Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: The Thousand-Slaying Demon
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Blazing flames illuminated the gaps between the dimly lit, eerie alleyways.
Whoosh!
The flames launched from Yoon Na-rin's hand flew toward Betty, but once again, Betty's figure vanished, and the fire merely swirled through empty air.
This was already the fifth time. Yoon Na-rin attacked, and Betty dodged with instant teleportation—the scene repeating endlessly.
"You just gonna keep running away!? Coward bitch!"
Frustrated, Yoon Na-rin yelled, veins bulging in her neck.
"I told you I can't fight! You slut!"
"What!? Hey, you fucking bitch!"
Incredible profanities poured from the mouths of these two 17-year-old girls, filling every corner of the alley.
"……"
Anis Harper's pupils trembled violently. She was still lost in confusion, unable to keep up with the sudden outbreak of violence.
"Stop running and come at me!!"
"If it pisses you off that much, hit me! You're nothing special!"
As their fight intensified, it quickly caught people's attention.
Citizens spotted the rising flames from afar and reported it. Elise and Phloe arrived soon after receiving the call.
"Wh-what is this?"
They had arrived, but still grasping the situation, they blinked in confusion. Then, a girl's voice echoed from deeper in the alley.
"This is Yoon Na-rin from Sector A-4! Currently engaging a wanted traitor! Please assist!"
"Y-yeah!"
"What good does more people do? I can just run away and be done with it! Idiot, I'm out!"
Betty stuck out her tongue in farewell. Yoon Na-rin smirked and taunted her.
"Pfft. Scared now? Retard."
"What the hell, you bitch!? This is a tactical... whatever it's called!?"
"Bullshit! You're just a chickenshit!"
"No I'm not!?"
"Then prove it! Fight me without running! You whore!"
Crack. Blood vessels burst in Betty's eyes.
"You... fucking bitch! I'm not running!! I'm definitely hitting you once before I go!!"
"Try it!!"
The two girls exchanged murderous glares and vicious words, momentarily freezing Elise and Phloe. But they soon stepped into the alley to join Yoon Na-rin.
The hazy figures sharpened as they drew closer, and Elise spotted three people in her view.
Betty and Yoon Na-rin glaring at each other. And behind Yoon Na-rin, Anis slumped on the ground. Ellis's body was hidden behind Anis, out of Elise's sight.
Elise tilted her head upon seeing Anis collapsed on the ground.
"...? Hey, why are you sitting there? Where's Ellis..."
As Elise approached Anis with her question, Anis's shoulders flinched.
Elise drew even closer to Anis and then discovered Ellis's body.
"......Ellis?"
Elise froze upon finding her little sister's corpse, neck snapped. At that moment, even Betty and Yoon Na-rin halted their fight to look at her.
"Ellis, no... how could this..."
Elise stammered in disbelief as she knelt before the body. With each word she uttered, Anis's head drooped further toward the ground. Betty's gaze fixed firmly on Anis.
"...What the hell did you do."
Reproach laced Elise's voice. Anis kept her head down, unresponsive.
"What were you doing until Ellis ended up like this!!"
Her voice mixed fury and resentment as it lashed at Anis. Anis's shoulders trembled faintly.
"Don't tell me... you let her get attacked because you didn't like her..."
"Are you the corpse's sister?"
Betty's question cut Elise off.
"...Yeah."
Elise glared at Betty with eyes full of hatred. The circumstances made it clear Betty had killed Ellis.
"I see. Don't blame Anis too much. I did the killing. It happened so fast she didn't have a chance to stop it."
Betty shifted her gaze from the trembling Anis to Ellis's body.
"...Well, she must've had a reason to deserve death, right?"
"You...! I'll kill you...!"
"Go ahead. Try."
Elise drew her sword and stepped forward. Phloe and Yoon Na-rin flanked her from behind.
Three heroes faced off against Betty.
Betty eyed the people before her.
Elise had drawn her sword, aiming it at her. Phloe and Yoon Na-rin had magic gathered in their hands, targeting her.
"......"
She kept up a tough front, but inwardly, Betty was breaking a cold sweat.
'...What do I do.'
She'd boasted about landing one hit on Yoon Na-rin in the heat of the moment, but honestly, Betty had no confidence in winning a fight.
Betty had no talent for combat. She'd dodged attacks so far thanks to her ability, but with three opponents, she'd tire out fast.
'No, where the hell is Han.'
Betty inwardly cursed her comrade who'd come with her. With her face now known and wanted, he'd tagged along as a bodyguard for any emergencies, so where the hell was he.
'Where are you! I'm gonna die!? I'm really gonna die!!'
She could just use her ability to escape, but for some reason, Yoon Na-rin's taunts had sparked her pride, keeping her rooted.
The furious Elise took a step forward, and Phloe and Yoon Na-rin matched her stride.
"Shall I help you, Betty?"
A young man's voice came from behind Betty.
"Han!!"
Betty's face lit up.
"Shall I help you, Betty?"
The unfamiliar young man's voice echoed softly through the alley.
He had long black hair cascading down, sharp slit-like eyes, and crimson irises that gave an ominous vibe.
"Han!!"
"I've been looking for you, Betty."
Betty's joy was short-lived as she snapped.
"Where the hell were you!? Aren't you my bodyguard!?"
"No, you teleported off on your own without me from the start. If you know you need protection, please stick with me."
Betty rested her chin, recalling the past.
She remembered arriving in Sector A via teleportation together, but after that, she'd forgotten to grab him and moved alone. Probably too excited about seeing Anis after so long.
"Well, that could happen."
"I see."
Han nodded without argument. Betty liked that about him.
"So, shall I assist?"
Han placed a hand on the sword at his waist. Betty nodded.
"Don't touch Anis or the redhead!"
"And the others?"
Han pointed at Elise and Phloe. Betty recalled Anis's reaction when they arrived.
It wasn't the intense response she'd shown to Yoon Na-rin. They didn't seem that precious to her.
Plus, considering how Elise had treated Anis...
Betty finished her thought and spoke.
"Just kill the other two."
"Understood."
The sudden arrival of the new figure put the three on alert, weapons raised.
Han stepped past Betty to face them.
"......!"
Phloe paled upon seeing the young man's face up close.
"Hey, what's wrong? Do you know him?"
Yoon Na-rin whispered, noticing Phloe's reaction.
"I've seen that face on a wanted poster..."
The black-haired swordsman with red eyes.
He'd vanished without a trace one day, now only whispered about like an urban legend.
A top-tier villain rumored to have killed over a thousand people.
Even high-ranking heroes struggled against him.
They called him the Thousand-Slaying Demon.
Yoon Na-rin and Elise had heard the moniker before.
Elise, facing him directly, swallowed hard and steadied her stance.
"You know me, I see."
The young man—Han's voice fell indifferently.
"Feels like I'm a celebrity or something."
Click. His red eyes gleamed as he gripped the sword hilt.
Slash!
Elise's head flew off. It was instantaneous. A speed too fast to perceive.
"Eek...!"
By the time Phloe registered Elise's death and screamed,
Slash!
Phloe's head had already flown too.
Thud. Thud. Roll.
Almost simultaneously, two heavy spheres hit the ground.
The sound of something heavy thudding to the ground pulled me from the emotional tidal wave I'd been drowning in.
I lifted my head and came to my senses. There lay Elise and Phloe, decapitated.
For a moment, I wondered if I'd gone mad again and killed them, but the cleanly severed necks told me it wasn't my doing.
"It's over."
"As expected from you, Han. Reliable as always."
"Thank you."
I looked up ahead. A man I'd never seen before was casually chatting with Betty.
Yoon Na-rin guarded me warily from them. I stood and spoke to her.
"......Na-rin?"
"...Anis. Be careful."
"Huh?"
Yoon Na-rin, uncharacteristically drenched in cold sweat, stared at the man. A hint of fear flickered in her eyes.
"F-for now, we need to get out of here..."
Yoon Na-rin backed away cautiously, eyes on them. Betty spoke, watching her.
"Ah, don't worry. We're leaving just like this."
Betty said that to Yoon Na-rin, then turned to me.
"Anis."
I met Betty's gaze. Hers was steady, mine wavered.
When Yoon Na-rin first arrived, I'd thought my murder was exposed and it was all over.
But Betty covered for me, claiming the kill as her own.
Why.
Why protect me?
I wanted to ask, but couldn't. Not with Yoon Na-rin there.
Betty seemed to know that too, offering no long explanation.
Just a gentle smile and farewell.
"I'm off."
I hope next time, you've changed your mind.
With those words, Betty vanished using her ability.
"......What about me?"
She left the long-haired man behind.
The long-haired man looked dumbfounded. His eyes bloodshot, like he was a bit pissed.
I spoke to him.
"...Who are you?"
"...I'm Han."
"Oh, I see. Hello."
"...Pleased to meet you."
"Ah, Anis...! He's dangerous! He's the enemy!"
Yoon Na-rin frantically tried to stop me as I greeted the man.