CH 137

Chapter 137

When Peaceful Times Cease To Exist : A Name That Calls Death, Part 9 — Tragedy

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

Then Alfiris and Dantalion face each other head-on.

「Girururu…」

「What an ugly monster. Whoever made it must have very bad taste. Right, Lifeless?」

「…I’m not the one who designed it…」

「Heh, you still have friends, don’t you? Why don’t you tell Onee-san how many you have?」

Lifeless looked as if he had been mistaken for a moment when Alfiris said that, but he quickly regained his composure.

「…Do it, Dantalion…」

「Guuuooohhh!!」

「Oh my, you’re so impatient. You know, a man who’s too quick is not popular with the ladies.」

Alfiris swept her hair out of her face with her hands, and then placed her hands on her hips and poised herself comfortably. Meanwhile, Dantalion raised both hands and tried to smash Alfiris. Aiming for that opening, the magic that Alfiris cast was woven at an unusual speed.

【O Zirphe, Spirit of the Wind, turn your power into a sword and cut through my enemies!】

《Aero Slice!》

Before Dantalion had time to lower its crossed hands, the blades of wind gathered in Alfiris’ hands slashed down on both of Dantalion’s hands.

「（…Fast…）」

「Guuuooohhhnnn!」

Lifeless also inwardly complimented Alfiris. Dantalion struggles with a cry, and the assimilated Seekers scream, but Alfiris’ judgment isn’t dulled by a hair’s breadth. She runs up Dantalion’s body in an instant to a foothold and stands over a wide open mouth.

Tentacles extend from its mouth in an attempt to capture Alfiris and,

「Hindrance.」

Alfiris slashes away in an instant with a single word. Still, one of the tentacles tries to entangle itself with Alfiris, but Alfiris grabs the tentacle with her hand and tightens it up.

「It’s disgusting, you… Burn.」

When Alfiris looked at the tentacles with disdainful eyes as if she were looking at filth, the tentacles began to burn from Alfiris’ hand. The fire continued to spread through the tentacles and invade the interior of Dantalion. Alfiris looked into the interior of Dantalion, relying on the light. She recognized a suspiciously pulsating part in it.

「Is this…」

Alfiris muttered. But her immediate action caught even Lifeless by surprise. She jumped into Dantalion’s mouth herself.

「Kyaaahh!」

「Alfie!?」

「…Hmmm…?」

At that moment, however, Dantalion stopped moving. Immediately afterwards, it convulsed violently, drooling from its mouth, and then fell to its knees and stopped moving. Smoke was coming out of its body, and there was a sizzling sound. And out of its mouth, Alfiris was wriggling out.

「Tch, it’s so filthy…」

「Are you alright, Alfie?」

「As you can see, I got pretty dirty. I feel like taking a quick dip.」

「What have you done?」

「It was easy. I grabbed them by the heart and gave them a lot of electric current. Electricity works on any living thing. I think they’re in a state of faintness right now. But I didn’t know how to adjust it, so they might die soon.」

Alfiris answers Nia’s question by looking back at Dantalion.

「Fenna, if you’re going to talk to your friends, do it now. I’m not going to save all of them anyway.」

「Eh? What does that…」

「Lifeless said the monster and the Seeker share pain. Then there’s a high probability that they also share blood flow. In any case, if I beat that monster, they’re all dead. I was only convinced when I applied the current. No one was going to be saved in the first place.

In fact, the Seekers on the arms that were cut off seem to be dead already. That guy just wanted to have some fun and annoy us. Isn’t that right, Lifeless?」

Alfiris looks at Lifeless, and Lifeless acknowledges her words with a light click of his tongue.

「…You’ve got it all figured out, you’re right… I just wish you’d tried to help them a little more or something…」

「I don’t do what I can’t do.」

「…What a cold woman you are…」

Lifeless looks terribly bored, and Alfiris glares at Lifeless. If Lifeless move in a strange way, she intends to immediately go into battle stance.

Fenna takes advantage of the pause to call on Dantalion.

「Everyone, everyone… Olnis, Mariel, Mishia, Dolce!」

「Ugh… aghh…」

「F–Fenna…」

「I–It’s dark here…」

「We… what’s going on?」

All of them seemed to be in a fog of consciousness and vision, unable to grasp the situation. Fenna, however, was at a loss for words to explain the situation. She couldn’t say to her best friends that the Archfiend had taken them in and couldn’t help them anymore. Fenna looks at her best friends with tears in her eyes, unable to do anything or even find the words to say.

But seeing Fenna like that, the Seekers regained consciousness, and they spoke words of concern for Fenna.

「Fenna, you’re crying again…」

「You, you’re still a crybaby.」

「Totally, you can’t do anything without us…」

「Uuh, hiik… sniff. I–I, I… I’m sorry! I can’t help you at all!」

Fenna finally couldn’t hold back her tears when she saw how much her best friend cared for her. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

「I–I’m… a princess, and I’m supposed to protect everyone!」

「What, you were worried about that?」

「Really, you’re still a child…」

「…Eh…?」

Fenna had expected to be told something bitter, but the unexpected answer made her look up at her best friends.

「Look, Fenna… we weren’t together because you’re a princess.」

「Yeah, Fenna was with us because you were Fenna.」

「And the same reason we let you go. We didn’t fight to protect Fenna because you are royalty.」

「We fought because we love Fenna and we wanted you to live. If you’re alive now, then we got our wish.」

「That’s…」

Fenna started tearing up again.

「Then… what about my wish…? I always wanted to be with everyone. Playing hide-and-seek in the forest, collecting nuts, making crowns out of flowers, dancing all night long at the forest festival… I wish we could go back to those days…」

「Fenna…」

「…5 …4… 3…」

At that moment, Alfiris noticed that Lifeless was muttering something. He seemed to be counting numbers.

「Lifeless, what are you muttering about?」

「…2 …1…」

「Answer me!」

「0.」

「Fenna…」

Just as the Seekers were about to say something. Suddenly, Dantalion’s body began to rot away in a cloud of smoke.

「Uwaaaaghhh!」

「It’s hot, it’s so hot!」

「I’m melting, I’m melting…」

The Seekers’ faces contorted in pain as Dantalion collapsed. Fenna is already speechless, holding her mouth in her hands and staring at the scene as if devouring it. Is she so shocked that she can’t even speak her eyes?

「Lifeless! What have you done!?」

「…I’ve done nothing… Dantalion must have started to disintegrate because it stopped vital activity… apparently the blitz was too much…」

「Tch! Fenna, I’m sorry!」

At the sight of the scene, Alfiris jumped out of her skin. She made her mark at high speed and chanted.

【O wielder of the fire, righteous from time immemorial. Summon here thy fire and purify the wicked.】

《Flame God’s Press Knuckle》

A huge fist of flame appeared from the fist that Alfiris thrust out, instantly engulfing Dantalion in flames. Their screams were drowned out by the fire as the entire Seekers was engulfed in flames. And Fenna stares at the flames in a state of stupor. Her eyes no longer showed any sign of vigor. In the end, they never found out what Fenna’s friends wanted to say to her.

「Everyone’s… dead.」

No one could find the words to say to Fenna as she muttered something. While everyone was nodding their heads, Nia approached Fenna to comfort her. At that moment, the flames surrounding Dantalion suddenly shook. Miranda and Lisa were the first to notice this.

《Over Slicer》

「Everybody, get down!」

「Just in time!」

Which was quicker than Lisa’s scream? The magic cast by Lifeless obliterated Dantalion, and countless wind swords flew through the flames. Lisa reacted to the screams, and Miranda tried to set up an improvised defensive ward with a short spell. Alfiris also noticed and tried to set up a defensive ward separately from Miranda.

But that was a bad idea. Miranda and Alfiris’ magic interfered with each other, creating a gap in the warding. Most of the wind swords managed to deflect the direction, but one sword passed through the gap in the warding.

「Dodge!」

「Eh…」

A gust of wind blew through the air. Aerial shouts were in vain, and Nia, who was about to run to Fenna, was delayed for a moment in her reaction.

A moment of silence fell around them, and they all heard the sound of something rolling on the ground.