Point-of-View: Persia Gerit

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  "I want a cool power-up too," Sighed Rai wistfully.

  "Where'd that come from?" I asked curiously.

  It was currently the 20th of February, a little over a week before we'd be under attack. We had continued to train with the others regularly, some other A-Ranks also joining in every so often. Everyone was sharp and ready to fight if and when the attack arrives.

  Right now, I was at Kuro's and my apartment with the other three, who had come over a little while ago. It was because Rai suggested that we should take a day to relax, to keep ourselves from getting too stressed, but I think he just wanted to play. He'd brought over playing cards and stuff. And after a few games, we took a break, and that's when he suddenly said that he wanted a power-up……

  "It's just……everyone keep getting awesome new power-ups, True Anima Modes, Karma, multiple Elemental Magic types, Vampire powers, Demon powers……it's not fair, I want something too!" He complained with a pout.

  I kinda get what he's saying……I was pretty eager when I found out that Kuro could transfer Vampire powers into me. Wait, am I the only one among the four of us who's gained a power-up?

  "If it makes you feel any better, I don't have any power-ups either," Chimed in Key, trying to make him feel better.

  "You have your Retractable Anima, at least," He responded with a grumble.

  "I don't have any power-ups," Az spoke up.

  "You don't count, you're OP as hell already, you don't need any power-ups! Seriously, if no one in the Rustlands had any power-ups, you'd be the strongest by a huge margin!"

  "It's rare to see you so……not carefree and idiotically cheerful," Replied Az, clearly a bit annoyed……even though technically everything that Rai just said had been compliments.

  "Yeah, well……I want some awesome new powers," He muttered grouchily……is he sulking?

  "Not gonna lie, I wouldn't mind getting some new power either……," Sighed Key with a wry smile.

  "True……you two are kinda weak compared to most of the current S-Ranks," Remarked Az bluntly.

  "Hey!" Exclaimed Key and Rai indignantly, at the same time.

  "You fight well as a duo though, so work on that," He added with a shrug.

  "Yeah, but……sometimes I want some cool solo glory moments too, you know?" Replied Rai despondently.

  "You know, I've been thinking about the upcoming attack……we have barriers in place to keep both people and Demons out, but if the enemy is able to take down the protective barriers, the Demons will be able to come in too," Realized Key with a frown.

  "I don't think that's a concern……by now, all or most of the Demons must have already found host bodies," Pointed out Az.

  "That's still a problem though……if we're attacked by Demons, we can't exactly kill their host bodies, since that'll free the Demon's corporeal form, which will then be able to possess someone else. And if we fail to resist them, our consciousnesses will basically be dead," I added with a frown.

  Yeah, fighting Demons will be very tricky……we'll have to immobilize them instead of killing them, the only way to kill a Demon is to have them possess your body and then resist them taking over your mind. Fuo reported a few days ago that the enemy was likely in Silvland, since a bunch of Vampires that were there suddenly disappeared.

  All of Silvland's strongest Adventurers are dead and gone, except for Selesa and Les, who are both here. And nearly all the monsters in the world were under the control of either Kuro or Fuo, the only exceptions being the monsters that were ruled over the monster kings that were currently trapped in the remaining Forbidden Zones. So it seemed like we were unlikely to be facing any large number of enemies……and yet, I couldn't shake the bad feeling I had, as the day of the attack drew near……

  ———————————————————————————


  Point-of-View: Shiro Blanc

  ———————————————————————————


  "Come on, please?" Belia asked me pleadingly.

  "I don't see why you can't just do it yourself," I responded with an annoyed frown.

  "Because the longer I stay without revealing my power, the more legit this will seem!" She protested with a pleading expression.

  "I refuse to accept that as a valid reason."

  "Huh? But why!? It's totally a valid reason!" She exclaimed indignantly.

  It really isn't, though……

  "Forget it, I'm not doing it."

  What she wanted me to do was execute the 'faithless blasphemers' that Aguil Silvland had gathered……remember when she told him to find everyone who had lost faith in their religion following the Vampire attack and everything afterwards?

  Yeah, he'd gathered literally thousands of people, and pretty much all of them were middle-class or slum residents, not even a single noble was convicted. But I'm totally sure that those that were gathered were convicted without any bias, I say sarcastically.

  We were currently in a fancy room in the castle, the room that Belia had been given. Hacte and I were also given some nice rooms, but they paled in comparison to the swanky digs that the 'Head Archangel' was given.

  "But I can't ask Hacte, he's way weaker than you……and the first time I give them a glimpse of my power, I want it to be, like, super grand and awe-inspiring! Come on, please? Oh, how about this, I'll reward you for it, is there anything you want?" She suggested, attempting to bribe me.

  Really? Bitch, I'm not a little kid. And I don't really care about money and stuff, and even if I did, I could just get some myself, I don't need her help. So there's absolutely nothing that I want from h……oh, wait……

  "Actually, I just thought of something……I suppose I could be persuaded to do as you say," I replied, not-so-subtly shifting my gaze down to her chest.

  "Hm, what……oh. You're, uh, kind of a pervert, aren't you?" She remarked wryly.

  "Not really, I'm just honest about what I want. And I have no problem if you refuse, in fact, I encourage it……because then I won't have to do this stupid execution crap, it's a waste of my effort anyway."

  "W-wait, isn't there anything else you want?" She asked hopefully.

  "Nope."

  "Wow, that was a fast reply……," She responded, before pacing around and mulling it over with a conflicted frown, "Fine! You can have ten seconds to play with my boobs, and hands only!"

  "Huh? That's it?"

  "……what were you expecting?"

  "Well, to be blunt……everything."

  "Wha……never gonna happen! I-I'm a semi-divine being, I'm too good for a mortal, so-!"

  "Huh, and the only other semi-divine being is your enemy. So, then, you're a virgin?" I inquired jokingly.

  "……"

  No way……

  "Woah……so the Demigod of Chaos is actually a 1500-year old virgin."

  "Shut up! Bad Shiro!" She exclaimed with a flustered and embarrassed look.

  "Yeah, yeah……well, guess you'll just have to do the execution thing yourself, later!"

  "Wait……! Fine, how about fifteen seconds?" She offered reluctantly.

  "……"

  "C-come on, that's more time that it sounds!"

  "……"

  "O-okay then……twenty seconds! Final offer!"

  "Sure, I'll take it," I replied with a stifled smirk.

  "B-but only after you finish executing them, okay?"

  "Yeah, no, I don't trust you……how about half now and half after? So, that means……ten seconds now."

  "……fine, I-I guess that's fair. G-go ahead."

  I've been waiting for this pretty much since I met her……and I have to say, I'm quite lucky that she resort to using her power to scare or intimidate us too often, or even to force us to do her bidding, she does often try to coerce us, but never uses force……otherwise, I'd probably be dead by now……

  I then gulped as I walked towards her and reached up towards her chest……too bad she's wearing the long white dress right now, it really doesn't show off anything……well, my my sense of sight might not be getting any fanservice, but my sense of touch was going to make up for that!

  "Wow, these are firm for their size……impressive for someone who's over fifteen hundred years old."

  "Idiot, I don't age like mortals do, because I don't age at a……h-hey, stop rubbing them like th-that!"

  This is bad……I don't want to stop. And I mean, I REALLY don't want to stop.

  "Okay, that's enough, ten seconds are up!" She exclaimed with a sigh of relief, taking a step back and out of my grasp, and as I instinctively took a step forward towards her……the air in front of her shimmered and I went right through it as I reached out and tried to continue fondling her boobs.

  As I went through the shimmering air in front of her, I suddenly found myself behind her. Did she just use her Dimensional Magic to counter me?

  "Aw, man, that was just getting good……"

  "Alright, now go start with the execution already," She remarked with a tired sigh, before adding reluctantly, "……you can have the remaining ten seconds after you're done, 'kay?"

  "……"

  "Wh-what?" She inquired warily, as I stared at her with a slight smirk.

  "Oh, it's nothing, just……you know how you said that you don't like to lie?"

  "Yeah……?"

  "Well, I like to lie. So, you know……you can do the math."

  "W-wait, you mean……?"

  "Yup. I'm not gonna do it."

  "But……I……y-you said……"

  Hm, messing with her is fun, but I shouldn't overdo, if I make her reach her breaking point, I might end up totally regretting it.

  "Just kidding. I'll go finish 'em off now. Put an illusion spell on me that'll make my Obliteration Magic look like a bright sparky light or something."

  "O-oh, it was just a joke?" She replied, a look of relief on her face, "Hehe, for a moment there, I think I was about to consider using force to make you……talk about a close call! And, sure, let me visualize the spell……there, it's cast."……

  back up a sec, use force to make me……? That was close……

  "Right……I'll get on that now. See you in a bit, Belia!" I replied, smacking her ass as I walked past her and headed for the door.

  "Hey!" She exclaimed indignantly.

  I may have complained and all, but I had to admit……the idea of massacring a bunch of helpless, possibly innocent, people, under the guise of carrying out a religious execution, really appealed to me……religion does nothing for you for a person, and for all these people, religion was going to be the direct reason for their deaths. there was just over a week left before the attack against the Rustlands, it was drawing near……this should keep me satisfied till then……

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  Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!

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