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Chapter 84 Part 1 – When the rose of winter bloom. Feelings of first love that transcend time ……

「…… Ahaha, Addis. You got severely beaten up. Your mask is full of cracks. I thought you were a guy who could take good care of the gifts you received from me, your master. …… I wonder if I overestimated you.」

The young girl’s blond hair fluttered and her mouth was raised in the shape of a crescent moon. The light in her icy eyes was the same bottomless blue as the blue diamond hanging in front of her chest. It was more frightening than numerous reproaches.

「I-I’m sorry, please forgive me ……!!」

A tall person in a white tuxedo knelt in front of the young girl. His shoulders were trembling and his head lowered down. As a sign of defeat, his smooth mask was dented and shattered here and there and no longer retains its original shape.

It is Alisa and her subordinate, Addis the Faceless.

A flash of lightning illuminated the two figures like a shadow play.
The trees of the intricate forest swayed like a sneering audience.
Addis trembled at the humiliation of showing disgrace in front of his respected and beloved master.

「T-This dishonor will surely be wiped away with a rematch ……」

Addis pleaded desperately.

Cold sweat dripped from the space between the mask and his face. His words were slurred. He has not recovered from the damage inflicted by ‘him’ who manifested himself in Bradd’s body.

However, Addis still does not think that he has been defeated by the combination of Scarlet and Bradd. He had to admit that he couldn’t do anything against the non-standard ‘him’. No matter how many times he fights against ‘him’, he doesn’t feel like he has a chance of winning. However, if it was against those two, he would have overwhelmed them. It was a mistake to underestimate them as a lower-ranked opponent. The next time we have a rematch, it would be an easy victory if he took Scarlet’s head off in one swoop, instead of taunting her. That’s the excuse Addis told to Alisa.

The frown between Alisa’s eyebrows gradually became more severe as she listened in silence.

「You fool ……!!」

After she said so, she turned around and with a hand as small as a maple leaf, Alisa lightly slapped Addis on the cheek. You could almost hear the sound of a smack. It was like a children’s play. If adults that knew nothing about her saw this scene, they would have smiled while thinking that she was a mischievous angel.

But the other members of the Seven Phantoms, who had been standing in the side and watched the proceedings while holding their breath, turned pale as if they had just witnessed hell. A thunderous roar like a lightning struck the dark forest.

「…… Guwah!?」

Addis screamed like a strangled chicken. His mask was distorted and his legs floated up. His long limbs trembled and arbitrarily twisted in random directions. The 「Frenzy」 in Alisa’s slap is raging inside Addis’ body, playing with his nerves, bones, and muscles. It was a bizarre spectacle. Addis’s limbs looked like rags getting twisted. Unable to obtain forgiveness, Addis danced in agony.

「Of all people, my Seven Phantoms are spouting excuses for his defeat? You have brought shame upon me. I will wring out every last drop of that rotten character.」

Alisa’s eyes blazed with anger.

「Alisa-sama!!」

Unable to just watch the situation, Phantasma the Phantom Castle stood up.
Then Alisa raised her hand carelessly.

「…… Hmm, it’s hard when a loyal retainer lets me down, huh. Don’t worry, I won’t kill him. It’s just a light punishment.」

Right before his body was about to be twisted, Addis was released from the 「Frenzy」, but his body was thrown up in the air. Then he was slammed to the ground head-first while he was spinning.

「Punish yourself.」

Addis spun around with tremendous momentum and scraped the ground with his whole body. His muscles went out of control on their own and drove Addis into self-destruction. Sparks scattered as the hard mask and stone collided. The demon who had put Scarlet and the others through so much struggle was treated as if he was a baby.

「…… Gah ……!! …… Goh ……!!」

Alisa looked down at Addis, who was lying on the ground and convulsing as he gave off a foul smell from the frictional heat. Her icy gaze suddenly softened.

「But, Addis, I appreciate that you didn’t run away from『him』and challenged him. Even if you cried out in fear. There aren’t many walls as high as that one. So I’ll end it here.」

In fact, Alisa was holding back even on this punishment. If she wanted to, Addis would be dead. Alisa’s limiter is still off because she just had a fight with her formidable enemy, ‘Mother’. Alisa is currently far more dangerous than a drawn sword. With a single thought, she can easily kill even the exceedingly powerful Seven Phantoms.

「Addis, let me give you one piece of advice. With your current attitude, you won’t be able to beat Scarlet no matter how many times you try. Even against her alone.」

Alisa held the blue diamond on her chest with her fingertips and gently kissed it.

「You seem to disagree.」

It’s no wonder. Not only Addis, but the other Seven Phantoms couldn’t meekly agree with her words. Their pride as the Seven Phantoms could not allow them to fall behind that small, young girl.

「…… It must be hard to understand even if I put it in words. All right then. Stand up. The truth is bitter and hard to swallow by yourself. I’ll pound it directly into your body.」

Following her order, Addis staggered to his feet. Because his semicircular canals got impacted, he lost his sense of balance and wobbled from side to side with his upper body rotating around in a bizarre manner. It would be suicidal for him to engage against Alisa in such a state of grogginess, but they, the Seven Phantoms, would put their lives on the line for their loyalty to Alisa. There is no option of defying her order.

「Ahaha, don’t worry. I have no intention of executing him.」

Alisa raised her lips in a smile at the sight of the pale members of the Seven Phantoms who wondered if Addis had incurred her fury.

「…… In exchange, I’ll show you something interesting.」

The blue diamond in her hand emitted a suspicious black light and covered Alisa with it. When the darkness lifted, they were astonished.

「What do you think? Isn’t this a wonderful change of clothes?」

The one standing there was not Alisa, but Scarlet in the form of a little girl with fluttering red hair and provocatively shining crimson eyes. The only thing that makes her different from the real Scarlet is that instead of wearing a ruby ​​around her neck, she is wearing a blue diamond pendant.

「I’ll fight against you with the same physical ability as Scarlet herself. Let’s play, Addis. Come at me with all your might. If you show any hint of restraint …… I’ll kill you.」

No, the ruthless light in those eyes was something that the real Scarlet could not have. The icy gaze stabbed Addis in the spine as he hesitated.

「…… H-Hiaaaaaaa!!!」

The cornered Addis let out a strange cry and attacked Alisa, who currently has the appearance of Scarlet, as she approached him with graceful steps. The Seven Phantoms that had been observing the situation were horrified. Addis is serious.

「That’s a great killing intent.」

With Scarlet’s face, Alisa smiled happily.

Addis’s figure became hazy. He instantly accelerated using the footwork technique, ‘Setsuna’. In addition to that, there are also his strong arms that are hidden by the ‘Dark Illusion’. It’s a combination of acceleration and invisible attacks. A spine-chilling explosion sound resounded. The attack that Addis had launched just now was so powerful that it would make the fully-armed imperial guards unable to fight anymore.

「Oh my, a game of hide-and-seek? Or is it a game of tag? How scary.」

Alisa deliberately covered her mouth with both hands and made a joke, but the Seven Phantoms watching the situation were not in the least bit amused by it. That attack wouldn’t be a problem if it was the usual Alisa, but she is currently imitating Scarlet’s physical abilities which are still within the category of humans. And so, the current Alisa is unable to dodge or withstand the attack. In an instant, she would turn into a bloody mass of flesh.

「Fufu, it’s not a bad choice though. The invisible attack ……」

Alisa narrowed her eyes and praised Addis for the tough decision.

「…… But it’s a pity. You are the one who got caught first.」