"Do you believe me now?" I said to Khalifa as she remained silent, head lowered.

We’d made our way toward the city lord’s mansion to recuperate after the battle.

Well, it was mainly Khalifa that needed the rest since she had been exhausted not just physically by almost dying, AGAIN. But mentally as well as she was yet to speak a single word since then.

"You tried to give this filthy race a chance, I tried to warn you, yet you refused to listen, now look, they spat on your kindness, on your mercy, on your grace, just like I knew they would, just like I told you they would."

......

....

"When will you stop being foolish Khalifa, or is it that you enjoy hurting me by letting yourself get hurt? Do you enjoy seeing me in pain each time some filthy demon gets to you? Do you enjoy watching me be frightened with the thought that I might lose someone I care about again? All because you wish to see the good in a race that is inherently incapable of such a thing? Tell me, Khali."

.....

....

"Haaaa... fine. Keep your silence, at least now you won’t get in my way when It’s finally time to do what’s necessary." I sighed, standing up,

"And.... What... is necessary, D?" Her voice came out small, weaker than I’d ever heard her, choked.

My heart clenched, a pain I couldn’t explain gripping me, but, I clenched my teeth, I wasn’t going to fold, the times I’d done that had ended with me getting the scare of my life, so,

"You already know the answer to that, Khali..." I replied, not bothering to turn back, not because I didn’t want to, but because I was scared of what I’d see.

"Get some rest, we’ll be moving to the blood city once you’re well rested, let’s get this over with." I concluded as I finally closed the door shut behind me.

.....

Silence.

That’s all that remained after Dante closed the door behind him.

Khalifa just sat there, head lowered, thoughts jumbled, and then,

Drip!

Drip!

Drip!

The soft sounds of something falling resounded within the room.

Tears.

Silent.

Heartbreaking.

Fell from her eyes as she broke down.

She didn’t yell, didn’t choke on her sobs, merely curling in on herself, in an attempt to find warmth in a place that was suddenly so cold.

"Was I... was I wrong?"

She thought in pain.

"Do I really have to watch him lose himself in hatred like this??"

The more she thought about it, the faster the tears fell.

"Dante... was I wrong?"

"Am I truly foolish for believing there’s good in everyone?"

"Someone please.... Tell me.."

Her tears came faster now.

Hic! Hic!

She was choking now, the pain being too much to hold in.

"Was I wrong?"

"Someone, anyone, please... I don’t... I don’t want to lose him... please... Dante..."

She finally broke down completely, her voice cracking as choked sobs escaped her lips, her face a mess of tears and sorrow.

"Please... Dante. Not... not like this.."

"Hic... hic.. please..."

....

...

"Damn it..." I grit my teeth hard, nails digging deep into my palms as blood followed freely.

I wanted nothing more than to shatter this fucking door and run inside there, take her into my arms, and tell her it’s fine.

Tell her it’s okay.

Tell her there’s another way, that I’ll try once more, but,

"I.. can’t..." my teeth were creaking so hard I was scared they’d shatter.

I really couldn’t.

Even as my heart broke into a million pieces as I heard her choked plees on the other side.

As I heard her break down into a sobbing mess, I... couldn’t.

No matter how much I wanted to get rid of her current hurt, I had to endure.

"If I cave now.... You’ll just be hurt again. I cannot let them do that to you, Khali.... I can’t watch these filth ruin your kindness.... I can’t watch you suffer for a race unworthy of your kindness... so.. please..."

Drip!

"Huh?" I raised a hand to my face, it was wet.

"I’m... crying?"

Drip!

Another tear fell.

Drip!

Then another.

"Heh! Truly.." I raised my head, as I listened intently to the sobs coming from the other end of the door, my pain intensifying, "just what have you done to me, Khali?" I closed my eyes as I let the tears fall.

I’d rather cry over her hurting, than cry over her corpse.

I’d learned that I wasn’t omniscient enough to always be aware of what was happening around me.

Twice now, I’d let demons through, I’d let demons harm her.

What if the next time, I wasn’t there in time? And something worse happened? What if the next time it isn’t merely grave injuries but me losing her forever?

Just the thought made my body shiver in absolute terror.

So if letting her hurt now will be what keeps her from letting herself be vulnerable when it counts, then,

"Allow me to be the devil in your story, Khali, I can bear it, so long as you remain the kind sweet soul that you are.." I went silent after that, the only sounds registering in my head and heart being her heartbreaking sobs.

....

...

"Are you ready?." I asked, turning towards Khalifa who still had her head lowered, seemingly unable to even look at me.

I pushed down the hurt within me, took a deep breath and then, "let’s go." My voice came out more exhausted than I wanted, but at this point in time, I was just about done with this whole mess.

We got onto the circular platform as light flashed and our figures disappeared.

....

The moment the teleportation ended, I was expecting to find ourselves within another underground chamber, so imagine my surprise when,

"Heh! You’re finally here at last." We appeared within the halls of a grand throne room.

I looked up, at the voice that had just spoken, it was a red skinned demon, but unlike the others, this one looked far more refined.

Other than his red skin, hair and eyes, one wouldn’t even be able to tell that he was a demon, his presence so subdued that even the corrupted mana around him was muted.

My eyes flashed.

"Strong!"

Arguably the strongest demon I’d encountered till now.

"You must be Dante Von Draken, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, haha." The demon laughed, getting up from his throne, his full 8-foot frame being draped in a crimson gold robe.

"I must admit, I finally see why my king is so interested in you," the man continued, his eyes steady, "only a B-rank mortal, yet you have wiped out three cities completely off the map, with no few number of law stage demons being felled at your hands, all that, and you still look like you haven’t even broken a sweat, truly, what a monstrous child you are." The demon laughed.

"Spare me the sophistry, demon, you know why I’m here." I wasn’t in the mood to listen to a demon whine.

"Ahhh... you’re here for the bounty that whore, Lilith placed on my son’s head, huh?" The demon looked to his right, and there, still sitting with his legs crossed, was another red skinned demon, a spitting image of the refined crimson robed demon, his eyes trained Solely on Khalifa’s figure, my eyes immediately went cold, the temperature of the entire room falling instantly.

"Put your gaze away, child, unless you wish to die." I heard the crimson robed demon address the younger one.

"But father, what can he possibly do with you here?"

"I said put your gaze away, do not make me repeat myself."

Reluctantly, the demon turned away from Khalifa, finally looking at me, our eyes met, as I gave out a verdict in my mind.

"I apologize for my son’s behavior, he tends to get carried away." The crimson robed demon laughed.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Duke Sanguinus Balor, welcome to my humble territory, o son of the Vanquisher!"

*********

A/N: Oho? Now, just what do we have here?

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Thanks for reading...