The Gamer's POV

Deep within the ruined estate lay a desolate, wide-open space. It had probably once been an open-air garden or a fountain square, though it was hard to tell because the architecture had been completely pulverized and reshaped by violence.

The moonlight filtered down through the dust-choked air, casting long shadows across shattered marble pillars, an uprooted tree, and the crushed remnants of masonry.

The truly unsettling sight, however, was a creature roughly fifteen meters tall that lay twitching convulsively on the ground.

From time to time, it would roar in a fit of rage and lunge at the empty air, slashing its claws as if it were fighting something only it could see. There were even moments when it would retreat in fear before lunging again and smashing its head against the ground.

By this point, its body was in terrible shape, a result of both the wounds it had received in a prior fight and the injuries it was constantly inflicting upon itself. Its flesh was mangled, and the outer bony armor it possessed had cracked open, revealing the raw tissue beneath.

A faint haze of blue smoke also drifted around the creature. The smoke kept swirling, and what looked like the souls of various creatures kept reaching out, attaching themselves to the fiend’s body.

Not too far from the fiend, an Oni was sitting on a broken stone pillar, silently observing the madness before him with an unreadable expression.

The mask on his face was now white, and his skin too was white. Unlike the blue, huge monster he had been before, he now looked like a normal warrior.

The Oni sighed tiredly and slowly looked up, admiring the moon for a bit. Then he muttered to himself, "I am hungry. I crave that thing called cake. I wonder when that flesh-bag—" he suddenly paused. Then he turned to look around to see if there were any ravens nearby.

When he saw a raven perched high up on a part of the collapsed roof, he shivered and corrected himself, "I wonder when next my lord will bring one for me."

He sighed again.

Then, he lowered his head and turned it slightly to listen to the battle that had been going on in the courtyard outside.

After a moment, he exhaled. "It has grown quiet. My lady must have finished fighting."

He turned his attention back to the writhing creature. "I should finish things up here too."

He got up, took a few steps forward, and picked up one of his bone swords. Then he continued onward toward the creature, which was now just growling weakly on the ground.

Upon reaching it, Redd raised his bone sword and struck the creature in the neck. He pulled out the blade and struck it again and again in different spots until the movement ceased. For a moment, his pale, yellowish-white skin shifted almost to red, but when he finally stopped, it returned to white.

Redd then touched the mangled corpse of the fiend. He clenched his fist as if grabbing something tangible, pulling out a blue mass of ethereal energy. This screaming essence was the creature’s soul, and it struggled violently as Redd continued to draw it out of the fiend’s body.

Then, even though his mouth was covered by the mask, he tilted his head back, drawing the soul into himself and devouring it whole.

***

Meanwhile...

Not too far from Aika’s current location outside the ruined estate.

——

Athena looked pale and tired as she walked toward the front of the ruined estate, where she could see Aika standing near the headless corpse of the demon she had just killed.

Currently, the young high elf didn’t look too good because she had expended all of her mana and was now only able to stand thanks to the little energy she was receiving from her master.

...Speaking of her master, Cedric was walking beside her.

At the moment, he had a lot of thoughts swirling in his mind. He looked furious, and yet, extremely worried at the same time.

In front of him, numerous screens kept popping up in red.

[Warning: The Gamer is advised to use the Bond Command to subdue his Bond!]

[The Gamer is advised to use the Bond Command to subdue his Bond!]

[The Gamer is advised to use the Bond Command!]

However, Cedric didn’t pay any attention to these messages. When he got about a dozen meters away from Aika, he paused and studied his Bond.

She was just standing there, looking at the corpse. There were lots of injuries on her body, but she didn’t seem to mind them. At the moment, so many things about her seemed to be different, and she also seemed to be out of it.

"Aika," Cedric called calmly from where he stood.

Hearing her name, she slowly turned to look behind her with her black eyes. Despite the battle being over, she still seemed trapped in the throes of that violent madness.

She tilted her head, studying him, and her grip on her katana tightened. It was almost as if she could not recognize him.

Seeing that, Cedric said calmly, "Put down your blade, Aika Soryu."

Aika remained quiet, and her gaze grew even more wary.

At that moment, hundreds of ravens began to manifest in the air around them, their wings beating in tight, overlapping circles until they formed a living dome of black feathers. This was to ensure that whatever happened next would remain hidden from the spectators below Isola Bella.

"Aika," Cedric repeated.

But then, to Athena’s surprise, Aika lunged in a blur, closing the distance in a heartbeat with her sword raised to strike.

Seeing that, Athena immediately took out her sword, then moved to block Aika’s blade.

However, there was no need for that because Aika suddenly halted in her tracks, with her blade just inches from them.

Then, as if trying to wrest back control of her own mind and emotions, she gritted her teeth and turned her blade downward. With a sharp groan, she then stabbed her own foot, driving the steel deep into the ground.

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