Ch.264Chapter 264: Plunder (4)

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SPLASH-!!

With the loud sound of Karl Ranos collapsing after being struck on the crown of his head by her own hand chop.

Pitter-patter-! Pitter-patter-patter-!!

Only then did Imperfectio’s expression gradually contort as she realized that nothing filled the space around her except the sound of rain.

Since her face was revealed after her helmet had been shattered by Karl’s desperate strike.

Unlike the expressionless face that had shown not even a fragment of emotion until now.

As if the absence of people to react to her expressions had become a trigger.

“…”

As she bit her lower lip, her crumpled expression revealed incomparable sorrow.

And from her two eyes, which most dramatically displayed that sorrow, tears reminiscent of rain falling from the sky threatened to pour out.

What was it? What could be the reason?

She had excellently accomplished her given mission.

Against the descendants of the old heroes who would be the greatest obstacle to the prosperity of the demon realm.

Though she hadn’t taken their lives, she had easily subdued them by demonstrating overwhelming skill.

She had successfully subdued Karl Ranos, whom she had been instructed to treat with the utmost care when given the mission, by merely knocking him unconscious without inflicting any significant wounds.

If she were to return to the demon realm with Karl now, she would receive unparalleled praise from the being who had assigned her this mission as a reward for her successful completion, and that would be that.

So why was she, momentarily forgetting even to collect her spoils to take back to where she belonged.

“…Hic.”

Why was she sobbing like this with such a distorted expression?

No matter how superhuman her trained body might be, being continuously exposed to this much rain wasn’t good for her either.

Yet, as if that was exactly what she wanted.

“…Hnnng.”

Her head, letting out a sound close to a sob, turned toward the night sky that was mercilessly pouring down raindrops.

It looked like an excuse.

As if she was trying to create an alibi that the tears about to burst forth were not the result of her own emotions welling up.

But rather the trivial result of raindrops gathering in her eyes after briefly raising her head—that’s how her action seemed.

Of course, since none of the four people sprawled unconscious on the ground could see her like this.

There was no one to criticize her for such behavior.

Nevertheless, Imperfectio’s raised head showed no sign of lowering even as the raindrops grew heavier and more intense with time.

“Huaaah…”

Now even both her shoulders were faintly trembling.

It was pitiful—anyone who saw it would feel that it was pitiful.

Enough to silently approach her, take her into their arms, and soothe her out of a protective instinct.

But, perhaps having released as much of her emotions as she needed to.

“…”

As if it had never happened, Imperfectio quickly regained her usual expressionless face and stability.

Then she immediately focused on finishing what she had to do.

First was the retrieval of weapons.

After walking to where the holy sword used by this era’s warrior, who had just been engaged in an uncompromising battle with her, had fallen.

“…”

Imperfectio, whose expression was still tinged with a unique gloominess despite being expressionless, immediately picked up the holy sword.

The faintly reddish, sinister aura still surrounding her body could have burned upon contact with the holy sword, which still hadn’t lost its light even after falling from its owner’s hand.

“…That’s right. Good.”

The holy sword in Imperfectio’s hand, who spoke as if soothing a whimpering baby, far from rejecting her.

Wooong-!!

Merely emitted a radiance no less brilliant than what Lilliansis had produced while wielding it just moments ago.

For a being covered in sinister energy to hold a contrasting holy sword without any issue, and even cause it to glow.

If those standing on opposite sides—light and darkness, humans and those tainted by demons—were to witness this scene, they would be utterly astonished.

Yet the very protagonist who caused this phenomenon didn’t change her expression at all.

“…Thank you.”

Though her expression remained blank, her voice, now somewhat less gloomy, expressed gratitude to the holy sword as she sheathed it at her waist.

Wooong-!!

The holy sword, now sheathed at her waist, produced a gentle resonance.

Wooooo-!!

Not to be outdone, the Devastator, which had been sheathed at her waist since the end of the situation, let out a scream reminiscent of a ghostly wail.

“Stay quiet.”

The Devastator’s rebellion(?) was instantly suppressed by Imperfectio’s cold command.

But even though it was suppressed, perhaps overwhelmed by the demon sword’s fierce energy?

Woong-!!

The holy sword sheathed at Imperfectio’s waist resonated from within its scabbard, showing a different kind of anxiety than before.

“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely return you to your original owner.”

At Imperfectio’s words, which seemed to understand the holy sword’s reaction, it soon regained stability.

Compared to the extremely cold words she had directed at the demon sword she had been using all this time.

Her voice, treating the holy sword as if it were a person, carried considerable warmth.

Anyway, having successfully confiscated… or by her standards, retrieved the holy sword, Imperfectio moved on to her next objective.

Though she only needed to take a few more steps from where she had retrieved the holy sword, so it wasn’t a long distance.

“…”

In her expression as she silently covered that short distance, the sorrow she had tried to push away was trying to take root again.

“Karl…”

Imperfectio murmured softly.

The name of the man she had last faced.

It wasn’t the modulated tone that had come out when she wore the helmet.

And unlike after the helmet broke, when her voice couldn’t completely hide its coldness even without modulation.

Now her voice was cracking with inexplicable sadness and regret.

Why was she showing such emotions toward the fallen Karl?

Was it related to the fact that her bare face, revealed after the helmet broke, looked so much like Lilliansis, who was now lying unconscious on the wasteland floor?

Neither her words nor her expression, which she couldn’t compose even as she continued walking, provided any answers to her attitude.

“…I’m sorry.”

Imperfectio’s figure, apologizing with a calmness that deliberately suppressed her sorrow, was filled with poignancy that anyone could see.

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“Sigh…”

At the long sigh that escaped from Desire’s lips as she sat on the throne.

“…My lord?”

Adorator expressed mild surprise.

Her lord, who usually considered it a virtue to simply express good or bad when faced with ordinary situations, was showing an emotional outburst that could be considered intense in many ways after finally opening her eyes.

“Are you alright?”

The reason for her surprise was concern that something might be wrong with her lord.

Indeed, her lord, Desire, was experiencing emotional swings between extremes in what was a mere blink of an eye compared to the days Adorator had lived.

Just before, in a place where there should only be certainty that everything was over and all would go well.

Her lord had shown unusual anxiety after seeing the actions of the being she called bait, who had silently raised her head toward the night sky.

By tapping her right index finger on the armrest of the throne without any particular pattern, just as her heart dictated.

A very minor thing—others in similar positions in other demon realms might find it deflating if this was called anxiety.

But for her lord, who only clearly expressed “joy” and “pleasure” among emotions to the point of excess while extremely restraining other emotions, this was quite an unusual sight.

A thousand years ago, just before her lord’s ambition to establish this world as a sanctuary of free will was about to be realized.

Even at the moment when her dream and ambition were shattered by those who suddenly launched a counterattack backed by the power of those detestable beings who bestowed miracles upon the humans of this land.

“Hmph, unfortunately, it seems my power fell slightly short against you all. I have no choice but to retreat for now, but humans, go ahead and rot in your momentary comfort. I have eternal time, which you do not.”

Her lord had been so magnanimous as to declare that her ambition was not over with a statement full of dignity—this was an unfamiliar sight for Adorator who remembered that.

She understood. Her lord had repeatedly mentioned through revelations that she was putting great effort into obtaining the descendant of the hero with red hair.

And just when she was about to get her hands on him, that bait who was supposed to execute the plan was just staring helplessly at the sky, doing nothing—how could she not be anxious?

Moreover, when the bait first retrieved the holy sword instead of the vessel she was supposed to retrieve.

From the moment Adorator saw her lord’s right index finger busily tapping the armrest.

Unable to bear it any longer, she had even volunteered to go retrieve the vessel herself.

Of course, it wasn’t carried out due to her lord’s gentle restraint with a raised hand.

Considering the current situation where her lord couldn’t act directly, they had no choice but to entrust everything to that bait, as her lord had said.

Just as Adorator was about to wish she could feel the anxiety her lord was feeling on her behalf.

Until a sigh of relief escaped her lord’s lips upon seeing the bait finally retrieving the vessel after finishing the retrieval of the holy sword.

It had been quite brief, but her lord’s emotions had certainly fluctuated enough to fill this vast hall.

“I am fine. I’m fine.”

Desire raised her right hand toward Adorator, who had tentatively asked the question, dispelling her concern with words of reassurance.

“She’ll come on her own now, so we just have to wait.”

Saying that all they needed to do was wait for the vessel to come into her possession, Desire leaned back completely in her throne.

Though it was a throne made of obsidian used to build this rather large and intimidating palace.

“What remains… is to use the bait to make the vessel completely mine.”

Desire, who spoke revealing both relief and anticipation, seemed quite comfortable in the throne that fully accommodated her form.