Chapter 130: Monster Showdown (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 130: Monster Showdown (4)
Shuffle...
"Oh my."
Crouched low behind a park bench, Adler was making a futile attempt to sneak away from the scene. At that exact moment, the princess, who had been watching him quietly, spoke up.
"And where do you think you're going in such a hurry?"
"...Ah."
"Is something the matter, Mr. Adler?"
Adler froze mid-step at her sudden inquiry.
"...What brings you here, Princess?"
Sweating profusely, he shifted his gaze toward her. However, upon spotting the royal knights standing behind her, he relaxed slightly, a look of relief crossing his face.
"Hmm."
Narrowing her eyes, the princess suddenly turned around and raised her hand as if giving a signal.
"Princess, but..."
"It is quite alright."
"If word of this gets out, the entire order of knights will be disbanded..."
"It seems to me," she murmured, covering her mouth with a chilling smile, "that you aren't nearly as afraid of the punishment I have in store for your disobedience as you should be."
The intensity of her intimidating aura was so sharp that even the battle-hardened captain of the royal knights found it difficult to remain steady.
"...You must call for us immediately if things become even slightly dangerous."
"........"
"Lately, terrible rumors regarding that man have been flooding in from all over London. You must be cautious, Princess."
With those parting words, the captain—his spirit clearly dampened—turned and led his men toward the direction where a sinister aura was emanating.
"But I'm the one in danger here, aren't I...?"
"Fufu~"
"...Ah."
Adler reached out a hand toward the departing captain, but he froze instantly when a sinister laugh echoed right beside his ear.
"Hey."
"He... hehe."
"You know, I have a question."
Suddenly, the princess dropped her dignified manner of speech. Was that why he looked so terrified?
"Why didn't you send me an invitation?"
No, that wasn't it. The true source of his terror was the fact that the worst serial killer in history, Jill the Ripper, was currently brandishing a gruesome knife she had manifested from the shadows.
"Even the monsters I've placed among the knights as underlings received your message."
"That, well..."
"I'm truly curious why you left me out specifically..."
At the sight of the blade, Adler began to break out in a cold sweat. His mouth clamped shut as old traumas came rushing back.
"I can't exactly treat you the same as the others, Princess..."
"What a charming excuse."
"No, it's not an excuse... it's a fact."
"Hmm."
The Princess, who had been looking at him as if his reactions were adorable, suddenly adopted a stern expression and stepped toward him.
"Liar."
Thuck!
"Huh?"
The next moment, the air was knocked out of Isaac Adler’s lungs. He collapsed forward, falling directly into her arms.
"...Last time, you said it yourself. You said we should go on a date this weekend."
"........."
"You said you'd contact me... told me to wait for you."
Jill the Ripper, having plunged her favorite knife into his heart, caressed Adler’s back as he gasped for air in her embrace. A cold, stern expression was plastered on her face as she pressed him for answers.
"So why was there no word from you, no matter how long I waited?"
"..........."
"...Adler, did you deceive me?"
Facing the chilling gaze of the princess—their faces so close their lips could touch at any moment—Adler couldn't help but shudder. Suddenly, a fleeting look of realization crossed his face as he processed her question.
"Could it be... did you forget?"
"Uh..."
"Really? That's the actual reason!?"
"...Ugggh."
With an incredulous smile, Jill the Ripper began twisting the knife embedded in Adler’s heart.
"...Listen, Adler. Because of that single sentence you uttered that day, I canceled every plan I had for the weekend."
"Ugh..."
"And there I was, sitting in my royal chambers all weekend like a princess from a fairy tale, eagerly anticipating your call."
Her voice, tinged with a hint of bitterness, caused Adler’s eyes to flicker wildly.
"As Saturday passed and Sunday came, I still held onto the hope that you would eventually reach out. After all, the weekend includes both Saturday and Sunday."
"Ah..."
"But as Sunday evening approached, I started to feel uneasy."
Jill the Ripper continued, staring directly into his eyes.
"Still, I thought perhaps you wanted to be romantic and take me on a late-night date, so I kept waiting patiently."
"........"
"...And when the clock finally struck midnight, how do you think I felt after sitting there for forty-eight hours straight?"
At a loss for words, Adler scratched his head before finally opening his mouth.
"...Would you like to slit my throat like last time?"
"No, I was thinking of kidnapping you and throwing you into a grinder."
With a cold expression, she drove the knife deeper into his chest.
"Um, well..."
"........?"
As his consciousness began to fade, Adler’s eyes rolled back. Then, suddenly adopting a submissive expression, he leaned closer to Jill the Ripper.
Lick...
Out of the blue, Adler licked her lips.
"What are you doing...?"
"...Will you marry me?"
As he whispered in a submissive, desperate attempt to act cute, a heavy silence settled between them.
"Ahaha... Haha..."
Soon, an incredulous laugh escaped her lips as she stared at Isaac Adler, who was now drenched in a cold sweat.
"...Just die."
"Huff."
Simultaneously, her knife began to slowly slice Adler’s heart apart.
Peek...
Pale-faced, Adler began peering over her shoulder for some reason.
"What is it?"
"........"
"It seems you didn't come here alone, did you?"
His gaze began to tremble at Jill the Ripper’s whisper.
"Hmm, what to do now?"
Clench...
"Sorry, but I don't think your henchmen can save you."
Jill the Ripper licked Adler’s cheek with a chilling expression, completely bisecting his heart this time.
"...Ugggggh."
"I sent the royal knights to the hiding spots of your stinking barn animal, that little runt of a sniper, and the mosquito woman, after all..."
As the last of his strength left him, Adler’s body went limp in her arms. Holding him tightly, she whispered into his ear in a soft, terrifying tone.
"And all those numerous groups and organizations you’ve cobbled together won't be of any help either."
"........"
"Because I am currently the second most noble person in the British Empire. Unless it’s an outright war, a military conflict in such a secretive operation would only be problematic for them, not me."
"........."
"Well, the assumption itself is meaningless since you are the trophy... but even if a full-scale war broke out, I am overwhelmingly superior in both numbers and strength."
Her eyes gleamed with victory as she stroked Adler’s cold, pale cheek.
"There are a few variables, like that insolent detective and the mysterious professor, but..."
"...Ugh."
"You fought with the detective, didn't you?"
Hearing that, Adler quietly avoided Jill the Ripper’s gaze.
"The professor is currently recuperating from an injury she sustained not long ago... She’s probably knocked out by now after taking her sleeping pills. Tell me, am I wrong?"
"........"
"Then the last remaining variable must be the monsters you’ve brought in from all over Britain..."
Jill the Ripper, looking down at him with amused eyes, glanced toward the dust cloud spreading in the distance and muttered.
"...It seems that last variable has already taken care of itself."
"........"
"Therefore, there’s only one fate left for you."
As she whispered, her voice dropping an octave, Adler tilted his head with clouded eyes.
"Don't you understand yet?"
".........."
"You’re going to be raped and murdered by me today."
Jill the Ripper’s excited voice pierced through Adler’s mind, making him look up at her with hazy eyes.
"Rape... and murder? Did you just say rape and murder?"
"I’ve been thinking... If I kill you, I’ll lose my favorite toy. So, I need to secure your genes first."
"...I’m not that easy to kill, you know?"
"Plans for the future, if you will."
In response to his frightened rebuttal, she spoke in a stern tone.
"What if one day your immortality suddenly vanishes? What if I stab you as usual and you just die? There’s no turning back then."
"........."
"Or you could suddenly disappear due to some sort of ability. You’re that kind of person, after all, Isaac Adler."
"Why are you talking about such illogical things as if they were logical..."
As Adler muttered and avoided her gaze, she cut him off.
"Enough. Just be a good boy and get raped and murdered."
Squeeze...
Lifting him in a bridal carry as his strength continued to wither away, Jill the Ripper began to walk.
"As long as I haven't figured out a way to kill you, you might as well act as the future queen’s prince consort. Wouldn't that be beneficial for you as well?"
"...Hmm."
Upon hearing her proposition, Adler thought it over for a moment and then broke into a cheerful smile.
"That’s an interesting perspective."
"Yes, isn't it? So don't resist and just follow me quietly to the palace. I’ve prepared a cozy space in the basement for raping and torturing you to death. You’ll live quite a luxurious life for a sex slave..."
"...However, I must decline."
Adler interrupted Jill the Ripper’s words with a firm response.
"What?"
"I have already promised to marry someone else."
Upon hearing those words, Jill the Ripper’s excited expression instantly turned as cold as ice.
"It seems you are under a grave misapprehension."
"Is that so?"
"I never made a proposal or a request to you."
With a chilling gaze, she leaned in close to his face and murmured.
Warning!
– Probability of being Kidnapped — 100%
– Probability of being Imprisoned — 100%
– Probability of ??? — 100%
At that moment, the finalized probabilities surfaced before Adler’s eyes.
"This is a declaration, Adler."
"........"
"Understand? Now let’s go. We need to return to the palace before the knights notice..."
As she spoke, Jill the Ripper licked Adler’s blood off her fingers and continued walking.
"........?"
However, she had only taken a few steps when she stopped and narrowed her eyes, focusing on the path ahead.
"Who’s there?"
"I’m sorry, but..."
Adler, quietly lifting the corners of his mouth, began to mutter.
"It seems you are the one who is mistaken."
"What?"
"There’s still one variable left, isn't there?"
Blocking her path, a girl mysteriously appeared. With her cape fluttering in the night wind and her hand pressing down on her large hat, the girl’s lips curved upward just like Adler's as she eyed them both.
"...That’s my treasure, by the way."
.
.
.
.
.
However, it wasn't just the corners of their mouths that had turned upward.
Warning!
– Probability of being Kidnapped — 200%
– Probability of being Imprisoned — 200%
– Probability of ??? — 200%
Eh?
For some reason, the probabilities floating in front of Adler had skyrocketed to abnormal levels.
Ah, let me correct that.
It was because he was being targeted by multiple individuals at the same time...
"Ah, shit. Not this again..."