8-Confrontation and Revenge

-Riotte's SIde-

"An intruder?!"

Riotte knitted his brows.

"Dispatch the guards."

"W, well…everyone who approached him has died. He might be using some kind of magic!"

The commanding officer of the guards spoke with a pale face.

"…Hmm."

Riotte's expression tensed.

Though he had continued living a self-indulgent lifestyle, and though he had been less active, he was still a member of the hero party.

His face returned to that of the tough "warrior Riotte" from when he had been active.

"I guess I'll take a look. You guys, follow me."

Picking up a large sword that was leaning against the wall, Riotte headed out from his room.

It has been a while since he had the spirit to face an opponent.

Riotte thought that it would do well for him to personally execute the intruder, since it would also serve as a warning to others.

"W, what is that?!"

Once Riotte arrived at the scene, he muttered while flabbergasted.

More than a hundred guards surrounded a man and woman.

They were about 100 meters away, and he couldn't see their facial features, but they both seemed young.

The man walked forward casually while the woman followed.

Then, the knights he got near successively spat blood and collapsed.

Just like what had been reported, it seemed to be the work of magic.

No ordinary curse would cause death just by coming close.

"However, I have this man cornered."

Riotte tightly grasped a pendant he wore over his chest.

'The Demon Sealing Crest, Barrier Crest.'

It was a treasured tool that could render poison, paralysis, and all "status abnormalities" invalid.

It also possessed both physical and magic defense and will continue to offer protection until 30000 accumulated damage.

It was something that the hero party obtained before the battle against the Demon Lord.

It was also effective against spells, as no matter how high of a level it was, even if it was a spell cast by the ranks of a Demon Lord, it had the power to repel it.

Its effective range was 20 meters.

"I don't know what kind of magic you're using, but it doesn't matter."

Riotte stepped forward.

If he could seal off magic, then it would turn into a sword fight.

Such a thin man would be no match for a top-class warrior like himself.

"I'll slice you to pieces…no, I'll cut off your limbs and keep you barely alive, then I'll have my way with that woman over there."

His lust was apparent.

The lower-half of his body fired up just from his imagination.

"Out of the way, all of you. I'll be the one to kill him!"

After issuing a command to the soldiers, Riotte appeared.

Since his belly was a bit bloated from gaining weight, his movements were sluggish, but the power he had in the past was still there.

"There's no running away now, intruder. Wallow in regret, for you've committed the crime of trespassing onto the territory of me, Duke Riotte."

After saying that, he recognized the young woman next to the man.

"Oh, is that you, Shea?! The impertinent woman who refused my invitation! I'll definitely have some fun with you in front of that man!"

"Riotte…! My sister's enemy…!"

She had a pale face and stared at him.

She had an expression full of resentment.

Riotte had thoroughly torment her beloved older sister, violated her, made a plaything for his subordinates, and made her suffer through endless disgrace before killing her.

"Surely, you must hate me."

Feelings of joy welled up within him when he thought such a woman surrendering.

Then something happened the moment Riotte's desires reached their peak.

[Warning.]

[9999 damage has been received.]

[This crest will be destroyed after receiving 20001 more damage.]

A warning message appeared on the crest.

"W, wha…?!"

It seemed that an attack had appeared out of nowhere.

Neither the man nor Shea had exhibited any behavior though.

However, what was more important to him was…

"Impossible, 9999 damage in an instant…?!"

Riotte froze from shock.

[Warning.]

[9999 damage has been received.]

[This crest will be destroyed after receiving 10002 more damage.]

After several more seconds, another warning message appeared.

"What…what's happening…?!"

Riotte's confusion intensified.

His confusion soon turned into fear.

That fear didn't come from logic, but from instinct.

From that man.

The man in front of him had a strange power that could deal damage.

"What kind of person are you…?!"

Riotte spoke in a panic.

"Who…are you?!"

※

The day has finally arrived.

"I've been waiting for the day we meet again…Riotte."

After the distance between us was 10 meters, I calmly stared at the man in front of me.

I lowered the hood that had been covering the upper-half of my face.

"And you are…?"

Riotte blinked.

It seemed that he didn't know who I was.

Indeed, my appearance has changed compared to how I looked two years ago.

None of my black hair remained, it was all silver.

My limbs were thin and the aura of my body had changed.

Above all else were my eyes.

I knew it myself.

My eyes were marked impure with a bloodlust and desire for revenge.

A crack then emerged in the amulet the man had.

"Could it be…Chrome…?!"

Riotte's spoke with a panicked voice and the face of complete shock.

At last, it seemed that he understood who I was.

"And here I thought that you forgot about your former companion, but…I'm glad that you remember me, Riotte."

I spoke apathetically.

I didn't feel as furious as I thought I would be.

I found it strange myself.

Did my desire for revenge become so excessive that it withered?

For a moment, I began doubting myself.

However, in the next instant…

"Riooooooooooootte!"

I yelled.

The anguish, fury, pain, and despair from when I was betrayed two years ago…

I concentrated all of it into my screaming.

It didn't wither away.

It's just that my desire for vengeance was so huge that it took a while for all of it to come out.

"E, eek…"

Riotte sank to the floor in face of my overwhelming spirit.

At the same time, the amulet he wore shattered into pieces.