Abyssal Sovereignty

━━━━━━━━━━┓༻( ∞ )༺┏━━━━━━━━━━

Vol 2 Chapter 11: Sharing Secrets

━━━━━━━━┛༻( ∞ )༺┗━━━━━━━━

"... And that’s that," Aris finally halted her movements, surveying the littered bodies sprawled haphazardly across the ground.

In the past few moments, she had relentlessly repeated the same gruesome act—blasting apart the heads of those men, only to regenerate them before death could claim them, then beginning the cycle anew.

To expedite the process, Aris had even added a spell to forcefully awaken them from the brink, dragging them back from death's embrace time and time again. It was a torturous limbo between life and death, not merely inflicting pain on their physical forms but eroding their very spirits.

Naturally, the men were not equipped with the mental fortitude to endure such torment for long. Their will to think, to resist, had long since crumbled.

"Sister..." came a quiet voice.

"Hm? What is it?" Aris turned at the sound of Veridith’s voice.

"My... my treat..." Veridith’s eyes drifted to the cup on the ground. The contents, a type of 'fried ice,' had spilled, half-melted and wasted.

“... Here, have mine,” Aris said, retrieving an untouched serving from her storage space and offering it to her sister.

"But you haven’t eaten yours yet..." Veridith hesitated.

"I’m fine without it. It would just go to waste anyway."

As she spoke, Aris raised her hand slowly. "Besides, I’ve got to take this lot to the guards."

The group of men on the ground, as if manipulated by some unseen force, floated into the air, suspended and awaiting their grim fate.

"Oh..." Veridith murmured, her expression flickering with an almost imperceptible trace of disappointment.

“... To avoid this happening again, you’d best stay with me for now.”

"Ah? Oh, alright!"

...

Now, to rewind time a bit. On the other side of town, a tall and short figure walked side by side.

Unlike the lively street filled with food stalls Aris and Veridith had just passed through, this part of town was lined with more conventional shops, primarily selling durable goods like clothing and accessories.

"Humans do have quite the flair for creativity, don’t they?" Misako remarked, admiring the assortment of garments and trinkets displayed in the shop windows. The designs, so distinct from anything found in her lands, piqued her curiosity.

The black demons had absorbed much from other worlds, their culture borrowing heavily from various otherworldly influences. But here, despite some hints of foreign knowledge, human craftsmanship still retained a nostalgic blend of both old and new—an intriguing fusion of vintage elegance and emerging technologies.

"Indeed, not bad at all," Farkonia added, her eyes scanning the merchandise, though she found herself inadvertently locking gazes with a shopkeeper at the entrance.

"Hello there! Such a lovely lady! I’m sure our accessories would suit you perfectly!" the shopkeeper called out, rushing over, showering Farkonia with flattery. It was obvious she was eager to coax her into the store. Had Farkonia not subtly dodged, the woman’s eager hand might’ve grabbed her arm outright.

"Who do you think you are, being so familiar?" Misako’s face darkened at Farkonia's discomfort, her tone sharp as she attempted to drive the persistent shopkeeper away.

Her words, however, had little effect.

"Oh my, is this your younger sister? Or perhaps your daughter? I must say, you’ve kept yourself in marvellous shape! We also sell beauty products that would suit you splendidly," the woman continued, her misunderstanding of their relationship deepening.

"You—!" Misako’s height had clearly led the woman astray. Though she appeared younger, Misako was, in truth, only slightly junior to Farkonia—and ancient by human standards.

"Tch, I really didn’t want to do this," Misako muttered, narrowing her eyes at the shopkeeper. For a fleeting moment, her golden irises gleamed with the delicate pattern of cherry blossoms. Instantly, the shopkeeper’s gaze grew vacant, her mind clouded. She stumbled back a few paces before turning, retreating to her post at the shop entrance.

"Misako, did you...?" Farkonia raised a brow in question.

"Just the most basic of illusions. She’ll forget about us soon enough. Honestly, I should’ve given her worse for what she said, but I’m feeling generous today. She ought to be thankful!" Misako crossed her arms with an air of smug satisfaction.

"Well, either way, thank you for stepping in."

"Hmph, you’re far too soft."

Farkonia wasn't aggresive as she used to be—when she was the Dragon King—was kind to those she cared about but utterly ruthless to anyone who dared to cross her. In the past, Farkonia would’ve needed no assistance in dealing with a meddling shopkeeper.

Still, Misako didn’t mind the change. Not really.

"Hm? What’s this?" Farkonia’s gaze shifted to a shop in the distance, where a silver-haired girl sat on a bench outside.

"Miss Diana, what are you doing here?" Farkonia called.

"Hm?" Diana turned her head, her usual daft expression plastered across her face.

"And Miss Elyssa?"

"Ah... She’s inside," Diana mumbled, pointing towards the shop, where a silver-haired girl could be seen perusing the clothing racks.

"These don’t look like combat wear... and they’re rather pricey," Misako noted, eyeing the tags in the display. Thanks to the universal language established centuries ago, reading the labels was no issue.

"Because Elyssa has money," Diana said simply.

"Clearly," Misako mused, glancing at Elyssa’s attire—an exquisite dress bordering on a ball gown, reminiscent of gothic lolita fashion. The craftsmanship and materials alone suggested it wasn’t cheap.

Moreover, there was an air of nobility about her, a refined elegance impossible to miss.

“... Hm? What are you lot doing here?” Elyssa had finished her purchases and was now walking out of the store, bag in hand.

"We just happened to be passing by and saw you," Farkonia replied.

"I see." Elyssa offered no further comment, instead shoving the bag she carried into Diana’s arms.

"For you."

"Eh? Why give it to me?"

"Must you ask? That rag you’re always wearing is dreadful. It’s one thing to dress like that for a commission, but in your free time too? You’re dragging down my sense of style."

Elyssa hadn’t entered the shop to buy something for herself; she had picked out an outfit for Diana, no doubt hoping to elevate her appearance from ‘shabby’ to something more presentable.

Of course, Misako, with all her knowledge of otherworldly customs, could see right through Elyssa’s true intentions as she forced the bag into Diana’s hands.

‘Ah, I see. This could get interesting,’ Misako thought with a grin. She had been growing rather bored after leaving Shirone and Haru, but it seemed new entertainment had just presented itself.

"By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask since today’s commission." Farkonia suddenly turned to Elyssa, curiosity piqued.

"When you hunted that boar, the ability you used—it didn’t seem like something a human could possess. Could it be that you’re of a special race? Ah, no need to answer if it makes you uncomfortable. I’m just curious, no hostility intended."

Farkonia’s curiosity was piqued by the fact that such an unusual individual was living as an adventurer among humans.

Before the ‘Demon And Dragon War,’ though the races lived in relative peace, they were never particularly friendly. It was rare for one of a different race to venture into another’s territory without cause.

"Hm... I don’t mind telling you. It’s not exactly a well-guarded secret." Elyssa placed a hand on her chest, then spoke with calm dignity.

"I am of the Blood Race."