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Chapter 36 Part 2

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Translator: “Pink Tea” Editor: ”Ryunakama”

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With each attack Bran threw at me, his strength grew, precision improved, and what is most troublesome, he was getting bolder.

Just like a budding flower would grow under fertile soil, basking in sun and absorbing pure water, Bran’s talent as a warrior was blooming before my very own eyes.

But I wasn’t fighting him to cultivate his talent. I swung Dragon Claw Sword putting my full force into it. Following the slash of my sword, something separated from Bran and fell to the ground with an audible sound.

That something was Bran’s left arm, cut off at the joint.

「Nguh!」

Losing an arm Bran made only a short groan, and immediately recovered his stance that was broken by the loss of the arm.

Not affected by the loss of an arm in the slightest, Bran then regripped Grief Maria with his remaining right arm and swung it at my left side from below, drawing a crescent trajectory on the ground with the sword tip.

During this fight Bran’s natural talent awakened, and coupled with the merging with 7,000 thousand souls was now surging faster than lightning.

But my sword moved even faster than that, raising it overhead I brought it down on Bran’s head, cutting him in two from the head to the groin.

As Bran was bisected in the bloody slash, the strength left the arm that gripped Grief Maria, and the attack that was aimed at my left lung stopped as his arm powerlessly hung by his side.

Then, while still holding Grief Maria in his hand, Bran wrapped his hand around his body and tried to stop the red line dividing his body in two from growing further.

The reason why he was yet to turn into dust was either that he is that extraordinary of a vampire or because he was too bent on continuing our fight.

「Not, yet. Just one…… Move, one more slash…… and……」

Due to my draconic magic power that poured into the wound during the cut, not only his body, but even his soul was critically damaged. Both his spirit and his soul should be screaming in indescribable pain, yet his eyes showed only yearning and hope to enjoy this battle a bit more.

Meanwhile, I removed the magic power from my sword, showing him that the battle was over.

Only then, seeing me going out of battle mode, Bran realized the situation, and although he still shook his head like a little kid, he relaxed, acknowledging the outcome.

「Aaah, so it’s already over…… Huh……」

「That’s right. It’s over. Prince of vampires. Your immortal life just came to an end. Accept your destruction.」

「I, see. It was enjoyable. Extremely…… so. Aaaah, aah, but it’s so vexing…… so……… vexing………」

Showing a serene and pure child-like smile, which made one question if it really was that cruel and atrocious Bran, until the very end spoke of how he enjoyed our battle and how vexed he was about the loss and then fell on his back.

But before his huge body hit the ground he turned into dust, leaving only his extravagant clothes there, Grief Maria, and a huge mass of ashes.

A short while after that, I stepped into the building that he came from, and found a certain someone. Sierra, that crawled all the way here before collapsing, leaving behind a trail of blood.

Her consciousness was barely there, as she was on the verge of perishing from having her heart pierced by Bran.

While I was pondering if I should save her or allow her to perish like this, Selina and Nell came out from the tower after successfully rescuing Fatima.

As they left the building I saw that Selina was carrying Fatima, who looked like she didn’t have the strength to move even one finger, on her back. Unlike Nell, for whom a staff was an important catalyst at times she used magic, for Selina even having both of her hands sealed was not a problem, and then, there also was the matter of difference in physical strength, which was probably the reason why Selina was the one to carry Fatima.

Realizing the outcome of the battle from the ashes, that were Bran a while ago, the golden sword, and Bran’s clothes on the ground, they ran up to me, beaming with smiles.

「Fatima, though it’s hard to call your current state fine, I’m glad that you were okay. 」

While Fatima, who Selina carried on her back, had the lifeless shade on her face, typical for the victims of vampires, she still had that warm smile characteristic of her.

「Ehehe, sorry for the trouble~.」

「Fumu, if you have the energy to joke around then you should be okay. I missed it, but did you at least get a touching reunion with tears and all that?」

「Of course, a very passionate one. Nell gave me a veeeeery tight hug. Though it startled her a bit since my body is so cold. 」

Paying no attention to Fatima’s words, Selina first looked at the ashes on the ground, and then turned her gaze to me, very attentively checking me from the head to toe. Probably looking for wounds.

「Thank goodness. You seem to be unharmed. But even so, I realized anew how amazing you are. You killed such a scary vampire all on your own.」

「Think of it as a fruit of my daily effort. Rather than that, Bring Fatima over here.」

「Yes. Fatima, I’m going to move, so please grab tight.」

「Hurry. There isn’t much time.」

And then, Nell, Selina, and Fatima went through the door and noticed Sierra, leaning on the wall. While Nell and Selina showed wariness, Fatima’s reaction was that of surprise.

「Sierra-san!」

「Yees, Fatima. So, you finally…… Left…… That room. I’m…… glad…… that you managed to…… reunite with your friends.」

「I’ll say this just in case, it wasn’t me who stabbed her in the heart. Judging by the traces of aura left in the wound, it was Bran, right?」

Sierra moved her pale, bloodless lips while turning her head in a slow, barely noticeable motion. Her breath was so faint that it wouldn’t even be able to shake a candle fire.

「Yes, I…… was serving that person…… all this time… but… fufu, I always wan…ted to take revenge on… him. *Cough* Haa, haaa…… Until now…… I never got a chance…… But thanks to her Majesty Dramina and you…… Coming here, I finally got my chance, heh. Though…… I failed a bit…… and was beaten back. But since you turned him to ashes, I guess it’s fine. Now, I can finally go to everyone.」

「Sierra-san, don’t say such a thing. You might be able to survive. Sierra-san, you are a vampire, if you drink my blood you might be able to heal your wounds.」

「I don’t seek forgiveness. But…… I wanted to receive retribution, fitting for my… sins. That’s why…… I want to perish.」

「You can’t. Don’t say such a thing……」

Fatima was sobbing without any care for appearances, refusing to accept Sierra’s desire. With the eyes full of tears, Sierra looked at Fatima with a gaze overflowing with tenderness.

Sierra wished for destruction, while Fatima and Rita desired for her to live. With those two opposing desires at hand, in a bit more solemn tone than usual, I said my usual thing.

「Fumu. Fatima.」

「?」

「If you truly wish to save this woman――」

And I suggested to Fatima an extremely serious choice.

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