Chapter 91

Flam, fully equipped as usual, was heading for the castle's exit while holding Milkit, accompanied by Sera.

Her face was hot.

The warmth of the body and the sweet scent she felt in her arms, along with the trusting gaze of the girl, did not even allow her to cool down.

"Big sister, your face is all red, you know?"

"There's nothing I can do about it!"

Sera teased her.

Although she couldn't remember, they had already introduced themselves briefly.

There was no sense of discomfort in talking to her, and she could feel that they had known each other for a long time.

"Master, do you have a fever?"

"No, no, it's not like that!"

I like you...—she couldn't possibly say that.

No, perhaps her former self had already confessed long ago.

They seemed to have a relationship where they hugged each other regularly, so it wouldn't be strange if they were already together.

However, if that were the case, wouldn't she hope for a kiss rather than a hug upon reuniting?

The way she called her "Master"... it seemed odd, yet it felt like Milkit herself wanted it.

"Then... is there something wrong with me?"

Milkit whispered, slightly worried.

Flam, flustered, blurted out,

"I like you, Milkit!"

Flam was further flustered by her sudden confession.

But Milkit smiled happily.

"Yes, I like Master a lot too!"

The overwhelming affection hit Flam head-on.

Her face turned even redder from the sheer force of it.

This must mean they were already in a relationship, right?

No, but it didn't feel that way—Flam's dormant memory asserted this.

Milkit was honest and innocent.

She probably just said what she felt without any deeper meaning.

"But, you two seem to have gotten really close in a short time, haven't you?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, sure, we were good friends back then, but not this close."

Flam realized for the first time that this was her first meeting with Sera in a long time.

And that her relationship with Milkit was not a short one.

Despite the loss of her memory, Milkit had no doubts about Flam's feelings.

She felt a strong bond.

Thinking about protecting her with her life, while not entirely like Flam, felt natural once she realized the intensity of her feelings.

"Something's coming."

"Huh?"

Thanks to her equipment, Flam sensed the presence of an enemy.

Its speed was completely inhuman.

She put Milkit down and readied Soul Eater.

Sera stood beside her, gripping her mace.

"Ugh, ugh...!"

They heard a high-pitched groan.

"That creature is..."

"A Chimera, and there are three of them!"

"I'll take the lead!"

Flam's body moved naturally.

She felt no fear in front of the Chimera, which moved inhumanly.

Her body remembered that she had always done this.

The fear that tried to creep in—thinking of those she needed to protect, it vanished.

"Haahh!"

With Flam's battle cry, the pitch-black blade slashed at the Chimera.

But the three nimbly retreated, easily evading the attack.

Carrying the momentum of her swing, she spun around and slammed Soul Eater into the floor.

It felt different from the Slaughter Rule but similar in some way.

It was knight swordsmanship.

Even without remembering the name, she relied on her ingrained experience to unleash a storm of prana.

Goooooo!

In the narrow space, the storm stripped the walls, floor, and ceiling, assaulting the Chimeras.

Even with their arms crossed to defend, by the time their vision cleared—Flam was already in front of them.

"Got you!"

A powerful thrust pierced the heart of the wolf-type Chimera, along with its guarding arms.

Flam knew what to do next—

"Reverse it!"

Snap!

Magic flowed from her body to her arm, from her arm to the hilt, and from the hilt to the blade, destroying the core it touched.

However, the remaining two Chimeras showed no signs of distress at the loss of their companion.

To them, the dead individual was not a comrade.

Flam, with Soul Eater still embedded in the corpse, activated the enchantment of the "Laughing Slaughterer's Damascus Gauntlet," setting the wolf-type body ablaze.

She then used it as a blunt weapon to strike the approaching enemy.

"Ughaaa!"

The sword pulled out, and the Chimera, entangled with the corpse, flew away.

It seemed to have taken little damage but was temporarily immobilized.

Flam tried to finish off the last one, but it was nowhere in sight.

Moments later, she sensed a killing intent from behind.

Apparently, while fighting the other enemies, she had unknowingly been flanked.

Flam turned around.

But it was too late to evade. She guarded her neck and heart with the gauntlet as—

"I won't let you! Judgment Illegal Formula!"

Sera unleashed a massive light sword.

This was the second one today, and the last.

"Roar!"

The sword pierced the Chimera's body.

The trajectory that was about to hit Flam veered off, and it was thrown to the ground.

"Thanks, Sera."

Flam thanked her and stabbed the fallen Chimera's heart with Soul Eater, destroying its core and defeating the second one.

"Ugh, ugh..."

At that moment, the last fallen enemy let out a strange sound.

Flam felt a chill and saw Milkit's feet move—

"Milkit, run!"

She shouted and kicked off the ground, running towards her.

"Huh...?"

Milkit, confused, moved as instructed.

"Ugh"

However, the Chimera stood up and let out another sound.

The ground distorted where Milkit had moved to.

It was probably an earth magic spell.

The Chimera's target was not just Flam but all three of them.

To take down as many as possible, it chose the weakest.

It was a rational choice—thus, it touched Flam's reverse scale.

"Yooouuuuuu!"

Just before the magic activated, Flam's extended right hand pushed Milkit away.

Then, a rock spear from the ground pierced her upper arm.

"Ugh..."

"Master!"

The pain wasn't as bad as it looked, but it still hurt.

Flam's face contorted, and the wolf-type Chimera approached without mercy.

"Big sister!"

Sera, gripping her mace, confronted the Chimera aiming for Flam's life.

However, the enemy easily stopped her powerful blow with one arm and flung her away.

Flam's arm, still impaled by the rock, hung limply.

Facing the approaching Chimera, she—lifted her right arm with her left hand, removed the gauntlet, and pointed her fingers.

Her body told her to do this.

The reversal magic exploded inside her.

Boom!

The disintegrated right hand turned into countless bullets and was fired into the Chimera's abdomen at close range.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh!?"

"Ugh..."

Flam, looking at her hand, grimaced.

Her body moving on its own meant she had fought this way before.

Even with regenerative abilities, wasn't this a bit reckless?

But now was not the time to hold back.

She drenched Soul Eater's blade with the blood gushing from her wrist.

Standing up, she swung her sword at the retreating Chimera.

She felt she was using her strength better than when she was cornered by Otilie.

Perhaps her stats had returned thanks to her equipment.

With the blood, she could now—use sword techniques that could withstand real combat.

"I won't let you escape!"

A red blade shot out from the tip of her sword.

The Slaughter Rule: Blood Snake Bite.

While it was a basic technique, its power varied with the amount used.

The large amount of blood from Flam's wrist.

If she used it all for one strike, it would be more like a giant serpent than a snake.

"Ugh!"

The wolf-type Chimera kicked off the wall to change its trajectory and avoid it.

But it couldn't escape the giant serpent.

The blood blade, moving like a living thing, curved and latched onto the Chimera's back.

The blood that entered its body began to strip away its functions.

"Ugh... ugh..."

The Chimera tried to stand and escape.

Flam countered with a reverse strike.

"Here's the finishing blow!"

A thrust with her remaining left hand.

A prana spear, imbued with reversal magic, shot from the sword tip and pierced the Chimera's core.

It was an Anti-Piercing Spear.

The force swirling clockwise inside the crystal began to reverse—unable to withstand it, it was destroyed.

As the enemy fell, Flam exhaled deeply.

But the one who was more mentally exhausted was Milkit.

"Master...!"

She ran to Flam and touched her regenerating right hand.

"Is this okay...? Your fingers, they were flying off and it was really bad..."

"Looking at it hurt me too."

"I thought it was pretty bad too... but my body remembered."

"...After we separated, you must have been in some really tough battles."

Milkit held Flam's hand in both of hers.

The gentle warmth healed Flam's shocked heart.

"It's convenient, but I think you shouldn't overuse it."

"I know, it hurts a lot, so I'll try not to use it too much."

"It's my fault, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Because you're here, I can fight."

Flam gently stroked Milkit's silver hair.

Her mouth and body moved without conscious thought.

"You always helped me by saying that."

"Seems like it."

As they looked at each other, the sound of clapping came from down the hall.

The moment she saw the woman approaching, Flam glared at her sharply.

"Otilie!"

"Flam, I finally understand. You were a messenger of love!"

"Huh?"

Otilie, with a completely deranged smile, spouted incomprehensible words.

"The most precious thing in this world, connecting people and creating infinite possibilities of happiness, is love! I can't express enough gratitude to Flam for awakening my sister to this love!"

"...You're the vice-general, right?"

Sera got up and moved next to Flam.

"Yeah, Vice-General Otilie Fockepee. As you can see, she's crazy."

"Hehehe, a crazy woman, huh? It's a pleasant compliment. After all, going mad with love is a human instinct!"

Indeed, she was still crazy—but different from before.

When Flam was attacked, she was broken in a negative way, but now she seemed positively broken.

In other words, she was in an extremely good mood.

"And now, I too have become a resident of love. Perhaps that's why I had a 'premonition.'"

"Premonition?"

"The premonition that you—'are here.'"

As she said this, Otilie drew her sword.

The blood cartridge attached to the hilt was filled with fresh, red blood.

Leaving the infirmary, preparing her equipment, and coming to stop Flam—all were her own decisions.

She had no information about the commotion in the castle.

So, as she said, her ability to locate Flam was a "premonition" or "intuition."

Completely insane.

Flam, exasperated by Otilie's existence, which was beyond comprehension, said,

"If you're grateful, I'd like you to let me go."

"Hehehe, hehehe, hehehe, hehehe!"

But the moment she heard this, Otilie suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hehe... I'm sorry, thinking of my sister makes me so happy that I can't help but laugh. But now you understand, right?"

"Understand what?"

"Even with gratitude, my center is my sister. This planet, this world, everything that exists revolves around my sister. Therefore—"

Flam signaled Sera and Milkit to back off with her eyes and hand.

She exhaled, focused her mind, and readied Soul Eater.

"You may be a benefactor, but ultimately, you are my sister's sacrifice. For love, I must stop you here."

"I refuse!"

With that, they both moved forward, their swords clashing.