Black Solstice-Chapter 15: A Great Devil’s Depravity [2]

Seraphis suddenly found herself sprawled on the gravel.

She did not understand what had happened.

Her opponent’s physical prowess surpassed hers? It made no sense. Even as a True Vampire, her strength ranked high among Noble Devils, yet now she felt utterly outmatched.

She reached to touch her nose but recoiled in pain. The punch from earlier had clearly broken it and blood was trickling down onto the gravel.

That strike alone had been devastating, and he had been holding back.

Dagon approached casually and both hands in his pockets, looking down at her as though surveying a curious specimen. There was a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Huh? What’s this? I thought you would dodge something like that. Don’t tell me you don’t know about hardening?"

"Hardening?" she murmured.

"Hardening, like body reinforcement. Hello? Even Lesser Devils know how to manipulate reishi to reinforce their bodies. This is basic knowledge for devils even from a young age."

Seraphis blinked at him, offering no response.

Dagon’s eyes widened in realization. "I see. So that’s how it is. You can’t manipulate reishi at all, can you? How bizarre. I have never encountered something like this. Still, it’s a shame. Seems I got overexcited for nothing. As you are, you’re simply not my opponent. Are you still going to struggle to the bitter end?"

"Go to hell..."

"Hmph. I suppose that’s your answer. Then it can’t be helped."

Seraphis tried to rise and flee, but the tip of Dagon’s expensive shoe slid through the gaps in her defenses and jabbed into her side. His fist followed immediately, striking her back. Each blow was tempered just enough to avoid outright destruction, yet the force sent her body spinning with unbearable pain, as if she had been slammed into a drum hammered repeatedly by a metal bat.

"Ghfh...!?"

She collapsed face-first onto the gravel. Moments later, she could no longer even curl into a protective ball. Blood ran down her forehead, obscuring one eye and leaving her vision partially blocked.

Through her blurry vision, she saw Dagon, breathing heavily like a dog. Drool dribbled from his mouth, wiped away carelessly as he stared down at her with anticipation and hunger clear in his gaze.

Seraphis tried to lift her head, but her arms trembled violently, refusing to obey. Her body felt like it had been crushed beneath a collapsing building.

Dagon crouched down in front of her with a slow, predatory grace. His shadow swallowed her vision.

"Pathetic," he murmured, though there was no real malice in his voice, only disappointment wrapped in twisted fascination. "I expected a bit more fun. You ruined the mood."

Seraphis clenched her teeth.

"I’ll... kill you..."

Dagon blinked, then laughed softly.

"Kill me? Like this?" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

His fingers traced along the trail of blood on her cheek. She jerked her head away weakly.

"Don’t touch me..."

He sighed exaggeratedly.

"Ahh, still resisting. Still biting even when you’re broken. I really do like you."

Seraphis focused her remaining strength into a single motion. She swung her clawed hand upward at his throat.

But Dagon caught it effortlessly.

His fingers curled around her wrist and squeezed.

Crack–!

She gasped as her broken arm collapsed limp beside her.

"Really now, you had one good opening just now. If you had actually reinforced your body like any normal devil, you might’ve even taken my head. How could you miss your only chance of victory? Isn’t that truly pitiful?"

Seraphis spat blood at his face.

Dagon didn’t move.

The droplet trailed down his cheek. Slowly, almost reverently, he wiped it away with the back of his hand.

Then he smiled.

"Ohh... that was cute."

He grabbed her by the neck and hauled her off the ground as if she weighed nothing. Seraphis dangled in the air, her feet unable to find purchase.

"Let go of me..." she croaked.

"Why? We’re just getting to the good part."

His grip tightened. At the same time, her airway constricted.

Black dots swarmed at the edges of her vision.

Her nails scraped against his wrist, drawing thin lines of blood across his skin.

It did nothing.

Dagon murmured, almost fondly.

"There it is again. That defiant look in your eyes. It’s cute and adorable, but I hate it. So we’re going to keep going until you give up and submit. Once you become my bride, you’ll officially be my property under demon regulations."

"A-Ack—! N-never...!"

"I thought as much. In that case, struggle more and fight back some more. Make this entertaining for me. This is your punishment for resisting a Great Devil."

He squeezed and added more pressure around her throat.

Her body shuddered, convulsing helplessly as the pressure increased, crushing her windpipe inch by inch.

She swung her legs, kicking uselessly for support, but the effort only drained what little strength she had left.

A few seconds later, her consciousness began to waver. Yet...

Thud–! Thud–!

Just before the darkness of unconsciousness could swallow her whole, she heard the sound of footsteps.

’What... someone... came?’

A flicker of hope stirred in her chest. Perhaps it was an instructor, but her vision was too blurry to confirm anything. She could barely make out shapes.

Dagon paused. His hand loosened just slightly as he turned his head toward the noise.

Someone stood in the narrow gap between the towering stacks of containers surrounding the Groveyard.

Standing there was Cassius Cain.

’W-What... why...!?’

Seraphis’ eyes trembled.

She was not the only one stunned. Dagon’s expression twisted into a deep frown, that alone showed that his fun has thoroughly been ruined.

"You... what are you doing here? I told you never to appear before me again. Why have you returned?"

Cassius ignored the question entirely and spoke with icy clarity.

"Let her go."

His right hand clenched so tightly his fingers seemed ready to pierce his own palm.

"Let that girl go. Are you deaf?"

Dagon’s frown deepened. "What did you just say? Are you a stupid or are you suffering from dementia? Could it be that you don’t..."

"Shut the hell up! A lowly thug who lives as a slave to his desires and preys on others has no right to act arrogant! Drop her now, you coward!"

Cassius’ voice cracked like lightning, severing Dagon’s words.

Dagon stared at him in pure debrief. He looked like a spoiled brat who had never been spoken to harshly in his life.

"Lowly vermin. Who do you think you are talking to? I am a Great Devil of the House of Sitri, the one who walks the path of the [Emperor]. And you dare refer to me a lowly thug? You dare insult me to this degree? Even other Great Devils don’t have this much courage!"

His fury spread through the air like static and slowly transformed into spirit pressure. The killing intent was powerful enough to dominate the souls of Lesser Devils without resistance.

Its target was the boy who had dared spit on his pride.

"...."

Even so, Cassius glared at him, seemingly unaffected.

His incandescent gaze proclaimed wordlessly that he couldn’t care less about the identity of his opponent.

He looked like he could truly kill the Gods.

"...Hah. How interesting."

Dagon’s murderous eyes grew cold.

This was truly a first. No one had ever challenged him so openly. Even other Great Noble Devils cannot look at him with those eyes.

But who this fellow who had proclaimed himself to be one of the condemned looked at him as though he was nothing more than a noisy obstacle.

Because of this unforeseeable occurrence, his attention had completely shifted to that young devil and slowly released his grip on Seraphis. She dropped to the gravel, coughing violently and clutching her bruised throat, but neither of the two males spared her even a glance.

Their gazes were locked.

"You really are something else."

He turned fully toward Cassius.

His smile stretched thin and wide, warping across his face like melted cheese pulled unnaturally to both sides.

Cassius did not move nor take even a step back.

He stood his ground.

"Alright then, since you’re so desperate to die, I shall grant your wish. And that gaze of yours is utterly unforgettable. So I’ll crush that too."

The moment the final word left his mouth, Dagon vanished.

A sound like air imploding followed—

BOOM!

A devastating strike slammed into Cassius’ solar plexus.