Desmond, now a monstrous figure, clawed his way free from the fractured remnants of the building. Aldomite braced himself, his composure absolute, preparing to engage the corrupted form of the professor.
"Aldomite, wait," Calvin insisted, staggering forward, attempting to offer assistance despite his obvious exhaustion. "Can you truly face that creature alone?"
"Yes, I can," Aldomite stated simply, his voice firm.
Elise placed a steadying hand on Calvin's shoulder. "Aldomite is capable, Calvin".
Desmond advanced with a guttural roar, his face a contorted mask of hatred and bloodlust. Aldomite drew his blade, the manifestation of his power, and moved instantly. His speed was devastatingly quick—a combination of the Core Essence and Zechtron's power—leaving the monster struggling to track his movements.
The new Aldomite was an impressive display of perfected skill and overwhelming power. Desmond, registering the monumental shift in his former student's ability, felt a flicker of the man beneath the monster, wondering what radical event could have caused such exponential growth. The monster continued its relentless, forceful strikes, yet Aldomite consistently and effortlessly parried every blow.
As the futility of his raw power became evident, the monster's focus fractured, and Desmond's consciousness was momentarily flooded with memories of the choices that had led to his current state.
Desmond was born into poverty in a small farming village where his mother succumbed early to a fatal disease. He was raised by his father, a dedicated and highly respected farmer. His live changed one autumn when Hector, then a renowned knight, stopped in the village while tracking a demonic beast.
Desmond, instantly drawn to the symbol of power and purpose, approached Hector. "Someday, I want to be a knight like you" he stated. Impressed by the boy's earnestness, Hector invited Desmond to follow him back to the capital.
Desmond sought his father's blessing. His father, stoic but caring, offered no resistance, only quiet prayers for his son's protection. Desmond departed with Hector, and following the successful slaying of the beast, he was sponsored into the prestigious Knight Academy in Astoria.
Training under Hector, Desmond's natural talent quickly emerged, further enhancing Hector's reputation. He graduated at the top of his class. He returned to his home village, wearing the armor he had dreamed of. His father was overjoyed and they spoke for hours, recounting Desmond's service and ambition. Before his passing just days later, his father offered a final, serious counsel: "Always pray to God, and never follow evil." Desmond made a solemn promise to honor that oath forever.
The intensity of the ongoing fight against Aldomite threatened to shatter the monster's control, wrenching Desmond back to the immediate, desperate reality of his broken promise
That fleeting memory of his father and the solemn oath caused a momentary hesitation in Desmond's next monstrous strike. Aldomite, ever vigilant, immediately capitalized on the opening, landing a swift, decisive series of blows to the monster's flank.
Yet, every controlled strike Aldomite delivered seemed to deepen the monster's psychic pain, forcing Desmond's consciousness further into his past.
"Why?" the residual human thought echoed, "How could this happen?"
The path to corruption had not been immediate; it began subtly when Hector faced intense personal and professional issues concerning his family. Desmond, who served loyally beside Hector on the front line, became aware of the deep turmoil plaguing his mentor after Hector was suddenly called away. Desmond, dedicated to his mentor, carried the responsibility of the battalion to cover Hector's absence.
A few days later, Hector returned—visibly depressed, consumed by a palpable rage. Desmond noticed several captains seemed eager to witness Hector's despair, hinting at internal political strife. Desmond, dedicated and unwavering, tried his utmost to help, but his efforts were clearly insufficient to mend Hector's inner turmoil.
The final, decisive event occurred after Hector engaged in a brutal fight against a powerful demon. Desmond and a small patrol group, who had moved forward to support their leader, arrived at the battlefield only to witness Hector completing the fight by making a deal with the defeated demon.
"Unbelievable," one of the patrol members whispered, horrified. They immediately claimed they would report the treasonous act to the other Captains upon their return. In that definitive moment, Desmond made his choice. Without hesitation, he killed them all to protect Hector.
After the incident was suppressed, Desmond later met Hector in a secluded area of Astoria. When Desmond recounted the execution of the patrol and pledged his total allegiance, Hector, initially shocked, briefly froze as if preparing to attack. But sensing Desmond's genuine devotion, he lowered his guard, opting instead for manipulation.
"I know you lost your father," Hector began, his voice soft and calculating. He then presented the ultimate temptation: his demonic contact possessed the power to bring Desmond's father and even his mother—whom Desmond barely remembered—back to life.
Desmond, whose greatest wound was the absence of family, froze. The idea, though unthinkable, took root.
"So that demon could help us?" Desmond asked, his voice low with desperate interest.
"Yes," Hector replied, cementing the lie.
The path of knighthood, the noble journey, and the solemn promise Desmond had made to his dying father were instantly forgotten, overshadowed by the terrible, tempting possibility of reclaiming the family he had lost.
Aldomite immediately noted the monster's momentary lapse in aggression. Desmond had paused in his strike, consumed by the agonizing recollection.
As Aldomite landed swift, decisive blows against the corrupted form, Desmond began to weep. The sound was a raw, tormented mixture of a human cry and a monstrous shriek. "I failed him... I betrayed him, and I broke my promise," Desmond wept, referring not to Hector, but to his father. He screamed, "My world has been shattered! This evil path I've taken would never be forgotten!"
Hearing this anguish, Aldomite felt a surge of disappointment, a final hope that Desmond might turn back. But the intense sincerity of the tears was compelling. Desmond resumed his attack, and the tears turning to crimson streams of blood flowing down his monstrous face. "I have sins! I strayed from the right path, I chose evil," he choked out as he fought. "I only did it for their sake! My mother, my father... it was all for them!"
Then, a final, pure memory surfaced: his father's words. "Son, no matter what, I'll always be happy, so if I die, live your life helping others."
The truth struck Desmond like a physical blow. He screamed, "Get out of my head!"
His remaining demonic energy violently exploded outward, and he began to grow exponentially massive and gargantuan. "It was Hector! It was all his fault! I didn't do anything wrong!" he shouted in denial, even as massive tears of blood streamed from his eyes, fueled by pain, suffering, and regret. This profound despair transformed into raw power, ready to destroy all of Almada.
Aldomite's precise strikes now had no effect; Desmond's sheer size and misery rendered him invulnerable to normal attacks. He felt nothing but absolute despair. As the tears of blood struck the ground, they coagulated and immediately coalesced into small, grotesque, monster-like creatures resembling Desmond's smaller form.
The escaping students were suddenly beset by these new, despair-manifested creatures. Desmond's relentless crying over his failure and regret created an almost infinite tide of these despair-demons. Aldomite, unable to fully rely on his newly awakened divine power in such close proximity to the students, had to use pure skill and advanced tactics. They were surrounded by the blood-formed creatures, fighting desperately to survive.
Just as they were overwhelmed, a powerful strike of Lightning magic tore through the horde, creating an immediate opening.
"Come on, this way!" a familiar voice called out. They looked up to see Lady Sydney and several other trusted professors. They rushed towards the sanctuary offered by the new arrivals. Elise, overwhelmed with relief, leaped into a hug with Lady Sydney, tears streaming down her face. The students were happy and excited to see truthful professors, though some, hardened by betrayal, kept a cautious distance.
The professors guided them further, where they found a large command post filled with many high-ranking professors and famous S-ranked knights. For the first time, the students realized they were safe.
The Head Knight Captain praised them for their efforts and urged them to rest, assuring them the professionals would take over the Desmond crisis. The students recounted everything they knew about Desmond's transformation and Hector's escape, then retreated. Aldomite and Calvin rushed to find Lipton, who was recovering and feeling much better. They embraced in a tearful, relieved reunion, celebrating their survival.
A few minutes later, the colossal form of Desmond collapsed. He was officially confirmed killed by the S-ranked knights.
The last thing Desmond said, before his body dissolved under the pitying gaze of his former colleagues, was, "I wanted this death. Thankfully, I have escaped living with guilt."
The threat of Desmond was over, but Hector had already left Almada. Almada was now secured, its surviving citizens held captive, and the knights began a systematic search of every area, including the Vault.
Chapter 13: THE BIRTH OF ZENOX FORCE