The Slayer Ascension: Cursed and Blessed.-Chapter 31: Hunt for the blessed (4)

Chapter 31

Meanwhile, the carnage was not limited to a few cities.

It was everywhere.

Across the world, humans bearing the golden glow were being hunted down relentlessly. Demons moved openly now, no longer hiding.

The shural fought desperately, throwing themselves into the chaos, saving who they could and slaughtering demons wherever they appeared. But no matter how fiercely they fought, no matter how many demons they cut down, it was not enough.

The demons were simply too many.

And the blessed humans were falling faster than the shural could reach them.

Yet not every place bore the marks of slaughter.

In another city, one that still looked vibrant and untouched by the world’s descent into madness, stood a massive manor. Inside its grounds, perched atop a soft, wide tree branch, rested a beautiful woman. Her eyes were closed, her posture relaxed, her expression calm, almost serene.

A shadow flashed.

A figure landed beside the tree.

He wore a long red robe. His snowy white hair was streaked with crimson, giving him an ethereal look. But the strange red glow in his eyes made him look anything but gentle.

"To think you would be relaxing at a time like this, Natalie," he said. His voice was neutral, yet somehow cold and cheerful at the same time.

The woman opened her eyes and looked at him with a calculating gaze. Then she smiled.

"What are you doing here, Konan?" she asked lightly. "Don’t tell me you’re afraid of being hunted down by the shural as well."

Konan shook his head and sat on the opposite side of the tree.

"No, that’s not it," he said. "I’m not afraid of those shural. I’ve killed so many of those upcoming threats today that I got bored."

Silence lingered between them for a moment.

Then Konan spoke again.

"You feel it too, don’t you?"

Natalie did not respond immediately. Her gaze drifted upward.

"Yes," she said at last. "I do."

She looked toward the sun.

"The prophecy might be true after all."

Her voice remained calm, but her thoughts were sharp.

The golden days were supposed to be difficult for demons. The sun was meant to burn brighter than ever, suppressing their power completely. Yet that was not happening. Demons could still fight. Still hunt. Still slaughter.

Which meant only one thing.

Most of the sun’s energy had already been gathered.

By something.

Or someone.

Konan remained silent for a while. Then he chuckled.

"Golden child or not, they’ll die sooner or later anyway," he said dismissively. "There’s no way the Lord would let such a threat live. So there’s really no point worrying about it."

He tried to brush it off.

Natalie did not share his ease.

Her eyes remained calm, focused, calculating. As if she were quietly planning something catastrophic.

After a few moments, Konan stood up.

"I’m leaving," he said. "Staying idle bores me. I’ll hunt down more of those annoying blessed humans before they grow into real problems."

He turned to go, then paused.

"What about Arlequin?" he asked. "Have you heard anything from him? I haven’t seen him make a move."

Natalie looked at him with her beautiful azure eyes and shrugged.

"You mean the clown?" she said. "If there’s anything to expect from that maniac, it’s the unexpected. I’m sure he’s cooking up several insane ideas as we speak."

She smiled faintly.

"As for me, I’ll sit this battle out. I already have my eyes on a special prey." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Konan shrugged.

The next moment, he was gone.

Natalie stared at the spot where he had stood. His calm attitude when he spoke about the golden child had been nothing but a facade. Anyone with enough insight could see it.

He was scared.

They all were.

Now that the prophecy had come to pass.

Now that the golden child had finally appeared.

After a while, Natalie closed her eyes again and leaned back against the tree.

She smiled.

"It doesn’t really matter," she thought. "If the golden child truly exists, then surely the Lord will deal with them personally."

And with that, she returned to her rest.

Or perhaps, to meditation.

No one could tell.

-----

Meanwhile, in a different place far away from most of the carnage unfolding across the world, two figures strode through a vast hallway.

One was dressed in elegant white silk.

The other wore black.

Their footsteps echoed as they passed through the grand corridor and stopped before a massive door forged from dark gold. The door opened, and the sight that greeted them was pure excess.

Luxury.

The enormous room was lined wall to wall with towering shelves filled with countless books, all untouched, all pristine, as if time itself dared not disturb them.

Seated upon a grand chair at the center of the room was another figure.

He wore elegant black robes, his posture composed, a large neatly bound book resting in his hands. His expression was neutral, almost empty. At first glance, his presence felt ordinary.

It was not.

The air itself bent around him.

The two women, one in black and one in white, advanced a few meters forward before kneeling in perfect unison.

"We report to the Lord," they said together, their voices blending into one, eerie and unnatural.

The man closed the book and lowered it slowly. His handsome face revealed nothing as his gaze settled on them.

"Tell me," he said calmly. "Is it true? Did she see the golden child?"

The woman with white hair dressed in black shook her head.

"She confirmed that the golden child has appeared," she said. "But she could not identify who it is."

The second woman, black-haired and dressed in white, spoke next.

"She could not tell whether the golden child is male or female. Nor their location."

The man before them was unmistakably the Devil. His appearance had changed, but his aura had not. It remained suffocating, overwhelming, absolute.

"So that is the case," he said.

His red eyes seemed endless, as if they contained depths no mortal mind could ever hope to understand.

He spoke again, his voice calm, cold, and final.

"Pass my orders to the Corruptors."

The two women stiffened.

"They are to find the golden child. If they fail," he continued, "then slaughter every blessed human. The golden child must be among them."

They nodded instantly, bowed deeply, and vanished from the room.

Silence returned.

The Devil remained seated, alone with his thoughts.

"So your prophecy has finally come to pass," he murmured. "The chosen one has appeared."

Then he smiled.

Not a warm smile. Not a cruel one either.

A smile completely devoid of emotion.

"I will play your game," he said softly. "Let us see whether the second part of your prophecy comes true. Or whether I will shatter it entirely."

He picked up the book once more and resumed reading, his expression calm, composed, and terrifying.

To be continued.