Leaving the empty shop behind, we ventured back into the bustling marketplace, our senses heightened, We had a witch to catch.
A familiar voice echoed through the air. I can recognize that voice even now. "Step right up, folks!" it boomed, the tone both boisterous and undeniably irritating. "Witness the incredible feats of Madame Rosemaria! With her new invention anti-aging cream"
"Well, well, well," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Look who it is. The great Madame Rosemaria!"
The witch's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly recovered her composure. "Why, hello there, young man," she said, her voice dripping with forced sweetness. "Why don't you and your little friend come closer, and I'll show you the wonders of my latest creation."
"Actually," I said, my voice suddenly turning cold, "I think we'd prefer a private demonstration."
Before she could protest, I grabbed her arm and pulled her off the stage, ignoring the gasps and murmurs of the crowd. I led her into a nearby alleyway, Marina trailing behind us, her eyes wide with a mix of excitement and apprehension.
"Who is your master? " I asked
"I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered, her voice laced with desperation.
I reached out, grabbing her wrist with surprising force. "Don't play dumb with me," I snarled. "I know who you are, and I know what you've done."
With a flick of her wrist, a fireball erupted in her hand, but before she could hurl it at me, Marina stepped forward, her small frame radiating a powerful aura. The fireball fizzled out, extinguished by an invisible force.
"No hurt onii-chan!" Marina shaked her head while glaring at the witch
The witch scrambled to her feet, her eyes blazing with fury at being bested by a child. "You little brat!" she shrieked, her voice filled with venom. "You'll regret this!"
She lunged at Marina, her hands crackling with fiery energy. But I was ready for her. With a swift movement, I smacked her in the wall and repeatedly smashed her face for a while.
She stumbled backward, a look of disbelief etched on her face. "You dare strike me?" she hissed.
"You have two choices, witch," I snarled. "Talk, or face the consequences."
Suddenly, a figure lunged from the alley attempted to push me away, but I kicked him back. A young man, his face contorted with righteous fury, his fists clenched replied."Leave her alone!" he shouted, his voice ringing with self-righteous indignation. "How dare you lay a hand on a defenseless woman!"I will, and will do in the future if they hurt the kingdom. Who is he? And why he is trying to defend this witch? Is he a paid actor or something?"This woman tried to kill me and my friends! She destroyed my kingdom!" I spoke like a normal person. "Lies!" he spat. "I saw what happened. You were the aggressor, attacking this poor woman for no reason."Is this what 'villains' feel like? In the cultivation novels where mc beats the young masters and 'saves' the jade beauty, I wonder how many poor souls the jade beauties have ruined.I feel you 'young masters'. I feel you, some kind of brat ruined your life."No!" she shouted, her small voice echoing through the alleyway. "Bad guy hurt Onii-chan! Marina protect!"With a surprising display of strength, she pushed the man far away, sending him stumbling backward. He landed on his backside with a thud, his eyes wide with shock.Meanwhile, I gripped the witch and took out some frustration on her beating the shit out of her more and more. Her face was bloody mess, I took out a potion, healed her and again beat her
"But... but I was just trying to help," he stammered, his voice a mixture of confusion and hurt. "I thought you were in danger."Marina glared at him, her small fists clenched. "You no help," she retorted. "You bad! Go away!"With a flick of her wrist, a gust of wind lifted the man into the air and deposited him unceremoniously outside the alleyway. Marina thank youWhat is stopping me from killing him? I won't be satisfied, but I should calm down and gather info Calm down Ethan! Focus on info, don't let your anger consume you like those justice gang you hate, you should have self-control unlike those biased people you hate.I picked up and persisted in ignoring the guy who is accusing me without proof.I grabbed Rosemaria by the throat and lifted her off the ground, ignoring her desperate gasps for air. "Tell me who you work for," I hissed, "or suffer the consequences."A strangled whisper escaped her lips. "The... the..."Before she could finish, a dark figure emerged from the shadows, With a wicked blade. With a swift, silent motion, they sliced through the air, a thin, almost invisible thread severing Rosemaria's head from her body."Traitors must be silenced," the figure intoned, their voice a chilling monotone.Manipulate type, Placing a string that bursts the brain.Her eyes, once filled with malice, now flickered with fear. "No... please," she begged, her voice barely a whisper as her brain scattered while she fell down. "Spare me."
She didn't reveal the mother name in the end
"Naix?" I whispered, my voice filled with disbelief.
But I would not be swayed. "You had your chance," I replied, my voice cold and resolute. "And you chose to use your power for evil. Now, you will face the consequences."
The Persistent hero, still recovering from his fall, staggered to his feet. "You monster!" he screamed, pointing a trembling finger at me. "You killed her! I'll make you pay for this!"
The witch, Rosemaria, howled in pain as I slammed her against the wall, my fury unleashed in a relentless barrage of blows. Her once-pristine face was quickly becoming a bloody mess. I paused, taking out a healing potion and pouring it over her wounds. She sputtered, her eyes wide with terror as her flesh knitted back together."Who. Is. Your. Master?" I growled, punctuating each word with a punch.Suddenly, a figure lunged from the shadows, attempting to tackle me. I sidestepped easily, sending him sprawling with a well-placed kick. He scrambled to his feet, his face twisted in righteous anger."Leave her alone!" he shouted, his voice ringing with self-righteous indignation. "How dare you lay a hand on a defenseless woman!"I stared at him incredulously. "Defenseless? This woman is a monster who destroyed my kingdom!"He scoffed, his eyes filled with disdain. "Lies! You were the aggressor, attacking this poor woman for no reason."Is this what villains feel like? I thought, a bitter amusement bubbling up inside me. The righteous hero swooping in to save the damsel in distress, oblivious to the true evil lurking beneath the surface."No!" Marina's childish voice cut through the tension. "Bad lady hurt Onii-chan! Marina protect!"With a surprising display of strength, she sent the man flying with a blast of wind, his indignant cries echoing through the alley.I turned back to Rosemaria, my anger reignited. I grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground, ignoring her desperate gasps for air. "Tell me who you work for," I hissed, "or suffer the consequences."A strangled whisper escaped her lips. "The... the..."Before she could finish, a dark figure emerged from the shadows, a wickedly sharp blade gleaming in their hand. With a swift, silent motion, they sliced through the air, a thin, almost invisible thread severing Rosemaria's head from her body."Traitors must be silenced," the figure intoned, their voice a chilling monotone. Naix members, the figures who we had seen back, with that symbol. But his eyes were now cold and vacant, their expressions are with fanatism"Naix?" I whispered, my voice filled with disbelief. "What have they done to you?"The self-proclaimed hero, still recovering from his tumble, staggered to his feet. "You monster!" he screamed, pointing a trembling finger at me. "You killed her! I'll make you pay for this!"A surge of rage, so intense that I can literally feel the malice around me. A malice that aroused and made me feel a different kind of emotion"You know nothing about what you speak," I replied in a voice that terrified me, lifting my hands instinctively, I conjured a spell that felt both foreign and familiar, as if it had always been a part of me.
The air shimmered with dark energy as I spoke "[Black Veil Worms]". From the shadows, a swarm of tiny worms materialized, twisting in the air before launching themselves at the hero. They went into his skin through his mouth, nose, and ears, with a blood-curdling scream from him.
The cult members tensed, their took step aback."God," one of them whispered, their voice barely audible, "call No. 5.""What... what have you done to me?" he gasped, with pain and terror.
I looked down at him, my eyes lack of empty and dull. "These worms will make you my personal supplier," I explained coldly. "They will consume your negative emotions and convert them into mana for me. In the process, they will strip you of all human functions – joy, happiness, even the will to live. You will become a hollow shell, unable to experience anything but suffering."
"No, Call No 3 " Another cult member replied but I ignored
His eyes widened in horror as the reality of his fate sank in. "Don't worry You won't die," I continued, almost reassuringly.
One of the Naix members, a young woman with a scar running down her face, stepped forward hesitantly. "Ethan," she called out . "You should-."
"But you will wish for death. The more you suffer, the more mana they will extract from you. And when they are done, you will be rebooted, left as a limp, empty husk. You will not be able to walk, eat, or find any semblance of happiness. You will exist solely to fuel my power." I replied while facing the hero
"I won't give you the choice of death" I replied heavily blush on my face.
I felt aroused, the power flowing igniting my primal part. The sight of the hero's pain sent a shiver down my spine, a thrilling mix of fear and satisfaction that I struggled to understand.
As the worms burrowed deeper, his screams echoed through the hall, . He tried his best to resist the worms as they crushed his insides with some of his blood flowing out
"O-Onii-chan " Marina said in fear as she tried to escape from the guy holding her hostage.
"Nah he belongs to us, leave her." Another one tried to reassure.
The Naix members watched in stunned silence, their expressions a mixture of awe and horror.
I turned to see Naix himself stepping forward, his presence commanding. He simply stared at me, his lips twisting into a cruel smile. "Join us, Ethan," he hissed. "Embrace the darkness."
The young woman with the scar nodded eagerly. "Mother will be pleased," she added. " You have the potential to be her partner."