Chapter 75: Evergarde Terror

“…….”

Outside, Silverna waited, quietly watching Isaac as he emerged.

‘I wanted to greet him with a smile.’

They had just been training, eating, and joking around together.

Even though they’d only been apart for ten minutes at most, something about his expression had changed; a hint of complexity clouded his face.

‘What am I supposed to say in moments like this?’

If Anna, her second-in-command, were here, what would she have done?

Were there guidelines for this sort of situation in those romance novels she was always reading?

Pretending not to notice her own frustration, Silverna waved her hand.

All she could do was act as if nothing had changed and treat him as usual.

“Hey, you’re back?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go get something tasty. I found a really good spot nearby.”

Acting like nothing had happened.

Acting unbothered.

Silverna only offered a faint smile and made the suggestion.

But Isaac shook his head.

“I doubt we’ll have that luxury.”

“Huh?”

As if on cue, a rough, growling cry echoed from somewhere.

It sounded both human and beast-like, and at first, it was hard to tell where it was coming from.

“Yaaaaahhhh!”

When it roared again, they realized it was coming from underground—a kind of howl reverberating from the sewers.

They also noticed that it was erupting from the sewer grate below.

“Wait a minute, don’t tell me…”

As Silverna hastily unshouldered her spear, Isaac quickly retrieved the sword he had left behind.

Kwaaang!

The sewer lid shot up into the air, and something bizarre—an amalgamation of flesh—burst out.

If you had to describe it: lumps of flesh, grotesquely fused together, encased in a crimson aura.

Thud!

As soon as five fingers sprouted from within that mass of flesh and hit the ground, they realized too late it was someone’s arm.

Creak-Creak!

Cracks spread around the sewer opening. Then the ground shattered and water spray erupted—along with a towering figure.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!”

It was Alois, his severed right arm mutated into a grotesque, massive form.

“What the hell—?!”

“I didn’t think it would go this far.”

They had expected betrayal, but not that Alois would transform to this extent.

This was more than simply becoming a thrall; it was something else entirely.

The ritual of the Transcendents had twisted Alois into a beast that could hardly be called human.

“Iiiiiiisaaaaaaaaaac!”

His blood-red eyes clearly fixed on his sworn enemy.

“Kyahhhhh!”

“What…what is that?!”

“A monster! Call the guards! Hurry!”

Alois wasn’t the only one who appeared.

Monsters of a similar kind surged up through the massive hole he had opened into the sewers.

Judging by the bits of armor and helmets stuck between the lumps of flesh, it seemed they were once the prison guards.

Unlike Alois, they scattered through the city like dandelion seeds.

Silverna widened her eyes and flinched as if to chase after them, but—

Tap.

Isaac patted her on the back and nodded.

“Go.”

“…Don’t lose.”

Trusting him, Silverna immediately took off after the scattering monsters.

Alois, meanwhile, paid her no heed.

“To think you’d end up this broken.”

Isaac deliberately didn’t draw his blade, simply resting his hand atop its hilt.

A vicious, rampant energy swirled around Alois like tentacles, lashing out in every direction.

It didn’t look like he was controlling every tendril consciously, but he slobbered and let out a nasty laugh.

“I’ll snap your lower half and crush it with my teeth! Where is my Noona? You filthy wretch! I’ll lick that pale skin of hers, chew it, violate it, eat it—!”

“Cutting out your tongue seems like the first step.”

It seemed that whatever was in Alois’s head was pouring out of his mouth without restraint, much like the mindless frenzy of a thrall.

He continued to spew vile words that were hard to even repeat.

Suddenly, he lashed out with that monstrous right arm, trying to flatten Isaac entirely.

Boooow!

A resounding, heavy gust cleaved the air.

It was as if a bucket of blood had been dumped on the ground, staining it red.

In that instant, Alois’s prized right arm was severed clean and thudded to the floor.

Standing in front of Isaac was Rihanna, who had already drawn her greatsword.

She must have sensed the commotion from outside while meeting with the princess at the church and rushed out.

“Ah! Aaaaah! Noona!”

“…Alois?”

Rihanna’s brow furrowed.

Her eyes were red, likely from crying just moments before.

Yet there was no wavering in her sword arm.

She’d regained her composure at some point, but seeing her broken brother left her momentarily stunned.

“It’s really…you…?”

“Aah! Noona! You recognize me! Of course, we share the same blood! Ahh, Noona! My beloved Noona! I want to lick your fair, white skin! Devour your lips! Chew on your tongue—!”

“…….”

Rihanna’s expression hardened even more.

Standing at her side, Isaac offered a quiet explanation.

“His thoughts are just spilling out, no filter. It’s like his tongue has a hole in it.”

“You mean…he wants to do that to me because his mind’s been polluted, or…?”

“…….”

“So he was thinking this way all along?”

“Probably.”

When he shrugged, Rihanna’s expression darkened, and her grip on the greatsword tightened.

“Aah! Noona! Even your anger is so beautiful! I want to see it! You, crying! Begging me for mercy—!”

“…….”

“That bastard dog was the only one who saw it—! Gahhhh! Dammit! I can’t stand it any longer!”

Rihanna’s face turned ashen, as if she couldn’t believe this was truly her brother.

“Your wedding night! Argh! That night when you first shed maiden’s blood! Do you know how much I suffered?! I did nothing but hurt myself, again and again and again! I was about to storm your bedroom with my greatsword—!”

Thud!

Rihanna’s raging red aura pierced straight through Alois. Her expression said she had no need to listen any further.

“I won’t let Helmut wound Isaac anymore.”

Those words carried Rihanna’s determination, yet her gaze trembled slightly.

“Mother… Mother should have just killed that brat. Should’ve just killed him instead of using him for blackmail— Huff?! What is—?! Aah! This is… the taste of my sister!”

Incredibly, Alois began to absorb Rihanna’s aura, causing his own crimson aura to grow larger and more powerful.

On top of that, his severed parts were regenerating to their original form.

“Looks like our aura attacks won’t work,” Isaac said, taking a step forward. Rihanna nodded in agreement.

“Noonaaaaa! Don’t stand beside that scum!”

“Just shut up, Alois.”

****

Amid the violent noises of destruction and people’s screams, Rizel—the Transcendent responsible for this Evergarde terror incident—let out a twisted smile.

From atop a tall building, she watched the humans dying and panicking below.

“Ah, how sweet.”

She gulped down mouthfuls of stolen wine, grinning brightly.

The red liquid trickling down her lips was so sweet, it was almost like human blood, leaving her feeling intoxicated.

“They never considered life under this sky a blessing, just assumed each day was guaranteed.”

Like a conductor with an orchestra, Rizel flicked her wine bottle around, savoring the moment.

“Fools. They take peace so lightly, act as though the sky over this land is theirs by right. This downfall, this end of yours—!”

“Ahem, sorry?”

Rizel slowly turned her gaze.

Standing at the rooftop entrance was a girl with twin pigtails—Sharen Helmut.

Shouldering a greatsword, she shrugged a little sheepishly as she cut Rizel off.

“You seemed to be enjoying your monologue, so I was trying to wait for you to finish.”

“But there was no sign you’d wrap it up anytime soon, so I just jumped in. Don’t feel embarrassed—talking to yourself a lot isn’t a bad thing.”

“It’s just… well, it kinda makes you look like you have no friends? Something like that.”

Clank!

As Sharen squared her stance, a vivid crimson-pink aura flowed from her greatsword.

“How’d you get up here?” Rizel asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice. Sharen flashed a bright grin as though she’d been waiting for that question.

“Isaac told me to keep an eye on Alois. So I stood guard as best I could…and then I picked up on your presence.”

“Helmut…”

Yes, the Helmuts—always sharp, almost on par with Transcendents in their senses.

Rizel tilted her head slightly.

Now it made sense why fewer monsters seemed to be rampaging through the city than expected.

“Lohengrin is holding them back. That idiot can at least handle sealing off a prison.”

“You’re responding… faster than I thought.”

“Right? It even surprised me. Isaac apparently gave Lohengrin a separate warning, telling him, ‘Stay sharp just for today.’”

“Again… Isaac, huh.”

The North, the Sword Festival, Blackthorn, and now Evergarde…

That man always seemed one step ahead of them.

Not necessarily the strongest in terms of raw power, but at every moment, he twisted the tide against them.

‘We can’t just leave him alone.’

With a sigh, Rizel extended her tail in a long sweep.

Her nails sharpened on both hands.

Sharen gripped her greatsword confidently.

“You should trim those nails. Think you can win like that?”

“…….”

This was Helmut, after all.

Despite her youth, Sharen was already a formidable swordswoman, while Rizel was hardly a dedicated combatant.

If they fought, Rizel would likely lose.

“Know what?” Rizel decided to try a different tactic.

“Hah! Stalling for time? Sorry, but we can talk after I knock you out—!”

“All of this—! It’s just misdirection.”

“…What?”

Sharen hesitated for a second.

That was the moment Rizel had been waiting for. She pushed off the ground with her tail like a spring and lunged forward.

Yet—

Thud!

Her attack was easily blocked by Sharen’s greatsword.

“Our real target—”

Taking advantage of the close distance, Rizel leaned in with a grin and whispered,

“Is your father.”

– – The End of The Chapter – –

 

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