WICKED HEROINE

1.1: A Crying Soul

It was the day, I thought time paused momentarily.

The sun gently descended, casting a warm glow across the horizon. The radiance of daylight was slowly fading, making room for the velvety darkness of night. Crickets chirp softly in the background, and the world around begins to darken. The lights on the street corner flickered on, illuminating the area in a comforting glow.

As the evening progressed, a breeze swept through, bringing with it a refreshing coolness freezing the stains on my body.

I wiped all the cold blood that splattered my face. After killing all the last batch of the vipers, my body was drenched in the mix of their blood and mine. I couldn't suppress my happiness. I couldn't help but smile. Corpses. Blood. Stacks of cold dead bodies. What else would be more thrilling than this?

I panted, looking up at the sky, starting to lose my sanity while chasing my breath. For a moment, the chaos subsided.

My smile slowly disappeared.

I could feel the weariness slowly consume my body, my hand covered with cuts and blood shudders; indifference abruptly appeared. Even if I was a devil, unfortunately, my body is still human. The little aches from the wounds started to insinuate. Even if I can stand still, losing blood along the way will be my weakest point.

Harrois.

I whispered, cursing the name into the thin air.

I knew crowning a new king would be this chaotic, yet these are the only things that make my blood alive. Piercing one's weapon into the body of the victim slowly and deeply, the sweet sound of flesh breaking through, or reaped apart, the hide and seek with the victim, the hearing someone crying out of its lungs begging for its worthless life, making your soul poisoned by the venom of malice, it's one of the best feelings I've ever felt. It's greater than being high on a drug. As peace will never be my vocabulary nor even a friend. I love being the sufferings of others.

"Ah. Can't wait to do it with Harrois." I giggled out, envisioning what I would do next.

I have never been a follower. I kill whoever I want, I move wherever I'd love to. Even if it's also my guild assassin, once it annoys me, I'll kill it slowly. And with that, Harrois used his force to unveil my identity.

Harrois used all his power to unmask Helquin, not knowing there was nothing to gain from. As if losing my mask, will also be losing my skills. Such idiocy as the Vipers did. They tried to hunt me after knowing my real identity and wanted me dead. Now, who's dead? They are the ones who ended up being these piled soulless bodies.

"What? Still alive?"

If only there were no plan, I'd blow the organization up then probably everything would be settled. I wanted to rain blood in the organization. That must be one of the most astonishing masterpieces I'll create.

"Nyx, finally!"

I couldn't suppress my smile. I could feel my adrenaline rushing through my body. How amazing it could be for him to beg for his life in front of me.

I CAN'T WAIT.

The egocentric rabid canine whose lunacy causes it to trouble himself and his class, is one of the craziest assassins. The Crown of Bullets. He is one of the big three, just like me. I'm the first one, and he's the second. I was previously ranked third, but after eliminating the number one who's insignificant rubbish, I was promoted. He became resentful because the one whom I killed was his adorable little sibling. What a cliche right?

"Excited to see your death?"

I couldn't help but giggle at his reaction.

"Such arrogance! You wiped the Vipers?! It's impressive that you're willing to die today."

His eyes are like storm clouds, heavy with the weight of hatred and disgust. Though his lips curve into a smile, it is but a thin veil that cannot conceal the raging tempest of anger within.

Hah.

I can see it still angers him. My whole existence is a trigger for his hatred. Maybe he still cried in his sleep longing for his little brother, and couldn't accept the fact that his baby brother had been killed in front of him, with nothing to do to save him. Which maybe must be a bitter pill to swallow.

"Just a bunch of greedy idiots," I said shrugging my shoulders and trying to sit on the piles of dead bodies.

His frown is now visible.

"You'll regret making the Kings of crowns furious," Nyx added.

King of crowns, my ass.

Harrois was never worthy of being called King of all the Crowns. He was just a coward living on his own delusions. I can't help but laugh sarcastically and smile in disgust at this. Harrois must be honorable to him but to me, he was just a lowly assassin.

"Oh well. Whatever it be, be it."

"Outrageous." He gritted.

I smiled, provoking his presence, "Without a mask, I know you witness why I become the grand king's sole surviving crown."

His smile disappears, and his face darkens. It's merely a brag, but it strikes him bullseye.

"The king granted me a stone." His hateful expression morphed into a grin like a cocky canine who can't contain his ego.

That's bullshit. Stones are only bestowed if you successfully complete one of the crown's missions. It's a drug that helps the body immune to any pain.

"And yes, it's an eye for an eye," his smile widened, "I become the bullet that slays the things you can't lift your daggers at."

His laughter roared in this place. I remained silent. There were only around five meters separating Nyx and I, yet even from a distance, I could clearly see his dark soul.

"Your little brother must be so proud of you,"

His sharp gaze fixed on me, along with his grin displaying a sense of satisfaction, "Yes, thanks to your little sister, I was promoted."

A familiar figure appears out of nowhere. Because the sun bid farewell to the sky's embrace, like a weary traveler, the world was swallowed by darkness.

"Isn't this a thrilling reunion?"

Pale skin, a mess of cuts and bruises, a weary look on his face, and a weak plea for my presence.

"Noa..."

A sharp ringing pierced through my ear, and suddenly, my once-clear vision became hazed, plunging me into a realm of darkness in a snap.

All I could realize was seeing myself in front of Nyx, grinding his neck with my hands while another hand was with a dagger pointed through the tip of his eyes. The girl was pushed on the ground, eyes confused. I couldn't feel any pain from my wounds, yet I felt the rage burning inside me, just like when I was murdering someone.

"Verily, ne'er shalt thou provoke the crown."

With a smile emitting the authority of the crown, I could feel how his body froze. Even in the middle of the assassins' trying to attack me while suppressing their whereabouts, I could feel their hesitation win along with fear.

"S-She's s-s-still... a-al... ali...ve."

I tightened my grip on his neck.

"It must be good to pluck your tongue out first," I warned.

I saw Nyx smile, and with that, a loud bang was heard. A smell of fresh blood spread in the cold breeze of the air. Moments of the muted scene were stopped when I heard a body collide on the ground harshly.

"As I... I... t-to... told you. Eye for an ey-"

I tightened my grip on his neck. I pushed the dagger to his eyes, slashing half his face. He choked while shouting in pain, and because of that, my body responded to his pain. I stabbed his face nonstop. From his eyes, forehead, cheeks, hah. This is awesome!

He was on the floor and I was on top of him, even his body fighting and trying to let go from my grip, death arrived before he could do. I ended him with a deep stab in his neck. Blood squirts from pulling the dagger out of his neck. I wipe the blood that splashes to my face and look down at Elvia.

Sorry but not sorry, this is really fun! How dare you hurt her. The only soul I could see clearer than a mountain spring.

Hah.

"What a dumb girl. Why trying to shield your fragile body for me?"

I kicked the body of Nyx to see if he was still alive but fortunately, he died. With just a little effort, the soul of this shitty assassin, Nyx, departed from its body.

I walked towards Elvia.

"Weakling."

"N-Noa..."

Unsure of when this wretched existence first took hold, I can't escape this murky maze. I just woke up one day, only to find myself standing at a crossroads where the act of extinguishing human lives has become as effortless as blowing out a candle.

"Auk."

"Elvi-"

"I'm... so...rry."

"What?"

Her soul was glowing, but I could see its fading. Is she going to die?

"Noa."

"Oh, are we late?"

That voice. I looked where it came from. It's Harrois. I wanted to hear what Elvia wanted to say to me yet, it was yet not safe.

"Noa... plea...se. Stop... putt...ing bl....ood on you.....r hand."

As I was going to stand, there were a lot of lasers directed at me.

"Thanks to Nyx, we buy some time to get ready this for you."

What? I couldn't help but smile! They prepared this for me! Just to kill me huh.

"It must have been hard for you to make me down-"

Ouch.

"Hurt?"

I touch where the bullets hit me. It was on my stomach. It stings, it must have poison.

Argh.

"It has the black elixirs."

I was dumbfounded while my smile remained on my lips. So they're now gonna pull all the cards just to kill me? Wonderful.

"Now, it's time for you to pay, Helquin. How devil are you, you can go home to hell now."

I walk towards Elvia to shield her. She coughed blood, and the glow on her soul was merely a tiny light now. But to my surprise, before even I could get to her, Harrois started his delusions.

"Elvia-"

"Fire!"

Argh. A raining bullet with poison was hitting all over my body as if my body was their only target. If they hit me in the head, I'd be dead on the spot yet they didn't.

"Feel all the pain you brought, Helquin!"

Noa...

Noa...

Noa...

May the God hear your plea, and may he give you a chance to live without these miseries.

Huh? I can hear Elvia's cry. And another woman's cry. Am I dead? I tried to open my eyes but I saw myself lying on the floor, soaked in blood, everything was in slow motion. Kinda blurry but still bearable to see. Elvia lying with her eyes closed, and blood in her mouth, seems like she's in a deep sleep.

If God's not on my side, hear my plea, whoever demon you are. I am selling my soul to you, you can now enter my body.

As I close my eyes I feel all the weariness. The noise starts to calm, and I don't know anymore. But even if I died, at least I live my life making all of them suffer.

I can't help but smile... dying.

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