Three days after the Shrine Incident...
Inside one of the village homes, Elaine, the chief, and demon hunter Vaughn could be seen inside a room surrounding a bedridden Miyaura who rested unconsciously. Elaine sat in a chair at the far end of the room as the others stood nearby Miyaura. She wore a strongly depressed expression, her face blank of despair as her eyes remained locked on the unconscious Miyaura from afar.
"It's been three days...s-she hasn't even m-moved in the slightest."
Elaine struggled to say. Her voice was devoid of emotion yet simply speaking the words she repeated in her mind had finally broken her three-day silence. The young woman's eyes broke from their lock on Miyaura and began to sporadically shift between every other individual in the room. Elaine's head seemed never to cease moving as if she sought answers, consciously willing to accept any answer even if they had lied to her. Her eyes were red from the nights and days spent in tears prior until now. Not aware of what it was exactly she wanted to know at the moment yet she pleaded to the room for anything. However, Leonel, Vaughn, nor the chief could steel their hearts to look her directly in the eyes. Much less provide an answer for her. Half an hour passed in that silent room before someone finally broke the silence. It was Vaughn.
"Her will is strong against the curse. With full transparency, her body should have fallen to the evil ailment hours after it hit her. This type of demon would normally only be exercised by a Temple Knight or a hunter who specializes in the fiends. She is subconsciously fighting against the demon's influence...but her curse mark continues to spread. When it covers the majority of her body, she will unfortunately pass..."
The look on everyone's faces was grim. Eileen began audibly crying once again, her head dropping low from the despair of the incident, feeling partially responsible for Miyaura's current condition. Her eyes appeared devoid of emotion but that did not stop the falling of her tears.
"It seems the demon began to curse the young man but after I severed the head, in that split second it escaped the large corpse with its real body so to speak. It formed a decoy by taking control of the reptile's head with another part of its being, leaving its mark behind on him as well. Putting it simply, Although she's taken the brunt of the curse, it can't fully take over due to its consciousness being split between them. But once the curse leads the girl to pass..."
"...Then mine will spread until the same fate. Her curse will kill her, and mine will do the same...or give my life up to a demon."
The chief looked saddened, placing a hand on his grandchild's shoulder. Immediately Leo impulsively knocked his grandfather's hand from his shoulder and darted out of the room slamming the door closed behind him. Elaine slowly stood from her seat, feeling a void left inside her. From all that transpired from their continued twists and darkening of their situation. The Chief and Hunter could only watch as she excused herself from the room, leaving the two adults and the cursed girl.
"This only leaves your decision village elder..."
"My mind has already been made days ago. If it will save my grandson and my people...It is something I shall carry with me to the end of my days."
A time later...
The demon hunter and village chief made their way through the forest once again. The hunter carries an unconscious Miyarua on his back. "Are you sure of this elder?" questioned the demon hunter. The elder nodded, noting his confirmation of his decision. Leading the two to walk towards where they had previously laid the crystal, which was proving to truly ward off demons in the forest.
"I can only think if this curse can't be reversed by anyone, young Miyaura may be able to pass more peacefully if her final moments were to be in her old home. When her guardians lived, they were one of the few families who lived on the cliff's edge. Having a fascinating sight over the land, when war was prominent those families allowed us the forewarning for our people so that none could become involved with any hostility between nations."
The two soon broke free of the tree line and arrived at the Cliffside once again. The elder's eyes scanned the area having immediately noticed all but one of the small worn-down homes remained. A small hut directly in front of the outermost edge itself. Without warning, Vaughn spoke.
"I've used what remained of the others to fortify this building to the best of my abilities. I've moved the crystal and formation inside to better protect it from the elements."
"It seems destiny seeks for this girl's final resting place to be her home as well. Perhaps it is a heavenly sign."
The chief said turning his eyes to the darkening skies above. They moved Miyaura inside of the home-turned shrine but only the wood floors and other broken parts remained due to its destruction years ago.
Inside, Vaughn lowered himself to his knees. His head held low in prayer beside Miyaura's body, resting on the wooden floorboards before him. Small candles circled her body as the hand-sized white crystal ward rested on her stomach. Finishing his moment of silence the hunter rose to his feet, looking below to watch the crystal begin giving off a faint glow of light. Slowly writing of unknown lettering began engraving itself onto the crystal's face surface.
"At least with the ward active, no demons will come to disturb her or your village. If we continue working together we may-HNGH!"
The demon hunter let out a loud cry of pain, easily falling back down to his knees. His head shifted to the side only to see a dagger pierced into his shoulder close to his neck. Before the hunter could compose his mind, the very same blade was pulled and thrust deeply through his back. The person holding the blade was none other than the chief himself, removing the blade and thrusting it into the man's back once again. Vaughn turned only for the Chief's foot to crash into his head and send the man falling forward into the circle closer to Miyaura.
"I can't apologize for my choices. My grandson is the last surviving family I have left to protect!"
"You're going to sacrifice all life for a demon?! it's foolish! You can't believe anything they try to convince you!"
"You forget, You may be an experienced hunter but I am an experienced survivor of the world we live in and its various passing ages. I could be a little over double your age. I'm fully aware you can't trust a demon. So for Leo, I'll use my wisdom to outsmart even a demon no matter who I must sacrifice. By sealing Miyaura into the crystal with your blood sacrifice, the demon will not be able to spread his curse and fully kill her. Sealing a part of the demon with her. My grandson will be able to continue a normal life by my side in this hell of a world!"
"Blood Artes?! You couldn't possibly...you mess with powers beyond your understanding old fool!"
"I have done many things for my people, being essentially trapped in our small village. Due to demons, my people can't travel, they can't explore, they are caged...but today it ends. I will accept my responsibility for the fate that's to come if it means my people can begin to live freely, no longer caged by fear and death. The forest belongs to my people now, as it should be!"
Vaughn opened his mouth to respond but the elder's dagger swiftly pierced his head before any words could be communicated. The hunter's blood splattered onto Miyaura's body and the crystal. The crystal immediately turned crimson red upon contact with the blood and absorbing it. The elder began mumbling a series of words to himself, clasping his hands together and interchangeably creating various formations with them as well. The building was enveloped in a blinding red flash of light. In the great distance at the forest's edge, an eye peered through the large brush, a wide eye stricken with fear. Behind the brush, the person dashed away back towards the village. While running it would be revealed the person who had witnessed all that just transpired...was Eileen horrified having followed and heard every part of their conversation.
Aisellia's vision returned to blank darkness...
New visions flashed before her eyes. These visuals moved much faster this time yet to Aisellia it felt as if she had witnessed each event in real time. Shocked by what she saw, Aisellia could not speak, having to even fail to acknowledge the feminine voice that spoke to her during so. A gentle voice that told the history of what unfolded in front of her.
(One by one a villager went missing each year. Years turned into months, months to weeks, and weeks to days. The elder didn't stop the demon...he unknowingly empowered it. The demon empowered Leonel for every victim he's claimed.)
Visuals of Leo allowed Aisellia to witness the young boy mutilating various men in the village. Tearing their flesh from bone with his jagged teeth and ripping limbs from their owners with his raw strength. Views of the men faded and alternative visions of the village women began. Quickly escalating to them being beaten and dragged reluctantly back to the village's massive cave in the mountain.
(The women he kept as his slaves...as he got older, they became playthings for his own pleasure.)
Aisellia bore witness to a new Leo, his skin slightly darkened, hair slightly longer but even more Unkempt. The boy, now a young man, still bore the black markings of the curse on his body. He gripped tightly onto a woman by her color, soon forcibly tearing the cloth from her upper body. As the woman attempted to crawl away she was instantly stopped by the inhuman strength now gripping onto what remained of her simple dress garb. Leo's strength and appearance terrified the woman as he lifted her body from the ground and dragged her back into the cave's dark corners. A clear sight of her face reveals the woman to be Elaine. The next visual removed all remaining will of words from Aisellia.
Quickly a few images played out in front of her once again. This time Dan convinces his noble travel partners outside the festive hall, all present clearly intoxicated from the celebration, to have their partners of choice selected with them from among the villagers. Her sight quickly switched to Leo approaching the group from behind, placing a hand on Dan's shoulder with a devilish smile.
Aisellia's vision returned to darkness one final time. A sudden sharp pain broke her mind from the visions, now ceasing alongside the voice detailing them.
(Huh? Ow! I still can't see but I can feel my whole body hurt, it's like a sharp numb pain.)
Mysterious woman's voice: "...up."
(I think I just heard a voice in my head. I must be imagining it...)
Mysterious woman's voice: "...Wake up..."
Aisellia Rae: (What?)
Mysterious woman's voice: "PLEASE! YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP!"
Suddenly Aisellia's physical vision began returning to her, initially seeing a stone ceiling through blurry sight, her eyes struggling to open fully.
"Is this...some sort of cave? Or am I underground I'm Ali-?"
Quickly her eyes flung wide open, remembering all that had happened. A cold drop of water from the ceiling of the cave came dripping down onto her cheek aiding in snapping her immediately to attention. Attempting to move her body she could only let out a groan of pain as she failed to lift herself up.
(AAH! It hurts so much to move, my whole body feels heavy and weak...what's that sound? My hearing was gone? Slowly I can hear the sounds becoming louder. It's like the senses that left me while I was unconscious are slowly returning to my body bit by bit.)
From her minuscule movement struggling to move her body, Aisellia's head fell sideways, Her cheek touching the wet ice-cold stone floor. What she saw in front of her eyes visibly mortified her. Tears instantly formed in her widened eyes. The sounds coming from around her fully came to fruition, soon able to fully make out what it was she was now vividly hearing and seeing simultaneously.
"Aghhahagnaaaah!!"
(No...Sh...SHEILIA!!)
Aisellia screamed in her mind. Her mouth opened but words failed to come out, only proving able to shake her head in horrific disbelief. Shelia's eyes were devoid of all signs of emotion and will, her body bruised, scratched, and limp as if she was barely alive on the inside anymore. Shelia's head and hair swing back and forth above the ground. Aisellia's eyes could see Shelia being suspended in the air by a large bipedal monster, like the reptilian she saw in the village except this one bore the head of a hog. Its muscular arms and legs contrast with its large round belly.
The demon's hands easily overlapped themselves as they wrapped around her waist from behind. The girl's upper body slumped forward over the demon's fingers that pressed her stomach in its grips, holding her in front of its lower body. Shelia could only scream, her clothes tattered and torn leaving her lower body exposed to the demon, only having small pieces of fabric still clinging to her body. The demon continued pulling her body against its own, repeatedly pushing her away and forcefully pulling her back against it. The impact of the force against Shelia's body echoed into Aisellia's ears mixing with Sheilia's painful yelps and gasps for air, tears flowing from her open eyes.
"AAARGH! AAAHGHUHAH!!! AAGH! I-I-IT'S T-T-T-TEARING Me APART! TOO...MUCH!"
Aisellia could only continue to witness the horror. With every thrust the demon made, forcing itself inside her, Aisellia's eyes could, unfortunately, witness the disfiguration it was making of Sheilia. Each insertion displayed a bulge in the woman's lower abdomen. No human could survive such physical abuse. The collision of flesh began to pick up the pace, smashing itself into Sheilia more aggressively and rapidly than before. Instantly she frantically screamed as her limbs began to instinctually move once again, making her arms and legs begin to frantically flail. It wasn't long however for one of the pelvic thrusts to fatally damage Sheilia internally. The poor girl suddenly grew silent, a great volume of blood ejecting from her mouth and eyes simultaneously. Soon Sheilia Ciest fell motionless, being tossed to the floor like a discarded plaything. How she fell, unfortunately, led Sheilia to fall into a position that forced Aisellia to meet eyes with the girl from across the floor. The life fading from her eyes.
Suddenly Aisellia felt a hand grip her chin, forcibly turning her head to once again face the ceiling of the large cave. Yet this time looking up she could only see one face hovering above hers, Dan Aifried.
"Interesting thing about demons. Only a moderate species of demons have a sex drive like humans, but if they're Lust demons, they have an insatiable, instinctual desire to satisfy themselves. In a lot of cases, they're not picky on genders but either way, they take a liking to humans more than anything. A demon has a natural monstrous strength to match its libido, After all the human body just can't endure that much physical trauma to survive a large demon. Either way, after they're done with you, they'll eat every last part of you...if you're a male. Poor Ian. Women are things they can enjoy getting off with and keep their victims alive until they're bored with them. Say, you're quite voluptuous and it can really get them excited, it can be a real hell! for weeks!"
He finished, turning Aisellia's head to the opposite side of Shelia, the horrified expression returning to her face. Seeing the body of Cana Sigfried landing on the ground to the side of her, her body was visibly naked, bruised, and lifeless.
"C-c-c-CANA! AAAAAH!!"
Aisellia let out a mortified scream of anger, sadness, fear, and most of all confusion. Aisellia's body moved only slightly in her relentless stream of emotions, leading Dan to rest his body over hers and straddling the woman's legs.
"You sick creep fuck!! How could you?! You demented spoiled rich fuck boy!!"
With a swipe of his hand and a grin on his face, Dan smacked Aisellia across her face violently. Silencing the woman with haste.
"Great things happen when you can make a friend with someone like Leo, together we'll be able to enjoy whatever and whoever we want. This will be our new kingdom and no more denying me of anything I want and deserve!"
Aisellia's eyes shifted down, barely able to see over her breasts yet she could feel one of Dan's hands pressing on her lower stomach and slowly moving up her stomach.
"Get your hands fucking off me you sick fuck!!"
"Oh no Aisellia, so long I've wanted to see your beautiful Naked Physique but now I have all I want to whether you like it or not! As my woman, every part of your body belongs to me until you die! Haha! Isn't it marvelous?! You should be grateful; you'll finally be mine to enjoy alone instead of these beasts breaking every bone in their body just by fucking you. My money and name have got me whatever and whoever I wanted but YOU! You always rejected me! Ignored me! You always made a fool of me. NOBODY MAKES A FOOL OF AN AIFRIED! But no more, I'll make sure you stay alive as long as possible for me to enjoy every minute of the day as you suffer every minute for many days to come! Oh Aisellia, your body will be far more valued than any High Ground whore back at home. Even since the Academy, I could tell your body was far bigger than other girls."
He ranted with a sadistic excited expression on his face. His hand moved back down, slipping his fingers under the edge of her blouse. Aisellia resisted the best she could in her weakened state, her body still slightly numb. Dan proceeded to slide his hand under her shirt, his cold clammy fingers slid onto her stomach, lifting her shirt in the process. The feel of him touching her alone was enough to greatly disgust Aisellia. The fact he was slowly sliding his hand up her shirt and closing in on her breasts made Aisellia feel almost ill enough to vomit right there. Suddenly Aisellia's body began to move around in resistance more aggressively, leading Dan to grab and hold her arms down above her head by the wrists with his free hand.
"Don't touch me you sick psycho fucker!" She screamed angrily, visibly irritating Dan.
"Now now Aisellia, that's no way to speak to your new husband and owner! Out here in the world, I hear slaves are a common thing. You should understand how great this will be for you. I'll be the one inside you and you'll finally realize what's best for you. Ah for so long I've waited! Fourteen years since we first met at the academy. You were all alone, an involuntarily lonely bitch. Everyone knew you weren't real nobility. You were a commoner whose family conned their way into the High District. Yet you embarrassed me...turned me down in front of everyone. Made me look like a simpleton! Heh, that's why I was the one who told everyone about-"
"Are going to just rehash the past with her Or are you going to breed her like you said?"
Hearing his voice Aisellia could see Leo standing by the two nobles chuckling. Half of the young man's body was covered with black marks which Aisellia could tell now was a curse, remembering what she had just seen in her vision.
"The only reason I haven't-"
Suddenly the demon boy went Silent. Leo's face became serious and focused, quickly reaching down grabbing the back of Dan's shirt, and tossing him to the far side away from Aisellia. Just as Dan was moved out of the way the cursed male raised the same arm in front of his face. In that split second a large burst of wind was released throughout the large cave. An impact was created from a fist versus Leo's forearm defenses. Aisellia could only look up in shock at the impact from the collision of forces happening right above her. Resistance of each pushing against the other continued releasing a great pressure of the air around them. Above her, Aisellia could see a woman in mid-air, her fist pushing forward against Leo.
"M-Miyaura?!"
Still, in Mid-air, Miyaura aimed a kick at Leo's head who blocked her next attack with his other arm. Although his feet were firmly planted against the ground, the force from her kick caused his heels to tear through the rocky surface, being forced to slide backward yet he appeared seemingly unfazed when he managed to stop.
Miyaura landed on her feet between Leo and Aisellia. Aisellia struggled to sit herself up at the least while watching Miyaura, her curse mark covering one of her legs and spread over one side of her body up to her neck. A conversation between the two cursed ones began.
"...You shouldn't have come back Miyaura."
"Fuck...you."
"You don't have much time now that you're free."
"I know...but I'll fucking kill you before that happens!"
"Tch. You don't have the strength to beat me Miyaura, I've only gotten stronger...but you already know that don't you? Connected by it, you could feel me, I could always feel you, and we both can feel IT. I'm much stronger, I've already tasted and eaten everyone in the village...that makes you the last."
Miyaura's fist curled into a tight fist. Clenching tightly while the memories of the truth he spoke raced through her mind.
"In there, My senses were gone, but I could see in a way...no...I was forced to see everything you've done to the villagers every time!"
"Then you know the demon that cursed us both was a demon born from the sin of lust. Normal demons become stronger by consuming human blood and flesh. You don't know how deep the dark hole goes. We are nothing more than small pawns in a larger demons game."
Hearing him, Miyaura quickly followed behind his words.
"A lust demon gets stronger by forcing its harmful will on whatever it preys on...a lust demon becomes stronger by...that's still no reason to force your desires on those people!!"
"My unquenchable thirst as a demon is reason enough. If you lived long enough you would see. The urge and pain are inescapable for us. It will build and build until the desire destroys us from the inside, burning, scratching at our flesh. What we suffer in a few days dwarfs the hunger of a human going weeks without food or thirst seemingly unquenchable more than a human lost for weeks in the harshest deserts. That pain...grows far greater than you could imagine. We are doomed to suffer one way or another."
Aisellia sat on the ground, her upper body held up with her arms, watching Miyaura. Seeing the woman wearing old clothes that she visibly outgrew, overly filling out certain proportions. Wearing what looked to be a short grey dress on her body, formerly being long enough to be a dress to reach down to her ankles. Miyaura's dress form fit her body in a fashion formed to her breasts and clung down from under her bust to her thighs. Her hair was messy but notably shorter than it was in Aisellia's vision, her raven-colored long hair fashioned short and pure white. Miyaura's body and hair evidently changed from the entirety she was sealed. Glancing down at Aisellia who continued to oddly stare at her, made Miyaura notice her own appearance, beginning to look herself over before Aisellia began speaking, bringing her back to the serious situation at hand.
"It wasn't a dream after all. It's really you Miyaura!" Aisellia cried out. Miyaura twisted her torso to look over at Aisellia, slightly smiling at her.
"I felt it when you were seeing my past, and I could see some of yours. I won't fail you like I did Eileen. I'm too late to save Eileen...but I'll give it everything I have to protect you now Aisellia. I know Elaine would want me to do the same."
"You're as dumb as the villagers used to say if you think you stand a chance..."
Miyaura returned her glare forward toward Leo. Her eye color changed to that of a crimson red.
"I'm done talking to you..."
"Then I'll end this! The village boys all fantasized but I'll be the one to have you and your body. Just like I enjoyed Elaine's until she died."
Quickly Miyaura lunged forward, crossing the distance between her and Leo in one quick straight bound. Delivering a heavy punch that filled the cave with a burst of air and sound from the sheer impact once again with Leo's forearm. Switching to her other fist, she aimed a heavy punch toward the demon boy's face, leading him to use his free hand to catch her fist in mid-air. From his visible resistance and bored facial expression, it looked as if her attacks had no real effect on him. With her fist in his grip, she unleashed a sky-bound kick aiming to strike Leo from under the chin. Unfortunately, he was quick enough to let go of her fists and dodge by taking a step back. Her kick lifting her into the air slightly, Miyaura twisted her torso, shifting her body to gather enough momentum to spin in the air. She extended one of her legs to use the momentum to deliver a spin kick toward his head. The kick surprising Leo, would connect with the side of his skull, actually knocking him off balance. It was then the demonic rage revealed itself in his newly anger-filled facial expression. Leo quickly recovered himself, grabbing onto her leg with both hands before she could even land. Hastily she began to spin her around by her leg, making a rapid series of rotations and then letting go. Tossing her towards the dark path that had led her into the depths of the cave.
"Miyaura!"
"Aisellia!"
Miyaura screamed calling out as she soared through the air, holding her arms held out for Aisellia. Quickly grabbing onto her who in return latched and held onto Miyaura tightly, snatching the noble girl from the ground and into her embrace. Sending the two out of the cave back towards the village together at high speed.