The long-haired woman roared and a mass of hair formed two enormous arms on each side of her.

“But… Okty… why… why didn’t you tell me sooner, I…!”𝓞𝗏𝓵xt.𝗇𝓔t

“SHUT, THE FUCK, UP!”

*WHAM*

Elsby gulped down her saliva and asked feeling tears streaming down her face, but that only acted as a trigger for Oktria’s rage to burst forth – and one of the fists slammed against the incapacitated short-haired woman.

“…gh-ugh…!”

As the hand moved away, it revealed Elsby’s nose getting crushed but with no blood flowing, instead, the silky darkness was peeking through the torn skin as the young woman let out a pained gasp.

“I AM A FORMER HIGH NOBILITY!”

*WHAM*

“A REAL, PURE-BLOODED ONE!”

*WHAM* *WHAM* *WHAM*

“NOT A FILTHY HALF-BREED BASTARD LIKE YOU!”

*WHAM* *WHAM*

‘”My wishes and desire should be always easily discernable for the likes of you who should be nothing more than a servant to me! WAS IT THAT DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE THAT ALL THE -I LOVE YOU- AND -I CAN’T IMAGINE LIVING WITHOUT YOU- WEREN’T HONEST? WHERE WAS YOUR BULLSHIT INTUITION AND INSTINCT THEN?!”

*WHAM* *WHAM* *WHAM* *WHAM* *WHAM* *WHAM* *WHAM*

After seeing Elsby completely on her mercy, Oktria snapped and lost whatever she had left of her self-control, monologing and barraging the defenseless short-haired woman with an avalanche of devastating punches that each and every single one was causing horrible damage.

“The likes of you should know your place and ** off without forcing me to even mention it.”

Oktria declared, straightening her back proudly and glaring down at Elsby’s beaten-up face and broken body held up only by the stands of Oktria’s hair.

“I waited almost all three hundred years for this…”

Oktria breathed out and her hateful expression got replaced by an even worse, sadistic smile.

She raised her pale hand and summoned back almost every strand of her hair – going so far as to even take some away from the cocoon holding down the dragon shadow beast – and created a single hand, so huge that it covered almost the entire sky.

“This takes inspiration from Kirissu’s monster arm, but who cares? Me copying the skills of others is a revard and mark of honor for them.”

The long-haired woman snickered triumphantly, glancing up at her attack in its full glory before she looked back down at Elsby.

The short-haired woman’s face was almost completely torn apart, with her mouth and nose turned into an uneven mass of jet-black darkness and just the tearful eyes looking at Oktria…

…Elsby’s eyes carried the looks of someone who was deeply sorry…

She did not realize that her affection did that to Oktria and…

“Now finally read the atmosphere, AND DIE!”

While basking in the power she held over the Elsby, Oktria roared and waved her hand, causing the titanic arm to clench its fist and fall straight down to flatten the former member of the Ghosts of Bellcephora.

*haaaaaaaaaaaa*

“EH?!”

But once the arm fell, instead of the deafening sound of the explosion, the sound of a person breathing out peacefully filled the air as the spell dissolved and released its mana into the air.

“Wha…? Who?!”

Oktria whose hair got shortened back to right above her shoulders gasped and took a step back.

Her question wasn’t random – she aimed it at the person who suddenly appeared by Elsby’s side.

A tall humanoid figure made out of perfect silky darkness was leaning down to the short-haired woman and wrapping its left hand around her head so that its hand was covering Elsby’s eyes.

The being’s other hand was raised up and it was hard to not connect the dots and figure out that it was the cause of the Oktria’s attack’s sudden disappearance.

“…Immeri… please…”

“Shhh…”

Elsby cried out in a pitiful voice but the being of darkness shushed her and lowered its hand glaring straight at Oktria with its murky black eyes so different from its pitch-black body.

“Elsby, unfortunately, it is you who need to look at yourself and reflect, not Oktria. That girl is too far gone, too rotten, you will only drown in the filth while trying to dig for a better person inside of her. Because there is none.”

“…”

The creature spoke sounding almost apologetic as if it was feeling bad for having to say something like that about Elsby’s beloved person.

“You! You are that dragon! What the hell happened to you?!”

Oktria managed to shake off the initial shock and growled, growing her hair back out preparing for a chance to strike.

She was correct – the dragon that should be sealed off in a cocoon of hair was no more – and just based on the color skim of the humanoid being, it was easy to tell the connection between the two.

“I could tell you, but instead I will treat your condescending hypocritical self just as you did Elsby… So… Shut, the **, up.”

The being of darkness breathed out in disappointment and declared while lightly flicking its right hand.

“HOW DARE YO…?!”

*haaaaaaaaaaa*

Oktria stepped forward spreading her arms around taking direct control over the amassing jet-black hair… only to suddenly disappear into the thin air while the particles of mana composing her entire being lost the connection between each other and dissipated into the night sky…

…wiping off the woman known as Oktria from the face of the earth…

“O…Okty…? Okty! Say something…!”

Elsby cried out and tried to shake off the hand of the being of darkness holding her back, but because of her broken-up boy, she was too weak to even lift her arms.

“Immeri…! Immeri, please tell me that you didn’t kill her…! Please tell me that you just… locked her up in the shadow gate or something…!”

Getting no answer from the long-haired woman, Elsby turned to the being holding her back.

“…I could tell you that if you really want me to…”

“…!”

Immeri, one of Zoemi’s sentinel initially given control over the dragon shadow beast by Elsby, said in a sad voice, causing Elsby to flinch and tremble.

“O-oh… oh no… Okty…”

Elsby’s body was trembling more and more and she would have collapsed if not for Immeri holding her up as she began sobbing uncontrollably over the demise of her former lover.