Chapter 147: He-llo (7)
Chapter 147: He-llo (7)
Although Salome was a thief, she was amongst the top hundred brightest minds on the continent of Pangaea.Some might wonder what's so great about being in the top hundred─.
In Pangaea, where all sorts of gods and spirits watch over, there were plenty of individuals so extraordinary that even the term genius seemed lacking, like Shadow Judas or the Golden-Eyed Enkidus. So, being smart enough to be in the top hundred was truly an amazing feat.
Salome’s exceptional intellect rarely forgot anything she saw once.
She could perform dozens of calculations in her head simultaneously and had an exceptional sense for literature and painting, allowing Salome to steal artistic items with innate efficiency.
If the mages of the tower or the scholars of the Graham Academy saw Salome, they would undoubtedly find it regrettable. She was using her remarkable talents merely for ‘thievery’.
No matter how one looked at it, thievery was the most despicable and vile act in the world, an endeavor devoid of glory or honor.Even if one stole diligently and lived in greater wealth than anyone else, people would not respect them but rather curse or spit on them.
But who would dare to speak such words honestly to Salome?From a young age, Salome was boldly called a ‘princess’.
She was the princess who ruled over all the darkness in the back alleys and underground, and indeed, since her childhood, she had lived a life so well-cared-for that the title was not undeserved.
Her father, the 12th Judas, Herod, had especially adored Salome.
If the current Salome displayed an arrogant attitude surpassing that of haughty nobles or princesses, it was greatly influenced by her experiences in her youth.‘I still remember those days in vivid detail’.
Salome had a good memory.She remembered the days when she was cared for like a baby sparrow by the hands of nobility, never scolded or reprimanded even when she pecked at that hand.
“But really, it’s all thanks to you rather than my own merit.”
Salome’s hands went to her waist. There, she had a pouch full of shurikens, allowing her to throw them accurately whenever she wished.
━......
The man facing Salome remained silent.Shadows cannot speak, after all.Click—Yet, he pointed a gun at Salome, long enough to resemble a musket, and this was more effective than any words at conveying his stance.
Salome honestly found several things unbelievable. To sort out her complex emotions and seek the truth, she decided to ask.
“Is it true that you tried to kill me on my birthday?”
━......
The shadow didn’t answer this time either. In fact, Salome knew very well that no matter how much she asked, he wouldn’t be able to respond.The question was directed more at herself than at the man.
"Herod, did you raise me just to kill me? Like how a master cherishes pigs or cattle before eating them. How could you... to become the vessel of Nocturne, why would you do that to your own daughter..."
Salome looked around.The world's greatest magic engineering city, Freesia, now resembled a mountainous hell.
Those who wished for the world's destruction might rejoice at the sight of this tumultuous heaven and earth, but upon cold consideration, it was a scene without a single redeeming quality.
Bang—!!!!Just then, Shadow Herod's gun spat flames.
With a thunderous blast that rang in the ears, a shadow bullet flew towards Salome's left chest, but she was able to dodge the attack with ease.
The moment the muzzle flashed, the world seemed to slow down to a stop, and soon enough, it really stopped, allowing Salome to move through this frozen world.
'Incredible. What an incredible ability.'
This was an ability Salome had gained after she had once died to the hands of Jack the Ripper and was revived through the blood of Judas.Salome could stop time for a total of 10 seconds a day. To be precise, it wasn't so much that the world stopped, but rather that Salome accelerated, but that wasn't what was important right now.
Salome elegantly walked through the stopped world like a princess.Then, she aimed her dagger at the neck of the shadow, and without a second's hesitation, she sliced through it.
Thud— Rolling—With that, as if a blocked artery had been opened, the world sped up again.Salome sneered at the shadow crumbling to dust and rolling on the ground.
"You raised me to be this way. Don't resent me. Having killed you, now I'm an orphan."
Pop—With those words, Salome leaped into the air.She never looked back again.From now on, Herod would no longer ever be a concern for Salome.
Salome didn't want to waste a single second dwelling on the miserable past. The only things that came to her mind were her daughter Hina and her husband Judas.
'Hina is my daughter.'
Every time Salome saw Hina, she could vividly see her own blood flow through her veins. Hina might have seemed docile and naive, but she was actually unpredictable.And that was also incredibly cute and lovable.
'I may be an orphan, but I have a daughter. She's my family. And I have a husband too. Of course, if you get technical, Judas isn't my husband yet...!'
Salome had been living under the same roof as Judas for the past few days.Judas was a lecherous man, but strangely, he hadn't tried to touch even a hair on Salome's head.This fact pricked at Salome's pride.
'Of course, I know that if something goes wrong, Hina won't be born. But isn't it okay to hold hands or ask for a date? Don't you want to marry me?'
She was angry.She should give him a good punch when they see each other again.With that thought, Salome continued to leap across rooftops.
Salome had decided not to look back anymore.It was clear that the existence of Herod would no longer come to her mind. It was a refreshingly good feeling.
"Killing people is definitely more fun than studying. Hehe."
Salome truly deserved to be called a villainess. Now, she was thinking about her mother.
"Pirate Blackbeard and Herod kidnapped my mother from the sultan's castle. So, she was someone who lived in a castle."
Once this affair is over, it would be wise to investigate in detail what had happened at the sultan's castle.Perhaps Salome might really be a princess.
Then it would mean that Hina, born to Salome, would also be a real princess and this would serve as proof that her daughter was superior to those born to Brigitte or Cariote.And if the daughter is superior, it naturally means that Salome, as the mother, is steps ahead of the other mothers, which would make her feel extremely pleased.
Cariote was engaged in a fierce battle with the shadow of the Demon King Sabernak.
The spells fired by the two staffs aimed at Cariote destroyed buildings, overturned the ground, and even summoned meteors from the high heavens.Especially powerful was the straight-firing Death Beam.
Ziiiiing—Anything that the beam touched, even if it was rock, would melt and bubble under the superheated ray.The spectating soldiers and wizards could only defend and protect themselves, so they could only marvel.
'...Is this the power of the Demon King? And to think he hasn't even used a spell grand enough to be considered grand magic yet...!'
Demon King Sabernak.There was no one on the continent of Pangaea who did not know his name.
However, everyone had only heard tales of his terror, they simply imagined him as a demon with horns.The actual sight of him exceeded their imaginations, and the mere act of looking at him made one's chest tighten and legs go numb.Indeed, some turned and fled.
"A monster! It's a monster! The world is going to end! The dead Demon King has resurrected as a shadow! The world is doomed!"
Truly a state of utter panic.Of course, not everyone fled.
Their eyes followed the hunter who gracefully dodged the straight magic with elegant movement and calmly swung the blade of her short sword at the Demon King.She was cloaked in a black cape and had eyes as dark as the night.
'Incredible! Amazing! To think such a hero still existed in this world! Look at that movement! It's hard to even follow it with the eyes! Even the trajectory of that blade is beautiful!'
People marveled at Cariote.In a day turned hellish, could she be the hope?
But Cariote herself, contrary to people's expectations, was not at ease.One mistake and death was certain.
'When facing wizards, you cannot give them time to prepare big spells. Offense. Relentless offense is the only way to survive.'
Cariote sought to engage the Demon King in close combat as much as possible.However, the Demon King easily counterattacked with two staves, and Cariote too, had to maintain some distance for safety.
Magic and martial arts.Such a being striving for the pinnacle of both paths.Cariote shuddered at the thought that such an entity once sought to destroy the world and had been more than half successful, and admired the hero party that had slaughtered it.
'I knew they were remarkable, but to see this... The rumors that circulated were actually understated.'
Their feat was truly unprecedented in history.With that thought, Cariote slowly emptied her mind.
Revenge.Cariote only wanted to kill the Demon King.It wasn't the Demon King who had killed her sister and mother, but she had promised herself that she would end her revenge by killing the king of demons.
Of course, the Demon King was no easy opponent.The hero party barely succeeded in killing him as a group of four, yet Cariote was now alone.
But, Cariote was confident.
'If I use that, I can kill the Demon King. And I too will die.'
It was a resolve to die with the enemy.She could kill the Demon King, but she would likely also die, nine out of ten times.Fortunately, Cariote was not afraid of death.
'......'
Yet, even as the time for the revenge she so desired approached, Cariote hesitated.Something flickered before her eyes when she was about to use the technique she had prepared for death. It resembled her mother's face, or more precisely, a young child.
'Cecily....'
The daughter she bore without going through birth yet.If she were to die with the enemy here, would Cecily also die-.
Snap—That's when Demon King Sabernak slammed his staff on the ground.Whoooom—A magic circle began to form beneath Sabernak, flashing an eerie light.
"Damn it!"
Cariote realized her hesitation had given Sabernak the chance to cast 'Grand Magic.'Whoooosh—!Everything was enveloped in light, and when Cariote came to her senses, she could tell someone was grasping and pulling her arm.
"Sister! What are you doing?! Hurry up! We're going rabbit /genesisforsaken
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