Chapter 8

Demon Girl

The girl huffed, her knuckles bleeding, and her eyes half-closed. Sweat rolled from her back, chest, and forehead as she shuddered on her feet. She was arching down, barely keeping her consciousness from slipping away. Sucking her deepest breath, she poured most of her remaining Mana on her feet.

The loudest clatter of that night echoed. Katarina turned her attention from Duliri to the source of the noise, her composure almost vanished. The small girl had lunged forward. Her aerial kick blasted like a bullet, piercing through Garo's chest and continued to penetrate through Servo and Pirro as well. All three shattered like glass, causing small and large chunks of metal to fly everywhere in the back yard.

The girl took the opportunity to engage on Katarina. She jumped one more time and threatened to punch the old woman on her cheeks. Katarina sidestepped, her body spinning with elegance. Then she raised her left hand to chop the child's nape. The girl jerked her shoulders midair and dodge her strike on time. Her body wildly twirled as she felled to the ground, caused by the force of her initial jump.

Before she could stand again, Katarina leaped to her side. She sat on the girl's stomach and pinned both her wrist in place. Katarina steeled her heart as she chanted the same spell that she used before.

"Let me go! Let me go!" the girl pleaded, kicking her feet in the air while her hands stayed unmoving on the ground. She gritted her teeth, glared at Katarina, and pushed down her stomach and abdomen. After a breath, her shoulders and head lurched forward. It was so forceful that her bones creaked, followed by a disturbing scream.

Katarina almost turned away, but she stubbornly refused to. It was a sign of her respect to remember the faces of young lives she took. She lived because they died – because children died. And she distinctly remembered all five of them, each of their faces etched in her memory. Now, they'd become six.

A tear fell while she stared at the magic array on the girl's forehead. It was identical to the boy's brand before. Then she noticed something – something ominous – as the girl struggled left and right. Two short black horns erected on her head, veiled by her dark hair. But the more the girl moved, the more she noticed something worse. "Why would they do something so horrible to this demon child?" she muttered, audibly disturbed. Needless to say, now, she had already stopped chanting.

Katarina lowered her back and embraced the child. She whispered a different chant on her right ear. A few more words and the girl began to calm down, gradually losing consciousness.

"Did she passed away?" Duliri asked in a low voice.

Katarina shook her head. She stood up, carrying the girl in her arms. "I don't know anymore," she said as she looked above. "The kingdom that I once served with utmost loyalty had been corrupted. They enslaved the young ones and made them spies and assassins. They betrayed the former King." She looked back to Duliri and let out a tired sigh. Then she smiled bitterly. "And now, this demon child... They severed her horn."

Duliri hesitantly flew to her side, confirming her statement for himself. "She's indeed a demon. Did they forcefully evolved her into a vampire?"

"Evolve?" Katarina scornfully laughed at his remark. "Hardly… They degenerated her into a killing machine."

"Is this why–" Duliri stammered. "Just how many–"

"Probably almost a hundred… She's monstrously strong compared to demons her age."

"If I knew, I would have ordered the Arisen to kill her. And now that she's still breathing, we should kill her before she wakes up. It's too dangerous."

She shook her head. "No, we're going to save her."

"With all due respect, your ladyship, you can't possibly be thinking that! It'll endanger the Lord's life."

"You don't understand." Katarina gave him a bitter smile. "Back in the Kingdom, I only sought to build a place where everyone could be treated equally. I loathed most noble houses that extorted and coerced the common people to achieve their goal." She briefly glanced at the girl, biting her lip. "But now, how am I any different from them? In desperation to protect Arthur, I had thrown away my humanity and killed innocent lives that I could have saved." Her eyes looked intently from Duliri as though looking for comfort. "Tell me, how am I different from them?"

An air of silence brushed between them. Duliri didn't know what to do nor what to say. It was the first time he'd seen her vulnerable side. Katarina was a severe woman, he had always believed. But now, it was as though she was barely containing her sanity, her tears – and herself.

Arthur emerged from the shadows and raced to Katarina and Duliri. "Granny is very different from them," he shouted his lungs out, catching both their attention. "Granny is kind, caring, thoughtful, smart, selfless, and Granny never take advantage of other people," he added, his tears streaming on his cheeks as he hugged her legs.

Katarina started at Arthur who looked up to her. Her face couldn't be painted. Different sensations flared in her heart like the first time she tasted tea with milk and coffee. A brew of various emotions blended. But more than anything else, she was happy, her lips curved into a smile. And despite the bitter taste of guilt, his words made her feel extremely grateful.

Katarina gently waved her hand and for the first time after their last regeneration, the Armors moved towards them. Katarina gave the girl to Servo, then she bent her knees and held Arthur's shoulder. She smiled and wiped his tears. She embraced him tightly, not saying a single word. Once he calmed down, she let go and kissed his forehead. "Are you okay now, honey?"

Arthur nodded as he wiped the remaining tears. Then he looked at Duliri and winked discreetly. "What's this staff, granny? He can move like Pirro, Servo, and Garo, but he can talk?"

"Let's just say he's a talking staff." Katarina laughed. "He's pretty useless."

Duliri cleared his nonexistent throat but didn't join the conversation.

"Eh?" His head tilted a little. "He seems cool though. Let's name him Duliri."

"You aren't afraid of him?"

Arthur shook his head. "He looks scary but I don't think he's a bad guy."

"Alright honey, let's name him Duliri." Katarina turned to Duliri and gave him a menacing smile. "Do you like that?"

"YES!" He exclaimed as he backed away a little.

"How about that girl, granny?" Arthur changed the subject, pointing at the other kid.

Katarina knit her brows. "What about her?"

"Don't we need to heal her? I wanna see it!"

"Sorry, honey, but we can't. Not right now."

"Why?"

A warm smile arched her lips as she brushed his hair. "Because she'll wake up once we heal her. And if she wakes up, she'll be very dangerous."

"Is that because she's a vampire?"

"Vampire? How did you know that? How long have–" she stopped, meeting Arthur's eyes as it finally sank in what time of day it was. Her gaze suddenly turned severe. "Arthur…" she said, her voice straight and sharp.

Arthur froze like a statue. "Yes?"

A few more sharp glares and her expression loosened. "Come here," she said softly, carrying Arthur on one arm; the other guiding his head to her shoulder. "Sleep now, honey." She swayed as she hummed a lullaby.

Arthur involuntarily closed his eyes. He stubbornly fought the sleepiness but after a few minutes, his consciousness fell into slumber.

Once Katarina confirmed that he's asleep, she turned to Duliri and whispered, "Duliri, command the Arisen to bring the girl in the secret chamber."

"Understood," Duliri replied hesitantly. "But Lady Allegia, are you sure about this?"

"Yes," Katarina nodded. "It's about time anyway. Arthur needs someone his age. Having a demon friend doesn't sound that bad."

"Kus Gordoa!" [I understand!]

"Heras!" Katarina smiled. "We'll start the disenchantment once I dropped Arthur in his room."