Volume 4 - Chapter 72.3

Chapter 72.3
――How many times do I have to be hit with my own stupidity before I can understand?
[???: DESU, DESU! DESUDESUDESUDESU, DESU!!]
The shrill, deafening cackle echoed on .
Chest pumped, mouth stretched wide, drooling from the lips and mussing her long, red hair, a young woman was howling .
This woman’s abhorrent behavior, her bloodshot, gawking eyes, and the deranged posture she had taken were nothing like those of a human .
[Woman: FOR LOVE! TO LOVE! IN LOVE! BY LOVE! THE REPAYMENT OF LOVE IS! EVERYTHING! DESU! AAH! OH WITCH! O BELOVED WITCH! DESTINED HARBOR OF MY LOVE!]
Falling to her knees, with both hands stretched to the sky and tears streaming from her eyes, the woman extolled her love .
All around the crazed woman, were submerged corpses scattered in an ocean of blood . Limbs torn apart, heads gouged open, lay countless cadavers stripped of human dignity .
In their midst, was the body of a black-haired youth, his throat pierced by his own sword .
Blood drowned every corner of Arlam village, as every member of the expedition lay upon the ground, deprived of the last sign of life .
The moment their most powerful asset, the Sword Demon, fell in the ambush, the tide was already set .
The rest was a massacre by the “Unseen Hands”, an uninterrupted chain of death-wails until the last of them met their end .
[Woman: BEHOLD MY DILIGENCE! WHAT COULD THIS CLEANSING OF SLOTH BE CALLED, IF NOT A TESTAMENT OF MY LOVE! DESU! AAAH! MY ADORATION, MY FAITH, MY UNSHAKABLE LOVE! RECEIVE IT! ACCEPT IT! MAY IT NESTLE WITHIN YOUR EMBRACE――DESU!!]
Decrying her love, tears pouring, the woman barked amid the sea of blood―― her flesh stolen, her mind invaded by the monster, Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti .
After wiping out Subaru’s rescue party in one fell swoop, despite the loss of his cultists, the madman went on proclaiming his love .
When――
[???: ――What… happened?]
A winded girl muttered as she ran down the path trailing from the village .
Impatiently wiping aside the silver hair sticking to her forehead, she scanned her amethyst eyes over the carnage . ――Emilia’s eyes widened at the villagers submerged in the ocean of blood, and noticed it .
[Emilia: suba . . ru?]
Lying in the center of the carnage, was a youth she had known well .
Just what emotion flashed through her mind in that instant? The feelings in those widened eyes were far too complex, such that no one, not even herself, could have understood it .
Only, Emilia’s lips trembled, as she,
[Emilia: why, is…… Subaru, sleeping th…… huh?]
[Puck: Lia――! This is bad, it’s the Witch Cult! A Sin Arch…… why, why now!?]
Emilia’s expression was stunned, and one not accepting reality . In her stead, Puck flew out in a terribly panicked state .
Flying circles around Emilia while fixing his glare on Petelgeuse, standing alone in that carnage, his black round eyes were rife with alarm and hostility .
[Puck: Lia! Now, right now! Get away from here now! That thing…… you mustn’t meet with the Sin Archbishop! The Trial will begin! If it gets imposed on you, it will be horrible!]
[Emilia: Puck……?]
[Puck: I just remembered, I finally remembered! That bastard…… meeting that bastard finally made me remember! Why did I forget…… and there’re so many things I still can’t recall…… unless, I can’t remember until things become like this…… but if so, then!]
Facing towards the sky, Puck stretched out his little body as far as it would go, and screamed .
[Puck: THAT’S NOT WHAT YOU SAID――ECHIDONA!!]
Loaded with frustration and loathing, the shout echoed out as Puck panted, shaking his head . All the while, Emilia fell speechless in front of her utterly changed companion .
Having heard the scream, the madman slowly stood upright .
[Petelgeuse: Well well…… how pleased to MEET YOU! DESU!]
Slanting his upper body, Petelgeuse violently yanked at his long red hair, mercilessly pulling as blood began seeping out of his scalp .
Watching this act of self-injury, horror and disgust flickered across Emilia’s eyes .
[Petelgeuse: I AM Witch Cult Sin Archbishop, Sloth―― Petelgeuse Romanée-CONTI… DESU!]
The madman cackled, his voice quaking the atmosphere .
Just like this, the howling madman slanted his body as he observed the petrified Emilia from head to toe then to her upper body, practically licking her all over with his gaze,
[Petelgeuse: ……in, credible, desu]
He spilled this sigh of wonder .
A crisp peal of a clap . Petelgeuse was clapping, directing his applause at Emilia .
[Petelgeuse: Incredible―― DESU! A FIGURE SO PERFECT FOR A VESSEL! A VISAGE SO REMINISCENT OF THE WITCH IN LIFE! Since you’ve prepared such a magnificent vessel, there is no more need for DEBATE! DESU! THE TRIAL! THE TRIAL TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE WITCH GENE SHALL TAKE ROOT!]
[Puck: Silence, madman! You take one step towards that child! And I will make you regret ever being born――! Utterly!]
[Petelgeuse: In the face of love, pain and fear are all offerings for the sacrifice…… nothing you say would give me reason to stop, desu]
Puck met Petelgeuse’s raving with a threat, but the madman didn’t seem to mind . Dragging its steps along the ground, it slowly approached, while Puck only seemed to tremble, unable to do a thing .
[Puck: Wh . . y . Why, does this have to be the moment when I…… no, that’s wrong . I remember now . That’s wrong . Yes, that’s wrong, that’s wrong! That’s wrong! I’m…… I, am]
[Emilia: Puck! Wh-what should I…… what should I do!? I-I’m…… and Subaru… over there he’s……]
[Petelgeuse: THE TRIAL! THE TERMINUS OF THIS DILIGENT SOUL IS SELECTED DESU! AN OCCUPIED VESSEL, WOULD INTERFERE WITH THE INJECTED SOUL DESU! THE CONTENTS, ARE UNNEEDED――DESU!]
Emilia desperately called to Puck, who was hugging his head . While Petelgeuse went on towards the bewildered pair without stopping .
Watching Petelgeuse making strange motions with his fingers and licking his lips, blaring alarms sounded inside Emilia without end .
At the sight of his deranged eyes, Emilia gasped, and, in a choking voice,
[Emilia: no……I’m scared, daddy……h]
She whimpered, pleading for someone to rely on .
Seeking help in a voice so quiet that no one could have heard it .
Petelgeuse completely ignored this as he extended his hand towards Emilia . Surely, beyond that hand, would be the invisible Authority of Sloth, the Unseen Hand .
It would be reaching to bind Emilia’s petrified body, to enact its evil designs――
[Puck: ――Take your filthy hands away from my daughter!!]