Damian turned to face his professor fully, his expression shifting from gentle concern to something harder, more resolute.
"Thank you for taking care of her... For teaching her and for giving her a safe place to recover. Iâm genuinely grateful for everything youâve done."
His sincerity was obvious.
Then he reached down and drew his gun from its concealed holster.
Seraphinaâs eyes narrowed slightly, her body tensing, but she didnât move.
Damian held the weapon out to her, grip first, offering it peacefully.
"Kill me right here if you want to. If you genuinely believe that what I did was wrong, that those students deserved to live... that humanity needs pathetic sexual assaulters like them to protect itself.
I abhor sexual assaults more than anything. The very act of forcing yourself on someone just to satisfy your own lust, not caring about the victim, their entire lives and how it would affect them or their loved ones... is one of the most evil things I can imagine. And the people who commit these crimes can never be expected to help anyone, not to mention the entire humanity.
I donât consider them humans. So whether it is a child, teenager, an old man, a hero, a criminal, a student or even a Noble... Anyone who commits a crime like that, will be killed by me all the same. So... Stop me right here."
His voice was calm, steady, carrying complete conviction.
"Because I need you to understand something fundamental about who I am and what Iâm building. I will never care about the bigger picture when it conflicts with protecting my people.
I will kill anyone, even those who protect humanity from Monsters, if they harm whatâs mine. Their potential contribution to the species means nothing to me compared to the actual safety of the individuals Iâve chosen to protect."
Seraphinaâs expression went cold, unreadable.
"Iâm offering you this choice because I respect you. Because youâve helped me, taught me and supported me when you didnât have to. So if you feel strongly enough that I need to be stopped, then stop me now. Because I promise you, I will never change this position. This is who I am... And in the future, you will not get another opportunity like this."
Seraphina stared at him for a long moment.
Then she reached out and took the gun from his hand, her movements slow and deliberate.
She raised it smoothly and pressed the barrel directly against Damianâs forehead.
Her finger rested on the trigger.
Complete silence filled the room.
The gun barrel pressed cold against Damianâs forehead.
Seraphinaâs finger rested on the trigger, her violet eyes locked with his crimson ones.
Neither of them moved nor blinked.
The silence stretched for what felt like an eternity.
"Iâve executed many people in my line of duty, Damian."
Seraphinaâs voice was cold, flat and utterly devoid of emotion.
"Traitors who sold military secrets to enemy forces. Deserters who abandoned their posts during critical battles. Criminals who murdered civilians under our protection. War criminals who committed atrocities that couldnât be forgiven."
Her finger tightened slightly on the trigger.
"Iâve killed people I knew personally. People Iâd trained alongside. People who Iâd considered friends before they crossed lines that couldnât be uncrossed. Iâve put bullets in their heads without hesitation because duty demanded it and justice required it."
Damianâs expression didnât change at all nor did he flinch. He didnât show any fear or even tried to talk his way out of this.
He just stood there, completely calm, completely accepting of whatever decision she made.
"So donât you ever make the mistake of thinking that if you truly stood against humanity, if you genuinely became a threat to our survival as a species, that I wouldnât kill you just because youâre my student. Donât ever assume that our relationship would protect you from consequences."
The gun pressed harder against his skin.
"If the day comes when your actions threaten humanityâs future, when your ambitions put innocent lives at risk on a scale that canât be justified, when you become the monster that needs to be put down for the greater good, I will be the one to do it. Without hesitation or any regret. Is that absolutely clear?"
"Yes."
Damianâs response was immediate, simple and carrying complete understanding.
"I wouldnât expect anything less from you. Thatâs part of why I respect you so much."
Seraphina held the position for another long moment.
Then she lowered the gun and handed it back to him, grip first.
"Youâre not there yet. What you did to those students was brutal and excessive by normal standards, but it wasnât wrong given what they attempted.
They tried to rape one of your people. They deserved death for that, regardless of their potential or their families or their future contributions to humanity."
She stepped back, her cold expression melting slightly into something more complex.
"But you need to understand the line, Damian. Thereâs a difference between protecting your people through necessary violence and becoming a monster who kills indiscriminately.
Right now, youâre on the correct side of that line. The people youâve killed deserved their fates. But that line exists, and if you cross it, I will stop you personally."
Damian holstered his gun, his expression thoughtful.
"I understand. And I appreciate the honesty. Itâs refreshing compared to people who pretend moral absolutism while secretly compromising constantly."
Seraphina sighed heavily as she saw the nonchalant expression on Damianâs face and walked over to lean against the wall, suddenly looking very tired.
"Do you remember that I mentioned the militaryâs intelligence unit being even more powerful and far-reaching than the SFD?"
"I remember."
"They know what youâve been doing in Tranquil City. They know about the Outer Region takeover. They know about the way you killed those students, the brutality involved and the trophies you took. They know youâre now controlling a significant portion of a major cityâs criminal operations."
Damianâs eyes sharpened with interest but not concern.
"Military intelligence doesnât usually interfere in internal criminal matters. They focus on external threats and large-scale security issues. Why would they care about gang activity in one city region?"
"Because youâre not running normal gang activity."
Seraphinaâs voice carried a note of something that might have been admiration mixed with concern.
"Youâve established actual governance in the Outer Region. Youâve created laws, forbidden certain crimes, built infrastructure, provided services that the government should be providing but isnât. Youâve demonstrated that an alternative system can work better than the official one."
She crossed her arms, studying him carefully.
"That makes you interesting to certain people in positions of power. Many higher-ups in the military are genuinely impressed by what youâve accomplished. You have talent, obviously. Youâre ruthless when necessary but also strategic and forward-thinking. You clearly understand the bigger picture despite being willing to prioritize your people over abstract principles."
Damian listened silently, his expression neutral.
"Theyâve also been looking at your academic performance. Your theory exam results are particularly interesting. You scored exactly the same on every single subject. Not full marks, but identical scores across completely different topics. Mathematics, history, Aura theory, tactical studies... all of them have the exact same grade."
A slight smile crossed Seraphinaâs face.
"Thatâs actually more difficult to achieve than getting perfect scores across the board. It requires such precise understanding and control that you can calibrate your answers to hit specific point totals intentionally.
Itâs like youâre sending a message to anyone paying attention: âSee, I could get full marks easily, but I donât care enough to bother. Iâm just showing you that I understand everything perfectly while putting in minimal effort.â"
"Thatâs a very specific interpretation."
"But accurate, isnât it?"
Damianâs smile widened slightly but he didnât confirm or deny.