Full Moon Night (4)

TL/ED: Lolz

Her mind was a mess.

Mercy struggled to hold onto her fading vision.

Arms and legs bound by magic.

Half-collapsed on the bed, there was a faint scent.

Approaching her was the owner of this place, Lina Rosewell.

"…Ugh."

Initially, it was fear.

Lina Rosewell was clearly not in her right mind.

The Bloodstone Cult drained vitality from the blood of others.

Resistance was futile. Mercy's lips trembled.

"Sweet."

Lina's lips touched Mercy's neck. She expected it to draw blood, but instead, a long, red tongue trailed along her collarbone. In the rough and tantalizing touch, Lina quickly bit her lips.

"Don't be too scared. It's my first time too. But it'll definitely feel good. You might even want to beg for more."

A voice worn by agony. Lina's breath carried a strange heat. The contagion of blue mushroom spores. It happened through the exchange of bodily fluids. Since the process was akin to a communion, the pheromones emitted by the mediator were irresistible to the recipient.

Lina Rosewell gently caressed her.

Beyond the tender and ticklish touch, an incessant groan poured in. The red light emitted by the stained moon intensified the heat.

Mercy's toes trembled in the face of this fatal temptation.

'This can't be...'

No matter how hard she tried to resist, it seemed impossible to withstand Lina's warm breath. Rationality, fortified by fear, began to crumble like a dam with a hole.

— Thump, thump.

A heartbeat knocking as if to break reason.

"…Hah."

A voice announcing the completion echoed from Mercy's throat. Lina's eyes curved like a crescent moon.

As Lina's lips teased Mercy's body, about to absorb the heated bodily fluids, something unexpected happened.

— Rustle.

A light breeze swept through.

Lina turned her head towards the door.

A strand of her cold hair fell.

Simultaneously,

— Clang.

A diagonally dotted line carved on the door split in half and fell to the ground.

— Knock, knock.

A long leg emerged through the split door. Seeing this unexpected sight, Lina muttered in bewilderment.

"Sharon Pierce."

Sharon scanned the room, furrowing her brows. She didn't care what the two women were doing. Her only concern was Lina's condition.

"Stop."

A rapier was suddenly thrust out.

Lina chuckled.

“It’s just like Sharon, the Frost Knight, to point your sword at me from our first meeting.”

"Step away from her and raise your hands."

"I don't want to?"

Lina, fixing her gaze on Sharon, brought her lips to Mercy's body. As Mercy's neck twitched, her eyes grew even redder. Mercy's legs trembled.

"It seems she enjoys it too."

— Rustle.

A clean sword blade.

Instead of an answer, the opposite side of Lina's hair was cut. Lina's lips slightly hardened.

“Ahh. The side hair is hard to grow. Too much. Hehe."

"Snap out of it, Lina Rosewell."

"Am I not in my right mind?"

"Stop the nonsense."

"You know, Sharon. Many people like those who enjoy the cold, but because of that personality, they often feel jealous and envious. Trust only in your skills and don't be too arrogant."

"..."

"Oh, did you know that too?"

"Hah."

Sharon let out a short sigh.

What caused Lina Rosewell to change so much?

There's no hint as to what it might be. The plan was to clean up Ian starting from the disciplinary committee. But now, it might all be falling apart.

"It's messed up. Why?"

"Does it really look that way? Lately, people have been looking at me strangely, with odd eyes. It's just wounds, wounds. Ahaha."

Lina laughed lightly.

In that moment, it seemed like the usual Lina Rosewell was glimpsed.

"Inglam."

And then, the summoning of high-ranking spirits continued like flowing water.

— Splash!

The rapidly unfurled frosty mist from Sharon's sword saturated the air.

Overwhelming magical power. If she hadn't exerted her full strength, it couldn't have been stopped.

Sharon's pupils were dyed with astonishment.

On the other hand, Lina Rosewell grinned brightly.

"But I've become stronger than before, haven't I?"

"..."

"Well, what do you think? Are you starting to pay a little more attention to what I say now?"

Sharon stared at Lina in silence.

Whether she took it as a sign of surrender or not, Lina sat back on the bed, shaking her legs and continued speaking.

"You know, Sharon. Wasn't I always a bit struggling?"

Speaking in a tone as if confiding in a close friend.

It would have been unusual for the original Lina Rosewell.

"Always smiling, considerate to others, kind all the time. That's how people see Lina Rosewell, right? But you know what's funny?"

Smirk.

Lina walked towards the desk, lifting a small doll.

Embroidered on it was the phrase 'To my dear friend.'

"Once I started struggling, no one helped me."

— Whirr.

The doll turned into ashes.

Certainly, it used to be something cherished, but not anymore.

Swish.

Lina waved her hand, dispersing the ashes.

"I've lived being extremely kind, you know? But when I was starving and struggling, no one came to help me. Hehe…"

Lina's body wobbled unsteadily.

Despite the madness felt in her movements—

Sharon Pierce spoke up.

"Ian Blackangers took care of you."

“That b*stard!”

— Clang!

Lina Rosewell's expression, as she slammed the desk, turned menacingly dark.

"Can you not mention that b*stard's name?"

"Weren't you in the same class as him? You must have been friends."

"Friends? What's that? What a ridiculous idea. We just happened to be in the same classroom."

"He helped you out, and that fact is already well-known."

"Sharon, isn't it the same for you?"

"... My case is different."

"Quite amusing. Who do you think gave you that sword as a gift? If we calculate based on what you received, you probably got more than I did."

"How do you know that?"

"Just as you said, we were classmates. I had plenty of opportunities to observe him. Ian."

Sharon fell silent.

Lina, having won the argument, chuckled.

But soon, her laughter crumpled.

Ian Blackangers.

Thoughts about him once again invaded her mind.

Lunchbox. Prepared items. Endless favors. And the betrayal and sense of being stabbed in the back.

Suddenly feeling inferior to Ian, who was better than her in every aspect.

Feelings of hatred and disgust.

Just thinking about Ian made all those emotions swell up.

Her brain burned hot.

It felt like she might explode and become a fool.

"I hate it."

"...?"

Lina began muttering to herself.

"The items he handed over. The lunchbox he clearly made. All of that disgusts me more now."

"I hate how he gets in my way, irritates me, to the point where I want to kill him."

"But Sharon, listening to what you said, it makes sense... He used to prepare food for me."

"Why do I... keep thinking about that b*stard?"

"I want to try it again. That lunchbox."

With eyes deeply bloodshot, Lina Rosewell murmured while swaying her head.

Her appearance was truly chilling.

Sharon Pierce understood the characteristics of what she saw.

Sharon's mother had the same symptoms, and she had attacked young Sharon to suck her blood, so Sharon was certain.

"Beginning stages of bloodlust infection."

"Bloodlust?"

“It means that you are becoming a member of the Blood Cult."

"Not possible."

"Everyone thinks they're the exception."

"But I've never encountered a Bloodstone Cultist?"

Lina tilted her head in confusion.

That she could maintain such rationality at the beginning of the bloodlust infection was commendable. Of course, that couldn't be the reason not to spare Lina.

Sharon thought with the handle of her sword in hand.

"Why did you come here?"

"It seemed suspicious. The relationship between you and Ian..."

"What do you mean?"

"The Kirtos anonymous chat. There, ‘Leaf Mask’s’ comments were in favor of Ian Blackangers."

"How does that concern me?"

"You were the one who operated under the alias 'Leaf’."

Lina's eyebrows twitched for a moment.

"...Ahaha. Got caught, huh? Even though I purposely toned it down a bit. It seems that wasn't enough."

"At that time, you spoke favorably of Ian Blackangers."

“I was just stating common sense.”

“Why is that common sense?”

"If that guy really did something wrong, wouldn't it be enough for him to face punishment from the disciplinary committee? Why bother coordinating stories?"

"That's what makes it suspicious. To cleanly handle a target, you need to move more surely and strategically."

At Sharon's words, Lina briefly tapped her own lips.

Why did she put so much effort into dealing with Ian?

Of course, she also had thoughts of wanting to eliminate Ian, but that was a collection of momentary impulses.

Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind.

"Hey. I just remembered something now."

"...?"

"Among the three of you, is there anyone who has a grudge against Ian?"

Sharon's expression stiffened.

The current Lina wouldn't miss such a sight.

Our cold city girl Sharon has such a tense face? Heheh."

"...As expected."

"What?"

"It's clear that your girl, Lina, is in cahoots with Ian Blackangers."

Ian Blackangers, who had recently shown a changed demeanor.

If this woman sided with him, it would explain everything.

'Handle Lina first, then slowly deal with Ian.'

Sharon looked at the scattered Mercy on the bed.

It should be enough evidence. The honor of the family would not be damaged.

"Exterminate the Blood Cult."

The current Lina Rosewell was strong enough to be treated as an exception.

Of course, even more so than Sharon herself.

However, it could be countered.

This entire conversation was Sharon's intention.

Sharon had read everything from Lina's breath to simple gestures.

One strike.

One strike would be enough.

She had confidence that she could hit it no matter how suddenly she attacked.

"So, die, Lina Rosewell."

The moment when Sharon's azure-blue sword was about to be used, aiming precisely for Lina's forehead...

—Boom!

The ceiling collapsed, and a figure appeared.

"Oh my. I seem to have taken a wrong turn."

It was Ian.

Christmas Cover hehehe :)

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