In the World of Midgar 80 — The Dwarf Country Blutgang (16)

꒰ঌ The Dwarf Country Blutgang 16

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At pretty much the exact same time as the conclusion of Lucifen and Anko's fight, the battle inside Blutgang was also decided. Well, to be fair, the battle had been decided from the start. Technically, the fighting was just over. That was how large the gap between the two fighters, Tayuya and Ruko, was. The only reason Ruko was able to drag the fight out this long was because of how persistent she was and the fact that she had the terrain advantage. But in the end, holding on was all it was. She never changed the inevitable outcome.

Tayuya had Ruko's slender body in her grasp, and the pained screams coming out of her echoed in the enclosed space.

"Ah! AAAGGHHHHH!"

"It is over, Ruko of the Seven Grimms of Purgatory, you foolish bug who dares defy my great king. Now then, what should I do with you? … Should I tear off your arms? Rip off your legs? Disembowel you while you're still alive? Or maybe all three?"

Tayuya's true nature was that of a cruel demon who revealed in blood, fear, and death. Since she was so attracted to her king, Lucifen, and her ideal of world unification, she normally hid her true personality. However, once it was out, there would be no mercy from her. She would kill her enemy. She would kill using any means available, and kill cruelly. She would kill the opponent, utterly humiliating them. Such was her instinct and her very reason for living.

Come, weakling. Raise a scream of fear for me. Dye your expression with despair and repentance as you painfully welcome death.

Tayuya, the demon of the Heavenly Twelve Zodiac's Guardians, hadn't been invited into the group because of her strength. It had been because she was dangerous. Lucifen needed to manage and control her; otherwise Tayuya would become a larger source of fear than the grimmfolk as she reaped casualties amongst humanity. She had that potential. She naturally liked causing pain in others. She lived to create expressions of despair. She loved seeing puny and pathetic weaklings spout lines about bravery or hope and come at her, only to be brought to their knees. She loved seeing their warped faces streaked with tears and snot as they begged for their lives before dying.

She'd loved that from birth. Tayuya didn't need any reason to prefer darkness. She didn't need any sort of pompous reasoning to love death. She'd just been born that way and stayed that way.

To her, death was beautiful and despair sweeter than any confection. That was exactly why Lucifen had welcomed her into her fold in order to manage and keep tabs on her, as a demon who was far too dangerous.

Most importantly, Tayuya had the pride of someone truly infused with mana. And that only furthered her brutal nature towards the grimmfolk.

"Foolish false demon… How could you have thought that a created demon could fight a true demon?"

"F-false…?!"

"Indeed. You grimmfolk are nothing but a pet of divinity, a fake created to imitate us, demons."

"Wh-what do you…?!"

Tayuya was a genuine demon who was born in Helheim, so her understanding of mana and demons surpassed even Lucifen. Another way of putting it was that she had a talent for sniffing out those who were like her. She understood. She knew what dense mana was like; that was why she obeyed Lucifen without question. She instinctively understood how dense her mana was, and that made her a true demon. She deserved to rule over all those who lived in mana. And that talent was also why she realized the warped nature of the grimmfolk. She instinctively knew that they were different.

More than anything, I can feel that awful power from them. Goddess's power! Heaven's power! Yes, these things aren't true demons. They're simply imitations made to be similar to us true demons, us true beings infused with mana. They're simply failures — failures that imitate us in form!

That was why Tayuya hated them. She couldn't stand the fact that they were proclaiming themselves as beings loved by mana by using a name that invoked hell.

"Haven't you ever felt any doubt? Haven't you ever asked yourself why you grimmfolk never leave a body behind after death?"

"… ! Th-that's… because we break apart into mana after death…"

"And why does that happen? Even us demons don't do that. Why is it that you grimmfolk disappear as if you've never existed in the first place? Do you truly not remember any phenomenon similar to that? Something that returns to mana after completing its mission? I believe you should all see this happening almost daily, no?"

After Tayuya went that far, Ruko finally gasped in realization. I know this. I know what mana forms and gives birth to before finishing what it's made to do and returning to mana. Ruko knew exactly what she was talking about.

"No… way…"

"Exactly. The true form of you grimmfolk is—"

Tayuya was about to give her the ultimate despair; she was about to reveal their true form. But just before she could give shape to the words, something happened. A blade flashed blue through the walls of Blutgang, and something flew towards Tayuya while skillfully avoiding the buildings.

While the sudden appearance had caught Tayuya off guard, she wasn't slow enough for it to have made a difference. When whatever it was attacked her, she easily dodged the blow. The one who'd released that blade flew down to the ground.

The first blow had been a feint. It was something done to distract Tayuya while the figure touched down and hid among the buildings to disguise their approach.

Once again, a blue flash from a sword shined, and this time, it severed Tayuya's arm. The figure retrieved Ruko, who'd been caught in that arm, in a princess carry and landed.

"Wh— … You are… !"

The arm that was severed was only solidified mana, so Tayuya herself was unhurt. But even though it wasn't real, severing it was still a difficult feat for most, speaking to the attacker's high level.

The figure had long, spiky red hair. His dark bluish mantle fluttered in the breeze, and he was covered in black armor. His skin was similar to a human's, while his eyes were a deep purple. No fangs protruded from his mouth, but the mana that swelled out of him said that he was a grimmfolk.

"You're the grimm Grimm King's son, Atreus Ruto!"

"And you must be the Demon Queen Tayuya. You've caused my subordinate here quite a bit of pain, haven't you?"

The most dangerous of the grimmfolk was the Grimm King. That fact would never be overturned. But after him was another being who even the Twelve Zodiac's Guardians had to be careful of. This was the Grimm King's son and master of the Seven Grimms of Purgatory… Atreus Ruto.

Tayuya had met the man several times while she'd been siding with the grimmfolk. But Ruto's strength was still unknown to Tayuya. She'd never seen Ruto fight seriously. On top of that, Ruto's appearance was strange. The grimmfolk usually had deathly pale white skin and black sclera with vertically slit crimson pupils. That was a trait shared amongst all of them. But Ruto looked almost human. It was too strange.

"R-Ruto…"

"Dammit, Ruko. How many times have I told you not to push yourself too far?"

"… My… apologies."

"Stop making me worry so much… I'm truly glad I made it in time." With Ruto still holding on to Ruko, the two of them met gazes, and the world seemed to fade away until it was just the two of them.

That was when Tayuya, not caring, attacked. Ruto dodged, his movements even looking elegant, and switched to a different roof.

No one would think that Ruto's side was the grimmfolk just looking at the scene. On one side, there was a female demon. On the other, a freed girl and her knightley savior. It was very unclear which side was evil.

"Hmph, perfect. I will offer you as a sacrifice to my king as well."

"If I'm being honest, I'm so furious with you my insides are boiling over. But I have no time to face off with you right now. Sorry, but we'll be taking our leave."

Ruto was confident he could win against Tayuya one-on-one. And that wasn't just some groundless confidence like with Vernal of the Seven Grimms of Purgatory. It was based on proper observation and knowledge of his own abilities.

But Ouzelia Lucifen was present as well. If the Blackbird of Death joined in with the Ram, the Goat, and the Scales of the Heavenly Twelve Zodiac's Guardians, even Ruto wouldn't stand a chance.

Well, Ruto thought, with Lucifen weakened, I might actually be able to beat her one-on-one…

"Do you think I'll just let you leave?"

"I do."

While still carrying Ruko, Ruto leaped towards the wall. He swung his one-handed sword and managed to cut open a hole in Blutgang's sturdy wall. It wasn't big enough to destroy Blutgang, but it was big enough to let one or two people through. It was enough for an escape, basically.

Ruto went through the gap and escaped Blutgang. In that instant, he locked eyes with a black-winged girl.

"…"

"—"

Neither of them said anything. Their interaction only lasted an instant, so there was no time for any other reaction. Just like that, the two broke eye contact, and Ruto left.

I can't get the measure of her, Ruto thought, reinforcing his opinions. Ruto had heard from his father that the current Lucifen had been meddled with and couldn't exhibit her full power. But even so, she's like that? She's still that strong after having over half her power taken away? The instant we met each other's gazes was enough for me to hallucinate that I'd be eaten.

To Ruto, Lucifen exuded that much power. Ruto's belief turned into conviction; the current stance of letting people other than his father fight her was a complete mistake. A thought crossed Ruto's mind. We need to change our stance quickly. And I need to figure out her intentions, since she keeps maneuvering the Seven Grimms of Purgatory and Twelve Zodiac's Guardians to bump into her.

"Ruko."

"Y-yes!"

"Right now, the Seven Grimms of Purgatory — no, all the grimmfolk — are being controlled by someone. My father knows and isn't doing anything about it. In fact, he's being quite cooperative. And Kyoka has basically been turned into a complete puppet. So at the moment, there are almost no grimmfolk whom I can trust."

Ruto continued to kick off empty air as he held onto Ruko. Whenever he did, he accelerated, and the scenery went by blindingly fast.

"You are one of the very few I can trust. Please, don't fruitlessly die in battle. I need you."

"R-Ruto…"

Ruto's words were probably only meant for her as a subordinate. Ruko knew that. But even so, she couldn't stop herself from thinking there might be a hidden meaning. In fact, she wanted there to be one. Ruko wanted to believe that Ruto needed her outside of their relationship as leader and subordinate.

Ruko shook her head as if to free herself from her train of thought.

"What are you doing?"

"N-nothing!"

Her superior's words, spoken with no knowledge of how she felt, were just the smallest bit infuriating to Ruko.

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