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

Chapter 251: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (44)Only after the cease of lightning did the world finally quieten down a bit.

Panting, I collapsed to the side after being shoved away by Mitram. The dagger she stabbed me with had a swirling dark red aura.

It must have been the power of the Evil God.

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 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.