Chapter 450: Proof of Existence (38)
Chapter 450: Proof of Existence (38)
The two figures standing opposite each other formed a striking contrast.
First, there was my body, which didn't have a single patch of intact skin.
I had just finished a desperate dash, forcibly tearing through Blood Threads. Scratches covered my skin, and my trampled ankle was a gruesome mess of mangled flesh and blood.
My broken right wrist dangled limply while still clutching my blade. It was a hideous sight.
In contrast, the girl before me didn't have so much as a scratch.
Her snow-white, pristine skin still retained its luster. Unlike me, who was gasping for air, her breathing remained steady. However, there was one thing—a singularly passionate hue spreading across a canvas of pure white.
Blood trickled steadily from the hand axe embedded in her shoulder. Occasionally, a spray of crimson would spurt out in time with the girl’s heartbeat.
That single wound created another decisive contrast.
Though drenched in sweat, I wore a faint smile, while the girl’s face was flushed with bewilderment and shame. A faint heat leaked through her gritted teeth, as if she were seething with resentment.
As if she had never imagined she would be struck by someone like me.
But the spurting blood bore witness to an undeniable reality. Swallowing a groan, I asked her.
"…The result?"
The girl’s body trembled.
Her golden eyes glared at me with resentment, yet she did not dare lay a hand on me.
Because that was the 'contract.'
Had she followed her true instincts, the outcome might have been different, but the winner and loser had already been decided. Now, it was time to pay the price.
Ultimately, the girl had no choice but to admit defeat.
"Fine. I lost."
At that moment, the struggling of the faceless monsters ceased.
The monsters that had been blown away by Celine’s strike were sprawling on the ground, searching for their lost limbs. But since further combat had become meaningless, they seemingly felt no need to reconstruct their bodies.
Or perhaps the girl had intentionally ordered them to stop.
Only then did the taut string of tension finally snap. Celine and Senior Elsie breathed sighs of relief, while I felt so drained I wanted to collapse right there.
But I couldn't fall now.
I retrieved the hand axe embedded in the girl’s shoulder. Despite the intense pain it must have caused, her expression didn't change. It was as if she had endured this level of agony countless times before.
When a flicker of pity crossed my eyes, the girl flashed a distorted smile.
"Don't worry. Compared to what I've endured until now, this doesn't even count as pain…"
As if to prove her point, new flesh immediately began to sprout from her shoulder. Even the speed of rainwater filling a dry well wouldn't be faster than this.
Then, silence.
After a moment of hesitation, a bitter voice escaped my lips.
"…I’m sorry."
They were words I should have said long ago.
I didn't even know exactly what I was apologizing for. I just felt guilty and sorry for everything.
I couldn't even begin to imagine the pain she had to endure alone. Furthermore, we had both traveled too far down separate paths. I couldn't ask for forgiveness now and expect us to return to how we used to be.
The girl’s sins were far too deep for that.
Of course, those sins weren't entirely her responsibility. It was also the responsibility of myself and our family, who had abandoned a helpless child. That was why I could never truly forgive her.
Ensuring the girl would not have to shoulder any more sins.
That was the minimum duty assigned to me. And the girl would likely never forgive our family.
It was an apology laden with many such emotions. Or perhaps, it was a final farewell.
The girl’s lips remained tightly sealed. She didn't seem intent on giving me an answer right away.
She simply turned her back and walked with light steps, standing once more beneath the Blood Sun. Before I knew it, the Blood Throne had manifested in that spot.
Just before sitting on the throne, her golden pupils followed me. It was a gaze that suited her enchanting, wicked smile perfectly.
"Don't apologize yet. Our meeting isn't over, is it?"
"It’s scheduled to end soon."
"I’m the one who decides that."
As she sat down and stared at me, there wasn't a hint of doubt on her face. It wasn't the attitude of someone speaking lies or bluffs.
At that point, I sensed an ominous atmosphere.
Just as I narrowed my eyes, about to question her—
"I am 'Greed.'"
A clear snapping of fingers echoed through the air.
"I must have whatever I want. And now, right before my eyes, the being I have yearned for my entire life has appeared…"
The Blood Sun began to flare, expanding in size. The crimson sphere, emitting light alone in the darkness, was overwhelming and chilling.
It was a sign of an anomaly.
As if having a seizure, the woman’s hand slammed down on the armrest. The rapture coloring her face surged with a lustful intensity.
"How could I let this go?! How could I possibly give up?!"
To me, it was absurd.
I was the one who won the bet. Naturally, I had the right to demand the fulfillment of the contract.
My voice immediately rose.
"What are you trying to do! You aren't planning to break the 'contract,' are you…!"
"You don't need to worry so much. A 'contract' must be kept."
With a languid voice, waves of blood cascaded from the sky.
A torrent of blood dyed the girl’s pure white dress. The fabric transformed from crimson to dark red, and finally to pitch black.
The thick priestess robes were more reminiscent of a prisoner’s garb. In the center of the black outfit, decorated with white pinstripes, a blood-colored evil spirit writhed into view.
Delphirem—the mark symbolizing humanity's first sinner.
The girl bit back a refreshing smile. It was hard to believe she was the same person who had been showing signs of madness just seconds ago.
"According to the contract, 'I' will not touch 'Oppa' 'today.'"
Just as I was about to snap back and ask what she meant—
The girl clicked her tongue and wagged her index finger. It was as if she had expected my reaction. A murky marsh of love and hate flickered in those golden eyes.
"I told you that you should have listened to the contract terms more carefully. I said if you managed to inflict even a small wound on me, 'I' wouldn't touch 'Oppa' 'today.'"
"The subject is missing."
"It’s obviously 'me'!"
The girl chuckled, making a particularly stubborn argument.
"Since I’m the one who said it, that’s only natural, isn't it?"
"What kind of nonsense is—"
"Did you think I came here without any plan?!"
Once again, the girl’s eyes became bloodshot.
Her emotions danced between excitement and tranquility every second. It seemed it was 'excitement's' turn now.
Her feverish voice lashed out at me.
"I’ve been watching you for a very long time. Constantly, for over a decade… I’ve been imagining it. The day I would take Oppa back from that fake… But did you take me too lightly?!"
A faint groan escaped my lips.
A decade is not a short time. Since that was around the time Ria first arrived at the Percus Mansion, it was hard to take the girl’s statement literally.
But if it were true, it meant she had been watching me for a very long time.
It was a cruel story.
Watching her family enjoy happy moments without her. Seeing that no one even cared about the spot where she was supposed to be.
It must have been painful enough to tear her heart to shreds.
While I couldn't find the words to speak, the girl’s declaration continued.
"There is no such thing as a trade without a price… Everyone, stand up!"
Flash! Flash! Flash!
Beams of blood-red light pierced the bodies of the fallen monsters. As if responding, the faceless monsters began to let out long, eerie howls.
Awooooooo!
Staggering, the monsters rose and began to attack and tear into each other's flesh. Crunch, crunch. As the unpleasant noise continued, I instinctively shouted.
"Stop those monsters right now!"
The ones who responded immediately were Celine and Senior Elsie.
Long years of combat experience often refined a human into a weapon. Those two were prime examples.
At my single command, Celine and Senior Elsie were already prepared to intercept at any moment.
Storms of blood and lightning vibrated through the atmosphere.
The Blood Sun remained, but the Blood Threads that had been suppressing us had long since vanished. It was difficult for the girl to exercise dominance over this area as she had before.
At least, until that moment.
As I hurriedly kicked off the ground, my eyes met the girl’s.
A twisted smile was etched into my vision. The girl seemed to have not a single shred of doubt.
She would win.
It was the face of someone who had excised all other possibilities. My gaze naturally followed her pupils.
I saw Celine.
In an instant, Celine’s axe began to swing down toward Senior Elsie’s shoulder.
"Wh-what?"
Senior Elsie couldn't even let out a proper scream.
She simply stared at Celine with wide eyes. But Celine was equally bewildered.
Only the blood-red mana faintly flowing up Celine’s arm provided a clue.
It was a 'contract.'
When on earth did she…?
Before that question could even be voiced—
"…Partner, you have to fulfill the 'contract,' don't you?"
Thwack.
A silver blade pierced through my abdomen.
Blood surged up my throat. Unable to comprehend the situation, I had to turn my wide-eyed gaze behind me.
I hadn't felt a single presence.
No, to be precise, I had felt it but ignored it.
The man with jade-colored hair and neutral features muttered with a face that couldn't look more miserable.
Mixing in a sigh, he spoke.
"I told you we should run away, Ian…"
It was the moment the traitor was revealed.