Chapter 39 - The Night Starts

"UGH."

"Please, don't move too much, you're still not okay... I wonder... why is it taking you so long to regenerate this time?" 

Back in the house in their room, Vera tried to place Valentine against the head of the bed, it was difficult to measure the degree of regeneration since the injury was internal, but at least now he could move some of his limbs much better.

Valentine sighed a breath out, he is worried about Fayette being outside on her own, that damned demon really did a good one against him, the feeling was weird, as if there were worms moving about inside his body, several of his ribs were broken and pierced his organs.

"I think... it has to do with Lucretia... you said she kissed me and took some 'gold stuff' right? I remember the first time she kissed me, I felt weak as well... it must have something to do with that." 

Vera took some of the hot towels that she brought from the bathroom and placed them all over his body, perhaps hoping that it would soothe him somehow.

"Yes, surely that bitch had anything to do with this, are you feeling better? you don't feel like throwing up or anything?" She caressed his cheek with concern and he nodded softly, she surely changed a lot after that little conversation.

"...why would I?" he doesn't feel like he got injured on his stomach, it was mostly his lungs that got most of the damage, perhaps he passed out due to the lack of oxygen... or that's what his brain is trying to simulate.

"You... you ate that demon's brain? why did you do that?" She had been curious about that all this while, sure, they had eaten the cores of the beast as the last resource, they tasted horrible.

But this time he took the core straight from the demon's brain and ate it raw with grey matter included!

"I... did what?" He held his head and asked again just to make sure, he doesn't have any memory of this.

"You ate it... Bellcroft's brain... you don't remember?" 

"No... I... after I bisected his neck I almost can't remember anything else... did I really do that? why...?" He can't recall anything.

None of the two noticed the big runic knife shining slightly.

"If you don't know... anyway, what will we do now, Vale? after what you did...?"

"We're going to escape, now we have some leverage, I don't know what the fuck a protector is, but it seems to be something important in here... perhaps if we pass as 'protectors' we might be able to leave this place in a more peaceful manner, we have weapons, we have money just in case... perhaps we're ready to set off, the problem is, I don't know if it's going to be that easy now, but at least, with that show, it should deter most demons from trying to fight us... that bastard was really strong."

"That or they're going to send more Demon Soldiers, Vale..." She thought of this possibility as well.

"No, I thought of that, if you see the amount of Demon Soldiers that roam the city, they're not many... if they want to send the demon soldiers to us whoever it might be, they're going to weaken their other flanks... regardless of the outcome, it's going to be profitable for us." He concluded while holding her shoulder, her logic seems to be improving.

"Pass me the Rose Thorn..." He motioned her casually.

"... ah? the what?" 

"... the... your knife, pass me the knife." He held his head, how does that name come about?

'Rose Eagle Thorn... why does that name come to my head? could this blade be charmed or something...?'

Vera tilted her head and did as asked, she brought the knife to him.

"..." He looked at it for a long time, so far... there is nothing wrong with this knife.

The performance was perfect and it cut that demon's tough skin as if it was tofu.

"Vera, I want you to take the knife... it's yours from now on, but you have to be careful when you wield it, a bad move and it could cut your own hand, understood?" He presented the blade to her and the beauty regarded it for a while.

"Are you sure? you want to give it to me, wouldn't it be better with you?" She assumed that since he's the strongest in the team, the best weapon should be his, but that's not the best mindset.

The horntail that Fayette got is not a bad weapon, he can do well enough with two of those.

"No... I want you to use it to boost your strength, we're going to get in even more complicated events now and I need you to be in your top condition to assist us, alright? we are a team... I know you're not a little princess, you know how to fight already... but these demons, they're no joke... this thing can cut them easily so you  should take it, but don't use it all the time, I don't want you to get overly reliant on it when we spar in the future, you're going to use a common knife."

"..." With nothing more to say, she took the knife she would be using from now on, and felt a slight shiver go through her hand the moment she took it. 

As if the 'small sword' became heavier all of the sudden.

**

**

When Valentine saw the bloodied Fayette come through the door, he wanted to curse out loud.

"Faye!" Vera was faster than him, she immediately ran to the woman who was carrying several bags of food.

Fayette felt how a cannonball impacted against her in the form of Vera who immediately started to check,

"Don't worry Vera, it's not mine... some bastards drew me into the alleyway and attacked me there... look, they were Onyx..." Fayette closed the door with a lock and placed the chair leaning against the knob just in case, then took out two abyssal black crystals.

"Onyx..."

Valentine and Vera regarded those crystals, they're truly different from the ones they have seen so far, the previous ones looked like a piece of very solid charcoal while this one is shinier and slightly bigger.

Then they wondered how the crystals inside them look... so far they haven't seen them.

"Nothing really happened, right?" Valentine sighed at the fact that he couldn't even move to hug her, he doesn't know how many times he has cursed Bellcroft now.

"Yes, honey... don't worry, I'm okay... I felt like I was being watched all along, but after going through the alleyways I managed to lose them... they, they're worse than we thought, but demons seem to think it twice before stepping in them." When she recalled the things she saw inside, she felt like throwing out.

"That's okay, come... just lay down." He indicated her to come and lay beside him and she did so after taking away her bloodied clothes to remain just in her underwear with an annoyed expression.

She's still pissed that her clothes got dirty.

"I'm going to have to clean them later... come, Vera, we have to discuss what we're going to do from now on... it's clear that we can't remain in this city." Fayette lay softly against Valentine's lap.

"B-But shouldn't I guard?" She looked at the door that seemed to be tightly secured, but even then, after seeming the strength of that demon, Bellcroft, if one of them wanted to argue in, a fist was more than enough.

"Don't worry, I believe we're safe for now... come." Fayette patted Valentine's other side.

...

When the three of them lay on the bed, Valentine caressed their silky hairs and thought about what to do next.

"We have enough food for several days, I don't plan to come out until you're fully regenerated, I'm sure that bitch Lucretia has something to do... she sucked that golden stuff out of you, it must have something to do with your soul... moreover, I know understand why those demonesses offer sex to anyone they see..."

"Huh?"

"I saw it, in the alleyways... how they have sex with humans and suck their souls like that, sometimes so much that only corpses are left behind... surely, they will regenerate but... how long will it take? by then they might as well just get the crystals and eat them... and most of the times, that's exactly what happened... the true identity of this city and the netherworld is within the alleyways where no one is looking... there, there are only wails of pain and humans try to kill each other. I was lucky to be close to the hotel and didn't have to move around much in there." She retold her experiences that could only make the other two feel disgusted.

"So you're saying that what lies outside is just a facade...?" Vera gulped slightly.

"Yes, outside, in the main streets, that's for the demons... the ones that have the money to shelter themselves and enjoy those things... no wonder they think we're 'protectors'... there are a lot more humans moving through the alleyways than outside of them, and all of them look way worse than what we see in the streets, it's ridiculous... today I truly saw how hell looks like." She grimaced.

Fayette had originally taken that approach because she didn't know if anyone was following her or not, but now she regrets it.