Crimes of transmigration

Aaron was trying to explain me what happened while i focused on how Odysseus was dealing with the fire giant and mentioned my butterflies. I already had some doubts about Sarah since the Paragon seemed weirdly attracted to her, but he quickly uncovered them all.

I stood up and blinked in front of Sarah who was still crouching down from the pain the wicked flutter had caused her. She looked up and with madness clearly possessing her eyes, started to curse me.

"You bastard! Why can't you just die! Fucking Aaron just casually has a healing potion! I shoul kill him as well…"

Her voice was shaking, she really seemed to be possessed by something, but at the same time I knew that wasn't the case, she really was like this.

"I have honestly ignored all of you for the entirety of my life here, what could push you to become so vile?"

"Ha! Ignored us your ass, you simply didn't see us as human being! All you cared for was our parents affection and they too only cared about their talented golden child!"

"Sarah, I was abandoned the second my cancer was diagnosed."

"Best day of my fucking life."

I exhaled heavily, there was nothing to gain from her, and certainly there was no way I'd let her live. She did try to kill Odysseus after all.

I summoned the Paragon once again, since they were so hungry for her blood, they could feat on her. Not that the energy they'd create would be used by me anyway.

Sarah started to shiver the moment the paragon appeared and while I was gently caressing the biggest butterfly in the flutter she tried to speak to me, but i simply ignored her. I could feel the Paragon urgency to eat, but I couldn't understand how nor why.

"You know Sarah? These butterflies are a little special, they can't hurt, nor be hurt. The only thing they can do is eat corruption."

When she heard my explentation, her shivers turned into full scale trembling, her body seemed to be under a continuous earthquake.

"Why is it Sarah? Why is it that my butterflies want to eat you?"

"…"

She didn't answer, so I decided to just let these cute butterflies do their thing. When they started to approach her screams of panic begun to sound all around us.

"WAIT! WAIT! KLAUS I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING IF YOU SPARE ME."

The Paragon stopped at that moment and i gestured for her to begin explaining.

"The nebula Infernal Legion offered me a contract with The merchant of corruption to… dispose of you!"

Is this happening because of the war between demonic nebulas?

"The esteemed constellation then gifted me a trait: corrupted body! It basically gives me infinite mana to cast my skill!"

I see, that's how she was able to trap me, but this whole situation…

I couldn't help but think of the faction trying to bring back Chronos and how they used Sarah throughout another demonic nebula. Where they connected? Or was the Infernal Legion the main perpetrator? But this didn't really make sense, in our world constellation related to the Catholic Church didn't have much influence, it was too soon.

There wasn't much i could do at the moment either way, so I freed the Paragon to do what they wanted with Sarah. One way or another she would have died by my hand.

"Nooooooo! SPARE ME KLAUS! I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!"

I willingly ignored her and continued to think of the connection between those demons and those fools trying to get the king of titans back to life when Yudher approached me.

"Klaus, do you think you can spare her? She still is your sister, we don't know if she was brainwashed or something…"

At this point I didn't know what to think anymore, was it because they lost Maria and couldn't bring themselves to lose another daughter? Or what?

"My sister? What are you talking about? Hali is my sister, this monster on the other hand, tried to kill us all, I'm just disposing of a future threat."

"Klaus please, I'm sure there is something we can do to let her live…"

I smiled, this bastard seemed to value blood more then actions. He conveniently forgot how Sarah basically tried to kill all of us for her own gains as soon as she started to cry and plead for mercy.

"Of course there is a way. You just need to make two more oaths on the Styx: Sarah would need to swear she will never, ever use mana, you instead must swear to never have any form of contact with her ever again."

Their mouths fell instantly. I was basically sentencing her death. Without mana in this world she might as well kill herself and without contact or help on their part, they wouldn't even know when she died.

"You changed a lot Klaus… you never killed before? What about the value of life?"

I sneered at the foolish attempt to guilt me into letting them go.

"Don't get me wrong Yudher, I still value life quite a lot, but she has made her choice and needs to pay the price?"

"But she failed all her attempts!"

"YES! I CAN CHANGE A SWEAR! SPARE ME!"

There was no end to manipulation, empty promises, excuses, all in the name of family, to keep the house together, but I was fed up. This was starting to get disturbing. The Paragon was restless and I didn't care enough to stop them. May as well give blessed energy to Ars Goetia.

"NOOOOOOO! STOP THESE MONSTERS!"

"Klaus…"

"Enough. She tried to kill Odysseus. She will die. I don't want anymore empty promises. I don't care about you at all. For all I care, this world can end tomorrow. You reap what you sow and that's that. Stop making excuses for a psychopath."

Yudher was at a loss for words. Never had I shown such a ruthless behaviour, but I couldn't just forgive her. The problem wasn't that she tried to kill me, but that she tried to kill those around me.

"AHHHHHH TIMEZ-"

I snapped my fingers and a fire lily appeared right before her face.

"As soon as your skill takes effect and cuts my mana, that flower will explode. Take your pick."

"FATHER HELP ME!"

This time I didn't need to do anything, Aaron had already drawn his daggers tho Yudher's neck.

"Aaron, you dare?"

"I should be the one asking that. After all she has done you wish to save such a wicked creature? Even I can sense that Sarah is far gone."

He wasn't exactly wrong. I could feel that most of her emotions were corrupted, but at the end of the day, she accepted. Demons don't offer contracts without explaining everything. Asmodeus was clear about their laws and penalties. I wasn't sure which demon it was, it sounded like Mammon, but I had no proof, but if even a demon king couldn't avoid penalties I was sure this one couldn't either.

"SHE CAN COME BACK! KLAUS HAS ALREADY EXORCISED US ONCE! SURELY HE CAN DO IT AGAIN."

"Oh, I see… that's a misunderstanding."

I looked towards Yudher and Aaron with his daggers still on Yudher's neck.

"She isn't possessed, she has a contract with a demon to kill me. So even if I don't kill her, the moment I go back to my world and don't desist here anymore, she will explode."

That was the penalty for breach of contract: explosion. Of course demons could survive this easily, even if it was a little annoying (Asmodeus' words), but human at her level? Only death awaited them.

"But… but… before…"

"Of course, an oath to the Styx sealing her mana away would prevent the explosion, after all it effectively seals the cause of explosion, or so I was told, I'm not sure myself."

Yudher finally gave in. Whatever she chose to do, her death was already assured. If she died now, they'd at least know what happened.

"At least stop the torture, those butterflies are too vicious even for us."

"FATHER?!"

"Very well."

I took out my bident and didn't stand any ceremony, approached her without even coating my weapon with Archana and dug my spear deep into her heart.

Coldy, unforgiving.

I had already decided, she was no longer human, nor a live that held value in any way. She made her choices and had already outlived her time.

"Never threaten the ones I love."

Just like that, Sarah's body erupted in a dark cloud that was soon consumed by my butterflies. a single black gem was were her body once stood. I picked it up and was surprised by what I saw.

It seems killing someone with a skill gives you a skill as well. what a wicked world.

I couldn't let the other know this, only god knows that human greed really has no limits and I didn't really want to challenge those limits.

I turned around and found Hali and Dimitris looking at me with a proud smile, Odysseus also had a book in his hands, it probably dropped from the fire giant.

"Let's go to the temple of time, we should at least get Maria's remains and investigate."

Nobody said anything else and just started to follow me. My mind still on the message the Records had given me.

[Random skill - domain of time]

[you have slain a contractee of The merchant of corruption]

[the nebula infernal legion declares you as an enemy.]

Come to me. I'll kill all of you bastards either way.

The walk into the temple of time was completely silent. Odysseus was holding my hand, Hali was strangely close to Aaron and Yudher and Juna were simply walking aimlessly.

The Hall where Maria's remains were arranged as food soon came into view, I had already told them, but the sight was disturbing notheless. Blood drenched the enitre table and her body was splattered everywhere.

These monsters were worse then demons. how does the thought of eating a human even come into reality? I could have understood a sacrifice, but thi? this was simply laughing in the face of humanity.

Well… Chronos did eat humans on a daily basis.

Juna and Yudher couldn't hold their tears anymore and just fell to their knees. Odysseus and I took on the responsability to get her body back into one piece and at least give them a body to bury.

"Was… was Sarah really going to eat her own sister?"

I could understand their shock. This situation, in the current world, was simply unbelievable, but truth must come to light.

"I don't think they ever planned for Sarah to live long enough, but she must have been ready to do so."

There was no need to sugarcoat anything. Facts were facts and had she magically survived everything, she'd most likely be ready to eat her own flesh. Why? I really couldn't guess.

I turned away from my former family, they could have their time mourning Maria's remains.

Odysseus and Hali were waiting for me. We still had a couple of hours before being brought back to our world and we still wanted to investigate the temple. Or so I thought.

"Dimitris, I completed the ritual for my second circle, but I need to sacrifice something earth related to balance the electricity, or wood…"

I didn't even think twice and immediately brought out the Nemean jumper Merlin had made for me. It's earth attribute was quite high, so I was pretty sure that would work.

"This is made with the mane of the Nemean lion, I'm sure its earth element is enough right?"

Odysseus' eyes sparkled with excitement, but soon dulled out again.

"Dimitris, I can't accept this… it's your spoils… sure it's more than enough, but it still is yours."

"And it's mine to give out as well."

He accepted at the end, albeit reluctantly, but that was the right thing to do. I still had the lion's essence for my earth circle anyway, there was no reason for me not to help out.

We didn't say anything else and just waited for our time to come.

This may be my original world, but I don't belong here anymore.

My place was elsewhere. What value does blood hold if blood itself wants to shed yours.

Family is just a concept. I could very well create mine. I had already started to.

Hali was already with me. It was time to get back to the rest of my family. Those who truly valued and cared for me.