Chapter 113: The Fated Battle (Part 1)

Description

Even though the shadows covering the entire festival venue blocked out the sun, the people on the martial arts arena could still see clearly.

Milin could still see the people she needed to save and the enemy she had to defeat.

Moreover, the shadows gave her a strange feeling… as if she were soaking in warm water.

Facing Luc, who was clad in pitch-black armor, Milin began to increase her Magic Power to construct a Mana Barrier.

She suddenly realized her Mana Soul Hue was much stronger than before… a dazzling red surrounded her like a blazing fire.

“Then, please begin. I will not disturb you until a winner is decided.”

The Shadow Demon Lord bowed elegantly to the two facing each other and then sank into the shadows beneath his feet.

Looking at his movements, Milin felt a sudden sense of familiarity… as if she had known this person for years.

‘How is that possible?’

She shook her head, shaking off the nonsensical thought.

She had only one task — to defeat the woman before her, avenge Brother Bert and the injured and dead in the plaza, and rescue Mother and the others.

She clenched her fists so hard her fingernails dug deep into her palms.

She glared at Luc with total focus, but the other woman spoke first.

“You can rest easy. The only one I intend to kill is you — only you, the Hero’s Daughter. I will not lay a hand on your mother or your people as the Magus suggested.”

“Haha… what kind of crazy talk is that? Didn’t you just say you were going to avenge your father and mother?”

“I never met my father. I only follow the orders of my Mother — Her Royal Highness the Regent. She wants me to kill you in front of your mother. To avenge her.”

Milin laughed in anger. She looked into Luc’s eyes and spoke with extreme sarcasm, “Looking at the style of that armor… you don’t actually think you’re a knight, do you?”

“It’s not a ‘thought.’ I am the Regent’s knight, and I will faithfully carry out all her instructions. She ordered me to kill you with my own hands… only you.”

“Then you’re saying you won’t hurt my mother or my people to show off your ‘knightly grace’?”

“I wouldn’t call it that… but it is indeed something similar to ‘knightly grace.’ In this battle, only your life and mine are at stake. That’s also why the Magus didn’t intervene — “

“Stop talking nonsense!” Milin interrupted with a roar. “A mere puppet using someone else’s authority… talking about ‘knightly grace’? Can’t you see how hideous the expression on your face is right now? Look in a mirror!”

Milin chanted an incantation — she summoned a massive block of ice and hurled it at Luc.

Luc jumped back in surprise… only to realize that even if she had stood still, the ice wouldn’t have hit her.

She found that the block of ice could indeed serve as a mirror, so she looked at her own face reflected in it — there was nothing but deep-seated anger, jealousy, and disgust.

That expression was so distorted… it was as if she hardly recognized herself.

“You say your target is only me, so why did you blow up the Mansion and put so many people in the Grand Hall Plaza in danger? There were members of the Demon Race in the plaza too… aren’t they your kin?!”

Milin’s words stung Luc’s heart. She remembered what Vlad had said when he suggested blowing up the Magic Stone Base Station on the day of the Flower Crown Parade.

Yes, weren’t the Demon Race in the plaza also her kin?

And back then… how did Vlad convince her to accept his plan?

And later, when he sent a familiar to say the target had changed to the Mansion… why had she accepted it without any objection?

“Those… those who mingle with you humans do not deserve to be our kin…”

She subconsciously repeated Vlad’s words… but the wavering in her eyes did not escape Milin.

“I see… so that’s also something someone else told you? You poor, pathetic puppet without a single thought of your own.”

Milin’s words held only mockery, no sympathy. She stared at Luc with a similar gaze and expression.

“Then as the Miss you have designated as the enemy you must kill with your own hands, I’ll tell you something: stop being a hypocrite. From the first moment you saw me… you tried your best to mock and anger me.”

“You hate me, don’t you? You loathe me, you hate me… to the point where you feel you must kill me. That’s why your hatred spilled over onto Brother Bert, who only wanted to fight you fairly, and you struck him with such a despicable, heavy hand!”

Milin’s fiery rebukes made Luc’s armor rattle.

She held her buzzing head, trying to cast out the hideous emotions that were eroding her consciousness —

‘I am doing this for Mother.’

‘If it weren’t for the Demon King… if it weren’t for Father’s death causing her so much pain, I wouldn’t be here… I wouldn’t be doing these things… I shouldn’t even be alive.’

“How could a child of mine and my brother… be something like you?”

She could no longer remember things from further back. But she remembered the first words her mother had said to her very clearly. At that time, she didn’t think her mother hated her… because she was holding her.

That was her only and entire reason for living.

“What are you struggling for? Isn’t it good to have your own emotions? You want to kill me because of those feelings… and I feel the same! I’m so sick of you that I want to kill you too!”

Those words made Luc’s trembling stop.

She watched Milin sprint toward her and throw a punch into the armor on her chest.

She saw that the eyes of the girl, who was about the same age as her, held clear anger and pure killing intent.

The flames erupting from the fist scorched her hair and shattered her armor… she stumbled backward.

She faltered, trying to steady herself, but Milin didn’t give her a chance to regroup.

With the impact of a fiery roundhouse kick, the armor on her abdomen shattered.

The massive force sent her flying out of the arena, slamming straight into the wall of the Shadow Dome.

She felt as if she had hit a wall of steel, and her internal organs jolted violently… a mouthful of blood sprayed out.

She slid down the shadows at the edge of the festival venue like a banner with its cords cut.

“This is for Brother Bert.”

She had no chance to stand up because Milin chased after her like a fiery meteor and pinned her down.

Then, her abdomen took a heavy punch… a violent sensation, as if her intestines were about to be vomited out, filled her mind.

“And this is for the first person in the plaza!”

She saw Milin’s fist flying toward her face… her life being threatened made her instinctively activate her magic, and her visor covered her cheeks.

But the force was still so great that her neck and head were twisted to the side.

“You can’t even stand up? Next up are seventy-four more people and over 500 injured ones. If you die from just this much… it will be quite a problem for me.”

Through the gradually cracking visor, Luc saw the girl before her wearing a terrifying smile.