A Monstrous Revelation

“Young Miss!”

With a swift, decisive strike, Eileen pierced Yue’s abdomen, then, brimming with excitement, she dashed towards me.

“She truly is adorable.”

While such thoughts were decidedly out of place on a battlefield, it was a sentiment I couldn’t help but feel.

Still, the enemy had been defeated, so what harm could it do?

Perhaps it was this very thought that prompted me to glance unconsciously at Yue.

Yet, to my utter shock, the woman stood there, completely unfazed, despite her abdomen being hollowed out.

No, it was more than that!

Upon closer inspection, I could discern new flesh pulsating rapidly within her wound.

At that moment, her gaze was fixed intently upon the ecstatic silver-haired girl.

“…! Eileen! Stay back!”

By the time my warning escaped my lips, it was already too late.

A sudden thud.

With a mere push of her foot, the monstrous figure vanished from my sight in an instant.

‘Her speed… it was this fast all along?’

‘Was her previous trembling merely a facade, a way to hold back her true power?’

There was no time for further contemplation. That creature had already flickered to Eileen’s side.

I watched as she produced a purple dagger, etched with peculiar markings.

‘No… it can’t be!’

But she would not heed my unspoken plea.

A sickening squelch.

“Eileen!!!!”

Though I moved with every ounce of my speed, I could only watch, utterly helpless, as the dagger plunged into Eileen’s body.

“Eileen! Eileen…!”

Fortunately, the creature had swiftly leaped away after wounding Eileen, allowing me to finally reach her.

Upon reflection, it became clear that she had deliberately created distance to avoid being caught in whatever aftermath was to come.

Yet, in that moment, such thoughts were utterly beyond me.

Eileen had collapsed to her knees, her face stark white.

‘I had promised to protect her!’

‘I had promised we would be together forever!’

Tears welled uncontrollably in my eyes, spilling over. It felt as if I had reverted to my weak, helpless self from years ago.

I yearned to scream, but my throat was constricted by a choking sob, rendering me voiceless.

“Eileen…”

By the time I reached Eileen, she had curled into a tight ball, writhing in unbearable agony.

I stretched out my hand, intending to touch her, but when only a few centimeters remained between us, Eileen suddenly let out a piercing scream of pain.

“Aaaaaaaahhhhhh—!”

In that instant, my body froze, utterly beyond my control.

‘What… what is this?’

Not only was my body unable to move, but my gaze was also firmly locked onto Eileen, unable to tear away.

As I wrestled with my confusion, Eileen abruptly lifted her head.

Her once beautiful eyes were now bloodshot and swollen, taking on a somewhat grotesque appearance.

In that moment, she resembled nothing more than a wild beast, driven solely by instinct.

Then, she lunged at me.

‘Eileen, is she…?’

“Mmph!?”

In a mere flash, my lips were sealed.

Unable to move, I was utterly incapable of resisting.

‘Why…?’

More than any fleeting joy, a profound confusion swirled within me.

‘Eileen isn’t so impulsive… and she’s always been mindful of prying eyes. She would never seek a kiss in such a place…’

‘It must have been that dagger, the one that made her act so strangely!’

My gaze dropped, only to discover, with a jolt of alarm, that the dagger had vanished.

What’s more, Eileen was completely uninjured! If not for the tear in her clothes, I would have suspected everything that just happened was a mere hallucination.

‘…And what was that dark red pattern?’

Before I could delve deeper into my thoughts, Eileen’s next action completely seized my attention.

“Mmmph…”

A powerful suction gripped my lips.

Even my moisture was drawn away by her tongue.

No, perhaps she was simply thirsting for my essence.

‘…But this isn’t the time for this… Eileen, snap out of it!’

I had intended to stop her.

However, for some inexplicable reason, my mind was suddenly flooded with a rosy haze… and my body grew weak.

It felt as though my very being was being hollowed out.

…Finally, Eileen’s face shifted slightly, allowing me a precious moment to breathe.

Through my hazy vision, I thought I saw something glowing faintly from Eileen’s lower abdomen.

But just as quickly, her face filled my vision once more.

She was far from satisfied. After drawing a deep breath, she resumed her previous actions.

This time… I was utterly drained of all strength.

After a long while, only once Eileen was sated, did she finally release me.

In that instant, I clearly saw a mesmerizing, almost seductive glow shimmering on her lips.

And within those golden eyes, a vertical slit seemed to tear open.

‘What on earth happened to Eileen?’

****

“Ha!”

I finally snapped back to my senses.

‘What… what just happened?’

Gazing at the Young Miss, who lay limp and boneless in my arms, I immediately recalled the events that had just transpired.

…I instantly flushed crimson, feeling as though steam might billow from my head.

‘What in the world did I just do?!’

Left with no other option, I glared at Yue.

‘If I remembered correctly, this woman had just claimed everything was part of her plan!’

‘Could it be that her target was me all along?’

“What did you do to me?!”

She merely shrugged, feigning indifference.

“Nothing much… I merely helped you unleash your true nature.”

Yet, she swiftly changed her tone.

“Though… I hadn’t anticipated it would be so potent… Even I was stunned for a moment. Truly worthy of being *that* one’s daughter, wouldn’t you say?”

“What do you mean?!”

“What do I mean? Heh heh… you still don’t know.”

She suddenly bared her teeth, a sinister smile twisting her lips.

“Your parents? I killed them both, you know?”

‘What?’

I dared not freeze in shock.

‘No… that’s not right… My parents were killed by monsters.’

‘She’s definitely lying, trying to distract me!’

“You probably think I’m lying, don’t you? But unfortunately, that is precisely the truth.”

She began to recount the long-buried story with vivid detail.

“After confirming the whereabouts of that ‘traitor,’ I was dispatched to execute him… I set traps along his inevitable path in advance, and by the time he discovered them, it was already too late.”

“Once they were incapacitated by the traps, I emerged to finish the job. Heh heh~ That traitor, he was even begging me not to harm his wife~ Such a pathetic struggle.”

“Those who displease the Demon Lord, of course, have no room for mercy! So, right before his eyes, I slowly, meticulously dispatched that woman… using his wails as a soundtrack! It was more beautiful than any symphony!”

“Naturally… I didn’t spare him either. But he cried himself out, becoming unresponsive to further torment, which was truly boring.”

“Finally, with the help of some exposed monsters, I staged the scene to appear as if it had been attacked by beasts. If I hadn’t told you, you probably would have remained oblivious your entire life, wouldn’t you? For that, you should thank me, you know?”

“Grind! Grind!”

The sound emanated from my own mouth.

As I listened to her chilling account, I found myself unconsciously grinding my molars, my hands clenched into such tight fists that my fingernails threatened to pierce my flesh.

‘My face must be a grotesque mask of fury right now, mustn’t it?’

Yet… my rage was utterly beyond my control.

‘Our lives back then… they were so incredibly happy…’

I remembered being an innocent little girl, carefree and untroubled, spending every day laughing with my family…

But now… everything had been utterly ruined by this monster standing before me.

The magic within me surged, mirroring the escalating intensity of my fury.

“Unforgivable… Unforgivable!”