Chapter 289: The result of a choice.
"Tell me! What did you do to my Darling!?" She grabbed Victor by the collar of his shirt.
"..."
Seeing Victor in silence, Agnes' anger only increased!
"TELL ME!"
FUSHHHHHHH.
The fire around Agnes grew stronger and hotter.
Victor's clothes begin to burn in the face of such power, but strangely, the fire wasn't hurting Victor himself.
It was as if Agnes was purposely avoiding this to happen since, somewhere in her mind, the man she was staring at in front of her now was Adonis.
'Sigh... Look at the size of the problem you left for me, Adonis.' He really didn't want that ending, but unfortunately, he didn't have a choice at the time.
'I've made my decision, and I'll stick with it until the end, as promised... I'll protect her, even if she wants to kill me for it.'
"Questions and answers are useless. Now that I'm connected with the ritual, you know an easier way to get the information you need from me, right?"
Victor shows his neck to Agnes:
"Look in my memories."
A vein pops in Agnes' head, "Why don't you try to explain yourself!?"
"You won't believe me."
"..." Agnes stared at Victor's neck with a reluctant look. She really didn't want to do that, even if something was drawing her to bite that delicious neck, she didn't want to do it.
"Master!/Lady Agnes!" Kaguya, along with Hilda, arrived at the scene.
Seeing her master's plight, Kaguya tried to intervene:
"Master-."
But Victor just raises his hand in a stop sign.
Kaguya would only get hurt if she got close to Agnes now.
"Agnes, what are you waiting for?" Victor spoke in a neutral tone that held no emotions.
"..." Agnes continues looking at Victor.
"Do it."
Agnes grit her teeth in anger while her red eyes were glowing brightly as if she wanted to burn Victor alive.
"FUCK!" She gives an annoyed scream, opens her mouth, and bites Victor's neck violently.
"!!!" All the memories of Victor and Adonis talking to each other flashed through Agnes' mind.
She saw it all, even Adonis himself offering that this was the only way to save his soul.
"They will never forgive me."
"Violet will forgive you. She is a foolish woman like her mother, it may take a few years, but she will definitely forgive you… But Agnes? Probably not."
Suddenly, she feels someone touching her shoulder, she quickly turns around and sees Adonis.
"No need to hate him too much. He's not to blame... And forgive me for my selfish decision, but... I didn't want to fall into that woman's hands."
Crack, Crack.
Agnes comes out of Victor's memories and wakes up in reality.
"Adonis..." All her power disappeared, and her eyes began to flow with tears, "My darling..."
The woman began to cry silently.
"I had no choice... Wrong, I had a choice, and I chose what it took."
Looking at the man lying there with a tearful gaze, thanks to their connection, she could feel a sadness deep in her entire being.
He did what had to be done, but that doesn't mean he's happy about it. It wasn't the result he wanted.
And... She understood that.
"..." Agnes remained silent.
"I couldn't let him fall into the goddess's hand... Therefore, I made a choice."
"..."
"His soul will remain within me safely until the day I find a way to bring him back to life..."
'If that's possible...' He continued with a depressing thought. He instinctively knew that by absorbing Adonis, the very existence of man no longer existed.
The being that 'formed' Adonis died when being absorbed by Victor.
Yes, he still has the soul of Adonis, with him, but he instinctively knows that if he ever revives that soul, he will not be Adonis. Instead, he will be a completely new being.
Like a blank page.
And that thought made him depressed; 'In the end, it wasn't the goddess who killed him but me... You fool, why didn't you tell me that before?'
"...Who are you, now?" Agnes asked as she tried to compose herself a little.
"...Victor, and at the same time a being who has the memories of Adonis."
Victor's eyes glowed violet, "Everything he knew, I know, all the experiences he's had, I've had, all the hatred he has for Persephone and Aphrodite, I have too." His entire speech was filled with hate and anger.
Despite having memories of someone else within himself…
Victor instinctively knew who he was, and who was dominant. That was the king's instinct, an instinct not to get lost in this giant sea of memories he'd inherited from a 1700-year-old vampire.
"... You know everything...?"
"Yes."
"Even how I knew him, and what I was like before…?"
"Yes."
"Even our first time..."
"..." Victor was silent, the answer of confirmation was not necessary.
"Answer me!"
But it seems Agnes wanted a satisfying answer.
"Yes, Agnes. I remember everything."
"......" Agnes was silent as she lowered her head. She was in a confused and grieving state, she didn't understand anything anymore.
"Hilda." The voice came out so natural it even startled him a little.
"Y-Yes!?"
"Take care of Agnes, she needs to rest."
"..." Hilda opened her mouth a little in shock as she looked at Victor, followed by the sense of authority emanating from Victor's body and the resemblance he had to Adonis. Unconsciously, she was a little surprised when he called out to her.
"Hilda?"
"Yes, I will take care of her."
Victor tried to get up, but...
Agnes held him, "Darling... Where are you going... Darling..."
"Are you going to abandon me...?"
"...." Victor bit his lip when he saw Agnes' state. She was inconsolable, he was a little surprised by her sudden change of mood, but he remembered that she was always like that, her mood changes quickly.
Agnes was always like a bright fire. When she was happy and excited, she could burn the world, but when she was sad, she was like a little flame full of insecurities, and dependency.
Despite wanting so much to comfort the woman, Victor knew he couldn't do that. It wasn't his right.
He is not Adonis, although he received all of that man's existence in his body, he is not Adonis.
He is Victor. He is not Adonis' replacement.
"Agnes, I...-"
"Do not say anything!" she roared.
"I know! I know! I know!" She walks away from Victor and gets up as she looks to the side and continues, "I know you're not him... I know..."
Seeing the tears falling down the woman's cheeks, Victor's heart sank.
'Fuck, this fucked up situation... All because of that bitch.'
Agnes' state made him angry.
And that anger was amplified by Adonis's already existing hatred.
'Persephone...' Victor's eyes were lifeless and cold:
'You will pay for this.'
Victor gets up from the floor, "Hilda, I'm counting on you."
"Yes..." Hilda approaches Agnes and holds the grieving woman, and soon she takes her away.
Victor continued watching Agnes until she disappeared from his sight.
All his melancholy expression disappeared, and a serious, calculating look appeared on Victor's face.
Adonis was not a fighter like Victor or a battle maniac. If talking about personality, Adonis was the complete opposite of Victor.
Born without strength, he had to use his last resort to try to survive.
His brain.
"Kaguya, bring the bald man out."
"YY-Yes, Master." Kaguya stuttered a little. She was a little surprised at Victor's sudden command.
"Become dog food." Victor's hand grows to become the head of a demonic beast.
"..." Kaguya was a little shocked when she saw this, as she couldn't get used to the sight of a hand turning into a demon beast's head.
The demonic beast opens its mouth full of sharp teeth and swallows the bald man whole.
Victor touches his chin while he was organizing the information he just got.
'Niklaus...'
'Son of a bitch, are you involved in everything?' He gritted his teeth, but soon his expression went neutral.
He organizes the names and appearances of the people involved, and to his surprise, werewolves, and even a small group of witches, were involved.
"Oda."
"..." A man came out of the shadows and stood behind Victor:
"I'm not Adonis, and you know it, but... These men dared to set foot in my wife's mansion. They won't get away with it." Victor's hair floated as if defying gravity, and his countenance was stark black like a demon that has come out of the confines of hell.
"Do you agree to be under my command for a few hours?"
"..." Oda narrowed his eyes. Initially, the only ones who can order Clan Blank are the Count and Countess of Clan Snow, Agnes is like that, and the Count has been absorbed by this man, from what he can understand, at the request of the count himself.
'If master trusted him... I will trust him... For now.'
"At your service, Master." Oda knelt down.
Victor flashed a small smile.
"Oda, call all of Clan Blank that are scattered throughout the city, place the most experienced individuals guarding every exit from this city." He turns forward and looks at the moon.
"The remaining members of the Snow Clan must stay here and protect Agnes and the non-combatant members."
"Kaguya."
"Yes, master."
"You are my most trusted Maid. I want you on the front lines."
"...." Kaguya's smile grew, and she said, "As you wish, My Master."
Victor displayed a neutral and cold expression as he looked at the moon. He would not fight, he would kill.
Kill, and kill, today he would:
"All the cities of Nightingale will be painted with the crimson blood of my enemies..."
'It doesn't matter if it's vampire, human, or werewolf. Everyone responsible for this mess will die today.'