The Villain's Story

Chapter 764: The pain of perfection.

As Sabrina clutched her shattered knee with a pained expression, the other her slowly started to approach, her staff stood in place, itʼs gaze still sat outside.

Looking at something she couldnʼt even glance at, trapped here in this strange space.

”Finally, will you listen to me now?”

She said, squatting down, so her eyes could match with Sabrinaʼs. Clutching her knee, she barely managed to say.

”What... Are you?”

”Iʼm you.”

The response was quick, almost as if it was anticipated. As if the other her knew she was going to ask that exact question.𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

”No, your not...”

But Sabrina continued to deny it, not because she refused to believe what ever sorts of events would ever result in this, but rather simply because of her intuition, and what she had learned from observing this monster.

It did not breathe, its mana did not move like any human, monster, or even dragon.

She had not taken a single breath since the start, her mana moved in such, such different ways, sometimes not even moving at all, becoming completely still.

But most of all, with her observation skills, all the magic taught to her to see what couldnʼt be seen normally... She saw that this thing did not have a heart that acted normally.

One that was made of stone, and did not move a single bit. It did not beat a single time, and worst of all, her blood was chaotic.

It moved in every direction at once, flowing in incomprehensible patterns.

During the fight, she had come to the conclusion that she wasnʼt fighting a mimic, but whatever this was, wasnʼt her.

It was definitely a monster of some sorts, she had an inkling of what it was. But right now, she was unsure.

”Why do you think so? I donʼt remember being this stubborn.”

She couldnʼt believe just having her knee shattered would be so painful. She had seen Alan endure much worse with a damn smile on his face?

Was he into that? Because if he was, there was something she needed to desperately change.

”Why are you so adamant in that belief? That I am not you? This iteration is already different.

Tell me, Iʼm curious.”

Sabrina looked up, and stared deep into the eyes of the other her.

Pure black, unlike hers. She couldnʼt see anything but a void in those pupils. But most of all, was a feeling.

A feeling that she had known all along what kind of being this thing was. Something her entire race had been fighting for a long time.

”Demon...”

”...”

The other her looked at her in silence, her face was blank, but Sabrina could tell that her mind was in some sort of turmoil.

This... Was a demon. Every demon loved tormenting something if they had the chance. To break the mind of their victim was one of their greatest joys.

She didnʼt know why, but she instinctively felt as if she was conversing with a demon.

”Your not me... I would never choose to become one. Stop the damn act...”

Casting healing magic on her knee, she managed to alleviate the pain somewhat, and finally stopped sweating.

”Stop.”

The other her said, before her manager rose to suppress Sabrina. A blood-red mana, mixed with some darkness she didnʼt know of, permeated the surroundings and blocked her own.

”I saw you preparing a spell, give up at this point before I break your arms and legs.”

She had noticed her attempts to burn her face with fire, unfortunately.

The astute sense for mana was terrifying, comparable to Alanʼs.

”Yeah, youʼre right. Iʼm a demon, I was a demonic human at first, but letʼs say a stroke of luck made me escape.”

”Escape...? Becoming a full demon was an escape.”

”You have no idea what they do to species who they conquered, at that time, the best choice was to turn into a demon.”

The surrounding scenery changed, the space shifted into something else. Dark skies with ashen clouds raining down upon the world an endless amount of black ash.

A hellish environment, a cold, brutal chill that was everywhere, freezing all it touched. No sign of civilization in sight. No rubble, no nothing... Just heat, cold, and ash.

”This is Earth.”

She continued.

”And no, it is not Terra Damnum, nor is it the parts of Africa ravaged my monsters. Would you like to take a guess where this is?”

She asked with a forlorn expression on her face. Sabrina stayed silent.

”This is the Capitol. Earth, my dear me.”

Sabrinaʼs eyes widened. And the other her let out a faint smile.

”The martial star won, the demons won. And you know what our response was as they took our home world?

We nuked it. All the thousands of functioning nuclear missiles we had were aimed at our cities, just so the demons could not use our home world. We killed more of us than the demons did.

And honestly, Iʼm sad I didnʼt go in the same way. Some of us still lived, poisoned by radiation until found by a demonic scout, only to be turned into a slave in the abyss.

The ones who didnʼt die in the war, the nuclear fallout, was the unlucky ones.

By a strange twist of fate, I managed to become free, and letʼs say I advanced a lot.”

Sabrina continued to stare at the other her, as she sat down on the ground and looked at her right in the eyes.

”Iʼm you, but from the future. Not this future, but the future. I mastered a spell and got some pretty neat artifacts and authorities.

You could say I reached one of the strongest realms that anyone that isnʼt from the prime species can reach, although I will admit I had some help in doing so.

God, I wish that dragon was inside here so he could tell you Iʼm speaking the truth. The look on your face is horrendous.”

It really wasnʼt, her face was as deadpan as it could be, but the other her knew what she was thinking.

Well... Would you believe that?

”Haaa...”

The other her sighed, and asked.

”Any questions up to this point?”

”...”

”Ok, So not even one... Why am I not surprised. Anyway, before I tell you something, I have to do some research. Mainly on whom the hell is outside and is dealing with Victor like that, and the changes to the current me. I donʼt think youʼll explain it to me, and the bastard I trapped isnʼt interested in helping.”

She reached out with her hand, but before she could place her hand on Sabrinaʼs forehead, she jolted her head back and said.

”... I believe you.”

”Darling, your me. I can see it in your face, you donʼt. ”

”I do...”

”... Alright, tell me who that is outside. Donʼt lie, Iʼll know.”

She wasnʼt intending to say much, but the other her asked the questions that didnʼt really leave her with much choice.

Surprisingly... They were pretty normal, not what she would be expected.

The questions were mainly about her life until now. She had tried to lie, but was instantly found out.

”Strange, this iteration really is different. That Alan Peccator appeared before, but not like this...”

She held her jaw tight as she talked about Alan.

”Ugh, I have no idea why, but every time I look at him, I get scared, my jaw begins to burn.”

Sabrina raised her brows, weirded out by such a statement.

”Donʼt you think he looks scary? Heʼs going up against Victor on equal grounds, and arenʼt you two the same age? When I came here, that bastard almost killed me.”

She rubbed her shoulders, as if a chill had taken over her body.

”What is this place?”

Sabrina asked a question for the first time, the other her looked at her for a moment.

”One of the thirteen houses of the vampires. The strongest in the old ages. Itʼs... the home of a friend, I came here to do something, but letʼs just say fate had other plans for me.

Isnʼt it weird? I always stumble upon this planet, even in the iterations I tried not too. I always stumble on this planet, even before I was aware, or even before I was at a suitable level.

This one is a prime example. You arrived here way too early, if that dragon wasnʼt here with you, Victor would have ripped you apart. Alpha and Beta wouldnʼt have been able to help. When you get out of here try convincing them both to help the Dragon, then you may live.”

”Wait, did you just say vampires?”

”...”

The other her sighed.

”I forgot what I was afraid of... Yes, vampires. How didnʼt you realize it already? The corpses, the blood themed planet, and even me using blood-red mana... How didnʼt... Oh.”

She looked in front, only to find her present self passed out on the ground with a terrified expression, foam leaving her mouth.

”...?”