Free Web NovelChapter 113: Chapter 112 - Beatdown
Point-of-View: Aurora Pretorius
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I knew...I knew that my plan was naive and idealistic. I already knew that, I didn’t need everyone telling me so. But...I really thought that, with my power, I could reach those naive ideals and resolve this without any further bloodshed.
Yeah, those men killed two Werewolf children, there’s no denying that, but...they were victims of this situation too. The village had also had two children murdered, all they wanted to avenge them and make sure it didn’t happen again.
They were being manipulated. They didn’t deserve to die. But I...I can’t blame the Werewolves for choosing to kill them. Their anger was more than justified. Even so...was this really the best outcome we could have hoped for?
Were my efforts futile from the very start? Was I just wasting my and everyone else’s time with my actions?
"Hey, snap out of it...we’re almost back at the village," Remarked Inoka, giving me a slight nudge.
"Oh, right. Hey...was I wrong? Should I have just not even bothered trying to end this with no further bloodshed?" I asked him, as I felt my frustration bubble.
"Honestly...I don’t know. It was pretty optimistic and idealistic, no doubt about that, but...I don’t think you were wrong to try. That said...I’d be lying if I said that I genuinely believed that it would work," He admitted with a wistful smile, as he patted my head.
"Uh...what are you doing?" I inquired in bemusement.
"Huh? Oh, uh...there, there?" He responded sheepishly, "You looked kinda down, so yeah."
"Idiot...," I sighed as I rolled my eyes, before my lips curved into a slight smile, in spite of myself.
But the slight betterment of my mood was short-lived...
"About time you guys got back. No need to thank me, I bet the issue is resolved now, isn’t it?" Kechik greeted us with a smug look on his face.
Beelzebub was laying on the grass behind him, a satisfied smirk on his face...
"Yeah, it’s resolved...but you had no right to act on your own like that. It might have been unlikely, but with a bit more time, Aurora’s strategy might have worked. It certainly wasn’t impossible. But thanks to you, that possibility is gone," Frowned Liling in response.
"Whatever. I doubt the higher ups will criticize my decision, we got the best case scenario. And while you may be in charge of this Mission, I still outrank you, Liling...so watch what you say to me," He replied with a scoff.
"Sure, I’ll keep that in mind," She remarked with a dark look in her eyes.
"Wow, this guy might be even worse than Tara...," Muttered Inoka in disgust.
He then turned to me, a cocky look on his face...
"As for you, I hope you’ve learnt your lesson, Outlier. You’re nothing but a stupid little brat, this idiotic, childishly hopeful and optimistic strategy of yours proves that," He stated condescendingly.
"Hey, maybe you’re the one who needs to watch what you say, asshole," Shot back Inoka with a glare.
"Huh? Who do you think you are, you little shit?" He retorted irritably, as he approached us, "Know your place. You’re not even natural Meta-Humans, you’re just tools for us to use as we please."
"Yeah, that so? Because the only tool I see here is you," Growled Inoka, clenching his fists.
"Aw, does the truth hurt? If it wasn’t for how valuable the Meta-Orbs were, you’d all have been put down like dogs a long time ago," Came the condescending response.
"That’s enough, Kechik, you better quit while you’re ahead," Liling warned him.
"Don’t tell me what to do, bitch. Just because they’ve got larger Auras doesn’t mean a thing to me, maybe I’ll teach them a lesson in respect, really make sure that they know their place, you know?" He smirked, cracking his knuckles threateningly.
This whole situation has put me in an exceedingly foul mood...and even though I was furious at him for letting Beelzebub manipulate those two men into sacrificing themselves, I felt like it’d be wrong to take out my anger on him, so I decided to bottle it up.
But, you know what...I don’t care anymore. Because right now, I’m way too fucking pissed off to give a shit...
"You rotten son of a bitch...I’m gonna fucking kill you," I remarked in an icy, calm voice, before zipping towards him at top speed.
"No, don’t-!" Began Liling, but I wasn’t willing to listen anymore right now.
I closed in on him before he could react and slammed my fist square onto the middle of his face, sending him rapidly flying back and crashing onto a tree with immense force.
He let out a sharp gasp of pain as blood gushed out of his nose, several of front teeth broken to pieces as he painstakingly got back onto his feet with a groan, before glaring at me with vicious murderous intent...
"You bitcsh...you’re deadh!" He sputtered in rage, as he formed a mass of water swirling with wind and crackling with lightning, firing it at me as I shot towards him.
I swiftly formed my Shadow Cat and slapped his blast straight up into the air as I closed in on it, before rapidly extending the right arm of my shroud straight at him. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
He quickly ducked beneath it in alarm, my claws tearing through the bark of the tree and breaking it down, before I grabbed it before it could fall and slammed it down towards him with as much force as I could muster, as he narrowly leapt out of the way, just barely evading it.
He then raced across and got some distance, at a surprising speed...a Physical Skill technique? Sparks were crackling around him, so he’s using the Electro Skill too...doesn’t matter, he’s still too slow to make a difference against me.
As he fired out a couple of wind blasts at me, I blocked them with the arm of my Shadow Cat before I raced towards him, leaping off to the side as he shot a bolt of lightning at me, dodging it easily.
He stiffened as I closed in on him, but was far too slow to react, starting to form a water blade before it dissipated as I slammed my knee onto his stomach with all the strength I could muster.
He let out a strained cry of pain as blood poured out of his mouth, before I grabbed his collar, raised him up and slammed him onto the ground, severe cracks spreading out from the point of impact as a dust cloud rose up around us.
I’ll kill him...
I balled my fists together and slammed them down onto his chest, caving in his ribcage with a loud crunch, before swinging my fist and striking the right side of his face at full force, some of his teeth tearing through his cheek and poking out upon contact.
He’s using the Physical Skill to make himself more durable, otherwise I’d have already smashed him into a bloody paste. No matter, I can still tear through...
"Die," I stated coldly, as I drove my claws towards his neck.
Right before I could pierce through, a portal suddenly opened and my arm went in through it, narrowly missing out on ripping open his throat.
"Not really sure what’s going on here, but, uh...you might wanna take a breather and calm down, Aurora," Came Neo’s voice, sounding wary.
With my murderous rage interrupted, I felt my anger slowly starting to subside, as I came back to my senses. I dissipated my Shadow Cat as I stood up and walked away, before pausing and kicking him in the balls with a huff.
Liling had her phone in her hand...I get it, she must have called Neo when I snapped. I’m a little annoyed, but also, kinda grateful. I wouldn’t have lost any sleep over killing that bastard, but it probably would make things more troublesome with Harmony if I killed a Category 0.
"Oh, I recognize you! You’re the guy from the UN conference, aren’t you?" Exclaimed Beelzebub, as he approached Neo.
"Oh, uh, yeah, that’s me. Nice to meet you, I guess, what’s your name, kid?" He responded with a fake smile.
"Well, this boy’s name doesn’t really matter...but my name is Beelzebub, a pleasure to meet you," He smirked in response.
"Huh? Wait, Beelzebub, as in..."
"That’s right, as in the Demon of the Sin of Gluttony," He remarked with a bow, "I’m sure your friends here will explain why I’m here, I don’t feel like repeating the whole story, but...in a nutshell, this whole conflict was my doing."
"A Demon of Sin, why is-...whatever, I’ll process that later. A Demon in a normal human’s body is no threat, so I’ll get back to you," Responded Neo with a shake of his head, looking a bit overwhelmed before turning to Inoka, "Hey, mind healing Kechik real quick? He’ll probably die soon if left alone."
"I see no problem with that. And I’d rather not waste my Aura on the likes of him," Huffed Inoka in response.
"Look, I have no idea what happened for things to turn out this way, but please, just do it. I know he’s kind of a dick and all, but he’s still a Category 0, the higher ups won’t react kindly to his death, especially if it was avoidable. And from the looks of things, this is most certainly an avoidable death," Sighed Neo wryly.
"Tch, fine...but I’ll only heal him enough so that he won’t die, I won’t bother with any of his non-fatal injuries," Grumbled Inoka, before reluctantly walking over to Kechik, who had lost consciousness.
"Now, then...we should get going once he’s done. Liling, go talk to the villagers. Tell them that we’re taking this Demon until he leaves the body, after which we’ll return this boy to them," Instructed Neo, as he glanced warily at Beelzebub.
"Fine by me, take me wherever you want, I’m reasonably satisfied with the amount of fun I’ve had in this place, so I’ll cooperate," Smirked the Demon, as Inoka began reluctantly heading towards Kechik...
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