Chapter 12 : Goodbye

Mary, a trained assassin, froze the moment Via’s voice rang out. Her limbs stiffened as if an invisible hand gripped her heart.

This feeling…

Pressure?

Her hands trembled slightly; liquid slid down her cheeks.

“…Sweat?”

After a brief hesitation, rustling raindrops fell from the sky, pattering on her face.

She looked up—rain curtain cloaking the world.

“No, it’s rain.”

The cold snapped her back to calm.

A target like this—how could it make her sweat?

“Via, no matter how you bluff, it’s useless. As a stain, you must vanish.”

Mary habitually flung her dagger.

Via flipped the bloodied blade, flicked her wrist, and deflected the incoming arc.

“How can you react that fast?”

Mary was baffled.

Luck?

“Find it unbelievable? So do I.”

Via’s mind was chaotic.

Near-death crisis had restored past-life memories.

The terror-inspiring Demon King, humanity’s nightmare—reborn as a human girl?

Pink-haired, no less!

She had cursed Serena to hell together—yet this felt more like hell.

Of course, she had a million complaints, but first—deal with the enemy.

“Now…”

Via narrowed her eyes.

Low innate mana, plus exhaustion—she had little left.

Current strength: Iron rank.

Mary, hiding power: Silver rank.

Iron vs. Silver—no winning odds.

“Fireball!”

Via knew Mary wouldn’t stand still; she cast basic Fireball first.

“Pathetic Fireball!”

Mary slashed, cleaving the seemingly harmless orb.

It exploded on split, gust forcing her back.

“What?”

Mary braced the fiery wind, staggering several steps.

Her arms burned—scorched by the blast.

Via’s mana control was like a different person.

Weirder by the second.

She looked up—Via vanished.

“Used Fireball to distract me.”

Mary stopped toying; must end Via fast to avoid surprises.

“You can’t escape.”

“Huff… huff…”

Via braced her knees, gasping.

“Should’ve exercised instead of library… stamina gone…”

She looked down—blood from her hand stained stockings, pooling on ground.

An assassin would track blood.

Rain and fog should mask for a while—buy time.

She reached her goal.

Before the pink-haired girl lay Hank’s corpse, gnawed by the lizard.

“Good, still here.”

Via regulated breathing, reached for Hank’s body.

Swish swish swish—

Five flying blades cut through rain-fog curtain, viper-like, lunging at fragile Via.

She stepped back to dodge.

But trajectories shifted—like real snakes—still targeting vitals.

“Magic Shield.”

Via whispered, draining all mana for the shield.

Clang!

Shield dimmed, vanishing after blocking Mary’s assault.

“You cast Magic Shield that fast? Since when a combat mage?”

Mary flexed fingers, recalling blades.

Her assassination art: Serpent Swarm.

Controlled via threads, unpredictable strikes to bite foes.

No matter—Via’s mana depleted, no spells or arts, stamina gone, pendant protection lost—death certain.

“Time to die.”

“Heh.”

Via smirked, stuffing something from Hank’s corpse into her mouth—swallowing.

“…You insane?!”

Mary gawked.

The pink-hair swallowed a beast core raw!

Unprocessed cores’ unstable mana would explode inside.

Suicide?

“Urgh…”

Via frowned.

Core mana rampaged, threatening to burst her.

Ten seconds—she’d balloon and shred.

Only extreme way for quick power.

“Settle… down…!”

Past-life Demon King treated cores like snacks.

Via guided mana via old paths.

“Bad!”

Mary sensed wrongness.

Over ten seconds—no explosion. She infused purple mana into blades, unleashing finisher.

“Serpent Devour!”

“Magic Bullet Load—”

Facing lethal swarm, Via raised right hand, aimed forward, left bracing wrist—like a potent launcher.

Core’s chaos gathered at fingertip—thumbnail-sized black orb.

Tiny sphere absorbed surrounding light, darkening space.

“Fire!”

BZZZ—

Deafening boom; bullet upheaved earth skyward, carving massive rain-channel, crushing purple serpents, slamming Mary.

“AAAAH!!”

Mary took direct hit—blood sprayed, uniform burned by mana, body hurled far, crashing; leg bones shattered.

Pushed this far by Via.

“I’ll kill you!!”

Furious Mary dragged injured body, trying to rise.

Limited mobility, but attacks possible.

“Look behind you.” Via reminded.

Huge shadow loomed over Mary’s broken form.

She turned—pupils quaked, lungs emptied.

The—

Giant Horn Lizard.

Eyes back to Via—she understood.

Via came not just for mana—but to lure the beast with blood scent.

“Mary, taste your own ‘accident’.”

Via waved cheerfully at her roommate.

“Bye~”

“Lady Sylvia… ah… I…”

“ROAR—!!”

The lizard’s bellow drowned Mary’s terror, swallowing all in the rain.