The Duke's Passion

[ ROYAL PALACE ]

"Ah!" Lilou let out a short cry, repelling multiple weapons coming at her. It had been past an hour since everything blew out of proportion, and she never had a second break to take a breath at the countless enemies coming at her. Standing in the middle of the vast expanse to lure the enemies away from Samael and Zero's battle, her eyes glowed with resolve. Her grip around her scythe tightened as her chest heaved in and out heavily. "Just how much more…" Her voice rumbled down her chest in anger. "... Zero, just how far will you take this to achieve your goal?"

Lilou's breath hitched, observing the undead that were surrounding her slowly. After fighting for over an hour without a second break, Lilou realized not all of her enemies were her enemies. Some of them were simply maids, still dressed in their uniforms. However, instead of cleaning or doing their chores in the royal palace, here they were, shedding blood. It wasn't like Lilou didn't expect such a thing from occurring. Matter of fact, she, Samael, and everyone in her party had expected this. But thinking and planning about it were different in reality. Her anger consistently grew in her chest. These weren't her people, and they were subjects of another. They could've agreed to become experimental subjects or soldiers when their land needed extra manpower. But it was simply inhumane. "No sane king would send all his people to their death…" she breathed out deeply, grinding her teeth until her fangs were showing. Her eyes, which were olive and red, glowed as a glint flashed across them.

"Quentin Zero Moriarty," called Lilou under her breath. "If Sam didn't kill you, I will tear you limb by limb and I will make sure that it will hurt you."

The increasing growls in the air caressed her ears, sending a chill down her spine. It was only been a few seconds when she landed on this landscape, but these people had already caught up to her. Yet, she showed no sign of urgency to wipe them all out and paint the grass red. Lilou closed her eyes calmly, drawing a deep breath. "The Colosseum…" she whispered, keeping her eyes closed. "... so you're being held down there, huh?"

Before coming in here and parting with everyone, Lilou and Samael drank everyone's blood. They came prepared, and after being in many battles, they already knew what lacked in the past. Communication. To assure that everyone would be safe despite knowing there was only uncertainty in battle, Lilou and Samael drank a portion of everyone's blood. Therefore, Lilou had this slight glimpse of where everyone was and what they were doing.

"Rufus," she called under her breath, eyes still shut. "Can you kill him?"

Lilou heard Rufus' grunt before his voice came through her head. "Do you need me anywhere?"

"No." Lilou slowly opened her eyes, only to see the first wave of undead sprinting in her direction. "I trust you can take him down. However… these undead right before me… will god ever forgive me?"

Rufus, who was in a middle of a fierce battle, could not help but grin. He blocked an incoming attack, causing a powerful gust of wind and an impact. The ground shook as his sword tattled against another sword, eyes at the dangerous monster whose eyes were screaming to tear him apart. "Since when…" he spoke through his gritted teeth. "... were you concerned about what god thinks?"

"Since I became a mother."

"He might not, my empress." Rufus's eyes shone, pausing as he repelled Acheron, forcing the latter to hop several meters away in the street they clashed. "We might have secured a spot in hell tonight. However, by securing out a spot in hell, those who didn't have to stain their hands might have a chance to stand before the pearly gates."

A subtle smile appeared on Lilou's face, cutting her link to Rufus. "As always. He's the person to talk to at times of crisis," she whispered, casually spinning her scythe with her fingers. "That's right, Lilou. We might've secured a spot in hell tonight… or many years ago. But at least, I'm certain those in the future will have a chance for salvation."

"Ahhh!!" Lilou let out a loud cry, bending her knees, and catapulted to the countless innocent enemies forced to die in her hands. As the saying goes, someone had to stain their hands so others wouldn't be forced to take matters into their hands. And that would be them. Lilou.

Samael.

Rufus.

Claude.

Stefan.

Heliot.

And all those who marched in this damn hell to take down Zero and stop his madness. Knowing the reward was simply the heaviness and guilt that would be left in their hearts if they ever win, they were damned well prepared for it. No regrets.

They did it once, and they would do it again. Even if somehow, things turned back again, they would do it again and again. Going to hell and back until everyone would just get sick of their persistence.

"Ahh…!!!" Lilou let out a loud scream, and the aura it carried sent all those undeads flying. While midair, Lilou jumped like a bolt of lightning. Slash!

"This isn't the first or the second," she huffed, skipping from space to space, slashing all the undead in half in just a split-second frame. When her feet landed on the ground, she was panting for air, not blinking for a few seconds now.

Thud!

Continuous thuds resonated behind her, but she stood still. The blood that drenched her and the adrenaline pumping through the ends of her nerves slightly took her breath away. When silence followed the last thud, Lilou slowly turned around to see countless headless bodies drowned in their rotting pool of blood. "Zero…!" Lilou's voice shook as her anger reached its peak. She might've been the person who slew everyone on the ground, but the man who forced this situation was none other than the mad king, Zero. Booogsh!

Lilou turned her head to the distinct explosion she heard on instinct, only to see Samael crashing out of the roof while dark and thick strings launching blows at him. "I'm fine!" was what Lilou heard from her husband, yet Samael kept his focus on the dark strings. He dodged and blocked the dark thread midair. His pair of crimson shone so brightly in the night. As he did so, his pupils suddenly dilated. "Lilou! Watch out!"

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