Point-of-View: Ariella Velle

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Damn it, this is really bad!

I need to hurry...this is definitely a diversion, there's almost no doubt that the Archdemon is attacking Kai right now, or at the very least, he's about to.

The Aces under his control that are rampaging, they're just a distraction, a measure to make sure that Kai won't be able to count on any backup.

"You're almost there, it's just a couple hundred meters ahead!" The voice of a Union staff member rang out in my ear.

"Yeah, I can see that," I replied with a grimace, a cloud of smoke rising up ahead, and the sound of screams and crashes ringing out.

I sprinted forward as fast as I could, rushing towards the commotion at top speed. I sped through the streets, weaving past fleeing civilians.

It wasn't long before the cause of the commotion came into sight, a man wielding a spear with flames swirling around it.

There were corpses all around him, the surrounding area devastated, and only one other person alive in his vicinity, a young woman he'd cornered by the side of a building. She had a terrified look on her face, her clothes ripped and burnt.

"HEY!!!" I yelled, as I picked up a chunk of concrete on the ground and flung it towards him with all my stength.

He froze before spinning around and swinging his spear across, striking the concrete chunk and shattering it.

Crap, I shouldn't have yelled...I was too focused on getting his attention away from that woman, I messed up.

I recognize him, Nyes Frid, an Ace Hunter from Sanctuary Alpha, and one of the Hunters that had gone missing over these last couple of weeks.

He had long, messy blonde hair tied in a low ponytail, green eyes, a pale, freckled complexion, a scruffy face and a tall, agile build.

He had a patches of scaly red skin visible on his right cheek and across both his arms, the whites of his eyes were black, and so were his teeth and fingernails, which had grown long and sharp.

"Hm? Oh, I...I know you, you're one of the new Aces," He remarked as he glanced me over, a slight smirk spreading out across his face.

How unsettling, that slightly crazed, unstable look in his eyes. It's just like how Kai described the state Trent was in, before he got killed and resurrected as Invidia.

"Hey, get out of here, quick!" I called out to the woman, who didn't hesitate to scramble back onto her feet and run away.

This guy's supposed to be a mid-level Ace, but his Aura looks closer to an upper-level Ace. It seems like he's gotten quite the boost, just like Invidia did.

"Aw, come on, I...I was going t-to...," Nyes muttered, before shaking his head as his eyes glossed over slightly, meeting my gaze and adding, "Oh, whatever...y-you'll just have to take her place.

Y-Yeah, this actually w-works out great...Ariella Velle, you're q-quite a cutie. M-Man, I don't even know the number of t-times I've...I've jerked off to you, a-and now, I get to try the r-real thing! T-Talk about a dream come true, Hahahaha!!"

Ew...ew, ew, EW!!!

So gross!

If I remember right, he was accused of sexually assaulting younger female members of his Guild while drunk, and it seems like the Archdemon's hypnosis dialed that part of him up to eleven.

"Wow, you're repulsive, and that's putting it lightly. I'll end this quickly," I responded as I recoiled in disgust, before chanting, "[Blaze Ignition: Flare]!"

"Huh? N-No...turn that off, y-you're way more fuckable in your n-normal state-...," He began with a grimace, before trailing off as I shot forward and closed in on him in the blink of an eye, his body tensing as his eyes widened.

I ducked as he slashed at my head with his spear, dark energy and flames swirling around it as it whizzed over the top of my head, before striking his stomach with a couple of swift jabs, knocking the wind out of him as he stumbled back with a wheeze, keeling over slightly.

I lunged forward before he could recover and unfurled a rapid uppercut, striking his chin as flames erupted around my fist, burning the skin around his chin as his head jerked straight up, cracks spreading out across his teeth...good, he has little to no Elemental Resistance, so this next attack is bound to be effective...

"[High Accel Flame Lance]," I chanted quietly as I stepped forward while he was still disoriented, before letting out a roar of exertion as I drove my arm towards the middle of his chest.

An excruciating yell of pain rang out as my arm drilled through his skin and flesh, crushing his ribcage and boring through to his spine, before bursting out his back, the stench of burnt flesh wafting out as he let out a sharp, wheezing gasp, smoke billowing out of his mouth.

I yanked my arm back out as he shakily began to raise his spear, backing away and getting some distance.

He lost his grasp over his spear, which hit the ground with a clatter, before he stumbled back and collapsed onto the ground as he struggled to breath, his face turning pale.

"Wha...what just...what j-just happened...?" He uttered hoarsely, the exposed flesh around the hole in his chest crackling slightly, charred bits falling off and crumbling to ash.

"I'll go ahead and put you out of your misery," I remarked, as I picked up his spear and stepped forward, before whipping it across and slicing through his neck, decapitating him before he could react.

As his severed hit the ground with a thud and rolled away, I tossed the spear away with a grimace, feeling conflicted...that's the first time I've ever killed another human, but I-...it doesn't feel any different to killing Monsters.

I...don't really feel anything. Am I-...?

No, I've got bigger things to worry about right now, I can't get distracted! I need to get back and help Kai, before it's too late!

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