Esme’s hand left his finger, her figure approaching the battleship. With her hand stretching out and finally touching the metallic surface, she informed him, “Three years ago, I killed the Head of Devereaux-Blairs, with his battleship crashing in this place.”
‘?!’
“….but aren’t you an Adept ranked?” Ryuk inquired, his eyes observing the whole place, as very faint sounds were audible, while his mind tried to understand how she could have killed a Legendary ranker.
He may not judge someone based on ranks, but the difference between Phase I and Phase II was just unparalleled.
Let alone her rank, which fell into the middle of Phase I, added to her being an Imperfect—defeating someone of LEGENDARY Rank, even if they were Imperfect or not, was indigestible.
“Heh.” Esme’s hands halted on the metal exterior before her eyes widened, realizing how much she was underestimated.
“Do you really think I am this weak?”
‘….’ Ryuk’s eyes reflected Esme in front, while the voice came from behind, making him understand that now she was trying to prove her strength, which was appreciable but wasn’t enough of an answer for her ability to defeat such a ranker.
Turning his eyes behind to look at her, he stated, “I am still….”
“What happened? Complete your words.”
“Yes, yes, tell, tell.”
“You look good with that expression.”
Ryuk’s eyes reflected dozens of figures appearing identical to her, without anything to differentiate them as they looked back at him. The more surprising part was that this number was increasing, but still.
Did it matter how many heads there were when the sword in the hand of another was sharp enough to cut them all at once?
“So, you used the mind illusion of Blair.” There was only one conclusion—he had already seen her illusions strong enough to influence things for a certain time and even put someone to sleep or into a trance.
It could be possible that he was the only one on whom her ability didn’t work.
“Why are you so smart?” Esme’s illusions disappeared. Her intention was to tease him with her multiple clones and not tell him the way until he finally agreed to let her accompany him.
Yes, he had outright rejected her to accompany him outside this continent.
It was understandable for her; just yesterday, he had wanted to leave but stopped due to her.
Somewhat, her sad mood caused him to stay for some more days, but until when?
They were much closer than before, yet his eyes always felt like they were searching for someone else in her.
The amusing thing was, it hurt like hell.
“I am not. It’s just that I think too much,” Ryuk blankly replied, narrowing his gaze while Esme kept approaching him.
Somewhat understanding the problems with stronger rankers are their weak points like Soul and brain.
Naturally, the brains of stronger individuals are much sharper and focused, yet it was also true that if mind manipulation or something which ignores the aura shields on someone’s skin influenced the brain, then that’s the end.
Just like soul attacks.
So, there could only be the conclusion that she was able to play with someone’s mind.
“Want me to show you?” Esme arrived, both hands behind her back while tilting her head, inquiring, her golden eyes intensely looking at him.
“…fine,” Ryuk nodded, giving his consent since his ability made him immune to any outside attacks.
“Here we go.” With those words making their way out of her lips, a soft golden glow shone inside her pupils, reflecting inside the young man’s amber ones, with another word leaving her, “Say, I love you.”
“I…?!”
‘What was that?’ Though still under control, it felt like something was intensely influencing him, causing his lips to part automatically before he took hold of himself.
[Host, it seems her ability rejects outside defenses.]
‘What broken ability is this?’ Ryuk inquired before a sudden sound reached his ears.
“Uggh—thud ”
swish
“What happened? Are you fine?” Ryuk instantly caught her falling body, holding her while his eyes fixed on her sweaty face, her breathing much hastened.
“Haa… Haa… What was that?” Esme’s trembling lips parted, looking at the blur image of the man in front, somewhat overwhelmed by something unknown, a feeling of experiencing a backlash for the first time.
‘Is she talking about Shunya?’ Seeing her state, it was as if her eyes witnessed something horrifying, but due to her mind being strong enough, she seemed much composed with only an exhausted expression.
“So, you are really strong, hmm?” Ryuk smiled, looking at her gasping face, her golden eyes blinking at the lips that curved slightly, making her avert her eyes.
Even though her mind was overwhelmed by the scene she witnessed, that smile seemed to remove all the suffering.
“…yes, I am.” Leaving his support, she balanced herself and stood, not looking towards him, already exhausted by her energy to use illusion to hide her crimson blush, quivering lips, or her racing heartbeat.
“How much time does it take for your energy to replenish?” Ryuk inquired, his eyes turned towards the battleship entrance due to an energy disturbance he felt.
“It’s already replenished.” Esme passed beside him and moved directly towards the battleship, her heartbeat slightly not making it easier to keep a calm demeanor.
“Wait, don’t hurry like this—” Ryuk called.
CLANK
BANG!
SWISH
“Haaa… Haa.” The moment she took her first step inside the battleship, suddenly three sharp claws landed on her body.
Though, she had already been banished from that spot and arrived beside Ryuk, gasping from the previous event and now from additional exhaustion.
‘!?’
Esme’s pupils widened as she saw the claws that had attacked her moments ago being held by the young man standing in her initial position.
He was dressed in a fluttering black suit, one hand resting in his pocket while the other gripped those metal-hard things tightly.
Everything occurred simultaneously: her teleportation beside him and his arrival at her initial position to block the claw, rendering her movement unnecessary since he would have protected her even without her moving.
“Vvrcccckkk!…kkk..ii..lll”
‘Didn’t I kill him at that time?’ Ryuk’s gaze was fixed on the same bulky, muscular creature, appearing slightly repulsive due to saliva dripping from it’s facial orifices and bloodied eyes.
[….]
‘I want answers, System,’ Ryuk stated firmly, his eyes fixed on the creature whose identity was none other than Priest Kermit.
He had just killed him a few months ago, yet here he was again, and the System was notifying him that the creature before him was Priest Kermit.
[Host, the features I use are somewhat derived from other systems, including appraisal through the status window, although there is a very low probability of it being wrong.]
[Give me some time.]
[ Scanning…]
‘Really?’ Clutching the thing in his hand, Ryuk turned his gaze towards Esme, who was approaching him with him being feeling somewhat frustrated due to such an error from the System.
“What happened? Are you fine?” Esme inquired, seeing his narrowed gaze and small frown, which caused her to approach him.
“Yes, it was nothing,” Ryuk replied calmly, waiting patiently for the System to complete its evaluation before he could act on the creatures gripped in his hand.
Esme’s eyes slightly widened before a small smile formed on her face as she said, “Don’t tell me, were you worrying about me?”
“Yes, I was,” Ryuk directly looked into her eyes and boldly stated, since he did feel worried.
“Huh?…I-I see,” Esme averted her gaze before nodding and folded her hands in front.
“Kkhhwweekkk…kk…iii….l!”
Ignoring her illusion which she created to hide her rising heartbeat and blush, Ryuk focused on the thing in front of him.
DING!
[Host, this isn’t a real body but more of a fragment broken into several pieces from the real corrupted one.]
‘…..’ Ryuk’s eyes looked at the mindless creature, understanding that these things were made from the living flesh of Priest Kermit ‘ Sigh, Really Kermit, what has become of you. ‘
Meaning, they were Kermit but mutated and alive, while his real body was also intact somewhere.
In simple words, Kermit was corrupted, then cut into pieces, and then those pieces were thrown throughout the world, or at least in Titanora, which then mutated and became these creatures.
Right now, there wasn’t any idea about exactly what happened to him, but Ryuk could only come to one conclusion: everything was related to the Demon Queen.
“Vrrrrcckkkk—?!”
SWISH
“Huh, where did that thing go?” Esme inquired, seeing Ryuk’s whole body covered in an amber aura, which slowly subsided.
“Nothing, killing it here would have been a hassle,” Ryuk turned towards Esme, offering his hand due to already feeling denser Demonic energy coming from the center of the battleship.
“Don’t let go of my hand,” Not waiting for her to say anything further, he grabbed her hand and moved inside the ship.
.
.
.
“i… t… H… u… R… t… s…”
A voice reverberated inside the middle chamber of the battleship, which had several cracks due to tree roots stretching through it. The density of black and red smoke filled the surroundings.
At the center, the source of the voice was a partially formed humanoid body, with fiery red skin adorned with obsidian black markings. The lower part of the body was still unformed, appearing like molten lava falling down.
tap tap
Another approaching footsteps sound reverberated inside the place, causing the head adorned with two sharp, long red horns to turn towards the silhouette forming due to the incoming intruders.
In an instant, a grin started to form on the broken face, and eyes that seemed to have diminished started to glow again in fiery flame, with chilling words resonating throughout the whole place.
“Bore….soulsss…to…eattt, kekeke”
More souls to eat ~ It pronounces M as B
