Chapter 11 : The Frenzied Assassin

“Peh.”

Mary spat out Via’s blood, her face twisted in disgust.

“Clearly Lady Sylvia’s bloodline, yet it reeks of incompetence and cowardice.”

“Mary, why are you doing this…?”

Via hugged her leg, trembling; crystalline tears overflowed from her eyes like a rabbit battered by storm.

Her pitiful appearance only irritated Mary more.

“Via, your existence is an eyesore. Someone needs you gone from this world.”

“You’re here to eliminate me?”

Via’s mind flashed to the banquet nobles’ words.

To preserve the Holy Land’s purity, many wished her vanished.

Perhaps long ago, someone arranged Mary as an assassin at Avalon, lying in wait.

Today, the “accident” everyone welcomed finally arrived.

“I won’t tell you which faction I serve,” Mary said coldly. “Know only that you die today.”

“So all your kindness was fake…”

Via was devastated.

“What else? You think anyone in this world would look at you straight? Just seeing you smile at me made me want to vomit!”

Mary slashed with the dagger.

“Wah… ah…!”

Via felt her arm chill; blood gushed.

“So weak.” Mary mocked.

“You… liar…”

Via despaired.

Teleport crystals useless, her combat useless against Mary.

As Mary said—death certain.

“One thing I didn’t lie about: I did meet Lady Sylvia. She encouraged me. Back then, filthy as I was, she approached, gave sincere blessings, gave me reason to live, claw my way here.”

Mary spread her arms.

Her eyes surged with twisted fanaticism, face sick with worship for Sylvia and hatred for Via.

“She was perfection, light of salvation! Yet you, inheriting her blood, are this unworthy. A defective like you breathing denies Lady Sylvia’s flawlessness!”

“Ah…”

Via froze, mouth agape, speechless.

“Come on—if you want to prove yourself, use sacred arts to heal! Prove it!”

Mary grabbed Via’s pink hair, whispering pressure in her ear.

“Move, or bleed out.”

“…”

Via closed her eyes in pain.

Daughter of Sylvia, yet powerless.

“As expected.”

Mary released Via’s hair in disappointment.

Raised the dagger, tip aimed at Via’s heart.

“Fate’s favor—getting to assassinate, personally purge… heh heh, the stain on Lady Sylvia—vanish from this world!”

Mary’s blade sliced air, descending on Via.

At the critical moment, Via’s saintess pendant glowed.

Sacred light formed a barrier, blocking the fatal strike, repelling Mary.

“Sacred art?” Mary couldn’t believe it.

She knew this aura.

Sylvia’s.

“This is…?!”

Via’s wounds slowly healed under the light.

The warmth felt nostalgic—like childhood, playing with Sophie in flower fields beside Mother.

Mother had given them matching pendants then.

“Mom!”

Via was thrilled—her deceased mother protected her.

She remembered Sophie, waiting.

She couldn’t die—must live!

She scrambled up, sprinting back.

“Lady Sylvia’s relic—why protect this stain!”

Mary clutched her hair, voice hysterical with jealousy.

She screamed.

“Die!”

Clang clang clang!

Mary tried approaching, but the barrier repelled her.

She attacked ferociously like a rabid beast.

Though blocked, the pendant’s light visibly dimmed.

Via realized it could block one key strike, but energy waned.

Once depleted—death.

*

The cruel hunt continued in this unknown area.

“You can’t escape!”

After chasing, Mary noticed the pendant’s flaw. She infused mana into the dagger, activating runes; blade glowed purple, enchanted, thrown with force.

“Snake Bite!”

The dagger became a purple viper, striking the barrier.

Crack!

A faint shatter chilled Via’s heart.

Prolonged fleeing exhausted her.

The next strike unbalanced her; her petite body flew, rolling down the slope.

Thud thud thud—

Via’s head struck rocks; consciousness blurred, past fragments flooding like a breached dam.

Demon boy and human girl clashing weapons.

Black and white blades intertwined.

Demon King’s castle collapsing.

Boy and girl roaring each other’s names.

Snap.

Via stopped rolling, half-open eyes feeling cold river water on her cheeks.

“Now, how will you escape?”

Mary grinned at Via in the stream.

“I…”

Via heard Mary’s approaching steps.

She propped her arms, rising slowly; her blood fell into the water.

The surface turned crimson, reflecting the demon boy again.

“Go to hell.” Mary threw the dagger, sentencing Via coldly.

“—!”

Hearing those words, Via’s pupils contracted; thunder exploded in her world, dispelling all heart-fog.

Time seemed to slow.

The black-haired demon in her eyes faded; when the water reflection reformed, it was the pink-haired human girl.

The dream-blurred name became crystal clear.

She raised her hand, impossibly fast, catching the incoming weapon.

“What?” Mary was stunned, thinking she saw wrong.

“Heh heh heh, hm hm hm, HAHAHA—!”

Via covered her cheeks, laughing loudly.

She finally knew.

The demon boy she saw wasn’t another—it was her past, the Demon King humanity feared.

She ignored the pain, gripping the sharp blade, standing slowly, blood flowing, staring at Mary.

Thunder cracked, illuminating the gray sky.

“World, are you ready for my return?”