The Demon and the Healer - Chapter 3- Condition?

“W-W-What nonsense are you spouting!”

Charlotte hurriedly pulled out her dagger, regarding the demon’s words as nothing but rubbish. She was having a hard time digesting the fact that she actually wounded the demon since this entity was anything but weak enough to get attacked by the weakest member of the Hero’s party.

It was not a depressing self-evaluation but a proven fact that Charlotte was the least physically potent and to imagine that she was able to injure the demon whom even the light hero Helios was unable to even leave a scratch…indeed there was a lot to ponder but not now when her friends were struggling to keep their life force intact.

She gushed out the dagger and without waiting plunged it back just beside the previous wound. This time again she felt no resistance to her blade and the dagger penetrated deep inside until the handle didn’t become a hindrance.

She had no time to spare and humor her amazement as the healer was anything but calm at the moment. She took out the weapon once again and repeated the process.

***SQUELCH***

Again.

***STAB***

And again.

“Die! Die! DIE! YOU MONSTER!!”

She was not caring about herself anymore since through her moistened eyes what she could see was only the damage spread upper body of the demon. To her utter annoyance, the demon was still calm and serene as ever, and her friends were still suffering because of him.

She tried again and again and again, but nothing seemed to be working. It was then when suddenly-

“Ah!”

Her hand was caught by a warmer and larger hand that had sharp nails and the paleness of the skin signified that it could never belong to a human being.

“Leave me! I have to kill you!”

Helios was shocked beyond belief. Not just because of seeing this unusual side of Charlotte. The woman who generally remains all friendly and has the least fondness of blood was dedicating her rage to annihilate the demon was indeed an astonishing sight to behold. But other than that what made him doubt his sanity was how calm and forgiving the demon was who definitely had the strength to at least defend himself yet all he did was smile at his potential life claimer?

No, there was something wrong here, and when that demon’s following with which he directed at Charlotte proved his assumption.

“You are hurt.”

“So what?! My friends are in far worse condition all because of you! Let me go already!”

Charolette flared back which made the demon frown.

This looks bad… Helios exclaimed inwardly and more than anything in his life, he wanted to regain his mobility at this particular moment. But like today was a fest of surprises, the demon suddenly said something which practically was contradictory to his demonic nature.

“Let me see so I can heal you.”

“I don’t need your help. I just need to save my friends so let me just go!!”

Charlotte was so enraged and in a state of extreme anxiety about losing her friends that she didn’t even register his words completely nor she minded the glare she was getting from the demon as she flared back and cut his words while constantly struggling to free her hand from the unmovable grip so she could continue her assault.

The demon’s growing frown made Helios more concerned than ever as he tried to utter his words and shout out for the healer to run away as soon as she could. But then again…it was a place to get your assumptions crushed since this demon was anything but predictable.

“If I let go of your friends, would you then get healed?”

“Don’t lie I know-”

“Just answer me, woman.”

Charlotte sealed her lips hearing the domineering tone which imposed her to think rationally for a bit, still, she never lowered her glare, and after a brief pause responded in affirmation.

“I-I will.”

Charlotte nor Helios had any idea what the demon had in mind by making the former agree with his terms. They had mutual thoughts that now the vile creature would begin to show his real side and crush everyone around his sheer strength while mocking Charlotte.

But…

“FUCKKK!!!!”

“*Huff*Hufff*”

“H…e…l…ughh..”

The tension from the room suddenly was lifted off as the tank shouted after being liberated, the assassin just huffed to not let his consciousness get swept away and the mage was whimpering for help since she looked on the verge of crossing the bridge and walking into the afterlife.

Helios also huffed raggedly while holding his chest to calm his almost exploding heart but his sight never left the throne where Charlotte was still being held captive by the demon.

“L-Let her go…”

Somehow pulling his remaining strength which he has exhausted while fruitlessly struggling against the force under which he was getting crushed, Helios warned the demon.

He was about to charge forward and free his Charlotte when the god has given him the other chance but when the demon’s ruby eyes shifted from Charlotte and got directed at Helio, the latter’s body once again froze under nothing but raw fear.

“Remain at your place or the endless path of pain and regret would begin with your next step.”

It was not a threat but a statement that Helio knew could become a reality if he moves. This demon…was not something he could have ever prepared himself for. This sensation…the utterance of this situation and the dread he was experiencing right at this moment was foreign to the hero.

His will to fight the demon lord has been already crushed, and at this point, any hope of crossing past this barricade has already been extinguished. He was even standing right here out of the sheer will and the determination he carries for the love of his life.

“Don’t move Helios.”

“Charlotte…? But why?!”

Helios exclaimed but the healer just shook her head once again before she redirected her gaze at the demon who was constantly gazing at her with a strange gleam radiating from his blood-freezing eyes.

“I don’t know what’s your purpose or why did you heal me…but please can you let me go so I can save my friends?”

Charlotte had a reason for which she tone down her voice and that was her undamaged hand which was getting eroded by all the blood her skin was covered in. Demon’s blood was never a problem for her to interact with due to her attribute and the blessing she was bestowed by the goddess of Healing herself. But this blood…was even defying that blessing and was actively burning her skin.

But the demon somehow healed her hand back to a healthy state without even chanting nor he seemed to be struggling when he pulled such a high-grade healing spell which not just repaired her skin but also subdued the effect of the poisonous blood. She believed…no, Charlotte wanted to believe that the demon still had some desire to prolong this act and let her at least heal Grace who was in the direst shape and whose depleting mana was making the healer restless.

“If I save your friend, then will you stop struggling against me?”

It was a tough question to answer which made Charlotte entirely ignore the logic behind the query. She never even pondered why the demon would put condition her cooperation in the matter since all her attention was now available to Grace.

It was true that the Saint rank healer Charlotte was confident in her skills but to save someone from that bleak state…could she surely achieve it? Charlotte was left with no other option but rather than to look back at the demon and while hiding her hatred behind a mask, she nodded.

“Good.”

Suddenly she felt her position shifting and in a blink of an eye, she was no longer kneeling on the floor but had her butt resting over something warm and comfortable. The smell of blood remained but what changed was her situation since currently she was sitting…on the demon’s lap?!

“W-What are you doing?”

Charlotte stuttered and couldn’t fight the blush when she felt his hand encircling her waist to keep her in the position. How…and why this demon was doing this to her? What was his purpose and when he would show his true side?

All those questions were pushed aside along with her flustered response when she heard a familiar voice from the left.

“Ugh…where am I…”

“”Grace!””

Gelion and Gail rushed toward their companion who woke up from the daze which was leading her to eternal slumber. Unlike before, Charlotte could feel the mage’s mana in a stable regenerating phase and she no longer seemed in dire need of aid either. More like Grace now seemed back to her full health and what it did take for the demon to accomplish such a feat? Nothing. He was here with her all the time without moving an inch yet he was able to heal the person whom humanity’s greatest medic was doubtful to save.

Helios didn’t go to check on Grace since his undivided attention was solely on the demon and the way he was holding Charlotte. But before he could have forced himself to utter a single word, the deep heavy voice of the demon once again reverberated for everyone to listen.

“Choose, hero. Whether you go forward and return home from this point. Whichever choice you pick, it would not affect my desire to spend time with this woman.”

******

A/N: – Drop a comment~