Raindrops fell quietly and met the earth below, but their combined might turned their whispers into the roars of beasts, covering the entirety of the Central Continent in the sound of their pitter-pattering.
On a nondescript mountain peak somewhere along the way, Damien sat on the roof of an old cabin, staring into the clouds with a lost expression.
It had been a week. A week since the day Elena poured out her grievances in full, and a week since the day she left his side.
It was a quiet week. A lonely one spent atop this unknown mountain peak.
The rain painted Damien in its color, but he didn't move. He closed his eyes and relished in the gloomy atmosphere that was created around him.
It felt like the rain appeared whenever he needed it, whenever he needed the time alone to quietly submerge himself in peace and sadness.
But it wasn't strange. Ever since the incident when he received a Partial Baptism, his synchronicity with the world skyrocketed. His extreme emotions would be reflected in nature.
And today, just like every other day of the past week, the Central Continent was covered in rain.
Someone said parting was a sweet sorrow, but he couldn't feel anything sweet about it. The only thing Damien tasted was bitterness.
The situation made him think of another quote instead. A quote that said parting made one think. About what was once possessed, what was lost, and what was taken for granted.
Damien was submerged in himself, unable to move forward. Elena's words kept repeating in his ears without pause.
"I'll be leaving. There is somewhere I want to go, somewhere far away. It's not a place where I can take others, but it's a place where I can be reborn. Now, before the situation becomes too chaotic, I wish to visit that place." She had said.
"You aren't the only reason that I'm leaving, so don't worry yourself about it needlessly. However, I do believe that some time apart will be best for us. Once we have become the best versions of ourselves, we will meet again. At that time, we will truly be husband and wife, inseparable by even Heaven's decree."
He could still see her expression when she spoke. The coldness in her gaze. Although the missing sentiments were present as well, they were largely hidden.
'I've fucked up.'
It was the only thought Damien had. He completely screwed his relationship with Elena. But if it didn't happen now, it would've happened in the future.
And at that time, it would've been far worse.
'She wasn't wrong.' He thought to himself. 'Our current dynamic is just toxic, hatred and love intertwining to create a strange and twisted relationship. That was never what I wanted, nor what she wanted. Perhaps…'
Perhaps her decision was the right one. Even if he knew what he wanted to think, he refused to manifest the words.
It hurt. It hurt a lot. It hurt even worse knowing it was only his own inability that caused it.
But what could he do?
It had already been a week. Elena was probably long gone.
Their talk didn't end after Elena's rant. The words she spewed were filled with emotion, and even she knew they were skewed by her perception.
Elena acknowledged her mistakes and carelessness in the past. She knew that her affection was the reason Damien was targeted in the first place.
And so she found herself apologizing to him as well. Her brazen and childish attitude back then did indeed cause many problems.
But what could they do? At that time, they really were just children. And even with what came later, they couldn't find it in themselves to blame each other.
Their relationship simply wasn't blessed by fate. Things went wrong due to accidents and negligence, and then naivety towards those mistakes blew them out of proportion.
So, taking a step back was the logical conclusion. Starting over anew when their old feelings subsided was truly best for them.
But he couldn't get it out of his head.
Damien's figure vanished, appearing in the Sanctuary. Without hesitation, he went to the territory of the Demons.
"Lucius, let me borrow your maid." He spoke when he met the former Demon King.
Lucius raised his brow in surprise. "No father-in-law today? It feels a bit weird now that I've gotten used to it."
Damien shook his head. "I'm not in the mood right now, I apologize. Allow me to borrow your maid and I'll be eternally grateful."
Lucius dropped his joking attitude. "How long do you need her?"
"I'm not sure."
"You aren't sure? Then what do you need her for?"
Damien hesitated for a moment. "I need her to protect someone."
Lucius rubbed his chin curiously. "I see, so it's something like that. You could've gone to any of the other 4th classes here, but you specifically chose her, which means you need her stealth…are you sure you just want her to protect?"
Damien nodded. "Yes. I only wish for her to protect."
Lucius carefully examined Damien's face and nodded. "Fine. Just this once, but you'll owe me a favor. Latia, come here for a moment."
The maid appeared next to Lucius in a blur, kneeling on the ground. "Yes, Master."
"From now until he tells you to come back, you'll be following young Damien's orders. He has a task for you."
"Yes, Master," Latia replied concisely. She stood up and turned to face Damien, bowing to him in courtesy.
Damien waved his hand dismissively. "No need for formalities. This is the woman you'll be protecting."
Damien used his mana to shape Elena's face. Along with it, he used his Star Master abilities to secure her mana signature so Latia wouldn't get confused.
"You don't need to go overboard. Let her do whatever she wants. But if there is an instant where you judge she can't escape the situation on her own, act. Unless that moment comes, do not move even if she looks on the verge of death."
Latia bowed again. "Yes, sir."
Damien nodded and took her out of the Sanctuary. "She headed off to the south. With your speed, you should be able to catch up in a few days."
"Yes, sir." The maid turned around to leave after receiving instructions, but Damien grabbed her wrist and stopped her.
When she looked back at him, her body froze instinctively.
Bloodlust.
An insane amount of bloodlust.
Damien's killing intent was released in full force. It was something he usually didn't do. As for the reason why…
Blood red killing intent filled the air for tens of kilometers. It almost formed a domain with how palpable it was.
It reeked. The blood stench flooded into Latia's nostrils, making her want to gag. She had seen many people before, ruthless ones that'd kill at the most casual slight.
But none of them had killing intent like this.
World Force pulsated from Damien's body, further heightening his killing intent to the point where it began to warp reality.
Blood red clouds in the sky, a blood sea forming around them, mountains of corpses manifested, stacking up to the Heavens.
Latia was frozen in fear. Even if she wanted to move, her body refused to obey her command.
Damien gazed into her eyes coldly. He looked like a reaper trying to steal her soul. His mouth opened and he spoke slowly, annunciating every syllable.
"I will say it one time and one time only. If she dies, regardless of the circumstance, it isn't just your life on the line. Your master, everyone around him, anyone you've ever cared about will die under my hand. Even if you can't return, you better make sure she does."
Boom!
Blood-red lightning fell from the sky, incinerating the mountain on which the two stood.
And then, everything vanished.
Damien let go of Latia's arm and walked away, his figure flying into the sky to find a new mountain to reside on.
As for Latia, she stood in place for many minutes without moving. It seemed…this job was the most important mission she'd ever been assigned.
