Chapter 446: Volume 8's Epilogue

"Master...! Master got taken away!"

The refreshingly green half-plant centipede dropped off of the hands of the elves returning from the audience with the queen and cried out in an absolutely panicked voice.

"!!!!!!"

"THE FUCK DID YOU SAY?!"

All of the elves from the formerly hidden village that was within his voice reach jolted up in confusion - and Mirabelle walking by together with Cranberry, Cranbie, Raika, Kopia, Monty, and Baron, shouted in disbelief completely forgetting about her own rule about not cursing in front of Cranberry.

"OLIVE?! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"

She shouted, staring at the village's guardian looking rather grim, and ignoring the crying centipede skulking by her and climbing on Kopia's leg.

"Master got taken away...! He told me to tell the others to not get involved and that he will deal with everything alone...! But- but...!"

George trashed around with so much unease that it was really pitiful to watch - his collected and calm image got shattered instantly.

"W-was it the queen?! But Zombie said that he has a deal with her...!"

Cranberry, pale as a ghost, asked, looking between Mirabelle and Olive, grabbing onto Mirabelle's clothes.

"It looks like things got complicated - a couple of days ago Zombie suddenly bolted away in the middle of the night, shouting about not following and disappeared before anyone really knew what was going on. George found us only when we already got into the capital and then we've learned that Zombie was initially looking for someone but ended up meeting with a spy working for the Greeds and left with him. George told us to give up the initial plan of relying on Zombie's connection with the Greeds and straight-up deny it if necessary..."

While Olive was explaining...

"...Monty, George, Baron. Close your eyes and cover your ears for a little bit, alright?"

Kopia tapped on each of Zombie's subjects' backs and asked them with an unusually serious expression.

"...?"

The red dragon, golden snake, and a green centipede all looked at each other in confusion but ended up doing what they were told.

After all, Kopia has been with Zombie the longest - not to mention that she was undeniably the strongest amongst the blue undead's underlings.

"We need to go rescue him...!"

*SWOOSH*

Cranberry declared, clenching her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white, but even if she wanted to say something more, she was interrupted by a sudden gust that blew her heir in front of her face temporarily blinding her.

*thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump*

"ARGH?!"

"UGH...!"

"W-WHAT IN THE FUCK...?!"

"?!?!?!?!?!?"

That's why she got so confused hearing the surprised shouts and groans of pain that followed the series of hollow-sounding thumps.

"MISS KOPIA...?!"

The panicked shout of the little kobold girl, Raika, was the final sign that something went horribly wrong - and as soon as the girl pulled back the curtain of her red hair, she was faced with a truly terrifying image.

From behind her, something akin to a gigantic crimson tree sprouted high into the sky and bloomed into hundreds of crimson strands high above the girl's head, all falling down into the ground...

"...uuuuugh...!"

...all of those strands had matte black blades at their ends and each of those blades was piecing through the shoulders of the elves, pinning each and every member of the village right into the ground - no matter who they were.

Cranbie with his high dexterity and agility did not manage to escape the sudden ambush and was biting on his lips while trying desperately to pull out the black blade while tears were streaming down his delicate face.

Gooseberry was in so much shock that his magic shield was broken that he could only stare at the blade sticking out of his shoulder pinning him to the ground in disbelief.

Olive wasn't very good with either physical attacks or defense so he was trying to free himself with magic, which was working just as expected - it wasn't.

Mirabelle who on the other hand was good with both the aspects that her kept man was lacking, was struggling hard enough to earn herself another black blade - this one piercing her other shoulder.

"!!!!"

Cranberry turned around on the spot and saw the root directory of the disaster.

With only the human face still intact the nightmarish creation made out of crimson threads was staring right back at Cranberry, while all three subjects of Zombie, as well as the kobold girl, were behind her - with Raika being the only one to react to the situation.

If it wasn't for the severity of the situation, the way that the three monsters were covering their ears and eyes - or the corresponding body parts - would be overwhelmingly adorable.

Alas, the most overwhelming part was indisputably Kopia's monstrous look and her undeserved hostility towards the elves.

"Master will be gone for a while and you leveled up the iron will skill as he asked you to. With that, the preparations are complete. You are to return to the Prides mansion and remain there until further notice. The elves can visit but not too often. You are free to exchange letters as much as you want. There will be no discussion about rescuing master until you will become an adult. You will be under my surveillance at all times so further restrictions or removing of such can happen at any time."

Kopia sounded as if she was reciting a text that she memorized and wasn't really sure what it all means - it was almost certain that whatever was happening wasn't her own idea but rather someone had instructed her to do it all.

...though, all in all, her face did not look like she was upset about any of her actions.

"Do you understand?"

Kopia asked tilting her face - yes, only the face as the rest of her body was all threads that weren't keeping one coherent form at the moment.

"Wha...?! Do I understand?! Of course, I don't! There's no way that I will agree to such outrageous demand! Who do you even think you are?! I'm your master's wife! Release my family, right now!"

Cranberry stomped her foot and waved her hand in a domineering way.

"...maybe I'm doing this wrong...? But she said that it would work... oh well..."

Kopia murmured to herself as her face momentarily showed signs of anxiety.

"Kopia, I don't know what got into you, but I demand you to get back to normal, or I will fight you even if you are Zombie's favorite weapon!"

*SWOOSH*

Seeing her chance the red-haired girl shook her head and shouted angrily, but in response to that, more bladed crimson threads fell down from the above and stopped right above the heads of the elven villagers.

"Te-he~! Yes, I am~!"

Kopia giggled playfully as if she wasn't very clearly ordered about threatening to kill all the elves that she took hostage.

"But you need to answer my question you know? I don't care about what you think, I asked if you understand, understand? This isn't a demand, I am telling you what will happen."

Kopia closed her eyes and made her face move up and down, simulating nodding.

"...and if I don't want what you say to happen?"

Cranberry gritted her teeth and growled, glaring furiously at the sentient weapon.

"I was told to start killing all the elves until you will promise to comply~"

"HAAAA?!"

Kopia revealed without even batting an eye.

"Mhmm! The elves can't win against me - master gave me the sword made of the sacred tree that was grown with the power of the elves, so I can negate all of their powers."

Kopia said without any hesitation, causing even more confusion.

"But I hope that you will understand your role fast, master likes killing too and I don't want to make him sad by killing without him."

She added sounding genuinely concerned about something so ridiculous.

"...who made you do this...?"

Cranberry glanced at her mom and dad both looking at her and motioning at her to not agree or to flee the village, living them behind, before she asked.

"Another me... though... I guess now it's already another you - there was something wrong with her from the very beginning after all. You must have hatched and taken over."

Kopia made it so her face tilted and moved to simulate shrugging her shoulders before giving out a ridiculous answer.

"Ha...?"

Cranberry gasped in disbelief, furrowing her brows at the cryptic response she received.

...but as she did so, the black blades all dropped a little bit lower, getting closer and closer to the face of every elf...

...it looked like Kopia didn't quite understand the instructions that she was given by the mysterious person, because instead of starting killing the hostages one by one, she was about to start killing them all at the same time, but slowly.

"Alright! I'm asking again - do you understand how things will be from now on?"

Kopia asked all happily.

"..."

Cranberry clenched her hands so hard that her fingernails punctured the skin of her palms and the blood started dripping on the ground.

She glanced at her parents, Mirabelle and Olive - who despite the blades almost piercing the skin on their foreheads were more concerned about her.

"...erstand..."

The red-haired girl lowered her head and muttered.

"Hmm...?"

Kopia blinked and tilted her face the other way.

"I said, that I understand. Now, release them."

Cranberry spoke up loud and clear, and demanded, glaring down at the sentient weapon.