Becoming a Monster

Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Provocations vs Stubbornnes

His daunting presence was further intensified by his abyssal eyes, with predatory vertical pupils amplifying their impact.

Despite her own traumas, Raven struggled to resist the urge to draw her weapon, instincts screaming at her to defend herself. But she reined in her impulses, her gazes alertly glanced towards Arachne. She didn’t imagine it, Raven felt an intense bout of killing intent as soon as she had the thought of attacking.

Raven’s heart rate increased drastically, her thoughts sporadically rethinking everything she had been told. She was a brave and proud woman, one that stood firmly in her beliefs, but standing before not one, or two, but three powerhouses seemingly more powerful than herself, she felt the need to change her approach for now. No matter the opposition, if she found the person to become a threat to her and her people, then her actions would reflect accordingly.

Raven took another glance towards Arachne, confirming that Arachne wasn’t going to take action towards her perceived threat before continuing. ”We came here with the intention to welcome you all and aiding you if you were in need of it. However, talking to everyone, we heard some very...conflicting stories about you. We would like to hear it from you, what are your intentions? Are you a threat to us or not?”

Noah’s amused expression only intensified, a small smile forming on his lips. ”Intentions? Honestly, I doubt you would accept any answer I give you.” Noah chuckled, but just as easily as he laughed off the matter, his expression instantly hardened. ”If you want to know my intentions, then it would be just to be left alone.”

Raven’s eyes narrowed. ”Left alone? That’s it?” She asked with a deep suspicion, noticing that Noah didn’t really answer her question.

Noah returned the action, his eyes boring into her. ”Of course, wouldn’t anyone want to be left alone when they are enjoying themselves?” His following words gave rise to a budding hostility within Raven. She resented everything about this new world, for Noah to say he was enjoying it enraged her to no end. To her, Noah felt solace in her and everyone’s suffering.

The torment she had to endure, the loved ones people lost, the burdens all of her followers were now forced to carry, was all of this a joke? His casual demeanor and apparent lack of concern for the suffering of others ignited a deep-seated resentment. She had come here seeking clarity, hoping to find some semblance of humanity or reason in Noah’s actions, but his response so far only fueled her doubts and suspicions.

”Enjoying yourself? Raven repeated, her voice edged with an ever growing anger. ”Do you actually find enjoyment in seeing the suffering of everyone around you? If that’s truly how you feel then I have even more reason to believe the others. You are truly a monster, one that would do anything to strip others of their livelihood to suit your own.”

”I came here to hear your side of the story, but I think I already heard enough. You should leave now, I won’t let you interfere with their lives any longer.” Raven snarled, her irrational emotions clouding her judgment, but she still maintained enough reason to understand that Noah’s strength is still above hers, otherwise she would seek to strike him down instead of giving him the option to leave.

”Heh,” Noah scoffed to himself, further infuriating Raven, her grip on her weapon tightening to contain her rage. ”You are the exact reason I prefer to be left alone.”

Resonating with Noah’s annoyance, Both Fenrir and Arachne took a step forward to stand by his side, eager to prey upon the woman who dared to speak down to their master.

”Like I said before....words would never be enough, no matter what I say, no matter what I do...in the end, humans will always subject you to the options of either submitting to their ideals or becoming their enemy.”

He shook his head in disappointment. By his side he felt a hand enveloping his, Ailetta gave his hand a comforting squeeze to show her silent support. Normally she would seek to reconcile, not wanting Noah to further drift into directing hatred and fear towards himself. However, she couldn’t support Raven’s nonsense, let alone chastise or question Noah’s actions when he’s done nothing that could be considered immoral, this time.

”And that is why I am proud to call myself a monster. If you want to enforce your ideals on me, if you want to put a collar on me, then first you must be willing to put your life on the line.”

With each word spoken, the tension in the air was becoming suffocating. Raven’s team was no longer just vigilant; their formation spread out, each of them preparing to either use an ability or to engage with Raven taking the lead.

”So you are finally showing your true colors...” Raven’s voice was low, dripping with disdain as she turned towards Mark.”

”You’ve heard him yourself, I gave him the option to leave tactfully, is this still the same person you all would continue to support??”

Mark stood there, disbelief was evident in his expression. He couldn’t wrap his head around what he witnessed. Staring at the predetermined showdown, Mark answered her question with a question of his own.

”What the hell is wrong with you??” He screamed at the top of his lunges, startling both Raven and Noah, who had expected Mark to side with the irrational woman.

Gasping for breath, Mark tried to maintain a clear head as he vented his pent up thoughts. ”You said you were coming here to hear ’his’ side! How is this hearing his side?”

Raven blinked, momentarily taken aback by Mark’s outburst. ”He’s a threat. You heard him, he’s a monster and wants to see the world burn.”

”We told you that he already admitted to being a monster!” Mark shook his head vehemently. ”I told you that his view on things was warped, but you didn’t listen. You came here with your mind already made up! You didn’t come here to listen.”

Noah watched the exchange, there was a hint of disbelief watching Mark of all people stick up for him, however, his interest in the charade was waning.

”Mark, there’s no need to defend me, you of all people should know that humans are naturally like this. But I don’t mind....None of you need to continue making up accusations to kill me anymore.” Noah opened his arms invitingly, looking towards everyone with a devilish smile. ”I’m a monster, that in itself justifies any of you to kill me, right?

Raven’s grip on her weapon tightened further, her body trembling with rage and humiliation. ”You’re mocking us,” she spat. ”You’re enjoying this twisted game.”

Noah’s amused eyes glossed over, replaced by a cold, condescending gaze. ”I’m simply stating the truth. You want a villain to fight, someone to blame for your suffering. If you want to paint me as the villain so badly, if that makes it easier for you to sleep at night, then go ahead. I won’t stop you, but I’ll make sure you sleep permanently.”

By this time, Mark understood that Noah was not going to back down. Although Noah wouldn’t be the one to make the first move, Mark knew Noah had a sharp and twisted tongue, provoking even the most saintly among them to strike first. Urgently he stepped forward.

”Enough of this!” Mark made his way between the two groups. ”We can’t afford to fight each other. Please Noah, if you truly want to be left alone, can you stop provoking her? And Raven, stop looking for a fight where there doesn’t have to be one.”

Raven’s eyes flickered with indecision, on one hand she understood that perhaps she had acted rashly but then she assured herself that it wasn’t her fault. Recalling what Mark said, Noah was intentionally provoking her, so obviously all of this was orchestrated by him!

”It’s him who’s looking for a fight. If he wants to be left alone, why did he not choose to leave? I’ll only stand down if he leaves, far away from us, so no one else can be threatened by him.” Raven held steadfast to her belief. With one person disagreeing to budge, Mark could only pitifully look towards Noah.

Noah’s patience has already reached the limit to what he could endure. His hesitance only stemmed from the fact that Raven has yet to attack him. But now, the fact that his non-aggression is being taken advantage of was preparing him to forgo his usual morals he set for himself.

There was a slight change to his psyche, one that was nearly imperceptible to the human eye, but a change that Ailetta was able to notice immediately. She remembered this feeling before; it was just like the moment prior to their kiss. A budding fear emerged within her heart. She could slightly understand why this moment would trigger such a change. When she thought back to all the times he needed to kill, it was always for his survival, now he would be forced to kill just to prove a point.

Constantly wondering why Noah was so adamant about pushing forward when they no longer had a reason to, Ailetta’s eyes widened with the realization of his goal. It wasn’t that long ago when Noah mentioned the mysterious shop. And for this group of people to still be holed up at the police station out of so many places, her thoughts soon came to the conclusion that Noah’s goal and the police station were one and the same.

Her thoughts began to race. If Noah were to kill the group before them, then what about the rest of them at the station? Would he have to kill them too? There wasn’t a doubt in her mind anymore: unless Noah were to kill the current group and any witnesses, including her friends’, the bleak tragedy of mass genocide of humans would surely come to pass.

Ailetta acted on impulse, arriving at his side without a shred of hesitation. Though she wanted to show Noah her utmost support, she wanted to support Noah in her own way. She would strive her hardest to keep Noah from going down the route of no return and will continue to do so until Noah tells her otherwise. It was he himself who told her to prevent him from becoming the next Valtura, and that is what she fully intends to do.

Meanwhile, as Noah reached his breaking point, his aura flared, and he felt his vision becoming clouded with the promise of carnage. It would take just one motion, one verbal command, to unleash a bloodbath.

But then, he felt a gentle tug on his arm, Aieltta’s soft, and warm breath brushing against his ear. Soothing words were whispered to him, cutting through the haze of his raging turmoil. In those few moments, the blood thirsty beast within him began to calm.