Harry Potter: The Arcane Thief (Litrpg)

Chapter 213: Shocking Revelation

Martina dabbed at the tears in her eyes, her nose red due to crying. 

The whole time while watching the video, she kept hoping for Bellatrix to stop, but the woman just kept getting more and more ruthless, as if enjoying destroying Axel.

And now, the last line kept repeating in her head. 

'I should never trust anyone and learn to be satisfied with loneliness.' 

This made her understand a little. 

Axel has always been closed off, not letting others know how he feels. 

This was the first time she was hearing Axel actually speak his thoughts. And gods did it break her heart. Martina put a hand on her chest, which was hurting very badly for some reason. 

After seeing the video, she had finally gotten a glimpse into Axel's thought process, and gotten a slight understanding of his mindset. 

"He wasn't the least bit surprised when my family betrayed him." she mumbled, her eyes lost in thought. To reject the Mikhailov's engagement proposal without starting a war, Martina's family had used Axel as a shield, without her knowledge. Axel was angry, but he wasn't surprised.

"It's because he was expecting to be betrayed from the start..." she realized. 

Now thinking back on it, many more such moments were surfacing on Martina's mind. From the beginning, everyone in this world had treated her with excessive favorability. Everyone except Axel, that is. Instead of trying to get closer to her, he did his best to maintain distance, as if he was disgusted.

Axel had always been very rude and indifferent to her. Even though she knew about his difficult childhood, she had still thought that he was overly cautious and paranoid. After all, even though those crude and vulgar people on the streets haven't treated him well, why look at her from the same perspective? Why lump her with their kind?

But now, she understood. He wasn't being excessive. He was, in fact, right in being cautious in paranoid. Because if she had been in his place, she definitely wouldn't have been able to take it.

Martina had just thought he was wary of her due to his difficult life. But now watching this video, she realized that he was always expecting her to be like Bellatrix and Andromeda, due to her having a rich and powerful family background. 

And, was he right in doing so? Of course he was. Her family hadn't betrayed his expectations and rewarded him with an excellent betrayal.

Right now, Martina really, really resented her family. As for the Minister of Magic? 

The purple magic around her swirled dangerously. 

Martina met eyes with Daphne and saw the same look in her eyes. 

Both of them turned their attention to Bellatrix, who was currently lying on her knees in a daze. 

BAAM

Faster than you could blink, Daphne had moved right up to the minister and landed a punch squarely on her face. 

"You sadistic BITCH! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!"

Daphne's anger was palpable. To the point that it was reaching a similar level to the anger she felt for her father. 

Martina had the same question. "He had done nothing to provoke you. Then...why?" 

Why indeed? How could she treat him so badly when Axel had done nothing to her. No matter what, it only seemed like a sadist taking pleasure in pushing around a child. 

"And… if you had done this to him, then with what right did you try to keep me away from him?!" Daphne demanded. 

Just a few days ago, when Axel was admitted to the VIP ward, Daphne had tried seeing him, but Bellatrix had kicked her out, claiming she wasn't qualified to meet Axel.

If Daphne, who had never done anything to harm Axel, was not qualified to meet him, then how the hell was this Bitch with a capital B qualified to be in 1 km range of him?

Bellatrix, who had finally snapped out of her daze, did something completely unexpected. She burst into laughter. Full-blown, mad laughing and giggling. 

"That's it." She murmured in between her chuckles.

Daphne hit her again. "This bitch! Why are you still laughing?! Do you not understand? Your life is over! Everyone in the world currently hates you!" 

But, neither her words, nor the heavy blows seemed to affect the crazy woman. Bellatrix laughed for a while before shaking her head. "To be honest, I don't know why either. Maybe because I've finally lost it, or maybe because I see the futility of my life." 

"What is that supposed to mean?" Asked Martina. 

Bellatrix looked at the two girls for a while before sighing. "You two… aren't that much different than me." 

?!

"How dare you even COMPARE us to someone like—"

"You'll do anything for him, the both of you. Won't you?" Asked Bellatrix, and upon their silent admission, she laughed. "His father has three life debts on me. I'll do anything for him too. So, we're not that different as you think."

"And believe me, most likely, you two will also end up just like me. A bitter woman too weak to do anything when he did need help, and then living the rest of your life in regret."

!!!

"What… What nonsense are you spo—" 

"I'm not talking nonsense. I mean, can't you see the current situation? He's out there, fighting Kraken, and what are you doing? Interrogating a bug? The Kraken is too strong. You're already too weak to do anything for him."

Daphne seemed at a loss for words. On the other hand, Martina had gone completely silent. 

Bellatrix fiddled with the wand in her hand. "You know, I'm a sadistic bitch who enjoys others' sufferings. And I know you too really want to torture me right now. And I deserve and welcome every bit of it. 

But…I really had no idea that Axel was HIS son. Recalling that memory everyday is already a torture. And if not, I've also tortured myself a lot for what I did. But…" Bellatrix paused. "What's more torturous is the fact that I spent 10 years amassing all of this power, and realized that even that isn't enough to do anything against the Organisation," she sighed. "And now, just like his father, that guy has also gone there alone, and there's no word yet. THIS is the torture." 

Her words caused both Daphne and Martina to freeze. What Bellatrix said had hit too close to home. The truth was, they were worried sick about Axel and the bleak future she described…

"No…." Daphne's fists clenched. "No," she repeated, shaking her head. "I don't know about Axel's father, but I know Axel. We don't need to worry about him. He can handle himself," she said confidently. 

But only she knew. That she had to believe that. Because, If anything were to happen to Axel…she couldn't imagine anything after. 

"Also," Daphne drew her wand. "You were right. CRUCIO!" 

Bellatrix curled up on the ground, her eyes widening at the surprisingly huge amount of pain she was suddenly put through. 

"You were right. I do want to torture you. Not because of what you did do, but because of what you didn't do. CRUCIO!"

"For the last two years, he kept trying to push me away, kept trying to remain alone, kept trying to distrust me, kept trying to keep boundaries. I chalked it up to the fact that he had a difficult past, not knowing… that the fundamental problem was the fact that that person, the person I love, didn't think he deserved to be love. That every moment he was spending with me, he was preparing himself for betrayal. That he thought there could be no one in the world who would just be with him for the sake of wanting to be with him. But you…You knew!"

"CRUCIO!"

"You were the one who caused it, after all. And yet, even after realizing it was someone you were supposed to protect, and even after genuinely regretting it, you were able to do nothing about it!" 

Bellatrix's limbs lost their strength as she realized… that Daphne was right. 

Was it... really like this?

She thought she was trying to make amends. 

But, looking back, all she was really trying to do was try to gain Axel's forgiveness and favor. In the end, what she tried to do was what would make her feel better, not Axel. 

"You realize it yet?" Asked Daphne. "I knew you wouldn't think of this! That's the problem of pureblood bigots like you! CRUCIO!" 

*Pant—Pant—Pant*

Tired and emotionally exhausted upon casting the Cruciatus for the first time in her life, Daphne closed her eyes as various scenes of their interaction kept playing in her head. All she wanted to do was to see him, and hug him tightly. And tell him again and again she loved him unconditionally and forever. And that she'll never, ever betray him until that blockhead actually starts believing it. 

'Don't worry. It'll happen soon. He'll destroy Kraken and come back soon enough.' That's all she could do to console her impatient heart. 

…

Cling—Clang—ClingClingCling—

The sounds of collision of weapons continuously rang in the air along with splashing of water, as Axel and Aslot fought tooth and nail in the battle. 

In the beginning, Axel got badly beaten. But now, the flow of the fight seemed to be changing. Every time a blow landed on Axel, it seemed to be absorbed, as if not having any impact on him. The water around him would kill its momentum, until all Axel would get would be a minor hit. 

Due to Aslot's extreme water affinity, Axel could only control a very minute amount of water. But… that was enough. His [Water Domain] was letting him feel every moment before his eyes could follow, and his brain was controlling water and his body to defend. 

"Coward! Is that—Clang—all—clang—you can do?!" Taunted Aslot in between the assault. From beginning till end, Axel had only been on the defensive, not bothering to attack Aslot at all. The worse thing was, it was actually working, as he had managed to survive till now. 

Axel didn't bother responding. All of his focus was currently directed elsewhere. 

Their battle continued. Aslot, with his waterbody, could fight without getting tired even in the gravity. But a long time had passed and Axel was still somehow keeping up. 

"This doesn't make sense! How are you still able to move?!" Taking distance, a watery head of Axel formed in the air, looking at Axel while tilting to one side. 

Axel's body hadn't changed into water. And this was an extreme gravity field. 

Before having the ability of turning into water, Aslot had experienced this place himself. There's no way anyone can move like that more so long here. Not even those who have successfully managed to go through 3 or 4 body. 

Then, how in the world is still not dead out of exhaustion? Why haven't his bones and muscles burst from the heavy movements?

'Wait...'

!!!!???!!!!

It was only then that he paid attention to Axel's body. The fight had destroyed most of Axel's armor except for the important places, leaving his scarred body exposed. "Wait, how did you…" 

Axel's whole frame was packed with dense muscles which, when tense, could even pass off as a metal exoskeleton. Axel's body had muscles that you wouldn't even know could exist, grown with a way to maximize his body's functionality. 

Axel shrugged. "I did some burpees. You know, just wanted to make sure my future wife wouldn't complain about low stamina." 

Aslot had had it now. "Alright, this is it. I was saving my power for other relic wielders, but it seems that I can't keep holding back anymore." 

Aslot raised his trident, finally using his water affinity. 

Keeping up maximum concentration, Axel prepared himself. Until now, he had managed to find a few things. The amount of water elemental energy Aslot can use… it's not infinite. If Axel is tired, then Aslot has also been fighting for the last few days. He has already had a fight against a whole team of Relic Wielders. 

Also, since the beginning of the fight, there was another thing he had noticed. Axel's eyes went to the Royal Relic. 

'It's not fully under his control,' he thought. 

That's right. Aslot was using the Royal Relic. But in order to bring out its full power, the staff had been installed with the same blue marking that covered the bodies of Kraken members. 

That's why, Axel hadn't tried to run away yet. He was not the one to give up in the face of difficult odds. 

But, when the staff glowed. 

BOOM

And the attack that came made him want to run away. 

...

next: Return of Arcane Thief

Next... Next: Through Sheer Fucking will

Next... Next: New Bloodline

Next... Next: Axel Hunt... Dead?

Next...next: That Brat...is the Crown Prince?!

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