Chapter 87: Esdeath wants a different kind of victory!

Esdeath thrust forward her ice lance—dozens of meters long—aiming to impale her foe.

But before it could land, the plunderer's dark energy twisted and coalesced into massive claws, effortlessly shredding the ice lance into fragments.

At that moment, an overwhelming surge of negative emotions crashed into Esdeath's mind.

"...!"

She clutched her head, her crimson eyes flickering with pain.

Despite only a few minutes of battle, Esdeath had already exhausted every possible technique—

Icebergs, ice spheres, ice blades, ice knights—

The battlefield was littered with shattered ice crystals, yet not a single scratch marred the plunderer's form.

For him, dealing with Esdeath was trivial.

Had he not been wary of her ability to freeze space, he would have eliminated her long ago.

He held no regard for the people of this world.

And now, Esdeath was at her limit.

She showed no signs of attempting to freeze space again.

The plunderer raised an eyebrow.

"You can't use that freezing trick anymore, can you?"

"…"

Esdeath remained silent.

He sneered.

"So that's it. You were bluffing all along."

His grin widened, his tone dripping with contempt.

"You're nothing but a pathetic waste of life. Die."

With a wave of his hand, the massive demonic claws lunged forward, intent on rending Esdeath apart.

Esdeath lifted her gaze.

No fear.

No sorrow.

No emotion at all.

Just an eerie indifference, as if life and death held no meaning to her.

In truth, she had already succumbed to the flood of negative emotions.

Her thoughts were becoming dangerously extreme.

This was her second crushing defeat.

Another reminder of her powerlessness.

Her battle with the plunderer only reinforced the vast chasm between herself and Nanashi.

Esdeath, proud and relentless, would not allow herself to fail so many times.

The strong prey on the weak.

The loser must die.

Did she even have a reason to live anymore?

"What a pitiful woman."

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.

"Are you still the Sadistic and Battle-Hungry woman I know?"

Nanashi.

He appeared beside Esdeath as if he had always been there.

"When—?!"

The Night Raid members jolted in surprise.

None of them had noticed when Nanashi had even left his seat.

The moment the plunderer saw him, his instincts flared.

Without hesitation, he shifted his attack, aiming to seize the fel energy sphere with a single claw.

Nanashi, however, remained utterly unbothered.

His cold gaze locked onto the plunderer.

The swirling fel energy surrounding the demonic claws suddenly shifted—

Like an obedient pet, it stopped resisting and flowed seamlessly into the sphere.

And that wasn't all.

Now at close range, with no interference, Nanashi's ability focused entirely on the plunderer.

With a simple motion, he extracted every last fel energy seed from the plunderer's body, pocketing them along with the excess dark energy.

The plunderer—stripped of his power—plummeted from mid-air, crashing heavily to the ground.

Yet he barely registered the pain.

His entire body trembled.

Panic contorted his face as he let out a desperate, disbelieving scream.

"W-Who are you?! How can you control my fel energy?!"

Nanashi tilted his head slightly.

"Was it supposed to be difficult?"

His gaze shifted to the glowing fel energy sphere—

The very essence of corruption that had seeped into this world.

Gluttony.

Activate.

A crimson aura wrapped around the sphere—

And in a single instant, devoured it whole.

The moment the fel energy vanished from existence, the plunderer was left in complete shock.

His body quaked as terror overtook him.

"H-How…? My power… gone?!"

"This is impossible! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"

Nanashi ignored him.

Instead, his attention fell on Esdeath.

She stood motionless, her once unwavering confidence now replaced with quiet self-mockery.

"Do you want to die?"

"…"

She remained silent, staring at him.

Esdeath had never seen herself as inferior to anyone.

But now, that belief wavered.

Nanashi stroked his chin, studying her expression.

"Well, I don't really care either way. It's not like we have any special connection."

Then, as if an idea struck him, he smirked.

"But before you die, why not hand over your Teigu?"

Esdeath's Imperial Arm—her Demon God Manifestation: Demon's Extract—was a unique weapon formed from the blood she once drank.

Even now, Nanashi could feel its energy pulsing within her.

It was an impressive ability.

Perhaps it would be useful to Eriri or someone else down the line.

In the Chat Group

March 7th: "Uh, what's going on? Why is Nanashi asking for the inheritance?"

Suzuki: "If someone wants to throw their life away, there's no point in stopping them."

Reinhard: "It seems this lady has suffered an unbearable blow."

Aqua: "Maybe she got depressed after being scolded by Nanashi before?"

Lemuel: "I don't get it. It was just a failed challenge. Does that really warrant seeking death?"

Saeko: "People with strong pride find it difficult to accept failure, especially a tragic one. This time, Esdeath lost to the plunderer again."

Tushan Honghong: "I think I understand. Brother Nanashi did nothing wrong. He should respect the fate of others."

Emilia: "Well, Honghong is right, but... I still hope that everyone in the group can live well. Only when they're alive can there be hope."

Emilia: "Besides, Ms. Esdeath might have been affected by that strange energy."

Nami: "Emilia, you're really kind."

Emilia: "No."

Nami: "Don't worry. I believe in Nanashi. He's not a heartless person."

Saeko: "I believe in him too."

March 7th: "Me too!"

Esdeath locked eyes with Nanashi.

Nanashi didn't look away. His gaze was unwavering, serious.

That very gaze struck her heart like a dagger.

She knew that look all too well.

It was the way one looks at the weak—with indifference, with disdain.

She had worn that same expression many times before when looking down on others.

And now, in his eyes…

I am nothing more than a weak speck of dust.

"You're overthinking it," Nanashi said flatly. "I don't care about your strength. I just think your heart is as fragile as dust."

"???"

Her mind reeled.

Nanashi's words dominated her thoughts.

My heart… is fragile?

After all the battles she had fought, after all the blood she had spilled… how could her heart be fragile?

"Aren't you?" Nanashi continued. "Two defeats, and you're already desperate? Are you that afraid of failure?"

His words exposed her very essence.

Esdeath had been born in the northern borderlands.

She belonged to a race that specialized in hunting dangerous creatures, the daughter of the Baruts tribe's chief.

From a young age, her father instilled in her a single, unshakable belief: Only the strong survive.

The law of the jungle had been etched into her soul.

But the moment she returned from a solo hunt and found her tribe annihilated by northern invaders…

She knew.

Only strength could ensure survival.

Those who fail are weak.

And the weak do not deserve to live.

At this moment, she was the weak one—the one who had failed.

Her death would be meaningless.

"With that mindset, you're just a bully who preys on the weak. How do you expect to become truly strong?"

Nanashi's voice cut through her thoughts like a blade.

"Stop overthinking and make a decision. I'll extract the Devil's Essence completely."

He was impatient.

"You two bastards!"

The plunderer's eyes burned red with fury.

The fel energy seeds had vanished. His power was gone.

After all his efforts, everything he had worked for—destroyed in an instant.

With a twisted, feral expression, he lunged.

"Shut up!"

Two voices rang out in unison.

A violent gust surged.

A bone-chilling frost swept through the air.

"Gah—"

The plunderer let out a strangled cry.

In the blink of an eye, he was encased in ice.

The next moment, a hurricane tore him apart.

Shards of frozen flesh scattered like glittering snowflakes.

[The Plunderer has been detected as deceased!]

[Doomsday Journey Completed!]

[Nanashi obtained 500,000 Doomsday Points, Esdeath 200,000, Nami 100,000, March 7th 50,000, Tushan Honghong 50,000!]

"That's it?" March 7th blinked, her large, watery eyes filled with disbelief.

It had all happened so fast.

A moment ago, the Plunderer had seemed unstoppable.

And now… he was nothing.

But the most baffling part—

"I didn't do anything… how did I get 50,000 points?"

Tushan Honghong hesitantly raised her hand. "I didn't do anything either…"

Nami scratched the back of her head. "All I did was zap a few assassins with lightning, and I still got 100,000?"

"…"

The Night Raiders, standing nearby, were completely bewildered.

The man who had once terrorized the world had been obliterated in an instant.

And yet, these people…

They were standing around, casually discussing incomprehensible numbers.

"50,000? 100,000? …Is that money?"

They subconsciously wondered.

Could you really hire such a powerful person for just 100,000?

Wouldn't that be too cheap?

Nanashi and Esdeath exchanged glances.

They had struck the final blow together.

Nanashi smirked. "I thought you wouldn't want to give up your power."

Esdeath's expression shifted.

The determination to die faded from her gaze, replaced by a familiar, cold indifference.

With the Plunderer's death came a strange sense of relief.

She realized something.

The weight of negativity lifted.

Slowly, the Ice Queen reclaimed her throne.

She tossed her waist-length hair back and declared defiantly, "You want my power? I won't allow it! I will keep growing stronger and challenge you until I defeat you!"

A dark line appeared on Nanashi's forehead. He didn't want to invite unnecessary trouble, so he said impatiently, "I told you not to mess with me. Why do you insist on annoying me the moment you recover?"

But Esdeath's next words left him momentarily stunned.

With a calm and composed expression, she stated, "I have already lost to you. That means my fate is in your hands. Accept my challenge—until the day I reclaim my freedom."

'The fuck?'

This conversation was not meant for children. Without hesitation, Nanashi shut down the live broadcast.

Sure, the Sadistic Queen had an annoying personality, but she also had an impressive 257cm figure and a stunning face.

Just hearing her say that made him feel... a bit drowsy.

"Are you serious?" Nanashi asked cautiously.

Esdeath's thought process was vastly different from that of an ordinary person. It was best to be careful.

"I, Esdeath, always keep my word." Her eyes gleamed with mischief. "Perhaps I can defeat you in another way."

A fresh red tongue traced the corner of her lips.

Her gaze was full of provocation.

"If you say that, I can't just ignore it." Nanashi frowned.

You could underestimate his strength, but never his dominance.

"And how exactly do you plan to control me?"

Esdeath's interest was piqued.

Nanashi cast a quick glance at the surrounding people before lowering his voice. "Where do you live?"

Esdeath remained silent, contemplating the location of her room.

By now, she had already grasped that Nanashi had the ability to read minds.

Without another word, Nanashi picked her up.

Under the stunned gazes of the others, he took off into the sky, carrying Esdeath away.

As he departed, he called out, "I'm going to have another battle with Esdeath. You guys enjoy yourselves!"

Those who understood… understood.

Those who didn't… remained clueless.

For example, March 7th, Tushan Honghong, and Akame.

March 7th looked troubled. "Ugh… why are they fighting again? Aren't we supposed to be companions?"

Tushan Honghong, however, had unwavering faith. "Brother Nanashi will never lose."

Meanwhile, Akame nibbled on a Pocky stick like a little rabbit.

She had already come to see March 7th and the others as good people, so she offered a few comforting words.

"Sometimes, companions need to fight to understand each other."

"…"

The surrounding people overheard their conversation and silently thought to themselves—

How can someone be this pure?

Najenda watched Esdeath's fading blue figure with a complicated expression.

Is that really Esdeath?

Nami and Kanae, on the other hand, had a much deeper understanding of what was happening.

Nami felt a twinge of resentment.

Her only complaint—

"Why wasn't it me?"

After all, it had been so difficult just to meet him again.

"Ah!"

Kanae's expression suddenly changed.

Letting out a breath of hot air, she quickly said, "I'll go keep an eye on them."

Then, her body flickered and vanished into the virtual realm.

The remaining people exchanged glances, completely unsure of what to do.