229. Nobel Prize: Lujerna's Castle
In Lujerna's Castle, that colossal fortress, a silver-haired girl gripping a blue sword slowly advanced through heaps of vampire corpses strewn across the fourth floor.
Blood speckled her pale, soft cheeks.
"Is that it? Took longer than I thought."
Sisilia wiped the blood from her cheek with the back of her hand, her expression blank as she halted her steps. Her condition wasn't great, which had dragged things out more than expected. Tilting her head slightly, she muttered,
"Around thirty minutes, huh."
At that moment, space warped, and a rift in time tore open. Someone stepped out.
"Freya."
"Yeah."
"Did you do what I asked?"
"...I observed it clearly. Thirty minutes from now, vampires are extinct."
"Good girl. You can go now."
But Freya didn't leave. There was something too intriguing to just vanish back.
"......How'd you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Wipe out all of Lujerna's kin. Impossible for a human. You killed vampires tens of thousands of kilometers away in thirty minutes flat."
Sisilia spoke with genuine puzzlement.
"What's a vampire?"
Freya fell silent for a long stretch.
"......Yeah."
She broke into a cold sweat, glancing at the dead vampires around them. Only now did she realize—they hadn't turned to ash. Not even demons.
In the future thirty minutes from now, I imagined the very concept of vampires ceasing to exist.
And had Freya observe it, solidifying the fact.
A paradox so contradictory she didn't even know where to begin critiquing it. Yet Sisilia's plan had manifested into reality.
Freya figured three conditions made it possible.
One: Slaughter every vampire in observable range to avoid contradictions.
Two: Erase the very existence of vampires from her own memories.
And finally: Possess an absurd power to make it all real through imagination alone.
"......Scary."
Freya resolved never to defy Sisilia again.
Whoosh—
A flaming sword pierced Lujerna's abdomen.
"You underestimated me too much."
A fatal blow. The fire Aura could burn anything imaginable. She couldn't picture incinerating an unscathed Seventh Legion commander unscathed. But with the sword impaled in her gut, envisioning her internal organs ablaze? That she could.
Lujerna's innards had already melted inside her. The sensation at his sword tip confirmed it.
"To think you'd let a single strike land so easily."
Lujerna had panicked upon realizing her Authority was gone. Edward hadn't hesitated, drawing and thrusting in that split-second gap. She couldn't block his explosive strike.
Arrogance or mere carelessness—it didn't matter. No demon, no matter how mighty, survived with organs burned to slag.
"What a bland end."
Edward withdrew his blade. Lujerna crumpled lifelessly.
Something must have happened to Lujerna, making her far easier to kill than anticipated. Edward sheathed his sword and headed out.
But he hadn't taken a few steps before stopping dead.
"Yes. Now that's more like it."
Lujerna, who had collapsed, now stood fully restored. The gaping hole in her abdomen had vanished.
As Edward reached for his sword again, Lujerna pointed at him.
Sahyeol
"—!"
At that single word, Edward spewed blood and dropped to one knee.
"......What did you do?"
"Reversed your blood flow. You'll die in three minutes."
Lujerna stated it like obvious fact.
"You're the third I've used it on. Feel honored, human."
Lujerna strode toward the door Edward had tried to exit through. Her mind fixated on one thing.
I need to know why my Authority vanished.
......What happened to her beloved kin she adored.
If they'd all been slain without exception, she'd exact the fitting price.
But then—
Clang!
"......Persistent human."
Edward's sword flew at her. Lujerna blocked with her arm this time—no taking the hit. Her arm was metal-hard.
"Didn't you hear me? Human. You die in three minutes. Even if you kill me before then, your death is sealed."
Despite being able to end him instantly, Lujerna granted three minutes' grace.
Kindness, in her way. Time to put affairs in order.
"To think you'd waste that precious time like this."
Edward smiled faintly.
"Thanks."
"......For what?"
"Paperwork suits me less than fieldwork."
Edward was simply enjoying the moment. How long since a life-or-death battle? The faint dread of possible demise, the tension—it thrilled exhilaratingly.
"Hate cleaning up after kids. Though she's no kid anymore."
"You're already out of your mind."
Clang!
Lujerna snapped Edward's blade in two and lunged. His eyes narrowed coldly.
"Beatrice. How long will you just watch?"
In that instant, a blinding flash erupted, too intense for sight. Beatrice emerged from the fireplace, trembling as she scooped up Edward and fled.
Lujerna had no intent to pursue or block.
Humans have a habit of retrieving their dead.
As a moderate demon fond of humans, she avoided needless strife.
More importantly—
"A domain halting death temporarily, eh."
Lujerna smiled, intrigued.
"Another fascinating human. I must make that child one of my kin."
A short distance from Lujerna's mansion, at Sisilia's isolation site. Serephina wept openly while healing Edward's wounds.
"H-how could you be so cruel? D-demons are terrifying."
Edward's throat bobbed. Swallowing the ceaselessly reversing blood was grueling, but he couldn't lose composure here.
Strutted in all cocky, now this mess. Pathetic.
Even now, dignity mattered to Edward.
"The curse is lifted. But... I don't recommend vigorous movement just yet."
Serephina said with anxious eyes.
Beatrice sighed in relief.
"...I was so worried about you, Edppi."
"Even you're calling me Edppi now."
Edward rose.
"Where's Sisilia? What’s she up to?"
"Handling the legion commander's minions first. Said everything has an order..."
"Classic Sisilia."
Edward chuckled wryly, but the situation was dire. He clenched his fist. It trembled faintly, uncontrollably. He'd swallowed as much as he could, but the blood loss was severe. His body felt depleted.
And she's got a nasty Authority.
"......Confirmed Authorities: immortality and instant death."
The worst matchup. Lujerna seemed stronger than imagined.
"C-captain. This time, it's really impossible."
Beatrice mustered courage.
"Our forces can't handle it. Better to bypass—"
"Ho, not words from Sisilia's adjutant. Seeing her move, your superior plans to kill her somehow."
"......No worries there."
As Edward frowned at Beatrice's oddly confident tone—
"Cough."
"Captain!"
Edward stared at his bloodied palm with hazy eyes. Substantial.
"Rest completely for now. Your vitality's drained—recovery takes time."
Serephina urged, fists clenched in worry.
Beatrice asked gravely,
"Serephina. Any way to speed recovery?"
"There is, but..."
Serephina sighed helplessly.
"Drink a young virgin's blood and spend a night with a newlywed bride. In front of her groom!"
"......?"
"C-cardinals did it often. Very good for you."
Beatrice hurriedly clamped Serephina's mouth. Edward looked dismissive.
Then, Beatrice and Edward turned simultaneously.
"This is."
"Lady Sisilia's mana. That volume... probably Wind Shear."
No need to say it—they knew. Sisilia only unleashed mana so blatantly for Wind Shear.
Edward grimaced, flinging open the window. As expected, a massive storm engulfed Lujerna's mansion.
"Betty. How many more Valhallas can you pull off?"
"......One max."
"Use it when Wind Shear fades. That's when we settle it."
As Edward moved, Serephina teared up, blocking him.
"No...! I won't let you go even if I die!"
Serephina was usually nagging, but she had a point this time.
"Your condition's critical, Sir Edward. Swinging a sword like that? You'd die. For real."
"......Leave it to Lady Sisilia and me this time, Captain."
Even serious Beatrice advised, but Edward was firm.
"Refused."
"Captain! You know this isn't the time for stubbornness!"
"Stubbornness?"
Edward grabbed Beatrice's collar.
"You're mistaken."
His eyes flickered with fury.
"I told you. Lujerna's Authorities: immortality and instant death. Likely linked."
She'd taken the first strike deliberately, probably. Otherwise, no reason to block the second.
'Sahyeol' was likely instant death usable only on her killers.
And.
"Sisilia's Wind Shear guarantees death—one way or another. Opposite of your Valhalla, Betty."
"...!"
"Worst matchup. And her adjutant can't even grasp that."
Cold sweat trickled down Edward's cheek.
"......This time, Sisilia might actually die."
No Demon King subjugation without Sisilia. Edward vowed to save her, even at his life's cost.
"N-no, really no. Betty, stop her!"
"Huh? Uh, yeah."
Seeing Edward dash out the window, Beatrice snapped to.
He was right.
But oddly—
This shouldn't happen.
......No matter how she thought, she couldn't imagine Sisilia dying here.
"Sahyeol."
Sisilia's eyes widened as she clutched her abdomen and sank to her knees.
Staring up at Lujerna in disbelief.
"......Who the hell are you?"
Impossible. Beyond imagination.
This couldn't happen. Utter nonsense.
"Genius. ......Probably Nobel Prize material."
Because her period had stopped.
Sahyeol