The Broken Halo

As Simon fell asleep, Sonya and Akaza watched him with slightly strange expressions.

The silence between them lasted for several seconds before Akaza spoke.

”He really fell asleep.”

Sonya looked at him.

”Did you expect him to stay awake forever?”

Akaza shrugged.

”Honestly? Yes. He did so many things in the academy to the point that it was looking like he could do almost anything.”

”You can’t blame me for thinking he would stay awake forever since he also does not trust us.”

Sonya looked down at Simon.

”You’re not wrong. I would not have been surprised if he remained awake.”

The two became silent again.

Simon sleeping made him look younger. Even though he was sleeping, they didn’t for once believe that he was harmless.

Lilith was still fresh in their minds and they had no desire to anger a being that could battle Demon Kings.

Simon’s usual cold and indifferent eyes were closed, and the sharpness that made others forget his age was no longer present.

For a brief moment, Sonya remembered that he was supposed to be a First Year and a sixteen year old.

He was a child.

At least, that was what his age said. But nothing about Simon felt like a child.

Not his eyes.

Not his words.

Not his decisions.

And definitely not the things he had done.

Akaza walked back to the center of the clearing and looked down at Simon.

”Whenever I think about how strong he is, I can’t help but wonder how he became so strong. He’s a hybrid and he has no powerful background like us, so how did he get so strong.”

Sonya glanced at Akaza.

”Most likely talent. He definitely has secrets we don’t know.”

Akaza slightly raised his shoulders.

”We must not forget his mentality too.”

Sonya raised a brow, and Akaza crouched, then he touched the ground with two fingers.

”Merath was stronger than us. I don’t want to admit it, but she was faster, stronger, and she still had the confidence to fight us despite missing an arm.”

”It makes me wonder how Blackmoon was able to overwhelm her, and also how powerful her partner must have been.”

”Even though they were caught off guard, he still defeated them... He’s a monster.”

Sonya said nothing, and Akaza kept on looking at Simon.

Then he spoke.

”Even though Blackmoon was the most injured out of us all, he was still the most dangerous demon in that barrier Sunless trapped us in, and against Merath too.”

Sonya looked at Simon too.

Akaza continued.

”He could not move. He could barely breathe. But Merath still had to retreat because of him.”

His eyes flashed with a strange light.

”I want that.”

Sonya frowned.

”What?”

”That kind of strength.”

Akaza stood up.

”Not just power. Not just physical strength. I want to be that dangerous even when I’m broken.”

Sonya looked at him silently.

Akaza glanced at her.

”What? You think it’s strange?”

Sonya shook her head.

”No.”

Sonya looked back at Simon, and she recalled the times she and Simon sparred.

She already knew that Simon was a monster. It was because of that that she decided to risk it all and follow him.

She wanted to go on adventure with him, cause she was certain that he would bring a lot of chaos and fun.

With Simon, she believed that she’d be able to grow beyond what even the Shadowgrave Clan allowed.

”I understand what you mean... I understand it very well.” She said softly.

Both of them were silent for a moment, then Akaza spoke while looking at his right hand.

”By the way, I nearly forgot. We have to cut off our right hands.”

Sonya looked at Akaza, then she looked at her right hand.

”Oh.” She said simply.

Akaza did not take his gaze away from his right hand. He had a frown as he contemplated the consequences of cutting off his hand.

He was not Simon or Lilith or Caesar or Korth.

If he cut off his hand, he could not regrow it.

This was very normal. Regeneration abilities were rare even amongst demons, and very demons would want to cut off their hand because of how it would affect their combat power.

”What do you think-”

Slash!

Pour!

Thud

Before he could even finish his words, he heard the sound of a liquid pouring on the floor.

He looked at Sonya, and he was immediately startled when he saw Sonya holding a dagger and her right hand was on the floor.

She had cut off her right hand without hesitation.

And she did not make a single sound of pain.

She looked at Akaza, then she handed him the dagger.

”Aren’t you going to cut off your hand?”

Akaza furrowed his brows slightly and did not say anything for a moment.

Then he sighed, took the dagger from Sonya, then he cut off his right hand.

Unlike Sonya, he clenched his teeth tightly and groaned in pain after cutting off his hand.

”Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. This is why you were slapped unconscious by a demoness. Do better and be a man.”

Akaza glared at Sonya whose lips curled up slightly at his glare.

However, she did not continue mocking him.

She looked at Simon.

”You shouldn’t be worried about having a missing hand. He’s rich now, and we’ll make sure he takes us to somebody or he finds something that can perfectly regrow our hands for us.”

Akaza nodded slightly but didn’t say anything because of the pain.

Sonya shifted her feet slightly, and an extremely deep hole appeared beneath her severed hand and Akaza’s.

Both hands fell inside the hole and vanished, then Sonya closed it.

”Much better.” She said.

The hour passed quietly.

It was not completely peaceful.

Twice, weak demonic beasts approached the clearing. The first was a long-legged deer-like creature with a mouth that opened vertically. It sniffed the air, sensed Akaza and Sonya’s aura, and ran away immediately.

The second was a group of small insect-like beasts with black shells and glowing green eyes.

They moved toward Simon because of the scent of blood, but Sonya tapped the ground once, and a thin wall of earth rose in front of them.

The insects struck the wall, then scattered after Akaza released a little killing intent.

Nothing truly dangerous appeared.

And that alone made both Sonya and Akaza suspicious.

They were used to danger now.

Too much peace felt like a trap.

After an hour, Sonya looked at Simon.

He was still sleeping, and this did not surprise them considering how injured he was.

”He needs more rest.” She said.

Akaza nodded.

”Obviously.”

Sonya furrowed her brows slightly as she looked at their surroundings.

”But we can’t stay here.”

Although Akaza said it was safe, who knew what beast or danger might pop up in this unknown forest.

Eventually, Akaza spoke.

”Let’s leave.”