Chapter 185: How Monsters Are Made

Chapter 185: How Monsters Are Made

In a dark room, Ventor, head of the Dark Sword clan, sat cross-legged in his meditation.

Closing his eyes, he focused his mind on his Ord. From the depths of his consciousness, a vision appeareda mountain of skulls carrying a torii gate upon its crest. It had cost many thousands of lives to build that hill.

Ventor had no intention of collaborating with other royals who opposed his interests, instead intending to exploit their presence to his advantage. Another formidable challenge stood in his way; securing his nephew, Kons success.

Ventor knew that Kon had a killers instincts, and wouldn't hesitate to eliminate the Dark Sword Clan if they didn't play along. So no matter what, he had to give some leeway to his nephew about some things. The only thing they could do now was send him some promising prospects and hope it would develop into something that benefited the Dark Sword Clan.

As Ventor ruminated on his clan's history, memories surfaced of a time when the Dark Sword Clan was not associated with murder but instead upheld an honorable reputation as exorcists, albeit a weaker and more vulnerable clan than they were now.

"Though our swords are shrouded in darkness, our hearts shall remain untouched," Ventor's father, the previous clan head, had proclaimed.

Unlike Ventor, his father possessed a robust stature, stern features, and many earned scars. He was anything but ordinary, obvious even to those unfamiliar with exorcists.

Honor was just a distant memory now. Ventor reminisced of his brothers impassioned discussions about the legendary honorable samurai imprisoned by their clan. Together, they dreamed of becoming exorcists of unparalleled honor.

Sometimes Ventor regretted the steps he had taken. Maybe, if things had played out differently, he wouldn't have dragged his brother down this path.

Leo, his baby brother. If there was one thing he regretted it was never giving his younger brother a choice. Though Leo never complained, Ventor could only wonder...

However, the world proved unjust. Even rigorous training sometimes yielded no results, while geniuses achieved extraordinary feats with little effort.

Ventor vividly remembered a student only a year his junior who, despite his womanizing ways, held every record at the Exorcist Academy. That very same fool, known as The Magician, would later earn the title of the strongest exorcist, the Exorcist of The Beginning and The End. He would etch his name into the annals of history.

But Ventor had never been such a man. He was considered talented, the hope of his family. He even had a sense of pride when he arrived at the exorcist academybut he had turned out to be nothing special.

With people like the current Kuro Clan Head, The Demonic Exorcist, and the Exorcist of The Beginning and The End, who was also known as The Magician later in his career... With such people in his generation, Ventor felt like a mere insect.

He clenched his teeth and tightened his fist. A sharp pang shot through him as if reliving the agonizing pain he endured.

An unbidden memory of his face slamming against the urinal, the metallic tang of blood filling his nose and mouth. Lifting his gaze, he glared at his three tormentors, fellow students belonging to influential clans that held sway over the country.

What a fucking joke," spat one of them as he rammed the sole of his shoe against Ventor's face, keeping his head to the ground. "I can't believe such worthless retards are allowed into the Academy."

"The end of days are really coming," said another.

The third and final person chuckled. "Cowards and losers, all of them."

The person with the shoe on Ventor's face stomped on his head and said, "Didn't this bastard have some arranged marriage or something? I heard that his fiance attends the Academy too."

Ventor felt his heart skip a beat as rage filled his mind. But then the other person crouched down and mocked him, "What if we beat his ass in front of his girl? I bet he wouldn't do anything."

"Heh, hed probably just cry about it," another added. "Maybe we could add her-"

Ventor realized he had been a fool all along. He should have done this from the beginning. If he had, then his brother wouldn't have been dragged along with him!

One of the guys stuttered. "W-Wait, if this is about your fiance, I only wa"

Another slash, and this time, none were left standing. He crouched down to examine his younger brother's battered facesplit lip, black eye, and swelling on the left side. Leo moaned something, but his swollen face made it difficult to comprehend.

Why didnt you tell me? He asked as tears stung his own eyes.

I I didnt want to drag you in too, his brother hiccupped and cried on his shoulder.

Ventor's heart hurt like never before, it felt like a nail had been driven through it, but despite his tears he couldnt weep. He no longer cared about his futile clan that preached honor instead of strength.

If adhering to honor had led him to this point, then what was the point of upholding it? He didn't care anymore.

From now on, he would live according to his own rules!

...

Ventor opened his eyes, tearing himself away from painful memories. His heart, filled with rage even after all this time, had begun to calm. He had already enacted his revenge, annihilating the clans of those who had humiliated him, down to the last baby still in their mothers womb.

His brother had aided him, creating the bomber armor that would handle the first hit, which allowed Ventor to retaliate with his ability as the condition of the opponent attacking someone of his clan was fulfilled.

Among the victims, only a young girl survived, the sister of one of Ventor's old tormentors. She possessed talent and was being groomed to become a Special Exorcist by her clan.

Despite Ventor's original intention to eliminate her, he ended up taking her as his wife in a marriage that she had obviously detested. He had slaughtered her relatives, parents, and both younger and older siblings.

That woman was Delia's mother, and his daughter inherited her mother's potential. Ventor had considered having more children with her, but she took her own life too early.

He regretted not keeping her as a captive solely for procreation. He had been too soft back then, even allowing her to see the sun and sky. That would never happen again.

His unwavering beliefs had withstood the test of time, and his clan had grown stronger than ever before. Ventor had learned from his youth, and killed anyone who dared to stand against his clan.

No one, be it a royal or a member of a great clan, dared to provoke anyone from the Dark Sword Clan.

Never... Never again will I be so weak. Never again will anyone hurt my family!

Suddenly, the door to his room swung open, revealing Delia, his daughter. Her eyes held no remorse, and behind her lay a trail of bloodied bodies in the hallway. She held fistfuls of white hair, belonging to the decapitated heads of the clan elders.

With a nonchalant gesture, she tossed the severed heads before her father's feet.

"So, what about that clan head position?" she inquired, her voice chillingly calm.

Ventor's heart raced. Nonetheless, he calmly rose to his feet. "Why do you ask such a question when your bloodlust makes it clear that you would kill me regardless of my answer?"

Delia smiled, and for a moment, Ventor questioned if this was still his daughter, for her smile bore a strange childlike innocence and sweetness.