Chapter 358 - 358- Festival 89- Raid on a Rainy Night 28

Words : 1847 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

A subtle silence descended as the sound of the raindrops projected into the air. It swallowed the tension that hung as Rita and Raph approached the frozen body of their opponent. The rain beat in perfect synchrony, washing over the tall grass and vast plain. It dropped on the two figures, sipping into their nightwear as the fabric clung to their skin. Cold, which should have been a problem, was solved through the internal control of energy. Mana or Aura suffused around to warm the body, inside out. This way, most of the students aware of this were nearly impervious to the cold. Well, most, other than Raph. The cold air from the rainy night was merely a pygmy to the freezing cold he was subjected to every day. His trait was a part of him, and it affected certain resistance, including cold. When the duo got to the frozen body, Rita's gaze winced, her brows furrowing as a frown formed on her face. 'He's dead, alright.' She thought with a playful tone at the end of her thought. The man's body hung in the air, firmly held by the pointing stakes of ice that shimmered with a blue ethereal light. It sprawled over it, its left arm stretched to the other end while its legs parted ways. Frost emanated from the ice and encroached on the man's body. Spreading its cold plate of ice against his body. It crusted his body in jagged patches, emerging at different parts of him while it extended to the whole of it. Her frown grew into a smile. 'He died by our hands? Raph and I, working together.' Her gaze shifted sideways, where she found Raph observing the body as well. She looked away instantly, her lips curling wider. 'Yup, we worked together alright.' While she giggled within, Raph seemed to have his attention focused on something else. 'Hah? Does he die, just like this?' He wondered. 'Then again, Demonification isn't an easy thing to accomplish. There's a reason why they call them the Executives.' A slight frown formed on his face as a flash of memory recurred in his brain. He froze, his thoughts spiralling as he took a step back. 'Why am I suddenly reminded of that day?' The image replayed, blurry, yet vividly. The imprint of his decision lasted more Dire than he presumed. 'Yes, I made a mistake that time, but who would have thought my father dying would be a cause just to keep me in check for changing certain events.' It was ironic. The very people he set out to protect were targets. Targets that became so due to his actions. Actions that set a death flag on those close and around him. It was a subtle guess, but he wasn't sure of it. After all, nothing else had been taken away from him.....yet. He stood puzzled for a moment. His line of thought rearranged itself when a voice broke through his focus. "Raph?" Glancing to his side with a sudden snap of his head, he returned back to the present. Rita flinched, taking a step back from the shock, her lips hanging open in hesitation. They stared at each other for a moment, a glint of spark searching for something within. "Yes?" He replied with a sigh and turned towards the frozen body. "How much mana do you have left?" Rita glanced at him with a raised brow. "What do you mean?" "We still need to take care of the intruders. I'm sure most of the Classes have more or less handled the small fry, but the executives are still....out there." "True, true," Rita replied as she nodded her head. She slowly turned back, her gaze landing on the standing snowman, its elegant coldness casting a white melody to the rain's symphony. "Well, I used quite a lot on that guy. He's one of my masterpieces, so I'm glad I was able to bring him to use today. I have....around half of my original. Enough to create two more of that snowman." She replied, her gaze shifting back to Raph. He nodded slightly. "Good, we might need it." Turning around to leave, He swung his sword for a moment as it dispersed, his thoughts reeling in. Those people who killed my father at the time. It's about time I start looking for them.' There were a few things Raph had left behind, most of which were left because of his lack of power at the time. Something he had much more of now compared to the Battle of the Great Families, but not enough so that he could attack the Red Peacemaker's base and return alive. There was still much training to do. With that thought, a scowl creased his forehead as he walked slowly. Rita was trailing behind him like a shadow. 'Is there.....is there a connection between the Red Peacemakers and the 7 Greater Sins.' His brows furrowed even deeper as his muscles locked, forcing him to a halt. Rita jerked abruptly as she bumped into him, a slight groan escaping her lips as a result. She took a few steps back, her head shifting up as she caught the gaze of the white haired boy. Her lips curled down. 'Is his back made of metal?' A stale silence hung between them, without precedent to end. It simply stood and remained adamant, serving as a wall that hindered the two. Rita was aware of this wall. An invisible force that pushed her away from relating to one of the few people she actually found interesting. Her lips parted, then closed, before they parted again. "I have two questions and a request. Do you mind if I ask now?" She said, her tone low and high-pitched with a subtle, wry smile on her face. It was evident that this was her first time trying to charm someone into agreeing to their demands– not that they were. Raph nodded, a chuckle escaping his lips when the atmosphere around him suddenly took a wild turn. His eyes narrowed, and his head whipped forward. In confusion, her gaze blinked for a moment as it fixated on his face. 'What? What is it?' She wondered, curiosity etched on her face for a moment. She attempted to turn around, but mid-step, her expression grew dry. Eyes flared open, lips quivered, and muscles tensed as a pricking sensation grew on her skin. It clawed at her from within, subtle sounds of doom whispering into her ears. With slow steps, she commenced and got a better view of the source of the strange discomfort that grew within her. Instantaneously, her face contorted– fear and shock spiralling its way within her as it reached within. Her eyes were unable to tear away from the bolts of black-red energy that exuded from their dead opponent's body. Roaming around like a ravaging snake. It streamed through like lightning, rushing on and within his body, forming dreaded arched lines around it. The ice began to crack into pieces, and the frozen stakes melted with the fiery impact of the energy as it rushed into his body like adrenaline. For a moment, he remained still, unable to comprehend the energy that flowed within him. How could he, when he was dead? But then, his fingers twitched. Rita gulped bitterly, her thoughts reeling in. 'Isn't that demonic energy? Why does he have demonic energy? Wasn't this a power given to their executives alone? What is...what is going on?' A hollow chuckle echoed in her ears, and her eyes returned to normal. She glanced up and met the stare of her partner. Confusion finding its way to her expression. She remained silent for a moment, as if calculating her thoughts first before presenting a statement. Yet, she seemed unable to do so, and simply blurted out what came first. "He's undergoing a demonification process. Should we be here? You know how dangerous it is to attack them during that process." Raph remained silent for a moment, his thoughts lining up in order. 'She's right. Attacking them will cause a village to nationwide explosion depending on their level and amount of demonic energy.' He glanced at the man yet again, a sigh escaping his lips. 'Seeing as it's bolts of demonic energy and not just the wave....he must have quite the handful of it.' His brows furrowed as he stretched his hand in the air. "Come to me, Cold Steel." The raindrops gathered in his grasp, cracking and trembling under the cold pressure as it stretched out to form his steel sword. The double-edged katana. A crispy blue energy exuded from the cold blade as a breath of frost escaped his lips. He glanced at Rita. "I'm going to fight him after the demonification." Her brain froze. Her lips quivered shut, and her pupils constricted for a moment. This wasn't a battle meant for anyone to venture into. It was meant for specific people, those capable enough to stand against the weight of their opponent. After all, Demonification was a process akin to a human transforming into a devil. It was expected that a human who goes through the process will experience a vast boost in overall abilities, reaching twice or nearly thrice that. She frowned slightly, a shaky gasp escaping her lips as she rubbed her temples. 'Let's think this through. This man was a Level what? He felt like a 9th star, so was he at level 90, and now, after his transformation, we will have to face a foe nearly twice as strong as his previous self.....' She glanced at Raph, looked him over and clicked her tongue. 'That's insane.' Raph chuckled at her reaction as he approached the man, his eyes lingering on the flying bolts of Miasma as the energy poured out in vast amounts. It suffused him in a deep crimson cloak of darkness, filling his veins with unfathomable, demonic power. It fixed his bones and healed its wounds, reached out to his right stump and outgrew a scarlet fiery one, filled with the destruction nearing to descend. The suffocating energy enveloped his entire being in a ball of vast power, filling the cracks and holes caused by his battle. Raph watched with silent contempt, aura surging out from his body in slow waves. Rita flinched at the sight, her head snapping in a realisation. "Raph, may I ask my first question?" The white haired boy glanced at her for a moment, his white pools of bright light staring deep into her soul. "Sure." Rita sighed, nodding slowly as she asked. "You're a 9th star...from what I've heard. So, I expect you to fight with such.....but, how many have you been using thus far?" A tense silence hung between them as Rita grew hungry for a response. He glanced away, shrugging as he replied. "Just five."

Chapter 358 - 358- Festival 89- Raid on a Rainy Night 28

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