GalaxyTL
* * *
“…Huh?”
A reflexive voice escapes me at the scene unfolding below. I hastily cover my mouth, but fortunately, it seems no one in this room has noticed my presence yet. Safe!
But, why!? Why is Karashia here!? I was supposed to have knocked her unconscious…!?
<You were likely careless in unleashing your murderous aura on Karashia due to being preoccupied with infiltrating this room. Karashia must have woken up early and, despite some differences in the details, repeated similar actions to the previous loops by slaying her father and the servants before coming here.>
What the…!? I went through the trouble of knocking her out to avoid any deaths, but she just disregarded my goodwill!
“K-Karashia!? Entering without knocking, what is this? What business do you have, you ruffian!”
Well, despite my indignation, the domestic drama unfolding below was now reaching its climax.
Karashia pointed her sword at Fateu, who was scolding her in confusion, while laughing.
“What business? Ufufu, do you wish to know? I am currently purging vermin like you as the official heir of the Luclees family.”
“Y-You wretch…!? Karashia! How dare you speak to your mother that way…!”
“Do not call yourself my mother!! You have no right!!!”
Karashia, who had been laughing while grasping her sword, suddenly raged and screamed.
Her emotions were quite unstable. One could say she had already descended into madness.
The tension in the room heightened.
“You never did anything a mother should!! It was always Keranko, Keranko, Keranko, Keranko, KERANKO!! I was always treated as a mere convenient tool!!”
“W-Wait, calm down Karashia. You misunderstand, I did care about you…”
“SHUT UUUUUP!!!”
………..Hm?
<What’s wrong, Emi?>
……Ah? Something feels…a bit…ah?
What I felt at that moment was a small sense of dissonance.
However, before I could sort out my confusion, events continued unfolding.
“I’ve had enough of vermin like you…making noise! Just…diiiiie!!!”
“Hih!!”
Fateu’s face turned deathly pale as she tried to make some excuse, but Karashia refused to listen.
Raising her sword overhead, Karashia rushed toward Fateu to cut her down!
Meanwhile, Fateu trembled and hid behind the servant Doj standing behind her!
“Wh-What, Lady Fateu!?”
And then she shoved Doj forward, pushing him right in front of Karashia!!
<Wow, using him as a body double.>
But Karashia’s momentum didn’t stop as she swung her sword down toward Doj.
Having been suddenly shoved forward and off-balance, Doj couldn’t offer any resistance.
The sword swung down with force was about to rend his clothes, sever his flesh, and take his life…
…But that didn’t happen.
Why? Because I stopped it.
* * *
(It’s over…)
Doj, who had been pushed in front of Karashia’s deadly blade by Fateu, vaguely thought that.
Faced with the inevitable fate of his impending death he could not resist, his perception of time gradually slowed down. Yet his body, lacking any combat training, would not move.
As a result, all he could do was watch in detached observation as the blade swung down to slice apart his life crept ever closer.
(Is this what they call just deserts?)
His thoughts, drifting in a dream-like haze, reached that conclusion about the impending calamity descending upon him.
Ultimately, he had set up the incompetent Sarelka and Karashia to fall, with the real intention of installing his own daughter Keranko as the head of the Luclees family.
His aim was to take over the Luclees family.
No…put more accurately, the Luclees family’s eventual ruination itself was his true goal.
Why would he do such a thing?
It was his revenge against…or more precisely, against the previous head of the Luclees family.
For the sake of that revenge, he had selfishly hurt others.
And now, the repercussions were upon him.
Thinking that, he could feel a sense of resignation.
(Still, to be the one cut down by Karashia, though…)
Doj let out a small, self-deprecating snort.
Of course, when embarking on his path of revenge, he had anticipated the possibility of retaliation against himself.
But he never expected this particular development.
His assumed adversaries with a stronger cause to turn their blades against him were elsewhere.
“Were” elsewhere.
But no longer.
He never thought he would follow in their footsteps.
Reveling in that outcome, assured his revenge would be complete, he had let his guard down – only to have his feet swept from under him by the sleeper Karashia.
Ah, the blade drew ever closer.
The moment of his death approached one second at a time.
Looking up, the face he saw was Karashia’s, stained by madness.
Her bloodshot eyes were wide open, her mouth twisted into a horrific rictus grin.
Only now did he feel fear, but his body would not move. As a final act of resistance, he squeezed his eyes shut.
However.
It was in the next instant.
Dun…Mishiin!!!
A tremendous sound reverberated through the room.
At the same time, Doj, whose eyes were closed, felt a beastly wind gently brush his cheek.
(What!??)
Doj’s eyes flew open in shock at what had burst into his vision.
It was…a furball!!!
The furball, its ash-gray fur dyed by blood, had somehow gotten between Doj and Karashia without him noticing.
And the short, slender arms it extended… The white fingertips at the ends, like a human’s right thumb and index finger, had seized Karashia’s sword, halting its motion!
Karashia, whose sword swing had been caught and stopped by just two fingers!
Doj, whose life had been saved at the last second!
Fateu, her face deathly pale and trembling!
Keranko, who could only tilt her head in confused bewilderment at the events unfolding before her!
None of them could fathom just what kind of being this furball creature was!
And yet, its outward appearance was so distinctive…!
The four of them inadvertently exclaimed the same thing in unison:
“Th-The Blood-Stained Furball Man…!?”
“Who are you calling a Blood-Stained Furball Man!!!”
It was in the next instant!
The furball creature unleashed an explosive wave of murderous intent – killing intent!!
(I’m going to be killed.)
Doj instantly realized that with the fury packed into that murderous aura.
However, unexpectedly, the furball swiftly reined in its killing intent.
“Suu…haaa…”
Taking a deep breath, it began speaking to the sword-grasping Karashia…in a beautiful girl’s voice unlike its incomprehensible outward appearance.
“There’s something I’m curious about. Let me ask you, Karashia.”