Chapter 170: Full Moon Night – Part 1 (3)

A sharp spear or sword always creates tension and unease for those who see it.

Especially when it’s in the hands of a teenage girl who hasn’t even reached adulthood yet.

Although Marianne is a demon and relatively strong-willed, she still couldn’t maintain her composure when the reflection of the blade flashed before her eyes.

After all, there was no older sister here to protect her.

Well, to be exact, there was one older person, but still.

“What on earth are the two of you doing out here at this late hour—?”

At that moment, the guard holding a torch caught sight of the visibly irritated expression on Raizein’s face.

He gasped and immediately corrected his tone.

“I apologize. I did not recognize you and I have been very rude. I became a little tense after the alert about an intruder.

If possible, may I ask for your name to verify your identity? If you let me know, I will pass without further disturbance.”

He lowered his body slightly and spoke in a humble manner.

It was a natural change.

Given Raizein’s appearance, it’s only natural to assume she might be a noble’s daughter.

Considering that speaking rudely could cost him his life, he couldn’t afford to speak carelessly.

However, despite his surface-level politeness, the guards still did not lower their weapons.

They remained cautious, as it was only natural for patrol guards to stay alert.

But this caution only ended up irritating Raizein.

“Three.”

Raizein, narrowing her eyes and glaring at the guards, slowly spoke.

“You’ve committed three types of rudeness toward me. Are you aware of them?”

“What? What part—?”

The answer was never completed.

Raizein swiftly swung her hand from left to right, and something black shot out from her fingertips, speeding toward the guard standing at the front.

The unseen force brushed past his mouth.

Right after, a faint line appeared around his mouth, and then—

Fwoosh!

It was as though his head had been cleanly cut off with a sharp knife, right at the position of his mouth.

The facial features atop the head slid off and fell.

Blood shot into the sky like mad.

“?!?!”

The other two, as well as Marianne, were startled and inhaled sharply. The guards reflexively tightened their grip on their weapons.

However, Raizein did not allow even a single useless resistance.

“First, you dared to interrupt while an elder was happily chatting without even asking for permission. And although you later corrected it, you didn’t even use honorifics.”

Raizein raised her hand from below to above.

Immediately, black shadows surged up from the ground, severing the guards’ arms.

The severed limbs fell to the ground with a thud, followed by horrific screams.

“Ah, aagh…!!!?”

“Second, you drew your weapons before understanding the situation. That caused me and my companion to feel greatly threatened.”

Raizein took a deep breath.

“And finally—”

This time, she swung her right hand from side to side to her eye level.

Once again, a thin line appeared above the guard’s head, and what was inside it exploded apart.

The difference this time, however, was that the cutting line was at the same height as her own height, rather than aiming for the mouth like before.

This created an even more grotesque scene.

The skull, along with the brain inside, was neatly cut from top to bottom and exposed to the air.

“The most important issue. How dare you look down at me without quickly lowering your knee in front of someone senior? Because of that, I felt insulted. Do you understand? I felt insulted.”

Raizein complained in a very calm and everyday tone, as if she were talking about something trivial like not liking the taste of tea.

But the carnage she had created was so far removed from her casual complaints, and the disconnect only made the entire scene more chilling.

“I really don’t know what people these days are thinking. Isn’t this basic etiquette when dealing with elders?”

She clicked her tongue, then extended her hand toward the three now-disemboweled bodies.

The blood pouring from them moved toward her fingertips as though it were alive.

She closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the taste of the blood, then opened them again and spoke.

“Tch. I suspected from your attitude that you’d be weak, but as expected, you’re just incompetent lackeys. You’re nowhere near enough to quench my thirst.

At this point, you’re not even a… “

Raizein mumbled to herself as she thought about something, then suddenly realized she wasn’t alone.

Turning her body toward Marianne, she spoke.

“Ah, sorry. I got a bit off track, didn’t I? As you can see, I was unexpectedly interrupted.”

“Now that the meddler is gone, shall we continue our walk and let the conversation blossom again?”

Saying this, Raizein smiled brightly. It was as if none of this was a big deal at all, her expression radiant and gentle.

“…….”

Of course, Marianne couldn’t dismiss it so easily like Raizein.

She wasn’t quite at that point yet.

Marianne took a couple of steps back with a pale face and said, “Wh-what exactly… is going on here…?”

“Oh, right, I was hiding my title.”

Raizein clapped her hands as if just realizing this. Then, she gracefully lifted the hem of her dress with both hands and bowed elegantly.

“Allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Raizein Astaroth. I am the beloved daughter of the great Demon Lord who led the Great Invasion 500 years ago, and I am also the Commander of the Ominous Legion in the Divine Demon Army.”

“Th-the Commander of the Ominous Legion…?!”

“Yes. Of course, that is just a title, and it doesn’t mean that my personality is as arrogant as it sounds.

You must already know that from our conversation. But the point is, let’s keep the basics in mind. It’s not difficult, right?”

“………”

Basics, basics, huh…

Marianne once again thought about the charges Raizein had listed.

Interrupting the conversation, aiming weapons, and being tall—well, she could somewhat accept the first two, but the third?

Was being tall and having a downward gaze considered rude?

Was it enough to risk her life for?

What if Marianne had been an adult and taller than Raizein?

Would she have ended up like those poor souls, drained of all their blood and turned into mummies?

Without even a scream, just leaving behind a hollow echo.

“Heh, it’s okay. There’s no need to be so scared.”

Raizein smiled faintly as she saw Marianne trembling in fear.

“I rather like you. We share the common bond of affection for that person, and also, without any concern for personal gain, you handed me a picture, didn’t you? Even though it was our first meeting, you didn’t hesitate.

Such a kind person, so even if you’ve been a little rude, I can overlook it to some extent. Despite my appearance, I’m quite a generous person.”

“…….”

Is that a reassuring statement?

It couldn’t be.

Within those words was an implication: “You may also be horribly killed, but since you’ve given me something, I’ll spare you up to a certain point.”

And no one knew what that “certain point” was. There was no way to tell what could trigger an explosion or how far she could go before it became unacceptable.

It was like walking through a minefield unprotected, the tension thick in the air.

Marianne was already on the brink of suffocation from the pressure alone.

“Hmm…Did you think I wouldn’t trust you after you told me not to worry?
This is a bit hurtful…”

“Eeek?!!?”

At the somewhat pouty tone in Raizein’s voice, Marianne’s hair stood on end. Cold sweat gathered on the back of her neck.

Fortunately, the events that followed immediately redirected Raizein’s attention.

Beeeep!

The sudden sound of a siren shattered the quiet of the midsummer night. It was the emergency bell meant to notify all students when a crisis occurred.

A moment later, amidst the siren, Sally’s urgent voice came through the loudspeaker.

[Attention, all students of Anatolia Academy! Please head to the main auditorium immediately!
I repeat, please head to the main auditorium now!

Once everyone has gathered, we will explain the situation all at once, so please come quickly. That is all!]

The announcement was chaotic and unclear. It was just a simple command to gather in the auditorium, with no explanation or details.

But this lack of formality only proved the urgency of the situation.

Raizein shook her head and sighed.

“I was hoping to quietly meet with Father and leave, but with this, the plan has failed. How is it that I’m always so unlucky…”

She put her hand to her mouth, pretending to be deep in thought.

“Well, to avoid being interrupted, I’ll have to come up with another plan. This is all your fault. If you hadn’t caused such a commotion… we wouldn’t have to go this far.”

Raizein said, extending her hand. Then, contrary to her words, a strange joy appeared on her face as she quietly began casting a spell.

It was the last legacy left in her father’s magic book, a spell her respected father had developed.

“Black Parade.”

The black darkness quickly spread across the entire school.