I'm the Villain, But the Heroines Keep Choosing Me-Chapter 104: Washing off Blood II

"That’s asking a lot," Elara said quietly. "Watching you nearly die repeatedly while we stand back and let it happen."

"I know. But if the alternative is me dying because I wasn’t strong enough when it mattered – " He left the sentence unfinished.

They sat in silence, the bathwater’s heat slowly fading as they processed.

Finally, Seria spoke, her voice carrying military practicality. "If you’re going to train more aggressively, we need to be smart about it. Not reckless solo missions following mysterious trails into demon ambushes."

"Agreed," Damien said immediately.

"We coordinate combat scenarios where you can push your limits with backup available. Not to interfere unless absolutely necessary, but to ensure you don’t actually die if things go wrong." She was already planning, he could see it in her expression. "The Empire has training facilities, controlled environments where we could arrange high-intensity combat simulations."

"That could work," Elara added. "And I need to be present during recovery. Monitoring your physical and mental state, ensuring the increased combat stress isn’t degrading your anchors’ effectiveness."

"Both of those are acceptable," Damien said. Relief flooded through him – they were taking him seriously, working with him rather than trying to protect him from necessary growth.

"But," Seria continued, her tone hardening, "no more solo operations without telling us first."

"Unless splitting up is tactically necessary – "

"Then we discuss it first," Elara interrupted. "Like adults. Like partners. Not with you making unilateral decisions because you think it’s safer for us."

Damien opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. They were right. He had been making unilateral decisions, rationalizing them as protecting his anchors when really it was old habits from thinking of himself as the solo protagonist.

"You’re right," he admitted. "I’ll communicate better. Full coordination, no solo operations without discussion."

"Good," Seria said. She shifted closer, her hand joining Elara’s in holding his beneath the water. "Because we’re not losing you. Not to demons, not to Aldric, not to your own reckless determination to protect us by excluding us."

"We’re stronger together," Elara added.

"I know that intellectually," Damien said. "But the Archdemon’s words got in my head. Made me think I had to handle Aldric alone."

"Then let’s get them out of your head," Seria suggested. "The Archdemon was manipulating you toward isolation. Classic divide-and-conquer strategy. Don’t let it work."

"Demons lie," Elara said firmly. "Even when they’re telling partial truths, they’re doing it to serve their purposes. Whatever that Archdemon said, take it with massive skepticism."

Damien nodded slowly. They were right about that too. He’d been so caught up in the revelation about Aldric, about his destined death, that he’d accepted the Archdemon’s framing without question.

"Okay," he said. "You’re right. I’ll approach everything it said with skepticism. But – " He met their eyes. " – I still need to get stronger. The threat from Aldric is likely real, regardless of how the Archdemon framed it. We all saw him starting to radicalize. We all know he views me as an abomination that needs to be destroyed. That’s reality we witnessed ourselves."

"If Aldric should somehow become a threat, then we’ll handle it without you isolating," Seria said.

"Mmm...yes ma’am," Damien confirmed.

The water had gone lukewarm now. Elara gestured, and her divine magic warmed it again – a casual use of power that reminded Damien how capable she was.

"There’s something else," Elara said after a moment. "The Archdemon appeared to you specifically, spoke about your fate, arranged that trial. Why? What makes you special enough for that level of attention?"

Damien felt ice in his stomach. This was dangerous territory – getting close to truths about the System, about being a transmigrator, about the nature of this world as a story.

"My shadow magic," he said, keeping his voice casual. "I’m using demonic power effectively without losing myself to it. That probably makes me interesting to higher-tier demons. An anomaly worth studying or recruiting."

"Maybe," Elara said, though she sounded unconvinced. "But there’s something you’re not telling us. I can feel it."

"There are things I can’t explain," Damien admitted carefully. "Not because I don’t trust you, but because explaining them properly would require context I don’t fully understand myself. The shadow magic, where it comes from, why it works the way it does – there are gaps in my knowledge."

It was truth, if not complete truth. He didn’t fully understand the System’s mechanics or why he’d been chosen for transmigration. The gaps were real, even if he was using them to avoid harder questions.

Seria studied him for a long moment, then seemed to accept it. "Fine. As long as your secrets don’t get us killed, I can live with gaps in understanding."

"They won’t," Damien promised. "Everything I’m not telling you – it’s not relevant to keeping us alive or completing our mission. Just... personal context that doesn’t affect tactics."

"Then we work with what we know," Elara decided. "You need to grow stronger. We’ll help you do that safely. And we’ll all prepare for potential confrontation with Aldric, because that threat is real regardless of demonic manipulation."

"Agreed."

They sat in the bath for a while longer, the physical closeness helping to ground all of them after the night’s chaos.

Eventually, Seria stood and began washing Damien’s hair with careful thoroughness, removing the last traces of demon blood. Elara worked on his shoulders, her divine magic soothing bruised muscles.

"For what it’s worth," Seria said as she rinsed his hair, "what you did last night was terrifying, but impressive. A hundred demons is an army. You survived an army."

"The shadow comprehension growth was significant," Damien said. "I can feel the difference. Things that used to require concentration now happen on instinct. The shadows respond faster, more precisely."

"Show me," Seria requested.

Damien raised his hand from the water, and shadows gathered around his fingers without conscious effort. They formed a small bird, perfectly detailed, that flew around the bathing room before dissolving back into darkness.

"I couldn’t have done that yesterday," he said. "Not with that level of detail and control. Each demon kill taught me something new about shadow manipulation. It was like... compressed learning. Years of practice condensed into hours."

"That’s amazing," Elara observed.

"I guess it is," Damien said. "After we rest. Right now, I need sleep more than anything."

They helped him from the bath, dried him off, and guided him to bed. Damien was asleep before his head fully hit the pillow, exhaustion claiming him completely.

Seria and Elara exchanged looks over his sleeping form.

"He’s not telling us everything," Elara said quietly.

"I know," Seria replied. "But pushing him won’t help. Whatever he’s holding back, he has reasons."

"Those reasons better be good ones."

"They usually are." Seria settled onto the bed beside Damien. "For now, we trust him. Monitor him. Make sure his secrets don’t get him killed."

"And prepare him for a possible battle with a man who can use both divine and battle magic at the highest levels," Elara added, settling on Damien’s other side. "That should be fun."

They lay there, flanking their sleeping partner, both women lost in their own thoughts about Archdemons and heroes and the battles to come.

Outside, the Imperial Capital continued its daily rhythm, unaware that in one quiet residence, three people were planning for a confrontation that could reshape the Empire’s fate.

[ANCHOR BONDS: Stable]

[SHADOW COMPREHENSION: Level 43]

[STATUS: Recovering]

[NEW MISSION PARAMETERS: Accelerated growth while maintaining humanity]

[WARNING: Time remaining until Chapter 195 - Unknown]