Conqueror

That meeting with the Crimson Knights was just... silent and fast. We all garnered up information and I noticed that none of them wants to chat so I just ended the meeting there. 

I could feel a slight bit of contempt from Rize's emotions. But for the others, they understood my actions. They hated the outcome but they couldn't say anything. I didn't know if it was because of fear or they simply hadn't think of an alternative other than kicking him off.

All of us dispersed once again and I headed back into hell. 

A few weeks pass and the expansion of my control over hell is now expanding. I already gathered two kingdoms here and a portion of the Death Reapers. 

"Are you sure that you want to stay here?" I asked her.

"Yeah... Zeta's journey might've ended, but not mine. I was created for the sole purpose of destroying Ouroboros. So I'll be sticking around you." Yurid replied.

"If you're going to be a revenge driven dead weight, I'm going to kick you myself."

"You can try."

"No... you."

"Hmm... tough guy. But either way I won't be a burden."

"...Fine. Then prove yourself. Capture one kingdom and I'll let you in."

"But you let the other three get in without this trial of yours?"

"Its because I needed them."

"Hmm... alright then. But you have to do something for me first. I need some mana. I'm a tool, not even a living being. My mana can't naturally regenerate."

"Sure, I have a lot. I doubt you can absorb them all."

"Hmm... Mana Sap!" She then began to take my mana for herself.

"Status." A thousand mana per second. A few seconds later, she drained about fifty thousand worth of mana out of me.

"Argh... ARGH!" Yurid began to shout in pain.

"What's hap-" I then remember where my mana came from. It took a toll on my mind when I was first absorbing the memories of those two combatants... But she absorbed everything pretty quickly. So their life must be flashing before her eyes.

"This... the greatest mage and the strongest... swordsman!? Why do you have these memories!?"

"That's when I was away, training with Herold..."

"I once stole your mana but... I never experienced something like this. Was it because it was too little before?"

"Just... calm down and look at their life as a movie."

"What's a movie!?"

"Okay I forgot this world is set in a medieval setting... That's my fault, I'm sorry. But think of it as a play. Just calm down and listen to them ramble about their life."

"Got it!" Yurid sat down and began to meditate. In an instant, her shouts of pain stopped. Her head was incredibly clear and she's merely watching the life of those two flash before her eyes. She learns quick at a fearfully fast rate. For the first few weeks of absorbing their mana and trying to view their life.

After a few minutes, the wry emotion on her face was gone. She's now just seeing how the old two was fighting or listening to their stories. A few hours later, I was just there, inspecting her. This is a dangerous technique that can shatter one's mind. I nearly died to this but Herold saved me countless of times. So if I ever have to drag her out there using a skill, I'll do it. He's Zeta's accomplice so I'll do anything for her. Then a few more hours, I could no longer feel the danger and Yurid opened her eyes. "Done?"

"...Yeah." Yurid looked at herself but nothing changed.

"Mana Search." I was insanely shocked. Her whole body is mana itself. Its not flowing in veins or anything, it's just simply her whole body that is mana itself. So that's why her mana capacity is abnormal. Well, I know mine is abnormal with my mana capacity but I had to kind of cheat for a bit to get this. But her... she was made by her master. And looking at her now, the mana around her body began to pulse. It seems that its evolving as we speak.

"Let me try... Crystal Weapon, Crystal Fortification!" Yurid opened her hand and a giant towering spiky sword appeared.

It was imbued with frost magic and as I touched it, my hands on the Demon Form which I currently am right now, has sent out ice on my hands but soon disappeared because of the additional skill. Flames of Shroud, the flames surrounding my body. Which grants 70% resistance against cold, lightning and dark magic. And grants an additional 40% resistance to the rest of the elements. "So? What did that show?"

"The strength of my weapon creation. And the strength of my power. Magic Break!" Her ice sword began to show cracks out of nowhere and spreads from the bottom to the top. Then after that, it was completely shattered. "Learning the greatest mage's skills are amazing."

"You also learned their skill while trying to view their memories?" So it can be stolen from me if I get my mana drained.

"Now I really want to try this. Alright, follow me!"

I went with her wishes and flew right to the nearest kingdom near us. This wasn't governed by anyone since this is a playground for the demons so that Yurid can let loose.

The place was on fire, it was like a furnace spewing out flames every second. Demons were laughing happily as they feast on whatever meat they were eating. Their shouts and laughter stopped once they saw us. 

They began to shriek at us loudly.

"Hehe... watch me!" Yurid flew in front of their kingdom. "Hey you ugly ass freaks!" And that got all of their attention. "Bow to me! Or something... Ah screw this." She started blasting. "Crystal Hail Fallen!" Thousands of ice spears were suddenly formed at the sky. All of it fell down and as soon as it hit the ground, it spread like WILDFIRE.

The burnt ground disappeared and it was like a frozen field. The lava got frozen, the enemies, the demons everything got frozen at her disposal. They couldn't move or do anything. It was just a permanent freeze throughout their entire body. 

"Call of the East!" A sudden gust of wind appeared and blew away all the ice off their bodies and on the environment. But in exchange, all of their bodies were sliced with small cuts. 

"Wounds Amplify!" Suddenly, the small cuts on their bodies grew worse and larger to the point that some of their limbs fell off due to the sheer amount of damage she just inflicted.

"Alright, time to end this! Darkest Descent!" A giant orb of darkness appeared at the top of her hands. She then waved her hand down and the dark orb descended down on the kingdom obliterating everything with it.

The demons below couldn't do anything. They were all just there as fodder. Training for Yurid's ever growing power. "I'll need to your sap your mana every now and then. My mana capacity also upgraded with this."

"I told you to capture a kingdom not completely destroy it." I let out a sigh.

"Well at least now you can see the capacity of my powers."

"Haaa.... I guess that's fine. Yurid, you're now a part of the Crimson Knights and I bestow to you my last name."

"Yurid Reysh? That sounds ugly."

"Sometimes, I just wonder how Zeta kept up with you."

"Well, we did spend two years in isolation."

"I see..." I then noticed something in her eyes. A single tear was there. "Yurid..?"

"Ah sorry. A part of my soul came back. It seems that way."

"A part of your soul? So you're not a full machine?"

"I was once a human but the master saved me."

"And what do you mean by your soul coming back?"

"I left a part of my soul on Zeta. I know it'll weaken me in the process but I didn't mind. In the end Zeta finally got over everything. He finally knew what your intentions were."

"Hmph. Took him long enough."

"Hmm... you're jealous aren't you?"

"I remember now why Zeta was so scared of you. You see through everything don't you? And combined with your obnoxious personality..."

"I'll just pretend I didn't hear that."

"Haa... well you're not wrong. Sometimes, I just wish I was in his place. I'm happy for him."

"I know you want to. You can mourn if you want." 

"Even if I wanted to, I can't." Well, no matter how much I mope about my current situation. I can't do anything about it. The fate that I have is much more bigger than what I want. And I will do anything to save this planet. I've grown accustomed to its inhabitants to the point that I'll do anything for them. This is my life now. And I can't do anything about it. But for them, I can do something. "I hope Zeta can enjoy that life. I will never be able to get that anymore. Since... I'm no longer human."