The Princess of Despair

At the heart of Balyaas Village, the corpses of villagers, pierced through by water pillars, lay strewn across the ground. Bo Aibiyi, his magic rapidly depleted and his body drained of blood, leaned heavily on his staff, gasping for breath.

“La la la~~~ Hehehe~~~ Who knew my luck would be so good~~~ Hahahaha!” A neutral-toned voice, humming a strange tune, echoed from among the fallen bodies.

“Who’s there? Show yourself now!” Hearing the voice, Bo Aibiyi’s fury flared anew. His face contorted as he scanned his surroundings, determined to unearth the insolent wretch who dared interrupt a god such as himself.

“Dun dun dun dun~~~ Hello, little ones! Let me sing a song for you!” A cheerful voice heralded the arrival of a petite girl with blue-green hair. She suddenly leaped onto the speaker’s platform, striking a dramatic pose with her arms wide open.

A look of pure rapture adorned her face, as if she were patiently awaiting thunderous applause.

“I am a princess who brings despair~ With a sharp sword, I stormed the Demon King’s lair! Slaying countless fearsome monsters there~ Treading a blood-soaked carpet, welcoming death’s glare! Finally, before the Demon King I stood~ Plunging my righteous blade into his flesh and blood! Ripping apart his fragile belly~ Tearing out his soft guts, oh so messy~ Drinking his hot, crimson flow~ Donning his intact skin, a new show! Ta-da! A new Demon King is born, you see~ I am a princess who brings despair! Ha~”

Oblivious to Bo Aibiyi’s stunned expression, the blue-green haired girl sang the eerie ballad as if utterly alone. She twisted and swayed, dancing to her own macabre melody.

Then, abruptly, she spun to face Bo Aibiyi, her eyes wide, a crescent smile stretching across her lips as she raised both arms towards him.

Bo Aibiyi stared, dumbfounded, at the blue-green haired, pink-eyed girl before him. Her attire was strikingly revealing: a tiny tank top and hot pants that left large swaths of her skin exposed.

Even in his current state of near-madness, Bo Aibiyi sensed an unsettling aura emanating from the girl who sang and danced without a care. This aura repulsed him, yet, more profoundly, it instilled a fear he couldn’t quite comprehend.

“What is this… Are you mocking me?” Though a prickle of fear lingered in his heart, Bo Aibiyi’s inflated ego prevailed. He watched the girl, who had finished her song and now gazed at him with wide, expectant eyes.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned a volley of ice shards, aiming them squarely at her, his voice chilling. “Cheh… What a boring man you are.”

The blue-green haired girl, unimpressed by Bo Aibiyi’s reaction, crossed her arms and looked at him with disdain.

“Who… are you? Why aren’t you poisoned… Are you not from this village? If you know what’s good for you, leave now, and I won’t stop you. Otherwise… your fate will be the same as this trash!” Bo Aibiyi’s own injuries were severe.

Uncertain of the girl’s strength, he refrained from a rash attack, resorting instead to threats.

“Ehehehehe... While it’s not the first time I’ve been threatened, it’s certainly the first time by someone as weak as you! Wahahahahaha!! How amusing, how utterly amusing!! Ahhh~ Master Mage, please, quickly pierce my body with those ice shards~ Ahhh~ Hurry, hurry, hurry~”

Bo Aibiyi’s words elicited an unexpected reaction from the blue-green haired girl. With her arms still crossed over her shoulders, she began to twist her body, an unusual flush appearing on her face as she let out a laugh that sent shivers down Bo Aibiyi’s spine.

“Mon… Monster! Die!” The girl’s response ignited terror in Bo Aibiyi. He unhesitatingly brought his hand down, and the volley of ice shards behind him shot towards her delicate body.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!” A cry of agony ripped through the air, accompanied by a mist of blood. Yet, the scream did not come from the girl, but from Bo Aibiyi, who had conjured the magic.

His arm, the one he had just used to cast the spell, was now casually held and playfully tossed about by the seemingly diminutive blue-green haired girl.

“Why… Why… Why does everyone keep trying to stop me! I am a man blessed by the gods, I cannot die! I will kill you, I will kill you!” Clasping the wound where his arm had been cleanly severed from his shoulder, he knelt on the ground.

He repeatedly slammed his head against the earth, as if to dull the excruciating pain of his severed limb, all while cursing incessantly.

“Ehehehehe~ Your reaction is so interesting, so interesting! So cute~~ Hehehe~~~ Ahhh~ Look, your arm still has some warmth, oh, so warm, so warm~~~ Ah… Next… I think I’ll take the left leg~~~ Ahhh~~~” The girl watched Bo Aibiyi’s actions with a joyful expression.

She then brought Bo Aibiyi’s severed arm to her cheek, rubbing it against her now flushed face.

“For… Forgive me… Please forgive me… Please treat me like trash… No… No… Please treat me like dog shit… Let me go… Let me go… I won’t bother Jing anymore… Please, let me go…” Hearing the girl’s words, Bo Aibiyi seemed to snap back to reality.

He finally grasped the vast disparity in their strengths. He bowed his head to the ground, not daring to look at the girl who was rubbing his arm against her face, only praying that she would spare him.

“Oh my, oh my… Master Mage… This reaction isn’t fun anymore! Why did you beg for mercy so quickly? How boring… But, was that demonized girl named Jing? Hehehe, what a cute name! I don’t know her, though I came here because I heard the demonic language. However, I specifically came looking for you, Master Mage~”

The blue-green haired girl’s ecstatic expression turned chilling upon hearing Bo Aibiyi’s plea. Yet, the mention of Jing’s name seemed to cheer her up again. She giggled, then bent down, placing her soft, pink lips close to Bo Aibiyi’s ear, whispering softly.

“Why… Why are you looking for me…?” Bo Aibiyi stammered, feeling her warm breath against his ear.

“Hehehe~ Because Master Mage said you were a big shot in Morgan City, second only to one person and above ten thousand~~ I’m looking for someone in Morgan City, you see, and I think… Master Mage, you’ll definitely help me, won’t you? Hehehe~ Master Mage, this arm is getting a bit cold now. I’m wearing so little, I feel quite chilly~”

The girl continued to speak into the trembling Bo Aibiyi’s ear, then rubbed his severed arm against his face, as if seeking his confirmation that it was indeed cold.

“Ma… Madam… I, I am just a small fry… The true master of Morgan City… is… is my lord… General Baro… Ma… Madam… I’ll take off my clothes for you to wear right away…” Bo Aibiyi could never have imagined that he would be the one to attract such a terrifying monster.

This monster’s power was simply too immense. He, a peak Archmage, couldn’t even clearly see her before his arm was brutally torn off. Her strength was likely at the Shadow rank…

“What a shame… So Master Mage deceived my innocent feelings… Boohoohoo~ If Master Mage is just a small fry, then I can kill you without any reservations, can’t I? Ahhh~~~ I wonder if Master Mage’s organs could warm me up. Ah… ah… I’m so excited… So excited!”

The girl cried for a moment, then, as if a sudden realization struck her, she tossed the arm in her hand aside like trash. Cupping her own cheeks, an unusual flush returned to her face.

“No, no, no, no! It’s not like that, Madam! I am a very important subordinate of General Baro! General Baro himself sent me to this village on a mission this time. As long as I obtain those two blades from that girl, General Baro will grant me power second only to one and above ten thousand! Madam! I am useful, I am useful!”

Hearing the girl’s words, Bo Aibiyi frantically lifted his head, completely disregarding his bleeding wound. He clutched the girl’s thigh with his remaining arm, pleading desperately.

“Hehehe, Master Mage is so cute! I won’t kill you directly, I’ll just slowly chop off your limbs, then turn all your organs into adorable dolls! Ehehehe! Even the King praises my craftsmanship! But… what are these two blades Master Mage speaks of?”

The girl gazed at Bo Aibiyi, who was clutching her thigh, completely unfazed by the blood staining her fair skin. She gently stroked Bo Aibiyi’s hair with an affectionate expression, as if comforting a child.

“Madam… Madam! Those two blades are divine artifacts! Divine artifacts! I’ve told you everything, don’t kill me… don’t kill me! The blades are in that demonized girl’s hands! They’re in…” Bo Aibiyi desperately pointed towards Jing’s location, hoping the news of divine artifacts would make this monster spare him.

However, as Bo Aibiyi’s own gaze shifted to Jing, his face contorted in utter horror.

In Bo Aibiyi’s eyes, Jing, who should have been lying paralyzed on the ground from the poison, now stood perfectly upright. Her face, which should have been filled with despair and pain, was instead beaming with an uncontrollable, excited smile.

Beneath her beautiful eyes, two streaks of crimson tears flowed. These blood tears, combined with her exhilarated expression, made Bo Aibiyi feel as though Jing and the monster before him had become eerily similar.

“Crunch… Crunch… Crunch...” The source of the sound was precisely the two long blades, radiating a dazzling golden light, that Bo Aibiyi had so coveted. These two blades were now in Jing’s hands, slowly being brought to her mouth. “Crunch” was the sound of Jing chewing.

Bo Aibiyi watched the scene, even forgetting that his life was in the hands of the woman before him. He could only stare, dumbfounded, as the two long blades he had sacrificed so much to obtain gradually vanished into Jing’s mouth.

“Father… Mother… Thank you for the meal, it was truly… so… so… so delicious!!! Heh… Hahahaha! In this world, I can finally be utterly unrestrained, can’t I, Jing!” After consuming the two long blades, Jing lightly wiped the corner of her mouth with her arm.

Then, she clasped her hands together, a beautiful smile gracing her face. Two deep dimples appeared on her pretty cheeks, which, combined with the blood tears beneath her eyes, created a bizarre tableau. She then laughed wildly, muttering to herself.