Chapter 226: Dark Armor

Belle kept screaming, her voice rising in fury—but the Beast's only answer was to lunge forward and sink his fangs into her shoulder.

He tore off a chunk of flesh without hesitation.

"Princess? Hah!" the Beast roared with cruel laughter. "With that plain face? With your lowly background? You actually thought you were fit to be a princess? Don't make me laugh. Did you really believe someone as ordinary and unremarkable as you could ever marry into royalty?"

He sneered, his bloodstained teeth glinting. "I kept you around because I had no choice. The curse trapped me here, and you were the only halfway-decent looking woman nearby. That's the only reason you were here. Princess? You're nothing but meat for my table!"

And with that, the Beast pounced again, his massive jaws clamping around Belle's neck, snapping it in one brutal bite. As her lifeless body crumpled, he began devouring her remains without remorse.

Gaston stood frozen, trembling violently, unable to utter a word.

He had grown up with Belle. He knew she had once been a simple village girl, kind and hopeful. But the Beast, this creature, had warped her mind. When she was first taken to the castle, she had feared the Beast, shivered in his presence.

But one day, she overheard something: that the Beast was once a handsome prince. That whisper of a fairytale was all it took for her to fall into a delusional sympathy, believing that one day his curse would be lifted, and she'd become his princess. She let that dream consume her, justify her every action.

And now, this was where that dream had led her. It was no one's fault but her own.

Gaston had long suspected that loving a monster would only end in tragedy. He had been prepared for this moment.

Once Belle was completely devoured, the Beast turned to Jon. "Well? Are you satisfied now?"

"Me? Satisfied?" Jon shrugged. "You're the one who did the eating. What's it got to do with me?"

"Don't play dumb!" the Beast growled. "This is exactly what you wanted! You watched with glee. I saw it in your eyes—you enjoyed it!"

"Beasts know their kind. You're one of us. You just hide it better."

Jon didn't deny it. Instead, he smirked. "You're not wrong. Watching the guilty suffer, it does satisfy me. It's how I feed the hunter inside. In that way, yeah, we're alike."

He raised a hand, Hellfire dancing across his fingers. "But a true hunter never leaves his prey alive."

The Beast stepped back, panic flashing in his eyes. "Damn it! I did what you wanted! I ate that wretched woman! Why won't you let me go?!"

In truth, even in his maddened hunger, the Beast had other choices, he could've attacked Jon, or even Gaston's unconscious body. But he was smart enough to know he stood no chance against Jon. He also knew Jon wouldn't let him harm Gaston. And from the beginning, Jon made his intent clear: he wanted the Beast to devour Belle.

The Beast had hoped that obeying would spare his life.

Jon's voice darkened. "If you'd eaten her with regret, if you'd shed tears doing it, I might've let you live. But you didn't. It wasn't punishment for you. You enjoyed it. So… the punishment continues."

He hurled Hellfire at the Beast.

Flames roared. The Beast screamed and thrashed, but it was no use. The fire consumed him, until there was nothing left but ash.

As the Beast died, the castle fell silent. The life within it, the enchanted servants turned into furniture, had been bound to the Beast's curse. With his death, their souls vanished, and the animated objects turned back into lifeless antiques.

Jon didn't rush off. Instead, he made his way to the treasure vault beneath the castle.

Piles of gold and gems shimmered in the torchlight. He took only what he needed for the journey ahead, just enough to get by. As for the rest...

"Gaston," Jon called, looking up at the floating soul. "You can keep the rest. Use it for yourself, or give it to the villagers. Do whatever you want with it."

Gaston's expression was hard to read. He stared at Jon, conflicted. He knew Belle had deserved her fate, but still, he couldn't accept the brutal method Jon had used.

At that moment, Jon's eyes landed on something in the corner of the vault, a suit of pitch-black armor.

It was one of the prince's most prized treasures.

While executing judgment on the Beast, Jon had glimpsed parts of his memory. That armor had been passed down from his father, and Jon could feel it now, radiating dark magical energy. He didn't know where the prince's father had acquired it, but the power inside was undeniable.

Jon smirked. "Well, it's mine now."

He approached and reached out—but the moment he stood close, he froze.

From the very first glance, something about the armor had seemed familiar. And now, standing before it, he remembered why.

He had seen this armor before, in a dream.

Long ago, Doctor Strange from the future had sent Jon a message through a dream. In it, Jon had seen a dark figure stealing his power—and in that dream, he'd worn this exact armor.

So that dream… had been a warning.

Still, Jon didn't hesitate. He put the armor on.

"I make my own fate," he muttered. "Not even a cursed dream can stop me."

He glanced at his reflection, a shadowy knight in a mythical world.

"If I'm in a fantasy world, might as well dress the part."

With that, he left the castle.

***

Jon returned to the forest, where he found the witch, Antimora.

The forest had begun to flourish. Snow had nearly melted, and the first signs of spring were pushing through the ground. It wouldn't be long before the villagers would no longer worry about famine.

"What's your next move?" Antimora asked lightly.

She sat gracefully on a tree branch, birds perched on her shoulders, looking every bit the woodland spirit.

"This world," Jon said, "is far more fascinating than I expected. I'm going to travel, see it all."

"Need anything from me?" she asked.

"Yeah, a proper horse," Jon replied. "The ones at the Beast's castle were all trash. I bet you've got something better."

After all, he couldn't very well ride his dragon through medieval villages. A good horse would suit him just fine.