41 「Elimination Round」 (2/2)

The people who were already afraid for their lives froze as they quite literally found themselves in the center of a dome, surrounded by water. And it wasn't just any kind of water. It wasn't necessarily being controlled by anyone.

Moving about above them was a Primal Water Elemental. It was a level Eighty-Seven monster capable of manipulating water. They could see the bodies shifting and turning, only to drop from above and splatter on the floor on either side of the table. How it had gotten inside, he didn't know. Yet he could definitely understand its intent was to kill everyone in the room should they try to leave, or otherwise be standing. At least that is what he believed until a tendril of high pressure water left the ceiling above, revealing a massive humanoid shaped current within the water.

The tendril came rushing towards Cocco who stood up and attempted to run away, only for the water to violently drill through his back and exit through the front of his chest. His ribs burst open and his internal organs sprayed out along the floor like a pinata.

The Smuggling Chief slowly raised from the table and stepped back. His chair screeching as it was pushed across the ground by the movement.

The head of the monster turned its attention towards him.

”Shit...” In a split second a thin blade of water passed through the lower area of his neck. A mist of blood following afterward before his head rolled right off his shoulders cleanly.

”WHO ARE YOU!?” The Leader of the Eight Fingers screamed out as he threw his gilded dark wood velveted purple chair to the side.

Count Iselk frowned as he remained seated as he turned to look towards the door. It was too far away for him to reach and he was absolutely sure he wouldn't make it even if he tried. So should he patiently wait for death, or charge straight into it willy nilly?

Lubelina was the third in command of the group and was just staring at the Leader. If he were to die, she would be in command. Yet, that would be entirely short lived.

The androgynous beauty didn't want to die just yet. As she leaned back in her chair and stared up at the water as it wordlessly continued to move about above them. She continued to blow bubbles from her saliva casually. While it was nice to watch people suffering, all she saw here was death and it was… Quite annoying and boring.

”There are three of you remaining,” a voice suddenly spoke up clear as day. It was an unknown's voice, none of them seemed to recognize it.

”And none of you are getting out alive, isn't that right, King Jack?” Now that was a familiar voice, the cute and tame voice of that of the princess. Yet there was a strange sense of joy in their torment and last minutes of life.

'Isn't this overkill?” Ninya asked as she scratched the side of her head.

Their three figures could be seen standing within the doorway of the exit. The light had returned.

”Overkill is worth it sometimes, especially should it mutilate and disfigure the bodies. No one will ever know who they were, but they will know what they've done. As your army burns their fields, eliminates their contractors and removes them from the history of the Kingdom… They will leave nothing behind for any potential successor.. Not even a legacy.”

”You Bitch!” The Leader slammed his fist on the table.

”Now that's not very nice,” Jack uttered as he snapped his fingers. A single large tendril of spiraling water pierced the man in the back and lifted him gasping from the ground.

”My Princess, wait!” The Count moved to the edge of the shadows, bowing down on his hands and knees. His forehead pressed deeply into the ground. ”If I didn't stay amongst these fools, they would've found a replacement. I was being the greater of the tw--” Like a guillotine, the water decapitated him mid-sentence as he was trying to plea for his life. It was abrupt, without care.

Ninya winced seeing this and rubbed her own neck while looking to Jack who had closed his eyes for a short time before opening them again.

His eyes rested on the Androgynous woman dressed in men's clothing. She was looking straight through the water at him. The killing intent was clear from her, but it was far too weak to potentially reach him. She was useless even though she reeked of many deaths.

”You're not going to stand?”

”What's the point?”

”Most people wish to die on their feet.”

”I've been dead for a long time,” Lubelina laughed aloud, shamelessly. ”You're just out of my reach to kill. Far… Far too out of my reach.” She gestured with both hands at the water which surrounded her. She knew she was out matched. She couldn't charge him and she definitely couldn't fight someone who could summon such ab east in the first place. It was quite clear that this was supposed to be a massacre and not a battle. Even though she had a magically enchanted rapier, there was no way she would hold much of a candle next to this man. A man who was called King by the Princess.

”Tell me, what happened to the Crowned Prince, the old Man and his son?”

”The Crowned Prince is dead, the Old Man abdicated the Throne… And the second Prince ran away,” Jack recited as he looked around the room. Then towards the woman once more as she rested her feet up on the table.

Lubelina has for a long time, been broken. The only thing that made her look alive compared to other humans was that kind smile that was always on her face. And the fetish of making or watching people suffer which turned her on so.

”Wait are you wai--”

BANG.

Lubelina blinked a few times from the sound of what reminded her of a blackpowder explosive. She glanced down towards her abdomen area which was beginning to swell with red liquid staining her shirt from the inside. Pain began to ping throughout her body, starting like pins and needles before becoming sharp and volatile.

Slowly she glanced back over towards those who were in the doorway, separated from her by water.

Standing in the doorway with a smoking object pointed directly at her was none other than the Princess. Dressed in a light blue dress which matched her eyes and gave contrast to her golden hair.

”Eh?” The Third in Command blinked a few times in shock with what just happened. ”What is tha--”

BANG.

Through the back of her throat and the back of her head, a bullet flew. The woman dressed as a man dropped to the ground, dead as a doornail as Jack began to recall the Primal Water Elemental.

The Eight Fingers had been eliminated...