Unfortunately, I'm an Evil Villainess

Chapter 91 - Demon Subjugation (III)

True to her word, Princess Elizabeth must have spoken to the colonel, because the next morning he arranged for me to join the troops led by a different captain with my brother and my fiance.

"Good morning, Your Highness."

"Good morning, Lady Valentina."

Oscar was back to his typical aloof self, though perhaps his gaze towards me was softer. We merely exchanged polite greetings, but I secretly relished in the memory of our kiss. The ring I'd sent him wasn't on his hand, but I glimpsed a necklace tucked under his shirt, and anyways it was the thought that counted.

"My sweet Val! I've missed you so much!"

Damian shot Oscar a venomous glance and rushed to embrace me. I smiled, hugging him back. It was too early in the day for insanity, but the recollection of our last conversation sent a chill down my spine.

"You should've come home for the summer, then! We've missed you too."

"Oh, I wish I could have, but I was busy developing these special magic bullets. You'll be able to see them today!"

His eyes glinted with the delight and pride of a child and the devotion of a true workaholic. Representing the Mages' Association, Damian and about two dozen of his friends had crafted a large supply of these bullets, and they'd all come to help with the subjugation. They were spread out so every team had one or two, and Damian was ours.

"I look forward to it very much."

We mounted our horses and headed into a different part of the forest than I did yesterday. Though the arrangement was much the same, I'd learned my lesson and stuck with the main forces. I didn't like the tension hanging between Damian and Oscar, so I distracted Damian with pleasant conversation and we had a nice time. I wanted to confront Oscar about the opera, but that could wait.

Soon, the first wave of demons appeared. Damian lifted his rifle, a weapon he'd had specifically crafted to best amplify his magic. He aimed at the center of the pack and fired.

"Oh."

My gasp was not an appropriate response to the demons blowing up one by one. The bullet struck the first beast and buzzed with the light of magic, before the animal bursted into a horrific mixture of dark blood and flesh. The magic bounded from one demon to the next, faster than they could react. It grew weaker with more leaps, with some of the last kills imploding, collapsing, and spitting blood instead of spilling insides everywhere, which I was grateful for.

Nevertheless, by the time it fuzzed out completely and only made the last demon stumble, half of the pack was unrecognizable, and we were in a field of gruesome remains. In my sheltered life, it was the most revolting scene I'd ever seen.

"What do you think, my precious Val?"

Damian's voice was eerily calm and almost serene, and he watched me with amusement.

"It's... certainly effective. Regardless, Damian, I don't like it. It's too ghastly."

"Is that what you think?"

I held perfectly still, blood rushing through my veins. He chuckled and leaned in to whisper in my ear.

"Then you should know that's what will become of anyone who dares to come between us."

For a moment, I had the urge to stab this lunatic and demand that he give my real brother back. Yet if I had learned anything from our last encounter, it was that this was how Damian felt, even when he was rational. This was my brother, both the psycho yandere and the sweet boy I'd grown up with. My heart sank with hopelessness.