Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Disaster, Nightmare, Ghost (3)
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Succubus Queen Rephe had rarely ever felt death closing in. Like all of her kind, she too had been promised a life bordering on immortality.
Ordinary attacks simply didn't work.
Pain she could feel, but death? Never.
She had been born the queen of such a race. It would take a high priest, or perhaps a saintess or hero—true superhumans—to push Rephe toward the brink of death.
-Not particularly strong in raw power, but a bitch to kill.
-Her schemes are petty as hell.
-Not even worth the effort. Hard to track down, so hunting her deliberately is just a waste.
To earn that kind of assessment from superhumans themselves... need I say more? For those reasons, Rephe could count on one hand the times she'd truly sensed death.
"Ah... aaah..."
And now.
Rephe felt death drawing near.
She took a step back.
Her trembling legs stumbled in retreat, but the distance didn't grow. She glanced behind her. There was plenty of room to flee.
She whipped her head forward again.
She stared at the approaching death. It took the form of a girl. The first thing that caught the eye was the girl's ashen-gray hair, swaying gently with every step she took.
Click.
The heel of the girl's simple shoes struck the ground.
Click.
The footsteps drew closer at steady intervals.
The girl's steps were light. She wasn't rushing. Slowly, but inexorably, she closed in. Like death itself.
"I've got so much I want to say."
She opened her mouth.
Her voice was remarkably calm.
"But I figured spilling it to you wouldn't get me any answers. You don't know either, do you?"
What was it she didn't know?
Rephe had no idea. She retreated another step. Backing away as the girl advanced, over and over.
Thud.
And then, the end arrived.
Rephe's back hit the alley wall. Her feet stopped. The girl halted as well.
"Succubus Queen, Rephe."
The girl smiled.
"Long time no see."
The same lines from months ago.
"What are you trying to steal this time?"
Words burned into memory.
"Uh... uhh!"
Rephe's eyes flew wide. She gulped down air and forced her mouth open. Her voice trembled as she spoke.
"The... the real virgin magic...!"
"You crazy bitch."
Thud—the girl kicked off the ground.
The moment her foot hit, the pavement shattered and sprayed upward.
Boom!
It happened in the blink of an eye.
In that split second, the girl was right in her face. She reached out. Her hand clamped around Rephe's head.
"Guh!"
A barrier enveloped Rephe's body.
But it was utterly useless.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Spell Cancellation (Anti-Spell) ⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Barrier Cancellation (Anti-Shield) The barrier tore apart like paper. The polymorph cloaking her body was forcibly dispelled. Then, a shock etched itself into her brain.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Strike (Smite) An intangible shockwave rattled Rephe's skull.
"Gah!"
Her vision shook. Her nose stung.
Blood trickled from her nose and mouth.
"Hic... hngh...!"
It was a shock that nearly blacked her out.
But it didn't end there. Still gripping Rephe's head, the girl swung her arm.
Kwaaaaaang!
Rephe's body slammed into the alley wall.
Her vision flickered. Darkness closed in. She lost consciousness for a moment.
"Hey."
Rephe barely clung to consciousness and opened her eyes.
Bricks crumbled around her as her body sank deeper into the wall.
"No long talks."
She could see the hand gripping her head.
Through the gaps in the fingers, Rephe met the girl's eyes.
'Blue eyes.'
Blue eyes gleaming bright.
So much had changed from what she remembered. Appearance alone couldn't link the ashen mage to this girl.
But those eyes were identical.
The girl's icy gaze matched the ashen mage's image etched in her mind perfectly.
'Cold and sharp eyes.'
In them, Rephe read disgust.
But it wasn't directed at her. The ashen mage was seeing someone else through those eyes.
"Don't stall. Come out."
What was she telling to come out?
Rephe didn't answer that question.
"Ah."
Rephe's mouth moved on its own.
"It's you again."
Control of her body had been seized.
Rephe's lips tore into a wide grin. Laughter leaked from the ripped corners. An alien laugh echoed in her ears.
"Ashen child."
Suddenly, Rephe's vision flipped upside down.
2.
The four disasters said to have toppled an ancient kingdom.
Little was known about them.
Not their origins, not their powers, not even their appearances.
'Nothing properly recorded.'
Every book documenting the four disasters was damaged somehow. Torn pages, scorch marks from fire, deliberate erasures.
'As if someone went out of their way to hide it.'
In the end, I had no choice but to learn by clashing with them directly.
And after five years on the battlefield, I'd faced all four disasters. I'd staked my life fighting them.
Ancient lich, Skeval.
That skeletal bastard was a coward. Always hoarding life vessels. True to form, he hated exposing himself directly. He schemed from the shadows, only showing his face when victory was assured.
Black dragon, Belial.
That black beast moved on pure instinct. Animalistic. No reasoning with it. Instinct made it predictable.
Death's blade, Ganikalt.
That monster was a swordsman. Wouldn't kill fleeing foes. Spared the unarmed. But anyone who dared face him? Death sentence without exception.
...Like that.
I'd mapped out their behavioral patterns to a degree. Five years of experience made it possible. By the time retirement loomed, I could even predict their lairs.
'All but one.'
Apostate Gletus.
I couldn't read that madwoman at all. Not for nothing did I call her a lunatic.
'Impossible to pin down.'
Unlike the others.
She lacked any value system. No convictions. No principles guiding her actions.
I'd crossed paths with her five times.
From those five encounters, the only thing I'd gleaned about her...
was one detail.
"Ashen... ah, ashen."
She was favorable toward me.
I had no idea why. All I knew was that she kept searching for someone else in me.
"Hah."
I let out a short breath and spoke.
"Your methods are pure evil."
"As always."
"Still fucking disgusting."
The apostate, having hijacked the bat bitch's body, grinned. That smile was grotesque no matter how many times I saw it.
Squeeze.
I tightened my grip.
The bat bitch's eyeballs bulged through my fingers. But the laughter didn't stop.
"Killing this child won't do a damn thing."
"I know."
"No need to waste effort, right?"
She grinned.
I yanked her head from the wall's crevice and slammed it back in.
Bang!
A boom echoed as blood streamed from her nose.
"You've gotten awfully cute. Skeval comes in handy sometimes, huh?"
Her voice stayed the same, blood and all.
She reached out and caressed my cheek. Tender, like touching a lover's face. Goosebumps prickled my skin.
Crack.
I grimaced and snapped the finger.
"Ashen."
Undeterred, she continued.
"I'm not that hostile toward you. I'm always kind to the ashen one."
"Were you kind on the battlefield?"
"First meeting, I didn't know your worth. Second, I had to kill you. Third, fourth, fifth—you kept getting in my way."
She smiled.
"But not now."
She pointed at herself with the broken finger.
"Want this child? One gesture from you, and I'll turn her into a groveling slave. Or remodel her into your eternal servant."
Or, she said.
"Should I smash every one of Skeval's life vessels that made you like this? Bit of a hassle, but Ganikalt might oblige."
She kept rattling off offers, all smiles.
"In return."
The laughter cut off.
A chilling voice took its place instead of the amused grin.
"Give me that child."
"......"
"The one who resembles me. Hand her over, and I won't do a thing."
"Won't do anything?"
I pointed toward the city center.
Rubble from collapsed buildings littered the area my finger indicated. Corpses lay scattered.
"After you've already trashed the place like that?"
"Ahaha!"
She burst out laughing.
As if she couldn't hold it in from how funny it was, she shot back at me. Like she was asking if I was serious.
"Just that?"
She spread her arms wide.
"You really asking if you don't know what it'd be like if I'd shown up here in person? Be honest, ashen. You're thinking it's a relief."
"......"
"Choose."
Before I knew it, scales had appeared between us. Not mine. Black sludge dripped from them— the apostate's.
"Hand the child over to me."
The pan tipped toward the apostate.
"Do that, and I'll leave without doing a thing. All for your sake."
The tilted scale.
As if urging me to balance it, the apostate smiled.
"......"
I reached out silently.
My answer to her was always the same. No need to deliberate. I grabbed the scale.
Crunch.
By smashing the pan, I gave my reply.
Over the scattering shards, I raised my middle finger.
"Fuck off."
"...Hng."
Rephe's head snapped around with a crack. Wasn't me. I'd let go of her.
"Ashen."
She called to me.
"You're all alone."
"I am."
"No star-blessed here. No priest. No scout. And yet..."
She asked me.
"You think you can handle me by yourself?"
I answered.
"Have to."
Like always.
Thud.
I took a step back.
Black sludge poured from Rephe's entire body. It pooled on the ground.
Crack.
A gate to another realm opened.
3.
The disaster descends.
I knew it was coming, but there was no stopping it. The moment she set foot in the capital, she'd prepared the means for her arrival.
Sizzle!
Amid the burning hiss, someone stepped through the gate. The first thing visible was a pristine white robe stained with blood.
Splash.