Xavier purred, his golden eyes gleaming with dark delight. "Are you really giving up on the idea of recruiting him?"
I paused at the top of the stairs, my smirk widening into a cruel grin. "Give up? No, Xavier. I've just come up with a far more entertaining plan. One that involves recruiting him... and taking everything from the House of Graham."
Xavier's wings twitched with excitement, his voice a low, guttural growl. "Oh? Do tell, Captain. Are you planning to tear that wretched house apart from the inside?"
I stepped down the stairs, my heels clicking sharply against the marble. "The more power and wealth you steal, the sweeter it tastes. And when it's ripped from the hands of those who don't deserve it... it's nothing short of divine."
Xavier let out a dark chuckle, his form shimmering with malevolent energy. "I always knew you were twisted, Captain, but this... this is delicious."
I glanced at him, my eyes cold and calculating. "I'm not twisted, Xavier. I'm efficient. The only difference between me and the rest is that I don't waste my cruelty on the innocent. But the guilty? They'll wish they were never born."
As we descended, the sound of Elizabeth's shrill voice echoed through the hall. "HOW DARE MAIDS LIKE YOU DEFY ME? DO YOU FORGET WHO I AM?"
I stepped into view, my presence cutting through her tirade like a blade. "Oh, Elizabeth," I said, my voice smooth and icy. "Still throwing tantrums like a child? How... sad."
Her face paled as she turned to me, her bravado crumbling under my gaze. "S-Selentia," she stammered, biting her lip to hide her fear.
I tilted my head, feigning innocence. "Yes? Did my maids do something to offend you?"
The maids, still trembling from Elizabeth's outburst, shook their heads frantically. I gave them a curt nod.
Of course, they hadn't done anything wrong. The servants of House Nyxveil were trained to perfection, their loyalty unwavering. Unlike Elizabeth, who was nothing more than a spoiled brat with too much pride and too little sense.
"Elizabeth," I said, my tone sharp enough to cut glass. "Why are you here?"
She clenched her fists, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. "They won't let me see Dain. They said it's an order from Her Grace."
I narrowed my eyes, my mind racing. Mother had forbidden visitors from seeing Dain? That was... interesting. I had already confirmed Father's innocence in the demon cult, but Mother?
She was still an enigma. And if Dain's involvement with the cult was tied to her, then this game had just become far more complex.
"Dain is... unwell," I said, my voice calm but laced with mock concern. "I beat him in a sparring match earlier. He didn't take it well."
Elizabeth's eyes widened in shock, her mouth hanging open like a fish out of water. "You... you beat Dain?" she whispered, disbelief etched across her face.
Before she could recover, Xavier's voice cut through my thoughts, dark and urgent. "Captain, we've got company. Someone with demonic energy is approaching from the second floor."
I looked up, my smirk returning as I saw Dain standing on the balcony above us. His silver hair was disheveled, his green eyes burning with hatred. The same purple energy I'd seen yesterday coiled around him like a serpent, his bloodlust so thick it was almost tangible.
"That's the one," Xavier hissed, his voice dripping with venom. "The silver-haired swordsman. He's mastered two of the ten most powerful demonic techniques. Be careful, Captain."
"Dain!" Elizabeth cried, her voice filled with desperate hope. But Dain didn't even glance at her. His eyes were locked on me, his rage directed solely at me with a very dangerous bloodlust in his gaze towards me.
The maids and Elizabeth crumpled to their knees under the weight of his bloodlust, their faces twisted in pain. But I stood tall, my smirk never wavering. Dain's eyes widened in shock as I resisted his bloodlust effortlessly, his veins bulging as he poured more power into his attack.
"Impressive," Xavier said, his tone almost admiring. "You're holding up better than I expected."
I chuckled darkly. "Of course. He's nothing more than a fly to me."
Dain's eyes darkened, the purple energy around him intensifying. The groans of Elizabeth and the maids filled the air, but I paid them no mind.
My focus was on Dain, on the way his anger consumed him, on the way he thought he could intimidate me.
"Why don't you stop posturing and actually attack, Dain?" I taunted, my voice dripping with mockery. "Or are you too scared to face me?"
His roar of fury echoed through the hall as he leaped from the balcony, landing with a crash that cracked the marble floor. "I'LL KILL YOU, SELENTIA!" he screamed, lunging at me with blinding speed.
Xavier leaped from my shoulder, his form shimmering with dark energy as he landed near the stairs. "Show me something worth watching, Captain," he said, his voice a mix of amusement and anticipation.
I grinned, my eyes glinting with malice. "Oh, Xavier... this will be a show you'll never forget."
......
Selentia stood tall, her crimson energy swirling around her like a storm of blood and shadow. Her sword, SLAYER, gleamed with a dark, otherworldly light, its edge humming with power, a reaction to Dain's demonic aura.
Across from her, Dain's demonic aura pulsed violently, a maelstrom of purple and black energy that crackled with raw, destructive force. His sword seemed to drink in the light around it, its blade trembling with anticipation.
Xavier perched on the edge of the staircase, his golden eyes gleaming with dark amusement. "This should be fun," he murmured, his voice a low, guttural growl.
Dain's eyes burned with hatred, his voice a snarl. "I'll make you regret ever crossing me, Selentia."
Selentia smirked, her voice cold and mocking. "Big words for someone who couldn't even land a hit on me earlier."
With a roar, Dain lunged forward, his sword slicing through the air with blinding speed. Selentia met him head-on, their blades clashing in a shower of sparks. The impact sent a shockwave through the hall, cracking the marble floor beneath them.
Dain's movements were a blur, his demonic aura enhancing his speed and strength. He unleashed a flurry of strikes, each one aimed to kill.
His sword techniques were precise and deadly, a blend of demonic swordsmanship and brutal efficiency.
He spun, his blade arcing toward Selentia's throat, but she ducked effortlessly, her crimson aura flaring as she countered with a sweeping slash.
Selentia's swordsmanship was a thing of beauty and terror. Her movements were fluid, almost dance-like, but every strike carried the weight of destruction.
She parried Dain's attacks with ease, her blade moving like a shadow, always one step ahead. Her *Crimson Abyss* aura amplified her reflexes, allowing her to anticipate his every move.
Dain's demonic aura surged, the purple energy coalescing into jagged spikes that shot toward Selentia.
She raised her hand, her crimson aura forming a swirling barrier that absorbed the attack. The spikes shattered against her shield, but Dain was already closing the distance, his sword aimed at her heart.
Selentia sidestepped, her aura flaring as she retaliated with a devastating kick to his ribs.
The force of the blow sent him skidding across the floor, but he recovered quickly, his demonic aura healing the damage almost instantly.
"You're not the only one with tricks," Dain growled, his voice dripping with malice.
He slammed his sword into the ground, sending a wave of purple energy rippling toward Selentia. The energy tore through the floor, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Selentia leaped into the air, her crimson aura forming wings of blood-red energy. She descended like a predator, her sword aimed at Dain's head. He barely managed to block the strike, the impact driving him to his knees.
" You are really impressive for someone of your age, Dain," She let out a an amusing compliment. However, it sounded more like an insult than a compliment to Dain.
" Don't be so arrogent, Selentia! I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT REAL TALENT IS!" He screamed loudly before standing back on his feets.
Dain's demonic aura enhanced his physical abilities, making his body grow double in its size. The veins of his body were popping up and his hairs fluttered in the air as he laughed like a maniac.
" Be careful. From now on, his attacks will hold three times more power than before," Xavier warned her from behind. She bite her lower lips, not out of fear, but out of anger and disgust.
Never thought she would watch her own brother use that disgusting technique...
Dain swung his sword in wide, sweeping arcs, each strike designed to overwhelm Selentia with sheer force.
But Selentia was no ordinary opponent. Her *Crimson Abyss* aura gave her an edge, allowing her to match Dain's strength and speed. She countered his strikes with precision, her movements a blend of elegance and savagery.
She grabbed his arm mid-swing, twisting it until the bone cracked, then drove her knee into his stomach with enough force to make him vomit blood.
Dain roared in pain and rage, his demonic aura flaring as he broke free of her grip. He retaliated with a spinning kick that caught Selentia in the side, sending her crashing into a pillar.
The stone cracked under the impact, but Selentia was already back on her feet, her crimson aura burning brighter than ever.
" STOP STRUGGLING AND DIE ALREADY," Dain screamed angrily. His eyes glowed with a feral light as he unleashed his ultimate technique.
His demonic aura condensed into a massive, serpent-like construct that lunged at Selentia, its jaws wide open. The energy serpent tore through the air, its roar shaking the very foundations of the hall.
Selentia's eyes darken.
" Enough of playing. I am barely holding my urge to kill you right here and now," Saying that she raised her sword, her *Crimson Abyss* aura swirling around her like a vortex.
" Thank you for becoming a stepping stone, Dain" she said, her voice cold and merciless.
With a single, fluid motion, she slashed through the air, her crimson energy forming a blade of pure destruction.
The blade sliced through the serpent, dissipating it into nothingness. The force of the attack continued, striking Dain and sending him flying across the room.
He crashed into the wall, the impact leaving a crater in the stone. Blood dripped from his mouth as he struggled to stand, his demonic aura flickering weakly.
" N-No, I-I can't l-ose," Dain mumbled in disbelief. He couldn't move his body neither his demonic aura was reacting to his call.
Selentia walked toward him, her sword resting on her shoulder. "You're strong, Dain," she said, her voice dripping with mockery. " Too bad, " Her voice colden sharply, " You choose the wrong way."
Dain snarled, his eyes filled with hatred and fear. "I'll kill you... I'll—"
Before he could finish, Selentia drove her sword through his shoulder, pinning him to the wall.
Placing her hand over his stomach she could locate his aura core. Dain's eyes widen as he tried to struggle against the pain to stop her, but-
It was too late.
With a swift, precise motion, she drove the tip of her blade into his lower dantian, the point of his aura core. Dain's eyes widened in shock as he felt the energy within him begin to fracture.
"No... NO!" he screamed, his voice filled with desperation.
Selentia's crimson aura surged, flooding into his body and overwhelming his core. The energy within him cracked, then shattered, sending a burst of purple and black energy exploding outward.
Dain's body convulsed as his aura core imploded, the force of the destruction tearing through him.
When the energy dissipated, Dain collapsed to the ground, his body broken and his aura gone. He stared up at Selentia, his eyes filled with despair.
" Wh-what ha-ve yo-u done?" He groaned painfully, however there wasn't a single bit of mercy in her gaze.
" Gave you the taste of defeat."