Yuri Hero and Loli Demon King - Chapter 09

“This is a world where no one is redeemed, only sins and deeper evils exist.”

There is no such thing as justice, only the simplicity of villains killing those they deem more sinful than themselves, branding it as righteousness.

Yes, this world is not about good and evil…

“…but evil and more evil!”

Lufulus expressed her twisted values to the barely alive, unrecognizable girl.

Of course, doing so was undoubtedly meaningless, as the unconscious girl couldn’t possibly respond.

“Hey, you’re not dead yet, right? I don’t recall fairies dying so easily!”

After speaking, Lufulus looked at the bloodied and flesh-torn body on the ground and sighed lightly.

How boring.

That last one hasn’t shown up yet? Hmm… Got it, I’ll use this child as bait! Hehe, Lufu-chan is so smart!

Action speaks louder than words. Lufulus excitedly dragged Haitang outside. Just as she was pondering how to make the Sword Fighter see this “result,” a sudden cry echoed from afar.

– It was the wailing of several men.

“What happened?”

Lufulus glanced nervously towards the source of the sound, already prepared to confront it.

However, the shadow… the figure approaching her from the darkness, beyond the reach of the lights, only advanced slowly.

“You’ve really done something terrible, Lufulus Xeochi!”

Lufulus recognized the slightly low female voice; in fact, she was the only one left.

Her voice pierced like dozens of sharp blades, causing Lufulus to involuntarily take a few steps back.

“What? Are you afraid?”

Judging by the way the other saw every move, that’s likely the conclusion they came to upon witnessing her retreat.

—Am I… afraid?Lufulus pondered the question carefully, shook her head, and responded, “It’s you who should be afraid, Golden Sword Fencer.”

As if making a declaration, Lufulus raised her hand, stained with Haitang’s fresh blood, and revealed a menacing expression.

“I’ve killed your two companions! How about it? If you want to beg for mercy, you’d better do it now! Although even if you beg, I will still attack and slaughter you!”

“Oh?”

The expected reaction was fear, terror, or fleeing, but instead, the opponent merely chuckled lightly and continued to advance slowly.

When the silhouette entered the illuminated area, it was Lufulus who displayed a look of surprise.

“I have… killed over a dozen of your companions! But it’s irrelevant, right? After all, this place was always a gathering of bandits.”

“You…”

Lufulus was at a loss for words as she looked at the head cradled in Tapfer’s left hand. Even though she had led bandits in raiding many villages and seen countless bloody scenes, this was the first time she’d seen someone proudly showcase a severed head like this!

“How about it? If you want to beg for mercy, you’d better do it now! Although even if you beg, I will still attack and slaughter you!”

Her opponent repeated the exact same lines she had used, yet their aura was worlds apart.

“…!”

I could die—she genuinely intends to kill me—Lufulus realized this, and fear began to spread from that understanding.

Displaying fear would mean certain defeat, so she feigned calmness and blustered, “You’re willing to oppose me just for killing a few bandits? I’m nothing like those weaklings below Level 10. I’m many times stronger! That’s right, I’m the strongest! My ‘Blood Fox’ clan is the most noble race—!”

As far as race goes, I am a hybrid of Blood Fox and human heritage, there’s no way I would lose to mere mortals.In terms of level, I’m at least ten tiers higher than her; there’s no reason I should lose to mere commoners and riffraff.

But what’s with this sense of unease and fear?

“—!”

Lufulus tightly gripped the sword with her hands. No, only her right hand gripped the sword, while her left hand held her trembling right hand.

As if to slash away her fear, she let out a guttural scream and charged at Tapfer. Before their distance closed by even half, Lufulus came to a halt—not because she didn’t want to run, but because she couldn’t.

“This is… the chain of… flames?”

Why? It shouldn’t be like this. The opponent is just an ordinary Sword Fighter, not a Magic Swordsman. There’s no way they could use such a technique!

Why—her thoughts were interrupted by the sound that came next.

“No wonder you’re from the Blood Fox race, known for having the ‘strongest physical damage.’ The previous battle was indeed hard to withstand!”

Bound by the fiery chains, she slowly lifted her head, looking back with a look of disbelief: Rei, whom she thought she had killed, was standing there alive.

“How is that possible? It’s impossible she’s still alive! A ghost, a ghost… She’s a ghost! I stepped on her with such force so many times, her chest… heart and lungs should have been shattered long ago, there’s no way she could still be alive!”

“Too naive. Not only are they not shattered, but her heart and lungs have no damage at all; at most, it’s just superficial wounds.” With that, Rei proudly puffed out her chest. “Don’t think of humans as being so fragile, you flat-chested mongrel vixen!”

“What…?” Lufulus, now infuriated and humiliated, wanted to slash her on the spot, yet she still couldn’t break free from the chains, only managing to shout in place, “I am ‘Blood Fox’! The supreme race that swept through other races in the Sidoa Great War, victorious countless times! Even the Blood Fox King surpassed the Dragon King, ranked first among the ‘Nine Kings of the Cardinal Directions’!”

“The era of the Blood Fox has long ended, and the Nine Kings of the Cardinal Directions are no more! You need to face reality! The Blood Fox clan is extinct, with no purebred Blood Foxes left; the Nine Kings have been entirely wiped out or have retired, and now the ‘Seven Kings of the Cardinal Directions’ have taken over, among which the Blood Fox doesn’t even stand as one of the current ‘Seven Kings’ anymore!””…no chance at all… A pathetic race, thinking they are omnipotent, causing their own extermination through relentless invasions, yet still refusing to wake up, continuing to take pleasure in slaughtering other races!”

“Enough of your nonsense—!”

With an unknown surge of strength, Lufulus tore the chains apart with sheer force. Instantly, sparks scattered, and her figure swept past everyone’s eyes, charging straight towards Rei.

Kill you, kill you, kill you, kill you, kill you, kill you, kill you, kill you, kill you, kill you, kill you, kill you, kill you—!

“Don’t forget about me, you damned fox!”

Seemingly from nowhere, Tapfer advanced with speed surpassing Lufulus and blocked the path between her and Rei, striking at Lufulus’s abdominal armor and forcing her back.

“Useless Hero, when did your speech become so foul?”

“Probably picked it up from those useless bandits earlier!”

“Hey, are you a child? Don’t just randomly learn everything regardless of right or wrong… Speaking of which, when did your movement become so fast? Even I have trouble reacting to that Blood Fox’s speed!”

“Who told you not to invest in agility.”

This was the first sentence exchanged between Rei and Tapfer when they first met.

Oh, is that so? The current Tapfer couldn’t be compared to her past self anymore. Perhaps back then, she truly was some kind of useless idiot, but now…

“What’s there to be proud of? An LV.9 is still just a weakling, you useless Hero.”

“Is that so? Then, what’s your level, Rei?”

“Sealed, I’m at LV.23.”

At this moment, Lufulus, who had been knocked away by Tapfer, stood up again, unscathed thanks to her armor’s protection.

Did it really take that long just to rise from the ground? Tapfer kept a watchful eye on this, all while chatting with Rei.

Twenty-seven seconds—that’s the time it took Lufulus to get back up after being struck down.

“Rei, take Haitang for healing; your guild is full of mages, there should be someone skilled in healing magic, right?”

“Idiot! It takes at least half a day to get to the guild from here. What about you? What do you plan to do? Can you really handle Lufulus by yourself?”

As another sharp blade attack came, Tapfer once again parried and repelled it.

“Go quickly! Do you want Haitang to die?”

Indeed, for Rei, Haitang was more important than Tapfer.

Continuously, she muttered to herself, “I’m sorry.”Rei picked up Haitang and fled without looking back—she couldn’t turn back, not wanting anyone to see her tears.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Once again, she was running away with her back turned to her companions. Rei had done something similar before.

“…Sorry, Tapfer.”

“…Sorry, Xiao Mo.”

Nine years ago, Rei abandoned that child and selfishly escaped.

Nine years later, Rei abandoned her companions, repeating the same mistake.

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“Is this really alright?”

From somewhere, flames began to spread, and the wooden house behind them caught fire. “Just as that Shrine Maiden said, you can’t possibly resist me; you can’t resist the power of the Blood Fox lineage.”

“Listening to you, it seems like the Blood Fox is quite a powerful race! But you’re just a descendant of both Blood Foxes and humans. With the passage of time, haven’t you already become no different from ordinary people?”

“A noble lineage remains supreme, no matter how much lowly blood it carries, just like a lotus flower that emerges pure from the mud.”

“Admit it; the Blood Fox blood in you has already thinned. Now, you’re nearly just a… mere mortal with a longing for Blood Foxes!”

“You call me a mortal? You dare say I, Lufulus Xeochi, am a mortal!?”

“Ah, sorry, I misspoke,” Tapfer said with a mocking smile. “Not a mortal, a mongrel.”

“—!?”

A wild, long-distance thrust driven by rage.

As she relentlessly revealed her killing intent, in addition to assuming that saying those words would definitely make Lufulus angrily attack, Tapfer was well-prepared to dodge, regardless of their actual speed.

The long sword plunged deeply into the wooden wall where Tapfer had previously been.

Now’s the time—Lufulus’s weapon was stuck in the wall and she couldn’t retaliate or defend herself, presenting a rare opening. Tapfer struck with all her might towards Lufulus’s left shoulder!

“!”

It was Tapfer, the attacker, who gasped in surprise.

At that instant, as the attack approached the enemy’s body, a “qi” emitted from both shoulders connected to the top of the head, forming a protective membrane composed of energy (MP) that deflected the slash.

(Note: “MP (manapoint)” is a type of energy within living beings, known by various names.)The Demon Clan and Mages refer to it as “Magi Power,” while Sword Fighters call it “Qi Strength.”

Realizing this, Tapfer abandoned the attack and retreated ten steps back.

Not giving her much time to catch her breath or analyze, the crimson-armored Sword Fencer immediately withdrew her long sword and advanced towards Tapfer.

“Clang—”

It cracked—the novice sword in her hand.

In terms of durability and sharpness, Tapfer’s novice sword was at an absolute disadvantage. If they clashed a few more times, it was sure to break.

A prolonged battle must be avoided!

Concentrating her strength into her sword, the silver blade began to shine with a radiant hue, transitioning from purple to red—a spectrum that includes violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.

This was the sword skill “Rainbow Crescent,” acquired upon reaching Lv. 9!

Initially, she intended to thrust towards Lufulus’s head, but as she gathered power, she glimpsed Lufulus’s protective membrane already activated. As a result, her final target was the chest covered in heavy armor.

—!

A crisp metallic sound resounded, unmistakably signaling a fracture, affecting both the attacker and the defender.

Had she not applied the sword skill, wrapping her blade in Qi Strength, the novice sword would have completely shattered rather than just losing a small fragment.

The opponent’s chest armor also developed a web-like fissure. Even so, given the heavy armor’s thickness, the damage was less than half.

“I see, is this the reason Rei and Haitang were defeated?”

Tapfer cursed inwardly, this protective membrane was too overpowered! It wasn’t activated upon being attacked but had already begun to spread even before the enemy gathered or used their skill.

From a Mage’s perspective, it’s as if I’ve barely started chanting my spell and you’re already in full defense.

“Hmph, hahahahaha—! Did you see that?””Did you see? The power of the Blood Clan’s unique skill ‘Heavenly Spirit Membrane’! Despair, wail, beg for mercy! Complain to God about your own weakness!”

“……”

In terms of the novice sword’s condition, even one more clash with the opponent, or a simple attack on her armor, might shatter it completely. Then, could I really fight her barehanded?

So far, apart from noticing that her movement speed is impacted by the heavy armor and it’s difficult for her to get up after falling down, Lufulus hardly has any weaknesses.

The fact that I could accurately hit her chest armor just now indicates that the ‘Heavenly Spirit Membrane’ only protects the range from her shoulders to the top of her head, but the rest of her body is covered by armor…

Damn it! If I’d known I would have bought a better weapon at the shop. It’s not impossible to damage that armor, but the novice sword just can’t hold up until then!

“What? Where did all that bravado go? Didn’t you say you were going to brutally kill me? Come on, my head’s right here, if you can decapitate me, go ahead!”

Seeing Tapfer helpless against her, Lufulus shook off her initial fear and grew increasingly smug.

That’s right, as long as I have the ‘Heavenly Spirit Membrane’ and wear this heavy armor, no one can hurt me!

“Mist Severing Crescent—!”

Is it a thrust again?

Both parties are nearly ten meters apart, enough distance for Tapfer to dodge, but…

Blood, blood gushed from my back and left hand.

“How… is this possible? I should have dodged it…”Tapfer’s body and blood fell together under the force of gravity, leaving her powerless as she knelt, unable to muster the strength to face her enemy any longer.

Have I… lost?

It’s so frustrating. I was so close, just a little more, and I could’ve…

–Killed her.

“Hey, hey, don’t die on me yet! It’d be such a shame if you died now. I’m not done playing!”

Lufulus tugged at Tapfer’s hair, lifting her whole body up. “I told you, didn’t I?… I will torment and kill you! No matter how much you beg for mercy, I will end you!”

After speaking, she looked at the uneven, gravelly road surface and grinned with delight. Suddenly, she smashed Tapfer’s face into the ground, blood splattering like an egg cracking open.

“So beautiful, so lovely, your blood-soaked face is absolutely stunning!”

It wasn’t a sickly pretentious threat; Lufulus genuinely believed that Tapfer in this state was beautiful.

She began kissing and licking the bloodstains on Tapfer’s face, kissing her lips, her nose, her eyes… Lufulus was utterly infatuated with her!

“I only realized now how beautiful you truly are!”

Again and again, she smashed that beautiful face into the ground until it no longer resembled a human face, as if it were a flat mask painted red.

“This world exists only with sin and greater sin. Whatever the reason, I want to kill you, and you want to kill me. It’s purely a matter of victory or defeat! The victor gets to play with, humiliate, torment, and destroy the loser. That’s the true essence of survival of the fittest.”

Survival of the fittest?

No, that’s not the twisted meaning, but for Lufulus, it means exactly that! To her, everything she sees, all ideas, theories are twisted.

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“I will always wait for you.”

Under the starry sky by the riverbank, I once made this promise to a silver-haired girl.

When was that? I can’t remember anything anymore.

My memories only go back three years, when I was found unconscious in the outskirts of Olerjuna Village and later discovered and taken in by the head of the Olerjuna Village Library.Three years ago, during a time beyond my memory, who exactly was I? What did I do? Why was I unconscious on the outskirts? Why did I lose my memory?

I still can’t remember these things, but at least… at least now I’ve remembered something…

………………

…………

……

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“Yes…”

With trembling hands, I grasped the sword once more: “I’ve remembered, I can’t die here…”

Lufulus, observing this scene, had no intention of stopping it. In fact, she easily could have severed Tapfer’s right hand, rendering her unable to hold the sword any longer.

It wasn’t that she didn’t do it, but that there was no need to.

It was far too entertaining, watching a person’s struggle on the verge of death!

Indeed, it was more intriguing for Lufulus to see Tapfer take up the sword again rather than remain motionless like a corpse.

Hope reignited after despair, only to have that final hope mercilessly extinguished—there was no game more interesting than this!

“So what? What can picking up the sword do? Your sword cannot shatter my armor, and it can’t break through my ‘Heavenly Spirit Membrane.'”

“Hmph…”

Tapfer did not respond, offering only a derisive laugh.

In Lufulus’s eyes, it appeared as nothing more than a descent into madness under extreme pressure: “Finally gone mad? Laughing even in such a situation.”

“With this…”

Lufulus raised her long sword high, ready to strike down. Yet, even lying in a pool of blood, Tapfer refused to be outdone, aiming her blade at her enemy.

The outcome was evident: one striking downward from a standing position; the other thrusting upward from a prone position. When their swords clashed, the victor was all too obvious.”It’s over!” they shouted in unison.