Val couldn’t jump to conclusions as it concerned Eliana’s life.
‘There’s no problem in acting a bit more deranged if it means figuring out the truth,’ he thought, as his grip around her neck tightened. It looked like he was out to butcher pigs, and ‘Eliana’ was going to become his unfortunate victim!
“When was the first time we met?” He asked while glaring daggers at her with his bloodshot eyes. “If you really want me to believe you’re my Eliana, give me the correct answer. Don’t force me to break your neck!”
His words and mannerism really related him to a madman that had escaped from a mental asylum.
‘One of the two targets is insanely strong and literally insane. Why did they skimp out on such important information?!’ roared the devil who was being choked to death.
The devil who was in the form of Eliana felt like cussing. However, she had a role to play, so she held back from uttering profanities. But she promised that she would kill Val if he fell for her ploy!
‘That’s the first thing I will do if this crazy bastard lets his guard down around me.’
‘My revenge can wait. The more pressing matter is how should I answer him.’
‘[They] said this girl is deeply in love with him, and the feeling is mutual. Such deep love can’t develop in a few years. They must’ve known each other for a long time.’
‘With this in mind, what would be the most suitable answer?’
‘Aha, I got it.’ 𝑜𝑽𝑳xt.𝕔𝑜𝐌
“We’re childhood sweethearts. We’ve been together since forever!” Although Val was choking her, the beautiful devil still took her sweet time before coming up with an answer she considered suitable.
Sadly, the answer she gave him was wrong.
They weren’t childhood sweethearts.
And they haven’t been together since birth!
The first time they met was at Eliana’s small tea stall.
She would’ve known all that if she was a mimic marauder.
Since she didn’t, it could only mean that she was a shadow imposter!
‘Eliana is not dead.’ Val felt relieved, but he didn’t let that show on his face. ‘But the danger to her life still hasn’t passed. She is still possessed by a devil, and I have no means to kill it without killing her. Even If I were to use wizardry, she would die before it’s killed.’
While soul power could harm the soul, it also harmed the body. Eliana’s body would break before the soul of the devil is destroyed if Val approached the situation with this method.
Only a being with holy power can exorcise those possessed without destroying their bodies.
‘If I want to save her, I need to drive the devil out of her body.’
What do I do?
Maybe that method would work!
Val abruptly stopped choking her. ‘Eliana’ collapsed to her knees, legs giving out beneath her. Her hand instinctively went up to her neck, tracing the marks his hands had left. It stung, but she was no longer being choked by her lover.
Her face was flushed and sweaty, her rims were red, and tears were streaming down her almond eyes due to the pain, but she felt relieved.
Unknowingly, by releasing his grip, Val gave her the illusion that her answer to his question was correct, that she had earned his trust and ended his manic attack.
She believed that he had bought her act. ‘Just a little bit more, and I will gain the chance to kill him!’
Val looked down at her, his expression softening, “Good answer. Thanks to you, I am no longer confused.”
She sighed with relief, tears continuing to stream down her face.
“I’m glad… I could be of help, Val,’ she said between sobs, “Let’s go inside our house, shall we?”
As she approached him, Val kicked her in the knee, causing her to kneel before him. Then, he stepped on her hand cruelly, causing her to cry out in pain.
“I hate it when bugs scream,” he said before he kicked her in the face with such force she was thrown several feet away.
She stared at him with intense killing intent, but quickly suppressed her murderous intention and asked, “Why?
“I said you helped me, didn’t I? You misunderstood it and thought I have fallen for your petty tricks.” Val said, “Obviously, as you can see, that isn’t the case. The truth is, the question I asked you a while back was a test, a test that would determine your ultimate fate and you’ve failed it miserably. I already know who you are. I already know you’re a Shadow Imposter.” Val’s words echoed ominously around them.
Eliana’s tears stopped abruptly and in a split second, she pounced towards him, her nails growing to the size of a knife and the width of a pencil.
Val was fully aware of the characteristics of a Shadow Imposter. The second they were exposed, they would try to kill all witnesses without hesitation. So he was already prepared for such an action.
In fact, he was so prepared that he had made his move before she even attacked him!
A wave of his soul power reached her before her claws could get to him, blasting her away.
Bam!
She slammed into the wall of the haunted house behind her with an echoing thud and slumped to the ground, coughing out blood.
“You’re like an ant I can trample under my feet as I like,” Val taunted.
The Shadow imposter gritted her teeth, “You wouldn’t have won if my target of possession was someone stronger!”
Shadow imposters’ strength was limited by the target of their possession. Since Eliana was just a level 1 bloodline user, it could only exhibit that amount of power despite the fact it was stronger than a level 2 bloodline user.
“That’s what losers say before being killed,” Val said as he stepped closer to her.
“Wait, you can’t kill me. If you do, you will end up killing her too!” The Shadow Imposter stuttered in fear.
“That’s precisely what I intend to do!” Val told a lie with a smile.