Chapter 95: Unforgivable

Late at night, Damian was still in the forest, practicing his axe forms under the pale moonlight.

His body moved on instinct now, trying to achieve that unity Kaiser had spoken about. The weapon and self becoming one inseparable entity.

Sweat dripped down his bare torso despite the cool night air. His muscles burned with exhaustion, but he kept pushing, kept practicing, kept searching for that deeper understanding.

Hours passed.

Finally, he stopped, his breathing heavy, and decided to call it a night.

He grabbed his discarded shirt and jacket, throwing them on as he started the walk back toward campus. His mind was occupied with everything Kaiser had taught him, replaying the old man’s words and demonstrations.

’The weapon is me. I am the weapon.

Each strike carries absolute conviction of death.

Unity of self and–’

The air in front of him suddenly trembled and distorted, reality itself seeming to ripple like disturbed water.

Damian’s hand went to his axe immediately, his exhaustion forgotten in an instant.

Then a figure materialized from thin air and collapsed onto the grass.

It was not an attack but a spatial teleportation.

Damian moved closer cautiously, then his eyes went wide with shock.

"Ariana!?"

She lay crumpled on the ground, barely conscious, her body covered in blood and dirt.

Her clothes were torn in multiple places, hanging off her frame in tatters. Deep scratches covered her arms and legs. Her black hair was a mess, matted with blood and debris.

But what made Damian’s blood run cold were the dark purple bruises around her throat.

Hand-shaped marks... Someone had been choking her.

"What the fuck..."

His voice was barely a whisper as he knelt beside her.

How did she even teleport here? Her spatial manipulation skill didn’t include teleportation. That wasn’t possible with her current rank and skill level.

Unless...

Unless she’d awakened something in absolute desperation. A survival instinct that forced her ability to evolve beyond its normal limits.

Damian pushed those thoughts aside and immediately started channeling his Aura into her body, using his self-healing knowledge to stabilize her condition.

But as he worked, as he examined her injuries more closely, his expression grew colder and colder with each passing second.

The hand marks on her throat weren’t just from choking. They were deliberate as if someone had held her down, by holding her throat.

Her clothes weren’t just torn from fighting. They’d been ripped intentionally and violently.

The scratches on her skin weren’t from falling or struggling against rough surfaces. They were defensive wounds. Marks left when someone claws desperately at attackers trying to hold them down.

All the signs pointed to one horrifying conclusion.

Someone had tried to rape her.

Damian’s hands trembled slightly as he continued healing her, his jaw clenched so tight it hurt.

His Slaughter Intent started leaking out involuntarily, the dark red Aura swirling around them both like smoke.

He forced himself to breathe slowly, to stay calm, to focus on healing her first.

Revenge could come later.

After several minutes, Ariana’s eyes fluttered open slightly. Her breathing stabilized. Color started returning to her pale face.

But the moment consciousness returned, so did the terror.

Her eyes went wide with panic. She tried to scramble away from him, her movements weak and uncoordinated.

"Don’t touch me! Don’t–please don’t–"

Her voice was hoarse, damaged from the choking, breaking with fear and desperation.

"Ariana, it’s okay. You’re safe."

Damian kept his voice as soft and gentle as he could manage despite the rage burning inside him.

"It’s me. It’s Damian. You’re safe now. Nobody’s going to hurt you."

She blinked through tears, trying to focus on his face in the darkness.

Recognition slowly dawned in her terrified eyes.

"D-Damian?"

"Yes. It’s me. You’re safe now."

Something broke inside her.

She burst into tears, her whole body shaking with violent sobs that she’d been holding back.

Damian quickly removed his jacket and wrapped it around her trembling form, covering her torn clothes and giving her some semblance of dignity and warmth.

"It’s okay. You’re safe. I’ve got you."

He repeated the words quietly, not knowing what else to say.

What could you say to someone who’d just gone through something like this?

Ariana tried to speak but the words came out in broken, choking gasps between sobs.

"I... we went... to buy weapons...I separated...wanted a katana... special shop–"

"Take your time. Breathe. You’re safe."

She took several shaky breaths, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I bought the weapon. Was coming back. Took a shortcut through an alley. Five strengers... wearing masks... they grabbed me–"

Her whole body shuddered at the memory.

"I fought back. I used my Aura and tried to run... But there were too many. They held me down and one of them started choking me."

Her hand went to her bruised throat unconsciously.

"The others... They held my arms and legs. I couldn’t move... I couldn’t breathe. And then one of them started tearing my clothes and I–"

She broke down completely, unable to continue.

Damian carefully pulled her into a gentle hug, one hand supporting her back, the other cradling her head against his shoulder.

She buried her face in his chest and sobbed uncontrollably, her tears soaking through his shirt.

"You’re safe now. They didn’t succeed. You got away. You’re here... safe and alive."

He kept his voice steady, calm, even as his mind was screaming with rage.

"I fought as hard as I could but it wasn’t enough. They were stronger and I was helpless... Completely helpless."

Her voice was muffled against his chest, small and broken.

"When I was about to pass out from the choking, I remember screaming... Then everything went black. And when I woke up, I was here somehow. I don’t even know how I got here."

"Your spatial skill must have been activated instinctively. It brought you to safety."

Damian explained quietly, still holding her trembling form.

"But Damian, I... they almost... if I hadn’t passed out and teleported–"

"But you did and they didn’t succeed. You got away before they could–"

He couldn’t even finish the sentence.

"You’re safe now. That’s what matters."

They sat there for several minutes, Damian just holding her while she cried, letting her release all the fear and trauma and helplessness she’d been holding inside.

When her sobs finally started to subside, when her breathing became slightly more steady, Damian spoke again.

"Can you walk? We need to get you proper medical attention."

"... No."

Hearing her soft response, he helped her stand slowly, keeping one arm around her for support.

She was still shaking, still weak, but she managed to stay upright.

Damian carried her carefully, one arm under her knees, the other supporting her back, as he headed toward Professor Seraphina’s house.

It was closer than the medical wing, and he trusted Seraphina more than the official medical staff right now.

****

Seraphina opened her door looking extremely annoyed, her hair even more disheveled than usual.

"Do you have any idea what time it is? I was sleeping and–"

She stopped mid-sentence, her violet eyes taking in the scene.

Damian standing there holding Ariana, who was wrapped in his jacket, covered in blood and bruises, her face streaked with tears.

"Get inside. Now."

Seraphina’s entire demeanor changed instantly, all traces of laziness vanishing.

She led them to her living room, which was somehow even messier than before, and quickly cleared space on the couch.

Damian set Ariana down gently.

"What happened?"

Seraphina’s voice was hard, professional.

Ariana told her story again, her voice still hoarse and breaking, but managing to get through it with Damian sitting beside her for support.

Seraphina’s expression grew darker with every word, her hands clenching into fists.

"Those fucking bastards!"

She immediately started using her healing Aura, far more powerful and skilled than Damian’s amateur attempts.

The bruises began fading and the scratches started closing. The internal damage from the choking was also repaired.

But the psychological trauma? That would take much longer to heal.

As they were talking, as Seraphina worked, Kuro suddenly materialized from Damian’s shadow.

The raven landed on Damian’s shoulder and turned to scrutinize Ariana carefully with those blood-red eyes.

His gaze was intense, penetrating, as if he was seeing something beyond the physical.

Damian leaned close to Kuro and whispered quietly.

"Can you track them? The ones who did this?"

Kuro’s eyes seemed to glow brighter for a moment.

Then he nodded slowly and deliberately.

Damian stood up without a word.

His expression was completely empty, cold, devoid of any emotion.

But his Slaughter Intent was leaking out again, thick and suffocating.

"Damian?"

Seraphina looked up from her healing.

But he was already walking toward the door, Kuro perched on his shoulder.

"Damian, where are you going?"

Ariana’s voice carried a note of fear.

He paused at the doorway and looked back.

His face showed a soft smile as he replied.

"To handle something. Stay here. Professor Seraphina will take care of you. Also... don’t mention anything about tonight to anyone. Not even the others in the Mafia."

"Damian, don’t do anything–"

But he was already gone, disappearing into the darkness outside.

By the time Seraphina and Ariana realized what he was planning, by the time they understood where he was going and what he intended to do, he had already vanished completely into the night.

Kuro’s presence merged with the shadows around them, guiding Damian through the darkness toward five men who had no idea death was coming for them.

And when it arrived, it would not be quick!

It would not be merciful!

It would be absolutely... unforgivable!