Chapter 179- Shadow Manipulation: Phase Two (Part 2)
Getting as close as possible to the door, The monster tried to listen to what was happening inside. Sadly, however, these creatures didn't have the greatest hearing sense so even when it was near the door, Rin couldn't hear a single thing from inside.
'Tsk, I should go check it for myself.' He decided after some contemplation.
The place was empty and the dagger is still not found so Rin had the time to actually get a good idea about the place and its structure.
So, with that in mind, he made his way toward this particular room. When he reached his destination, the frown on his face had already intensified. Sensing it from afar through his shadow summon was way different than being there to experience it himself.
'What an evil aura!'
Whatever was inside the room kept pushing him away as if he was being warned not to get closer or he will regret that choice. However, Rin wasn't obviously going to leave merely because of that.
Taking a deep breath, he approached the door and entered through the crack under the door. When he was inside, he looked around him. What he saw truly made him freeze in his place, in total disbelief.
Calling the room gigantic was an understatement. It was at least twice the size of the house's main hall. From the entrance to the end of the room from the other side was at least 100 meters long.
Inside the room, there were tens of beds put in order on both sides of the room. The beds were beautiful and quite expensive at first glance. On each of these beds, someone was laying asleep.
Now, this could be considered normal if not for Rin quickly recognizing who these people that were laying on the bed are.
'Demons… These are all demons.'
Their bodies were skinny, sick, and very weak. But, their auras were still as ominous and as strong as they were before. Even though they shouldn't possess a shred of mana, they are still somehow able to emit a strong aura that Rin could sense.
'How did this happen?! Did Cid find a way to give them mana? But then again, how did he even obtain that ability himself? What is going on?' A million questions popped into Rin's head as he stared at the rows of unconscious demons.
Whether this was something that happened by sheer coincidence or a plan concocted by Cid himself was still a mystery but the most important thing now is that there are almost 100 demons that could get released at any moment. If they wake up that is.
The reason for their inability to move or talk is the thing that linked all of them to each other. On their wrists and necks were shackles made of some weird black material that Rin had only seen once before.
'The pocket dimension that Maria showed us back at the castle of Aviresion, I saw the same shackles there. So this material works on stopping them from moving. For better or worse, that is the best outcome Rin could wish for.
If 100 demons were to be released, no one knows what could happen. However, this by no means meant that they can't be released any time soon.
'Since he put them here, Cid is definitely planning to release them.'
As he was like that, the door to the room opened. Reflexively, Rin hid again and moved to a well-covered corner of the room where he can see who entered and what they are going to do.
The one that came inside was predictably Cid along with two other people. Elise and Evelyn walked behind him silently as if they were his guards.
Looking around him, the young demon's eyes flashed with weird emotions that Rin had never seen on his face.
"Stand there." He then shifted his gaze to the two women standing far away from him.
After that, he sighed, took a deep breath, and then spoke out loudly.
"My fellow brothers and sisters, it has been a long time since we have seen the light of day. Years and years passed while we were stuck in darkness, shackled to each other as if we were a bunch of animals. We couldn't eat, we couldn't sleep, we couldn't even talk. We have been treated as if we were trophies they can collect. They had done the worst of deeds for us." He said as he looked around him, eyeing each and every demon.
"Now, can I ask one question? Did you not miss freedom as much as I did? did you not yearn for your old lives? The lives that we had before the war. These lowly creatures had back-stabbed us and then taken our lives from our hands. They killed our parents, our sisters, our brothers, our wives, and our husbands. They robbed us of everything!! Yet, all we can do is await the day of freedom with pain and suffering."
Shaking his head, Cid knitted his eyebrows.
"No, that's not how it should be. Since when did our prideful race become this weak and hopeless? Since when did we become this soft? How can we let mere humans take our fates in their hands? We are the demon race! The one above and beyond everything on Divine Sapphire! We are the descendants of darkness and yet we rule the light too! That's our destiny, greatness is our destiny!"
Meanwhile, Rin listened quietly as his face turned paler and paler.
"Don't let this cruelty stop you! Don't let fear stop you! Don't let those lowly scums stop you! This world had bestowed upon me the power of mana! Hahaha! The power those humans boasted to be only for the pure had fallen into the hands of a demon! How laughable! How truly laughable!"
Laughing sarcastically, Cid held his face with his hand.
"This was the divine message sent to me. That if my race is awaiting freedom, then I shall be the one to give it to them. Don't worry, my brothers and sisters! The day of our revenge is getting closer and closer! We are but a step away from turning this whole world upside down! So, when that day comes, those shackles shall turn into ashes and your eyes shall open again!"
Then, after doing that, he closed his eyes and lifted his head up as if he was basking in some kind of warm feeling that he don't want to escape from.
Around him, the dark mana was turning thicker and thicker by the second.
"Divine Sapphire is finally going to be handed to its rightful owners." He murmured.
On the other hand, Rin was in a complete dilemma. As chilling as his speech was, it only made Rin contemplate himself.
'What should I do? This war is nothing but a certainty now. Blood will be shed in every corner of Divine Sapphire.'
The cult had already declared this war and Cid had confirmed that even if they were to eradicate the whole cult, it will only be erasing one part of the problem. The other problem was these demons. If Cid was able to free himself from these shackles, then the chances that another demon somewhere in this world had also been freed weren't zero. In fact, it was far from zero.
Cid then took a deep breath and stepped forward till he reached a particular bed with a woman laying on it. His expression from before had shifted again. He looked at the woman with the most tender, loving expression he could muster. After that, he put his hand on her shackled hand.
"Don't worry, mother. Your suffering will be over soon. No more pain. You've had enough."
'Mother…'
Seeing that, everything went blank for Rin. The world froze and his eyes solely focused on Cid.
Staring at his back, Rin's eyes flashed with a similar image. Back when his father died, Rin saw his mother crying alone in her room. He had tried to approach her and say something, apologize even. But, instead, all he could do was stand there, hopeless, silent, and regretful.
Ironically enough, Cid was far different from Rin. He wasn't the reason for his mother's suffering but instead was the beacon of light that was trying to save her.
One was a demon and the other was a human yet the difference between them was as far as light and darkness.
No one could comprehend what ran through his thoughts at that moment.
'Whether I'm evil or not… doesn't matter. I have known my mistakes and I'm trying to fix them. Please, give me some time, all I need is time. I will make sure to make everything right again. I promise… I will make everyone smile again too.' Rin thought.
Suddenly, as he was like that, something appeared in front of him.
[Ding!]
[Host had met the requirements for evolving Shadow Manipulation.]
[Shadow Bringer had become Shadow Manifestor.]
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