Reincarnated in the Astral World

"Poor girl…" Aria looks at Hanna's body in Arthur's arms.

He slowly lays her body on the floor and strokes her black hair. "It was for the best. Some people just can't handle the pain; it destroys their minds and hearts... now she is at peace."

"Yeah, she's in pea-" Before Aria can finish her sentence, Hanna's body transforms into dust right in front of her eyes. "What?!"

Arthur is equally shocked. "What is happening???"

Aria quickly tries to grab some of the dust, but it simply reduces until it completely disappears into the air, leaving no trace behind.

"I've never seen anything like this…"

"How is this possible?" Arthur also asks Nyx's opinion, but she also has no idea what just happened with Hanna's body.

Aria rapidly begins to cast a spell around the area, but her magic also tells her nothing. "It's like her body just disappeared... vanished from the world."

"Could it be that she... happened like me?" Arthur wonders if Hanna has reincarnated or something of the sort.

"I have no idea," Aria responds honestly. "But this is very strange... we better get out of this place as soon as possible."

"Not without killing the Viscount," Arthur's eyes gleam coldly.

"Alright," Aria agrees. "But the guards upstairs are already aware that there is an enemy in the house. They are on alert, so you can't use the element of surprise again."

"You are my element of surprise, Mom…" Arthur stretches his hand towards the voice of Aria again, and without him seeing it, she blushes.

"Darling~" She steps back, avoiding his touch. "You can't always do this kind of thing whenever you want…"

"Your body didn't seem to hate it a minute ago…"

"Oh my~! You caught me by surprise, just it…"

"Hmm…" Arthur smiles, but then he stops teasing his mother and heads towards the corridor and then to the stairs leading to the top floor of the house.

"Let's finish this," he whispers while placing his hand on the hilt of his sword in its sheath.

Nyx reports about the guards ahead, four Elite Warriors from third grade, two medics who are Initiate Mages, and the lead medic who is a Grade One Advanced Mage. In addition to Emilio, still severely wounded, there are also his wives, one Initiate Mage and three Fighters.

Since they are already alert, Arthur doesn't try to use stealth but rather one of his other favorite techniques: fear.

He draws his sword and presses its tip against the wall as he climbs the stairs with heavy steps, making a loud noise.

*Skreeeeeek*

"What the hell?!"

"What's that noise?!"

"He's coming, get ready!"

"What kind of demon…"

"Mages ahead! Do something!!"

The guards in the corridor prepare for Arthur's emergence on the stairs. Aria makes the lights dim and starts flickering, creating an even darker and scarier atmosphere.

The warriors stay back with their weapons ready while two Initiate Mages stand in front and raise their hands, making finger signs and beginning their chants in synergy.

"Deus Ignis, da mihi potentiam solis ardenti…"

As soon as a silhouette emerges from the stairs in the corridor, the Mages cast their spells.

"Ignis iaculum!"

Fire bolts one meter long emerge from the open palms of the Mages and fly toward the mysterious figure, illuminating the corridor and creating a burning heat.

*WHOOOOSH*

The light of the flames reveals more of the mysterious figure in the shadows, but from that angle, it's hard for the guards to see anything.

Then, the fire bolts are sliced in half by an arc of pure bright dark energy, which quickly moves towards the guards.

*SHOOOOSH*

Arthur's sword intent is like an unstoppable destructive force, not only obliterating the fire spells of the Mages but also cutting through their bodies from behind as they try to run back, and the arc continues on, killing two Elite Warriors before stopping in front of the remaining two.

"W-w-what w-what?!?" One of them stutters as his hands tremble around his spear.

"Is this possible… what kind of monster?!" The other falls on his butt, paralyzed with fear.

"Monster?" Arthur's cold voice echoes in the corridor, and the guards hear his steps in the dark. "I'm a monster indeed…"

"No, no, no, don't come any closer!!" The guard on the ground begins to beg with tears in his eyes.

The standing guard is also extremely afraid, which blinds him. Without thinking twice, he points his spear in the direction of Arthur's voice and charges.

"YOU DEVIL!!!!" He runs, and as soon as he sees Arthur's silhouette in the shadows, he thrusts his spear forward, using all his strength.

But his movements are reckless, his trembling hands lack any skill, and he clearly misses the target.

*Whoosh*

*Crash*

Arthur easily cuts the guard's spear in half with his sword, which doesn't stop, glowing with his Intent.

'How?' The man just sees half of his spear flying away from him while the other half falls from his hand. He loses control of his body, and a cold invades his insides... he falls backward in two perfectly cut halves, dead before hitting the floor.

The last guard sees that brutal scene, and his limbs become so weak that he can't even crawl backward anymore.

"Why do people always dirty themselves in the end?" Arthur asks as he walks towards the terrified guard, wiping the blood on his blade.

"Fear of death?" Aria's voice sounds behind him.

"Oh? Is that why I was calm during my time?" He wonders about that, and the face of the girl who killed him as Liam comes back into his mind in a flash.

"I wasn't angry at her at that moment, and I'm not now," Arthur continues, thinking aloud while looking at the guard on the floor. "But everyone I kill is angry at me… how unfair."

"No, no, no…" The guard drops his sword and raises his hands. "You don't need to do this! Have mercy!!"

"No mercy for you today," Arthur smiles and drives his sword into the guard's belly. He doesn't finish the poor man off quickly; instead, he twists the blade inside the guard and then pulls it out, enjoying his slow and painful death.

As the guard dies screaming in pain, Arthur sees some frightened and curious faces emerge from doors further down the corridor. These are Emilio's wives.

The four women are terrified and hide in their rooms, hoping that Arthur will have mercy on them. But he is like an unstoppable force serving death and kills all of them, being merciful in the form of quick deaths.

"Now for the main course…" He smiles as he looks at the large door at the end of the corridor, Emilio's room.

"Hehe, you go, darling~ Last boss now," Aria's voice sounds excited behind him. "But, there's a trap behind the door,"

"Should I worry about it?"

"Of course not," she quickly responds, and her tone becomes more loving. "Your Mommy is here, baby~"

Arthur's smile also becomes loving, and he walks up to the door, opens it, and enters the room without hesitation.

Inside the grand and luxurious bedroom, Arthur sees Emilio behind a translucent bluish dome with three old men in white tunics. One of the Mages makes finger signs and dozens of symbols glow on the wall around the door.

These symbols turn into thick roots like those of ancient trees and move toward Arthur like living creatures full of malice.

*Krrrrrk*

The creaking of the roots echoes through the room, but they all wither and turn to ashes as they approach his body.

"WHAT!?!" The voice of the old Mage follows, shock in everyone's eyes, except Emilio, who remembers the incredible power of Aria when she broke the bones inside his body. 'Is she with him?'

Arthur glances at the roots, turning to ashes on the floor, and then smirks mockingly at Emilio and his Mages. "Nice trick… if it were for entertaining children at a party…"

"What are you waiting for?!" The lead Mage shouts to the other two Mages while keeping one hand touching the barrier from the inside.

"Ah?!"

"Right!"

Both Mages start making hand signs and begin their chants, but then a subtle sound is heard in the room.

*Snap*

The sound of Aria's fingers and immediately after that, the spells of the two Mages are interrupted, as well as the translucent dome around the group creaks and disappears.

"NO!!!" The lead Mage exclaims and tries to raise the barrier again.

*Ziip*

*Crush*

But Arthur's kunai reaches his throat before he can do anything.

*Ziip* *Ziip*

Two more kunai follow, and the three Mages fall to the floor, dead.

Emilio cannot hide the shock and fear on his face. His eyes roam around Arthur but don't focus on him. "Where are you? You said you weren't going to kill me…"

"And I won't," Aria's voice sounds within the room, but she remains invisible. "Not me…"

"But me," Arthur opens a sinister smile. "You made a serious mistake by getting my attention…"

Emilio clenches his teeth. "I won't go down without a fight!" He takes out a vial of green liquid from his pocket and drinks it quickly.

Arthur can see Emilio's clothes getting even dirtier with the blood that oozes from his body.

"What is it?"

"A pain blocker," Aria explains. "He's going to fight with everything he has."

"And it still won't be enough…"

Emilio finishes drinking his potion and gives Arthur a threatening look. "You're going to regret coming here, boy!" He lifts his shirt, revealing the tattoo of a condor on his chest.

"Oh? That's yours…" Arthur smiles and then lifts his shirt too, revealing the pink heart on his lower belly area.

"What the fuck?!" Emilio is surprised to see that. "A Nexus too? But what kind of Astral Beast is a heart?!"