– Han-i hyung, yesterday I saw . Did you see it?
– Oh, stop watching so much TV.
– Why not? What else is there to do at the hospital? Actually, more than that, how could the secret of birth be hidden so tightly?
The disbelief on the face of my only friend sparked curiosity.
Only now am I answering properly,
“……That’s right.”
I’m curious too.
“Hey, sister?”
“It’s been a while, Reina. You still look horrifyingly stupid?”
How could the secret of birth be hidden both in the <original work> and the <setting book>?
‘Laktea was Reina’s sister?’
Now seeing it, the surname ‘Babylonia’ clearly followed by Laktea’s name in the status window.
In a rush to move after realizing she was the <Black Curtain Chief>, I hadn’t properly checked.
“Sister is the deputy leader of the Black Curtain organization, and the younger sister is the Emperor of the Empire.”
Is this what they call a dysfunctional family in stories?
Suddenly finding myself caught in a soap opera, I froze. Then the emperor, at a loss for what to do, approached Laktea.
“Where have you been all this time…!! No, how are you even alive…? It was definitely that battlefield back then!!”
“Shh. Reina. It’s still dawn, isn’t it?”
“But!!”
The poison drains from the emperor’s golden eyes.
“It’s you, sis…”
Until now, he was like a sharp blade, but now finally seemed like an ordinary person.
Seeing him this shaken, it seems the sister thing is true. So, if I escape now, will he chase?
Relationships through shared schools, geography, bloodlines, or even smoking—getting privileges through any one of these four is easy.
———
【Judgment Complete.】
【Of the 13 royal guards standing before me, the spies planted by <Eclipse> are……】
———
Coincidentally, I used my status window to determine the spies planted by <Eclipse> next to the emperor.
‘Let’s kill them all and flee.’
Surely he wouldn’t capture and kill his long-lost sister right away?
Just as a subtle side-quest difficulty seemed to lower, and I unknowingly began to smile, the emperor slowly extended his hand toward Laktea’s mask.
“Guess I need to double-check.”
“Double-check?”
“It was the battlefield where all four Demon Lord Generals marched, and even the <Hero Party> almost perished. It doesn’t make sense for only you to have survived.”
“Hmph.”
Through the dark mask, Laktea’s terrifying smile could be sensed.
“Reina. Just because you’re incompetent and foolish doesn’t mean others are too, does it?”
“…That’s right. I’m incompetent and foolish so I must see with my own eyes… I need to confirm by removing your mask and seeing for myself.”
Swoosh.
Just as his heavy hand reached toward the wolf insignia carved mask,
Karang.
Laktea, evading the hand, moved her sword from her back to her waist and warned.
“Take your hand off. The only one who can touch my body is the Commander.”
No, it’s not right.
“Commander? You mean Black Wolf?”
“Don’t speak his name carelessly.”
“What? Are you seriously insane?! What has that guy done to you!!”
What the hell.
Whatever she’s thinking, there’s nothing like that in The Black Wolf.
“Snap out of it. I’ll take the responsibility to protect you, so come back to our side.”
“Protect me? The person who killed me once?”
“That’s…!!”
“When you abandoned me and chose power, only the Commander sheltered me.”
“Sheltered… Could that piece of trash possibly!!”
It’s not true.
Before I could explain, having been halted in trying to impersonate the Black Curtain thoroughly, Laktea’s crimson gaze started leaking through the mask.
“…Trash?”
The playfulness disappeared.
The voice was now filled only with murderous intent.
I instinctively realized,
‘I need to stop her.’
White Sword Demon.
A monster who would one day send the entire continent trembling under The Black Wolf’s name.
Among these monsters especially cruel that even the <Hero Party> hesitated to confront, she was the only woman.
And,
The sole member among the Black Wolf who could,
“Die.”
【Warning】
【The sub-leader of the Black Wolf – <White Sword Demon Laktea> is lifting the <Restraint>.】
【Your rank is changing.】
【<A+> → <S+>】
A woman who can lift the soul’s <Restraint> without the commander’s permission.
Sa-rak.
The resplendent white and gold murderous aura spread endlessly from the very ground she stood on.
Dull-clunk!
Haaang!
Shhh!! Shhhh!! Please be quiet!!
The civilians spying from home hastily shut the windows and hid,
“Argh, Ah…! That’s…!”
“Move, I go first…!”
“If I could just touch her once…!!”
Knights drawn by the radiant white ghostly energy stretched out their hands, yearning for the zenith they’ve dreamt of.
———
【Name: Laktea Babylonia】
-Rank: S+ (Restraint removed)
-Nickname: White Sword Demon (Limit Removed)
-Info: Secret alliance – <Black Wolf(?)> received the title of <Sub-Leader - White Sword Demon>. When switching to this title, estimated rank post-switch: <S+>.
———
I am the sword, and the sword is me,
The realm of <Sword And Self As One>.
Because of this, the knights who gazed upon the sword dreamed.
The dream that if they could touch that resplendent sword, they would attain the same level.
But they didn’t know.
———
【Skills possessed by Laktea Babylonia】
-Passive: Equivalent Exchange (Ex)
-Skill 1: Ghost’s Cry (S+)
-Skill 2: (Access Restricted)
-Ultimate Skill: (Access Restricted)
They had already fallen victim to the <Ghost's Cry>.
The razor-sharp ghostly energy isn’t just the realm they yearn to touch, it’s the horrifying true face of the monster that mesmerizes and kills.
The only ones who saw the world clearly were the caster, Laktea, <Black Wolf> Commander me, and the emperor.
“Hey, wait a sec, sis!!”
The emperor, foreseeing what was about to happen, hastily drew his sword and tried to block her way,
“Shh. It’s still dawn, remember?”
Laktea only smiled eerily and naturally swung her sword.
Sa-rak.
The pure white sword energy emanating from the blade swiftly flowed towards the emperor and the knights.
The first to be touched were the knights’ necks.
“Ah, I finally touched it.”
“Now I can…!”
“I’ll become as strong as I dreamed…!”
Clunk.
In the eyes of the knights drunk in delusion, the world flipped around.
The heads falling soundlessly resembled wings melting as they grew closer to the sun.
“Uh…?”
Finally waking up from the reverie, the knights faced a despairing reality,
Thud.
They fell to the ground without being able to scream, still staring at their standing bodies in disbelief.
That gaze was from thirteen different pairs of eyes.
They all died soon after.
【Objective Achieved!】
【Objective 3. <Elimination of the 13 Royal Guards> succeeded! (13/3)!】
———
Even as the terrifying scene unfolded, I remained calm.
【Judgment Complete.】
【Of the 13 royal guards in front of me, the spies planted by <Eclipse> are all 13 members.】
———
‘There are no innocents, it’s a relief.’
No.
Calmness had become cold.
【Congratulations!】
【You have Perfect Cleared the side quest – <For the Worst>.】
———
‘With the side quest completed, there’s no more reason to linger here.’
I had to escape as quickly as possible, retreat to the hideout, and contemplate how to prevent the impending 15 incidents.
‘So let’s flee first.’
If I’m caught or kill the <Emperor>, the <Main Quest> will be a failure.
After a brief moment of contemplation and determination, when I opened my mouth to call Laktea.
“Exceptions don’t exist.”
With a horrifying swing of the sword, the energy aimed for the emperor and Reina.
“Stop, Laktea!!”
I shouted instinctively without thinking, but was it because I shouted at full strength?
“Commander!? Aah…!!”
That terrifying and precise strike had already been out of Laktea’s control for quite some time.
【Notice.】
【<Main Quest> has additional conditions.】
【Condition 1. If the <Emperor> or the <Hero> is killed, the character – <Black Wolf> will be deleted.】
As if pushing me from behind to do something, the sudden conditions appeared.
I instinctively realized. Even though I don’t know the exact identity yet, <System> wants the survival of the emperor and the hero.
Damn,
Then what can I do?
Until the situation changes in my favor, I have no choice but to comply when the system demands it.
【Transcendent Artifact – <Ring of Iaso(SS+)> has been activated.】
【<'Remember, no pain can destroy you.'>】
Touching my <Ring of Iaso>, I unhesitatingly leaped towards the emperor.
“Are you doing something again…!!”
Startled by my approach, the emperor struggled in fear but his attempt was no more than a slight shake. Unable to push me away, the moment I spread my arms and embraced her,
Chew.
I heard an eerie sound from within my body followed by excruciating pain.
