Arthur slowly released Lavinia's hand, his fingers slipping free without a word.
Her hand lingered in the air, as if still reaching for him, but she said nothing.
She simply watched as he walked ahead alone, his red hoodie fluttering softly in the breeze.
Jeanne, Connla, Cao Cao, Georg, and Heracles stood in silence nearby, their expressions tense, uncertain.
Lavinia looked down, her chest tightening with worry, but she didn't move.
They all knew that there was nothing they could do to calm Arthur down.
Arthur's boots crunched over broken glass and scorched stone as he walked through the shattered remnants of the town he once recognized.
The streets were unrecognizable, where there was once a peaceful town, now there were craters, shattered windows, and bloodstained pavement.
He passed by a group of exorcists pulling bodies out of collapsed buildings, each one draped in white cloths now darkened by dried blood.
Arthur slowed, his gaze scanning each form carefully, his eyes flickering from torn limbs to the distinctive marks on their throats.
His jaw clenched as he saw the two puncture wounds.
"Vampires…"
He muttered lowly, barely above a whisper.
His voice carried only a cold fury, his fist trembled, and his nails dug into his palm.
One of the corpses was a man in his thirties, face contorted in fear, a broken crucifix still clutched in his fingers.
Another was a young girl no older than ten, her teddy bear torn apart beside her.
Arthur's stare lingered a little too long on that one before he closed his eyes and exhaled shakily.
Minutes passed as he wandered further, eventually stopping before a building that hadn't been razed, at least not entirely.
It was an orphanage.
It stood strangely untouched amidst the chaos, but boarded up with wooden planks and reinforced by makeshift barricades.
Several armed exorcists stood guard, their faces pale and their weapons trembling slightly in their hands.
Even among trained fighters, the air here was different, thick with something more than death.
Arthur felt it.
A sinking weight in his chest.
Without saying a word, he took a step forward, eyes fixed on the front door.
"Arthur, don't go in there just yet."
A voice called out behind him.
He halted only when Dulio appeared beside him, his golden hair wind-blown and his expression unusually grim.
Siegfried was behind him, arms crossed and eyes shadowed with unease.
"Why?"
Arthur turned his head slightly.
Siegfried answered in a low tone.
"Because you're not going to like what you see."
Arthur looked at him for a long moment, then he turned back toward the door.
"I'm going in."
He said simply.
Dulio's shoulders sagged as he didn't try to stop him.
The guards hesitated, but at Arthur's presence, at the cold authority in his eyes, they stepped aside without protest.
Arthur reached up, gripped the barricade, and tore the planks away with inhuman strength, the wood snapping apart like twigs.
The door creaked loudly as he pushed it open.
The inside was cold.
Dim light spilled through cracks in the boarded-up windows, casting long shadows across the ruined interior.
Dust hung in the air. The faint smell of dried blood was undeniable.
Arthur stepped in and froze in silence.
On the far side of the large living room stood several wooden pikes, rammed into the floor at uneven angles.
Atop each one… was a head.
Children's heads.
Their faces were frozen in fear, lips parted, eyes glassy.
Most of them had been mutilated, one was missing an eye, another had burn marks scorched across his cheek, and some were still crying when they died; he could see the dried tracks.
Arthur staggered back, hitting the wall behind him.
His knees gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
He recognized them, every single one.
They were the kids from the orphanage, the same ones he used to visit during his visits with his mother. The ones who followed him around, cheered him when he was doing sword tricks, played tag in the garden, and asked if they could be as cool as him when they grew up.
He bit his lip so hard it bled.
His eyes drifted to the wall.
Written in thick blood, in jagged, mocking letters, was a message:
"Red Dragon Emperor. If you want to save the rest, come to Romania alone."
The message dripped.
Arthur stared at it, his breathing ragged, chest heaving like someone who had been punched in the gut.
He didn't scream, he didn't cry, he just sat there, crushed by a silence more agonizing than any shout.
Dulio eventually stepped into the doorway, staying just inside.
He didn't speak at first, just approached slowly, crouching beside Arthur.
He gently laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Arthur… Let's get to the others. We need to talk."
Arthur didn't respond for a long time.
Then, slowly, his body moved.
He stood without a word and walked over to the pikes.
One by one, he placed a hand over the heads of the children and closed their eyes.
His voice was quiet but firm.
"Recover the remains. All of them. Give them a proper burial. I want graves. Names. Crosses. Everything. "
The nearby exorcists bowed their heads and moved to obey without question.
Arthur turned without looking back, his hair hiding his eyes.
The others stood back as he exited.
The moment he stepped outside, Dulio and Siegfried exchanged glances.
"This is so fucked up."
Siegfried muttered under his breath, his tone almost bitter.
Dulio gave a small nod.
"Yeah… But whatever we're feeling, Arthur's feeling it a hundred times worse. This was his childhood after all."
They looked after him.
He walked ahead of them without saying a word.
DxD
The small exorcist camp was nestled deep in a clearing just outside the devastated town.
Tents flapped gently under the weight of a cool breeze, and the distant sound of a helicopter's low rumble could be heard.
Inside one of the larger tents, tension was high.
A long folding table stood in the center, its surface littered with photographs, scribbled reports, town maps dotted with red markers, and scattered remnants gathered from the town.
Seated around or standing near the table were Jeanne, Connla, Siegfried, Dulio, Georg, Cao Cao, Heracles, and Lavinia.
Arthur was notably absent.
They didn't need to ask where he was. They all knew he needed time.
Jeanne, holding a rolled parchment and a clipboard, stood near the head of the table with a solemn expression.
"The town's been… wiped out. From what the scouts can confirm, nearly the entire population was killed in the span of one night. We're estimating casualties in the thousands. Most of the bodies have bite wounds that are vampiric in origin. Some drained, others mutilated."
She exhaled and continued.
"We also discovered traces of dark rituals in several locations. But the most disturbing part… is this."
She laid out a black-and-white photo.
It showed the blood message from the orphanage wall.
Dulio frowned as he leaned in.
"They're baiting him."
Jeanne nodded slowly.
"We don't know if the mention of the missing orphans is legitimate, but we're treating it as such. It's still unclear how many children were taken. Our best estimate is that a few dozen may be unaccounted for."
Lavinia, who sat with her hands clasped tightly on her lap, finally spoke up.
"How did the Church not know any of this? Why weren't the priests or exorcists stationed here able to stop this?"
The question hung heavy in the air.
Dulio scratched the back of his head, visibly frustrated.
"We don't know. Word is, the priest assigned here was suddenly transferred weeks ago for various reasons. The paperwork was official, but this raised suspicion. We're launching an investigation, but someone either covered this up or deliberately let it happen."
Cao Cao had been silent, arms crossed near the tent's flap.
He stared at the closed exit, deep in thought.
"How is Arthur gonna handle this one?"
He muttered to himself.
Lavinia quietly stood up.
"I'm going to check on him. Be right back."
She said, brushing her white coat down and walking to the flap.
The others didn't stop her as she exited, and the rest of the group sat in silence.
Then Siegfried cleared his throat.
"Soooo..."
He said awkwardly, rocking back in his chair.
"Arthur and that blond chick. They, like, dating or something?"
Before anyone could respond, Jeanne swiftly stood up and kicked him hard in the shin.
Siegfried yelped.
"Ow! The hell, woman?!"
"This isn't the time or place, Siegfried."
Jeanne hissed.
"I'm just asking!"
He protested, rubbing his leg.
"Seriously, though. I mean… there's no way I'm not the only guy wondering about that."
Dulio chuckled softly, leaning back with a faint grin.
"Honestly… it makes sense now. I've known Arthur for a short period, but I've never seen him this mature. Like, real serious. It's like he… I dunno, grew up overnight."
Heracles, leaning against a crate with his arms folded, let out a low laugh.
"It's more than that, actually. On day one, they meet at Grauzauberer. Day two, they're sparring like their lives depend on it, and then they disappear for hours to go fucking each other. Day three, they started dating."
Jeanne looked between them and blinked.
"Wait. What?"
Siegfried, Connla, and Dulio muttered in sync.
"Noice."
Georg, adjusting his glasses, cleared his throat to redirect the energy in the room.
"Regardless of personal matters, I suggest we use this moment to get acquainted. Arthur clearly trusts each of us enough to bring us here. We should understand each other, especially if we're facing the enemy."
He said smoothly.
"Agreed. Those leeches already made this personal for Arthur. It's only a matter of time before we visit them and do some payback."
Cao Cao said softly.
They all nodded in agreement as one by one, introductions and short conversations began to unfold, easing the tension slightly.
Meanwhile, Lavinia followed a narrow path through the tall grass, the wind tugging gently at her dress and hair.
She walked for several minutes before spotting Arthur.
He stood alone before a scorched, half-collapsed house at the edge of the woods, its blackened wooden frame sagging under its weight.
A few burnt furniture still lay in the front yard, melted and ash-covered.
Arthur didn't move when she approached.
"Arthur?"
He just stood there, staring at it.
Lavinia stopped beside him, gazing up at the wreckage.
"Is this... what I think it is?"
She asked softly.
Arthur nodded but didn't turn his head.
"My old home."
He said quietly as he stood in front of the charred remains of the house he once called home.
The afternoon sky had dulled into grey clouds, thunder cracked low in the distance, not loud, but present, the air was thick, humid, charged with tension.
He finally turned his head slightly, just enough for her to see the pain in his eyes.
"I used to sleep in that room, used to hang out in the backyard to practice swordplay with my mom, and watch the sunset. She would always leave the window open to cool down her freshly-baked pastries, and I would sneak around to snatch some, only for mom to scold me afterwards."
Lavinia stood near him quietly.
Her gaze scanned what was left of the building, her pale eyes wide with silent heartbreak.
The weight in Arthur's shoulders was visible now.
"Remember on our first date...I told you how my mother died... The night of my birthday."
Lavinia nodded gently, not wanting to break the fragile tone in his voice.
He continued, his voice brittle.
"This house… the whole town… I never bothered coming back. Never tried to fix this place. Never visited. I told myself it was for the best. That if I stayed away, if I disappeared from this place, the Old Satans wouldn't finish the job. That they'd leave the people alone if I weren't around."
He let out a bitter laugh, but it cracked midway through. His hand rose to his face, palm digging into his head as if trying to hold everything in.
"But I was wrong... I was so wrong."
He choked, his voice straining.
Lavinia stepped forward slightly, reaching out, but something in her told her not to interrupt, not yet.
Arthur's voice trembled harder as he lowered his hand, revealing the tight line of his jaw and the water already pooling in his eyes.
"I thought… I thought I was protecting them. That if I stayed away, they'd be safe. That they'd go on with their lives. That they'd never have to get involved with me again."
He took a shaking breath.
"But I was so fucking stupid…"
"Arthur..."
Lavinia whispered.
"I should have known..."
He cut in, stepping forward slightly, rain starting to fall around them now, soft at first.
"I should have known that it wouldn't be enough. What was I thinking? Even after I left, they'd still come after this place… That they'd kill everyone just to get back at me..."
The first drops of rain hit his shoulders.
"I'm the Red Dragon Emperor. The Son of Satan. The Descendant of King Arthur. The first Longinus user to kill a god. I'm literally a walking cheat code. My existence is so ridiculous it's a fucking joke."
His arm dropped to his side as his shoulders sank.
He tilted his head up toward the sky, letting the rain strike his face.
"And yet… I couldn't even protect them… Not one... Not even the children."
His voice broke again.
"I have the power to get stronger in mere seconds. I could make armies of myself in just a snap. I could've razed countries if I wanted… and I still wasn't there for them."
He clenched his fists, his nails biting into his palms.
"Why…? Why do I even have all this power... if I can't protect the people that matter most to me…?"
Arthur stood there, fists trembling, rain landing on his face as he was desperately trying to contain his tears.
Lavinia couldn't bear to watch anymore.
She stepped forward and stood in front of him, slowly raising her arms.
He didn't look at her at first. He tried to hold it together, but the moment her arms wrapped around him, pulling him in close, something in him shattered completely.
And then he cried.
Not just tears, but a deep, anguished, soul-crushing cry that had been buried for far too long.
He clutched at her as the floodgates finally broke, his forehead pressing into her shoulder as his body shook.
Lavinia held him tight, her hands gently moving along his back and hair.
"It's okay. Let it out, Arthur. It's just us. It's just me. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
She whispered near his ear.
They both slowly sank to the wet, rain-soaked grass, kneeling together in the mud and water, the sky above cried alongside them.
Arthur's fingers gripped the back of her robes as he muttered, over and over.
"It's all my fault… It's all my fault…"
"Shhh..."
Lavinia cooed gently, brushing his damp hair back, pressing her forehead against his.
"No, it's not. None of this is your fault. You didn't know. You couldn't have known. You've done everything you could… You've always tried to protect people."
"I failed them… I let them die…"
He cried, eyes tearing up with grief.
"You were just one person, Arthur… No one expects you to carry the world on your back..."
She whispered, tears in her own eyes now.
"But now you can, you will make sure it never happens again. I know you will. That's the kind of man you are. And you won't be alone. Because we're here to carry your burden... together."
Arthur didn't respond.
He just held her closer.
And for a while, they stayed there in the rain, mourning what was lost, and clinging to each other for warmth.
DxD
Hello readers...
This chapter is edited.
I'm so fucking exhausted...
Give me your support to recharge my brain...
Thank you, everyone, and see you later...