The rain fell in a steady pitter-patter, making a soft hissing sound against the surface of the umbrella. In this restless world, it brought a touch of purity and tranquility. In this era where magic was widespread, almost any magic user could cast a spell to ward off the rain, yet there were always those who cherished the feeling of raindrops hitting an umbrella.
Or perhaps, there was a certain charm and elegance in sharing an umbrella with a loved one. If the two individuals each harbored their own little secrets, it could even become a tale for the ages.
The wind carried raindrops beneath the umbrella. Occasionally, water dripping from the trees was blown by the wind onto the hem of the young girl's clothes, only to be flicked away by a faint ripple of magic. It seemed Clo had considered this possibility long ago, wrapping the area beneath the umbrella in a magic barrier.
She and Li Yue both remained silent, seemingly lost in their own thoughts. She held Li Yue's pale, slightly cold hand, and they both looked at the scenery they liked, speechless.
Perhaps Li Yue truly was enjoying the view. After all, she really liked rainy days. Only in a heavy downpour would the bloodstains on her be washed clean, rinsing away her sins and her pain. If it were possible... she truly wanted to live in a perpetual rain that never stopped...
Li Yue spaced out for a while. When she came back to her senses, she realized Clo's attention seemed to be entirely on her. She deliberately lifted the arm that Clo wasn't holding, revealing several scars and bruises that were stark and eye-catching against her fair skin.
“These marks you left on my body... they're fading very slowly,” Li Yue said with a smile. Her self-healing speed was nothing like it used to be; one could even say she was nearing death. “Or rather... are they all expressing one thing?”
Li Yue leaned close to Clo's ear, her words causing Clo's heart to accelerate involuntarily.
“Expressing that... I am your property... right?”
Li Yue smiled. For some reason, she felt a bit happy. This feeling wasn't so bad. To have someone love her so obsessively, to need her so much that they couldn't live without her—this intense feeling of being needed was something she, someone who had always silently sacrificed for this world, deeply craved.
“...” Clo didn't reply to Li Yue's words, but her grip on the hand she held tightened significantly. She narrowed her eyes slightly, wondering if she had gone a bit too far, yet Li Yue didn't seem to mind the pain at all...
Why should she feel guilty? How could she feel guilty... She had never cared about those dead humans or her own atrocities... The only one who could make her feel guilt... was me, and it could only be me...
Does she feel she betrayed me... or is something really going to happen in the future, and she's compensating me in advance?
Clo would reflect on such questions repeatedly after every encounter. The more she lost, the more she feared losing. Everything from the past was vivid in her mind, and she could no longer find any other meaning for her continued existence.
“Say... when the clerics there see the wounds on my body, do you think they'll believe the impurity on my soul was caused by you?” Li Yue seemed to be in a good mood, rare for her to say more than a few words to Clo during their stroll. She usually remained silent, but today, she seemed much more spirited for some reason.
“!” Clo's eyes widened slightly. She truly hadn't considered such a reason, or rather, she was currently doubting whether her own soul had already been stained with impurity...
“There, there. That impurity is very distinct. It's not something that will infect me just because you do a few things to me,” Li Yue smiled. “And you don't need to worry too much about yourself. There is no such impurity on your God's remains. That impurity and madness accompany their souls, making them unable to die while forcing them to desperately seek survival.”
“Then... how do those ordinary magic users get stained with impurity?” Clo was stunned. In her memory, there were indeed magic users who had gone mad, and more than just one or two. In her long memory, there were even people she knew among them.
“They were deluded into accepting a portion of a deity's soul,” Li Yue thought for a moment. “Or they were infected by the blood crystals I left behind. However, those people usually turn into blood demons.”
“Why would you leave such things behind?” Clo frowned. However, she didn't suspect Li Yue of intentional malice. Even if it were intentional, what of it... As long as Li Yue was still by her side, nothing else mattered...
“I don't remember,” Li Yue thought seriously. “But I must have had a reason for doing so back then. While I don't love the people of the world as those gods do, I don't hate them either.”
“I didn't view them as my children, my lambs, or anything else...” Li Yue looked at the palace in the far distance. Her eyesight was excellent, allowing her to see the silhouette of the grand architecture on the distant horizon. “They are my subjects. Between us, it is simply the relationship of a monarch and her subjects.”
“How could I ever bring harm to my own subjects... Or perhaps, there were unavoidable factors involved.” Li Yue shrugged. She looked at a manhole cover not far away, her expression becoming a bit subtle. She glanced at Clo and found that although the other had sensed it long ago, she hadn't made a move.
“Blood demons are most numerous in the Royal Court. This place also has the strongest and most acute demon hunters and the Demon Hunter Association. Their influence once surpassed that of their headquarters, the Hunter's Association.” Clo held the umbrella, standing quietly in the rain.
“Logically speaking... they are most active at night, and the closer one is to the city center, the fewer there should be. But they can never be completely eradicated.” Li Yue watched the slightly vibrating manhole cover, her tone unhurried. “I wonder what is still continuously producing blood demons.”
A massive, crimson humanoid creature suddenly burst out from underground. It was just like the one Li Yue had seen in a certain manor a long time ago—a muscle swollen monster without skin.
Its crimson eyes swept over Li Yue and seemed to ignore her. Then it looked at Clo, a hint of fanaticism appearing in its eyes.
“Am I being treated as one of their own?” Li Yue gave a light laugh. Although Clo was concealing her mana, some leakage was inevitable. Perhaps it was because the creature sensed a familiar aura from Li Yue, while Clo's presence as a mage triggered its hunting instinct.
“How does it distinguish?” Clo frowned. She sensed several presences rapidly approaching from the distance.
“With this, of course.” Li Yue took Clo's hand and slowly placed it on her chest, meeting a hard sensation.
“A blood crystal?” Clo's eyes narrowed.
“When we share a bed, I usually hide it inside my body. It's a bit uncomfortable, but at least it won't poke you.” Just as Li Yue finished speaking, a swift figure appeared. The twin blades in his hands struck decisively, slicing the blood demon before them into four pieces.
A magic user followed closely behind, landing lightly. He reached out and snatched a screeching soul, stuffing it into an unknown container.
Li Yue frowned. Her hand holding Clo's squeezed tight for an instant, but she seemed to quickly realize her current powerlessness and let it go.
“Apologies, we've arrived late, ladies,” the demon hunter said with a slight bow. “I didn't expect them to be so rampant during the day. It was my oversight.”
“Is this young lady injured? Why don't you follow me back to the church for treatment? We are one of the largest churches in the Royal Court, very reliable.” The young-looking magic user glanced at Li Yue, seemingly failing to notice anything else unusual.
“One of?” Li Yue raised an eyebrow.
“Then we shall trouble you.” Clo glanced at the robes on the magic user, confirming that this was the church she had been looking for.
“Then please follow me, ladies. The demon hunter may also bring the corpse of the blood demon back with me for purification.”
“No problem.”
“Hmm...” The expression on Li Yue's face slowly faded, replaced by an indifferent look, yet it seemed to carry a hint of... excitement?
Rate on N.U.
