Seeing the boy before she attempted to break into her house despite her clear warnings, Manilla Crone's eyes narrowed with frustration.
She fixed Jojo with a cold glare and warned,
"Leave now, or I'll call the cops."
Hehe~
Instead of panicking, the boy smirked, a mocking expression that made her feel like she was the one being ridiculed.
His composure unsettled her, and the silent confidence of the group standing behind him only added to her unease.
"What's so funny?"
she demanded, her voice trembling slightly.
Jojo didn't answer.
He simply placed his hand firmly against the door, preventing her from shutting it.
"You... take your hands off!"
Manilla shouted, putting all her strength into slamming the door shut.
She pushed with everything she had, but no matter how hard she tried, the door wouldn't budge an inch.
Jojo stood unmoving, his smirk deepening as she screamed, cursed, and threatened him.
Thud~
With a single kick, Jojo forced the door open.
The sudden impact sent Manilla stumbling backwards, landing hard on the floor.
"Didn't he say to invite us in?"
Rosalie, who had followed closely behind Jojo, stepped into the house with a cold gaze.
Without hesitation, she pressed her foot onto one of Manilla's fingers and applied enough pressure to make the old woman wince in pain.
Crack~
Even though Rosalie barely used any strength, the sound of bone snapping echoed through the room.
"Ahhh!"
Manilla screamed, her face twisted in agony.
"Come... come in!"
she cried, her voice filled with desperation.
The pain left her no choice but to comply, and she quickly shouted the words to grant them entry.
With the invitation spoken aloud, Klaus, Elijah, and the newborn vampire James stepped over the threshold.
Being hybrids and vampires, they needed the owner's permission to enter, and now that they had it, Rosalie finally lifted her foot from Manilla's hand.
"Be careful. You might hurt the old lady,"
Darry muttered, his voice tinged with concern as he looked at the injured woman on the floor.
"Don't worry, kid,"
Klaus said with a chuckle, patting Darry's shoulder.
"It's just a small fracture. She'll live."
Klaus stepped further into the house, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.
"Didn't you say this was an antique shop? So where are all the antiques?"
he asked, frowning.
The room was barren, a stark contrast to the treasure-filled shop Alice had described in her vision.
Klaus turned to her, his expression demanding answers.
"It seems the place has changed drastically since the couple left,"
Alice explained, referring to Laine and Chase, who had been here to ask for directions to the Horror Hound Festival.
"You! How do you know about that?"
Manilla's cold expression faltered, and her eyes widened in shock.
Her face turned grim as a sense of foreboding washed over her.
The moment this group entered her home, she knew something terrible was bound to happen.
Hearing that the group before her had somehow tracked down the young couple she and her associates had spent years searching for, Manilla's heart clenched with dread.
'Where did it go wrong?'
she thought, her mind racing.
'We planned every moment around that couple so our plan could succeed. But now, at the critical moment, when it was about to be completed, trouble has come knocking at my door.'
Grit~
Manilla clenched her teeth in frustration, trying to piece together where the breach had occurred.
She had no idea how much the group was before she knew, but their very presence suggested something had gone wrong.
"____"
Jojo, who had been watching her expression darken and shift with every passing second, finally broke the silence.
"Tell me…"
he began coldly, his voice like ice cutting through the tension.
"What is the purpose of the ritual that requires a pregnant woman and her unborn child as an offering?"
His words hit Manilla like a physical blow.
He grabbed her roughly and pulled her to her feet, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"____"
Each word he spoke seemed to drain the blood from her face, leaving her pale and grim.
She now knew, without a doubt, that this group knew far too much—more than they ever should have.
Hehe~
After a moment of silence, a twisted smile spread across Manilla's face.
She began to laugh—a low, unsettling chuckle that quickly escalated into maniacal laughter.
The sudden shift in her demeanour made Darry, who had moments earlier shown pity for her, take a step back in unease.
"You shouldn't have poked your fingers into other people's business,"
she hissed through her laughter, her voice dripping with venom.
"Because of that, all of you are going to die. Our lord will slay you with his own hands. No matter where you go, no matter where you hide, you will be hunted down."
Her crazed eyes scanned the group, searching for signs of fear or desperation.
She wanted to see them tremble, to feel the despair of their inevitable doom.
Hahaha~
Manilla's laughter filled the room, growing louder and more hysterical.
Hahaha~
But instead of fear, all she saw were smirks and mocking expressions.
Some of them even laughed outright, as though her ominous proclamation was nothing more than a bad joke.
"____"
Manilla froze, confusion flickering in her eyes.
Why were they laughing? Why weren't they panicking?
Snort~
"You see…"
Freya stepped forward, a smug smile tugging at her lips.
"Your so-called 'lord' has already been beaten. Twice. By him."
She pointed at Jojo, who stared back at Manilla with an unyielding gaze.
"___!"
Manilla's body went rigid, her mind reeling.
For a moment, it felt as though the world around her had stopped.
Her thoughts became a chaotic whirlwind of denial.
"No… No!"
she stammered, her voice shaking as she stared at Freya.
"It can't be possible! You're just… you're just ordinary people!"
Her denial grew louder, more desperate, as the truth began to set in.
"No! You're lying! He's unstoppable! He's unfathomable! He dominates the world from the shadows!"
Her voice cracked as she shouted, her crazed expression twisting further into despair.
Manilla's earlier confidence began to waver.
Her voice and eyes betrayed the fear growing within her as she realized the group before she was far more dangerous than she had anticipated.
Swish~ Hiss~
Before she could finish her next sentence, James, who had been listening quietly, snapped.
His face contorted with rage as his eyes turned pitch black and his fangs extended.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward, grabbing Manilla by the throat and lifting her effortlessly into the air.
Manilla gasped, struggling in his grip, her hands clawing at his wrist in vain.
"____"
"Wh... what are you?" she croaked, her voice rasping as she stared in horror at James's inhuman features.
"You've been working with a demon—a monster that kills and devours innocent humans,"
James snarled, his voice low and dangerous.
"Tell us why, or I'll make you a dry corpse."
Struggle~ Struggle~
Manilla thrashed in his grasp, her terror intensifying as his grip tightened.
Finally, unable to endure the suffocating pressure or the killing intent radiating from him, she broke.
"He gave us immortality!"
she gasped, her voice frantic.
"And when the ritual is complete, we will accompany him to his land—a place where even the soil is gold!"
Gr~
"Can I kill her?"
James growled, his rage barely contained.
His eyes flicked to Jojo, seeking permission.
Jojo studied him for a moment, noticing the tremor of raw emotion in James's voice.
As a newborn vampire, James's emotions were amplified, and Jojo knew that giving in to his anger now would make it harder for him to control himself in the future.
"Don't worry,"
Jojo said calmly, stepping forward and placing a hand on James's shoulder.
"She won't have an easy death."
Puff~
With a burst of black smoke and sudden flames, Jojo transformed into Ghost Rider.
The sight was enough to make James instinctively release his grip on Manilla's throat, letting her drop to the ground.
But before Manilla could even sigh in relief, Ghost Rider's fiery hand clamped around her neck, lifting her back into the air.
"YOU WILL BURN FOR THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS…"
the Ghost Rider growled his voice a haunting rasp that sent shivers through the room.
Thud~
He slammed her against the wall with terrifying force.
Manilla screamed in agony as the flames from his hand began to scorch her flesh.
AHHHHHHH~
Her wails of pain filled the room, but Ghost Rider was far from finished.
GRAAAAAAAAAAA~
With a bone-chilling roar, Ghost Rider opened his mouth, unleashing a torrent of hellfire that engulfed Manilla's body.
Her flesh burned slowly, the fire consuming her inch by inch, prolonging her torment.
Ghost Rider pulled out a dagger—a cursed weapon he had taken from the Creeper during their last battle—and drove it into Manilla's chest, pinning her to the wall.
The flames continued to devour her, leaving her trapped in unbearable agony.
Puff~
"Let's go,"
Jojo said as he transformed back into his human form.
Without another glance at the burning woman, he began walking toward the door.
"Freya,"
Jojo said as they exited the house,
"Can you cast a spell to block the noise?"
Freya nodded and began chanting.
A moment later, a silence spell enveloped the house, cutting off Manilla's shrieks from reaching the outside world.
"The spell will hold as long as no one enters,"
Freya informed him, her tone calm and assured.
Jojo gave a brief nod of approval, and the group set off, heading toward the Horror Hound Festival now that they had its location.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N):
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review and power stone!!!