Chapter 143

R​ead on Kat​R​eadin​gC​afe

The sunlight pouring down is as warm and cozy as soft fur.

The cool breeze playfully tickles my hair as it passes by.

With each step, various sensations flood in.

The Black Knight, now known as Ereshkigal, was dazedly focusing her consciousness on her sense of smell.

The harsh smell of asphalt.

The fresh scent of the trees lining the street.

The pungent fumes of car exhaust.

The sticky stench of human sweat.

Stimulating smells dominate.

All sorts of scents are tangled together, making it hard to keep my mind clear.

My nose stings. Not literally, but it feels that way.

Even if I focus on my hearing instead, the situation is similar.

The noisy chatter of conversations.

The honking of car horns.

The upbeat tempo of lively music.

The cawing of crows.

“…”

The world is too bright.

Was it always like this?

The previous world seemed a bit duller.

Were there always this many colors? Was it always this vibrant?

Everything is new. Living nerves make my senses sharp. The wind tastes good. The scents carried by the flow of air stimulate all five senses. 

Though her destination is set, she wanders aimlessly. One step. Another step. With each step, unfamiliar sensations overwhelm her. It’s mystical. 

Echoes of the past, forgotten since becoming a Death Knight, come alive.

“…It’s blue.”

She opened her lips and whispered softly.

The blue sky was endlessly vast and beautiful.

She knew the sky had always been like this.

But even looking at the same scene, the way she perceives it is entirely different.

It’s as if a filter covering her vision has fallen away.

Color is added to a black-and-white world.

A truly nostalgic, bittersweet sensation.

She was vividly experiencing ‘being alive.’

A Death Knight, already dead, is alive.

Isn’t that just absurd?

Ereshkigal, or ‘Ere’ for short, thought to herself.

This body has too many unnecessary functions, she mused.

As a ‘vessel’ to contain power, it’s flawless, beyond perfection.

The body she had longed for all this time.

It’s not just overcoming limits—it’s an innovative evolution.

But this, she just can’t accept.

‘…It’s too sensitive.’

Perhaps it’s because her senses had been numb for so long that she feels this way even more.

But that’s not the only thing she’s dissatisfied with.

Ere subtly lowered her gaze.

Even after several days, she couldn’t get used to the mass of fat there.

Sure, the heightened senses could be interpreted positively.

There are downsides, but there are upsides too.

But these unnecessarily large breasts? She just can’t understand them.

Why does such a cumbersome, movement-hindering body part even exist?

Adapting to this body took far more time than expected.

There were many reasons, but the breasts definitely played a big part.

‘Why does the great one like these so much…?’

She keeps touching them whenever she gets the chance, and it’s honestly troublesome.

Cupping them from below with one hand, she squeezes them tightly with the other.

Every time, Ere feels like she might let out an undignified scream.

Once, she even let out a girlish “Eek?!” and felt deeply ashamed.

She wants to tell her to stop, but she can’t dare to restrict the actions of the Great One.

In the end, Ere had to wiggle her fingers and toes and endure until the teasing was over.

Pausing for a moment, she looked at her reflection in a building’s glass window.

Her hair swaying at her waist.

The red fox mask covering her face.

The white blouse, curved as if it might burst at any moment.

The high-waisted skirt emphasized her slender waist.

The outfit was given to her by a human named Regina.

Clothes she never thought she’d associate with in her lifetime.

Just the fact that she was wearing this kind of outfit made her stomach churn.

But, ironically, her Lord adored this outfit.

She enjoyed unbuttoning the blouse one by one and teasing her perky chest.

“Sigh…”

A sigh escaped her lips.

I am a proud knight.

A noble Death Knight.

One who cannot die, even in death.

Memento mori.

So why does she treat me like some mere courtesan?

If she desires a sword, I would offer it without hesitation.

But my chest? This insignificant chest?

I’m afraid she might eventually demand not just my chest, but my entire body.

Ere shuddered.

An inexplicable chill ran down her spine.

Of course, if it’s her command, I’ll do anything.

She is the Great One, and now my Lord.

As her servant, if she desires my body, I’m prepared to offer it at any time.

But…

Still…

I can’t help but feel like something’s not right.

“What’s so great about these things…?”

In a fit of frustration, she almost grabbed them but managed to stop herself.

She’s learned from past experiences.

Her senses are far more sensitive than an ordinary person’s.

She can’t afford to collapse in an undignified heap here.

Letting out yet another sigh, Ere began to walk again.

After days of effort, she finally adapted to her current body.

She regained her skills and succeeded in fully mastering the vessel.

When Astaroth deemed her ready.

Wearing the red fox mask that suppresses the aura of monsters, Ere left her hideout.

The mission given by her Lord.

Her previous mission ended in a miserable failure.

This time, she will surely succeed and make up for her past mistakes.

“Wow…”

“Gulp.”

Ere, mingling among the humans, drew many gazes.

The red fox mask covering her face was the first reason.

The second, without a doubt, was her explosive figure.

As if drawn by gravity, people couldn’t help but glance her way.

There was no distinction between men and women.

Everyone glanced over, stealing looks at Ere.

Ere, with her heightened senses, could feel all those gazes.

Her hands itched at the stares directed at her chest.

Even though they were just looking, it felt as if they were physically touching her.

It made her feel extremely uncomfortable. She wanted to draw her demonic sword right then and there.

With a single swing, she could slaughter everyone in this place.

‘No… hold back, Ereshkigal.’

The mission entrusted to her by her Lord comes first.

There’s no need to pay attention to a flock of sheep unworthy of her time.

‘Lucia.’

Ere recalled a certain girl.

The one who had driven her to defeat that day.

The young supernatural who had thrown her own body into the fray to create an opening for a counterattack.

Her boldness in accepting harm for the sake of victory.

Her mental strength to overcome fear and terror.

The way she refused to back down, even as tears welled up in her eyes from the pain, left a deep impression.

Though her strength was lacking, her willpower was something Ere highly respected.

Even so,

‘I don’t particularly like her…’

But it’s Astaroth’s command.

So, I’ll simply obey.

Personal opinions are meaningless.

After walking and walking, Ere finally arrived at the square in District 6.

And there.

She encountered faces she could never forget.

◈

Eugene placed his hand on his waist.

Learning from his mistake during the cherry blossom festival, he always carried a weapon with him.

The sword halfway drawn from its scabbard shimmered with a red heat.

But he couldn’t recklessly draw it.

First, the location wasn’t ideal. Underground. And there were too many people.

If he unleashed his power carelessly, the ground could collapse, burying everyone in the worst-case scenario.

Eugene and Alice could survive by blowing away the ceiling.

But ordinary people didn’t have that kind of firepower.

“…”

No killing intent could be felt from the woman with the red fox mask.

But that didn’t mean she wasn’t dangerous.

People don’t harbor killing intent when they crush an insect.

It was similar to that. 

A pressure that made his hair stand on end weighed down on his entire body.

For a moment, Eugene felt his mind grow hazy.

“Dangerous…”

Arin swallowed dryly and muttered.

Even without her danger sense, everyone could feel it.

Just how threatening the woman before them was.

‘Who is she?’

There was no trace of the typical aura of a monster.

The mental corruption that greedily erodes the surroundings just by existing.

Its absence suggested that the woman with the red fox mask was human.

But Eugene wasn’t optimistic.

He had already encountered beings capable of hiding their monstrous aura.

Moreover, she wore a mask similar to Astaroth’s.

Was she human, or a monster in disguise?

Eugene hesitated, unable to make a quick judgment.

But whether she was a monster or not wasn’t the most pressing issue right now.

Even if she was human, she was still dangerous.

There are plenty of evil individuals among supernaturals.

The chilling fighting spirit that made even breathing feel heavy.

It was clear she hadn’t come here with good intentions.

‘First, we need to evacuate the people.’

Before the unidentified woman could act, they had to get the visitors out somehow.

The murmuring had already stopped. The moment the woman stopped concealing her presence, the visitors instinctively sensed the threat and began to scatter. But the underground exhibition hall in District 6’s square was quite large. Even if one area was emptied, there would still be many visitors in other areas.

“Eun-jik-a ge-hee-neo… No, the words came out wrong. I’m still not used to human language.”

At that moment, the woman spoke for the first time.

A low, feminine voice. Cold-blooded yet carrying a strange heat.

“I have no business with you yet. At least not right now.”

Even through the mask, her intense gaze was palpable.

First, she looked at Eugene, then Alice.

Finally, her eyes swept over Arin as she spoke in a stern voice.

“Say.”

The regenerating supernatural.

That golden-haired girl from back then.

“Where is Lucia?”

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Ere used provocation!

It was super effective!

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
A knight of no intelligence, if the main characters are not incompetent, they have gathered a lot of information just now!! Smh! 

Go give her a brutal correction now, Astaroth!