Extra’s Path To Demon King

Chapter 536: Pharmakon

Murderous desire rose in Sophia.

She now looked at the demon like he was a proper threat.

Yet, at the same time, there was also a small trace of excitement blooming within her heart, but she did not show it outwardly.

Sophia’s expression turned grim as she asked, "You!!! Who are you?"

Axel smiled beneath his mask, "Osiris..."

Then he also asked in return, "And you are?"

The Valkyrie narrowed her eyes, but still chose to answer, "Sophia..."

But the next moment she stated once more, with a tone of apprehension, "That was a wrong question; what I should be asking is... What exactly are you? You’re no mere demon, are you??"

There was a long stretch of silence as Axel did not respond immediately, gazing at her red eyes with a complicated array of emotions; he didn’t mind her murderous look towards him.

For a moment, a string of words surfaced in his mind, as if engraved on his existence in a long-lost past; he uttered them, driven by an unknown urge: "I am your Pharmakon...."

Sophia frowned, not understanding what he meant, and a monstrous wave of killing intent burst forth from her, pressing down on Osiris. But the latter did not react much, as if it didn’t bother him in the slightest, because he was canceling out the oppression of her bloodlust with his own.

Just as Sophia was about to go all out and attack with the intent to kill Osiris, a kingly voice rang in her mind, and an irrefutable command descended upon her through the summoning brand within her soul, taking control of her body as if she were a puppet controlled by invisible threads.

"ACCEPT IT..." the words echoed in her soul repeatedly, and Sophia could not go against that order, no matter how much she fought against it; maddening pain coursed through her soul. She could not move a single inch.

There was no choice that she was given, no consideration, no mercy or compassion, nothing, as if she were a weapon that is expected to fire only when her master pulls the trigger. It was a command from the Strongest Human, King Leonidas Suncrest himself.

Axel could only watch Sophia struggle against the power of the Soul Brand, seeing her with an apathetic look in his eyes.

But the sheer storm that was raging in his Demonic heart was something that no one could see. It was like seeing your heart being cut into a million pieces, and yet you remain powerless to do anything.

Axel showed not the slightest hint of the raging emotions boiling within; he watched her silently as she was forced to give in. Even her indomitable will could only crumble under the catastrophic assault of pain from the Soul Brand.

Axel only swore calmly in his heart, for the umpteenth time, ’It’s fine, it’s okay... your downfall is near, Leonidas Suncrest, I will make you regret ever being born, for every pain Sophia experienced in your hand I will return it a million fold.’

The voice in his heart became calm; it was a calmness that was unsettling, chilling to the extreme: ’No matter how long it takes, no matter what it takes, I will erase the Suncrest Dynasty, your very bloodline from the very annals of history itself.’

Eventually, Sophia said in a shaken voice, the pain still lingering in her very soul, "We... shall accept the ceasefire of one week."

Axel snapped back to reality and, after a moment, nodded towards her. He declared with a solemn tone, "Don’t worry, Miss Valkyrie. When the ceasefire ends, we shall truly fight then. You vs Me, and none shall interfere then. I can assure you that."

Not waiting for her reply, Axel turned around and started walking in the direction of the Ghost Army’s camp like a mundane human, uncaring if Sophia attacked him from behind.

Sophia growled at him, her killing intent pressing on him once more, even stronger than before, "Stop!!! Where the fuck do you think you’re going?"

Axel did not stop, ignoring her words as if he didn’t hear them.

She wanted to vent her bottled-up anger by fighting against Osiris. Eventually, she added in a menacing tone, "I don’t care if it’s a ceasefire or not, you will fight me right here and now....DEMON."

Sophia held her hand forward as if ready to strike him on the back, and she roared in rage, "OSIRIS!!! This is the last warning, turn around and face me, or you will die without even realizing it...."

At this moment, Axel’s footsteps came to a halt; he sighed and half-turned towards Sophia, his demonic eyes looking at her coldly. He chuckled darkly, "You’re so fucking arrogant... aren’t you?"

"Look at you trying to vent your anger on me, knowing you can’t do anything against the mighty who truly made you into a slave. You’re in denial of the reality you are in, while continuing to act on your whims." Every word that Osiris uttered made Sophia’s heart clench in pain, for reasons even she did not know.

But Axel was hurt so much more by his own words, because to Sophia, Osiris was but an enemy, but to Axel, Sophia was everything.

Yet, he had to do it, because Axel had already noticed it, due to the gap in Sophia’s memories, her rationality was waning somewhat, her cunning nature and cold mentality of logical foresight, which she had gained through her long years of trial and the numerous reincarnations she lived, was now no more.

For that, Axel said the last words through gritted teeth, with a tone of ridicule.

Sophia declared in a chilling bloodlust, unable to deal with that painful feeling piercing her heart, "OSIRIS!!!I WILL KILL YOU..."

Axel remained silent for a long while, not moving, looking her in the eyes deeply. Eventually, he remarked in an emotionless tone...

"Are you destined to be the Strongest because you’re the Valkyrie, or are you the Valkyrie because you’re destined to be the Strongest?"