Reincarnated in the Astral World

Seeing the sadistic look on Arthur's face, Emilio realizes that he was never a predator, not in that way...

"Y-y-you are a mons-"

"Monster?" Arthur smiles and seizes Emilio's fear to make his move.

Even though Emilio is wounded and his Astral Beast is disabled, he's still a Champion, and Arthur doesn't want to take any risks and end up needing more help from his mother. So, he uses the best tactic he knows: hit fast and hard to hurt and kill.

*Whoosh*

Emilio can see Arthur's movements easily due to a slight advantage in speed, but his rapidly beating heart, his trembling and painful limbs, and especially his still fractured bones prevent him from reacting according to his power rank.

'FUCK!' He tries to raise his sword, but Arthur quickly changes his movement, attacking from the side.

*Clang*

The blades clash and Emilio again sees Arthur changing his movements with extreme speed. 'How can he be so skilled?'

Even though Emilio is stronger and faster than Arthur, he is easily outmatched due to his condition and Arthur's incredibly high Swordmaster skills.

*Whoosh* *Whoosh* *Whoosh*

*Clang* *Clang* *Clang*

Arthur toys with his prey, merely exchanging light blows, making Emilio increasingly desperate.

Meanwhile, his big condor's eyes are fixed on Nyx's, completely mesmerized.

"Come on, Rock!?! Do something!!" Emilio realizes he cannot beat Arthur alone and pleads for the help of his Astral Beast, but he no longer has any control over the creature.

Arthur's insane smile grows even wider as he moves more swiftly. "Your stupid bird fell for the beauty of Nyx, huh? I don't blame the creature; I'm in the same situation… her beauty is unparalleled, after all."

"Hehehee~" Nyx giggles proudly upon hearing those words but maintains eye contact with the condor, feeling her Astral Energy being rapidly consumed.

'I don't know how I'm doing this, but I'm sure I can't maintain it for long,' she mentally reports to Arthur.

'Alright, I'll be quick,' he responds and infuses his intent into his blade, which glows as he attacks Emilio.

*Shoosh* *CLASH*

With a quick movement, Arthur makes his sword hit Emilio's and easily cuts it in half.

"NO SHIT!?!" Emilio sees half of his sword flying away, and his eyes meet Arthur's for a second. "YOU-"

Emilio tries to strike Arthur with what's left of his sword, but Arthur moves faster and now having his opponent even more defenseless, he starts slicing open his belly.

"AHH!!!" The Viscount drops his broken sword and quickly tries to contain his intestines from spilling out through the cut in his belly.

He's finished, but Arthur does not stop, reaching behind Emilio and slashing at the back of his feet.

"AAAARGHH!!" With his tendons cut, Emilio falls to his knees, blood escaping from his body through multiple wounds.

"It's over, Emilio," Arthur says in a cold tone as he walks around the Viscount, heading towards his Condor.

"Your greatest blessing was…" With a swift stroke, Arthur cuts off the head of the large bird, which disappears into fragments of energy, returning to Emilio's Nexus, "useless."

"Damn…" Emilio spits a mouthful of blood onto the floor. Even his potion can't stop him from feeling a lot of pain now.

"Hum hum… hum hum…" Arthur starts to hum while running his finger on his blade, covered with the Viscount's blood.

Arthur's voice is like thousands of icy thorns piercing Emilio's body. "No… please, no more…"

"Begging is ineffective," Arthur goes behind Emilio and places his sword at the Viscount's throat. "I usually would take some time now, but honestly… you're just pathetic."

"You don't need to do this… I know my place!" Emilio continues begging.

But Arthur just moves his sword to the side, slowly cutting Emilio's throat. Before his death, he whispers in the poor man's ear, "Your mistake was looking at her that way… she's only mine…"

*Shoosh*

Arthur makes a deep cut across Emilio's throat, who dies quickly, but he still cuts off the Viscount's head with another stroke.

*Thud*

Emilio's head falls and rolls on the floor, his expression a mixture of fear, pain, and regret.

"Wasn't that a bit quick?" Nyx asks as she approaches Arthur and embraces him, "I mean, he deserved to suffer much more…"

Arthur felt his heart beating more calmly, but also a strong desire to kiss Nyx's lips, so he did.

Aria, still invisible, did not try to hide her jealous expression as she saw that. "It's better this way; we have to get out of here now. People will find out what happened here soon, and there's also that girl who disappeared... let's just go back to Josephine's house, okay?"

"Yeah, we're done here anyway..." Arthur understands that his bloodlust is satiated, but it only gives way to another intense desire.

He savors the nectar of Nyx's lips before she returns to his Nexus, then he covers his head with his hood and runs toward a window. "Let's go!"

Aria follows Arthur as he jumps through the mansion's window, clearing the wall and reaching the roof of a house across the street. There are still a few guards outside the walls, but they seem to have noticed nothing of what happened inside the mansion, both due to sleep and the distance to the walls.

"Impressive..." She comments while looking at Arthur. "You killed dozens of Elite Warriors and a Champion within their own fortress, and nobody outside noticed."

"Thanks to your and Nyx's help," Arthur quickly responds.

"Hmm..." Aria smiles. "The sun is almost appearing on the horizon, and Josephine's noble guests should be going to sleep now. As long as they see us there when they wake up, they can't connect us to this."

"I guess so..." Arthur comments as he looks in the direction of Aria's voice.

"Something wrong, baby?" She senses his tone is strange and becomes confused.

"Can you appear again?" He asks.

*Snap*

At the sound of Aria's fingers snapping, her body becomes visible again. Her clothes and face are slightly bloodied from the embrace and kiss with Arthur inside the house. It also left a blush on her cheeks that still lingers.

"..." Both gaze at each other, their eyes shining with similar emotions.

"I've never had someone with me when doing..." Arthur comments in a loving tone. "I didn't think anyone would bear to see this side of me... but you and Nyx..."

"There's nothing wrong with you, darling~" Aria extends her hand and caresses Arthur's face. "People like Emilio and his family are the worst kind; they deserve such an end so it's good that there are people like you, willing to get their hands dirty..."

"What was it that girl called you again? Heavenly Avenger?" Aria laughs. "It sounds silly, but it makes sense... it's as if the world seeks balance."

"Screw balance," Arthur comments mockingly, surprising Aria. He also holds her arm and uses his free hand to caress her face. "I didn't do that for justice or any good purpose..."

"Baby..." Aria tries to step back, but he holds her firmly.

"I killed them because I wanted to, and I wanted to do it because they dared to desire you..." Arthur runs his hand to the back of her neck and pulls her lips towards his for a passionate kiss.

"Mm!!!" Aria tries to fight it, but her body has no resistance or aversion to his; on the contrary, her body enjoys and begs for more of it.

But she uses all her determination to stop kissing. "No, darling~ please..." She turns her face, and he kisses her cheek, nuzzling onto her fragrant skin.

"What's the problem?" He asks while pursuing her lips again. "You saw my darkest and dirtiest side and didn't reject me, but reject me when I show you my most loving side?"

"Oh my~! It's because this is wrong..." She speaks in a shy tone while still running away from his kisses. "I've already told you, darling~ you can't do whatever you want to your Mommy."

"So tell me that I'm the only one who wants this, and I'll stop," Arthur speaks determinedly.

"..." Aria stays silent.

"Come on, say you don't want this..." Arthur smiles as he holds Aria's chin and forces her to look into his blue eyes, now shining with love.

Aria's lips move slightly several times, but no words come from them.

"You can't, can you?" He laughs.

She pouts. "My my~! When did you become so overconfident?"

"You are so cute, Mom..." Arthur smiles and moves his lips towards Aria's again.

But this time, she puts a finger on his lips, making him stop. "Bad boys need to be punished..."

"So you can punish me..."

"Fufufu~" She giggles as she slowly lowers her finger.

Arthur gets extremely excited, but Aria seems shy and hesitant. "Close your eyes, darling~"

He immediately closes his eyes like a good boy, waiting for the long-awaited reward.

But when he doesn't feel anything on his lips, Aria's intention becomes clear. He opens his eyes and sees her turning to run.

"No way!" He leaps at her like a thirsty wolf.

*Whoosh*

Aria is caught off guard by Arthur from behind and falls on the roof.

"Darling~?!"

He uses his large body to press hers against the roof, his hands gripping her wrists, his expression hungry.

"Mother…"

Aria's eyes shine with conflicting emotions, and even though it would be easy for her to make his body float away from her with a snap of her fingers, she simply cannot.

Arthur slowly moves his lips towards hers again. "Just say you don't want this, and I'll stop… you just have to say the words…"

"..." Aria turns her face away but says nothing.

"It's not easy to lie to someone you love so much, right?" He asks while running his lips along her cheek. "That's why I know you want this as much as I do…"

"But this is wrong-" Aria tries to escape again, but Arthur keeps her firmly pinned.

The force he uses is not enough to hurt her, but the roof cannot support it, and the tiles break beneath them.

*CRAAACK*

"Crap!?"

"AH!?"