Chapter 177 — Cruelty

Damian and Kuro flew through the night, both breathing hard, both pushing beyond sustainable limits.

"Faster, Kuro! We still have one more location!"

Kuro’s wings beat harder despite the pain, despite the exhaustion, despite everything screaming that he needed to rest.

’Faster! Faster! Faster!’

The bond between them carried absolute conviction.

Ashton City appeared ahead, smaller than the previous two locations, more industrial in character.

"That’s the house!"

They dove toward a modest house on the edge of a working-class neighborhood.

The silence was the first thing Damian noticed.

No sounds of combat or any screams came.

Just quiet.

And underneath that quiet, a sound that made his blood run cold.

Crunch Crunch Crunch

Someone was eating. Accompanied by repeated apologies.

"Sorry! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!"

Over and over, wet sounds of chewing were coming alongside words spoken through sobs as well.

Thud

Damian jumped off Kuro’s back while they were still fifteen meters up, his enhanced body absorbing the impact easily.

He ran to the front door and opened it.

Click

The house was dark except for moonlight streaming through windows.

But even in that dim light, Damian could see the figure sitting at the dining table.

A heavyset man, similar build to Zavier, eating something while crying.

"Y-you’re here."

The man’s voice was hollow, like he was dead inside despite still being alive.

Then... he threw something toward Damian without turning around and then resumed eating.

A piece of paper, blood-stained, landed at Damian’s feet.

He picked it up with trembling hands and read.

Greetings, Damian Valcor,

I knew you would come. The military should have informed you by now that the parents of your Mafia members were in danger. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve already saved the other two families.

But no worries. All of this is just a game anyway.

You see, I really don’t like your attitude. You stepped on the faces of Nobles who are your betters. And you said something about the Kestrel Noble family having no brains, if I remember correctly.

Hehe. How does my brain look now? I guessed what the military would do. I guessed what you would do. And I guessed you would be arriving today to save poor Zavier’s family.

But can you use your "smart" brain to guess what’s happening in this house currently? Well, I guess not. You’re only a commoner after all – uncivilized and always crying about unfairness.

So I’ll just end this game for today. Poor Zavier’s father’s mind is currently controlled by me. He knows exactly what’s happening to him, but he can’t stop. Maybe you should help him by ending his suffering.

You really think you are different, huh? All the commoners never managed to stand against us. And just because you are a bit powerful among your peers, you think you can stand against us?

Heh, how laughable and stupidly arrogant! One person alone can never challenge the social construct. I advise you to end this so-called Mafia yourself, before we start taking you seriously. Today, it’s poor Zavier’s family. Tomorrow, it will be yours!

Also... one last message for you, just like the one you gave to the heir of Ashford Imperial Family : Know your place, ant!

Damian’s hands tightened on the paper, crushing it, his face going pale.

His mind was already imagining the worst possibilities.

But he forced himself to move forward and see what was actually happening.

Thud Thud Thud

Each step felt like walking through thick mud, his body resisting what his mind knew he had to witness.

He came around to face Zavier’s father.

And... finally saw what the man was eating.

It was...

A woman’s body! Partially consumed!

Her face was still intact enough to show the tears that had dried on her cheeks.

Her eyes open and staring with an expression mixing love and forgiveness and unbearable pain.

This was... Zavier’s mother. And she’d been forced to just sit there while her husband ate her alive.

"!!!"

Damian’s stomach heaved violently.

"Bleurgh!"

He turned and vomited, his body rejecting what his mind couldn’t process.

Kuro, who’d landed nearby, saw through Damian’s eyes via their bond.

Caw!

The raven made sounds of distress, his own understanding of horror matching his bond partner’s.

Crunch Crunch

"T-That man said you would come."

Zavier’s father spoke without stopping his forced eating, his voice breaking.

"Please! Kill me! End my suffering! I’m–I’m eating my wife! MY LOVELY WIFE!"

His voice rose to a scream.

"She was manipulated by that sick bastard to just sit there and not resist! He ordered me to start eating her alive! I ate my baby girl! I ATE HER!

I ate her while she watched and suffered and couldn’t even scream because he controlled her throat!"

’W-what?!’

Tears streamed down Damian’s face, his usual cold control completely shattered.

’Humans... are so sick!’

Kuro’s red eyes also showed moisture, the raven’s emotional intelligence developed enough to grasp the absolute horror of what had happened.

Damian stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do.

This man who’d reaped lives across two lifetimes without mercy, who’d killed thousands, who’d become a monster to survive... couldn’t move.

Because this was different!

This was cruelty beyond anything he’d encountered... Suffering designed specifically to destroy not just bodies but very souls.

Forcing a husband to eat his wife alive. What kind of person could do such a thing?!

They were all humans!

"..."

After breaking down for some minutes, Zavier’s father finally looked at him, really seeing him for the first time.

He saw a kid. Someone the same age as his son. Someone who shouldn’t have to witness this!

His expression softened into a forced and pitiful smile that had no joy.

"K-kiddo...You’re my son’s so-called boss, right? He mentioned you on calls many times... He said he finally had someone who believed in him... Who looked after him and gave him purpose."

Crunch Crunch

His hands continued eating despite his words, the mind control forcing movements his conscious mind screamed against.

"You’re just his age... And you’re forced to see all this. Forced to see the cruelty of Nobles... I’m sorry, kid... I’m very sorry. The Nobles... you guys shouldn’t have provoked them. They aren’t humans! Just look at me! I didn’t even do anything to them! And yet... yet..."

Crunch Crunch

"Instead of killing me or torturing me, they are making me eat my LOVE! And I’m conscious! I’m tasting her GODDAMIT! THIS IS HELL! I DON’T WANT TO LIVE! OHH HOW I WISH I COULD HAVE THE POWER TO KILL THEM ALL! I WOULD HAVE SLAUGHTERED THEIR ENTIRE BLOODLINES!"

Crunch Crunch

His voice broke completely as he started begging Damian with hopeful eyes.

"B-But you have to kill me... I can’t–I can’t live like this! Please! Have mercy on me and end my miserable life!"

Damian didn’t say anything as he stepped forward, his hands shaking, reaching for the man’s head.

"I-I have one last request."

The father spoke quickly, desperately, knowing his time was seconds.

"Don’t tell my son how we died! His mother and I both don’t want him to know this! Just... don’t tell him his father ate his mother! Please! Let him remember us differently!"

Crunch Crunch

Damian closed his eyes, tears still flowing.

His hands settled on either side of the man’s head.

"I-I promise."

CRACK

A quick twist with the neck vertebrae separating.

And the sound of eating finally stopped.

The house fell completely silent.

Damian stood there holding a corpse, his suit soaked with blood from three different locations, his mind trying to process the horror that exceeded anything from either of his lives.

"..."

Kuro landed beside him, the raven’s wing extending to touch Damian’s shoulder in the only comfort he could offer.

Neither of them moved for several long minutes.

They just kept standing there in a house of horrors, surrounded by what remained of Zavier’s family.