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Chapter 251: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (44)

Only after the cease of lightning did the world finally quieten down a bit.

It was only then that Mitram stood up with a relieved expression.

"Phew, that feels refreshing... Isn't it too much, hitting your own younger sister, Oppa?"

The stabbed area was gradually decaying.. Fumbling, I pulled out a healing potion from my pocket.

It was a potion modified by Emma that I originally received from Senior Delphine.

I didn’t expect it to work against the power of the Evil God, but it at least managed to prevent the worsening of the wound after I applied it. My blurry sight was finally cleared.

I staggered to my feet.

Having taken a hit, my physical condition was far from normal. The surviving test subjects after the lightning struck were now surrounding Mitram.

Most were those who had sprung from the ground.

Judging from their armaments, their professions ranged from knights to various others. Befitting the valued and cherished forces of Mitram, each seemed to at least be on a par with the Head Maid we faced before.

They were opponents we couldn't handle on our own.

"Should I report you for domestic violence? Ah, right. I guess it's impossible since I'm a Dark Priest~"

"......Stop your bullshit."

It was not only my blood that welled up.

At my fierce voice, Mitram looked at me with a bewitching smile.

As if saying, ‘speak up if you want to say something’.

"You're not Ria."

"Denying what you see with your own eyes? That's a bit pathetic, Oppa......"

"Ria isn't even twenty yet."

Mitram's eyes narrowed at my rebuttal.

Catching my ragged breath, I confronted Mitram point by point.

"It's been over 10 years since the disappearance cases started, and you're saying Ria has been active as a Dark Priest since then?"

A contemplative 'hmmm' escaped Mitram's mouth.

The girl, after a moment of contemplation, showed a grin.

"…Well, maybe there was another Dark Priest active 10 years ago?"

"There's no way there are two pieces of trash like you."

Mitram clapped her hands and laughed loudly at the words I growled out.

As if she had heard a hilarious joke.

"Unfortunately, Oppa, do you have any idea how many priests are in the Dark Order? Any one of them could be involved in the kidnapping case..."

"And Ria had Dame Irene with her all day."

Mitram's mouth snapped shut.

After making a displeased face for a moment, she then grumbled in a gruff voice.

"…Ah, that useless bitch."

Now Mitram seemed to be running out of things to say.

Since she had no way to know what had transpired at the Percus Manor.

However, there was one thing I was certain about.

"…More importantly, Ria has a mole on her collarbone, you bastard."

At my remark, Mitram's eyes widened, and she stealthily glanced down at her own collarbone.

It was spotless.

There wasn't a single mole.

"Oops," Mitram slapped her forehead with her palm.

"How could this happen, me making such a mistake? And Ian Percus……"

Her voice, which had been clear and refreshing, began to simmer gradually.

It was the voice of Mitram I knew.

The woman, finally shedding her pretence, burst into laughter.

"Did you scan your sister's body in such a brief moment? That's abnormal, truly abnormal... Of course, the Dark Order loves abnormalities. How about it, why not join the Dark Order this time and fulfil your forbidden love?"

It was an absurd suggestion.

Love between siblings, being used as a reason to join the Dark Order, was ridiculous.

So, instead of answering, I gripped the hatchet in my hand.

At the same time as I called someone's name.

"......Seria!"

Immediately after, a flash of grey raced past.

The girl dashing forward covered the distance in an instant.

The party must have been taken aback by Mitram’s appearance just as I had been. But once I made a decision, they faithfully followed my commands.

The gathered blue aura on Seria’s blade traced a solid line.

Responding to which were the test subjects standing next to Mitram.

Surprisingly, they were blocking Seria's sword strikes, which had reached the expert level, one after another.

Although Seria managed to sever the arm of one of the test subjects who resembled a knight, it wasn't a significant achievement.

Where the arm was severed, the wound bubbled grotesquely, sprouting hideous tentacles.

Startled by the revolting sight, Seria momentarily froze. In that instant, the tentacles reached out to the surrounding corpses, and soon after, the severed arm regrew.

Bigger and stronger.

The sight would shock even the most resolute person.

Regrettably, Seria was no exception.

Eventually, she was struck by another test subject who targeted her from behind.

"......Kyaaack!"

"Seria!"

I tried to force my immobile body to rush forward.

But Mitram was standing in my way.

She smirked, conjuring a dark red aura in her hand.

"You have a different playmate, Ian Percus… It's been a while since I switched bodies, so I might as well enjoy it a bit."

"…Switched bodies?"

Before I could get an answer to my question, the test subjects silently leaped forward.

Targeting not me but my companions.

Hatchet in hand, I aimed for Mitram's arm while shouting to Senior Elsie.

"Senior Elsie! Did you tear the communication scroll?!"

"I-I tore it long ago, but there's still no response!"

Clang, Sparks flew as my hatchet clashed against her arm. Mitram threw a punch, and I deftly twisted my body to dodge.

Then, as I naturally tried to grab her arm and counterattack, I felt a burning sensation in my hand.

My eyes turned towards Mitram's face.

She wore a calm and composed smile.

"......It's useless, Ian Percus."

Whoosh, Flames burst forth, forcing me to hastily retreat.

However, the power of the flames emanating from Mitram's arm was beyond imagination.

The flames whirled and struck me like a whip. Although I tried to sever it by enveloping the hatchet with aura, I couldn't stop the flames that regenerated as soon as they were cut.

I continued to retreat while cursing inwardly.

The dance of fire and hatchet went on.

"I've prepared separate test subjects to deal with those idiots from the Rinella family. And of course, it's only natural to block communication magic in advance, isn't it?"

This was her hideout, after all.

Mitram chuckled, and with each word she uttered, the searing flames flicked in front of my face like a snake's tongue.

The heat felt like it would cook my eyeballs.

To make matters worse, the situation for my companions didn't look good.

The reason was that Celine, the least skilled in the vanguard, had been assigned as a guard.

"Ugh, kyaaaaaaack!"

At Celine's scream, I glanced over in a panic.

With five or six test subjects charging at her, even Celine couldn't hold out any longer. Despite having the support of the Saintess and Senior Elsie at her back, the moment close combat was allowed, it was over.

A sigh escaped my lips.

"Celine! Damn it......!"

"Oh, an opening, an opening. Is it alright for you to be distracted?"

Bang, the whip of black flames struck the ground, causing an explosion.

Despite being flames, they seemed to possess physical force.

I repeatedly swung my hatchet, cutting through the flames that flicked like a snake's tongue. Yet, the end was nowhere in sight.

Even for a Dark Priest wielding the power of the Evil God, there had to be limits.

I had been waiting for that moment, but the capabilities of the test subjects exceeded my expectations.

Eventually, the time for me to make a decision arrived.

As I gritted my teeth and glared at Mitram, she asked with a smile resembling Ria's.

"Aren't you curious? How I acquired this body......"

"What, did you kidnap her?"

Thwack, the flame whip entangled with the hatchet was severed and fell to the ground.

The writhing flames eventually died down, leaving only smoldering weeds.

Unlike me, who was starting to breathe heavily from the injuries, Mitram kept talking to me with an easy demeanour.

"Of course not. The Dark Order always values choice and compensation. When someone makes a choice, the Dark Order simply pays the compensation and takes whatever is due to them."

"Anyway, huff… it's just a cloned body!"

I threw my hatchet at that moment.

It was a decisive strike, but Mitram just tilted her head with a look of disdain and dodged it.

I didn't expect Mitram to be hit anyway.

I simply leapt, catching the thrown hatchet back in my hand.

The hatchet traced its path back into my grasp.

Now, I had a sword in one hand and a hatchet in the other.

There couldn't have been better conditions to fend off those flame whips.

"Kyahahat! Nonsense! Even clones need an original. And without prolonged, consistent research, cloning is impossible... That's why mass production is difficult!"

"What kind of, huff... bullshit. Ria is at our house, you bastard!"

With a cry that bordered on desperation, my sword and hatchet split the whip of flames into three.

The intensity of the burning flames subsided. I seized the gap and charged in.

It was the first time in a long while that Mitram entered my range of attack.

Yet, even then, Mitram did not shed her madness-laced smile.

"Pfft... T-That's what makes it fun! Ah, such a tragic fate?"

With a swift motion, I hooked my sword onto Mitram's crossed arms and pulled, forcing them apart.

Finally, Mitram's guard was open. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Realising this, the girl smiled at me, whispering in a voice familiar to me.

"....Oppa, are you going to kill me?"

The intent behind her words was clear.

So, I smiled back lightly.

"Yeah."

Phakk. The hatchet crashed down, shattering Mitram's skull.