The Story of Aria and the Slayer

Chapter 14

Aria remembered the first time she disarmed the Slayer during a spar. She remembered it very well. Sure, he'd been holding back, but that didn't mean it was at all an easy feat. And it didn't help the small amount of pride that she'd gained that, excluding use of shinsu, the Slayer stopped holding back and Aria was back to barely being able to keep up.

Outside of training, the demon seemed to be trying to return to normalcy. Though Aria wasn't sure that that was what she wanted anymore. Not with her newfound goal and her mind dead set on achieving it. Even if she had no clue how.

Eventually, the Slayer had begun to notice her unresponsive attitude. In a last attempt at getting her to speak after one of their spars, he'd said lowly, “Are you still interested in hearing about my siblings?”

She'd thought about it for a moment. Aria didn't know whether or not she needed to know about them anymore. Perhaps she didn't and yet she found herself nodding slowly.

Though she could've sworn the demon relaxed a bit from her response, in relief. And as he began to tell her about a sister by the name of Albelda, Aria began to realize that she'd no longer been interested in hearing about his siblings because she was trying to find his weakness. After all, her goal had shifted quite a bit. Instead, she still wanted to hear about them because deep down, she enjoyed the stories he had to tell. She enjoyed seeing the genuine emotions on White's face as he spoke about the only people he had begrudgingly cared for. 

There was fondness hidden poorly under annoyance, laughter hidden behind criticism, appreciation hidden behind an impassive expression and tone. All the emotions of a stubbornly distant brother.

It was as though he were reliving his past, seeing it all in a somewhat good light, and he was bringing her along to experience every memory of his past.

When he finished his story, Aria glanced at White who she could've sworn was smiling faintly. She blinked, and all she could see was the monster she'd come to know over the first few months of her imprisonment. A chill rushed through her body and she sighed.

The Slayer frowned at her, regarding her carefully. “What is it?”

“Why do you do this?” she muttered more to herself than him. She met his eyes with her own confused ones. “Why is it that you seem to care one second, but then you threaten me the next? Why do you try to anger me before consoling me just to scare me in the end? What exactly is it that you want? Anger? Fear? Pity? There has to be something. What do you want me to see you as? Monster or human?”

The demon shrugged. “For your first few questions, I don't know. I just do whatever I see fit. It just happens that I'm not always sure what fits when I'm with … well, you. As I said before, you're quite an interesting character.”

Aria huffed in exasperation. “Well, let me just say that your uncertainty is quite interesting too.” She pushed herself off from where she'd been leaning on the training room's wall. “Actually no, not just interesting. It's downright baffling.”

The Slayer followed her to the door. “In regards to your last question, it's obvious. I really would prefer you see me for what I am.” He flashed her his usual grin and she suppressed a shudder. “I'm a weapon, a monster, Aria, don't ever forget it.”

She stopped with her hand resting on the door in front of her. “Of course. I'd be a fool to forget it.” But that didn't mean that he couldn't be more. Aria would see to that. It would be a spectacle before her eyes.

When she'd begun to open the door, a pale hand pressed it shut. “And … as for what I want from you,” the Slayer drawled in a sickly sweet tone, “I'm quite greedy. I want all the things you mentioned. I enjoy seeing your fits of rage. They're quite amusing. Though even more so, I enjoy stifling that fury with a single look. But at the end of the day, I also like our little memory exchanges. They're almost … comforting.”