Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: The Saint's Inner Thoughts Are Heard
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Victoria Everhart was a born liar.
Afraid to reveal her true feelings, she was skilled at piling up lies and deceiving others.
‘...This altruistic sentiment is neither the duty of a Saint, nor is it something that stems from my admiration for you.’
Even now, Victoria swallowed the words she couldn't say and tried to act toward Astal as usual, hiding her embarrassing emotions.
It was her first time liking someone, and the first time she thought she could be abandoned by someone.
Instead of expressions like "I love you" or "I like you," Victoria would demean the other person with words like "pervert" and all sorts of lewd and vulgar talk.
‘I'm lying like this now... but once this is over, I want to properly confess to you.’
A clumsy and immature love.
That was the form Victoria's love took.
And now, she was moving her body to carry that love through. She ignored her trembling hands and her rapidly beating heart that felt fear.
"You really are a man who causes a lot of trouble. Making a fragile Saint like me fight a Dullahan."
Victoria spat out words she didn't mean to Astal, speaking as if it were nothing.
Clearly, her head judged that she couldn't defeat Dullahan, one of the Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings.
"...Don't even think about laying a finger on my lover."
Because Victoria's love was bigger and more genuine than such worries and anxieties. She was gritting her teeth, holding her breath, and showing the resolve to overcome her terror.
After all, a dream is just a dream. The opponent is like a puppet performing predetermined actions and attacks.
If it were the real Dullahan, this fight wouldn't even be possible. The Dullahan, known as the Undefeated Knight, possessed immense martial prowess and had mastered various weapon techniques.
This was also why Astal had chosen to mix magic and martial arts to avenge his parents.
"He's the only one I'm allowed to torment."
Victoria distorted her expression, her voice laced with irritation emerging from deep in her throat.
It was because thinking of Bellamora, who was likely watching this spectacle from above them, made her anger surge even more.
‘Lord Astal is mine. I can't give him to anyone.’
The Saint, who must follow the words of the Heavenly God, live an upright and faithful life, and preserve her purity, was now showing endless lust and possessiveness toward one man.
*Clang—!*
Victoria blocked the sword blade swung by Dullahan with the long handle of her hammer and deflected it.
The impact was strong enough to make even her, with her great strength, feel a stinging in her hands. Her body was pushed back, and the marks left on the ground were deep.
"Even if it's just a puppet from a memory, aren't you taking the Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings too lightly?"
Bellamora, moving Dullahan as if controlling a puppet with a thin, red thread of light.
With half-vampire blood mixed in her, she could use her blood to take various actions like this.
"...It doesn't even tickle. Is this all you've got?"
Victoria swung her large hammer again, deflecting an attack aimed at Astal's parents, while spouting a bluff.
Because she absolutely didn't want to lose to that woman.
A selfish desire not to lose in anything—whether it be body, face, or the heart that loves Astal—welled up from deep within her.
"No, of course not. This movie theater is a very advantageous battlefield for me. So..."
*Snap—!*
As Bellamora said that, she flicked her finger, and blood-red lines connected to the monsters and demons attacking the village.
With eerie, bizarre creaking sounds, the ghosts of the past fixed their gaze on Victoria.
"...Shall we test whether you can return to being an ordinary human even after having the Saint's virginity taken from you in the movie? With a defiled body, you won't be able to approach Lord Astal."
They were looking Victoria over with lust-filled eyes at Bellamora's single command. Seeing the horde of enemies rushing at her in a frenzy, she couldn't help but panic.
"I'm sorry, but I belong to someone."
*Crash—!*
Victoria swung her hammer, drawing a large circle and annihilating the surrounding enemies. Her every movement was imbued with the will to protect Astal and his parents behind her.
"...What ridiculous nonsense. Would someone like that dress so vulgarly?"
"I dress like this because it makes someone want to protect me. It's pitiful that you don't know how cute the look is when his face turns red or he can't meet my eyes properly and hesitates...!"
Victoria's breathing grew ragged, and she was sweating as she barely managed to block the onslaught of Dullahan and the enemies, but she never missed a chance to provoke her opponent.
The habit of shaking the opponent by drawing out their true feelings was something her playful nature couldn't resist.
Even after she resolved to treat Astal better, she still played little tricks for this reason.
"You mammary saint with nothing but lumps of fat on your chest...!!"
"In the world, they call those pouches filled with love."
Provoked by Victoria, Bellamora lost her composure, creating a large pair of scissors from blood and kicking off the ground to rush at her to kill her.
To Bellamora, Victoria's existence was more annoying than a thorn in her side. If not for her, she could have broken Astal's spirit long ago and made him a slave who loved only her.
*Screech—!*
Sparks and noise flew between the two women as a fight to kill each other was about to break out.
"Fine. I'll cut off your limbs and feed you to the demons here! That vulgar, unmatched body and those breasts that look like they'd produce good milk might have some use!"
"Are you jealous of what you cannot have? How pathetic, Bellamora. One doesn't need a reason for naturally large breasts. Unlike small ones."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ At that moment, the Hero Kyle and his comrades were walking into the center of the back alley. The deeper they went, the stronger the lingering scent of blood and the stench of rotting flesh became.
"Ugh... What on earth is this place for it to be so horrible!"
"It seems this is likely the power source that keeps the Nightmare Theater alive. They wouldn't put something this terrible in such a bright downtown area otherwise."
Anima covered her nose with her hand, showing her displeasure at the sight, while Taryon silently shot down enemies who tried to attack them with their weapons drawn.
The place they arrived at was a location like a mountain made of human corpses. Behind it, a massive machine device could be seen, emitting a creepy mechanical sound as it greedily consumed people's blood, memories, and dreams.
"Given Bellamora's personality, I thought she'd hide an important facility like this in the darkest, most terrible place."
The Hero Kyle swept back his hair once and observed the surroundings. It was a space overflowing with humans who had already fallen victim to Bellamora's Illusionary Dream, becoming wrecks or going insane.
Horrifying creatures could also be seen, scooping out brains or rummaging through already dead corpses to obtain blood, dreams, lifespan, and other things that could be exchanged for currency.
"...Demons are all creatures who only pretend to be good on the outside while plotting wicked deeds inside."
Kyle narrowed his eyes as he looked at the mountain of corpses before him. A disgusting sight of severe decay and swarming maggots was visible, but he maintained his composure and moved forward.
"Please, please... It's been over a week since I could even drink water... I'm so thirsty... Please take me back into the dream..."
"Reality is hell..."
A procession of people staggering as they walked or crawled on the ground with unfocused eyes. They looked like humans addicted to drugs, unable to live their lives properly.
"In the name of Odin who bestowed this upon us, may they find peace."
Seeing movements devoid of hostility or murderous intent, Kyle did not draw his sword.
Those who attacked or took lives were beings who had already crossed the line, like the parents from earlier who had killed their child as painfully as possible.
"How can anyone even think of this? All that talk about the last remaining paradise or making people happy was a lie!"
"Grinding people up to run a machine... I didn't know it meant this in such a physical sense."
Anima and Taryon each muttered a remark from behind as they watched the giant crusher devouring human corpses and using them to spew heat and operate the machine device.
This place wasn't a happy heaven, but a hell that only looked good on the surface.
"Who are you? This is our territory."
As Kyle and his comrades reached the front of the clearly suspicious machine, a movement blocked them.
A group composed of a demon with a goat's head, a muscular orc revealing its physique, winged Celestial Wing tribe members, and ordinary humans were all wearing suits.
Stained with people's blood, making them look as if they were wearing dark crimson clothes, they immediately drew their weapons, ready to block Kyle's party.
"...I am the Flame Hero, Kyle Dragonica. I have come to save you all from Bellamora's Illusionary Dream."
Blocking his other comrades—who were about to summon spirits and draw their bowstrings—with one arm, Kyle deliberately offered a polite greeting to test the waters.
If that machine device was the core that sustained this territory, it was only natural to have guards like this.
"A Hero? You're a Hero? If you're really a Hero, then I'm a Dragon, you bastard!"
"These bastards are hilarious, they seem incredibly addicted to the Illusionary Dream! Yeah, that can happen."
Unfortunately, due to Astal's Perception Hindrance Magic, beings who hadn't reached Sage-level couldn't see Kyle as the Hero.
"But you can't go past here."
"Why not?"
"If we told you that, would we be guarding this place?"
Without a moment's hesitation, a human stabbed a blade into Kyle's abdomen, his face filled with pleasure.
"Guys! Leave the blood, brains, and heart as usual! We need to extract the dreams, lifespan, and blood...?!"
"...Indeed, this place was hell after all."
Then, a voice flowed from Kyle, who should have been bleeding and collapsing.
"Thank you. For making even the last remnants of mercy disappear."
Kyle, who had grabbed and broken the dagger that tried to stab him bare-handed, wore a more furious expression than ever before.