My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 846 - 847: Collateral Damage
Previously on My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger...
Damon touched down on a rooftop with such violence that tiles shattered and timber groaned, the structure eventually surrendering to his weight. The roof caved in, sending him and Evangeline plummeting into the building's interior.
They burst through the ceiling amidst a storm of splintered wood and masonry. As the floor buckled under the force of their descent, they were swallowed by a thick shroud of dust and debris. Upon impact, Damon executed a reflexive roll to dissipate the kinetic energy.
Shaking the rubble from his frame, he rose through the hazy air and gripped Evangeline’s hand with a firm tug.
He didn't waste a second, hauling her forward before leaping through a massive window at the end of the hall. Glass sprayed into the air as they dove from the upper story into the narrow alley below.
A heavy, jarring thud echoed as they hit the ground.
Damon kept moving. His boots scraped against the stone as he forced Evangeline to run deeper into the shadows of the alley, while remnants of the building continued to rain down behind them.
She suddenly yanked her hand away, her footing uneven.
"Why are we running, we can take them."
Damon spun around mid-run, his expression one of pure disbelief as if she had completely lost her mind.
"Huh, take them? Maybe you forgot, Eva... I just saved your ass."
She bit her lip, her face a mask of internal conflict and hesitation.
"You could have killed him."
Damon gave a nonchalant shrug, his eyes scanning the perimeter for threats.
"Yes... and then what?"
He shut his eyes for a moment as a low, rhythmic vibration hummed through the atmosphere. It was a sensation felt in the marrow of his bones. His jaw set firmly.
The pursuit was closing in.
"Did you plan your escape?"
Evangeline averted her gaze, her posture stiffening beneath the weight of her armor.
"I... was going to wing it..."
Damon inhaled deeply, steadying his heart before letting out a long breath.
"Okay. Just stay close and try to keep up."
Hardly had he finished speaking when an invisible blade of force sheared through the alley and the surrounding architecture. Steel and stone were sliced as easily as parchment. Massive structures groaned and toppled, collapsing in a thunderous symphony of destruction as screams filled the air and dust clouds surged.
Damon sprinted directly toward the falling ruins.
As a building tilted, he threw himself into a descending window frame, clutching at jagged stone while support beams and pillars thundered down around him. Heavy chunks of masonry whistled past his skin.
Damon didn't falter; he knew this chaos was their best cover. With visibility zero and the area in shambles, no sane person would follow their prey into a collapsing death trap.
Evangeline stayed on his heels, her armor battered by falling debris as she dodged through narrow gaps, narrowly escaping beams that shattered the moment she passed.
Damon vaulted onto a broken ledge and smashed through another wall. Stone exploded outward just as a second titanic wave of wind tore the building apart behind them. Sections of the city crumbled, sending crowds into a panicked frenzy as the skyline fell around them.
He skidded down a slope of broken masonry and hit the ground hard, immediately ducking into another alleyway. Behind them, knights bellowed orders while arrows and magical projectiles whistled through the air.
Mid-stride, Evangeline turned and unleashed a magical sphere that erupted among their pursuers. She winced as she leaped, her boots barely clearing the small, crushed form of a child trapped under the rubble. Her expression turned grim behind her visor, her jaw clenched tight.
Damon never looked back.
He didn't slow down.
He refused to let emotion take hold.
There was no room for guilt; he wasn't the one responsible for the slaughter.
He glanced upward, his eyes locking onto the warden hovering in the sky, a parasol held casually in one hand.
The warden looked down with a face contorted by rage, letting out a piercing scream.
"I can see you. Surrender, and I will give you a merciful death."
His voice dripped with pure loathing and the sting of humiliation. Damon only met his gaze with a cold stare before raising a hand and giving a mocking wave.
The warden’s eyes narrowed as he thrust his palm toward the earth. Cyclones of wind erupted from the pavement. Tornadoes spiraled into existence, uprooting buildings, homes, and labor camps alike, tossing everything into the sky amidst the screams of the dying.
Damon grabbed Evangeline’s hand just as she slowed down, reaching out toward a woman pinned under the wreckage.
He jerked her back with violent force.
"Come on, we have to keep moving. If you stay there she’ll get caught in the attack."
The wind surged outward before suddenly imploding.
The woman’s form was obliterated along with the rubble, spraying blood across Evangeline’s faceplate.
Her gaze turned icy.
The warden’s haughty voice boomed through the carnage.
"Die you insects."
"These people have no regard even for the love of their own people," she hissed.
Damon understood her pain. However, it was her decision to arrive without a strategy. While she hadn't pulled the trigger, she was undeniably the catalyst.
Evangeline was well aware of that truth as well.
He surveyed the surrounding ruin—the corpses and the cries for help.
‘He’s done enough damage. Time for me to get out of here.’
"Eva, do they know your face?"
She shook her head, her features still concealed by her helm.
"No. I’m not stupid."
He gave a sharp nod.
"Good."
Turning away, Damon raised his arm and channeled his remaining mana into a final spell.
Blades as black as shadow manifested in the air.
They streaked toward the warden at an incredible velocity, leaving sonic booms in their wake.
The warden raised a hand, conjuring a wind barrier using a third-class skill. The shadow swords exploded upon contact, the blasts shattering the air and obscuring everything in smoke, throwing him back several meters.
By the time he recovered and looked down—
The pair had vanished.
His eyes narrowed coldly. The district was a graveyard of ruins, with survivors fleeing in all directions. His ground troops reported no sightings.
Tracking them would have been effortless—
If only they possessed brands.
With a roar of fury, he launched spheres of compressed wind into the streets, causing homes to lift and crash in a chaotic mess.
Damon’s dark hair blew wildly in the gale. Though he feared they had been spotted, he didn't look up. Mimicking a panicked refugee, he collapsed with Evangeline cradled in his arms.
They rolled through the dirt and remained motionless for several minutes, playing the part of victims stunned by the blast. Damon kept her pinned down, using his body as a shield as her armor began to shift, its magical shell fading to look like the tattered brown cloth he had scavenged.
She glared up at him from beneath him.
"How long are you going to stay on top of me?"
Damon let out a quiet sneer.
"I’m the one who feels violated."
Once he sensed the immediate danger had passed, he pulled her up. They blended into the tide of fleeing civilians, moving toward what appeared to be a safe exit.
Damon extended his shadow perception, his brow furrowing as he realized why the crowd had slowed.
A blockade.
Chained Knights stood in their path, inspecting everyone for brands. Any individual who seemed even slightly suspicious was executed on the spot.
He pulled Evangeline close, draping an arm over her shoulder to mimic a terrified couple.
"Do you have a brand?" he asked in a low whisper.
She shook her head.
"I’d never get that abhorrent thing on my person."
As soon as she spoke, Damon reached into his shadow storage and produced a branding seal. Her eyes went wide.
"You... you stole a branding seal."
Damon offered a cold smirk.
"Not quite."
He took her wrist and pressed the seal against her skin, a brief flicker of dark light appearing.
"This is a Damon original. I just need you to show them this."
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"You falsified a brand. What have you been up to all this time?"
Damon leaned in, his voice a mere breath.
"Nothing much. Just imprisoned in Eidolon."
Her shock was visible—
He gave her arm a sharp pinch.
Silence fell between them.
They were enveloped by a crowd of sweating, panicked people as they reached the checkpoint. Those bearing the chains were waved through. For those without—
The ground was stained with fresh blood.
"Names and brands."
Before Damon could respond, Evangeline took the lead.
"Angel. And this is my husband, Damon."
She held up her wrist, her voice carrying a convincing tremor.
Damon’s eyes shifted, but he remained quiet.
The Chained Knight sensed a discrepancy and released a pulse of aura. Evangeline’s reaction was a split second late, so Damon jerked her back, making them both stumble and act like cowards.
The knights erupted in mockery.
"Hahaha..."
Damon tried to lead her forward to keep their momentum—
"Wait. A minute."
Damon stopped in his tracks.
If their cover was blown, he would have to slaughter everyone here, which would surely draw the warden back to their position.
The knight turned toward them.
"If you’re really husband and wife... prove it."
Damon’s eyes thinned.
‘Prove it... how?’
Evangeline didn't hesitate. She turned and pressed her lips to his.
Damon was frozen for a heartbeat before he kissed her back.
The knight’s scowl softened as his suspicion faded.
"Tsk."
He signaled for them to pass.
Evangeline let out a shaky breath as Damon hurried her along, her cheeks flushed red. Damon’s expression remained stoic and impossible to read.
They soon left the zone of destruction behind.
Navigating a narrow side street, Damon let go of her hand and pushed open the door to a tavern. He walked directly to the bar and locked eyes with the owner.
"Ahhh, it’s such a hot day today."
The tavern keeper placed a cup on the wood, but Damon immediately flipped it over.
"I’ll have something hot now... and something cool for later."
The keeper lowered his pitcher.
"Welcome, patron," he whispered, sliding a key across the surface.
Damon grabbed the key and stood up. Evangeline followed, her mind still reeling from the day's events.
They ducked through a rear exit.
Moments later, they entered a nondescript house.
Damon kicked the door shut.
Evangeline turned and threw herself into his arms, embracing him with all her strength.
"I’m so happy you’re alive."
Damon returned the embrace, holding her firmly against him.
"Yeah... me too..."