“…So you’ve shown yourself, Karla! You damn pest infesting the kingdom, who refuses to die!”
“Fufu… Quite the appearance, Your Highness, the King’s younger brother. I wonder which of us is the ‘Worm’?”
Ignoring Karla’s flames, Amor, who had cast off his burning cloak, laughed boisterously at Karla’s contemptuous words.
“Fuhaha! A madwoman like you wouldn’t understand! I have obtained great power!”
Amor’s body, as if sliced down the center, had its right half transformed into a writhing mass of Worms. However, those who knew him before would have noticed that his mind, too, was far removed from the Amor of the past.
Previously, he lacked confidence in himself, merely being kept within the royal family, and to protect his own heart, he constantly tried to be of use to someone, only to spin his wheels. Amor, who in that sense had always been gauging others’ reactions, had everything about him affirmed by a certain girl. He drowned in carnal desires that submerged his reason in mire, and by obtaining a 【Divine Protection (Gift)】 that broke him out of his “shell” as a fragile human, his personality had transformed to the point of arrogance.
Environment… People can change this much depending on who guides them. In a possible future, he could have been guided by the true Saint and walked the path of the King’s elder brother supporting the next king… the path of a Grand Duke.
“That’s right! I am not the man I once was! I have become strong! Strong enough to defeat you!”
THUD!!
Amor leaped out, as if kicking and shattering the scorched earth, his right arm, now made of Worms, enlarging as he struck at Karla.
His physical abilities alone surpassed those of a Rank 5 warrior. Possessing the skills of what was originally a Rank 3 warrior, his blow accurately targeted Karla, who was floating in mid-air, but Karla was no ordinary human either.
GOOONG!!
A sound as if heavy iron striking iron echoed, causing several knights to flinch involuntarily.
It was neither sorcery nor magic. With Mana Control honed in exchange for her life, she momentarily used Demon Sword Transformation on the soles of her shoes to block Amor’s fist, and Karla ascended further into the heavens—
“—Lightning—”
Lightning, unleashed from Karla’s fingertips from high in the heavens, pierced Amor.
“UgooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!”
However, despite being shot through the center of his body, Amor did not die. Letting out a beast-like roar, charred Worms fell off as new Worms regenerated Amor’s body, filling his wounds.
“Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!!”
Amor, with bloodshot eyes, let out a strange shriek, and this time his right arm, extended like a whip, attacked Karla like a serpent.
“—Storm—”
In response, Karla used Level 4 wind magic to shatter and blow away the serpent of Worms.
“Hahaha! Don’t underestimate me, Karla!”
However, the fine, thread-like Worms, shattered by the Storm, swam through the wind towards Karla.
Even Karla didn’t know what would happen if those Worms entered her body. But Karla, with a faint smile, waved a hand towards the Storm she herself had created.
“—Acid Cloud—”
The acid, spread by the wind, burned all the fine thread-like Worms to death, dyeing the Storm a murky black.
But, being in the midst of it, was Karla alright? That couldn’t be.
“Aha♪”
Clad in a scorched dress, her skin burned and festering from the acid, Karla emerged from the vortex of acid, laughing like a young girl dancing in a field of flowers.
【Karla Lester】【Race: Human♀】【Rank 5】
【Mana Value: 472/630】【Stamina Value: 7/48】
【Overall Combat Strength: 1827 (Magic Attack Power: 2740)】
She was not ordinary. She was not sane. If it wasn’t instant death, it wasn’t “death.”
For Karla, even that pain was proof of “life,” and “killing” and “being killed” were her reasons for living.
“—Fireball—”
Four Fireballs, each seemingly large enough to embrace, materialized around Karla, and all of them rained down on Amor, who was still in mid-air. But—
“—!?”
Around them were Dandole’s knights, still serving as the rearguard.
Even one of those Fireballs had enough power to scorch an entire platoon of knights. If all four exploded, even Dandole Knight Commander could be caught in the blast.
However, there were those who intervened.
GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!
The roar of a “beast” shook the atmosphere, and a colossal “darkness” tore through the starry sky.
UoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!
A man leaped from the back of the jet-black beast, brandishing the large, jet-black sword on his back.
“—Hell Slash—!”
The unleashed Level 5 greatsword Battle Art raged. That single strike detonated the Fireballs, engulfing Amor, pushing their force to the other side, and the flames approaching Dandole’s side were blocked by the impact of the black beast’s massive body.
“—OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!”
Cries of admiration rose from Dandole’s knights at the unbelievable sight.
“Feld-dono!”
“Are you unharmed, Lord Dandole!”
Perhaps they knew each other from before; Feld returned a rugged smile to Dandole Knight Commander and the knights who recognized him and called out, then immediately glared at Karla in the sky.
“…You, what was the meaning of that?”
When Feld questioned Karla, who had used magic in a way that could have involved Dandole, Karla smiled sweetly as her scorched white skin visibly regenerated.
“My promise with Aria-san was to head towards Dandole. And only to kill enemies. I’d be troubled if you expected anything else.”
“What did you say…”
“More importantly… it’s not over yet.”
GUAOH!!
At that moment, Nero growled as if wary of something, and where Feld and Dandole’s knights turned to look… something stirred within the flames.
—UgoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH
Having taken Karla’s Fireballs and Feld’s Battle Art, Amor still could not die. He regenerated without perishing and was trying to stand up again.
“…Is he a monster?”
Dandole Knight Commander’s voice echoed faintly. Behind Amor, the knights of the Second Order of Knights who had been caught in the blast also rose. Amor, who had begun to regenerate rapidly, glared wide-eyed at Karla and Feld, then shouted to his subordinate knights in a voice filled with hatred.
“You bastards! Attack!!”
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH…
Responding to his voice, the knights within the flames began to move like specters, but they collapsed back into the fire before taking more than a few steps. However, the knights of the Second Order of Knights who had escaped the baptism of fire, though daunted by the deaths of their comrades, desperately readied their weapons. Feld couldn’t help but call out to them.
“You guys, are you still going to obey that man’s orders?! Look at Amor’s state!”
No matter how you look at it, he’s not “human.” Even though Amor regenerated, half his body was still scorched and festering, and his right half, as if shunning the flames, couldn’t even maintain a human form and writhed hideously. But the knights of the Second Order of Knights, even seeing Amor like that, remained unfazed and looked at Feld, who was trying to reason with them, with suspicious eyes.
“His Highness has transcended humanity while remaining ‘human’!”
“What is a mere adventurer like you saying to His Highness Amor, the ‘Hero’!”
Their words made it seem as if they couldn’t see “reality” at all.
In fact, perhaps to them, Amor still appeared as the Amor of before.
Could such a thing be possible? Could Amor’s 【Divine Protection (Gift)】 even alter people’s perception? In the first place, replacing half his body with “Worms” seemed beyond the scope of a 【Divine Protection (Gift)】.
This was not something humans or spirits would do.
Looking down at them from the sky, Karla let a murmur escape in her clear voice.
“You… you’ve made a pact with a ‘demon,’ haven’t you?”
Feld, hearing those words, looked up at Karla. Karla ignored Feld’s gaze and began to accumulate an enormous amount of mana in her hands.
“Wait, Karla!”
If Karla unleashed her magic with all her might, it would deal a heavy blow to the Undead of the Second Order of Knights, let alone Amor. But this time, even Feld might not be able to divert the magic.
“—Dragon Breath—”
Before he could stop her, Karla unleashed fire magic with her immense mana. However, the line of fire did not target the Second Order of Knights, but instead engulfed the regenerating Amor, creating a wall of fire as if drawing a horizontal line.
The surging flames separated Amor and his forces from Dandole. But this only managed to briefly halt their advance, and the Second Order of Knights began to disperse, attempting to circumvent Karla’s magic.
But Karla merely scoffed at Amor and the others, her chilling gaze turning towards Dandole Knight Commander.
“You’re all retreating, aren’t you? Now’s your chance to fall back, no? I wish to change my dress as well, so this is perfect timing.”
“……”
It was unthinkable that Karla would hesitate to drag others into her schemes. Feld glared at her, trying to discern her true intentions, but before he could find an answer, Dandole Knight Commander, having snapped back to his senses, bellowed orders to the knights under his command.
“All units, to the Dandole estate, on the double! You have permission to discard any excess baggage! Your priority is to bring back all the injured!”
『…Yes, sir!!』
The knights of the First Knightly Order, who had been equally stunned, also sprang into action at his shout. Feld and Nero, though still suspicious of Karla, followed suit.
――Fufu.
Karla turned her violet eyes towards Amor, who was trapped by the flames. Then, as she finally followed Feld and the others, a smile more demonic than any demon’s played on her lips.
Karla-san, 14 years old.
She’s come up with something lovely (heart).
Next time, the scene will shift to Aria.
Chapter four of the manga adaptation is now available. Everyone, please check it out!