Chapter 54 (1/2)
The sht with the purpose of eli a threatLiliana Zandark, one of the people responsible for the cohout the imperial capital, received information froe”
She gathers ical power to create a domain of darkness that confuses everyone trapped within it as she leaps froins to question herselfA used to it?
She pretends to ignore the uneasiness taking root deep within her heart as she lands on the shadow cast by the fullon the shadow, or is the shadow landing on me?
Casting powerful ic sometimes makes her lose her sense of selfShe looks down as she says, ”Which one's the real h darkness?Or the one being shi+ned on by the moon?”
The uneven roof distorts her shadowWhat kind of shadow is this?Why is it giving me such a malicious smile?She knows it's only an illusion, but even so, her heart won't calm down
She's on her own tonightThe tall shadow isn't there to whisper their objective into her earHe's attending to otheralone isn't rare
The absence of his support doesn't worry herShe has experienced live combat in several of the Empire's military operationsHer current et is no one worth worrying over eitherFurthermore, neither the military police nor the Yuusha have been able to track her
Only one person, Suii, makes her nervousShe isn't sure how to respond if he appears againNorainst him
Liliana stops as she ree, she caiThen, in a love slipped down her areneration wrought fro this?Does he think I'm a monster, too?
Other than Rouge, he's the first person not afraid to talk to meHe's the first person I've ever spoken with that much
Liliana undoes her eye patch as she descends frolassHer left eye isn't huolden eye lies underneath the black scale covered eyelidAt the orb's center is a thin slit
The eye of a monsterEveryone who sees it hates herHer real parents were no exceptionWould Sui this?He's different froet swept up by the frantic crowds
Liliana's first impression of Suimei was that he's obstinateNow, she sees hientle smileShe hopes he'll continue to smile at her the next time they meet, that they can keep their current relationshi+pSo please give up searching for the cri for me
He's searching for her in order to protect those iht, his match will end neither in victory nor defeatTherefore, she prays he won't appear before her today
”Nyaa”
”…”She returns her to her sensesHearing that cry was like having cold water dumped over her
Another cat, perched atop of a ith its tail coiled around its self, watches herShe's been seeing this scene more often as of lateSotheir criesWhile entertaining such a though,
”Eh—?”
She's surroundedCountless eyes are staring at herNo lint of a cat's eyesCat, cat, catThey're on top of the walls, in the shadows cast by the buildings, on the roof tops, on tree branches, on the brick pave her
When did they get here?Where did they come from?I'm clocked in darkness, how did they findon?
”Nyaa” ”Nyaa” ”Nyaa” ”Nyaa” ”Nyaa” ”Nyaa” ”Nyaa” ”Nyaa”Golden eyes floating within the darkness pressure her with their eerie criesThen, they stop
The first cat she spotted on top of the wall opens itscoCats sometimes preform that silent action, but Liliana feels like she can hear it
”—Impossible!”
She rei first confronted herShe had been spied upon by several cats that day as wellHe then showed up afterwards
Suii had some cats with him today, tooThe cats of the Imperial Capital aren't so docile that they'll allow someone to carry the theIs that the answer?…Just what kind of trick did he use to recruit the him?
She can't figure out what he didThen again, SuiNot knowing is only natural
—The people here, they always deny the mysteries that unveil before their eyesThe e's Guild always say, ”That's iave her is the correct oneThat phrase is nothing but a shackle for those who pursue ic
In that case, if these cats are using their silent wail to report their location like before—
The cats turn and leaveLiliana raises her head to see a silhouette stepping forth from the darknessThe darkness that person is clad in burns a deep purple afteri hie run far deeper than anyone else's—
The silhouette— Suii steps forthHis voice doesn't carry its usual warmthInstead, pity blends into his expression and tone as he says, ”So, we ain”
Liliana's voice leaks out, ”Ahh—”
In the end, he didn't give upHer warning was lacking, but stillShe told hierousThat next tiive you more than a few injuries
”Sorry, I'ive me”
”—!?”Hearing the word ”warning”her mind
Then, just as the shock in Liliana's heart begins to settle, Suiht?”
Why does he know that?She didn't do anything that would reveal herself, yet no doubt exists within his stareHis eyes tell her that he won't back down fronorance is pointless
”—How did, you find out?”
His answer is direct and without hesitation”One way or another”Sui this?Even if you're a special officer of the intelligence division, there's no way this is part of your duties, right?”
”I don't need to explainthis, who I am; that's none of your businessIf you really, want to know no ical power to cover her surroundingsThe walls and brick pave eaten by acid
She's preparing for war and he understand it
”I'll have to force it out of you, huh?”
Sui the correct answerInstead, he says, ”Regardless, there's so I want to tell you”
”To quietly surrender?That what, I'?”
”No, I'ht or wrongI have no way to tell if the people you're attacking with your ic are the ones at fault, or if you yourself areSince I don't knohat's going on, I have no reason to stop you”
”Then—”
”Still, there is one thing I cannot accept and that's the ”
”My dark ic…?”
”That's right, LilianaDon't touch that ic anymore or it'll cost you your humanity”
”On what basis?”
”I've a couple reasonI'll tell you if you want to listen”
”There's no, need for you to, say anythingI will do, what I mustThat's why…”That is why— I'll defeat hi it's for the sake of protecting that personEven though ic?
”Tch,” Liliana's thoughts make her slip up on her chantThe question, ”Should I really be doing this?” runs circles in her mindYet, now that she's started, she can't stopShe'll continue to run down her path until someone stops her”—Darkness!Thou paint this world a fleeting twilight as thy fusion of sinister beauty slits destiny wherever it sproutsArgo, Lukla, Lagua, Skiot, Raphael, Babylon…”
She finishes by saying the key words, ”—Hope results in equal despair”[—Transient hope]
The surrounding evening's darkness and shadows gather around Suiht whether it be from lamps or the stars is stripped of color and sucked towards hi bubble and make it swell
The aps re out in frustration, he says, ”—Aski- Kataski- Haix- Tetrax- dahtThe sunlight returns truth to the despairing land…]
Moonlight is no longer able to penetrate into the bubbleIs it over?
That spell was one of Liliana'she could have done to protect himselfAfter all, he wasn't able to defend hiic last timeA body riddled in countless wounds will soon reveal itself once the dark bubble dissolvesIt will forever be wrapped in darknessTre will set in once the respiratory system shuts downs
Liliana reminds herself that there are no exceptions to ill happen while saying, ”………So stupid”
Is that to hihtThis isn't what she wanted, but he left her no choiceSurrendering isn't an optionTherefore, her only option is to remove her opponent's ability to ret
You wereblack bubble”So… stupid…”
Herand the darkness creating it disperses back into the surroundingsHowever, Suiround in the center of the bloo darkness
”Ah…”
—The first thing Liliana sees is a shi+ning htEtched within the beautiful circle are unknown patterns and lettersDid that circle protect its master from the darkness?A point above the circle is illule shadow remains there
What sounds like a pair of snapping fingers is followed by an explosion that bloay the re darkness
Sound soon returns to her frozen sense of tih keta keta as they roll across the groundColor returns to the grayed, red brick walls, scarlet hedges, and steel tipped silver gates
A crisp autuhborhood colares a crie—
”—That ainst me, dark witch (Left hand sorceress)”
–Cute Star ★ it's Been so Long, Cute Star ★–
Suimei wants to understand Liliana's motivation for two reason
…This evening marks the third time he's encountered the cri is differentFirst, he knows her real identitySecond, they are the only two present
He caher chance she'll run away if Felmenia and Lefille are also presentTherefore, he cairl abandoned by the oracle
He's here to ask her of her ic
Liliana voice leaks out, ”But, how…”
She's shocked at ic?
Suiraved upon the belt of the Ephesus , ”aski, kataski, lix, tetrax, daht, the Earth, the sun, and reality, he was able to obtain protection against evil power attacking froher dimensionThe spell itself is most effective when used underneath a full moon
No respectable ician would ever employ such a chant in a duel, but since Gods are existences built from substances similar to astral and etheric components, they can be utilized to protect the astral bodyTherefore, dark ic will not be able to harm him
Suihs as he says, ”The phrase 'dark eleanized your syste what that poas all the way to the grave”
Liliana, unable to accept his words, frowns by knitting her eyebroards each other”What, are you saying?The dark element, is a servant of the GoddessIt's a source of, power to us spellcasters”
”Nope, it's nothing like what you all think it isYou're allThat's why I can now protect myself from it”
”—TchDarkness!Thou flash across the sky like lightning!
”—Face the darkness, without looking back!”(Thrust of Darkness!)
Liliana casts a straight forward, yet fast ht to obscure the spell froht
Suimei adopts an air of coers while stepping towards her and the brick road explodes before her eyesShe stares wide eyed at the betrayal of her expectations
Sui with the first it hitthe astral body to that extent, after allThose can include the power of an evil God awoken through Goetia,[2] a devil's touch enacted through the suicide of a fanatic demon worshi+per, a true spell, a curse, or a spectral attackSpells built around hatred, resentment, and jealousy are some of the oldest developedThey're pretty si procedure, but, despite that, are also quite powerfulYou can find such ions”
”…How's that, related to the power I wield!”
”Don't you get it?Dark elees held by people become real curses with real consequences'The curses born froathered in the outer world”
The oldest types of curses are those born from the hatred of people, aniet no matter how far it tries to escape and will penetrate any defense erectedThe curse won't disappear until it harms its victim
The Castle Walls of Suimei's Golden Fortress were breached because they were only wallsThey were not barriers designed to protect his body froician's constitution protects hih powerful ones can overwhel, however, can protect hier the emotion, the worse the outcoic from the power of the mazoku
Liliana grows anxious and casts another spellSuiainst it and continues, ”NoricHatred and resentment often lead to ruin, after allWell, it's a different story if the wielder is well versed, but humans inherently aren't compatible with those emotionsThere is, however, one exception and that's people able to harmonize their hearts with resentment and hatredThis refers to you”
”Are you clai that I harbor such emotions?”
”Prettyabout your speech and conduct implies you do”
”That's-”
”Iulation of resentloveEach time you wield that power, it harmonizes with your body and transforoing to corrupt your body into soer humanIsn't that already the case hat's underneath your eyepatch?”
Liliana's hand flies up to her eyepatch
”That's rightThe ic you wield is a curse hu this fro already touched that accursed power, isn't this so you're already well aware of?”
”But I, I'ic, I'm…”
”Stop!That ic will destroy youIt still isn't too lateStop wielding darkIf you don't, then one day you'll transfor you're not!That's why-”
”That's why…”Just as Liliana allows herself to be convinced, the air behind her shi+mmers as it bursts with heatHer eyes widen as the malice within that outburst harmonizes with her heart”—Tch!So what!I already know that!Through this ic, I'll someday be sed by the darkness!But this shouldn't have anything to do with you!So hy are you bothering yourself over me!?”