Rade's Demon Elimination Service

Chapter 19: This is What Happens Next...

Rade called forth Aíma.

The sting from how she called the weapon was there and like the usual, she didn't flinch though and let the markings from her neck down to her chest and arms disappear. When Emma was just newly given to her by her own self, the holy weapon answers to the bloodlust of its master and when Rade killed her father, the weapon came to her naturally.

And it clung to her even until now.

Rade rubbed her eyes, painful they both were from watching the demon taking a stroll around the town. Blinking the pain away from her eyes to alleviate how she was being hurt, she ran after the demon, Emma was raised and posed to kill. Before her attack though, Rade as caught on its tail, smashing her on the ground. Falling down by the impact of the demon's tail on her stomach, Rade prepared to take land and ending up on her two feet before running towards the demon again.

Silent as the wind, Rade finally brought her weapon down the demon's thick hide. Emma immediately absorbed the blood from its poor victim and Rade almost lost her grip on Emma's hilt because of the force. Gritting her teeth and blinking more rapidly, she sliced through the demon's body and, finally, she reached its core.

The demon faded like a dust until only its core could be seen. Rade sighed and bent down on one knee to retrieve the core. As usual, her clothes have been dyed an awful red with the stink of a thousand gallons of blood. She was so soaked through that her very skirt was dripping.

Rade's battles has always been like this.

Brutal.

Cruel.

Bloody.

No one would think that the one thing that she hated the most was killing. If one would look at her, she was almost like revelling by being a more powerful being than her victim. But that was as further from truth than believing the earth was flat and that the earth was the center of the universe.

Rade staggered forward, the demon's core was clenched tightly on her fist. Heavy breaths could be heard from the girl and her eyes were painful, watery but feeling as if they were both very dry.

But then, Rade's skin tingled and when she looked back, her eyes weren't even opened yet, she knew that it was too late to dodge. She tried to stand up from how she was kneeling on one knee, but she was too spent still.

After all, she just came back from a major battle against one of the demons of humanity. Her meridians weren't still fully healed, but Rade knew what if she stopped even just one minute, even just one minute, there would be the matters that she kept on escaping from. She just wanted a respite, maybe a small rest, before she take on everything that would inevitably haunt her down.

Just as the demon's claws were going down on her, someone else's blade sliced away the claws before reaching the girl. With Rade's eyes finally recovered, she searched for her savior. Standing on the carcass of the demon and bringing his blade on its body, Felif Astride killed the creature without further ado, not even with a fancy move.

His face, handsome and kind as always, was stained with blood-red fluid but there was no menace on his expression. There was only worry about the girl below the demon. Obliterating the demon, it quickly turned into dust, only leaving behind a fanciful precious stone that was its own core.

"Are you okay?" Felif asked Rade worriedly. He quickly went to check on Rade who was also stained with blood, though hers was all over her body. "You kids should be more careful. Are you injured anywhere?"

Rade only shook her head.

She was supposed to be angry with being called as a kid. Despite what her age might suggest, she was never treated as such and she never really acted as one since the day of her first kill. But there was only genuine sincerity of the worry on the older man's voice and expression.

"Wait," said Felif and held both of Rade's shoulders. He leaned forward and Rade also leaned backward, feeling slightly awkward with the man's scrutiny of her. "You are not injured, yes? Or has it got you anywhere else? Do you want to go to the Watchtower and see yourself checked?" Felif knitted his eyebrows. "Why aren't you speaking?" he asked yet again.

Similar to what she did earlier, Rade shook her head and shrugged off his hands on her shoulders. She called back to her bloodstream her weapon. Again, she felt the painful mixing of the weapon that turned into its liquid form to her blood.

"So we meet again, Lord Astride," Rade whispered, looking at the healing cut on her palm where Emma has gone into her body.

Emma didn't really heal Rade's injuries. The weapon only patched every cut and damage on Rade's body, seemingly how a human would fix its house. Emma needed Rade to survive, and, in return, Emma lets Rade use it on battles. At the end of the day, the weapon Aíma, whose blood of its victims have been absorbed, was still a glorified parasitic substance.

Rade sighed again. In front of her savior, she bowed deeply and offered her words of thanks.

"I am grateful for your help again, Lord Astride," she said before the older man could utter a word regarding her fisrt statement or a even just a small and simple greetings. Rade thrusted the demon core she gained from earlier to Felif. "Please accept this as my form of gratitude."

"Eh?" Felif frowned at the bowing girl. "That's not necessary, you know? Rade, stand up properly. I only help you because I thought you were in trouble, not because I was seeking a payment."

"That's not what I meant, Lord Astride," Rade contradicted. She bowed deeply again. "If that's what the meaning you heard from my words, the I apologize."

"Stop bowing to me, Rade," Felif said and patted her shoulder. He shook his head at the outstretched hand of the younger girl where a demon core was lying and put the other demon core he gained from the second demon instead. "You need it more than I do. If you really want to show your gratitude to me, hmmm—" Felif put a hand in his chin, seemingly thinking "—why not treat me for a meal?" Felif shrugged off his shoulders his long coat and draped it over the girl's shoulders to mask the poor state of her clothes.

Rade's back straightened. Looking at the older man's back who has turned around already to look for a restaurant. Then her eyes fell on the precious stone on her hand and the additional one that Felif placed next to the other one.

The coat was too big for her and it reached down to her legs, almost to her baggy shoes actually. It engulfed her small frame and then Rade finally started to follow Felif Astride.

At the end, Felif only chose the nearest convenience store and opted for a ramen cuo noodles. Rade has no appetite but her lips were in a dangerously pale shade due to starvation. Noticing that, Felif also got a simple rice meal for the kid.

They sat under one of the massive umbrellas outside of the store, revelling on the fresh air and watching the kids from the nearby park playing with sand.

"Summer vacation is nearing, you and your friends got any plans?" Felif asked Rade as he slurped on the noddles. Although there was still the bite of the last winter's coldness, spring wasn't as warm as before due to the storm that hit the nearby area.

Felif chuckled lightly. In Rade's ears, his small laughter was pleasant and it made her feel better.

Since I've been living here, all of the people I've met were beautiful and gentle, Rade thought and her heart ached so much.

"I remember when I was your age and when the summer vacation came along, we would go to the training grounds of Italy," he told her, the chopsticks was lying and forgotten on the side of his cup noodles, while Rade picked on her meal. "Then when the summer was full-on, we would spend ten days on a vespa tour. Not really attending the training, then at nights, when the stars are beautiful and high up on the sky, we would go swim."

Felif looked at Rade.

"Good times," he said, very reminiscent of the memories that have long since happened and has faded on everybody else's minds.

Rade does not have those kind of memories. Or maybe she did, once upon a time when Lauri and Carys Haeven were still alive and everything was well and good. Times have changed and now she was a rogue hunter, a vagabond who doesn't know what would happen to her next.

"I don't have any friends," Rade said bitterly. She even surprised herself with the bitterness on her tone as though the hope she has gained from a week ago has been thoroughly crushed by that one night. That was the case actually, the crushing of hope caused her to feel so lost all over again.

Felif patted her bowed head, she stole a glimpse of the older man. He was staring at some faraway distance, but a touch of melancholy was on his eyes.

"When you worry too much, it means you care," he finally said after some time. "But making a mistake doesn't really make you a bad person." His eyes turned towards Rade. "You might have made a mistake by going after the Shadow Fantasm, but don't let the worry consume you. Why don't you go and check up on Kalleid and New York?"

There was something on Rade's chest that was clenched so tightly that she couldn't breathe properly. With a horror, Rade realized that she wanted to cry and wail. She wanted to complain why her life must go on this way.

Lauri and Carys Haeven, both were now deceased, were one of the few people that truly loved and cared for Rade, a cursed nobody that has committed atrocities unpardonable by the world. In order to move in the regions that were being ruled by the Aldeia clan, Rade has to make a deal with a devil and it was not pretty, only filled with bloodshed.

She was supposed to die while fighting the Fantasm, now that she didn't die, Rade don't know what to do with her life anymore.

"How do you know those things?" Rade asked Felif, her eyes were moist and she blinked rapidly but the whiteness that she saw on her vision didn't fade. "How can you say those things?"

My body is failing me, she thought suddenly and pushed that at the very back of her mind.

"The Aldeia clan is accommodating my stay in their area," Felif answered causally. "Of course I'd know. It has been a week, isn't it? You should check up in your friends."

"They're not my friends," Rade said stubbornly. "They won't be my friends," she even bitterly corrected herself.

Felif nodded his head and smiled warmly at Rade.

"You went on, face-first, to the Shadow Fantasm and they did their best to save you from that demon," he said gently, "now you're saying that they're not your friends. Won't that be unfair to them?"

Rade bowed her head lower, her pointy chin almost digging to her bony chest. She suppressed her sobs more forcefully and when she looked up at Felif, there was a peculiar shine on her eyes.

"The Huntsman Order would sentence me to death by engaging the Fantasm on a battle," she said and, to her extreme surprise, her voice was trembling. "The Aldeia clan would never forgive me for putting one of their sons in danger, not just their son but also their daughter. And I..." Rade clamped her lips together, suppressing another sob. "And I hurt one of the people who has been kind to me."

"If you live in regret," Felif said, his eyes were looking at the faraway distance again, "are you really living?"

Rade looked at Felif. Her hands were rubbing together and she has never really realized that she was cold.

"Actually, I came here not to help you or save you," Felif suddenly continued. From the old attaché case he brought, Felif brought out a letter. The sender was, of course, the Aldeia clan amd the supposed receiver of the letter was none other than Rade herself. "I came looking for you to give you this."

With trembling hands, Rade reached out for the letter. She only looked at it for a few minutes, not knowing how to face the contents of the letter. There was reluctance on her heart and, for fear of the contents of the letter, she wanted to ignore it. She has been running around and killing demons, collecting their cores, to escape from the people that came to her apartment.

On the first day, there was Lyu who went and knocked on her door. She didn't answer, and let him just knock or wait in front of the door. Rade noticed of the boy's absence on the prior battle and she guessed it was fine. At least he didn't see how brutal she was and how the situation has turned into pure cruelty. Then came his sister, Miss Megumi.

Both of the immortals knew that she was inside of the apartment, just behind the breakable door, but they didn't force her to open her door to them both.

The next person who came to her was London Aldeia. He was hus usual jubilant self, but that only made Rade feel even guiltier. Still, she didn't open the door to her which was another guilt to pile up on her mind.

On the fourth day, Rade decided that she would go outside and not face anyone after all. Escaping was tying her down still, but at least she could breathe.

Now, the Aldeia clan was the one who came to Rade.

She couldn't refuse that of couse.

Then Rade finally opened the letter she was holding with Felif giving her ample of space to read and absorb the contents of the ltter he has given. Rade's grip on both sides of the letter was firm and it almost crumpled the poor sheet.

"Why don't I give you more time reading that?" Felif asked her. He collected his rubbish in one hand and get his attaché case on the other. "Take your time and—"

Rade stood up from her seat, her chair falling backward with a loud crash. Both of her hands were still at both ends of the letter. Her eyes were wide and she was trembling all over that she thought she would really cry this time.

"I want to go to the Aldeia clan's manor," Rade said with determination.

Felif nodded, not asking what changed the little girl's mind. He motioned for Rade to follow him and they both walked towards his car. The car ride was uneventful and there was only a comfortable silence. It was in that silence that Rade thought she might have been too forceful to get her way and became rude to the older man.

The older man in question wasn't actually an old man, but rather a man on his prime days. His saber, the blade that saved Rade, was placed neatly on the trunk of his car and he was focused on driving them both to the manor of the Aldeai clan. There was not a wrinkle on his face that might indicate that he was middle aged, instead there was a merry flush on both of his cheeks.

His eyes were bright and brilliant, intelligent but there was also a compassion of a human being. His posture was confident though he does not exude an air of arrogance about him.

"I thought Lord Astride would only observe the arrival and passage of the Shadow Fantasm?" Rade asked politely, breaking the silence in between them.

Felif nodded before speaking, "Yes, yes, that's my original objective, but things did not quite went as planned so I'll linger just a bit if you don't mind. Until now, no one knew where the Fantasm has gone to. The Huntsman Order is actually applauding your skills on getting the Fantasm on a corner instead of condemning you to a death sentence like what you has been thinking earlier."

"I wouldn't have done it without Kalleid," Rade murmured which made Felif chuckled slightly. "And I doubt that too."

"How modest," he remarked.

Rade looked down on herself. Beside this beautiful human being who was graceful and beautiful both inside and out, Rade felt like a stain on the window. With a sudden jolt, she realized that the coat he lent to her was now ruined with the blood on her body.

"The coat you let me borrowed," Rade said, wanting to take off the coat but also not wanting to stain the seat of Felif's car. "It's full of bloodstain. I will borrow it for a while still and wash it for you."

"No need, Rade," Felif assured her, "it's fine. That's an ancient thing anyway and I've used that often enough to get it weary like that. It's time for a new coat, don't you think so?"

Rade nodded soundlessly.

When they arrived in front of the manor, only Rade stepped out of the car. Not wanting to intrude upon any reunions, Felif already waved his farewell to the little girl. Before he drove off, Rade knocked on the window of his seat. The older man rolled down the window and smiled at Rade very gently.

"Would I be able to thank you at the days ahead?" Rade asked, her eyes were not as wet as earlier and there was a strong force on both of her shoulders.

It was the way Rade held herself anew that made Felif smiled warmly at her.

"Ah, yes," Felif said, his eyes were thoughtful. "I'll see you and the others around. Maybe you all can even help me, yeah?"

Rade nodded and bowed deeply before standing up properly, her back was straightened. She watched as the car drove off, until she couldn't see any of its silhouette. With a sigh, she turned to the grand manor.

Her every footsteps were heavy but her chest was light. On her hand was the letter sent by New York. It gave her a dangerous feeling, it gave her hope. On the letter it stated some things that reassured Rade.

To Elora Isolde Aldam,

Would it really kill you to accept any visitors?! Don't be such a baby and come to the Aldeia's house right now! I just regained consciousness and the first thing I saw was Kalleid crying because you wouldn't answer the f*****g dumb doorbell.

Rade presented the seal of the Aldeia clan to the guard so he would let her pass. After entering the compound itself, Rade was led to the front door of the manor where a great double doors made out of mahogany wood was located.

It was not the first time that Rade has been to a fancy house. The compound where the Haeven clan has their residence built was also big and quite elegant. But it was the house that Rade spent her childhood days in. The Haeven clan's own residence was only a shadow of the glory it once held with yellowing wallpapers and old sets of furniture. The Aldeia clan's manor however was a different matter. It was spacious that one felt lost by just looking at the length and entirety of it.

Rade was so taken aback by the distraction that the manor's structure provided that she didn't saw the person waiting for her at the side of the great mahogany double doors. The girl was very simple, nothing remarkable about her looks beside the length of her ink black hair which stretched down to her knees, or maybe even past her knees actually.

And also her eyes were beautiful yet cold, beholding Rade's own with a grace that she has never seen someone has.

"Elora Isolde Aldam," she said, her voice was extremly detached and caused frost to grow over Rade's feet. "My brother has been waiting for you, but would you mind talking to me first?"

It was not a question asking for permission not even a humble request but a blatant command to Rade. Because the girl, who was only older than her by some odd years, was so plain looking, Rade has difficulty placing where she has seen her before.

Then she realized who this person was.

The head of the Aldeia clan and the most powerful hunter alive.

Geneva Aldeia.