CHAPTER 85: SORROWFUL OUTCOME

A crimson arrow with dark markings, a meter and a half long broke into the frozen space, causing the sound of shattering glass to resound.

However, after reaching a clone's side, it broke into tiny pieces.

Even though it broke the frozen space, it had used up all its energy.

But it did serve its purpose as just a second after, with two whooshing sounds, two similar arrows followed the path it had created, with one tailing the other.

Arthur's remaining eight clones instantly flashed in front of the first arrow, however with no resistance whatsoever, it pierced all eight of them causing them to explode into space essence.

Without delay, it appeared before the terror-stricken Rita, with Dora resting closed eyes in her embrace.

As if sensing the impending danger, one of the remaining two talismans in Rita's bosom lit up.

Immediately after, the first arrow was frozen in front of Rita.

However, a second later, the second arrow arrived hitting the frozen arrow in the tail.

While both arrows remained frozen, the last talisman had also been activated.

Like that, the threat was stopped.

Rita's face was pale, her hands sweaty, and her heart was beating so fast she felt it would burst out of her chest.

This was her second encounter with death, and that too, a few minutes after the first.

But thankfully, her mother's talisman had saved her.

Wait!

Her mother's talisman…

Realizing that all the talismans were now used up, Rita's face turned paper white.

Now that she didn't have any form of protection, she started despairing.

Arthur wasn't able to save her, and if it wasn't for her mother, she would have already died twice, no… thrice.

"Rita!" speak of the devil.

Arthur teleported before her, his face covered in fear.

Now, Arthur did not intend to remain any longer.

He didn't dare to take any more risk, so he stretched out his hands to touch and teleport them away from this damn place.

However…

*Zing!*

A loud ringing sound drifted into his ears. Shifting his head slightly, he saw from the side of his eye a pitch-black halo surrounding Dean.

What caused the ringing sound was the great speed with which the halo was rotating around him.

With a flash, the rotating halo expanded outward severing all in its path in two.

Be it the frozen greater demons, or the buildings, all were cut in two horizontally.

As the metallic smell of blood started permeating the area, Arthur realized that the halo would reach them before they could teleport away.

A light of anger shone in Arthur's eyes and without thinking about it, he turned around and roared at the top of his lung…

"Fuck off!"

With now a little less than ten percent mana remaining in his body, the halo that had slashed the great majority of those present into half, including buildings was frozen in place.

*Whoosh*

Hearing that sound, Arthur's pupils turned into slits and without any hesitation, he stretched his right hand in front of Rita causing the space there to ripple in time to meet an arrow.

However, something different happened.

Instead of disappearing into the rippling space, a crimson aura burst out of the arrow, before clashing with the rippling space.

But the rippling space just sucked the crimson aura. Like this, both attacks were in a standoff.

Arthur's face grew pale, as he gritted his teeth.

His mana was about to deplete completely, and he couldn't hold out any longer.

Far on the building, the summoned arrow devil grinned, "You are good, but this arrow is different from the others."

He snapped his fingers.

Immediately after, the arrow in front of Rita exploded with great force, causing a massive shockwave to spread out.

Arthur, Rita with Mia in her embrace were sent flying in different directions.

The remaining halves of the building around them crumbled into pieces, while the blood that was already flowing on the ground was thrown into the air, causing a cloud of dust and mist of blood to entangle in the area.

*Cough cough*

Arthur coughed out mouthfuls of blood, with pieces of his internal organs mixed within.

Looking at the cloud permeating the area and reducing visibility. Arthur whispered weakly…

"Ri-ta…Mia…"

*whoosh*

The cloud beside parted way for a kick to land on his face.

Arthur's body rolled on the ground for a few feet before stopping.

His mouth was full of blood.

"Look what we have here."

Hearing Dean's voice Arthur struggled to raise his head in his direction only for his eyes to widen.

"No! cough cough.." choking on his blood, Arthur's eyes refused to leave Dean's left hand.

There, Mia was being held up by her hair; her baby face covered in blood.

"You seem to care a lot about this girl!" Dean said lightly as clutched Mia by the hair tighter.

Mia's face scrunched in pain.

"No! I am the one you want…cough…leave her."

"You have a point! Initially, I planned on killing you, but wouldn't that be making it easy on you?"

"For the grave sin you have committed, you need to be punished accordingly!"

In Dean's right hand, a scythe materialized, before he brought the blade under Mia's head.

Tears started falling down Arthur's face.

He didn't understand what Dean was saying and would have long teleported to save Mia if it wasn't for his mana which was now depleted.

"Please…I beg you…"

Looking at Dean, Arthur pleaded.

Seeing this. Two lines of tears fell down Mia's bloodied face.

From the beginning of Dean's attack, she had been subjected to so much pain, pain that she had never experienced a bit of in her entire life.

She looked so pitying at this moment. Looking at Arthur, she said, pleadingly, "Big brother…save me…"

Seeing the muscle of Dean's right-hand flex, Arthur screamed in horror as he ran toward them…

"No!"

Dean looked at the fast-approaching Arthur coldly, and without any hesitation he pulled his scythe up, causing a small thud to resound.

Arthur fell to his knees, his vision entirely clouded in tears, as he looked at Mia's head which still had that pleading look on her face.

"Why? Why? Why?..."

As if mad, Arthur crawled on his knees and grabbed Dean's clothes so tightly that his fingers bore into them drawing blood as they sank in Dean's flesh.

However, Dean didn't hesitate to punch him in the face, causing him to land on his back.

Sitting atop the crying Arthur, Dean threw punches.

"You dare to ask me why?"

*Bang*

"Because of you, I lost my father…"

*Bang*

"Because of you, I lost my family…"

*Bang*

"Lost my kingdom…"

*Bang*

"Mother!" Reaching this point, tears streamed down Dean's face as he glared at Arthur with utmost hatred.

As the tears cascaded down his bloodied face, Arthur looked at Dean stunned, not knowing how to react.

It was at this time that a boy's voice drifted into their ears.

"Beating heart domain."

Dean frowned as he heard the loud beating sound of his heart.

Immediately after, he felt all his mana disappear.

A sudden feeling of weakness suddenly overcame him, causing him to fall atop Arthur.

Raising his head slightly, Dean noticed that the cloud blocking his vision had disappeared.

But for some reason, instead of looking at the dark-skinned boy that caused his current state, his eyes instinctively became fixed on Rita who was standing a bit away from them, her eyes fixed on Mia's head.

Looking at the two lines of blood falling slowly down Rita's eyes, Dean's heart suddenly became gripped.

It wasn't from pity.

Nor pain.

It was from fear.

For some reason, he felt uneasy.

…..

Next chapter: Rampage; the dreadful Rita.