The man in white robes stood amidst the ruins, a smile that suggested everything was under his control plastered on his face as he spread his arms toward the clock tower.
But the black-robed figure atop the tower didn't even give him a glance.
Lilith was looking down at the white-haired youth she held by the collar.
“You go fight him.”
Leonard: “...Huh?”
He blinked his golden eyes, his face a mask of utter bewilderment.
“Me?” Leonard pointed at himself. “You want... me to fight him?”
“Yes.” Lilith nodded, her tone matter-of-fact. “Aren't you the Hero? A Hero fighting a villain is only natural.”
“But, but he's...” Leonard tried to explain.
“He's a bad guy.” Lilith interrupted. “Look, he just killed five people and nearly killed a sixth. A villain like that should be handled by a Hero.”
Leonard opened his mouth to argue, but found himself unable to rebut. The logic seemed... sound?
“But the problem is I can't beat him!” Leonard finally shouted his true feelings.
Lilith fell silent for a moment, appearing to give the matter serious thought. Three seconds later, she reached a conclusion.
“If you don't go, this place will be destroyed.”
She pointed at the town below. “Look, he's already demolished half of it. By the time you're done hesitating, the whole town will probably be gone.”
Leonard looked where she pointed. Indeed, the previous battle had leveled the surrounding buildings, leaving the streets riddled with craters and debris.
If there were a few more rounds, this so-called Shelter would probably have to seek shelter underground for real.
“But...” Leonard still tried to struggle.
Lilith's tone suddenly shifted, turning icy. “Go, or I'll kill you right now.”
Leonard: “...”
He looked at Lilith's red eyes glinting beneath her hood, then felt the terrifying strength in the hand gripping his collar. He promptly surrendered.
“I'll go.” His voice was crisp and decisive, with no hesitation whatsoever.
A wise man knows when to bow to the inevitable—this was the life creed Leonard had summarized over his long existence.
“Good.” Lilith nodded with satisfaction and let go.
Leonard landed on the roof of the clock tower with a thud, rubbing his sore neck. He could feel that if he hadn't agreed, Lilith really would have killed him.
...
Below, the smile on the man in white robes' face froze.
In his mind, the opponent should have asked “Who are you?”, leading to a high-stakes dialogue before the battle commenced. That was basic villain etiquette.
But the person across from him had ignored him completely!
What was this? Did she look down on him?
His expression gradually darkened. He had lived for... well, a very long time, and he had never seen anyone so arrogant.
“Hmph.” He let out a cold laugh, his voice laced with suppressed rage. “Since you're so confident, I'll make sure there's nothing left of you to bury!”
With that, his figure blurred, transforming into a streak of white light charging straight for the clock tower!
He moved so fast he left an afterimage in the air. His strength, which was above Rank 9, was fully on display.
He intended to use the fastest speed and the most brutal methods to show her the price of ignoring him!
“BANG!”
The man in white robes was instantly kicked away, flying straight toward the distant mountains.
Lilith retracted her leg and turned to Leonard, who was still sitting on the ground. “Alright, go find him.”
Leonard: “...Huh?”
Leonard wanted to cry, but he still stood up shakily. He looked at the collapsing mountain in the distance where the dust was slowly settling, took a deep breath, and prepared for his doom.
“Um...” he asked cautiously. “Can I not go?”
Lilith didn't speak. She simply raised her hand, a tiny purple vortex appearing in her palm. It spun slowly, emitting a heart-palpitating aura.
Leonard immediately changed his tune. “I'm going! I'm going right now!”
Lilith reached out and grabbed him by the back of his collar, lifting him like a kitten. Then, with a sudden burst of strength in her arm, Leonard was hurled like a white meteor toward the collapsed mountain.
His piercing screams echoed through the air.
Lilith clapped her hands, nodding in satisfaction. “Done.”
She turned and leapt from the top of the tower, landing lightly on the street. She walked over to the dying Captain.
The Captain lay on the ground, blood still seeping from his chest, but he was still conscious.
“Heh, how does it feel? I told you, minding your own business lets you live longer.” Lilith crouched down, looking at him.
The Captain struggled to raise his hand, wanting to say something. “You...”
“Go back and tell the people in the Royal Capital,” Lilith interrupted him, “stay out of the business here.”
Her tone was flat, but it carried an air of unquestionable authority.
The Captain opened his mouth to speak, but Lilith had already pressed her hand against his chest.
Warm light poured from her palm into his body. He could feel his injuries rapidly regenerating. Within seconds, he was mostly healed.
“This...” The Captain looked at the black-robed Lilith in shock.
“Alright, you can go now.” Lilith stood up and made a casual swipe in front of her.
“Screeech—”
Space was torn open, creating a rift. Lilith grabbed the Captain by the collar and tossed him inside.
“Remember to pass on the message.”
With that, the rift closed. Before the Captain could react, he found himself standing on the outskirts of the Endless Mountains.
He stood dazed for a few seconds, then gave a bitter laugh.
“Pass on the message... This isn't just a message, it's a blatant warning.”
He looked back toward the ruins, sighed, and flew toward the Royal Capital.
...
Rate on N.U.
