Blood Princess, Kill them All

Resting on a Bed of Rotting Flesh

Arcana user—the moment the man introduced himself as such, the “foundation of hope” within Mary crumbled completely. For better or worse, she couldn’t afford the luxury of dwelling on it.

Mary instinctively took a step back, putting some distance between herself and the man. Suddenly, an unseen force grazed her shoulder, ripping through her dirt-stained dress and tearing the surface of her skin.

“W-what… No… I… I don’t want to die… I don’t want to die!” she exclaimed, turning her back on the man and breaking into a sprint.

The man chuckled, amused by her actions. “Playing tag, huh? I actually enjoy that kind of thing. Used to play it a lot with friends back in the day! Of course, I was always the one chasing! Always the one chasing because I’m a demon, you see! Ahahaha!”

Ignoring the echoing laughter behind her, Mary ran on, determined. The desolate forest offered no hiding places, so her only chance was to create enough distance to vanish into the darkness of the night. But she was nothing more than a sixteen-year-old girl, unable to wield even a hint of magic.

No matter how hard she pushed herself, her pace couldn’t match the effortless strides of the man pursuing her.

“Haa… Haa… Haa… I don’t want to die… I don’t want to die… I don’t want to die!” Mary kept repeating to herself as she ran.

“Hey, miss! Slow down, will ya?! Ahahaha! Where do you think you’re scurrying off to with such desperation? Nothing but a garbage dump awaits you up ahead, filled with rotting corpses! Or perhaps you’ll meet your demise all on your own before I even have to lift a finger!”

Whether his intention was to provoke her or he genuinely reveled in the chase, he persisted. Until then, Mary had refrained from looking back, but the widening gap troubled her. Without stopping, she turned her head for a glance.

“Finally giving me a glance!” the man remarked, a twisted smile creasing his cheek.

Quickly refocusing on the path ahead, Mary continued her frantic sprint. After running for a while, she risked another look over her shoulder.

“Do you find me that fascinating?” the man questioned.

The distance remained unchanged—almost unnaturally so. No matter how many times she looked back, regardless of her increased speed or even as exhaustion set in and her pace waned, the gap remained constant.

“Hey! Wait for me! Ahahaha! It’s so much fun! Tag is always a blast, don’t you agree?!”

I’m merely his plaything… Mary realized the harsh reality but pressed on, her struggle increasingly futile with each passing moment.

Once again, she glanced back. “Huh, he’s gone?” She then redirected her gaze forward.

“Well, well, we meet again…”

Right before her eyes stood a smiling man.

“Eeeeek!” Her lungs constricted, and she let out a strained cry, desperately gasping for breath. She attempted to flee, but something held her firmly in place. “W-wha…?”

An unseen force seized her right arm, rendering her futile struggles to break free. In the blink of an eye, that “something” exerted a slight pressure, causing Mary’s arm to snap.

“A… Ah, nooo, ahhhh, it hurts, ahhh!” Overwhelmed by intense and excruciating pain, Mary let out a piercing scream.

Cold sweat poured from her entire body, her trembling lungs struggling to catch a breath as she writhed in agony. “My arm! My… my arm… it’s… it hurts!”

“Oh, what a delightful expression you have! Playing the role of a demon was truly worth it. Well then, let’s start the second round, shall we? Hurry up and run away! If you don’t, I’ll break your legs next. But you know, a weak little girl like you without any trace of magical prowess, there’s no way you can escape! Ahahaha!”

“N-No! Noooo!” Crawling with her remaining arm, Mary desperately attempted to flee from the man.

The man intentionally ignored her, observing with a mocking grin. Eventually, Mary managed to stand up, wobbling, and began running. She rushed through the withered forest, making her way toward the Valley of Death.

Confronted by a vast and treacherous ravine, Mary came to a sudden halt. “Ah…” It wasn’t that she was trapped; she had discovered something.

Resting near the cliff’s edge was a dead body of a woman.

“It’s… it’s a lie… it must be a lie…”

With one arm lost and her abdomen contorted, blood streaming from her mouth and nose, it was the lifeless body of her beloved sister.

“You’ve promised… Hey, Sister, ahhhh!” Mary wept uncontrollably, clinging to her sister’s motionless body. Her skin was already cold, no longer able to gently caress her head as she always did.

“Mmm… How touching… I can’t help but shed tears at the emotional reunion of loving sisters! Amazing! This spectacle is nothing short of a grand, dramatic masterpiece!” The man rejoiced, reveling in the scene before him.

Tousling his hair and contorting his body, he erupted into maniacal laughter. Even in the face of such a man, Mary had no means to fight back.

I’m hollow, empty. Even in the face of my dear sister’s demise, I’m utterly powerless. Despite the wretched villain standing right before me, I’m utterly helpless…! All I can do is desperately cling to the lifeless shell…

Mary clenched her teeth, but no hidden power awakened within her. Reality was merciless, reminding her of her own helplessness.

“But I yearn for grander horizons! To radiate with even more brilliance in this wonderful world! To ascend to the summit! To the apex of greatness! Guide me, my dear girl, to even loftier stages of entertainment!” The man pointed at Mary.

Suddenly, Francis, who was supposed to be dead, sat up, staring expressionlessly at Mary.

“Sister…!” For a fleeting moment, hope flickered in Mary’s eyes. However, it quickly faded as she saw her sister’s lifeless face. This was nothing more than a shell.

As if to emphasize that realization, Francis enveloped Mary with her remaining arm, immobilizing her. Mary writhed, desperately trying to break free, but the grip was so powerful that it felt as though her lungs would collapse.

“Ugh… Oh… Sis… Please… stop… I beg… you…”

Naturally, such pleas fell on deaf ears. With Mary still captive, Francis’ lifeless body stood at the edge of the cliff.

“And now, presenting the grand finale orchestrated by the illustrious director of the The Hermit Arcana, Magrat! Behold the spectacle!” As Magrat’s words echoed, Francis leaped off the cliff, dragging Mary along with it. “Until we meet again in the next life.”

A sense of weightlessness enveloped Mary’s entire being as she descended, voiceless. Ahh… In the end, I’m going to die…

A free fall of several dozen meters. The chances of instant death were high. Even if she miraculously survived the fall, the possibility of escape was zero. There was nothing left but surrender.

So, Mary gently adjusted her sister’s lifeless body, holding her close, hoping for a slightly more dignified demise. “Sister… I love you.”

Splat.

The sisters’ bodies collided with the rotting corpses below. A violent impact shook Mary to her core, and darkness claimed her consciousness.

***