Chapter 69
Beeeeeep -.
Tinnitus rang in her ears, and the ground, the world, felt like it was stretching out. Her eyes were solely focused on Lian’s limp body.
“Haha, what do you think? The sight of your beloved brother?”
The voice that had seemed to come from a distance was getting clearer with the word ‘brother.’ Iris stared blankly at the brightly smiling Angsho.
“Don’t tell me you still haven’t realized? Hmm, how disappointing. I thought since your brother had exceptional skills, you would’ve had some decent abilities too… But to still not know what you killed…”
Iris didn’t say a word in response to the taunting voice. She just quietly stared at Angsho. Angsho, with a smirk, lifted one corner of his mouth as he looked into Iris’s eyes.
He, who had plunged countless slaves into the depths of despair, keenly noticed.
Her world was crumbling to pieces.
“Let me explain for your foolish self. The opponent you faced in today’s match was your brother. When I told him he could meet his sister if he won, he insisted he would definitely participate.”
He burst into laughter as he spoke.
“Now that I think about it, your brother seems pretty dumb compared to his swordsmanship. That’s probably why he ended up dead like this.”
Before any sensible thought could pop into her head, Iris lunged forward in an instant, grabbed a vase from the table beside the sofa, and charged at Angsho.
It was all over in a flash. The moment Iris was about to bring the vase down on Angsho’s head.
Kwajijijik!
“Blaaargh!”
A jolt of powerful electricity shot out from Iris’s collar, frying her body. She dropped the vase and rolled across the floor.
“Ugh, ugh…”
The smell of burning flesh filled her nose as nausea washed over her. Angsho sauntered over and yanked on her hair, lifting her up.
“This is why I call you siblings idiots. Daring to attack without knowing your place.”
Angsho tossed Iris aside onto Lian’s lifeless body like some discarded trash.
Thud, crash!
Iris rolled over Lian’s corpse. She felt the sting in her legs from scraping against the floor. But she couldn’t care less about that stuff.
With the metallic scent of blood right under her nose and the coldness of a body that radiated no warmth, only after she touched Lian’s corpse did a scream mixed with despair escape her lips.
“Ah, ah… Aagh, heu… Heugh…”
Her usually blank face began to twist in torment. Trembling hands roamed over Lian’s shoulder before grabbing his face. Surprised by the fact that he was ‘really dead,’ her eyes stayed wide open.
The eyes that typically held a warm kindness were now colder than ever.
Unable to accept Lian’s death, Iris sobbed uncontrollably, wheezing as she grasped his cold, stiff hand and brought it to her face.
The hand that always caressed her cheek brushed against her skin and fell limply away.
She desperately sought proof that Lian wasn’t actually dead, but there was no sign of life in the ice-cold corpse.
“Puhuh, puahahaha! Ah –, you stupid little brat. You cared so much for your sister, only to go and die at her hands!”
As Angsho cackled at the sheer thrill of it all, he threw his last mask aside, mocking Iris and Lian. Iris’s trembling fingers, still lingering on Lian, now turned towards Angsho.
“What? You gonna charge at me again? Puhuh, no matter how much you flail about, you can’t kill me.”
Angsho felt a jolt of excitement looking into Iris’s murderous gaze. There was a certain thrill in watching a mighty being who could snap his neck in an instant swallowing their rage just because they were a slave.
“If you want to blame someone, it ought to be your dimwit brother or even yourself for swinging a sword without even recognizing your brother, not me, the grand being above all.”
The more intense Iris’s killing intent grew, the more vibrant Angsho’s voice became.
‘Ah -, this feels way better than I thought!’
While Lian had been Angsho’s main target, the sight of Iris completely falling apart felt surprisingly good, despite the initial plan having failed. No, it was downright exhilarating.
With tears and snot splattering her face, Iris blankly stared at Angsho.
She looked like she’d lost her marbles, but the palpable killing intent was so strong, it was clear she was just holding her breath, waiting to kill Angsho.
“Looks like you’re starting to lose interest in your brother.”
Angsho, having gone back to using polite speech, pulled out a tiny bell the size of his finger from his jacket pocket and gave it a shake.
Ding -.
A massively tiny, high-pitched sound echoed.
Thud!
A door far away from where Iris had entered swung open, and a large man trudged out, moving with familiarity to haul away the corpse.
Iris, realizing too late she needed to stop Lian’s body from being taken, scowled and made a move to attack him. Angsho flicked his fingers lightly and said, “Ha, I figured a clueless slave would act like this.”
At that flick of his finger, the black ring on it glittered.
Pajijijik!
“Aaaah!”
The electric shock that had rolled Iris before erupted from her collar once more, sending her reeling on the floor.
“Uargh… Gah.”
“You brainless kid.”
Angsho grinned widely, watching Iris struggle on the floor. Just then, his own face began to morph and melt away.
Angsho narrowed his eyes at the man dragging Lian’s body.
“Get it done and scram!”
“Yikes! Yes, yes!”
The man rushed to collect the corpse and bolted through the door Iris had entered from. All of Iris’s muscles felt like they were electrocuted and shaking as she raised a hand towards her departing brother.
Thud.
The door slammed shut, and just like that, he was gone from her sight entirely.
“Ugh, how annoying. Just when things were getting fun.”
Angsho clicked his tongue and headed toward the door the man had exited to go fix his face in another room, wanting to toy with Iris a little more.
‘She’ll be sprawled out on the floor for at least 10 minutes.’
Slaves who’d been subjected to that kind of shock, whether tough or weak, couldn’t get up for at least that long.
Thud.
Left alone after Angsho’s departure, Iris found she couldn’t even get up from the floor as he had described. Every time she attempted to rise, her body trembled and flopped back down.
See? You did kill him.
The voice she was desperate to avoid echoed loudly in her mind as she rolled about on the floor.
This is what happens when a monster like you loves a human.
Normally, she would’ve stuffed her fingers in her ears and closed her eyes, frantically searching for Lian’s warmth. She would’ve buried herself in his arms, felt his gentle touch, and let those rising voices float away lightly.
But now, her brother was gone. All because he’d died at her hand.
The moment she acknowledged that fact, a giant explosion erupted in her head.
Kekekeke! You monster of a girl! You’ve finally shattered!
A scream-like voice rang out, her hair color rapidly transitioning from white to a pale gray. The sparkle in her eyes turned dim and murky.
“Bro, brother… Brother…”
Iris blindly fumbled on the floor, looking for him.
Thud, her fingertips brushed against a sword that had not been there moments before. It was the Demon Sword that had come to her after hearing she could see Lian.
[ Hey, partner’s sister! I’ll lend you my strength just this once! So make sure you take that bastard’s head – … ]
The Demon Sword, furious at seeing its partner so insulted, switched from a delicate needle form to a sword form to aid Iris.
Before the Demon Sword could finish its sentence.
Grab.
Iris seized the Demon Sword.
[ Yeah, you must be furious too – … Gasp?! Wha, what is going on?! ]
The Demon Sword quivered at the strange energy radiating from Iris’s body. It was a power entirely different from holy energy, alien and spine-chilling, that penetrated the Demon Sword.
[ Yikes! What’s this?! Let, let go of me right now! ]
The Demon Sword screamed in terror, trying to flee from Iris, but she held tight and refused to let go.
Let’s kill them all! All the trash that insulted your family!
Even as her head felt like it was being shredded apart, Iris rose without uttering a single sound.
A dark, sticky energy, the complete opposite of the radiant light she had once held to protect Lian, surged out of Iris’s body.
[ Kyaaaaah! ]
The Demon Sword thrashed and squirmed in response to the unpleasant energy.
Click.
At that moment, Angsho returned. Opening the door with a face gleaming with excitement at the thought of pushing Iris to the brink, he frowned upon seeing her.
“Huh? Where on earth did you find that sword?”
Angsho stared in disbelief at Iris, now clutching a dark red sword, and spoke with a sneer.
“Well, doesn’t matter if you’ve got a weapon or not. If you try to attack me – …”
Pajijik.
An eerie energy rippled through Iris’s sword, and her fingers twitched. The sword swung at an invisible speed.
Thud thud thud.
The slave collar around her neck shattered into almost dust.
“The same pain as before…”
Angsho’s words trailed off, and he could never finish his thought.
‘What the…?’
Staring wide-eyed in disbelief at the unreal scene unfolding before him, he could only gaze at Iris, his mouth agape.
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