My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Damon glanced at Xander, who seemed to be going through some changes. It seemed his class was evolving.

Then Xander finally raised his head to look at Damon, a bleak expression on his face.

”Ever since I met you, my friends have died at your hands, my brother, my marriage, and you’ve even taken my son. It’s like I lose something every time I fight you.”

Damon was quiet for a moment. He had lost something too. Damon felt a bitter taste in his mouth, then lowered his head.

”Sylvia is gone. I don’t even know what to feel. All I have left is her severed head and a wellspring of hatred in my heart. My sister has been taken as a vessel by the Goddess of Doom. Until a few years ago, I thought the goddess was just a fairy tale the faithful spread to delude themselves. If she loses to Unknown, my sister will die. If she wins, my sister will still die because Doom will most likely destroy the world.”

”My daughter has been taken by Unknown, and he’s going to stop at nothing. I know for a fact that it’s hopeless and everyone here will die.”

Then he glanced at Xander.

”I’m sorry, but you don’t get to kill me. I never intended to die at your hands.”

Then he turned around and walked away, his blood dripping from his armor. Walking was hard, his muscles stiff and feeling like stone.

He had confronted Xander, and the next person he had to face was Evangeline. She just looked at him, and Damon didn’t look away. His demon wings behind him were slightly bent, and blood was dripping from the roots of one of his horns thanks to a nasty blow from Xander’s spear.

Evangeline stood there, and Damon forced a smile before whispering, ”Hey.”

Her hands seemed to tremble at her sides before she finally opened her mouth.

”I... I... Let me heal you.”

When she said that, his eyes widened, and he suddenly couldn’t hold up the weight of his own body. His injuries seemed to hurt even more because he had finally relaxed.

Evangeline caught him and held him. She lowered his body and rested his head on her lap. Damon looked up at her face. It was calm, her long golden hair and face streaked with blood, and her golden eyes were like two beautiful suns.

She pressed her hand against his chest, and he began to feel a warm golden magic wash through his body, healing his wounds.

”You’re not mad?” he whispered.

She glanced down at him, biting her lips.

”I thought I’d be. You lost Ranar in some stupid contract thanks to your ego. Hmm, I suppose I’m peeved, and I will be if we don’t get her back safe and sound.”

”Yes, that too, but because I’m a demon.”

Evangeline was quiet, then slowly touched his horns.

”I’ve never touched the horns of a living demon. They kind of feel cold. Every time I meet a demon, it’s always to fight or kill them.”

”We are taught from a young age to fear and hate demons.”

She brushed the hair away from his face.

”Damon, I don’t know what to feel anymore. I... I’m scared right now, and I just want you to tell me it’s alright, that it will be alright.”

Damon knew it wouldn’t be. It could never be alright.

”You’re not going to ask me how I became a demon?”

She glanced at him, then lowered her face to his chest.

”No, I don’t want to. You said you’d tell me when it was all over.”

Damon looked away from her, then whispered, ”You’ve grown into an amazing woman, Evangeline. More than I deserve.”

”This might very well be the end, so I’ll tell you now. I...”

She covered his mouth with her hand, a single stream of tears running down her face.

”Tell me when it’s over. You have to promise you’ll tell me when it’s over.”

Damon felt his eyes fill with tears. He bit his lips and sat up, raising his pinky finger.

Evangeline smiled and then locked her finger with his.

Damon stood up. Now that his battle with Xander was over, he had survived another ordeal. His power was back, but he was too weak to do much.

He glanced up at the sky and saw what was happening. A massive crack had appeared in the sky, and inside it were different chained individuals and somewhere... more individuals.

”The Outsiders,” Damon whispered. It seemed they were finally about to get free.

It was too late to do anything, so he walked up to Emilia, who lowered her head.

”I know you want to blame me for what happened. I understand. I... I just didn’t think Ranar would be the one taken, and I...”

”I’m sorry for taking your child and leaving you to suffer for all these years,” Damon whispered.

When he said that, Emilia’s eyes widened, and her confusion was evident.

”I understand how you feel. I understand that you are also a victim in all this. I have no right to get angry at you, even though I am. I understand that the cause of all this was still me, and you are blameless.”

Xander was sitting to the side, leaning on his spear. He glanced at Damon.

”I’m sorry too... for what my brother put you and your family through. I can’t feel a desire for revenge when it was what caused us to be here. I look back on it and realize you were trying to stop me since that day, but you also didn’t want to tell me what my brother did.”

He lowered his head and looked at the ground stained with blood.

”My brother was my hero, and you wanted to keep it that way, didn’t you?”

Damon didn’t say anything and thought back to that day.

”I also wanted to prevent a war and protect my position, but I couldn’t turn down a friend who came to beg me for help.”

Xander clenched his fist.

”We were brothers once.”

Damon looked down with a bleak expression.

”We still are.”

Xander’s eyes widened, and he frowned.

”But I tried to kill you.”

”I tried to kill you too... so I guess we’re even.”

”Ahhh, everyone loves each other again.” A sinister voice echoed next to them.

Damon turned around and found an old man who looked like a withering corpse standing there, wearing a black robe.

He had no mana and instead carried an unfamiliar air about him.

”You’re a cultivator,” Damon said to the Outsider, who had no aura.