The Purge (3)
I closed the eyes of the bald man. There was no need for such courtesy, and he wasn't even a human worth feeling value, but it was a fact that he had helped this side.
At the very least, I hoped his journey would be easy……
‘Same words are insincere.’
In fact, there was no grand reason. The expression with eyes wide open and breath stopped just didn't look good aesthetically.
Anyway, the task of processing the remnants of Sephirot ended earlier than expected.
Just as I had planned, the moment I felt the hope that I might be able to enter early, as Loti had said.
“……!”
“Your Highness.”
Elena’s body trembled, and Cain, who had half-drawn his sword again, blocked my side.
I sighed and brushed my bangs aside. As expected. There was no way to return early.
Chuk, chjeojjeojak……
I bloomed a flower of cold at my fingertips. If necessary, I would fix the entire space and turn the being beyond the stone wall into an ice statue.
“Give me a short reprieve.”
I muttered while spreading the petals casually in all directions. There was no answer, but they probably heard it.
“If you don’t come out while I’m waiting…… you won’t even have time to leave your last words.”
I twisted my lips with a cold expression, and waited about 5 seconds without more or less.
That was enough time. No movement from beyond the stone wall in the building that had become a ruin from the flame magic.
“──Cold Thunder.”
I had no intention of retracting the words I had spat out. The moment my eyes turned to the color of the sea, the petals spread from me flashed with a flash.
The 7th circle lightning magic fused with ice attribute covered the stone wall, and with the thunder that echoed repeatedly, the beyond became ashes.
But.
“…….”
My expression couldn't help but furrow with a somewhat unpleasant feeling, different from just before.
The two guarding me were the same. Cain gripped his sword with a cold face, and Elena swallowed her breath in disbelief.
“I didn't expect this.”
I muttered to myself and raised my mana again. The stone wall covered by the thunder and ice flood didn't leave even debris……
But the target I was aiming for behind it was surprisingly intact.
[Mrrp.]
With fluffy fur all over its body, glowing with golden light.
I frowned and looked at that guy…… no matter how you look at it, it's a cat with black fur, an existence that is neither more nor less.
‘Barrier?’
Mana wasn't felt, but it was clear that something was using energy.
It was just one beast to check with the eyes. Still, my intuition thought there was something more hidden.
‘Familiar or spirit……? Either way, it doesn't matter.’
It was obvious. Even if the conclusion was quick, it was a ruin covered in red flames for quite some time.
Rather than the possibility of a wild cat approaching such a place, I had to suspect the possibility of the being wearing that skin first.
“How long are you going to keep your mouth shut.”
Fwoosh!
I clicked my tongue and summoned a ball of fire near my shin.
I bounced it a few times with the back of my foot like trapping it, then immediately kicked it. A sphere flying gently with the tail of the flame.
And, the moment the cat's golden eyes stared at the flame sphere with a strange light.
[……Meeoow!!]
“……!”
The guy suddenly let out a cry, and the golden sphere surrounding its body transformed without warning.
It was protecting its owner with mana coating, but now it opened its mouth wide.
Kwaduk, kwaduk……
Was that all? With that opened mouth, the golden aura greedily bit and swallowed the flame ball I shot.
“…….”
“…….”
I and Cain, Elena couldn't help but fall silent. I didn't put out full power, but it wasn't a weak magic at all.
That it was dismantled like this. It's mind-blowing in a way I've never heard of.
[……Meeo…….]
After swallowing my magic like that and casually imitating a cat.
I frowned at that despicable behavior and spat out one word.
“Do that, Vina. I don't really want to hear your meowing.”
[…….]
It was a cat with sparkling eyes and pitiful expression, but the moment it heard my voice, it immediately stopped all movement.
And, tilting its head as if it couldn't believe it.
[……What? How did you know?]
It soon spat out human language with its vocal organ structure. Since it formed sentences, it wasn't much different from humans.
Scientifically impossible, but the world itself is fantasy anyway. Even the woman inside it was someone I knew.
Sephirot who wanted to make Loti the Blood Witch. The 10 'Wings' within that force.
‘Vina’ was one of those Wings. I hadn't met her directly, but I heard she was the contractor of one of the 4 Great Spirit Kings……
If it's golden energy, not mana or aura, then it must be.
No matter what, it was an existence that couldn't be ignored. Not as much as Douglas Havertz or Siegfried Teyran, but still.
‘……Why is this woman here today.’
I hadn't heard anything about Vina from the messenger.
Was the scheduled visit not the case?
[We remember it as not being a face-to-face meeting, though.]
“…….”
[Indeed. You heard something from Yesod?]
She let out a meaningful smile while mentioning one of the Wings of Sephirot that I was the only one who could exterminate at the time.
Patsuziz……
I didn't answer that and immediately burned the mana circuits in my body to the limit.
The reason she appeared at this gathering today. It didn't matter now.
Now, in the Havertz Duchy that became my land…… the Wing of Sephirot that was no longer a collaborator of the Duke had stepped in.
‘……It would be better to eliminate it as quickly as possible. If I miss it, what kind of trouble will it cause.’
The judgment was quick. Moving to action was even faster, and I slashed the extended index finger horizontally.
Kkigik, kkikigik-.
[……!]
It was a simple gesture, but the aftermath was not. A dissonant sound like a gear reversing echoed in my ears, and Vina jumped up with startled eyes.
And, Kwadddudeuk!!
The position where she was sitting leisurely until then was split in half.
Magic that cuts space in half. A means that can completely ignore defense, but the activation speed is slow.
“……Cain!”
I clicked my tongue and immediately called Cain, and he quickly understood my intention and drew sword energy on his blade.
With Elena drawing the flame seal together, just as I was about to raise full power against a Sephirot executive.
[Wait, wait……!]
Vina, supporting her body with her hind legs and standing up hurriedly, waved her front paws vigorously.
Ignoring that cry, just as I was about to stab a blue lightning into the cat's small body.
[Kether!! You said you were curious about Kether, right?!]
She put a name I couldn't casually hear into her mouth. Despite the urgent voice, there was conviction in the tone.
If I heard that name, there was a bad feeling that I wouldn't be able to attack.
……Unpleasant, but that conviction hit exactly. I had to forcibly disrupt the blue lightning I had raised until then.
Pajik, pajizuk……
As the subsided blue lightning entered the air state with my arm rotating, Vina sighed as if relieved and raised her head.
[No, why are you so impatient? You almost died…… This cat, it was a body I really liked.]
“…….”
[……For now, even if it's an enemy relationship, if it's a person meeting a person, shouldn't they talk a bit, huh? Listen to the words, huh? That's it! There's no affection, affection.]
Whether that voice rambling nonsense was sincere or part of deception.
I couldn't tell, but it was clear that my expression was gradually cooling.
The judgment on the existence in front of me was long over. It was definitely a spirit body, Vina's true form, and I could exterminate it anytime.
Of course, even if I did, the impact on the true form wouldn't be great. I would have to be satisfied with just expelling this dangerous being from my territory.
Hwaaak-!
I completed all calculations and materialized 100% power in the form of bluish mana.
Vina, who had been grumbling for a while, trembled and closed her mouth, and I warned shortly.
“If you have something to say, it would be better to bring it out a little earlier. Unless you're trying to weigh my patience.”
[Ah, I know. Just talk. No need to be so harsh……]
“…….”
[Ah…… Really, you're an unpleasant man. What part of you did Yesod like so much?]
With those words that died down and grumbled simply, Vina's atmosphere changed.
Her eyes, filled with a more solemn light, began to look at me straight.
[Our collaborator…… I don't know that you hate Sephirot so much after Douglas died, though.]
“…….”
[Even if the other party is despised, there are times when understanding matches.]
She burst into a seductive laugh.
[Isn't it okay to exchange some deals? You and me─. Among us excluding Sephirot, we might find some common points?]