Mariella stood outside, her gaze drifting again and again toward the barrier hourglass floating in midair. A trace of worry showed on her delicate face.
It was all because she was too weak.
If she stayed inside the barrier, she would only become an obstacle to Lord Yuuki.
From the very beginning, Mariella had been perfectly aware that she had no strength to contend with the Assassination Division. That was why she had needed to borrow external power to exact her revenge.
And now that this day had finally arrived, aside from the joy of avenging her former companions, there was also a faint sense of emptiness lingering in her heart.
At that moment—
A streak of white light shot out from the barrier hourglass, and Yuuki's figure once again appeared within Mariella's field of vision.
"Lord."
Seeing Yuuki emerge completely unscathed, a flash of delight and reverence passed through Mariella's eyes. She immediately bowed and spoke respectfully.
"Don't worry. It's already been taken care of."
Yuuki raised his hand and grasped at the air. The barrier hourglass hovering above descended back into his palm.
"Lord, what about their bodies?"
Mariella glanced curiously at the hourglass in his hand and asked in confusion.
"A single fire is enough to burn them to nothing."
Yuuki chuckled softly. Then he slashed through the void, opening a spatial passage. Reaching inside, he yanked—
—and pulled out an unconscious figure, tossing it onto the ground.
Bang.
The body hit the ground with a dull thud. The intense pain caused the figure to let out an instinctive groan.
This person was none other than Galeo, the leader of the Assassination Division.
"This man's life is yours to decide."
Yuuki pointed at Galeo and spoke softly to Mariella.
Mariella looked at Galeo—once lofty and untouchable before her, now no different from a dead dog—and a glimmer of moisture appeared in her black eyes.
"Thank you, Lord."
Her tone was steady, without the slightest hesitation. An ice blade had already condensed in her right hand.
"You've been avenged."
Mariella recalled the days of training together with her former companions and murmured quietly.
"N… no…"
At this moment, Galeo seemed to sense the approach of death. Even with his consciousness already hazy, he struggled to speak instinctively.
Slash!
The ice blade in Mariella's hand plunged down. The angle was precise, piercing straight into Galeo's neck. She drove it in and twisted.
Blood sprayed out. Galeo's body jerked violently once—then fell completely still.
Seeing the dazed expression on Mariella's face, Yuuki snapped his fingers lightly. A flame appeared out of thin air and fell onto Galeo's corpse.
The blazing fire lit up the surrounding night, its flickering glow dancing across the bodies of Yuuki and Mariella.
"Let's go. There are still thirty Assassination Division members left. While it's still night, we'll deal with them all."
Yuuki glanced at the corpse, already reduced to nothing in just a few breaths, and spoke calmly.
"Yes, Lord."
Mariella's expression returned to calm. Compared to her former impassive demeanor, there was now a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
In the next instant,
the two of them vanished from the spot using spatial magic.
What followed were successive raids, carried out one by one according to the secret locations Mariella had previously uncovered.
The remaining Assassination Division members were scattered in small groups. Even their main force had been effortlessly wiped out—these dispersed squads stood no chance at all.
With the magic tool Barrier Hourglass, capable of creating an independent barrier space, the entire operation proceeded without causing the slightest disturbance.
Within the span of an hour, every Diamond Kingdom Assassination Division member hidden within the Clover Kingdom was completely eliminated by Yuuki.
If such a shocking event were to spread, it would be enough to cause a massive uproar in a very short time.
Unfortunately—
The Clover Kingdom had no idea that so many Diamond Kingdom assassins were lurking near the capital. And after such a catastrophe, the Diamond Kingdom would be even less inclined to publicize it.
Yuuki and Mariella walked out of a small, two-story castle that looked long abandoned.
"Lord, this was the last hidden location. All Assassination Division members have been dealt with. The numbers match exactly—no one is missing."
Mariella followed closely behind Yuuki and reported respectfully.
Stepping out of the castle's shadow, Yuuki glanced up at the bright moon hanging in the sky. Suddenly, he asked curiously,
"What kind of person do you think someone would have to be, if they wanted to create a world with no sorrow, no anger, no hatred, no conflict, no discrimination—a truly peaceful world?"
Mariella froze for a moment, clearly not expecting Lord Yuuki to suddenly ask such a question.
Yuuki wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he leaned casually against the nearby wall, looking relaxed.
Mariella had experienced many things. She had seen the depths of human malice—and had even brushed against death once or twice herself.
If an ordinary person heard such words, they might immediately sink into that beautiful vision. But Mariella remained calm.
"Lord, my understanding tells me that such a thing is impossible."
"The Diamond Kingdom assassins we killed—
to me, this was revenge, and it was right.
To the Clover Kingdom, it was also right.
But to the Diamond Kingdom, it was wrong."
She paused briefly, her expression complicated, as if searching for the right words. After a moment, she continued:
"In this world, even right and wrong themselves are never absolute. Let alone what you described, Lord."
"In my view, if someone truly could accomplish all of that, then they would have to stand above everyone else."
"That wouldn't be a human… but a god."
"Perhaps… only a god could do such a thing."
Hearing Mariella's words, a smile suddenly appeared on Yuuki's face.
"That's right. Only a god could."
What he had said earlier wasn't his own ideal at all. Such impractical, troublesome dreams held no appeal for him.
That was the Wizard King Julius's ultimate goal.
Yuuki had merely spoken on impulse, never expecting an answer. Yet Mariella's response stirred something in his heart.
To achieve such a goal, one must stand above all others.
The heart of the Devil King Lucifero.
The Spade Kingdom's "Dark Triad," the Zogratis siblings—masters of Blood, Body, and Bone Magic.
And the Wizard King's Soul Magic.
Yuuki narrowed his eyes slightly.
In his view, these four powers already possessed the ability to create humanity itself.
And the act of creating humans—
—that was authority belonging to a god.
(End of Chapter)
⭐ Enjoying the story?
You can read ahead and support the translations by joining my Patreon! Your support helps me update faster and take on more projects. Thank you for reading!
Read up to 50 chapters ahead!
patreon.com/AminaSims
Next bonus chapter at 1000 powerstones.