Ch. 147 🔒 The Saintess and Her Guardian (25)
by Afuhfuihgs
Chapter 147 – The Saintess and Her Guardian (25)
CRACK—BOOM!
Like an eggshell shattering, the holy barrier collapsed.
Given its massive size, each fragment that broke away sent tremors through the air, roaring like thunder. The sound, carrying through the night, was far louder than expected—echoing off distant mountains once, twice, before finally fading.
When the barrier fully crumbled, the space it had concealed was laid bare before the world.
The battleground was ravaged, the earth gouged and cratered as if a violent struggle had taken place. The air crackled with chaotic energy—demonic power, blood magic, and holy power tangled together, sparking as though ready to explode at any moment.
It seemed Vempir and Edel had clashed at least once.
“Edel!”
“Estelle.”
Amid the ruined terrain, Edel was the first thing I saw.
As the barrier fell, his gaze met mine.
His usually indifferent eyes flickered with faint relief.
The sight reminded me so much of how Josie looked at me that the strange unease gnawing at my chest melted away.
Has it really been that long since we were separated?
Did he miss me that much?
And yet, despite being trapped in an enclosed space with a woman who claimed to adore him, he didn’t look the least bit exhausted.
Hmph…
Well, I was happy to see him too. A smile almost tugged at my lips—until I noticed his condition, and my heart plummeted.
His right arm was missing.
The same Edel who could lift an orc with one hand and hurl it aside now had his right shoulder cleanly severed, blood gushing from the wound.
“Your… arm…”
I rubbed my eyes, thinking I must be seeing things, but no—his arm was truly gone.
“Estelle, I heard your body was split in half. Are you alright?”
Edel glanced at his injury, then dismissed it as if it were nothing—as if my well-being mattered more.
“THAT’S what you’re worried about right now?! What the hell happened to your arm?!”
“My arm? A trivial matter. I merely let my guard down.”
“Let your guard down?! Since when does that cost an arm?!
I rushed toward him, my original purpose here forgotten in the face of his injury.
“Calm yourself. Losing an arm is hardly a significant issue. I am fine—”
Edel spoke as if to soothe my panic, but—
“Shut up! If you’re hurt, stay still!”
Fine?! He’d have bled out if we were any later!
His already pale skin looked even ghastlier now.
“How are you supposed to learn pure love with only one arm, huh?!”
“Even with one arm, I can still learn from you. Besides, pure love is hardly something that can be hindered by a missing limb.”
Ugh… At least he could still talk.
Sure, losing an arm wouldn’t stop him from learning romance, but… women tend to desire their ideal of a perfect man.
Judging by the residual energy on the wound, this was Vempir’s doing—but now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
I activated a magic circle to stop the bleeding and scanned the area.
The highest-grade potion I had couldn’t regenerate limbs, so I needed to find his severed arm and reattach it.
But no matter where I looked, there was no sign of it.
Then, my eyes landed on a lone figure.
A halo hovered above her head, and two pairs of magnificent wings spread behind her.
Black miasma, crimson blood energy, and angelic holy power spiraled around her in three intertwining strands as she glared at me.
“Witch. How are you still alive? I distinctly cleaved you in half.”
Whatever Vempir said didn’t matter—the only thing that held my attention was Edel’s severed arm in her grasp.
“Trade secret. Try it again if you’re curious. More importantly—weren’t you supposed to like Edel? Then what the hell is that?”
I had expected Vempir to target Edel after me.
She had bared her fangs, declaring that no one would interfere with her “pure love” for the Black Knight.
When the angel Estelle spoke of Vempir’s devotion, I had even felt a twinge of sympathy… If this was genuine love, I had considered setting up a meeting between her and Edel before sealing her away.
Even if Edel refused, love should be fair—everyone deserved a chance.
“I do adore the Black Knight. But he refused to submit to my will, so I severed his arm as a lesson.”
And yet… Vempir swung Edel’s arm around like a toy, her words grating on my nerves.
“I have absorbed the Saintess’s power and surpassed even the Black Knight—no, perhaps even the Demon King himself! This arm is proof of my strength, a trophy. Do you covet it? If you want it so badly, I could always take your remaining arm. I might even be merciful and leave you with one.”
She smirked, gesturing to Edel’s remaining arm as if it were already hers to claim.
That… did not sit well with me.
“…What exactly do you think Edel is to you?”
“Edel? You mean the Black Knight? He is the one who will sire my child—the heir who will rule both the demon and human realms.”
“…That’s it?”
“What more is needed? Is there anything more important than bearing strong offspring? Surely even the Black Knight would prefer a powerful woman to bear his child. As for why I took his arm… Hehe. Limbs are unnecessary for procreation, are they not?”
So… a breeding factory.
Triceratops trembled in my grip.
As if voicing my fury, three mana-charged horns sprouted from the broom’s tip, radiating a menacing aura—far larger than when I shattered the barrier.
The energy swelled, devouring the chaotic remnants in the air and converting them into raw mana.
Though the angel Estelle’s halo pulsed red in warning, Vempir remained unfazed.
“Witch, why do you interfere so? Do you harbor feelings for the Black Knight? What is he to you?”
What is Edel to me?
A teacher-student relationship—one where I taught him pure love until all Four Heavenly Kings were sealed.
That should have been the only answer.
And yet…
I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
The mere thought of Edel being with Vempir made my chest ache so fiercely I could have cried.
Memories flashed through my mind—
Him learning to eat properly for the first time,
Studying letters until he could read books on his own,
Blowing up onions in his first attempt at cooking.
All those mundane, everyday moments.
A strange, unfamiliar pain joined the agony in my heart, crushing me from within.
As if warning me—don’t think any further. This is dangerous.
“Or is this about the Saintess and her Guardian?”
When I didn’t answer, Vempir changed the subject.
Her gaze trailed down my body—neck, chest, stomach, thighs—before she brought a finger to her lips, savoring the thought of the Saintess.
“I heard everything you said to the Guardian. I will bind you together as my thrall until death. Was that not what you desired? You should be grateful. Thanks to me, you witnessed the love you so longed to see.”
Love, love, love.
That damn word.
It should have been sweet, something that brought happiness—but coming from Vempir’s mouth, it only disgusted me.
“Do you even know which hand Edel eats with? What his favorite food is?”
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“It’s not nonsense.”
Nonsense? This is the most important thing!
Edel eats with his right hand. His favorite dish is my Special Potato Platter.
Because love is built on those little, everyday things.
Some random woman barging in and demanding to bear his child isn’t love.
“Fine. Then tell me—do you know the promise the Saintess and the Guardian made?”
“……”
Even though she had absorbed their memories, Vempir remained silent, as if the question wasn’t worth answering.
See?
Love, love, love—just empty words.
She claimed to have heard my conversation with the Guardian.
She knew how much I valued love, so she threw the word around to manipulate me.
But Vempir’s “love” was nothing but a lie.
A pretty facade to catch me off guard before killing me.
Angel Estelle’s sympathy…
My thoughts of setting them up—
All of it was foolish.
This isn’t love.
It’s ugly, selfish desire masquerading as love.
So—
“Do me a favor and stop saying love ever again? You’re tainting the word.”
No more talking.
Now, it’s time for action.
I raised Triceratops, aiming it straight at Vempir.
The three blood-red horns stood parallel to the three spirals of energy she had unleashed, ready to clash.
“You sound just like the Black Knight.”
Edel said that?
Good. My lessons paid off.
“Of course. Who do you think taught him? Did you really think I wouldn’t know the difference between real and fake love?”
“You dare call my love fake…? I was going to kill you painlessly, but now—I’ll turn you into my thrall and enslave you for eternity.”
Brilliant light erupted from her halo and wings.
As if preparing to bisect me again, the three energies twisted together into a drill-like form, radiating merciless heat.
“Try it if you can. But first—
I’m taking Edel’s arm back.
Do you know how messy it gets when a right-handed person eats with their left? You think I’ll let you make me watch that again?
I swung Triceratops—
Straight toward the light threatening to split me in half.
Lucent
0 Comments