Chapter 1383 - Curse
After failing to complete Scáthach"s challenge, even after nine hours had pa.s.sed, Vahn, covered from head to toe in scarlet needles, released a tired sigh. After his training in the Well of Destruction, even direct damage to his Spiritual Body did little to phase him so, while it felt like he was being scorched from head to toe, he didn"t so much as flinch while looking up at his s.h.i.+shou. She was standing just above his head so he was able to see a rather tantalizing sight, made all the more enticing by how much effort he had put into trying to claim it...
With the exception of girls like Fenrir, Scáthach could always tell what Vahn was thinking so, knowing he was having idle thoughts immediately after his training, she released a rare sigh before squatting down, her finger tracing a line across his cheek as she muttered, "At this rate, you"ll complete all of my challenges well before ten years pa.s.s. How is it you"re able to constantly surprise me yet, at times like this, I can"t help but feel frustrated with your progress...?"
Though Scáthach knew the answer to her own question, she was curious about Vahn"s response. He had a penchant for saying different variations of the same words over and over again but, despite it annoying her quite a bit, she never truly got tired of hearing them.
Vahn couldn"t claim to truly understand his s.h.i.+shou but, after more than three years, he chose to believe he had a decent understanding of her character. Thus, in response to her question, he gave a confident smile, grabbing her wrist with his hand as he answered, "I told you before, many times, in fact...no matter how impossible it might seem, I would make you fall in love with me~."
Hearing Vahn"s words, Scáthach made a show of rolling her eyes and, after pulling her hand free, she retorted by remarking, "Yet, here I stay, one of the few women who have yet to fall to your insatiable appet.i.te...I wonder...just how long will you keep me waiting...?"
Since this wasn"t the first time they had a conversation like this, Vahn wasn"t too taken aback by his s.h.i.+shou"s words. Instead, he forced the needles out of his body, moving to a seated position so that it was easier to talk before saying, "Even if I could claim you now, your heart would never be mine if I reneged on my vows. I"d rather have a lifetime at your side than squander everything for a few hours of pa.s.sion."
Find Vahn"s words to her liking, Scáthach nodded her head in approval before adopting her usual cold and distant tone as she warned, "I"ll force you to summon me as a Berserker or Avenger Cla.s.s if you break your promise...keep that in mind, Master..."
With seven s.h.i.+shou"s already pus.h.i.+ng him far beyond his limits, Vahn paled slightly when he heard Scáthach"s words. He could only hope she wasn"t being serious but, knowing her as long as he had, Vahn knew better than to doubt her words. He could imagine her forcibly summoning a version of herself using the Greater Grail so, with a defeated look on his face, Vahn fell backward against the hard white stone and just stared at the endless abyss above for a few minutes...
---
Around the same time that Vahn was lamenting his s.h.i.+shou"s ever-increasing expectations for his growth, a little girl with ashen-white hair, expressionless blue eyes, and a perpetual smile on her doll-like leisurely strolled through the streets of what many would describe as a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With her frilly white dress and pure white stockings, she was like a singular ray of light in an otherwise dreary world.
Unfortunately, with the collapse of "polite" society, the world wasn"t a safe place for a young girl to wander on her own. Though the majority of people gave the unnaturally pristine girl a wide berth, her delicate and frail appearance still caught the interest of various dark-hearted individuals. Some harbored licentious and deviant thoughts while others, having lost themselves to the darkness of the current world, merely wanted to capture her, locking the girl away like a dove in a cage.
After Vahn"s wish, crimes against children had become all but impossible and, with most "innocents" being whisked away by "G.o.d"s Light", there were very few people that still attempted to target young children. This didn"t mean there were none, however, as the distinct lack of a police force resulted in the vast majority of people giving in to their instincts and desires. Thus, despite knowing there was little hope in success, two brutish-looking men with haggard appearances followed closely behind the fair-skinned girl as she turned into an alleyway.
What surprised the men was the fact that, rather than continue on her way or try to run, the girl had turned to wait for them, the smile on her face growing to almost unnatural proportions. This caused one of the men to place his hand on the shoulder of the other, muttering, "This doesn"t feel right at all..."
Though he had been about to suggest they retreat, both men couldn"t help but gawk as the young girl they had intended to victimize lifted up the hem of her skirt. This caused the more deviant of the duo to adopt a vile grin as he shrugged off his friend"s hand and said, "It"s no wonder there is still a brat like this running around. The little b.i.t.c.h probably gets off on this type of s.h.i.+t...!"
In response to the man"s words, the little girl began to giggle playfully, inciting both men to throw what little inhibitions they had away. There was a "loophole" to the strange phenomenon that had plagued their kind over the last few months as, if the other party was "willing", they were able to do whatever they wanted, so long as it didn"t turn to violence. Unfortunately for the duo, the moment the girl revealed the contents of her skirt, their fates had been sealed.
Rather than childish or delicate undergarments, what came into view was an endless black abyss as, faster than either man could scream, black tendrils erupted from beneath the girl"s skirt, enveloping their bodies and covering their mouths. Then, to their horror, the flesh touched by the tendrils began to slough away, turning to a fleshy liquid goop. To make matters even worse, the only thing either of them felt was a seeping chill pa.s.s through their bodies. There was no pain, no anguish, just a "finite" chill that terrified them beyond madness.
By the time a minute had pa.s.sed, all that remained of the men were blackened bones and rotten flesh. Despite this, both men were still alive, their skeletal visages fixed in horror as their eyes, left untouched by the corruption, stared at the little girl with an imploring gaze. Instead of offering them a reprieve, however, she merely giggled, her lifeless blue eyes momentarily showing a s.a.d.i.s.tic glee as she explained, "You enjoy making others feel helpless to sate your own desires. This is because you are unable to empathize with their suffering. Now, I have given you the opportunity to reflect upon your past decisions. Enjoy an eternity feeling the helplessness you forced onto others~."
Seemingly satisfied with her own words, the little girl gave an approving nod before turning away from the duo. Then, as if remembering something she had forgotten, the girl showed a surprised expression before remarking, "Ah! I forgot to ask what your names were! Don"t worry, I promise to never forget you. You"ll just have to be Mr. 43 and Mr. 44 from now on, ehehehe~."
Hearing the girl"s words, the two skeletal men fell into even greater despair, their bodies s.h.i.+vering due to their mental anguish and the perpetual cold that had gripped them...
---
Less than three minutes after the white-haired girl had disappeared, a gentlemanly man with ink-black hair and a mature beauty with long, raven-black hair, appeared in the alleyway. When they saw the now-familiar sight, the man issued a light hum as he walked from one end of the alleyway to the other, his cane making a rhythmic tapping sound the entire way. The two men on the ground didn"t know what to make of the strange man who had appeared but, seeing the emblem of the Empire embroidered into his suit, they screamed within their minds, begging for death.
Understanding the men"s intentions, the ink-haired man, Sherlock, gave an apologetic smile before explaining, "My apologies, gentlemen, but I cannot offer you that which you seek. You needn"t worry, however, as my companion here will ease your suffering."
Hearing Sherlock"s remark, the beautiful woman issued a sensual laugh that caused even the skeletal figures on the ground to feel a heat rising in their bodies. This was similar to stepping inside a warm building during a snowstorm so, for a brief moment, hope was ignited in the duo.
Unfortunately, what the woman offered was not absolution or release. Instead, like a glutton who had found a delicious meal, she seductively licked her lips before making a biting motion. In the next moment, the light faded from both men"s eyes as every memory from the moment of their birth had been devoured in an instant. This did nothing to liberate them from the chill piercing through their bodies but, without knowledge of anything else, they became empty husks without a single thought astray from the cold permeating their entire being.
Seeing the increasingly-common sight, Sherlock took a longer than average drag of his ornate pipe before breathing out a pale mist and asking, "You ate everything, correct?"
In response to Sherlock"s question, the raven-haired woman answered with a seductive smile as she closed the distance between them, her waist swaying like a snake as she mused, "How could I ever defy my beloved Master~?"
Without minding the woman pressing herself against his body, Sherlock continued to stare off into the distance with a ruminating gaze. At the same time, however, his right hand, now bereft of his usual cane, snaked around her thin waist. Even when she licked the nape of his neck and bared her teeth, he acted as if it was perfectly natural as, for the past month, this had become his norm.
Following a mild p.r.i.c.k, Sherlock was able to witness the final moments of the two men, finding the same white-haired girl that had been present during the previous incidents. This mildly frustrated him as, even with his brilliance, CHALDEAS, and several pseudo-omniscient beings, they had been unable to trace this peculiar white-haired girl. She didn"t leave behind a single trace at all, almost as if she didn"t exist outside the minds of her victims...
Understanding this was a very real possibility, Sherlock absentmindedly smoked his pipe, wondering how he would catch a culprit that didn"t actually exist. At the same time, his companion, Lilith, kept herself busy by lapping up his blood, her tongue dutifully cleaning even the smallest droplets of blood. If she got his collard dirty, Sherlock would "punish" her by closing off his mind, a delicacy she had become particularly fond of ever since contracting with him.
By the time Sherlock"s neck had been cleaned, his would nowhere to be seen, two small horns had started to protrude from Lilith"s scalp. She had trouble maintaining her disguise while excited so, at times like this, her Daemonic nature revealed itself. Fortunately, Sherlock had an aura that naturally deterred anyone from interfering with his investigations so, even if they would normally pa.s.s by the alleyway on their way to whatever it was they were doing, pedestrians would give the location a very wide berth.
With Lilith finished with her meal, Sherlock released another cloud of smoke before saying, "We will return. At this point, I fear the best course of action is to request the a.s.sistance of the Emperor. Take these two and store them away with the rest. Once we discover a way to destroy their bodies, we will give them the death they sought in life."
Hearing Sherlock"s orders, Lilith waved her hand, lifting both men"s bodies using her own form of Telekinesis. Then, like she had the previous victims, Lilith threw their bodies into Imaginary Number s.p.a.ce. There, they could be safely stored for thousands of years without a single second pa.s.sing so, once a countermeasure against the "immortal curse" had been found, they could either return to the alley, freeing the men trapped inside, or just leave them there for all eternity.
(A/N: Alternate t.i.tles: "RIP Vahn","(O_____O)...","Lilith has been tamed!? What an elementary question (o 3 o)...")
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