Deviant: No Longer Human

As she turned to face Wang Xiao, her gaze seemed to draw the vastness of the sea into her eyes, her silver hair framing her face like moonlight against the night sky.

"Is that the only thing you want to ask?" There was a softness in her voice, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her eyes, imbuing her with a melancholic aura.

Wang Xiao\'s expression tightened, caught off guard by her gentle demeanor amidst the backdrop of their recent encounters.

This part of the island, cloaked in sparse vegetation, presented a stark contrast to the icy desolation that dominated the landscape elsewhere.

Compelled by an unseen force, he found himself sitting beside her, his gaze drifting out to the sea that stretched endlessly before them.

"How is it? Isn\'t it amazing?" Aurora\'s voice, breaking the silence once more, prompted a frown from Wang Xiao.

He was not in the mood for idle chatter, yet he found himself oddly captivated by her perspective.

"The ocean, it covers most of the planet, so vast you could get lost by day, yet it could fill you with dread at night... It\'s all yours now? What do you plan to do with it?" Her inquiry, ending on a note of curiosity, took Wang Xiao by surprise, prompting him to turn towards her.

"Mine?" The notion seemed ludicrous, yet there was something in Aurora\'s tone that suggested she wasn\'t entirely jesting.

Her lips curved into a slight smile, a whisper of amusement at his bafflement. "Not yet, but this place we are sitting on, for certain, belongs to you," she clarified with a deep, resonant sigh.

"Hm?" Wang Xiao, puzzled, found this creature manner of communication puzzling.

Why can\'t she speak human?

It was as if she spoke in riddles rather than direct human speech.

Aurora\'s faint smile broadened slightly, as though she could sense his confusion and sought to alleviate it. "Let me clarify for you, Asmodeous is dead."

"..." Wang Xiao\'s eyes blinked rapidly, still unclear on what had transpired.

He glanced backward towards the colossal white dragon, its body unmoving as it slumbered.

After witnessing the brutal scene of Asmodeous being crushed to death by the dragon\'s massive form, why should he still focus on it?

Aurora\'s emphasis on this event piqued his curiosity, suggesting implications far beyond what he had initially considered.

Aurora clarified, her voice steady yet laced with a hint of amusement. "After the death of Asmodeous, the throne of the European continent is left unclaimed. According to tradition, the one who slays him assumes his mantle, until such a time as another from the legion challenges for the right."

!?

This new discovery jolted Wang Xiao, prompting a swift turn towards Aurora.

"You are also a guardian like Asmodeous?" He inquired, his voice tinged with curiosity and wariness.

That was the first thing that came to his mind? Was he being used as a mere pawn in some grand power play orchestrated by these guardians?

If that were the case, it presented an opportunity he could not ignore!

He did not fear such political maneuverings; let them come.

He would demonstrate his powers and navigate these treacherous waters with unwavering resolve.

This woman, Aurora, must have her own motives, and she might require a puppet ruler to govern the European continent on her behalf.

All of this, Wang Xiao deduced within mere seconds, his mind racing with the implications of Aurora\'s words.

Witnessing the serious expression etched upon Wang Xiao\'s features, Aurora could not help but break into a faint, melodious chuckle that reverberated through the vast place.

She sighed deeply before reaching down to retrieve the severed hand that lay beside her, its fingers twitching ever so slightly.

"Do you want this back, or not?" she inquired, her tone laced with mischief as she playfully waved the dismembered hand before him, as if it were a mere toy.

!!

Wang Xiao squinted his eyes, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he shook his head slowly, "I would prefer to have both hands intact."

"Okay," Aurora responded with an ease that seemed out of place in the complexity of their situation.

She handed him the severed hand, her action accompanied by a simplicity that bordered on the absurd.

"What would I do with it?" Wang Xiao couldn\'t hide his confusion, his brow furrowing as he held his own hand, now an object disconnected from him.

"Attach it back," Aurora suggested, her tone as casual as if she were instructing him on a mundane task.

Wang Xiao was momentarily speechless, a rare occurrence for someone who had faced down countless dangers without flinching.

"How?" he finally managed, his voice a mix of frustration and a begrudging acceptance of his need for assistance.

Observing his genuine cluelessness, Aurora let out a soft sigh, as if resigned to his ignorance of such seemingly simple magics.

She stepped closer, her movements graceful, entering his personal space with a confidence that spoke of her familiarity with such procedures.

Rustle...

She positioned herself in front of him, taking the severed hand and carefully aligning it with his right shoulder.

As she worked, a delicate scent wafted towards Wang Xiao, a blend of fresh citrus and floral notes that transported him back to their first encounter, a reminder of the peculiar connection that had formed between them despite their brief history.

Whoosh...

Without warning, a stream of water enveloped Wang Xiao\'s shoulder, catching him off guard with its sudden, cool embrace.

Before he had time to react, a familiar tingling sensation spread through his right hand, signaling the return of its function.

"That\'s not me, that\'s Mimi," Aurora clarified, her voice calm as if explaining a mundane occurrence. She paused, seemingly realizing Wang Xiao had no context for who—or what—Mimi was, and shifted the conversation back to the heart of the matter.

"Do you want to know who I am?" she asked, her voice carrying a weight that seemed disproportionate to her casual demeanor.