Chapter 177 I need a vacation...
"O-O what is this?" Roxanne murmured, collapsing to the ground as her breathing grew erratic. Her face was pale, overtaken by terror—a rare sight for someone like her, who always maintained composure. She looked at her hands and realized she had dropped the cake she had been eating, something that never happened. Roxanne would never allow something as precious as her cake to be wasted.
"I-Is that... Vergil's mother?" Katharina whispered, leaning against a tree, staring at the coliseum now shrouded in a dome of pure murderous intent. Her expression shifted between shock and disbelief. "She's... like my mother?" she asked, her voice trembling, unable to process what she was witnessing.
"I-I… what happened? Is she angry?" Ada murmured, her voice low as her arms trembled uncontrollably. She clutched her own shoulders as though trying to contain the fear that consumed her entire body.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
"L-Let's pull back a little," Katharina said with difficulty, forcing her trembling legs to move. Each step was a struggle, but she managed to muster her strength and began to retreat slowly.
"Y-Yes," Ada agreed quickly, without hesitation, and began to follow Katharina. Even from a distance, she could still feel the crushing weight of that aura.
Looking back, Katharina noticed Roxanne still in the same spot, paralyzed as if the gravity around her had multiplied. The fear seemed to affect her even more intensely, likely because she had been closer to the coliseum when the wave of killing intent was unleashed.
"Rox," Katharina called out, her voice slightly hoarse as she tried to hide her nervousness.
Roxanne slowly turned her head, her eyes revealing a mix of determination and despair. She bit her lower lip hard, nearly drawing blood, as she fought against the panic threatening to consume her. "I... I can do this," she murmured to herself, trying to convince herself.
Taking a deep breath, Roxanne began channeling her energy. A barrier of wind formed around her body, shielding her from the oppressive weight of the aura. With the strength she had left, she vanished in a blur, reappearing beside Katharina.
"Let's get out of here... now," Roxanne said, her voice filled with urgency. Her knees were clearly trembling, but she maintained her composure as she grabbed Katharina's arm to help her walk. "My legs won't hold out for long."
Katharina nodded and supported Roxanne as the two, with Ada trailing close behind, moved away from the coliseum as quickly as they could.
"Why is something so terrifying... even possible?" Ada murmured to herself, glancing back one last time before hurrying to catch up with the others.
Even at a considerable distance, they could still feel the crushing weight of that energy, as if a colossal presence was watching them from afar, suffocating them with its mere existence.
As terror spread among Katharina, Roxanne, and Ada, elsewhere, Viviane, who was trying to rest after her near-death experience, felt something similar.
Lying down, her body still fragile and covered in blankets, she opened her eyes slowly, her gaze glowing with a mixture of surprise and concern.
"That aura..." she murmured, her voice barely audible but laced with recognition.
Viviane sat up with difficulty, clutching the sheets around her as the flow of energy continued to flood the environment. She hesitated for a moment, trying to understand what she was feeling, until the truth finally struck her.
It was a power she knew all too well.
"It can't be..." she whispered, her eyes widening as her heart raced.
Ancient memories began to surface, bringing back images of times long past, of battles and alliances forged in blood and fire. That overwhelming presence, that crushing power... There was no doubt.
"Sepphirothy..." Viviane murmured, the name escaping her lips like a long-buried secret, carrying a weight that transcended eras. It was a name that evoked intense memories, full of admiration but also an almost reverent apprehension.
In that moment, everything started to make sense. She closed her eyes briefly, allowing her mind to clear as the oppressive presence continued to envelop everything around her.
"I've felt this power before..." she whispered to herself, her tone filled with late realization. "At that time, I was too weak to notice... But now, it's undeniable."
A faint humorless laugh escaped her lips as she leaned back into the pillow, reflecting on the irony of her discovery. "Ah, of course... It all makes sense now." Explore new worlds at empire
"Vergil's mother..." Viviane murmured, as if confirming the thought was heavier than the presence itself.
With a deep sigh, her expression softened, though there was a spark of understanding mixed with resignation in her gaze.
"Now, so much becomes clear... That extraordinary talent... that innate strength... It was obvious it could only have come from her."
Viviane let her head tilt slightly to the side, staring out the window. A tired smile appeared on her lips, as if she were coming to terms with the fact that destiny always revealed itself to be more intricate than it seemed at first glance.
"Sepphirothy... always leaving her mark. How could it be any different?"
[Human World...]
"What a mess," Novah muttered, staring at the grotesque pile of bodies towering in the center of the area. Humans, vampires, werewolves, and other creatures were tangled together in a chaotic scene that reeked of both death and despair.
"That smell..." Viola grumbled, covering her nose with one hand and wrinkling her face in disgust. "It's horrible."
Novah, showing no emotion, adjusted a worn-out mask, the kind that looked like a generic pandemic-era model. It was clear she was no stranger to situations like this.
"Let's go. We've got work to do," Novah said, her tone firm as she stepped over the bodies without hesitation.
Viola hesitated for a moment before sighing and pulling on a pair of rubber gloves. "Do you think..." she started to ask, then stopped herself. "Never mind. We need to check everything carefully. We can't afford to miss a thing."
Her eyes scanned the area as she adjusted her gloves. "I've never seen Mistress Sapphire so angry before... We need to comb through every corner, even the smallest detail. We will find who attacked Viviane."
There was determination in her voice, but she couldn't hide the unease she felt from the scene around her. Passing by an unrecognizable piece of flesh dangling from a bone spike, Viola swallowed hard, trying to push down the bitter taste rising in her throat.
'I need a vacation...' she thought.
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