"What I deserved, you say?" She asked, Monica felt like she was no longer herself.

"Huh?" The trio glanced back at her, feeling her aura even if they couldn't sense magic.

"W-What's gotten into her?"

"She stood up?"

"Oi Didn't we told you that you belonged into the dirt, you worm?"

The blonde walked towards Monica, fearlessly, her hands grasping her neck and about to push her down into the floor.

However, Monica's hand touched her arm, as her red eyes glowed brightly.

"Eh? You dare fight back, you fucking ugly bitch- UGH?!"

FLUOOOSH!

Suddenly, the dark energies surrounding Monica started overflowing around her, and then reaching the bully's arm, sucking away her very life energy.

"Uugh AAAGGH AAAAAAHHHH! G-GET AWAY! GET AWAYYYYY!"

She screamed her lungs out as she saw her very arm beginning to dry out like that of a dried out corpse. The life energy being feed back into Monica, healing her wounds.

"Eheh Eheheheh It hurts, right?" Monica began laughing.

"W-What the?!"

"S-Shit What's going on?!"

The other two panicked, as they started stepping back, and then ran away.

"H-HEY! YOU FUCKING BITCHES! DON'T RUN AWAY! HEEEELP MEE- MGUH?!"

The blonde quickly felt utter fear as she couldn't understand what was happening, Monica's hand covered her mouth, and then she felt the agonizing pain of having her life sucked away.

Her pretty face slowly turned old, skeletal even, as she screamed in agony, and then, dropped into the floor, half-dead.

BAAAM!

"A-Ahhha Haaahhh.. U-ugh m-my fa-face"

As she groaned in agony in the floor, with her voice barely being heard, the two other bullies were grasped by tentacles made of shadows and dragged back to Monica as they screamed.

Their screams dulled out by the shadow tentacles entering their mouths grossly. Monica's eyes glowing redder as she continued to giggle maniacally.

The Monica from before was nowhere to be seen, and somebody else, the entity within her, had taken over.

"Fufufu~ I have to thank you girls. Without you, Monica would had neve dared to let me take the rails~" Laughed the entity. "I'll make sure to thank you for that, your delicious youth and life essence I'll take it away from you."

Her hands touched their faces, as they instantly began to age rapidly, their bodies growing older and drier, their screams couldn't be heard, their agony was indescribable.

Leaving them half dead on the floor, Monica walked away, not before cursing their souls with the darkness she held.

"[Curse of Silence] You will not be able to talk for the rest of your lives." She smiled, the dark lady within her soul delighted herself in their suffering.

FLUOOOSH

"OOOOHHH!"

"MANA"

"GAAAAHHH"

Dozens of Hollows appeared around her, attracted to the commotion. Yet they did not attack her, they seemed to want to serve her. They kneeled before her, as she smiled, her phantasmal aura surging wildly.

"How cute~" She smiled. "Fine, you can join me."

Extending her hand, the Hollows were all sucked into her aura of darkness, strengthening her greatly as a result. This was a power that only the strongest of specters and undead could achieve.

Monica slowly walked back home, and once she reached her room, she fell over the bed, unconscious. The darkness settled in more and more within her heart, and once she woke up, she could barely remember what happened.

"W-What did I do?" Her eyes felt utter fear.

"You took revenge, dear." Smiled the entity within her.

"B-But that's I" Monica felt afraid.

"Don't be afraid~ Eventually, you will realize that you'll need me more than anybody else." Smiled the entity. "I am your only friend, Monica"

Monica's hands trembled in fear of her own powers, unable to scream, nor ask for help Yet she couldn't deny it, deep down, she felt relieved.

A malice she never thought she had before began surging from her heart. Like a ticking time bomb, eventually, if not restrained, would lead to a great tragedy.

"You may be afraid, but eventually, you will realize this is your only path, dear~"

""

.

.

.

(Elayne's POV)

Once we finished having lunch with my daughter, we spent some time together talking about BNLO and what I've been up to with my party. She was rather surprised to know there was such a huge quest in the Dwarven City, but her high level would make everything trivial, so she ended not being really interested

"It sounds interesting though, if it really has a connection with the next World Boss, I might join you in whatever follows after that." She smiled. "Good luck capturing those bosses nonetheless, mom."

"Thanks dear! I was thinking on fighting the last two at the same time, to make a pretty interesting video." I said. "I have to abuse the level difference to create interest and thrill."

"Hmm, you're way better at analyzing what would be good in a video than I imagined" She was surprised. "Oh well, I'll go log-in for now."

"Alright dear." I nodded. "Make sure to not miss your studies, alright?"

"It's the weekend, let me be~" She sighed, closing the door.

And once I walked back to my room to log-in as well, I suddenly received a message from Rose herself.

<Friend: Rose (SWORD Agent, colleagues only)>

[Rose]: [Hello Elayne, hate to message you for something like this. But some minutes ago we found three half-dead girls on the streets Either monsters or some wicked person did this to them.]

[Rose]: [They have been sent to the hospital after that, but they seem unstable Have you not seen any person that held magic powers lately? It happened near the streets where your house is located So I'm worried.]

Eh? This

<Friend: Rose (SWORD Agent, colleagues only)>

[Elayne]: [No? Not really This is horrible. Is there something I could do to help?]

[Rose]: [I'm surprised you would say that, but aren't you just a civilian now? Well, if things get worse, I'll call you in a heartbeat. But for now, keep your identity a secret if possible.]

[Elayne]: [Alright I'll keep an eye around to see if there's anything suspicious.]

[Rose]: [Thanks a lot. Leave the rest to us for now.]

Just what happened?