CHAPTER 74 #4
Alam na alam niya kung paano umatake. Alam niya kung kailan gagawa ng lagusan, kung saan magpapakita ang mga demonyo, at kung paano niya magagamit ang sitwasyon para iligaw ang lahat.
Tangina... problema nanaman pagkatapos ng labanan na ito... I know how idiotic the Holy Cathedral can be.
"Ikaw ang may pinakamalakas na presensiyang naririto... ikaw na nga ang Orythea."
Mas lalong lumapad ang ngiti ni Valroth habang pinagmamasdan si Rassia. Hindi lamang kasakiman ang makikita sa kaniyang mga mata. There was something almost sincere in his expression, as though he truly believed that what he was about to do was a kindness.
"Natitiyak kong mabigat ang iyong tungkulin bilang Orythea..." mahinang sambit niya. "You have to carry the fate of so many people. You have to protect them, fight for them, and continue living with that responsibility on your shoulders."
Bahagya niyang ikiniling ang kaniyang ulo.
"But you don't have to carry it anymore."
Lalong lumawak ang kaniyang ngiti.
"Kapag kinain kita, matatapos na ang lahat ng iyan. You won't have to be the Orythea anymore. You won't have to save anyone. You won't have to carry the burden of this world."
Tinitigan niya si Rassia na para bang nag-aalok lamang siya ng isang bagay na makapagpapagaan sa kaniyang buhay.
"I'll take that burden from you."
Saglit siyang natahimik bago muling ngumiti.
"Don't be afraid, Orythea. Let me eat you, and you won't have to suffer under that title anymore."
Ang mga kawal na nakikipaglaban sa mga demonyo malapit sa kanilang kinaroroonan ay biglang natigilan nang marinig ang nakakakilabot na boses ni Valroth. Bahagya silang nanginig at napalingon sa kaniyang direksyon, tila hindi inaasahan ang bigat ng boses na nagmumula sa demonyo.
For a moment, their attention was distracted from the demons they were fighting. Some of them tightened their grip on their weapons while others simply stared at Valroth, unable to look away.
Ang iba sa kanila ay tuluyang napaslang at kinakain na ng mga demonyo. Some of the knights were swallowed by the lower demons, while others struggled to escape from the creatures surrounding them. The battlefield became even more chaotic as the demons continued attacking the distracted soldiers.
Samantala, ang Mysarea Knights ang tila hindi naapektuhan ng nakakakilabot na boses ni Valroth.
Nanatili silang nakatuon sa mga demonyong kanilang kinakalaban at hindi hinayaan na mawala ang kanilang atensyon.
Patuloy silang lumalaban, maingat na umiiwas sa mga atake habang sabay-sabay na inaatake ang mga demonyong nasa kanilang paligid.
The Mysarea Knights had only been under the training of Vladimir Donatello de Erenhal and Dimitrius Donatello de Erenhal for months, yet their training had already proven to be enough.
Sanay silang manatiling kalmado sa gitna ng kaguluhan at hindi madaling ma-distract ng mga bagay na maaaring maglagay sa kanila sa panganib.
For the Mysarea Knights, marami silang hindi alam tungkol sa mga Erenhal. Hindi nila alam kung sino ang mga ito o kung saan talaga sila nanggaling. They simply appeared one day when their queen conquered the city, and since then, they had remained by her side.
Para sa kanila, kakaiba ang presensiya ng mga Erenhal. It felt strangely similar to the presence of a demon, something powerful and difficult to understand.
They didn't know that the Erenhals were vampires.
Then, in an instant, all the Imperial Knights and Holy Knights suddenly felt a powerful slap across their left cheeks. The force came from Lucy Pearl, and it was strong enough to snap them out of their confusion.
"Idiots!"
Umalingawngaw ang boses ni Lucy Pearl sa buong battlefield.
"That demon is not even the most powerful among the Upper Demons! Ngunit tila kayo ay napanghihinaan na ng loob dahil lamang sa kaniyang presensiya?! Paano pa kaya kapag humarap kayo sa mas malalakas kaysa sa kaniya?"
Napaangat ang tingin ng mga kawal sa kalangitan. Naroon si Lucy Pearl, lumilipad sa himpapawid gamit ang kaniyang nakakakilabot na mga pakpak. Lumitaw na rin ang kaniyang mga sungay, habang ang itim na kristal sa kaniyang dibdib ay kumikinang sa gitna ng madilim na kalangitan.
Her completely black eyes stared down at the entire battlefield, while one of her eyebrows was slightly raised.
"Are you going to freeze every time you encounter something stronger than you? Get yourselves together! You are knights. Stop letting fear control you and fight! mga inutil!"
Napakurap ang lahat sa kanilang narinig. Maging ang mga miyembro mula sa iba't ibang squad ay natigilan at napatingin kay Lucy Pearl matapos marinig ang kaniyang sinabi.
Some of them wore expressions of pure disbelief. Lalo na dahil isang demonyo mismo ang nagsabi nito. Hindi nila makapaniwala na mayroong demonyong nasa kanilang panig.
The demon they once feared was now fighting alongside them.
Habang ang iba ay tila hindi pa rin makapaniwala na hindi pa pala pinakamalakas ang demonyong kanilang kaharap, lalo silang napatingin sa paligid.
If an Upper Demon was already capable of causing this much fear and chaos, hindi nila maisip kung gaano kalakas ang mga demonyong mas mataas pa sa ranggo nito.
Some of them tightened their grip on their weapons, while others exchanged nervous glances.
"I don't accept a tragic death like that, you stinky demon. I'd rather kill myself than be devoured by a creature like you. Marami na akong pinagdaanan, demonyo. I intend to fight this war and win it. I will become the Empress of Erenhal Sartorias before I die."
Taas-noo lamang na nakatingin si Rassia kay Valroth. Her attention remained completely focused on the demon standing before her, habang mahigpit pa rin niyang hawak ang kaniyang scythe.
"I am the Child of Fire and the Orythea. And you... you're nothing more than a demon."
Bahagya kong itinaas ang aking ulo, walang bakas ng takot sa aking mga mata.
"I don't care if you belong to an Upper Rank. Kahit baligtarin man ng buong mundo ang sitwasyon, you will still die at the hands of the Orythea."
Sandali siyang tumigil at ngumisi.
"And I will be the one to end whoever is commanding you."
Rassia watched as Valroth quickly regenerated his missing arm.
Within moments, his arm had completely returned to its original form.
Napansin din niyang mas lalong lumawak ang ngiti ng demonyo, ngunit ang itim na dugong kanina'y patuloy na umaagos mula sa kaniyang mga mata ay unti-unti nang nawawala.
She could feel the annoyance radiating from him.
For the first time, his expression no longer looked amused.
He was angry.
At kahit nakangiti pa rin siya, ramdam ni Rassia na hindi na iyon ang ngiti ng isang demonyong naglalaro lamang. It was the smile of someone who had finally been provoked.
Mabilis na lumipad si Lucy Pearl patungo sa kinaroroonan nina Rassia at Valroth. Sa isang iglap, lumapag siya sa tabi ni Rassia at agad na itinaas ang kaniyang kamay. A dark mana gathered around her palm before forming into a long black sword, which she firmly gripped as she stared at Valroth.
Valroth, slowly looked at Lucy Pearl before shifting his attention back to Rassia. His smile remained, but there was no longer any amusement in his expression.
"My, my..." mahinang sambit niya. "You really are annoying, Orythea."
Bahagya niyang ikiniling ang kaniyang ulo.
"For someone like me, who belongs to a kind of demon that isn't supposed to feel emotions..." his smile slowly widened again.
"You somehow managed to make me angry."
Unti-unting nagbago ang kaniyang presensiya.
"And that..." bahagya siyang natawa. "That is quite an accomplishment."
Muling napatingin si Valroth kay Lucy Pearl. Bumaba ang kaniyang tingin sa itim na kristal sa kaniyang dibdib at sa mahabang espadang hawak nito.
"Oh! You are the fallen angel, Lucy Pearl, who I've heard about..." bahagya siyang ngumiti habang pinagmamasdan ang kristal. "Ang brilyanteng nasa iyong dibdib at ang espadang hawak mo ay ninakaw mo lamang sa Gadesea, hindi ba?"
"My, my... I know for a fact that if you manage to use that crystal properly, there's a high chance that you could defeat me."
Unti-unting lumalim ang kaniyang ngiti.
"I can sense it. You have the potential to become a Demonio yourself, you know."
Pinaikot ni Lucy Pearl ang kaniyang mahabang itim na espada, her signature move, bago mabilis na itinutok iyon kay Valroth.
"Nagkakamali ka sa isang bagay. Yes, this sword was stolen. Ngunit ngayon, it already belongs to me. It has become a part of my soul and my very being."
Lumalim ang tingin ni Lucy Pearl sa demonyo habang mahigpit niyang hawak ang espada.
Hindi ko nakita ang kabuuan ng Dakilang Diyosa. She is the light. Liwanag lamang ang nakita ko bago ko natagpuan ang aking sarili sa labas ng Gadesea. Ngunit nakakapagtaka pa rin hanggang ngayon...
Ang brilyante lamang ang aking tinangkang nakawin noon. Ngunit ang espadang ito... tila sinusundan ako at gustong sumama sa akin.
Bahagya niyang tiningnan ang espada sa kaniyang kamay.
It glows as if it recognizes me. As if it had already chosen me long before I ever touched it.
Muling itinaas ni Lucy Pearl ang kaniyang mga mata kay Valroth.
"And perhaps that's the part you don't understand. I didn't choose this sword. It chose me."
Pasimpleng napataas ang kilay ni Rassia nang marinig iyon. Ngayon lamang niya nalaman na ang espada ni Lucy Pearl ay ninakaw lamang din nito mula sa Gadesea.
Could it be... Is it possible that what I'm thinking is true...?
Bahagyang sumikip ang kaniyang mga mata habang muling tinitigan ang espada ni Lucy Pearl.
May kung anong hindi niya maipaliwanag na pakiramdam habang pinagmamasdan iyon.
If that sword truly chose Lucy Pearl... then why?
Rassia suddenly heard Lucy Pearl's voice inside her mind.
"Rassia. He is not merely an Upper Demon. He belongs to the Demonio, the highest of the three ranks."
Natigilan si Rassia sa narinig. Muli niyang tiningnan ang simbolong nakaukit sa mata ni Valroth.