Chapter 71
"Alright, where to next?"
Though spoken lightly, this was of course a strategy meeting to annihilate the Supreme Demon God.
"It just occurred to me—we’ve been crushing the Cult left and right, but no one’s said a word against it. Why is that?"
We’d already destroyed two branches. In fact, Lady Cecillia and Lord Minato had wiped out most of the Cult’s forces. Yet, not a single complaint. It was Lady Cecillia who answered my question.
"Well, for starters, the majority of the demon realm despises the Cult. But more importantly, they’ve managed to make enemies of both the Belkland and Blaze clans simultaneously. The Blaze clan is our counterpart—known as the 'Guiders.' In times of crisis, they stand at the forefront to protect the demon realm. Alongside us Belklands, of course."
While the Belklands are called the "Shields," the Blaze clan bears the title of "Guiders." Together, they exist to safeguard the demon realm.
"The Blazes are a warrior lineage," Lord Albert added. "A bit hot-blooded, perhaps, but they respect strength above all—status, gender, age, none of it matters to them. In a way, they’re egalitarian."
"May I ask why the Cult is so hated and why they crossed the Blazes?"
Lord Albert nodded.
"The Cult’s infamy is simple. As you might’ve heard at the Mitra branch, their crimes are endless: abductions, imprisonment, assault, brainwashing, banned substances—even by demon realm standards, it’s a parade of atrocities. Ignis himself was guilty of beating and killing followers, coercing female members into sexual acts, rape… The list goes on. Other branches are just as vile. They overplayed their hand. In fact, countless petitions from citizens beg for the Cult’s destruction. Even if we hadn’t stepped in, public fury would’ve erupted eventually. We just sped things up."
"Yikes… They were even worse than I thought. But why antagonize the Blazes?"
This time, Lord Minato answered.
"Two reasons. First, the Blaze heir is Albert’s friend. Second, the Cult attempted to assassinate the current Blaze patriarch."
"Why would they—?!"
"The exact motive’s unclear, but the Blazes had warned the Cult repeatedly: 'Cause more trouble, and we’ll erase you.' The Cult ignored it. Then they tried to kill the patriarch—probably to remove an obstacle. They failed spectacularly, of course, and their involvement was exposed instantly."
"That’s… so stupid it’s almost funny. Are the Cult leaders insane?"
"Certifiably unhinged," Lord Albert deadpanned.
"Bottom line: destroying them is a public service," Lord Minato concluded. "The Blazes are already raiding other branches. We’re just coordinating. So no need to worry, Yuuka."
"That’s a relief… I was afraid I’d dragged you all into my personal vendetta."
"Even if so, the choice was ours," Lord Albert said firmly. "You’ve no cause for guilt."
His reassurance eased my conscience. While I’d resolved to crush the Cult, unnecessary bloodshed still weighed on me.
"Back on topic. Where next?"
"The nearest branch? Or the easiest target?"
"That’d be the Aqua branch for proximity, or the Gale branch for simplicity."
"Aqua, huh… Ugh, I hate that girl…"
"Lady Cecillia?"
"...That thieving little cat who tried to steal my Minato-kun needs to be punished… Hehe… Medium-rare or well-done, I wonder~…"
Oh dear. What’s this aura around Lady Cecillia—?
"(Lord Albert! Why is Lady Cecillia radiating so much murder?)"
No highlights needed. This was full-blown yandere mode.
"(Aqua once tried to take Minato for herself. She’s obsessively in love with him. Cecillia fought her to the death—leveled an entire village in the process.)"
"(Ah. Say no more.)"
"(Aqua’s… how to put it? Much like Cecillia. Loses all reason when it comes to Minato.)"
A yandere vs. yandere catfight? This’ll be a disaster…
Comments (0)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.