[Vol. 8] Chapter 222: Undying Flesh
A moment later, a white figure appeared again in the night sky.
“Wow, that was way too cool. No wonder that guy Minchen loves using sword. Next time I see him, I’ll hit him with that move~”
Mumbling nonsense just to sound cool, the priestess, who had deliberately waited before catching up, finally turned her head to look at the spot where Andre had been killed by the sword energy.
In the quiet night sky, there was no longer any trace of the former vice president of the Red Mastiff Society. Only a small chunk of strange flesh, about the size of a cup lid, floated silently, glowing faintly red and giving off an eerie, ominous aura.
Without a doubt, this was the true source of Andre’s power, which rivaled the level of beings beyond normal. After being cleansed by sword energy infused with the divine power of Radiance, only something of similar rank or nature could barely survive.
“……”
Violet stared at the strange piece of flesh for a moment. After thinking it over, she raised her sword, formed from the power of Radiance, and slowly moved closer to it.
But then…
“Crack...”
Before the holy sword could even touch the flesh, it began to wither rapidly, like a dried-up tree, and within seconds it turned to grey smoke and disappeared completely.
Violet frowned slightly.
“The level is still too low… Looks like this was just a disposable pawn. I guess I’ll have to focus on the other side.”
………………………………………
At the mansion, under the moonlight.
Even though she had shown incredibly strong fighting skills, the swordswoman was still gradually stained with blood as she faced dozens of professional killers surrounding her. Most of it was from the enemies, but some of it was her own.
Yet the Blue Butterfly Sword didn’t seem affected at all. It danced lightly through the air, cutting down enemy after enemy.
“Thud!”
Finally, the last assassin collapsed lifelessly after his throat was ruthlessly cut. The blue butterfly blade, soaked in blood, spun once more and then pointed its tip at the assassin leader, who was badly wounded and too weak to even stand.
He was the only one left alive from tonight’s ambush.
The assassin leader had lost an arm and a leg. He could no longer move due to the blood loss, but his mind was still clear. Staring at the Blue Butterfly Sword, its wielder standing tall despite her many wounds, his terrified expression didn’t seem to come from the fear of death or mission failure, but from something far deeper and harder to explain.
“You… cough cough… you’re insane!”
“As you can see, I’m still capable of holding a calm conversation.”
Hearing the girl’s emotionless voice, the assassin leader suddenly became agitated and shouted,
“Lies! You are insane! Even receiving a blessing directly from Him nearly kills people, and you actually used an untreated part of it on yourself, what else can that be but madness?!”
“I don’t know how you survived or why you still look completely normal now, but one day you’ll go mad too. Everyone who comes into contact with that thing always loses their mind!!!”
“…It seems you’re not cut out to be a killer.”
A flash of cold light from the Blue Butterfly Sword cut through the air, and the assassin leader’s angry curses came to an abrupt stop. The courtyard under the night sky returned to silence, but the thick smell of blood and the many corpses on the ground made the blood-soaked girl seem even more dangerous and eerie.
She pulled out a small handkerchief and silently wiped the blood off the Blue Butterfly Sword, then sheathed it again and turned around.
At some point, the young lady Vera and the priestess girl, who had been with her earlier in the day, walked out from the corner of the courtyard, side by side. Vera looked worried when she saw the girl’s many wounds, while the blonde nun simply frowned and asked calmly.
“Do you need me to heal you?”
“No need. They’re just surface wounds. I doubt anyone else will come tonight. I’ll leave the cleanup to you two.”
After speaking, the swordswoman nodded to them, then turned and walked away.
Behind her, the sounds of guards cleaning up the bodies and checking the area gradually filled the courtyard. But the Blue Butterfly Sword paid them no attention, walking quickly until she returned to her room in the manor.
After locking the door tightly, she hung her sword on the wall, took off her tattered and blood-stained battle clothes and tossed them aside. Then she removed her chest wrap and undergarments, stripping away every last piece of clothing until her fair and delicate body, covered in wounds, was fully exposed. Taking a deep breath, the girl stepped into the bathtub in the center of the room, already filled with warm water and flower petals, and kept heated by a fire-element magic crystal.
“Splash~”
Ripples spread through the water as the blood from her wounds quickly dyed it a faint red. Leaning on the edge of the tub, the Blue Butterfly Sword closed her eyes and frowned.
If someone had been watching at that moment, they would’ve seen not just the beautiful image of a young woman bathing, but also something strange. A faint red mist rising from her body, mixing with the steam.
That mist, like fog or illusion, didn’t fade. It clung to her smooth, jade-like skin, and under its influence, the various cuts and injuries she had received earlier started to heal rapidly, clearly visible to the naked eye.
“Mmgh…”
The healing didn’t seem pleasant. Her eyes remained shut tight, and her hands gripped the edge of the tub as she let out quiet, pained moans from time to time, as if enduring something difficult.
Only after a long time, when every wound on her body had fully healed, did the red aura of blood energy slowly retreat into her body. The Blue Butterfly Sword finally opened her tired eyes and let out a breath, leaning weakly against the tub’s edge.
“Hah… Made it through…”
She looked down. The tub that had once been full of bloody water had somehow turned crystal clear again. Even the flower petals floating on top looked fresher and brighter, as if nourished by some mysterious force. But despite the magical sight, the Blue Butterfly Sword didn’t seem happy, her expression grew even more serious.
“This power really is unbelievable. No wonder those lunatics brag about it and show no respect for the Holy Empire’s teachings… Heh. But since when has anything good in this world come without a price?”
“Oh~ I really like how you said that. Seems like your mind hasn’t been corrupted yet. Is it because your sword training has given you a strong will? Or maybe… it’s because of that sword?”
“!?”
A light chuckle suddenly rang out by her ear, causing the swordswoman to jolt. All signs of tiredness and confusion instantly disappeared from her eyes. Without hesitation, she raised her hand, and the Blue Butterfly Sword flew from the wall into her grip!
With sword in hand, she leapt from the bath. A white towel wrapped around her mid-air, covering her delicate figure. Barefoot and dripping wet, she landed on the ground, eyes alert as she scanned the room.
“Who’s there?! How dare you spy on me?!”