Abyssal Sovereignty

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Chapter 10: Human Body

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“Hmm, it’s so cold and sweet!”

Veridith savoured her chilled ice cream, a blissful smile lighting up her face.

As for Aris, she stood holding her paper cup, feeling a bit out of sorts.

Her taste buds remained dulled, rendering her unable to appreciate the flavour.

'Should I save this for Misako and Farkonia later?'

After a moment’s thought, Aris decided to tuck the treat away, reassured by her ability to suspend time within her storage magic.

“...Ah!”

A sudden exclamation drew Aris’s attention.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, I think I just got bumped!”

Veridith rubbed her shoulder where she had been jostled. Although as a dragonkin, such a bump was far from painful, it had startled her nonetheless.

“...It’s crowded here; be careful.”

“Yeah... Wait...”

Veridith began to fumble about, her expression growing more frantic by the second.

“I... I’ve lost my little coin!”

“...A thief?”

Understanding the situation instantly, Aris recalled a memory from her time in the orphanage, where many children resorted to stealing out of hunger, often ending up on the receiving end of brutal beatings.

Being still young, Veridith’s awareness of such dangers was lacking, making her an easy target in this bustling crowd.

“How dare they steal from me! Just wait until I catch you!”

Before Aris could voice a warning, Veridith angrily dashed after the person who had bumped into her.

“...Wait!”

Amidst the throngs of people, Veridith, being a petite little girl, nimbly wove her way through, disappearing from Aris's sight in no time.

...

“Oi! It’s you, isn’t it? You stole my stuff!”

Veridith chased the person who had bumped her into a narrow alleyway. With one hand on her hip and the other clutching her half-finished chilled ice cream, she pointed an accusing finger at the man.

“...Huh? What are you talking about?”

“...Huh?”

The burly man she confronted wore a look of confusion.

“Didn’t you just bump into me?”

“Ah! I’m so sorry; I was in a hurry.”

The man clasped his hands together in apology.

“So, where’s my coin?”

“What coin?”

“...Not you?”

“This is the first I’m hearing of it.”

Awkwardness settled in; although the man had indeed bumped into her, it seemed he hadn’t stolen anything, and he had apologized, to boot.

“Um... Well, since it’s not your fault...”

Suddenly, Veridith sensed something amiss and swerved her body to the side.

“...Damn it, I missed.”

A group of men emerged from the shadows, one wielding a tube.

An arrow, tipped with something suspicious, was lodged in the wall beside Veridith.

“What sort of incompetent lot are you? I’ve been playing my part so well!”

The man who had been apologizing to Veridith now seemed to drop his facade, revealing a sinister expression.

“Ah, don’t be hasty. Nobles, even children, possess more strength than mere commoners. It’s only natural for them to dodge a dark arrow.”

The man with the tube turned his attention to Veridith.

“Oi, little brat! You’re surrounded now. If you don’t want to get hurt, just surrender quietly.”

At his words, more men appeared behind Veridith, closing in on her.

“...I...”

“I?”

“...My chilled ice cream...”

Veridith paid no heed to the man’s demands, her eyes fixed solely on the food that had fallen to the ground in her attempt to evade the arrow.

“...This is ridiculous! Just answer me—will you surrender or not? If you don’t, don’t blame us for what happens next...”

“What do you mean, ridiculous?!”

Suddenly, something in Veridith snapped, and she let out a furious shout.

“Food is incredibly precious! How can you waste it?!”

“Puff puff!”

Even her little companion, Pupu, echoed her indignation with annoyed sounds.

Having been with Aris for quite some time, Pupu never wasted a single drop of the blood from hunted animals.

“What’s that noise?”

The men finally noticed the unusual creature perched atop Veridith’s head, realising it was no ordinary hat.

“A creature we’ve never seen before... Oh well, a pretty noble girl and an unknown beast should fetch a nice price. Let’s take action!”

With the command given, several men charged at Veridith, brandishing weapons and capture tools.

“Humph!”

However, being a dragonkin still in her youth yet possessing the strength of an adult dragon, Veridith was far from easy prey.

With a mere flash and a flick of her hand, the men were sent crashing against the walls.

'Hmm... After shifting to human form, I can’t exert my full power... It seems my ‘purity’ is still insufficient!'

Had she been able to unleash her true strength, those men wouldn’t even have left behind enough to make a meat sauce; an entire area would have been obliterated.

“What!? Damn it, nobles are always a hassle. Come out!”

Replacing the defeated men were several figures exuding a far more potent aura.

“Listen up, brat! Don’t think we’re easy targets. We have fourth-tier warriors here!”

...Only fourth tier?

Veridith recalled her own power level while in human form, which had been measured at sixth tier. Not to mention, as a dragonkin, she was a natural-born powerhouse, significantly surpassing others at seventh tiers.

“Attack!”

This time, not only the so-called ‘strong men’ but even the man who had given the orders charged forward.

Puff!

“Ugh! What...?”

An odd sound accompanied a peculiar sensation on the man’s face, causing him to halt in his tracks.

“What on earth...”

He turned to survey his surroundings, only to instantly regret it.

All of the men who had charged alongside him, even those waiting in the back, were now nothing but headless corpses, some still in mid-stride.

“Ugh! What!?”

The horrific scene before him elicited a scream, and he stumbled backward, collapsing onto the ground.

Suddenly, a sharp snap resonated, as if the terrifying image was but an illusion, and the heads of the fallen men returned.

...No! It isn’t a dream! Absolutely not!

If one were to ask why he was so certain, it was because those men, though their heads had reappeared, remained utterly motionless.

“...Do you know?”

“Ahhh!”

The sudden voice startled him, making him scream once more, his body convulsing uncontrollably before he quickly regained his composure.

“You... Who are you!?”

He trembled, struggling to articulate his thoughts as he stared at the golden-haired girl who had appeared before him.

“Do you know that a human can survive for a short while after losing its head?”

“You mean... ah!”

He recalled the previous horrifying vision.

“Please... don’t come any closer!”

However, his pleas were futile. How could he hope to escape from someone capable of such carnage in an instant?

“...The human body is quite fascinating, isn’t it?”

With another snap of her fingers, he slipped into unconsciousness.