V3 Chapter 57

“Who are you?”

Julian asked with a wary frown, bewildered just like the Demon Princess.

His face darkening even further.

It was another masked person. One that he had never seen before. With that accursed Succubus, Beastman, and now... a human?

It seems like he was now being surrounded by unknown masked people of different origins. Just who are they? And what are their purpose in intervening in this battle?

“Who we are, is not important.”

The little girl replied. But this time, the previous gentle aura become cold and fierce as she faced him.

“But the act of attacking Her Highness is something we cannot allow. Your action is deemed guilty, and so on behalf of the Supreme Being, we will give you the punishment you deserve,”

Her voice was so cold, sharp, and appeared very menacing.

“What are you talking about?! Who the hell are you?! Do you know who we are?!”

“Hehehe,”

mocking laughter came from the side.

Julian glared at the source, the masked woman from the succubus race. And beside her was the annoying beastman, who is still releasing an incredible fighting aura. But for some reason she was not attacking, instead, she seemed to be enduring.

She kept glancing at the eye-patched little girl with wariness, and a bit of annoyance.

Julian snorted with hot smoke coming out from his pierced nose. Gripping the hold of his axe, he looks back at the creepy eye-patched girl with wariness. Glancing secretly around him, he then saw his comrades fighting desperately against unknown assailants, though, most of them were wearing black clothes and mask as well.

And Sorietta, even if she’s still alive, she wouldn't be able to help.

Damn it, are we actually surrounded instead?

They came here without warning, so how can an ambush suddenly happened to them?

Was the plan leaked?

But who the hell are these masked people?

“If you are waiting for your own reinforcements, you don’t need to…they won’t be coming at all. They give us so much trouble that we are quite delayed in coming here.”

The eye-patched little girl muttered casually.

But this news caused a great change in Julian’s expression.

“You Bastards!”

Julian widened his eyes in shock, then turned into anger, for he suddenly realized what the little girl was talking about.

Though he doesn’t want to believe what she said, a part of him did. Or else, it would be strange as to why the others had yet to make a move after causing chaos using the Berserk Drug to the demon beasts in the area.

Because of the intense battle he was having against the Demon Princess, he had not cared about it. But now that his mind has calm down, he had realized that no one had indeed come after them, which is completely outside of their plans.

These people…

With her guard up all the way, Oriel shifts herself so that she can see both Julian and the interloper at the same time. However, when she finally saw the black-clothed little girl floating in the air without even wings, and appeared as if she was just standing in thin air, her eyes widened in shock.

Her surprise was no lesser than Julian.

How can she float without using magic?

There are no signs or fluctuations that are common when invoking flight magic.

But if she didn’t use flight magic, how can she fly without wings?

Sensing her confused gaze, the little girl turned towards her.

Even without seeing her eyes, Oriel seemed to feel that she was looking straight through her.

Immediately, she stagnated, and as if she was just scooped out from ice-cold water, her heart became ice-cold as well, and she felt as if she was stripped naked in front of this mysterious little girl.

The Demon Princess shivered, and she immediately raised her guard.

But then suddenly, her eyes widened upon seeing something extremely familiar on the eye-patched little girl.

That is…?!

It was Oriel who first breaks the silence.

“You… that mark,”

Oriel stared at the symbol etched on the right chest of the strange, and mysterious little girl’s clothes.

She had seen that mark before.

A symbol that resembled a tree with roots and branches with leaves coiling around in a woven form, and curving to form a semi-circle.

This symbol was no stranger to her as she had already seen it a few times. In fact, she would never forget about it, nor mistake for something else.

She had engraved this mark deep into her heart, and so she could recognize it always even if it turned into ash.

It’s the symbol signifying that particular mysterious organization that she just can’t find and catch no matter what she does. It’s as if it was an illusionary group that doesn’t exist. In fact, from what she knows, only a few people seemed to know that it exists.

Unlike other organizations such as the War of Beasts, it’s a mysterious organization that seemed to be a thorough phantom. A ghost that seemed to exist, and yet not existed at the same time.

Oriel had done all she could in these past two years trying to unearth this secret Organization. But still, all her attempts ended in failure.

Aside from the fact that that strange, particular business company that was rising rapidly in the empire seemed to have ties with this organization, she knows nothing about it.

And even that [Zero] guy seemed to have disappeared in thin air as well, never to be seen or heard before.

“It seems your highness wisdom is above that of the rumors... indeed, this is the first time we've met, but I presume you've already known our Master. I heard he was in your care for a while. And so, please accept my greetings and gratitude on the behalf of our Master.”

The little girl grabbed the helm of her clothes, lifting it up slightly, and did an aristocratic bow.

Her bearing is not simple… she looked like a noble. She looked like a normal human as well. But this aura of death is so thick for a human being. Not to mention, she's not an undead. She was giving of a life aura. So, she should be a demon.

But, if she is... why can’t I feel no demonic aura coming from her.

Am I mistaken?

But that’s impossible.

The Death Aura around her is so thick…even just by standing here, I felt as if the God of Death was close by.

Oriel turned at Julian and saw his face distorted with apprehension.

As a Beastman he would not be able to notice unless he possesses a Death Affinity. But give it to him to still feel something regardless.

His instinct is truly akin to that of a wild beast.

No matter what she is, nor what kind of creature she is- one thing for certain...this little girl in front of them is a Monster.

No human or any other kind of living creature could stay sane with that amount of death aura.

Even a Demonic Being cannot necessarily endure this kind of power, unless they are a Lich-kind of existence, one that holds the power of death in their hands.

But such power would corrode the user, whether it be his physical body or his sanity, all will be corroded, thus turning into a Lich- a monster of death with only bones as the vessel of the soul completely transcending death or an undead creature with no mind whatsoever.

But why does this little girl doesn’t seem to be that different?

“Who are you? Are you from the [Garden of Eden]?”

“Yes, I am. I’m one of the [Numbers]- [Keepers] if you may say so, that keeps the Garden clean and proper- sitting on the third seat, you can call me Terzo,”

Terzo bowed gracefully once again.

"A pleasant greeting, your highness... My name is Nono, the [Ninth Keeper]. A pleasure to meet you, princess of demons."

"Settimo...[Seventh]"

When Terzo introduced herself, the other two also did.

Hearing the other side confirmed their identity, Oriel breathed a sigh of relief.

Though she hated this enigmatic and mysterious organization, unlike the three Great Organizations that existed in the Demon Empire, this unknown group doesn’t seem to bear any ill will against her. Though she still dislikes them after their attempted assassination of her beloved (?), she still somehow knows where the group stands.

At the very least, they are not her enemies…well, for now, that is.

“What are you doing here?”

“As I said, we came to help you, your highness.”

“You, what Garden of Eden...! You are but an unknown group… messing with us, the War of Beasts, can you bear the consequences?!”

As Terzo and Oriel were talking, suddenly Julian, annoyed roared in anger. Though, a part of his annoyance was that he seemed to be cast aside, ignored by the two of them when he was standing so close.

This was a humiliation. One that he had never felt before.

However, Terzo remained impassive and only regarded him with an indifferent annoyance.

“I said, that is of no importance.”

Terzo muttered coldly.

Her eyes flashed with her desire for war.

She floated in mid-air, and continued; “Honestly, as possible we don’t want to reveal ourselves this early. However, since the situation demands it, we don’t have any choice but to do it.”

She glared at Julian.

And Julian felt cold chill surging in his body. Like being stared by the God of Death, his heart throbbed violently, and he subconsciously step back.

This intimidating aura...!

Is she an Apostle of Death?!

[Apostle of Death] those who have the power to control death. These are monsters in the likes of Lich or Necromancer. But those people mainly work under the Death Temple.

Is this little girl one of them?

No, the Death Temple should be under the first prince. They should not meddle in this plan!

So who's this girl...?!

“...And that is all because of you, Fire Eater of the War of Beasts! Though, this might incur the Master’s wrath, but so be it. You will be the first stepping stone for the Garden’s appearance in the world- so be honored! And boast it proudly in your way to the Underworld!” Terzo's cold voice reverberated in the air, so was her aura becoming even stronger- like a volcano about to erupt.

The nauseating stench of death seemed to materialize, suffusing the air with a rotting smell of decay. And all of them sensed it.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but one thing I know- you’re picking a fight with us, aren’t you?!”

"If you are still asking that now, then your brain must really be non-existent."

"Hmph! You will regret this!"

Julian snorted in anger.

As soon as he had heard of the feminine name, [Garden of Eden] they'll know in an instant it's not a powerful organization!

Perhaps, even it’s just a small organization consisted of women.

How strong could they be?

“I don’t care who or what you are, monster, but you will die for provoking the War of Beasts!!”

He swung the blazing axe and made a stance, seemly prepared to fight.

The hot elements in the area seemed to have congealed into one place, as the temperature continued to rise higher, and blazing arcs of flames appeared around him.

The wind blew mercilessly, and dust and smoke covered the entire sky!

Terzo remained impassive.

“I am your opponent, Fireeater yo! Our battle has yet to reach a conclusion!”

Settimo appeared in front of Terzo and said.

With an excited howl, her power seemed to explode, causing a black fog to appear around her, and her eyes through the eyeholes of her mask gleamed brightly with a menacing light.

"Let's finish our fight! Come!"

“You’re so persistent!”

Julian gritted his teeth.

… …