READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 122
122. I Don’t Understand
──It happened a little while ago.
“Meriel, you wear that outfit a lot, don’t you? Is it your favorite?”
“Yes, it’s an outfit that combines elegance, grace, and delicacy.”
Meriel responded with a pleased look at Lilith’s question.
The black Gothic Lolita outfit looked stunning on the silver-haired, red-eyed young girl, who still retained an innocent charm.
“It’s so cute. It really suits you, Meriel.”
Alice’s eyes softened in admiration.
“Yeah, I think it’s great too. Maybe I should try to find something like that for myself…”
Lilith agreed as well.
“Thank you, both of you. There aren’t many people around me who appreciate the charm of this outfit──”
Meriel smiled happily, gently pinching the hem of her skirt and spinning around lightly.
Watching her, Lilith felt at ease. She truly thought Meriel looked as lovely as a doll.
“Ah, you’re even cuter now… This is so heartwarming!”
Alice leaned forward. Suddenly, she hugged Meriel.
“Kyaah!?”
Meriel let out a small scream.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself!”
Alice said as she rubbed her cheek against Meriel’s.
“I-I was just a bit startled…”
Meriel’s face reddened, perhaps from embarrassment.
“…It’s strange.”
With a soft sigh, she murmured.
“When I’m with you two, I forget the passage of time. My heart feels light, and I feel warmth in my chest…”
Meriel’s lips parted slightly, forming a gentle smile.
“We’re not even doing anything in particular, just talking about silly things. I wonder why…?”
“Isn’t that what friends are like?”
Lilith, curious, asked in return. Perhaps Meriel had never had close friends like this before.
“Friends…”
Meriel murmured, a slight wrinkle forming on her brow.
“I don’t quite understand.”
“When you make that face, it spoils your cuteness. Come on, give us a smile.”
Alice smiled. And, as if drawn by it, Meriel smiled too.
“…I’d like to stay like this a little longer.”
Meriel’s expression suddenly grew serious.
“But I must be going soon.”
“Going?”
“Yes, I must return to where I belong. I also have a report to make…”
“To where you belong…”
“…To my homeland.”
With those words, Meriel turned her back to them.
Lilith silently watched her, feeling a hint of sadness in that retreating figure.
Now she understood. At that time, Meriel must have returned to the Demon Realm, the homeland of the demons.
And received orders from the Demon King, returning here.
As one of the Six Demon Generals──.
“The wall──”
Lilith snapped out of her thoughts and saw the stone wall that had appeared behind them. It was likely the work of that stone giant.
The wall reached several hundred meters high. Of course, flying over it was impossible.
Now, they were effectively separated from Hart and Jack Jace.
“Meriel, are you alright…?”
Alice called out to the young Demon General.
The wounds Meriel had received while protecting them seemed to have healed, but her lost strength and magic hadn’t fully returned.
Though swaying slightly, Meriel stood with a resolute expression, fixing her gaze ahead──at the boy dressed in black.
“Just to be clear, ‘Meriel is a traitor,’ right? If I kill her, it’ll be my achievement, and the Demon King will praise me, right? Heh heh heh.”
Zarea sneered, twisting his lips.
“If only I could have fought Hart Leiva or Jack Jace instead. Defeating them would’ve been a huge deal… Sigh.”
He sighed.
“You’re still only interested in promotions, aren’t you?”
“At least I have no interest in the lives of humans.”
As Meriel glared at him, Zarea just laughed, grinning mockingly.
“I don’t understand you at all. Why would you protect such ‘food’?”
“I don’t understand it myself.”
Meriel shook her head slightly.
“But I won’t let you harm them.”
“Then, you can die too.”
Before he’d even finished speaking, countless scythes materialized out of thin air, aiming for Meriel.
“Ga Gudora.”
A black barrier appeared instantly, blocking them.
“It’s useless. My scythes cut through everything, whether it’s matter or magic──”
“I know that.”
Meriel muttered.
“So then, cut as much as you like.”
The black barrier, sliced by the scythes, immediately regenerated. It was cut, then restored, again and again──.
“Oh, a rapidly regenerating magical barrier, huh?”
Zarea smiled.
“But my scythes kill everything. Whether life or magic──you won’t be able to stop them with that.”
True to his words, the scythes were inching closer.
“This is──”
Lilith observed closely.
The brief moments between when the magical barrier was cut and regenerated allowed the scythes to advance little by little. Eventually, they would reach the girls.
“No matter how much you block, all you’re doing is delaying your death by a bit. Heh heh.”
“──Lilith, Alice, close your eyes.”
Ignoring Zarea’s sneers, Meriel instructed them.
Following her words, Lilith closed her eyes with Alice. In the next instant,
“Re Mua Ras.”
Even with her eyes shut, she felt an intense burst of light. The surroundings were surely brighter than even midday.
“Ugh!? Gah…!?”
She heard Zarea’s pained cries. He must have been blinded by the sudden burst of light.
The light faded, and Lilith opened her eyes carefully.
“D…damn…!”
Zarea, now staggering back, covered his face with both hands. His eyes must have been damaged.
“Ra Gu Dire!”
Not wasting the opportunity, Meriel unleashed a lightning bolt straight at him.
“Ra Gu Bal Ga!”
She also sent another lightning spell from above.
“Gah!”
Cursing, Zarea spun the surrounding scythes wildly. But, temporarily blinded, he couldn’t accurately counter the attack.
“Gah…! Aagh…!”
Struck by the twin bolts of lightning from ahead and above, the boy collapsed where he stood.
“Guh…ooo…”
Writhing in pain, his body convulsed, unable to rise.
“You’re a Demon General specialized in lethal attacks. Your offense is powerful, but your endurance is fragile──that’s your weakness.”
Meriel spoke quietly.
“I have no intention of fighting a fellow Demon General. Until they can escape, please refrain from interfering.”
“Why… should I… let some humans go…”
Groaning weakly, Zarea rose to his feet. His black clothes were scorched, white smoke rising from various parts of his body.
“I’m simply saying there’s no need to kill humans meaninglessly. Let these two escape.”
“That’s ridiculous… How can you not see it’s ridiculous! Caring about humans itself is──”
Zarea shouted. A fierce anger contorted his beautiful face.
“It’s infuriating!”
“You’re determined not to back down?”
Meriel stepped forward.
“Alice, Lilith, stay behind me. I don’t want you getting caught in this.”
And so──the battle between Demon Generals intensified.