Chapter 177: The Human Inside

Bruno’s roar rattled the glass panes, his twisted form lumbering toward Jack with heavy, murderous steps.

Jack froze, wide-eyed, back pressed against the wall.

The horns caught the lamplight, and his claws gleamed like obsidian blades. Just one swing, and Jack would be cut in half.

But before Bruno’s claws could reach their mark, a blur cut through the space.

Noah.

He appeared between Jack and the raging demon in a crack of displaced air, his coat snapping behind him with the sudden movement.

His foot lashed out, striking Bruno square in the chest with a force that sent the horned brute crashing back into a row of overturned tables.

Wood splintered, the shockwave rattling every glass bottle left standing.

“Stay down,” Noah muttered, though he knew Bruno couldn’t understand. His sanity was gone.

Bruno pushed himself up with a roar, black veins pulsing along his neck, his claws carving long gouges in the floor as he charged.

Noah vanished again, Flash Step carrying him just out of reach as the claws slashed through where he had stood.

The air hissed from the force of the strike.

The bar descended into carnage.

Each swing of Bruno’s mutated arms sent wood and steel scattering like straw.

Tables shattered, chairs exploded into fragments. Bottles burst, spilling alcohol that soaked the floor and dripped down from shattered counters.

Noah moved constantly, his body flickering from one point to another in bursts of speed.

His heel smashed into Bruno’s ribs. His palm struck across the jaw. His fist slammed into the gut.

Every blow landed, but Bruno only staggered back before roaring louder, the black veins burning brighter.

“Persistent bastard,” Noah hissed.

He couldn’t kill the man. Not until he knew where he’d gotten the potion from.

He’d just seen a man become a demon human hybrid. The same thing that had happened to Juniper.

He’d get to the bottom of this, even if it meant delving into hell itself.

Bruno slammed a claw down, cracking the floorboards, but Noah was gone again, Flash Stepping behind him.

He struck the back of Bruno’s knee, forcing the beast to stagger, then twisted in midair, driving a kick into the side of his horned skull.

The impact sent Bruno careening into the bar counter, which broke apart in a cascade of wood and shattered mugs.

The building groaned as support beams gave way. Dust and debris rained down.

The bar was finished, with broken walls, splintered floor, and a hole where the counter once stood.

Bruno staggered up again, slower now, his black eyes unfocused.

He swung wildly, a claw carving through the air.

Noah crouched low, dodged, then drove his fist into Bruno’s gut. The air left the demon in a guttural howl.

Another blow followed. Then another.

Noah chained his strikes with ruthlessness, breaking through the horned monster’s flailing guard.

He spun once more, Flash Stepping behind him, then brought both hands together in a hammer strike at the base of Bruno’s skull.

Bruno collapsed like a felled tree, crashing to the ground hard enough to rattle what was left of the bar.

His horns cracked against the floor, the black veins flickering, then dimming.

Noah stood over him, chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.

He’d been careful not to kill, but to subdue. And finally, it paid off.

The black drained from Bruno’s eyes. His horns crumbled, his body shrinking down as if deflating. The dark veins receded.

In seconds, the monster was gone.

What lay on the floor was just Bruno again, bloody, broken, and covered in cuts, his chest heaving with shallow breaths.

Still alive.

The man groaned, half-conscious, blood pooling beneath him.

His chest rose and fell with ragged gasps, the sound wet and broken.

Noah crouched beside him, eyes cold, darkness curling lazily at his feet like snakes awaiting a command.

“Wake up,” he said flatly.

He grabbed Bruno by the hair and slammed his head into the shattered floorboards.

The man jolted awake with a grunt of pain, coughing up blood.

His eyes rolled in panic when they met Noah’s burning orange gaze.

“Y- You—” Bruno choked.

Noah didn’t let him finish. His fist drove into Bruno’s ribs with as much force as he could muster.

Bruno screamed, writhing, his legs kicking helplessly.

“Where did you get it?” Noah’s voice was quiet and dangerous.

Bruno blinked, dazed. “W- What—”

Another punch. Blood sprayed from his lips. Noah leaned close, voice venomous.

“The potion. The one that turned you into that thing. Who gave it to you?”

“I—” Bruno stammered, shaking his head. “I don’t… I can’t—”

Noah slammed his knee down on Bruno’s arm. There was a sickening crack.

Bruno screamed, the sound raw, clawing at the ruined air of the bar.

“Answer me,” Noah hissed.

He poured mana into his soul and his shadows rose, wrapping tight around Bruno’s throat, squeezing just enough to cut off his next scream.

Tears streamed from the man’s bloodshot eyes. “Alright! Alright! I’ll talk!” he gasped when the shadows eased.

“Good. Talk.”

Bruno shuddered, sobbing between words. “An alley… behind the East Market… that’s where I met him.”

“Red hair, handsome bastard… called himself Snake. He— he gave me the potion. Said if I wanted to rule the slums, I had to take Jack down. Said the power would make me unstoppable.”

“Snake…” Noah muttered, filing the name away.

His suspicions hardened into certainty. This wasn’t random.

Someone was testing these potions in the city, and Bruno had been their toy.

Just like Juniper.

“Please,” Bruno croaked, blood bubbling at his lips. “That’s all I know. I swear. Don’t— don’t kill me.”

Noah studied him in silence, then slowly stood.

When he saw this, Bruno’s eyes brightened with relief, until Noah raised his hand.

Shadows surged, forming a spear that lanced straight through Bruno’s chest.

His scream died in a wet gurgle. His body jerked once, then went limp, eyes glassy and lifeless.

Noah exhaled, dismissing the shadows.

He wiped his bloody hand on the tattered cloak around Bruno’s body, then straightened.

The ruined bar smelled of blood, smoke, and fear. Outside, faint shouts echoed, guards, no doubt rushing to investigate the destruction.

Noah didn’t wait for them.

With a thought, Null Stride flared beneath his skin.

His body dissolved into dust and shadow, vanishing from the wreckage before the door could be kicked in.

And all that remained was Bruno’s corpse.

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