

"AAAAH!! Argh! Waaaaah!!"

Junko's flesh burned as Sou's deathly gaze fell on her. Her face became distorted from all the screaming.

{Mastery of 'Fire' element has been completed}

Creak...!

A foot stepped on a black-charred twig lying in front of the growling Junko. She lifted her distorted face. Sou was standing in front of her with his right hand swallowed up by a dangerously sharp-edged flame pointed towards her shoulder.

"Now... Pay for your sins."

Schwing!

"A...Aaa...Aa..."

A precise cut.

Her shoulder disjointed so smoothly that it took a second or two for her to even realize that her shoulder was severed.

Squish!!

Buckets of blood splurted out from her severed shoulder.

"Wa-"

Schwing!!

Another precise cut by her vocal cords.

"Ahhh... Your screams are brutal to the ears, you know..."

A silent scream veiled the forest.

***

[Krion, a village near Loa, Lord's Mansion]

"My Lord! My Lord! Lady Junko's mana is constantly decreasing!"

Father of Junko and Shunko, The Lord of Krion, Dick Von Standford. A well-built middle-aged man with a bald head and blood-red hair protruding out from his chin. Originally, he was a merchant but soon switched to different jobs and made huge money. After some years of 'work', which included murder, extortion, robbing and many more, and contributing to the King's rule, he was offered the title of Nobility and the village Krion to rule as the land by the King, who was unaware of the man's atrocities.

"Dear! What happened?! What happened to my Junko and Shunko?!"

"Ahh, Rina... Don't you worry, they are fine. They might have just run into some tough skins. They will be here soon... with their 'catch'."

A grin ran through his wife's, Rina's mouth as if she were sure and relaxed.

"Oh, dear... Stop worrying me over anything. Anyways, I am going."

"To extract mana?"

"Yes... If you don't mind."

"Oh no no, who am I to stop my wife. Also, we can't defy 'that' man."

"Oh! May every woman gets a man like you."

His wife left the scene. As she trotted away, a grim expression came over his face.

He muttered," find and bring him."

Three figures emerged out of thin air, their faces covered with masks and their body covered in black and grey cloth.

"What about the Ladies?"

"Get rid of Shunko. She is useless without her brains. Bring the boy and Junko only. We can extract mana from her dead body."

"As your wish, Lord Dick."

***

[The forest]

Junko was hanging mid-air with her neck in the tight grasp of Sou's hand. Her face was disfigured. Saliva streaming from her open mouth, teeth missing, a bump on the corner of her left eye, her face cheeks swollen to an extreme extent.

"Forgib... Vee... Ble... J... For...Gib... mee..."

"Not a chance!"

A fist went deep into her guts.

"Gah!!"

She coughed up blood viciously.

"I... amb zory... Vorgib me..."

"Forgive? Is it something you should ask from a person who you tried to kill not a moment ago?"

Another punch was delivered.

"Ough!"

She stopped resisting. Her breathing getting slower as time passed. She gritted her teeth and said her final words.

"Yu... arr... a Debil..."

Sou smirked as if he was happy hearing the remark.

"That's right... I am a devil," said Sou looking straight into her eyes with a sharp and clean gaze and, of course, with a kind smile.

Crack!

The body fell loose, hanging in mid-air without any resistance.

Sou withdrew his hand and let go of the corpse.

Tring..!

{The 'Trial' period has ended}

{Your powers will be suppressed now}

"What?"

Sou fell over. He felt his energy and strength leaving his body like water leaking out from a vessel.

"Wh-What is happening? Are you freaking kidding me right now?!"

-Superhuman strength has been suppressed.

-Mana Pool has been reverted.

-Extreme Agility has been suppressed.

-'Devil's Summoning', 'Eyes of Destruction' and elemental compatibility with 'Lightning' and 'Fire' are achievements you have attained with your own strength within the time limit. Hence, that will not be suppressed but you cannot use them until you have levelled up.

-The potency of 'Eyes of Destruction' and elemental magic usage has been reduced due to the small Mana Pool.

"What...?"

His knees felt weak and his voice became smaller and smaller.

"Fuck..."

But couldn't help himself. The fatigue he built up until now was finally starting to kick in. 

"No..."

{Please raise your level to lift the suppression}

He fainted.

***