Empress' Evolution
Chapter 113: Devils II

"Don't worry, Lucia, everything is going to be okay. I'll get us out of here." Will had his daughter in his embrace tightly. He held her, trying his best to give Lucia courage. He too was afraid, but his dedication to providing support to his daughter covered his own fear of death.

"Dad, where's mom? Is she still fighting with the daemons?" Lucia's voice was trembling, holding onto her Father's clothes, "Is she risking her life for money again? I told her… I didn't need anything else… Dad… will Mom die because of me?"

Lucia's tears fell, Will tightly wrapped his arms around her, "No, no, of course not. Mom is fighting because she wants to do it for you, me, and herself. Don't think about it too much; everything is going to be all right. She's a strong Hunter. She's stronger than you think, you know, far-far stronger than anyone could imagine. Why do you think this dad of yours is afraid of her?"

"…because she controls our time of sleeping and waking up?"

"There's that." Will slightly let out a chuckle, and so did Lucia, lightening the mood.

He and Lucia missed the airship that they were supposed to board. When they arrived, the airship had already left on the behest of the Sector Leader's commands. That's right; they were left behind because of their cowardly leader.

Thousands of people packed the Terminal building and the airport as a whole. Many had tried to escape out of the City, but Will knew the dangers that lie in doing so.

So, he stayed on the cafeteria bench with Lucia, praying, waiting for the fighting to end. Food scattered on the floor, people, slumped down on the pillars around them, and Will was doing his utter best to keep Lucia's mind off the fighting.

He was smiling despite his innate fear. He could not show a hint of worry, for his daughter, he must be strong. He was a father, and this was his job, "I'm sure this will be over soon; everything will be fine." His words, though repeated, still gave Lucia a semblance of comfort. However, even that sense of comfort vanished. A clamor rose little by little.

"What is that?" An old woman resting near the window. Reddish blur slowly grew from being dots, the old woman felt her heart hastening,

"Tho-those ar—"

"What's happening? What's that noise?"

From the old woman, the others finally noticed the oncoming danger.

Will also took interest. Standing up from where he sat, he extended his neck outward and saw the red blur getting closer. His face instantly changed, "RUN! EVERYONE RUN! THEY'RE COMING!! THE TYRANT APES ARE COMING!"

With his bellow, more than a dozen red beasts came hurtling towards the cafeteria windows.

CRASH!

The windows crashed to thousands of pieces. For everyone on the airport's first floor, including Will, time seemed to have paused for a brief second. For both Lucia and Will, they saw it happen as though it was in slow-motion.

The glass shards flew, stabbing countless onlookers on the body and the face. Those who could not react fast enough suffered, and Will, who was staying so close to the window, was also not safe. Glass shards were coming for him and his daughter.

"LUCIA!"

Without missing a single second, Will used his body to shield his daughter. And when everything dawned to everyone, what followed was complete and utter chaos.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!"

"BASTARDS!"

"STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY! NOOOOO!"

GIGIGIGIGI!

The Tyrant Ape's laughter echoed melodiously with the death throes of the humans. An orchestra of death was created, a slaughter was quickly painting the walls and ground red. Entrails flew about, staining everything in the vicinity.

Will didn't care for the massacre. He covered Lucia's eyes, left everything behind, and gritting his teeth, swiftly he carried himself out of the cafeteria,

The Tyrant Apes that came was only the first wave, and Will knew this. The Tyrant Apes, however, would not just go to let a prey escape. Maniacal giggling echoed in the building,

"I'm going to get you out of this, dear, don't worry… everything is going to be all right."

Lucia's eyes were covered; she could not see anything but darkness.

Up and down, her body bobbed with every step Will took. She was scared, she trembled, but how tightly she was held by her Father gave her security, "Mm."

"Good girl, then can you help Dad? Wrap your around Dad's neck and close your eyes, and don't open them until I let you down. Can you do that for me, dear?"

"…Okay, Dad."

"Good girl, now, keeps close, and whatever you hear, whatever you feel, never open your eyes."

"…"

"Lucia!"

"I understand, Dad."

"Good girl, now, don't worry, it's going to be all right."

In the darkness, Lucia felt the wind on her back. She could tell that Will twisted and tumbled about in the air and the ground, the grunts of the beasts entered her ears, but those sounds were drowned by the warcry of the Father.

"Everything… is going to be all right!" From time to time, Will would speak these words to Lucia.

A liquid flowed onto Lucia's hands. She could feel its warmth.

'No… please… no.'

Tightly, she held onto her Father. The sticky substance keeping her from losing her grip.

"Everything… is… going to be… all right!" Once more, Will spoke.

She did not want to confirm what she feared.

While hundreds of survivors escaped into the Airport Hangar, Lucia drowned out all the noise around her.

But… Will suddenly stopped. And with wet hands, he peeled Lucia away from him. He felt resistance, "Lucia… let go of me; it's safe now."

He said while screams still littered the area. Lucia was afraid, not of the monsters but of what she would witness if she opened her eyes.

"Lucia… can you… help Dad and… open and your eyes?"

Afraid still, she opened her eyes.

Lucia was shaking. She was worried; she was anxious, not for her life-

Afraid, she was still, but slowly light filled her vision, and her face turned ugly. Her face became twisted.

Lucia opened and closed her mouth. She looked at her father, her heart beating wildly, tears falling from the corners of her eyes.

"Da-Dad." her voice weak as she looked at her blood-drenched Father looking at her with a warm smile on his face. From head to toe, he was bleeding, his back bearing glass shards he shielded his daughter from.

Lucia touched Will's face.

He was cold as ice.

The warmth of the blood no longer masked the frost.

Lucia did not mind.

Will touched her frail hands, "Now… now, don't cry… everything is going to be all right."

"EVERYONE HURRY UP INSIDE! I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE GATE!" Someone shouted aloud—

The sound of metal clanking echoed as the Gates closed. The Tyrant Apes from afar heard this and giggled as they found a new target.

Lucia cried out as Will painfully stood up and turned his bleeding back on Lucia. Ambling away from the Hangar.

A weak smile appeared on Will's face as white mist escaped from his mouth. He smiled at her and held her trembling hands, "Can you help… Dad one more… time?"

"No… please… don't."

"Can you… stay strong for Dad?"

"…please… Dad… don't."

"Lucia, please… for Dad?"

"Dad… please… please… don't leave me."

Lucia's tears fell, and Will wrapped his cold arms around her, "I don't want too… but I have to… for my beloved daughter… so please… can you promise Dad? Please?"

"….I… promise."

"Good… girl..."

"..."

Lucia could see the determination in Will's eyes. She wiped her tears away, force a smile with everything she had.

"I-I will see... you... later... Dad... I love you."

"I love you too."

Will walked out of the Hangar, drowned out every scream from around him, even his daughter's.

In front of him was Tyrant Apes, who wish to enter the Hangar and devour every human inside.

Will stood outside of the Hangar, the Gates slowly closed behind him.

While waiting for the Tyrant Apes, he pulled out his HNP aat called someone.

"Hello... Hon?… this is Will, where... are you? I heard an explosion over at… are you okay? I... want to help you, but… I am… currently, tied up... at the moment."

~Will, what's wrong with your voice? Wait, are you not in an Airship? Where are you? I'm coming!~

"Lucia.... and I could not board an Airship... sorry. They... left ten minutes... earlier. But... don't worry... Lucia is fine.... she is inside a Hangar. Go replace her... and quickly leave the City... through the route... we talked about before.~

~Will? Don't do anything stupid! I'm coming!.~

"That is... impossible... thank you... though... haha."

~Will, this is no laughing matter. We're leaving this City together! Don't leave me, please!~

"Bye Mirsha... I love you... and thank you.~

~WILLLL...~

The call was cut off as the HNP froze.

Will stood there and stared at the coming Tyrant Apes.

He took in a deep breath.

"It was... a good life." Will uttered as he stabbed his heart.

[You have met the necessary sacrifice — activation of the [Black Ice of Wechuge] has begun.]

"I'm sorry… Mirsha."

And so, Black Frost began to fall, as the hymn for Will's end began as he saw a giant with a deer's skull for a head appeared before him.

"For my Family."

Will's end had begun.