〈6. Proof of Existence (46)〉
Due to the sudden ambush, blood trickled out from my mouth. Staggering backward, I couldn’t even let out a groan.
The pain exceeding the limit made my muscles stiffen chillingly.
That was the mistake.
Celine’s body, which had lost consciousness, creaked and began to move. Snap, snap, the legs that successively kicked my abdomen soon wrapped around my neck.
And with a thud, my body flipped in the air and fell headfirst.
My mind was dizzy. In the momentarily severed consciousness, I confirmed the faint blood-red thread burrowing into Celine’s body.
“Damn, shi……!”
At least it was fortunate that Senior Elsie was there, the moment I tried to say.
“I told you! There is no such thing as God!”
A voice drenched in madness burst out.
“Urk, Aaaaaak!”
Senior Elsie suddenly screamed and collapsed. Electricity was crackling and flowing from the dog collar around her neck.
I couldn’t bring myself to chop at her neck with the hand axe, so I only separated the leash.
To make matters worse, Mr. Reynolds also seemed to have reached his limit.
“Kruk!”
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Mr. Reynolds knelt down.
His eyes had already become hazy. It seemed he couldn’t withstand the backlash of mana.
I need to move my body.
My vision was blurry too. To begin with, Celine’s strength, being controlled, was enhanced beyond imagination.
From the moment I was subdued, escaping was impossible.
Who would have thought I’d meet my end between my childhood friend’s thighs.
It was vain and absurd.
The thighs tightened around my neck even more, and I groaned while flailing.
Due to the impact of being hit, the sword and hand axe had already fallen far away.
“M-Master… Aaaaaak!”
Senior Elsie tried somehow to reach out, but incantation was impossible amid the electric shocks.
In this secret room, the only being standing on two feet was the girl.
Looking at those groaning and sprawled out, the girl laughed loudly.
“Ahaha… Pfft, kuk! I told you, didn’t I? It’s all useless… I said I’d make you despair!”
Lightly, lightly, the girl took steps.
Not toward me. Toward Mr. Reynolds, who had collapsed on his knees.
The flame burning in the middle-aged man’s blue eyes was faint. It seemed the blow was considerable for him too.
“You old geezer… Did you think you were something?! Just because you’re a Great Mage… Hmm?”
The girl’s head, who had been spewing anger like that, suddenly tilted quizzically.
Since her back was turned to me, I couldn’t see in detail, but it seemed like she had made a new discovery.
How many more times did the girl’s head tilt.
Soon, the girl burst into laughter.
“Ahaha, Ahahahahat! Aha, so that’s it! Yes, yes… We’ve met before, haven’t we?”
The middle-aged man’s puzzled gaze turned toward the girl.
The girl was now even clapping her hands and leaning her upper body. Though her face wasn’t visible, it was obvious.
She must be smiling broadly with shining eyes.
Bewitchingly so.
“Was it a few years ago? It must have been in the holy nation. It was my first mission.”
What are you talking about, Mr. Reynolds had a face that wanted to ask that.
The girl trembled as if unable to contain her joy.
“You saw me back then! I was still in my childhood!”
Then, Mr. Reynolds’ expression became utterly desolate at once.
His wide-open eyes began to carefully examine the girl’s facial features.
“I deliberately made the memory ambiguous, so it’s unavoidable if you don’t recognize me? But how did you end up finding me… You ran away, didn’t you? After losing your lover and all your comrades.”
Looking around.
As if trying to find the reason, the girl’s gaze fixed somewhere.
At the end was Ria, collapsed and groaning.
“……Ahang.”
The girl wore an expression of realization and showed a sly smile.
“You must have recalled the memory upon seeing the fake that resembles me? If I had known you were such a precious customer, I would have taken better care of you earlier…….”
“……You, you.”
Spitting out another mouthful of blood, Mr. Reynolds stammered out a question.
“You’re that girl……?”
“Yes, that’s right. Customer… Since my first customer is asking, I have no choice but to answer honestly!”
Lightly, the girl crossed her legs and politely bowed.
“Let me introduce myself once again… My name is ‘Greed’! I’m a peddler who buys the fates of the unfortunate.”
“Then, my comrades…….”
“Yes, are you asking if I killed them?”
Twirl, the girl’s body rotated once in place as if dancing.
“Of course! No, if you think about it, it’s partly your fault too, customer… If you had been stronger, that wouldn’t have happened, right?”
Giggle giggle, a sinister laughter followed.
“You desired it so much, so I granted you power… An item that can force open the end of truth beyond the ‘boundary.’”
The girl’s face turned slightly. Mr. Reynolds’ gaze also naturally followed the end.
The pitch-black rod in his hand.
It was an item I had felt was unusual from before.
“It not only amplifies the holder’s mana but also has the function to forcibly lead to the end of truth beyond the ‘boundary.’ And without side effects! How precious an item it must be… What do you think was offered as the price?”
As if excited to madness, the sound of the girl rubbing her palms and smacking her lips reached even my ears.
“……Your lover.”
Silence descended upon the chamber.
It felt as if it had become a massive communal grave in an instant. I held my breath, and even Senior Elsie, suffering from the electricity, sent a gaze filled with shock.
Mr. Reynolds had a blank expression.
“It was the last gift she gave. Of course, there were other minor prices besides that… Puha, Ahahahahahahat!”
Clutching her belly and laughing, the girl waved one hand dismissively.
It was an attitude as if she couldn’t endure the amusement.
“Customer, I’ll specially spare you. Since you’re a customer of great significance to me… From now on, don’t recklessly throw away the life you barely saved. Well then, farewell!”
With a cheerful greeting, one of the girl’s arms flashed up.
And turning around, the girl began to walk toward us.
My vision was gradually narrowing.
Breathing is blocked. My already hazy mind was becoming cloudy.
Is this the end.
I intuitively realized.
That further struggles were meaningless.
Indeed, as she said.
There is no such thing as God. No salvation.
The miracles I built were also just at the cost of someone’s blood.
Hehe, a self-mocking laugh slipped through my lips.
How were you able to win.
Amid the blurring consciousness, the back of a certain man seemed visible.
It was a lonely and desolate path.
Nevertheless, he was silently walking the path. In the past, I only thought that back was far away, but before I knew it, I realized.
The man’s shoulders were so very lonely.
Wouldn’t it be better to just entrust everything.
A weak yet rational judgment passed through my mind. I reached out, wanting only to grab that man’s foot.
Yes, just a little more like this.
Right at that moment.
Whoosh, tap.
A sound that shouldn’t be heard came from somewhere. Startled, my vision cleared at once.
The world was submerged in silence.
Even the sound of the girl taking a step wasn’t heard. Even those golden eyes were merely blankly facing behind.
Whoosh, tap.
The pitch-black rod spun in the air and fell.
Staggering, one man was raising his body.
The girl placed a hand on her forehead and let out a deep sigh.
“Good grief, foolish as ever… I said I’d spare you.”
Whoosh, tap.
Regardless, the man finally stood on his two feet.
Blood was trickling down between his firmly closed lips. The hazy gaze indicated that he too had reached his limit.
Tsk, clicking her tongue, the girl turned to face the man again.
“Is the despair still insufficient?”
Whoosh, tap.
No answer returned.
“Is the defeat still insufficient?”
Whoosh, tap.
The girl welcomed the non-returning answer with open arms.
“If so, gladly… I’ll grant as much as you want.”
The blood-red whip flickered and drew a trail in the empty air.
The momentum of the whip that appeared like flames was unchanged. Just the amount of condensed mana was overwhelming.
There’s no way he doesn’t know that power.
Yet the man was still walking.
Although he staggered every two steps.
Whoosh, tap.
The blue eyes were burning fiercely.
And right after the man closed his eyes for a moment and regulated his breathing.
The Great Mage returned.
The wheels of lightning rising behind his back simultaneously began a fierce rotation. It was a speed unlike any seen before. Crackle, the randomly sparking electricity disrupted vision and hearing.
Even seeing this, the girl had an expression overflowing with leisure.
“Ah, those eyes filled with anger… How beautiful a jewel it would become if dyed in despair and broken.”
I stared blankly at Mr. Reynolds.
I couldn’t understand at all why he was moving. No matter what method he used, victory couldn’t be aimed for here.
In that case, wouldn’t it be better to run away and plan for the future?
I wanted to ask right away.
But the question flowing from the middle-aged man’s lips was directed not at me, but at the girl.
“……Did I.”
Panting, the middle-aged man spat out fragmented questions.
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