Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 14 - 5.5: War against the demons 3

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Aurianna began to doubt if they were doing the right thing. She watched as her once-awkward teammates, who had struggled with simple tasks before, now took pleasure in killing demons without mercy. Even those who surrendered were not spared.

She told herself, "I can’t feel sorry for demons. They’re monsters!" Aurianna tried to focus on the destruction demons had caused in Sandeph, pushing her doubts aside. She struggled to balance her natural compassion with the harsh reality of their mission.

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"Can we take a break?" Aurianna asked, panting heavily. They had been exploring the castle for what felt like forever. The castle was much larger than they had expected, full of confusing, winding hallways.

Cindy looked at Aurianna with concern. "What’s wrong?"

Aurianna forced a tired smile. "I’m really exhausted. I need to rest and recharge my mana. All this healing and spellcasting has drained me."

Kent interrupted urgently. "We can’t stop now. We’re deep in the Demon King’s castle. If we rest, they might send reinforcements. Plus, we’re almost at the Demon King’s chamber."

Aurianna reluctantly agreed and pushed through her fatigue. After navigating many corridors, they finally reached the entrance to the Demon King’s chamber. The heroes felt excited and proud, ready for the final battle.

The hall before them was huge and dark. In the center was a massive silver throne decorated with the bones of a gruesome creature. The sight was unsettling but only made them more determined to face the Demon King.

On the throne sat a striking man with dark brown skin and flowing dark green hair. His golden eyes were emotionless, and he had two intimidating horns. His black armor marked him as the feared Demon King Vatium they had been warned about.

Aurianna couldn’t help but keep looking at Vatium. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, but something about him felt familiar. She wondered where she might have seen him before.

Vatium noticed her staring and turned his attention towards her. Aurianna flinched, expecting an attack, but Vatium instead looked at Kent. They locked eyes in a tense standoff, waiting for one of them to make a move.

Kent, full of confidence, seemed almost reckless. He didn’t hesitate and cast his most powerful spell, shouting, "Heavenly Light!" His saber glowed with a bright pink light and cut through the wall behind Vatium as if it were paper. The impact shook the building, making the walls tremble and parts of the ceiling fall. Derek quickly put up a shield to protect everyone from the debris.

When the dust settled, Derek lowered his shield. The heroes and Aurianna were unharmed but surrounded by rubble. The wall lay in ruins, and Kent’s spell seemed to have done its job. They felt a moment of triumph, thinking they had defeated Vatium.

But their joy was short-lived. Cindy pointed in fear at Vatium, who was standing unharmed several meters from the damaged wall. The spell had barely affected him. Despite the huge crater and the destruction around him, Vatium looked almost untouched.

The heroes exchanged worried glances. It was clear that Vatium was much stronger than they had thought, and defeating him would be much harder than they had expected.

Realizing that magic alone wouldn’t defeat Vatium, Kent, Derek, and Cindy readied their weapons and prepared for close combat. With a shared determination, they charged at the Demon King, hoping their physical attacks would prove more effective.

Cindy quickly cast a binding spell to restrict Vatium’s movements and limit his magic. Kent closed in with his sword, delivering powerful slashes, but the strikes barely scratched Vatium’s seemingly impenetrable form.

Undeterred, Derek used his shield to create a barrage of sharp stone spikes, aiming to penetrate Vatium’s defenses. Yet, Vatium’s body mysteriously became transparent, causing their attacks to pass right through him as if he were phasing out of reality.

A sinister chuckle escaped Vatium, his eyes gleaming with malice. Despite the heroes’ relentless efforts, their attacks were futile. Vatium taunted them, his confidence growing with their mounting frustration.

"You’ll have to do better than that, heroes," he mocked, enjoying their struggle.

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Vatium’s presence exuded an overwhelming aura of death and destruction, making Kent, Cindy, Derek, and Aurianna tremble with fear. The sheer pressure from him was almost unbearable.

Aurianna, desperately trying to protect herself, attempted to conjure a protective shield. However, the golden light around her flickered and disappeared, leaving her exposed. She realized with horror that her mana was depleted. Panic set in as she faced the dire reality of their situation, feeling helpless without her magic.

Kent and Derek, with their lives at stake, bravely charged at Vatium. But in a moment of swift cruelty, Vatium’s attack severed their arms, causing them to cry out in agony. Blood spilled onto the ground, painting it red as they writhed in pain.

In the chaos, Kent’s frustration boiled over. In his pain and anger, he directed his fury at Aurianna.

"Heal me, damn it! Can’t you see I’m dying?!" Kent shouted, his voice trembling with a mix of rage and desperation. His words cut through the air, adding to the tense and bitter atmosphere.

Aurianna’s heart raced, her exhaustion and fear suddenly overwhelming her. She felt a wave of panic as Kent’s harsh words cut through her.

Seeing her allies so gravely injured, Aurianna felt a crushing weight of despair. The realization that she couldn’t help them was almost too much to bear.

"I... don’t... have..." Aurianna’s voice faltered, her thoughts in chaos.

Kent’s anger flared again, his words harsh and cutting. "Stop playing around and help, you damn bitch!" His outburst only deepened Aurianna’s distress.

Vatium, observing Kent’s disrespect, reacted with cold ruthlessness. In one swift motion, he swung his scythe, severing Kent’s head from his body. The brutal act left Aurianna in shock, unable to process the horror unfolding before her.

Derek, wounded and trying to escape, saw the grim scene. His voice, filled with pain and urgency, called out to Aurianna. "What are you doing, Aurianna? Heal me!!"

But Aurianna, her hands shaking and her mind reeling, was out of mana. She tried to respond, her voice strained with anguish. "I’m out of mana!" Her words echoed in despair as she watched Derek’s fate sealed by Vatium’s scythe.

In an instant, Derek was violently torn apart, his body sliced into pieces. The sight was horrific, marking the end of another brave hero.

With their lives at stake, Cindy’s frustration reached a breaking point. Grabbing Aurianna by the collar, she shouted in desperation, "How are you out of mana?! Aren’t you a Saintess, blessed by the goddess? We’re all going to die if you don’t do something!" Cindy’s voice was filled with a mix of fear and anger.

Before Aurianna could react, a sudden gust of wind changed everything. Cindy’s head was abruptly severed, and blood splattered across Aurianna’s face. The gruesome sight left her stunned and disoriented, as the harsh reality of their situation sunk in.

In the midst of the chaos, Aurianna’s voice emerged as a shaky whisper, filled with disbelief and sorrow. "This... this wouldn’t have happened if you guys hadn’t rushed in like idiots," she said, her words barely audible amidst the carnage and the looming presence of the Demon King.

Vatium, seemingly unfazed by the chaos around him, walked calmly toward Aurianna. Overwhelmed by fear and shock, she braced herself for a fatal blow, her eyes tightly shut. To her astonishment, Vatium’s touch was not violent but gentle, as he stroked her white hair with surprising tenderness.

"Sister, why do you still support mankind?" Vatium’s voice was filled with a mix of curiosity and sadness, and his eyes carried a hint of familiarity.

Aurianna’s mind raced, struggling to understand Vatium’s words. She glanced at her own fair skin, contrasting with his brown complexion, and found it hard to believe they could be related. Questions flooded her thoughts: Why did he call her his sister? Why was he not attacking her like he had the others?

Confusion and fear marked Aurianna’s voice as she tried to respond. "I... I don’t understand what you mean," she stammered, her heart racing as she looked at Vatium. The complexity of the situation was overwhelming, leaving her lost in the tangled web of truths and revelations.

Vatium’s voice grew bitter, each word dripping with disdain. "How can you not understand, Aurianna? Can’t you see how deeply humanity’s greed runs and how they mistreat those who are different?"

Aurianna’s eyes widened in shock. Memories of the kind-hearted people she had met, and their acts of kindness and compassion, flashed before her. Taking a step back, she felt Vatium’s hand slip away, leaving a void she couldn’t ignore.

"That’s not true!" Aurianna’s voice wavered with defiance, though doubt lingered in her mind. "There are good people among them... They care for each other and show kindness," she pleaded, clinging to her belief in humanity’s capacity for compassion.