Chapter 499: Delusion (7)

"Huh, she's still not dead yet?" Eugene suddenly muttered with a disdainful snort.

He had clashed with the specter in the sky while thousands of Nur and the allied forces had crashed into each other on the ground.

As a result, Hauria had been completely devastated. It was no exaggeration to say that there weren't any buildings left standing in good condition. Despite this, Amelia, who they had left on the roof of a building, was still alive and well.

No, she couldn't really be called well. Although there weren't any physical injuries on her, Amelia's mind was still trapped in the nightmares that Sienna had shown her.

The fact that Amelia had survived while all the buildings around her had collapsed wasn't because she had been particularly lucky. Sienna had simply left behind a barrier to protect Amelia.

"I really wanted to just get rid of her," Sienna confessed, pouting her lips in displeasure. Aiming a kick at Amelia, who was currently sprawled on the ground, she continued speaking, "But I thought that I should get your opinion first."

"Well, you didn't really need to be so considerate," Eugene said as he approached Amelia.

In fact, by this point, Eugene didn't care at all about Amelia's life or death. This was because Eugene had already become far stronger to pay any attention to something as weak as Amelia. On top of that, he had already seen her do such a shameful act as getting down on her knees and begging him for her life that he could honestly say that he didn't care anymore whether or not Amelia lived or died.

"Bloody Mary[1]," Eugene muttered as the staff caught his eye.

There was no need to take a second look at Amelia herself, but this staff was a different story. Eugene grinned as he looked down at Blood Mary, which Amelia was still holding in her hand. This was the magic staff that had been passed down through the hands of all the previous Staffs of Incarceration.

It was on par with Akasha because of how it had been created with the full and luxurious use of an entire Dragon heart. And just like how Akasha had been imbued with the ability to comprehend all other magic formulas, Blood Mary was also imbued with its own special ability.

"With this staff, you can inherit the magic used by its previous holders," Sienna spoke up in explanation as she stood next to Eugene.

Eugene hummed thoughtfully, "But that's not an ability you'd be all that interested in, isn't that right?"

"Maybe if I was a black wizard," Sienna said with a grin.

Eugene also grinned back as he nodded.

All of Blood Mary's previous holders had served the Demon King as the Staff of Incarceration. For a black wizard, it would be a very enticing prospect to be able to inherit the magic of these predecessors without any effort, but neither Eugene nor Sienna had any interest in black magic.

'That said, it would also be ridiculous to give something like this to Balzac,' Eugene thought as his mind turned to Balzac, who wasn't currently accompanying them.

Even if Balzac wouldn't immediately turn on them after receiving the staff, it was an indisputable fact that they would end up fighting him at some point.

Balzac had managed to gain a great deal through the course of this war. Gluttony, his newly created Signature spell, allowed him to absorb the strength and memories of those that he devoured with his hand. On the battlefield, Balzac had devoured large amounts of demonfolk, demonic beasts, and, on top of that, the Nur as well.

Eugene had deliberately overlooked Balzac's rapid growth. Even if Balzac had increased his strength through such predation, he would never be able to surpass Sienna in terms of magic. This was something that would still apply even if he continued to mindlessly build up his reserves of dark power.

To be honest, Eugene didn't really think of Balzac as an enemy. Not only did Balzac himself seem to lack any sense of hostility towards them, but it was also because his secret wish to become a legendary wizard felt both pure and sincere to Eugene.

However, they would still end up fighting someday. Even if Balzac himself didn't wish to do so, as long as Eugene had his sights set on the Demon King of Incarceration, he would inevitably have to fight Balzac at some point.

If they did end up fighting, then... Eugene hoped that Balzac would at least be able to put up a satisfying fight.

Balzac still might not be able to qualify as Eugene's enemy even with all the strength that he had gained through his predations, but even so....

"Giving him Blood Mary would be crossing the line," Eugene sighed regretfully.

His desire for a good fight wasn't strong enough that he would go so far as to give such a dangerous gift as Blood Mary to Balzac.

"So what should we do with it?" Eugene turned to the side and asked.

"For now, I'll keep it," Sienna replied.

Eugene's eyes widened in surprise at her answer, "You're not really going to try and learn from its black magic, are you?"

"I don't have any intention of learning it, but I do have some desire to study the knowledge it contains," Sienna answered him with a smile. "After all, black magic is still ultimately another type of magic. On top of that, if you really think about it, all of the past Staffs of Incarceration must have been some of the most exceptional black wizards of their era. Although they still wouldn't be as great as this Wise Lady Sienna."

"But why do you need to keep it on you?" Eugene pressed out of concern.

Sienna replied, "If I want to become the Goddess of Magic, doesn't that mean I have to be fluent in all things that can be called magic?"

Although she had a smile on her face and her voice seemed light-hearted, the look in Sienna's eyes was extremely serious.

Eugene could also sense that those words definitely weren't meant as a joke.

"You're getting closer," Eugene abruptly commented.

She was getting closer? Sienna, who had just picked up Blood Mary, blinked in surprise at these words that had seemingly come out of nowhere.

"What are you talking about all of a sudden?" Sienna demanded.

Eugene shrugged, "It's hard to explain exactly, but that's just the feeling I'm getting."

Sienna frowned, "Hmmm, really? If that's what you want to say, then it really must be the case."

Sienna recalled what Eugene had looked like when he was engulfed in light. No, at that moment, Eugene hadn't just seemed to be surrounded by the light; he looked as if he had become one with the light. At that moment, Sienna had also gotten a similar kind of feeling from him.

'It really felt like the both of us weren't exactly humans,' Sienna recalled.

She had definitely sensed that she had somehow managed to surpass her previous level of existence. Sienna pursed her lips as she looked down at Blood Mary.

Her new spell, Absolute Decree, was definitely something that went beyond the level of mere magic, but... there were many areas in which it was still lacking. In order to reach her goal of becoming the Goddess of Magic, it seemed that Sienna wouldn't just have to surpass her previous level, but she would have to reach a whole new level.

"Are you going to extract the Dragonheart from it?" Eugene asked.

Sienna shook her head, "No, what I'm using is already extravagant enough. I don't really need another Dragon Heart."

If she hadn't created her Absolute Decree, she might have held some desire to use the Dragon Heart to compensate for the damage to her Eternal Hole, but the current Sienna had no need for another Dragon Heart.

"After I've finished using it for my own purposes, and cleaning up all of the dark power accumulated in it... hmm, I wonder if I'll still be able to find some use for it. Well, I can always give as a gift to another wizard? Or perhaps I'll hand it over to the Lionhearts?" Sienna considered thoughtfully.

"I feel like it could be used to enhance the Patriarch or Lady Carmen's Exid... or perhaps you could give it Genos? I feel like it might also be a good idea to give it to Sir Lovellian," Eugene said without giving it much thought, but the moment she heard these words, Sienna's eyes immediately narrowed.

"Why are you still calling Lovellian Sir when you've already revealed to everyone that you're Hamel's reincarnation?" Sienna questioned Eugene.

"At this point, wouldn't it be weird for me just to start casually addressing him as Lovellian?" Eugene defended awkwardly.

"What's so weird about that?" Sienna argued back.

"I... I just think that it would be weird. I'll take some time to think it over by myself, so there's no need to make a fuss about it," Eugene muttered as he avoided meeting her gaze for no apparent reason.

Eugene had his own standards when it came to how politely he treated certain people. For those with an impressive character and who had always done well by him... Eugene saw Lovellian and Gilead, who both qualified in those respects, as people worthy of being addressed by him as Sir.

'But in that case, what about Lady Melkith?' Eugene asked himself.

Until now, Eugene had always addressed Melkith as Lady Melkith whenever he spoke to her.

However, how was he supposed to address her from now on? That Melkith El-Hayah, was she someone whom he needed to treat with such respect?

Eugene had to acknowledge that Melkith was one of the most powerful wizards of this current era. So, there was no way Melkith could be excluded when the time came for an all-out war against Helmuth.

However, apart from her incredible power, what was the rest of Melkith El-Hayah's character like?

—The hero that you've always said you respect more than Vermouth! The Stupid Hamel! You were actually talking about yourself?!

The more he thought about it, the more his hackles rose[2].

"Grrk."

As Eugene started grinding his teeth in anger, Anise, who was supporting him from the side, suddenly spanked Eugene on the butt.

Bam!

"Aaaargh!" Eugene screamed in pain.

In contrast to the crisp sound of the slap, the agony of the blow seemed to echo deep into his bones. Eugene's body involuntarily staggered forward due to this unexpected and unguarded blow.

Of course, Anise wouldn't just let Eugene fall like this. Her arm coiled around Eugene's chest like a snake as she held him up.

"...," Eugene struggled to hold in a groan.

She was holding him far too close. Eugene gritted his teeth as he tried to ignore the soft touch that was pressing against the side of his arm.

"If you get angry, it will just delay your recovery," Anise whispered into her ear.

Eugene felt extremely aggrieved by these words.

Was she really trying to warn him that if he got angry, his recovery would be delayed? While it was questionable whether such a thing could even be scientifically verified, until now, the number of times that he had gotten angry while suffering from the backlash of using Ignition had to already be in the dozens at the very least.

It was obviously just an excuse for her to spank him.

"..." Eugene didn't bother to ask for her reason for doing this and just quietly kept his mouth shut.

In fact, Eugene knew that such a weak excuse couldn't have been the only reason Anise had done such a thing.

Shooting Eugene another glance, Anise whispered into his ear, "What did you talk about with that slut?"

"...," Eugene stubbornly stayed silent.

"Hamel. If you really don't want to talk about it, then I won't pry into it too deeply. Because I can respect your freedom of choice. Even though the smell of that whore is still lingering strongly on your lips. Even if it's not just your lips, and her body odor seems to be covering every inch of your body, I still won't ask the reason for that," Anise said with a cold smile.

Squeeze.

The sensation of the soft pressure pushing against his arm grew even stronger. And with each whisper from Anise, Sienna's eyes seemed to be growing increasingly sharper.

"However," Anise whispered. "Even though I do respect your choices, I can't help but feel disappointed. That's right, I'm sure that these feelings of disappointment towards you will linger for quite some time."

"That's... I wasn't thinking of keeping it a secret," Eugene hurriedly clarified. "I just thought that right now wasn't the best time for us to talk about it—"

Anise pressed him, "And just what kind of time were you waiting for exactly? Were you planning on finding us a quiet room somewhere, sitting all of us down, over drinks of alcohol or tea, before you finally said something?"

How had she known what he was thinking? Eugene swallowed back a gulp as he tried to examine both Anise and Sienna's expressions.

Eugene hesitated, "It's just that, right now is a bit too...."

The three of them were standing in the ruins of what had once been Hauria. Although there wasn't anyone nearby, the Liberation Army was currently in the middle of searching every corner of the city.

The stated purpose for doing so was to find any survivors left in the city or any remnants of the enemy, though nobody really believed that either possibility held any likelihood. This search was really an opportunity for the soldiers to claim any loot that might have been buried in the wreckage.

"And then there's still her as well...," Eugene tried to argue as his eyes lowered to look down on Amelia.

Amelia, who was sprawled out on the ground like a puppet with all her strings cut, occasionally twitched and moved her lips, but she never actually said anything.

Anise snorted, "So what? She's in such a state that it can't even really be called living."

"Should we just end her?" Eugene asked for the Saint's opinion.

Anise shook her head, "No way, Hamel, I can't allow that. If she dies, wouldn't that mean she'll be free from all this pain?"

Eugene frowned, "Won't she end up going to hell anyway...?"

"Living like this will surely be even more agonizing than dying and going to hell, so we shouldn't kill her. In fact, we should ensure that she stays alive for a very long time from now on," Anise stubbornly insisted.

This was because, just like Eugene, Anise had also happened to hold a strong grudge against Amelia. Although she had missed the opportunity to inflict her own brand of punishment on the necromancer, she didn't want Amelia, who had dared to desecrate Hamel's body, to have the easy option of a quick death.

"Alright," Eugene finally gave in, finding nothing else that he could use to distract them.

With a deep sigh, Eugene organized his thoughts.

First of all, he needed to explain that Noir was the reincarnation of the Twilight Witch. The Saints were already aware of this fact, but Sienna didn't know about his shared past with Noir.

'Though I didn't want to inform her about it like this,' Eugene thought regretfully.

Due to the backlash from Ignition, he was currently in a state where it was impossible for him to keep standing without any support. While enduring the thought that he must currently be making for quite a pathetic sight, Eugene began to speak.

He talked about how Noir Giabella was the reincarnation of the Twilight Witch and how Noir had managed to recall her past life today.

Noir's emotions had subsequently gone out of control. Unable to hold it in, she had pounced on him, and then they had continued to have a conversation in the darkness of her enclosed wings. They had confirmed each other's identities, feelings, and desires.

That was all that had happened.

From the beginning of Eugene's story until the very end, Sienna never once interrupted him. Her expression was so calm that even Eugene found it surprising. Instead, it was Anise who had to suppress an emotional outburst by biting down on her lips several times during Eugene's explanation.

"You...," Sienna slowly said, ending the short-lived silence. Her deep green eyes stared into Eugene's as she asked him, "Are you really okay with that?"

Earlier, when he had imagined her reaction, Eugene had pictured Sienna asking him, 'Why didn't you tell me anything earlier?' However, Sienna didn't ask such a question.

So why didn't she ask Eugene that? It was because Sienna herself had already come to accept that Eugene was just that type of person.

This son of a bitch had always been like this. He always tried to keep all of the painful things to himself. This habit of his hadn't seemed to have changed even after he had died.

Sienna addressed him seriously, "Eugene, if you're really okay with that, then I am also okay with it. Because I also want to kill that Queen of Sluts, Noir Giabella."

Whatever worries Eugene might be having, whatever emotions he might be feeling, Sienna didn't have the confidence that she would be able to sympathize with any of them. Whatever emotions Eugene and Noir might have for each other was a matter for those two alone, and Sienna definitely couldn't and wouldn't interfere with that.

"However, if you're not alright with that, then I'm not okay with that as well. If you don't want to kill her... if you're suffering because of that...," Sienna's words slowly trailed off.

Staying quiet, Sienna just stared directly into Eugene's eyes.

This was Eugene, who was currently being supported by Anise because he definitely wouldn't be able to stay standing on his own. The same Eugene who just a few moments ago had shown his ugly side by making up all sorts of excuses for not wanting to talk about it.

Right now...

...Eugene...

"No," Sienna shook her head.

...he seemed to be mired down by something. To Sienna's senses, Eugene's emotions felt complex and murky.

His lingering attachment, regrets, and other such feelings — in the end, it was only natural that Eugene would feel such emotions. No matter what choice he might end up making, he would still ultimately experience some regret for not choosing the other option.

However, it was from amidst such emotions that his firm will shone through. Eugene might be stupid and crude, but in the end, this man in front of her would still choose to do what he thought was the right thing; and even though he might end up with some regrets and feel dissatisfied with his choice, he would still ultimately be able to overcome such feelings.

But maybe... just maybe, if he found it difficult to stand up on his own....

'Then, just like now,' Sienna firmly told herself.

All Sienna could do was continue to support him by his side. Until he was able to stand up and walk forward on his own.

That was why Sienna had trailed off and shaken her head. She didn't ask him any more questions. She didn't want to shake Eugene's resolve in the choice that he had made.

"But you still deserve to be hit at least once," Sienna said as she began rolling up her sleeves.

Eugene's expression twisted at these words. He swallowed back a gulp as his shoulders trembled.

"But I feel like that wasn't the kind of mood we had going on, was it?" Eugene feebly tried to protest.

"Allow me to make the decision on that," Sienna firmly insisted.

"At least tell me why you're hitting me all of a sudden," Eugene weakly complained.

"You admitted that you were keeping secrets from me, didn't you?" Sienna pointed out.

Eugene's eyes wavered, "That's—"

"You should be thankful that I'm letting you off with just one hit," Sienna told him as she walked over to Eugene, loosening up her right arm by swinging it in circles.

Eugene instinctively tried to run away, but with Anise's arm coiled around him like a snake, it was impossible for him to escape. Instead, Anise even spun around with Eugene, adjusting the angle so that it would be easier for Sienna to strike him.

Eugene tried to count his blessings, 'At the very least, I'm lucky that there's no one around to see—"

Crack!

Eugene's thoughts were suddenly cut off by the sharp pain searing through his butt.

* * *

The door made of chains closed behind him as Gavid stepped through.

He was back in Pandemonium, on the ninetieth floor of the Demon King's Castle, Babel. This was the same office that Gavid had used for the past hundreds of years. Gavid stood in the center of his office, lost in his own thoughts.

'Reincarnation,' Gavid rolled the word around in his head.

There was no way that the Demon King of Incarceration couldn't know about this fact. From the moment the Demon King met Eugene Lionherat in person, no, even before that....

'I don't understand,' Gavid frowned in thought.

Ever since he began serving the Demon King of Incarceration, he had never once doubted his Demon King's will.

If the Demon King ever did anything that was difficult to understand, then Gavid wouldn't even bother to try and understand it. He didn't forcefully try to comprehend just what might even be going through the Demon King of Incarceration's heart. For him, as the Blade of Incarceration, the will of the Demon King had always been something absolute and something that should never be questioned.

However, now, Gavid could no longer do that. While slowly calming his agitated breaths, Gavid lowered one hand to his waist.

His hand came to rest on his Demon Sword, Glory. Gavid unfastened the Demon Sword from his waist and hung it on the wall. Then, he stood in front of a mirror and checked the state of his current attire. Gavid brushed some disheveled hair back into place.

Then he took a few more deep breaths.

"Will this really be the first time?" Gavid muttered to himself with a wry smile as he turned around.

In all these past hundreds of years, Gavid had never once headed up into the Demon King's private quarters of his own volition.

Gavid had only ever waited in his office for the Demon King to descend when ready.

However, now, he wasn't going to just continue waiting.

Gavid was going to push open the doors to the royal palace to finally get an answer to all of his questions.

1. This is a repeat of the note from Chapter 477 regarding the staff Vladmir. In light of new information we got in the later chapters that explain more of Vladmir's origins other than it being an evil staff, we realized that the previous use of the term is incorrect. As such, from this chapter onwards, we will be changing its name to Bloody Mary, which is a more precise translation of the staff's name. As mentioned earlier, we will keep all previous occurrences until Chapter 477 as Vladmir. ☜

2. This has been mentioned before, but when Korean people feel stressed, they massage the back of their necks, so that area is associated with feelings of stress, anger, or worry. Here, Eugene feels the back of his neck tensing up due to his anger at Melkith. ☜