Damian chuckled.
Barring the fact that the Duchess had asked for his help, Damian felt even she alone could have wreck the aircraft ten times over. She had only asked for his help for just two reasons.
The first was obviously to cut the timeframe of the altercation shorter and defeat Claude quicker. And the second was because her stamina had taken a hit. Although, she had sunk into a frenzied state not long ago to ragdoll Damian, increasing her attributes ten times higher, stamina was unfortunately not a part of the increased attributes.
The longer her frenzied state lasted, the faster her stamina burned. As such, she didn't want to take any chances and defeat Claude once and for all.
"What's funny you fucking bastard?!" Claude roared once again, his eyes a fiery red that seems to spill flames. He wanted nothing more than to gut Damian's innards out.
Alas! With the current state of his body, there was no way he could do that. No, even if his body had been intact, the chances that he could defeat Damian were next to nil.
The current Damian and the Damian before he removed his limiters were worlds' apart. To get a vivid idea of his current strength, one would need to know that even the Duchess would be hard-pressed to defeat him. And that was taking into consideration a Duchess with ten times her normal attributes.
Valerie stood up, heaving one deep breath before she began walking towards Claude, her golden slit eyes shining a furious light.
"Wh…what? Do…don't come near me! I swear I will kill you if you come near me! No…no. No! Stand back! Stand back you fucking bitch!"
Claude descended into a stuttering mess as Valerie approached him. In that moment, his anger and confidence seems to have vanished, replaced by a fear the likes he had only felt once. And this once had also been inspired by this very bitch!
Valerie was unmoved. Kill her? With what exactly? The current Claude was nothing but a sitting duck. And there was the fact that she wouldn't sleep in peace if she didn't kill this vile father of hers with her own hands!
A familiar dark-golden aura coated her right hand as she brought it upon Claude's head.
"Rot in hell." Her tone was cold, nearly unbefitting of her delicate voice.
"Wa…wait. No! No! Noooooo!"
A deluge of dark-golden Edict bursted out of Valerie's delicate hand, moving like a blazing flame before it took the shape of her fist, except this one was several larger, enough to dwarf Claude's head.
It almost looked as though her smaller fist had been enveloped by a larger fist, increasing her strength severalfolds. It whipped through the air, rendering any obstruction useless before it landed on Claude, silencing him forever.
At that moment, Damian eyes nearly bursted out of their sockets. Just now, he had felt himself almost lose control. His attraction towards her had actually increased by several levels!
He took a deep breath before he repressed this feeling to the best of his abilities. Valerie was married for heaven's sake! Although, he was a little lustful, it wasn't to the point of chasing after married women with living husbands!
'What am I even thinking?!' Damian shook his head ruefully.
Valerie stood, a sharp intake of oxygen breaking the silence that had descended upon the small battlefield. She looked towards the sky, a single bead of tear trailing down her cheek, as she voiced out softly.
"Mother, I've avenged you."
She sighed gently before turning to face Damian and Claire, her expression immediately gaining a sharp and cold edge.
"Who are you two?" She asked.
Damian raised an eyebrow, before looking towards Claire. His eyes looked as though he was saying: 'You tell her. I have no interest in conversing with a lady who had nearly kill me'.
Claire nearly rolled her eyes before eventually nodding. She looked towards the Duchess, her black eyes appearing as though countless stars hid within it.
"I am Claire Etoile and he is Damian Octavius. Who we are you doesn't matter in the grand scheme, as we will be disappearing from here when we are done. But rest assured, we mean no harm and will only attack if attacked first."
Claire said with an amazing fluidness. She appeared to have no fear for Valerie whatsoever, and indeed, she had no fear.
In the short but intense battle against Claude, she had kept most of her abilities and used only her Sword Edict. As such, if a fight really break out right now, she was absolutely confident in defeating the Duchess twenty times over.
Valerie frowned a little, her eyes scanning Claire for awhile before it shifted to Damian, her heart skipping a bit as a result. However, she instantly suppressed such the feeling.
"And you, don't you have an explanation to give me?" Her voice was cold, but was betrayed by an affectionate tone even she had no idea how it got there. She could only hope Damian didn't catch on.
Unfortunately, if even Claire was able to notice this before ignoring not long after, how could the current Damian not catch on?
An unnoticeable smile curled at a corner of his lips, before he replied.
"Of course. But on one condition, you inform your husband to halt any intention of conquering the Southern Human County."
Valerie appeared stunned for a moment, looking at Damian as though he was sick in the head before she shook her head.
"What do you mean? What husband are you talking of?"
Damian's eyes blinked repeatedly, before he raised an eyebrow, replying. "Your husband, the Duke, of course."
There was no response. Just an uncomfortable silence as Valerie gazed at Damian with a little apprehension.
Damian, upon seeing this, frowned a little bit. He surfed through countless thoughts in his mind before he settled on one. And this one seems to make his mind explode.
"You… it couldn't be you have no husband right? And if you have no husband, doesn't that mean–"
"Yes, I am the Duke and… an husband? I have none to speak of."
"But you are mother, aren't you?"
"A mother? You clearly don't know of the customs of we Draconians. It is considered a taboo for the females to have children without having a proper partner to inseminate us. So, without a partner, how can I be a mother?"
"What the hell?" Damian almost screamed.
'But the System clearly stated otherwise. Crap, don't tell me the System is malfunctioning?"
"The truth is I am the Duchess, however, the people view me as a Duke. As for my son, he isn't really my son but a relative, but once again, the people view him as my son."
Valerie had already explained before she began to think why she had went out of her way to explain in the first place. This man was clearly someone she had no ties with, and there was still the fact that he had killed her men. Shouldn't she be trying to kill him now?
'Damn it!' She gritted her teeth silently.
Damian, on the other hand, suddenly felt everything fall into place. The System had only stated Valerie as Duke because she was seen that way by the majority, when in actuality, she was but a Duchess. This went the same way for her supposed son.
Hence technically, she was unmarried like he had thought, and in addition, was a young virgin waiting to be taken.
Damian's eyes blazed. He suddenly found her more attractive.