After being beaten to the point where most teeth had escaped his mouth, it was actually commendable how Backdoor managed to get back on his feet.
But his eyes had sunk in, his cheekbones lost their original shape, his septum was crushed, his face was covered in blood, and there were no fangs in his open mouth.
After repeatedly using Phishing Lure to trick people and play with their lives… What was once Backdoor’s face would never be seen again.
“Ihi, ihi, hihyahyahya…”
He went further away, with an unsteady laugh that seemed to respond to his shaky steps.
“Look! All ofh you!! Look at me!!”
As if being the center of attention on a stage, he danced the continuation of a forgotten dream.”
“Hehe, hehe… Let me see that face… The tasty face filled with sorrow… Hehe, hehe. I love it… It’s because I saw that comforting moment… Like you lived until now just for me… Fue, fuehehehehehehe.”
Qualia and Ace passed judgment as they saw a lot of blood dripping from the missing arm and the leg with a hole being dragged.
“Analyzing situation. Backdoor’s vital activities will cease soon.”
“You are not responsible. There was a very high chance Backdoor would escape even if apprehended. Terminating vital activities is the optimal solution.”
It was a dance backstage to stop them from going mad.
Qualia watched as the curtain fell, without any more optimal solutions.
“Ah… Please… Hungry… Where happiness… Turn to despair… Lemme taste… Ahe, hehehe, hehehehehehehehe.”
As he recited his death poem, Qualia detected a certain pattern.
“Quiet.”
It was Quiet Ghost, covered by Stealth.
The head with the guillotine appeared right above Backdoor.
“Gudyu…”
The guillotine fell, taking Backdoor’s head with it.
Backdoor fell silent, never speaking again. As his head rolled, fresh blood sprayed from his body, that moved a little.
And in the middle of this crimson garden, Liebe stood like a god of death.
“Request explanation. Why did you end Backdoor’s vital activities?”
“You don’t have to take responsibility for this guy’s life. If he was going to die anyway, it’s more convenient if I was the one who killed him.”
Liebe tried to touch Backdoor’s head after it stopped, but couldn’t.
Right there, his extended arm started disappearing, to the point where it could not be said it existed anymore.
It disassembled into gentle fireflies, which faded into the air one after the other.
“I killed Backdoor. It wasn’t your anger that killed him. That’s important. Qualia, you showed me the light, but don’t turn into someone like me, that swings his blade without even knowing at what, for revenge.
“…I’m, sor-ry.”
Around the time when even Liebe’s small smile began to turn to light, Clearance began to gather. The first one on the scene was its captain, Proxy.
He looked at the current situation, and quickly understood it. He tapped Qualia on the shoulder, approached Liebe, and took off his helmet.
Just like Ina and Liebe, he had the ears that showed he was a beast person. His were dog’s.
“…Did you come to avenge your underlings? I killed a few of Clearance.”
“Don’t underestimate us. My subordinates all perform the duties of Clearance, ready to offer their lives under Duke Kernel. I wouldn’t disgrace my fallen comrades with revenge.”
His right hand was clenched hard enough to crush iron.
Even Qualia could tell extreme emotions over frustration towards himself, and the death of his subordinates by Liebe, raged inside him.
He held them back, as he continued to glare at Liebe.
“Listen. I perform my duty as the captain of Clearance, and prove that someone can save the world even if he’s a beast person. I believe this will be a light of hope for beast people.”
“…The exact opposite of me.”
“Yes. I understand your circumstances, but I don’t approve of your actions.”
“…”
Liebe looked at a few of the black-clad knights that followed Proxy, one at a time.
“Understanding the world just before going to hell… I didn’t think there were so many beast people in Clearance.”
“If you met Duke Kernel, you might have been saved too. And I might have joined Azure Skies if I didn’t.”
“What if’s don’t matter. It’s all empty.”
“Yes. The Azure Skies revolt only brought misfortune for beast people. You hurt beast people’s position. That’s the reality… I’ll spend my life turning around what you hurt.”
He said with strong resolve, as he looked again at Liebe’s disappearing body, and turned to leave with the rest of Clearance.
And when he passed by Qualia and Ace, he lowered his head a little.
“…Thank you. We got the information about the location of the ancient magic stones thanks to you.”
He tapped Qualia’s shoulder gently again, and left with his comrades towards Kernel.
Meanwhile, Qualia and Ace sat down, and stared at Backdoor’s corpse. His body was heavy. His stamina was doing fine, but he was exhausted for some reason.
That exhaustion seemed to increase the longer he looked at that sea of blood.
But he had to get that feedback. He did not say it, but he was embedding an unwritten rule in his programming.
“I know you’re tired, but can I say one last thing?”
Liebe stood next to Qualia, seemingly ending his existence as a ghost very soon. That was how much he had turned into small balls of light.
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