Chapter 178 — Breaking Down

Damian stood inside the house.

His mind couldn’t process what he’d witnessed. He couldn’t reconcile the cruelty with anything he’d experienced across two lifetimes.

’All this... Just because commoners refused to become subordinates of Nobles and joined me instead?

Just because people chose to believe in something different? Just because they dared to challenge the established order?

This is the punishment for that choice?’

His eyes fell on the crumpled note still clutched in his hand. He smoothed it out, reading the words again.

"All of this is just a game anyway."

A game.

Forcing a husband to eat his wife alive while both of them were fully conscious and aware. Ensuring they knew exactly what was happening but couldn’t stop.

That was a game to whoever wrote this note.

Entertainment and amusement... A way to pass time.

Damian’s hands started shaking, the paper crinkling between his fingers.

He turned to look at Kuro, who perched nearby, the raven’s red eyes reflecting the flames.

"Kuro..."

His voice came out hollow and distant, like it belonged to someone else.

"I used to think I was capable of going past any limit. I felt like I was a monster when I ate those Giants. I used to think I was a mass murderer in my past life, responsible for the deaths of millions of people."

He gestured vaguely at the burning corpses, at the house, at everything.

"But in front of this evil? I’m nothing... What I did to survive in that portal was nothing compared to this. What I did in my past life was almost kind compared to this level of calculated cruelty."

His laugh was broken and hollow.

"Humans in my past life didn’t have supernatural powers, Aura or any abilities. They were just normal people with normal capabilities. And they were already cruel enough to build empires on suffering."

Tears were forming in his crimson eyes, though he didn’t seem to notice.

"But it seems that in this world, where power is absolute, where supernatural abilities make people into living gods, humanity is far, far crueler than I could ever imagine... There are no limits, no lines that won’t be crossed and no depravity too extreme."

His voice dropped to barely above a whisper.

"Maybe... I was too arrogant. Nobles... I never truly saw their cruelty before. Never witnessed what they’re actually capable of when they feel threatened.

Now, looking at this, I feel like I understand why everyone who tried to bring change before me failed."

He slid down the wall, sitting on the floor, no longer able to support his own weight.

"When Brian’s family was slaughtered, when his ten-year-old brother was forced to watch his parents get tortured before being killed himself, I thought that was the worst humanity could sink to. The absolute bottom of depravity."

His hands clenched into fists.

"Now... I’m not sure anymore. This level of perversion, this calculated psychological torture designed specifically to destroy souls rather than just end lives... this world is scary, Kuro. For the first time since awakening my memories... I’m feeling genuinely scared."

Caw!

Kuro made a sound of distress, moving closer, his wing extending to touch Damian’s shoulder.

But Damian wasn’t finished, the words pouring out like poison that needed to be expelled.

"And this is even worse because Zavier followed me. He chose to join the Mafia because he believed in what we were building. Which means... I’m responsible for all of this. I’m the reason this happened."

His voice broke completely.

"His parents are dead in the most horrible way imaginable because their son chose to follow me instead of submitting to Noble authority...

I should have thought about this. Should have protected their families from the start. Should have never underestimated the cruelty of this world."

Bam

He slammed his fist against the floor, cracks spreading from the impact.

"I was so focused on building power, on expanding influence, on creating something that could challenge the established order. But I never stopped to consider what that challenge would cost the people who believed in me."

Kuro tried to comfort him through their bond, sending warmth and unconditional support.

But Damian was drowning in guilt too deep for comfort to reach.

He pulled out his communication device with shaking hands and called Mike.

The connection was established immediately.

"Sir."

Mike’s voice came through, professional and steady.

Damian stayed quiet for several long seconds, staring at the bodies, his mind buzzing with the eating sound of Zavier’s father, he’d never be able to unhear.

Crunch Crunch

"I’m no sir... I don’t deserve that title. From now on, just call me Damian. Tell everyone to call me Damian."

His voice was low and soulless, carrying none of its usual confidence or command.

Mike, who’d lived long enough to recognize when someone was breaking, immediately shifted his tone.

"Damian... Is everything alright?"

The use of his actual name and the concern underneath the question, almost made Damian lose what little control he still maintained.

"Order every Mafia member deployed to other cities to stop expansion operations. Return everyone to Tranquil City immediately. Also, send teams out to transport every Mafia member’s family to Tranquil City. Make sure no one we’re responsible for is outside our direct protection."

Mike stood up wherever he was, his voice becoming sharp with concern.

"Damian... I’m asking again. Is everything alright?"

Silence on Damian’s end.

Then his voice emerged, barely audible.

"Inform Zavier that his parents are dead. I couldn’t arrive in time. They were... burned alive in a house fire. Escort him and the core Mafia members here tomorrow for the funeral."

Mike’s sharp intake of breath was audible.

"Damian, wait, what happened–"

Damian ended the call.

He waved his hand, and a cigar appeared from his spatial ring along with a lighter.

His hands shook so badly he couldn’t get the flame to catch. The lighter kept slipping, the cigar falling from his lips.

Three tries. Four. Five...

Finally, on the sixth attempt, he managed to light it.

He took a long drag, the smoke burning his lungs, but the physical sensation was almost welcome compared to the mental anguish.

Damian stood and walked deeper into the house, finding containers of cooking oil in the kitchen.

He carried them back to where the bodies lay and began pouring and covering every surface.

Then he stepped back and stared at the corpses for a long moment.

A husband who’d been forced to consume his own wife. A wife who’d been eaten alive while unable to resist...

All because their son had chosen to follow Damian instead of submitting to Noble control.

He used telekinesis to move a flame from his cigar to the oil-soaked bodies.

Then... the fire caught immediately, spreading rapidly and consuming everything.

Buzz Buzz

Damian stood there watching, the heat washing over him, his crimson eyes reflecting the flames and making them look even brighter.

But the brightness was superficial. Inside his gaze was something dead, something broken that might never fully repair.

His vision started fragmenting.

Hallucinations that had been occurring since the portal returned with vengeance.

Brian’s brother’s severed head, eyes gouged out, mouth open in a silent scream.

Crunch Crunch

The sound of Zavier’s father eating, that wet crunching noise, the apologetic sobs, all of it looping endlessly in his mind.

Blood everywhere... On the walls! On the floor! On his hands! On everything!

Damian’s legs gave out.

Thud

He fell to his knees, then bowed forward until his forehead touched the floor.

And began speaking to the burning corpses.

"I’m sorry! I’m so sorry."

His voice was raw, broken.

"In my past life, I killed many people. Ordered the deaths of millions. And I never felt much about it. Just saw it as necessary for achieving goals, for building power, for surviving in a world where strength was the only thing that mattered."

Tears fell from his eyes, hitting the floor, mixing with blood and smoke.

"But I found out later that my entire life was manipulated. My memories, my experiences, my choices – all of it orchestrated by someone else for purposes I still don’t understand. So I don’t know if I was genuinely ruthless and cold and emotionless, or if that was just programming. Just what I was shaped to be."

His hands clenched into fists.

"But in this life... no matter how much I try to remain indifferent, no matter how many times I tell everyone that I don’t care about anything except my own goals... when people close to me suffer, when I’m responsible for the loss of loved ones of people who believe in me... I can’t remain indifferent."

His voice rose, becoming desperate.

"I’m sorry for dragging you into this! If I hadn’t created the Mafia, if I hadn’t recruited Zavier, then nothing like this would have happened! He wouldn’t have lost his family! You would still be alive!"

SLAM

He slammed his head against the floor, the impact hard enough to crack tiles.

"I’m too selfish! I never considered things from their side! They all believed in me, knew the dangers, and still chose to join!

And yet I never even thought about protecting their families as well! Never considered that challenging the Nobles would paint targets on everyone connected to the organization!"

SLAM

Another impact, blood appearing on his forehead.

"I kept being arrogant! Acting like I was the boss, the great fucking ’Sir,’ the leader who had everything under control! But I’m just a selfish bastard who got people killed because I wanted to build something without thinking about the cost!"

SLAM.

"Even Brian! Brian started changing when he started interacting with me! He wouldn’t have gone after Shadow Council so aggressively if I hadn’t altered his worldview! His family might still be alive if not for my influence! If I hadn’t convinced him that the system was corrupt and that taking matters into your own hands was justified!"

’Please! Stop it! It’s the side effects of your art! You aren’t like this!’

Kuro was crying now too, tears falling from his red eyes, feeling Damian’s agony through their bond with intensity that made the raven’s own heart feel like it was breaking.

Damian kept slamming his head, kept apologizing, kept spiraling into guilt that had been building since the portal and finally found release.