Chapter 29
Drogen's silence urged her on. Her hands trembled, not from fear, but from the weight of her emotions. "My daughter… my fifteen-year-old little girl. She had thirty stab wounds. Thirty!" Her voice broke, tears streaming down her face as her dark energy flared around her like a storm. "That bastard admitted to killing her because she fought back while he tried to rape her. And he didn't stop there. He and his friends… there were five of them. They treated her like she was nothing—burned her with cigarettes, brutalized her—like she was just some toy for their amusement." Her body shook, and for a moment, her fury wavered, replaced by a bottomless pit of grief. "My baby… my sweet, innocent girl… and he laughed about it in court! Laughed! Just because he knew he would go unpunished"
Bruce, still recovering from his earlier blow, stared in silent horror. Even Drogen, who had seen the worst of human evil deeds felt sick to his stomach. He clenched his fists, his usually calm expression hardening with barely suppressed anger.
"Do you think your daughter would want this for you?, Do you think she'd want her mother to throw away her chance at peace just to become what those monsters made her suffer?" Drogen asked in a firm voice, although his heart clenched.
She hesitated, her breath hitching as his words struck a chord. But the rage came back just as quickly. "I don't care!" she screamed. "I'll burn in hell if I have to. They don't deserve to live! Not after what they did to her. I will never forgive them. Never!"
Her energy flared again, but this time, she didn't attack. She stood still, trembling under the weight of her own torment. Drogen stepped closer, his voice low but unyielding.
"If you want revenge, then let me be your weapon," he said, his eyes burning with a cold fury. "I've dragged countless monsters like them to hell before, and I'll make sure they suffer for eternity. But if you do this, if you let yourself fall completely to this darkness, you'll never see her again. Do you really want that? To lose her forever?"
The woman's face crumpled, her anger battling with a tidal wave of grief. For the first time, the energy around her reduced, but not completely gone.
Drogen's voice softened, though the fire in his eyes didn't waver. "Let me deal with them. I'll make them pay for what they did to her. And I'll make sure they feel every ounce of the despair they inflicted."
For a moment, there was only silence. Then, her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing. The storm of energy around her vanished, leaving only a broken mother, consumed by her sorrow. Drogen knelt beside her, his jaw clenched.
"I promise you. Leave it to me and pass on peacefully,". He placed a hand on her shoulder, his touch surprisingly gentle for someone so imposing.
"Do I have your word?" she whispered, her eyes red and swollen as they searched his face.
"You have my word."
The tension in her body eased as the weight of her rage began to lift. She let out a shaky breath and nodded, finally allowing herself to trust him. With quiet resolve, she lowered her head, giving Drogen the space to perform the soul cleansing.
Dark energy swirled around her as Drogen chanted low, ancient words that only a reaper of his level could wield. Her body shuddered, her form flickering as the corrupted energy was purged from her. When it was over, she sat slumped, her once-ferocious presence now calm. Her aura returned to its natural state, weak but pure.
Several grim reapers stepped out from the shadows, their expressions neutral but their movements were careful. They had watched everything and were ready to escort her back to the underworld.
"Her reincarnation will be delayed," one of them said quietly, looking at Drogen. "She's caused too much damage by consuming those souls."
Drogen gave a slight nod, but his focus remained on the woman. She looked back at him one last time, her eyes still glimmering with tears. "Don't break your promise," she murmured before the reapers led her away.
As the air settled, the sound of faint footsteps echoed. Drogen turned to see Zeus emerging from the shadow. He seemed obviously beaten up.blood smeared across his face and his stance was unsteady.
Without hesitation, Drogen closed the distance between them and delivered a crushing blow to Zeus's face. The impact sent Zeus crashing to the ground, the force shaking the ground beneath them.
"You had one job!" Drogen's voice rumbled. He loomed over Zeus, his eyes burning with fury. "You should have stopped her from consuming those souls, even if it meant sacrificing your own. You let her slip through your fingers!"
Zeus groaned, struggling to sit up, but Drogen grabbed him by the collar and yanked him upright.
"You're a disgrace to the reapers,"
Bruce, watching from the side, rushed forward, trying to intervene. "Drogen, stop!" He grabbed Drogen's arm, his grip firm but shaking slightly under the sheer intensity of the situation.
Zeus didn't dare fight back. He hated Drogen, but he knew better than to provoke him further. As much as Zeus loathed his superior, he couldn't deny that Drogen was stronger—much stronger.
Drogen finally released Zeus, shoving him backward with disgust. Zeus stumbled, his gaze lowering to the ground.
"You failed today," Drogen said, his voice low and razor-sharp. "But the next time you let your weakness endanger the balance, I won't hold back."
Zeus nodded mutely, his jaw clenched, the weight of his shame pressing down on him. He knew that this time, he was clearly at fault so he didn't dare to argue or justify his actions.
Bruce exhaled slowly, his tension easing slightly as Drogen turned away. But the storm in Drogen's eyes hadn't calmed.
"Let's go," Drogen said, his tone final. "There's still work to be done."