Chapter 140: Why do you always want to kill me so badly?

[With Halibel's help, Natsuki Subaru slipped into the shadows and made his escape.

That left only two figures on the field: Reinhard, bent single-mindedly on pursuit, and Cecilus, who had declared that no one would advance a single step past him until they had defeated him.

And of course, as the Blue Lightning, Cecilus had every right to make such a boast.

Every time Reinhard tried to slip around him and chase down Natsuki Subaru at top speed, he was driven back by crashing waves of thunder and lightning.

Blade-light and sword-flash, air bursting and exploding open, the two figures clashed and dueled countless times over.

"Why must it come to this? We have measured ourselves against each other before, in days past. Was that not enough?"

So Reinhard asked.

"If we don't stake our lives on it, we'll never touch that line between life and death—much less break through into the selfless realm where man and sword become one!"

"Enough talk. Come, fight!"

An exhilarated grin spread across Cecilus's face, and now, at last, he drew both blades at his waist fully from their sheaths.

One blade was the "Dream Sword" Masayume, its body radiant and magnificent.

The other was the "Demon Sword" Murasame, its blade uncannily sinister, as though at any moment it might choose a victim and devour him.

At the same time, the "dragon sword" Reinhard bore seemed to acknowledge the calamitous foe before it, and slid free of its sheath all on its own!​

Reflected in Cecilus's pupils was the very figure he had chased his entire life, and his heart was calm, without fear.

Even the Sword Saint Reinhard was now nothing more than a whetstone against which he would climb toward a higher realm.

He lowered his stance, watching with a focus and concentration he had never brought to bear before as Reinhard, right in front of him, unleashed the strongest swordsmanship he had shown yet.

In this moment, he cast aside every stray thought—cast aside even life and death—

and as nothing more than a pure swordsman, he yearned to scale the very summit of the sword!​

"Now there's a pure swordsman. He reminds this old man of himself in his youth."

So the old Sword Demon sighed.

In his youth he had been a sword-obsessed fanatic who knew nothing but training, even more consumed than that young Blue Lightning—from dawn to dusk he did little else but train with the blade.

That was until he met the lover fate had destined for him, Theresia, a girl so lively and adorable it ought to have been against the rules. Only then did his reasons for training the sword gain one more.

After marrying into House Astrea, he devoted more of his energy to the affairs of the family.

Add to that the blow of Theresia's death and a body growing old with the years, and both his strength and his fervor for the way of the sword were now a far cry from what they once had been.

"Will he win?"

Seeing on the screen Cecilus's spirit—that daring drive to challenge and climb toward a higher realm—and hearing that blood-stirring declaration, Frederica asked before she could stop herself.

But a second later, Frederica realized that one of the very people on that screen was still right there in the room.​

She pressed a hand over her mouth, hiding the sharp teeth she shared with Garfiel, and cast Reinhard an apologetic look.

Yet to everyone's surprise, upon hearing Frederica's words, Reinhard actually gave a serious nod in reply.​

"If it's the me on that screen, then yes—I could very well be defeated!"

Seeing the astonished stares turned toward him from all sides, Reinhard answered with a faint smile and patiently explained.

"The moment the me on that screen stepped into this Pandaemonium that Subaru built, the blessings upon my body seem to have been suppressed almost to the point of vanishing.

"The proof is that in the footage of my exchange with Cecilus, not a single one of my blessings ever triggered—and even after I drew the dragon sword, I still couldn't resolve things quickly against him. Instead I was dragged into a hard-fought struggle."​

"Most likely, something is sealing my blessings… As expected of Subaru. He can so easily find a method tailored to counter me."

Merely as a friend, Reinhard offered that praise without stinting.

"Indeed. You can tell even from the treatment alone. That so-called head of the Nine Divine Generals was never bound, the way I was, by a contract the other nations strictly enforced—one forbidding my deployment in war."

Felt folded her arms and nodded in understanding.

"A mediocre talent, yes—but this courage to pursue strength by throwing himself into the space between life and death is worthy of praise all the same."

Priscilla pressed her fan to her chin, and across that exquisite, nation-toppling face spread an arrogant smile.

As they spoke, the sovereign racing deeper into Pandaemonium ran into an obstacle.

[A tall figure, sharp teeth—such distinctive features, so easy to remember. It was none other than Frederica.

She stood, her face grave, squarely in the path Natsuki Subaru and Halibel would have to pass.​

"O sovereign, might I ask that you surrender your life to me here and now?"

She held a weapon at the ready, tense yet somehow still keeping up a courteous air.

And yet, this manner of hers—like a spitting little kitten—struck Natsuki Subaru, for reasons he couldn't name, as rather cute.​

In no time Frederica moved, lunging forward with physical prowess far beyond an ordinary person's, meaning to slit Natsuki Subaru's throat.

But the next instant, with a sharp clang, the weapon in her hand was struck away by Halibel—who all this while had stood silent in attendance behind Natsuki Subaru.​

Strong as Frederica's constitution was compared to a common person's, Halibel, as a warrior who bore a title, was a being she simply could not oppose.

In other words, so long as Halibel had made up his mind to shield Natsuki Subaru, she had absolutely no chance of killing that tyrannical sovereign.​

"Why…?"

This was the perfect moment to kill this tyrannical sovereign—so why stop her now?

"Do you mean to take your own revenge with your own hands? He must have something over you too, doesn't he?"

At that, Halibel gave his cheek a somewhat embarrassed scratch and said that in fact he followed Natsuki Subaru of his own free will.

"There's no such thing as him holding anything over me—and besides, the sovereign has done me a kindness. So I'm sorry, but I can't let you have your way."

The male beastman said this in a low, deep voice.

Frederica's body trembled. In this moment she sincerely wished the other man were joking, but that was no longer possible.​

Even so, she had no intention of giving up. Her body began to swell into its bestial form, her eyes locked unblinkingly onto Natsuki Subaru…

"Why do you hate me so, Frederica?"

"I've always found it strange—you, and Rem, and Ram too, all of you hating me this much!"

"So what exactly is it that makes you all so desperate to kill me? I… I truly am curious."

Natsuki Subaru murmured, half as though asking Frederica, half as though asking himself.

He tilted his head, his deathly-still eyes turning toward Frederica.

"When I made sure your little brother, your grandmother, and even that dependable junior of yours, Petra, were all settled safely."​

"As for Roswaal—he got exactly what he deserved. But no matter how you see it—"

As he spoke, Natsuki Subaru walked step by step toward Frederica.

Somewhere in the process, the orange scarf around his neck slipped soundlessly free.

And so, beneath the shocked gazes of the other two, there was revealed on Natsuki Subaru's neck those densely clustered, blue-black finger marks that would never heal.

A single glance at them was enough to leave anyone utterly staggered.

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