As all my senses stopped working as they should, I fell deeper and deeper inside the prison of my own thoughts, with the constant image of carnage reappearing in front of my imaginary sight.

If they stand on my way, I should just kill them. Why bother with all the games?

Losing the last bit of connection to the real world when my sense of touch faded as well, I couldn't help but concentrate on my thoughts alone. Why did I even try to settle this matter in such a roundabout way in the first place?

Those fuckers want to take my Eve away from me, giving them any face is an insult to her!

Pushing those thoughts away with all my strength, I try to call for the system, but don't receive any response back from it. Is this that entropic poisoning that Bonger warned me against? But I didn't use my energy at all! I can clearly say that if I give up to those ideas that are swarming my consciousness, I won't be able to hold back even by a tinies bit!

Who cares? They deserve it!

******

"...not wise, but we can't come to an immediate conclusion! With the pride and standing of such important figures like Heavenly Sword Sect, Katenari Family or…"

As those politicians keep talking to themselves, I can't help but look with worry at Bart. Ever since he spoke his last, his eyes lost their shine, and he just kept looking at his feet, as if unable to bear this situation any longer. While I can feel through our bond that his injuries are slowly mending, I guess that it's just the influence of his system or the pills that I fed him, there is something strange going on about him right now.

"As such, I do not want this situation to happen ever again! While you have the right to control the dignity of your clan's name, you need to keep in mind…"

All this blabbering is for nothing. I heard this kind of speeches back then as well. In the end, the guilty party will be reprimanded, Bart's backer will get scolded, and no one will do anything about how these shitlords hurt my damn fiance!

Unable to contain my anger any longer, I place Bart's hand that I was holding onto on his belly while turning myself around to hide my infuriated expression from him. I don't want to show him this pitiful side of me! With how easy it is for him to grow or get any girl that he would like, I need to constantly do my best to be the best choice for him!

Wait, what is this tremor?

Hiding my wrath under a worried look, I turn my head back only to see my beloved slowly gathering himself from the stone floor of the street.

"Bart, are you okay?"

Instantly moving closer to him, I want to grab his hand again to feel his pulse and ensure that everything is all right, but some strange force keeps my fingers away from his skin!

"Venna…"

Taking a closer look at his face, I can't see the shine in his eyes that he always had no matter what the reality threw at him. Looking at his lips, I can't see his usual, amiable smile, looking like he could only gaze at this world with sympathy and benevolence… No, his pupils are now shining red, his smile devious and the aura that he is leaking… Oh, Gods!

"VENNA!"

Unable to reach to him by words or by stirring my own cultivation, I can't help but call out to the backer that he fixed for our cause. While I didn't speak almost a word to her prior to this moment, I won't hesitate to do anything to bring him out of this strange stance that makes me shudder just by feeling his aura.

"What the hell do you want! Seniors are talking right now!"

As her angry face turns around to face me, she instantly notices that something is amiss with Bart. Even if one ignored all the disposition that is so clearly unnatural to him, just the sheer aura that he emits is able to put everyone on their guard! If I ever thought that he showed the full extent of his power to me, now I'm reminded once more how great of a puzzle he in reality is!

"Did the pills work? Good! Now let the seniors deal with this matter!"

Unable to be bothered by the state at which my beloved is right now, this old wench just turned back around and picked up the useless topic of compensation that they were talking about right now! Does she want to fucking day here?

Not seeing any other choice to stop whatever is going to happen, I block Bart's way, breaking the line of his sight fixated on the elder that demanded me to go with him before.

"Please, wake up! I don't care about them, but I will never forgive myself if anything were to happen to you!"

Approaching him as close as I can, despite saying those words out loud, the fluctuations of the energy that are coming from the stormy aura surrounding Bart are blocking my voice from leaving the immediate area. When only a single meter is left between us, I suddenly feel my entire body starting to itch, only for this unpleasant and annoying feeling to almost instantly turn into a fiery pain of being burnt alive!

"ARG!"

Unable to contain my pained shout, I instantly back out. Directing my sight downwards, I can see steam rising from my body, as it regenerates the thin layer of skin that disappeared as soon as I got too close to Bart. Considering what kind of damage just closing on him done, I can't imagine what is going on in the very middle of the seethrough storm that is enveloping him!

As if my shout managed to wake him up, the usual shine in his eyes comes back, as he looks me right in the eyes with a look of pain, loss and fear in his pupils. When he looks lower, at my slightly bruised front, the worst change happens.

His eyes that recovered their clarity for a moment, sink down in a newly appearing ocean of wrath as he coats me in a shield far more powerful than I ever saw or heard about in my life, before his aura burst!

In a second, everyone in the immediate surroundings is smashed to the ground and pressed tightly against the stone slabs of the city streets by an immense pressure emitted by my beloved but crazed Bart. While the city guards and the high figures can swiftly recover and push against the ground to slowly steady themselves and stand up, most of the crowd gathered around can only silently cry for help, as they are trying to reach with their hands for their throats, clearly suffocating!

"You will leave your head here today for laying your hand on my fiancee!"