Misunderstanding
“Le, Leje?!”
Rudell was speechless at the sight of Leje, who had appeared through the ceiling.
Why was she here?
He couldn't believe what was happening before his eyes.
“Rudeeeeeeell—?”
But that was only for a moment.
Leje looked at him with a bright smile.
Someone once said that a smiling person can be more frightening.
At this moment, Rudell felt like he understood what that meant.
“Just what in the world is going on?”
“Th, that is… uh, what happened was…”
As Rudell stammered, trying to find the right words to answer her question…
[Ooooooh—!!]
With a monstrous roar, Experimental Subject 121 shot mana-formed, crimson thorns at Leje.
“Leje! Look out…!!”
Seeing this, Rudell shouted and drew upon his mana.
However…
“Hey.”
Turning her head with a cold voice, Leje drew the sword from her waist.
A blue flash, like her gaze, swept the surroundings, and the incoming crimson thorns shattered into pieces and scattered.
“Can’t you see I’m busy?”
[Oooooh—!!!]
At her words, Experimental Subject 121 roared and prepared to attack again.
“Sigh…”
Watching this, Leje let out a short sigh and turned around.
“You. Tell me everything later. Every single detail.”
“A, alright…”
Rudell couldn’t even protest against her chilling demeanor.
Leaving Rudell behind, Leje approached Experimental Subject 121.
[Groooooh—!!]
Roaring at the approaching Leje, Experimental Subject 121 placed its hand on the ground.
The mana spreading along the ground became pillars of crimson flames, erupting like a volcano.
However, Leje, with incredible speed, broke through the rising pillars of flame and swung her sword straight at Experimental Subject 121’s neck.
Just as the blue flash was about to sever its neck…
*Clang!!*
Experimental Subject 121’s body became covered in metal, deflecting her sword.
“Flames and metal… trying to be a one-man army, huh?”
Leje scoffed, watching the scene with an amused smile.
Then, readjusting her grip on her sword, she lunged straight into Experimental Subject 121’s embrace, swinging her sword upwards from below.
With a blue afterimage, her sword sliced through the Experimental Subject's arm, and a black, viscous liquid, like tar, gushed from the severed limb.
[Goooooh—!!]
As if feeling pain, the Experimental Subject recoiled, clutching its severed shoulder.
But that was only for a moment…
[Oooooh—!!]
With a roar, the cross-section of the Experimental Subject’s severed arm bubbled and boiled, and the arm regenerated in an instant.
“Regeneration? Interesting.”
However, Leje only scoffed at the sight.
Then, tightening her grip on her sword once more, she took a stance and said,
“Well then. Let's see if you can regenerate if I shatter you into pieces you can't put back together.”
Simultaneously, Leje dashed towards Experimental Subject 121.
* * *
[Oooooooooh—!!]
Seeing Leje charging towards it, the Experimental Subject roared and stomped its foot on the ground.
The crimson-tinged mana spreading from beneath its feet created fissures in the ground, and shattered rock fragments soared towards her, transformed into rock spears with a deafening roar.
“Is that all you got? Bring it on!”
Dozens of rock spears targeted her, but she simply shouted and swung her sword through the air.
Her mana-infused sword swept through the air with dazzling afterimages, and the incoming rock spears were reduced to piles of rubble, scattering across the ground.
However, that wasn't the end of its attack.
As its mana spread, the affected rubble began to gather and clump together.
As the motionless Leje watched, the gathered rubble shifted its form like a flickering snake's tongue and then lunged at her, engulfing her body.
Creak…!! Crack…!!
“Leje?!”
The rubble began to interlock and crush against each other, producing a sickening sound, and Rudell, watching the scene, called out in alarm and drew upon his mana.
However, his worry was unnecessary.
Crack!!
A mana-infused sword flash erupted from within the spherical mass of rubble that encased Leje.
The spherical rubble then crumbled powerlessly to the ground.
“Got some dust on me.”
Leje, watching the scene, muttered as if it were nothing, brushing the rubble off her shoulder.
“So? Is that all?”
[Ooooooh—!!]
Responding to her question, Experimental Subject 121 roared and drew upon its mana once more.
“Forget it, if that’s all you’ve got, there’s nothing more to see.”
Perhaps she decided that further fighting was a waste of time.
Saying so, she dashed straight towards Experimental Subject 121.
A long trail, like a meteor's tail, remained in her wake due to the mana swirling around her…
“Ha!”
With Leje’s battle cry, countless blue sword flashes enveloped Experimental Subject 121.
“Phew…”
With a short sigh, Leje sheathed her sword and turned around.
A dry ‘click’ echoed, and the dark red mana mist that had covered Experimental Subject 121’s body dispersed and vanished.
And then. Its body began to crumble into dozens, hundreds of pieces.
“G, good heavens…”
A bewildered voice escaped Rudell’s lips as he watched.
He knew she was strong, but this level of strength was beyond his expectations.
The Experimental Subject 121 before him was a foe Rudell could only hope to stand a chance against with his mana and Kahran's Bracelet.
Yet, Leje had dispatched it effortlessly in an instant.
“Now… then…”
Leaving behind the remains of what was once called Experimental Subject 121, Leje approached Rudell.
To be honest, Rudell wanted to run away right now.
Even if it was pointless.
“I’ll just ask one thing.”
“S, speak…”
“That incident at my coming-of-age ceremony. Was that you?”
“Yes…”
Honestly, it would be stranger if she didn’t recognize him…
Thinking this, Rudell nodded.
At his response, Leje looked at him with a complex expression.
“Tell me everything you haven’t told me. Everything.”
“Ugh…”
He thought he’d be found out someday, but not like this.
Letting out a low groan, Rudell, with a feeling of resignation, began to reveal everything he knew.
The Cult’s identity, his actions as the Thorn Carpenter.
And even his true abilities, which he had hidden until now.
As she listened, Leje’s face gradually darkened.
And, a moment later…
“That’s all I know.”
“…”
He didn’t mention that he was from another world, that he knew what was going to happen in the future, or the Cult’s true objective.
What he had said so far was enough to leave Leje’s expression one of utter shock.
“How could you hide this from me for so long!? Did you not trust me!?”
“Th, that’s not it! It’s just…”
“Or what!? Were you worried I’d get caught up in something dangerous?”
“…!!”
Rudell gasped at that question.
Noticing his reaction, Leje narrowed her eyes and stared at him.
“What… Was that really the reason?”
“…Yes.”
There was no point in hiding it any longer.
Finally, with a feeling of resignation, Rudell nodded.
And at that moment, Leje reached out and grabbed Rudell by the collar.
“Are you really that stupid!? Did you think I’d be happy about that!?”
“That’s…”
Rudell was at a loss for words.
At least, the Leje he knew wouldn’t be pleased with him doing such a thing.
If there was a problem, she would readily offer her help and suggest they face it together.
That was the Leje he had always known.
“I’m really disappointed. I never thought you’d deceive me.”
“…Leje.”
This isn’t what you think it is.
He wanted to say those words, but seeing Leje’s resentful gaze, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.
Just then…
“…?”
Rudell noticed the scattered remains of Experimental Subject 121 bubbling and boiling.
“Leje!”
“Huh? What now?”
Seeing this, Rudell cried out urgently, and Leje turned around with a puzzled look.
At the same time, the bubbling remains of the Experimental Subject emitted an intensely bright light.
And, without a moment to think, Rudell rushed in front of Leje and drew upon his mana.
A barrier of black shadows rose from beneath his feet, blocking their path.
The next moment, Rudell felt an intense impact wash over him, and he lost consciousness.
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Guess the dream come true maybe
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