There was a heat haze silhouette that seemed like if all the shade in the world gathered.
Both Ina and Spirito knew that this thing hovering in front of them was suspicious-looking. But despite knowing that, Ina could not help her thoughts stopping.
Liebe, her brother that was supposedly decapitated long ago, was standing in front of her.
“Ina?”
“Big brother…. It’s you, but why?”
“…Ah, ah… I found you. I found you.”
The face that seemed hungry somehow slowly approached.
Liebe’s eyes saw Ina, and nothing else.
“You were locked in here… I’m sorry I’m late… I’m here to save you.”
“…It can’t be. Big brother, you… You were decapitated in front of me…”
Those unsteady footsteps kept approaching.
The shadow grew bigger, and Ina was unable to move from that spot.
Seeing her brother, who died in such a gruesome way, was agitating her brain.
Her instincts told her to run to her dear brother. But her rational side stopped her from going to her dead brother.
“Calm down! Think about how he appeared! That’s not normal!”
Rebuked Spirito, before standing in front of Ina.
Even if she knew nothing of ghosts, there was no way she would think a being formed out of dark matter that suddenly appeared was normal. The fact that it was shaped like a dead person just pushed the suspicion past the limit.
But Liebe’s expression was colder than absolute zero, as he looked at Spirito.
“…Are you the cage’s guard?”
“Ah?”
“Just wait Ina, I’ll kill her…”
“…You madman. I’m not letting you near my sister or the maid.”
Liebe ignored Ina’s despairing expression, and dashed madly.
Spirito drew her longsword. It was not the toy she used in her mock battles with Qualia, it was a sword that, although unsigned, had taken the lives of many monsters.
She was Spirito, the Holy Sword. Her swordsmanship was the greatest in the kingdom.
At the same time as she drew her sword, her small body disappeared at the speed of sound.
Shukuchi. A mad war dance whose speed was only allowed to her.
“Ranma, seventh speed.”
Seven longswords appeared. Meaning, seven Spiritos.
Each unleashed a cutting sword flash. And each reflected Liebe’s wicked expression.
“Stealth.”
Liebe disappeared from where the sword flashes were heading.
“He disappeared…. Shukuchi!? No…”
It was not speed. Spirito could use shukuchi, so even if he reached the speed of sound, her eyes could follow him.
However, it was hard to believe it was magic that let him travel through space.
She lost track of Liebe, even though there were no obstacles between them.
But standing still was her undoing.
“…!?”
By the time she realized it and moved to dodge, it was too late.
The claws carved deep into her left thigh.
“Damn…”
“The wound Ina received. No, more!”
“Gafu…”
Spirito flinched, and what followed was a strong kick to the stomach.
The impact traveled through her whole body. She bent forward, and was thrown dozens of meters back.
“Princess Spirito…!
“Ah, gugu…”
She used her longsword as a crutch to get up, but it was all she could do. It was a blow that could have very well killed anyone who was not Spirito.
But Liebe seemed to want to exercise that unreasonable power until she was dead.
Her childish appearance seemed to not be a deterrent.
“More, more… Taste Ina’s suffering.”
“I wasn’t hurt like that!”
Both Liebe’s eyes that were open wide enough to turn them bloodshot, and the eyes of the girl in pain, turned to the girl with the cat ears.
With both anger and sadness, Ina continued yelling with her tearful face.
“Don’t steal my brother’s face… And go around saying what you want! Don’t hurt Spirito!”
“I-Ina… Why are you saying that!? Don’t you know your older brother!?”
Liebe’s face was like that of a lost child.
And as she stared at it, Ina stood in front of Spirito. She spread her arms, and yelled at the top of her lungs.
“Who are you…!? Why are you pretending to be my dead brother…!? My brother was a lot nicer! He wouldn’t do this! Don’t soil my memories of my big brother!!”
“…Ina, Ina… Why, why?”
Liebe’s expression crumbled, as the words of rejection pierced it.
He teared up like Ina, and screamed like a child.
“Aaaaaaaaaah, aaaaaaaaaah.”
He covered his face with his hands, and continued crying as his shoulders trembled.
Eventually, through his open hands, eyes that were like lumps of bloodthirst could be seen.
A chill ran down Ina’s back.
“No. You’re not.”
“Eh…?”
“Ina is still twelve… You look like Ina, but who are you? Who? No, it doesn’t matter.”
The bloodthirst that was pointed at Spirito now faced Ina.
It seemed he was about to kill the sister he had been looking for all along.
“I don’t care who you are. She’s dead. She’s gone. She’s not here anymore. I’m sorry Ina, I was tricked. I’m an idiot.”
“…Big brother.”
“I’m gonna rip the face off that villain pretending to be you, Ina.”
Liebe activated Stealth, and disappeared.
But he was certainly there. Both knew it, but could only guess where that shadow of slaughter that approached was.
“Gaia. Reverse.”
The ground swelled in front of Ina and Spirito.
“…Gone.”
Liebe stopped without thinking, as he looked for Ina and Spirito, who disappeared behind the wall.
“Type GUN. Eliminating.”
That was, until a beam pierced his cranium.
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