Only then did Laxasia turn her head toward me, as if she had just now noticed my presence. “And who might you be?”
She scanned me leisurely from head to toe, as though she were appraising an object for sale. After carefully studying my face for a moment, she clicked her tongue, her interest already fading. “Ugly.”
That blunt strike hit harder than I expected, scratching at my pride. While I was probably not on the same level as Yurina’s Yuren disguise, it was not like people went around calling me ugly. I swallowed the retort rising to my throat, trying to soothe the sting myself when a furious voice came from behind.
Iris glared daggers at Laxasia, her face twisted in anger. “What did you just say, you bitch? Who do you think you’re calling ugly? Dale isn’t ugly. He has a unique kind of charm! What do you know to run your mouth like that?”
Hold on. Did she just... hurt me even more? I wondered.
Laxasia replied, “Oh my, so he’s your boyfriend? My apologies. But you have to admit, compared to the cutie standing next to him, he does look plain.”
A face that seemed fine on its own could look pitifully drab if the real deal was standing right beside it. In truth, on this entire continent, only a few men wouldn’t look like shriveled squids next to Yurina’s Yuren form.
Iris continued, “That’s only because you’re comparing him to Yuren! Look properly! Dale doesn’t lose out to him at all... Well, maybe a little, but still, he has his own distinct appeal!”
I turned to her. “Iris...”
Please, just stop, I said internally.
However, Iris continued, “And judging a man only by his looks? What matters is what’s inside! Appearance isn’t everything!”
Stop. Please stop. My heart hurts too much from hearing all this.
I was never obsessed with my looks, but as a human, it was natural to care at least a little about how I looked, especially when my former lover was watching.
Even Laxasia looked uncomfortable now, eyeing Iris with a twisted expression. “You do realize you’re the one hurting him more, right?”
Iris froze. She glanced back at me in horror. “Ah! D-Dale, that’s not what I meant! I didn’t mean your looks are lacking!”
I gripped her trembling shoulder, squeezing out the words. “Enough. I get it. Just. Stop.”
Any further, and not even the Blessing of Resurrection could mend the wound.
Laxasia laughed until she clutched her stomach. “Kyahahhah! How refreshing! Young people these days are adorable.”
But that lasted only a moment. Her eyes gleamed with something cold and sinister, murderous intent spilling through the cavern. “That just makes it all the sweeter when I tear out your throats.”
I turned to her. “Laxasia...”
Her eyes widened; she was genuinely surprised. “Oh? You know who I am?”
“I do.”
“Hehh. Then that makes it even worse for you. Another reason I can’t let you leave alive.”
“Same goes for me,” I replied.
I began drawing in mana, measuring the distance between us.
Laxasia sneered, baring her teeth in a mocking grin. “I can see you’ve got some skill. After all, you managed to deal with the ruin’s Guardians. But...”
Her eyes glowed a chilling crimson. “Do you really think such tricks will work against me, the Archbishop of Desire?”
The vast cavern, no, the entire ruin, shook violently as a terrifying surge of mana erupted from her.
She snapped her fingers. “Fufu! Come out, my darling pets.”
A group of men emerged from the shadows behind her. Every one of them was strikingly handsome, but their eyes were dull, glazed over, as they raised their weapons like puppets.
Yurina rushed to my side, sword already drawn. Her gaze searched mine, almost disbelieving. “D-Dale! That woman, she just called herself the Archbishop of Desire, didn’t she?”
I answered with only a slight nod.
Yurina’s expression hardened instantly. “We need to find a way to escape.”
I shook my head slowly, keeping my eyes locked on Laxasia. “No.”
In pure combat ability, the Archbishop of Desire, Laxasia, was among the weakest of the Archbishops. However, with her beauty and her magic of temptation, she would seduce male heroes, play with them until she was tired of them, and use the Blessing of Exploitation to drain them until the last drop of their life.
In my previous life, Laxasia had met her demise at Yuren’s hands. However, before that, she had sacrificed countless heroes. Now, I had gotten a chance to kill her here, before that future could happen. If I could accomplish that, it could be an even greater fortune than inheriting the Legacy of the Iron Fist.
So, I said, “Yuren. Take the others and deal with those puppets.”
“Dale, you can’t mean...”
Although she didn’t say the rest, the meaning was clear. She was basically asking if I was seriously going to fight an Archbishop myself.
Once again, I only nodded.
Yurina tightened her grip on her sword, mana flaring around her. “All right.”
Laxasia curved her lips into a deep smile. “Oh, that fighting spirit, I like it even more.”
She glanced back at her pets. “Make sure you capture that one alive. As for the rest, kill them all.”
The puppets gave a hollow nod, their eyes glazed and unfocused. “Yes, my lady.”
With a loud blast, the horde of puppets kicked off the ground at once. Their eyes were clouded as though dulled by drugs, yet their movements were sharp and precise.
Rushing toward them, Yurina shouted, “Iris!”
“Yes!”
Iris didn’t need to be told what to do. Waves of radiant white light surged forth from her body, streaming into Yurina, Berald, and Camilla. It was the blessing of a Saintess. The exhaustion built up from their battle with the Guardians melted away, replaced with fresh vitality that filled their bodies like the energy of waking from a blissful nap.
Camilla was the first to charge ahead. “I’ll take the vanguard!”
She swung her sword at the oncoming men even as she recited a chant. “O merciful Seven Gods! Shine your light upon the lost!”
A broad wave of white radiance spread around her. It was holy magic, the mortal enemy of dark mana. The holy magic flared to life, slowing the puppets the moment they stepped into its reach.
Camilla cut down the rushing men. “Haaap!”
But even slowed due to the sheer number of the puppets. Their relentless assault pressed her back. She staggered, retreating under the pressure. “Ugh!”
Just as a puppet’s blade came swinging down on her, Berald’s roar thundered, and his fist smashed across the puppet’s face. “Hraaagh!”
The sickening sound of bone shattering rang out, and the puppet collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut.
“Everyone, fall back!” Berald shouted.
He charged forward, spreading his arms wide. Dozens of spheres of mana flared into existence in the air around him.
With a mighty clap, he slammed his arms together. “Thunder Clap!”
The explosion was deafening, the air quaking as bolts of mana shot out in every direction. Blue lightning crackled across the gauntlets on his hands, infusing the projectiles with electrifying force.
The puppets convulsed violently as the storm of projectiles struck them, then collapsed, twitching to the ground.
“Gahk!”
“Khah!”
“Urgh, aahhh!”
Laxasia narrowed her eyes at the sight of her collapsing puppets. “Heeeh. Well, well. I thought they were just little kids, but they’re more troublesome than I expected. But still...”
Her smile widened as violet miasma seeped out from her body, flowing into the fallen puppets. With grotesque bone-snapping sounds, the puppets rose once more.
Their eyes glowed blood-red as they gasped for breath like rabid beasts.
“Ahh!”
“For Lady Laxasia.”
“For desire itself!”
“We offer... our lives.”
Laxasia burst into high-pitched laughter as she looked upon them. “Oh my, how admirable. Die for me, won’t you?”
The puppets screamed as they threw themselves forward again, heedless of their own lives.
Yurina raised her sword. “Was it you who said I should be yours? Sorry, but I’ll have to decline.”
The soul stigmata on her body flared, unleashing a torrent of silver aura that tore through the charging puppets, blasting them away like pebbles in a storm.
She glanced briefly in Dale’s direction, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “I already have someone I’ve sworn to devote everything to.”
Then she kicked off the ground and dove straight into the horde. Like a wolf set loose among a flock of sheep, she rampaged through the enemy ranks. Even with Laxasia’s magic reinforcing them, the puppets couldn’t stand against him.
“Guahk! Kahhh!”
“Lady... Laxasia.”
With every flash of silver aura, another puppet fell.
Laxasia’s once-confident smile began to twitch as their numbers dwindled. “Hmph...”
What is this? she thought.
Annoyance welled up inside her, but not because a fledgling band of heroes was crushing her puppets so easily. Puppets were disposable, always meant to be discarded. Besides, the true prize before her was far more valuable than those worthless dolls.
No, her frustration stemmed from a single, infuriating truth. She had been casting seduction magic on the cadet named Yuren this entire time, yet it was not working. And she could not understand why.
Laxasia bit her nail with irritation, her gaze locked on Yurina.

Comments

Loading...