I STOOD IN PLACE as I watch Martha murmured something under her breath. She was there standing firm for a while now. In this vast place, only the three of us remains—I don't know the specifics, but from the looks of it, no demons are about to attack us now. Are there some rules about the demon's domain or whatnot? Well, for now it does not matter.
Martha shifted her gaze from the massive empty space towards me. Her eyes look hollow and the radiant that she originally had when we first met are nowhere to be seen.
I felt something odd—then after a second's pass, I lifted myself away from where I originally was. There a magic found its mark, charring the ground and creating a crevice on the ground
"Whoa… That was dangerous."
Martha was now setting her eyes to me. What happened? As I was wondering this, another magic hurled towards me.
"Tsk!"
I dodged as I clicked my tongue in annoyance. I eyed where Lev was, but seemingly, as long as she was in that clumsy circle of hers, she would be safe.
There was something strange happening here. Martha was indeed looking at me—no it would be more accurate that she was staring daggers at me. But from my perspective, her gaze penetrates inside my body. It was as if she was looking at someone—or something aside from me.
Still staring, she finally spoke, "I will never forgive you, demon!"
Her voice sounded agitated. Something I was never familiar with. Demon? What was that about? Is she mistaking me for something like those she killed earlier? If so, then that would be utmost troublesome.
"I will never forgive you! I will kill you all!"
Her ranting never helped for me to realize what she really means. Did I do something to offend her somehow? To make her see me as a demon? Nope, that would be unthinkable. Unthinkable, right? Right?!
I was still puzzled—she launched another attack. When she saw the attack, she just released never found its mark, she lunged herself to me, bringing her golden sword to cut me down. There was no jest in her eyes. She's seriously trying to kill me.
"Hey!" I called, "What is wrong with you, Martha?!" Trying to desperately bring her sanity back—to my disappointment, that never help one bit.
She had sunk to her original size after she defeated Mammon, but the aura she held was as intense as she had before. I dawned to me. Taking a hit would be extremely unwise—and otherwise painful. I'd hate that.
I did my best to keep my distance from her, dodging the edge of her sword. I jumped to the air and she followed baring her golden sword at me. She swung. When the sword fell short, she lifted her other hand and a magic circle begun to glow—short after, spears of light trailed after me.
"Seriously! Why use this intricate magic on me?!"
I complained. I know it won't do me good complaining, but whatever! I flipped backward kicking the air so that I could rush my landing. Once on the ground, I raised my hand to conjure a magic myself—the spears of light followed me after all.
"{Activate: Regenerative shield!}"
I relied on my automated shield to defend myself from the danger that was trying to skewer me. This type of scientific creations is convenient when lacking mana—they were easy to use as well. It was a small device that was tucked in a pocket and once activated it would cover all the body. It was convenient and highly regarded as on of the most reliable tool in the development department—if they activate that is.
But to my chagrin, my automated shield ignores my voice command and never responded.
"Seriously, what the hell?!"
I jumped back to avoid the first spear, flipped backwards to avoid the second, and for the last I rolled sideways.
"Dang!"
I really need to take a bath after this!
***
Martha was crying. She was still so young then, barely past her twelfth birthday.
"I hate this. I hate this all!"
Her trembling voice echoed in the silence of what had once been her home. The air was thick with the stench of blood and
smoke. She sat on the dirt floor, her tiny frame hunched over her sister's lifeless body, now cold and stained crimson. Her
hands shook as she held the small, delicate hand that had once held hers so tightly.
That day, everything was taken from her.
Her mother, who always hummed gentle lullabies as she braided her hair. Her father, whose laughter could fill a room and make
even the darkest day seem bright. Her sister, her best friend, who had promised they'd always be together. All gone.
The once-lively town that loved her—the neighbors who greeted her warmly, the friends she played tag with—all of them were
gone, too. Their bodies lay scattered like broken dolls, lifeless and still.
The culprit? A man who wielded the power of a Demonic Shard, an accursed stone that granted its user unspeakable abilities
at the cost of their humanity. That man had summoned creatures from the depths of some unknown realm, and the demons he
unleashed brought only death and destruction.
Martha's small hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms until they drew blood. Hatred surged through her
like molten lava, scorching away the innocence she once held.
"I'll kill them," she whispered, her voice low and trembling with fury. Then louder: "I'll kill them all! Every last one of
them!"
The words weren't a childish outburst; they were a vow. With every fiber of her being, she swore to annihilate anyone and
anything connected to those cursed stones.
Martha had been kind once. She had been the girl who shared her lunch with stray cats and gave away her scarf to a shivering
child in winter. She had been the girl everyone in town adored, the one whose smile could light up a room.
But kindness had done nothing to save her family.
As the flames of her burning home flickered in her tear-filled eyes, she made a promise to herself: she would never be
powerless again.
***
"Die!" Martha cursed as she lifted her sword and brought it down towards Gleren's direction. A light with the shape of a crescent moon flew over to Gleren, trying to cleave his body in two.
"You have no place here! You all have to die! Die for the sake of the world. For my sister! For my family! For me!"
Martha's voice was not the usual she had. It consists of spite and strong anger. Even Gleren was skeptical at first, but now he understood.
"So that's how it is."
Anger that was amplified by the consumed demon particles in such place had now gather to make use of Martha. Since Martha was willful and the vengeance inside her heart was strong, it was easier for the demonic particles to make use of her. There was no will in these particles. All its desire was for Martha to lay waste—to kill and let out blood to be shed.
Martha's anger towards demonic stones was more than enough for the particles in the air to direct her to attacking Gleren.
"Martha!" Gleren called. But no matter how loud he did, his voice never seemed to reach her. She was fully consumed by the will for retribution.
"Because of you! Because of the likes of you!"
"I don't know hell of what the hell you are on about! Damn it!"
Gleren was holding back. He held himself from attacking her—instead all he did was to dodge and run around avoiding her. To Gleren, Martha was an acquaintance, thus he refused to hurt her. But precisely because of this that he was in such predicament. In the first place, Martha was strong. Even with her normal strength, Gleren would have a hard time fighting with her. She was skilled enough to be labeled as SSR ability holder—so comparing her to Gleren would be even considered as an insult to the former.
"What are you talking about?! Snap out of it, Martha!" Gleren pleaded. But his voice fell into deaf ears. Martha followed him in the air and slashed her sword—again creating a beam in a fan shape. Gleren managed to avoid this attack—but soon after, Martha created balls of golden light—those appeared from many magic circles from the air. As if wasn't enough, various circles appeared along side the ones that created balls of concentrated magic.
Swords, spears, and what seemed to be weapons made of light appeared slowly before the magic circles. After fully materializing, they hurled towards Gleren in an incredible speed.
"BEGONE!" Martha roared.
"This is bad." Gleren muttered. "Taking her on halfheartedly would help me dead in just a few."
The air that surrounded Gleren drastically changed. Playing the defensive role will do him no good, he realized. And such, finding the resolve to confront Martha head-on, he straightened his body; fixed his posture; then raised his arm in the air—the weapons made with light still charged towards him in an incredible speed. Eyeing them, he finally muttered,
"{Shadow Manipulation; Shadows' Protection}"