I Blue : Reincarnated as a Cursed Crit-Based Swordwoman-Chapter 15: Devored by Darkness

*crack*

The sound echoed through the hall, silencing even the faintest whispers of breath.

For a moment, no one moved, the reality of what had just occurred sinking in like a stone in still water. Orla-Nevesta's limp body fell to the floor in an unceremonious heap, her once-elegant figure now disturbingly fragile.

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Yet, she wasn't dead. She lay motionless on the ground, her body refusing to respond. Her eyes were wide with terror and bewilderment, as if she no longer believed survival was possible.

"Ahhh... Aaaaaaah!!!"

Suddenly, as if her body were animated by an external force, she flailed and screamed, her voice broken and raw. The red mark on her neck was clearly visible, a chilling reminder of how close she had come to having her neck snapped.

But then a question arose among the servants—if their mistress was still alive, what had made that bone-chilling cracking noise?

"...You can stop now..."

The pink-haired beast spoke, its voice cutting through the tension. It addressed the child holding it tightly from behind—the only one who had dared approach it after it unleashed its fury on the mistress of the house. This cursed child inhabited the manor.

"...You can stop now. You are... hurting me..."

The beast repeated itself, trying tentatively to push the child away, but she didn't budge. Instead, she tightened her grip even more.

The beast wasn't lying. Even such fragile arms could cause significant damage to her in this vulnerable state. After all, maids and butlers were merely adventurers bound to a family, a land, or both by powerful covenants.

Breaking one of a covenant's rules led to dire consequences, severely weakening the servant in the process. That's why a maid or butler could never normally overpower their master—they were effectively bound by a leash the moment they entered service.

Even an adventurer as strong as the beast would be reduced to a fragile glass sculpture before their master. But here's the thing: this only applied fully to their actual master.

If someone of similar authority presented themselves, the effect would never be as strong as it was with the one they had a covenant with. Mrs. Orla-Nevesta must not have known this fact when she carelessly attacked the beast, despite knowing its true nature.

Vasilisa, on the other hand, was entirely different.

In the hierarchy, she outranked Orla-Nevesta because the beast worked directly under her. This was why, in this situation where the covenant recognized the beast's transgression, even a hug from the girl was enough to break its bones. If Vasilisa had been aware of what was happening, she could have simply tapped the back of the beast's neck, and the whole commotion would have ended in an instant.

On the other hand, Vasilisa herself was similarly fragile. A single strike to her head, and the beast could eliminate its main obstacle between it and its prey. Those slender arms could be torn apart with ease. Broken bones? Nothing the beast couldn't endure with its remaining HP. All it needed to do was crush that stubborn little head, and everything would be resolved.

"...Unhand me..."

Yet, for some reason, the beast hesitated. Talking things through wasn't something it typically did, but it tried anyway.

"I... er... I... cu... uh... current... tly... I am... asser... ting... hm... my... do... do... er... do-domi... nance... over you. Don't... re-resist, please..."

"..."

Asserting dominance? Over whom? With what power? Did she honestly think such a half-hearted declaration would have any impact? And who asks someone to surrender with a "please"?

How pathetic. Ridiculous. Truly ridiculous.

"*sigh*"

It was absurd. Why wasn't Vasilisa even flinching? Couldn't she sense the murderous intent lingering in the air? How could she attempt to resolve this with anything other than lethal force? It was so absurd that the maid stopped trying to make sense of it.

"I... understand. I understand," the maid repeated, shaking her head. "I... surrender, okay? I surrender. Just stop holding me like that; I'm going to break..."

"..."

The girl released her maid, her face beet red.

"L-Lewd..." she mumbled.

"Don't open that mouth to say pointless things, Mistress Vasilisa," the maid replied, turning to her mistress with difficulty. "There's nothing lewd about you breaking my hips with your arms. It was mostly painful... Oh..."

Such an... unfortunate choice of words.

Oh well. Seeing her mistress's wide, surprised eyes and bright red face wasn't so bad after all. She could pretend she meant the ambiguity for now—it gave her the illusion of compensating for some loss she couldn't quite identify.

"...Huh, Mistress Vasilisa..."

The maid called out to her mistress, her gaze unusually downcast. Vasilisa tilted her head slightly, as if to ask what was wrong.

The maid took a deep breath, preparing to speak. But as she opened her mouth...

"..."

Only blood poured out.

She felt a sharp pain in her back, accompanied by the presence of someone behind her. A dark-haired maid with yellow eyes stood there.

"Target hit," the attacker noted calmly.

Momo tried to pull away from her assailant, but she had no strength left.

"(That one... she waited to strike when my guard was at its lowest...)"

Who was this maid again? Even without the glasses, her name was hazy in Momo's mind. But did it really matter?

With her HP bar nearly empty, Momo knew one thing for sure.

When the blade was pulled out of her back, she would die.

"Goodbye. Didn't expect to get rid of you so soon, but... miracles do happen..."

The dark-haired maid withdrew her blade, dealing the final blow. Momo's HP bar emptied, and she collapsed to the floor, her mind forever swallowed by darkness.