18 Keep Watching from Below the Stage (2/2)

Taking advantage of a brief moment between Iris' attacks, it brandishes its left arm, forcing Iris to jump back.

Then.

It lifts its face towards the night sky and lets out a high-pitched roar.

Almost as if in the response, the empty, black sky begins to rain.

It starts off as a drizzle. Then gradually it grows heavier, causing white steam to raise up wherever the rainwater comes into contact with the monster's blood.

”Seems this is going to take a while...”

Iris gives up on a quick conclusion, and readjusts her stance while deciding on how to fight.

She does not think she will lose. In fact, up till this point, Iris has yet to feel even once the possibility of her losing.

However, this seems like it'll take quite some time.

Bringing her sword up, Iris once again dashes towards the monster.

But at that moment.

With a shrill sound, Iris finds her sword flying out of her hands.

It was because of a blow so heavy that even her hands have gone numb.

After a sideways glance at her beloved sword flying far away behind her, Iris glares at the sudden interloper.

The interloper also gives Iris a look.

Their eyes clash. It is the interloper who first breaks the silence.

”Why can't you see that she is just in pain? And that all you are doing is torturing her?”

It is a female wearing a jet black bodysuit. Her face is hidden, but her voice sounds young.

”Who are you?”

With her guard up all the way, Iris shifts herself so that she can see both the monster and the interloper at the same time.

”Alpha.”

After that single word, the female turns her back on Iris, as if having lost all interest in her.

”Wait a moment. What do you plan to do? If you are an enemy of the Knight Order, then we will show you no mer-...”

” 'Enemy'...?”

Alpha cuts off Iris' words and laughs without turning around.

It is a laugh full of ridicule.

” 'Enemy'... To think that the princess would be capable of such a joke. To mention the word despite not knowing anything... know your presumptiousness.”

”What did you say...!”

Iris' magic swells up. The almost explosive increases causes a wave that blows away even the rain and raises a wind.

But Alpha does not spare even a glance. She still has her back to Iris.

”The audience should just keeping watching from below the stage like the audience they are and not get in our way.”

Leaving behind only these words, she begins walking towards the monster.

There is no hostility in her back profile. It is clear that Iris is not even in her mind anymore.

” 'Audience'...”

Clenching her still numb fists, Iris can do nothing aside from silently glaring at that dismissive back.

”You poor thing. It must have hurt a lot, didn't it?”

Alpha continues walking towards the monster while talking to it.

”You no longer have to suffer. Neither do you have to be sad.”

Her jet black blade extends. To a length greater than's Alpha's own height.

”That's why, don't cry anymore, 'k?”

Then with the most natural of movements, she takes one more step forward, and the monster's body is bisected again.

No one could react.

Not Iris, not even the monster, could do anything before it was cut.

It was all too natural. There was no killing intent. The cut seemed to have simply manifested as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

The large body collapses. The rain comes into contact with its blood, raising a huge plume of white smoke. The body itself shrinks, until it reaches the size of a young girl. Then from its right hand, a short sword falls out.

It is a short sword inset with a red jewel.

'To My Beloved Daughter, Emilia'

That was carved into the handle.

”I pray... that you find peace in your next life.”

So saying, Alpha disappears into the white smoke.

Thunder roars in the distance.

Iris simply stands dumbstruck. The falling rain flows along over her hair and her face.

But her body is shivering.

Iris does not know the meaning of this shivering.

”Alexia...”

So whispers Iris. Her little sister is in the middle of this entire incident. Iris' intuition is telling her so.

”Alexia, please be safe...”

Coming back to her senses, Iris picks up her sword, then runs off.

The rain continues to fall heavily.