Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Cheating on Me While Leaving Me Behind?
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"Charge."
In the midst of the terror-soaked massacre, half the demons—a whopping 250 of them—had been slaughtered without landing a single blow.
The culprit went without saying: that maid who'd been emanating an ominous aura from the start.
Instinct screamed wildly. If she wasn't killed right now, she'd one day go after the Demon King's neck itself—a monster through and through.
Even from several meters away, the killing intent prickled the skin, sending chills racing across it.
"...An elite vampire? An alpha? No, I've never seen a woman with traits from an even higher species in my life. It's like ten years ago..."
Trailing off, he narrowed his eyes, focusing every demon on the single woman.
They could still win by overwhelming her with numbers.
She must have burned through a ton of mana erecting this insane barrier.
This was the demons' chance—his chance.
If I take that woman's head here, Lord Baphomet will surely take notice.
It'll pave the way from upper to top-tier for sure.
But ten seconds later, the aura he sensed...
Had revealed that the top-tier realm belonged squarely to that woman.
...
"Keruk! Die!!!! Die!!!!!! Die!!!!!!!"
The voice rang in his ears like thunder.
But Yuria didn't snap back right away—instead, she just furrowed her brow as if to say move aside.
"You are the ones who will die. But for now... that demon wearing Master's skin."
As Yuria's words continued, a spear hurtled toward her from the front, cutting her off.
It vertically shredded the demons blocking her path.
The blood didn't dirty her clothes—instead, it formed a protective barrier around her, further strengthening her body.
"There was a time in my life when I wished for a human who would truly understand me one day...
and take me in. I swore as a child that I'd devote everything to him if that happened. Even yesterday, it felt like a dream that this childhood wish had finally come true, however late. But the ones who stole that dream from me...
are you."
A doll-like voice devoid of emotion flowed out. At that, the demons instinctively prepared to charge en masse.
They could understand human speech, and they picked up on how emotionally charged she was. Powers and magic were notoriously harder to handle when emotions ran high.
Especially when surrounded by double digits of foes while spouting nonsense like that—it could mean she was dropping her guard.
"Love is a dangerous thing. It hurts more than any wound, has no cure written in any book, and is lost all too easily. And today... I lost it all."
"...Kruk?"
Yuria's hand moved first.
Without a word, she brutally yanked the head off the demon right beside her with one hand and tossed it into the air.
A horrifying sight.
But it didn't end there—blood gushed out like a fountain, turning into thorns that pierced the surroundings.
As her eyes, now staining red, glowed brighter and brighter, a long-suppressed emotion seeped into the air through the skin.
The dignity of a final boss, perhaps.
For her, carrying out a massacre should have been pure ecstasy.
"Khaaaak!!!!"
The demons, pierced through their bodies, screamed.
Even massive demons dozens of times her size had their heads torn off by a mere gesture from Yuria, meeting instant death.
By the time he snapped to his senses...
She had seized the throat of the demon who'd ordered the charge from behind.
"...Was it you who dared to play around in Master's body?"
Her voice trembled at the end—a sign that her reason was starting to waver under colossal rage.
The upper demon flailed his arms in futile resistance, but he was already pinned midair by an incomprehensible force.
At this rate, his limbs would be torn off one by one until death.
"...H-how dare you do this without knowing who I—"
She grabbed one arm.
To Yuria, it was just clenching her hand, but blood fountained from the shoulder as it ripped free. Shredded muscles burst outward like an explosion, white bones pulverized to powder protruding grotesquely.
Before the demon could even scream at losing an arm in an instant, Yuria posed another question.
"You revived Master to draw my attention, then ordered the rest to charge. Am I wrong?"
"Kaaaaak....!!!! M-my arm.... You bitch are a real monster—"
Yuria sighed and grabbed his hair, yanking his head up.
The sight of his neck bones and spine separating simultaneously was grotesque beyond words.
"Demons who won't talk are disgusting. Well, I can just find out myself if you won't answer."
Her gaze, now shining as bright as a blood-red moon, turned to where Rachel and Ian had been moments ago.
Yuria walked slowly across the sky, using the bodies of her newly made thralls as stepping stones.
"Lately, the bloodlust has been getting worse, so I tried even harder to hold back. Master warned me over and over—if I got caught by the family, it'd be big trouble."
Her eyes began emitting a ferocious glow, filling the sky.
Human...? Demon? No—magic akin to a god's.
"Without him... it was impossible. So agonizingly hard."
The handkerchief that had only borne Ian's blood was now soiled with other bloodstains, its original scent forgotten.
Yuria tossed it indifferently into the air and approached slowly, her heels clicking against nothing.
"Don't harm others and take their blood carelessly. I'll give you some, so make do with that..."
The demons charging to cut her off were still following orders to attack.
Exactly three seconds later, they were torn apart and killed by their former comrades, now under Yuria's dominion.
"Hold back? Now... there's no need."
Strength rivaling top-tier.
"...So now, I don't have to hold back anymore, right?"
Yuria said that and glanced up at the sky once more.
His words still burned fiercely in her mind.
—I'd appreciate it if you didn't lay a hand on my personal maid. If that hand moves once more, I might just hang your head on this front gate.
—You can call me Ian.
—Lick it.
They said vampires truly awakened upon losing their first love?
As a species obsessed deeply with attachment and love, Yuria's feelings for him ran especially profound.
Yuria smirked into the void.
Vampires were so dangerous that nobles called for knights to tear them apart at the mere sight.
Trust? Bonds? Affection? All bullshit. Her old vampires fell for such sweet talk and died.
But he...
"He... was afraid of blood. Hehe."
She just couldn't bring herself to hate him.
Sometimes his clumsy actions provoked and tempted her, but holding back was torture.
Well, if that was genuine, she'd drag him to bed right then. But that would never happen.
"His blood is gone now anyway. Disgusting as it is to put it in my body, no one will see it as bad... and there's no one left to judge."
She admitted the thirst for blood had deepened lately.
But...
"Yuria?"
Why did that voice pierce her ears so sharply...?
Yuria halted, staring straight ahead.
The last thread of reason snapped. Her expression held only endless questions and tremors.
"M-Master? H-how... No... Why... why..."
"Rae, stay there for a moment.... Yuria and—"
"..."
Nicknames now, huh?
Fine. Then he's a fake.
The real Master only has eyes for me.
"You're a fake."
"...What?"
"I was lonely. Hurt. How could you do this to me?"
"..."
"I single-handedly took down 500 that woman couldn't. So... I deserve a better reward. Don't you think?"
"...Y-yeah?"
"Right? Don't you have something to say to me?"
Lies.
Yuria was lying.
Her lips twitched—she looked ready to burst with joy.
Just from her eyes, it was terrifying; any delay in answering, and she'd start from the legs—no, drain him dry right here.
"Of course, I could bolster our forces by turning these into thralls under my command... or announce at the banquet that you're taking me as your wife. Or... well. Anyway, I haven't heard you say you'll take me as your wife."
"......."
Rachel, watching from behind, tilted her head.
Ian choked, hot gazes searing him from front and back.
This was the shrimp's back exploding in a whale fight, wasn't it?
But as Yuria's chokehold tightened breath by breath, he could only nod desperately.
"...Master?"
"Y-yeah. We did promise that. When do you want the wedding...? I'd prefer just the two of us, if possible."
"I want to officially announce our relationship... but if that's your wish, Master, I have no choice."
"..."
"Master. It seems we need to create some 'responsibility' between us. Come here, quickly. You can't go off alone again this time. I believe you have no intention of leaving your young vampire a widow. Oh, and Family Head watching from behind—I'll give you the finest heir, so just sit tight."
...Responsibility?
Widow?
Yuria's face beamed with utter happiness as she spat words that left him dazed.
[ !?!?!!?!! Final Boss (Yuria)'s favorability status has changed. ]
[ Elevated to 'Love' stage. An eternal chain-like bond has formed with you. ]
[ You can never escape Yuria's grasp now! Congratulations!! You've bound yourself to the world's most beautiful woman. Shall we make a child now? ]
What the hell is this about kids, you crazy bastard.
The alerts and status windows were on the verge of going insane now.
What... do I do now...?
With the heart of a pig dragged to the slaughterhouse,
I reached out toward Rachel in the gap as she chuckled, grabbed my leg, and dragged me away.
Tomorrow, I probably... won't wake up.
Of course, drained too dry of blood.