Paradise in Flames, the Herrscher Queen Descends (Continued)

"!!!"

The sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh rang out.

Bai Ge stared in disbelief at his chest, where a dark blue blade had emerged.

Red blood spilled from the corner of his lips. His pierced heart was still beating, but each beat was excruciatingly painful, and he could feel the coldness of the blade.

Bai Ge turned his head with difficulty to look behind him.

"Rita...you..."

The maid he trusted, it was the very weapon in her hand War Scythe pierced his body.

Bai Ge never imagined such a thing would happen. He couldn't understand it, couldn't think about it, and couldn't believe it. His first reaction was that he had been affected by an illusion-type ability.

"Cough cough!"

However, all the senses felt so real, and what was flowing out of Bai Ge's body at this moment was Bai Ge's own blood.

But he didn't care about any of that; instead, he tried to see Rita's expression clearly.

"How could this be! No, my body just did it on its own! Lord Bai Ge, this is not my will! I..."

Rita, who was usually so elegant and composed, was now completely panicked.

She stared in disbelief at the weapon in her hand. Just a moment ago, Rita's body seemed to be controlled by some external force, causing her to attack Bai Ge.

It happened so suddenly.

No one present had time to stop it.

Mei stared wide-eyed at the boy whose heart had been pierced by the War Scythe, letting out a horrified and desperate cry.

"No--!!!"

However, before she could do anything...

Rita launched another attack.

Her War Scythe flipped, further aggravating the already fatal penetrating wound, and then the War Scythe almost severed the boy's body from Bai Ge's body.

The blood turned into a light rain, staining the surroundings red.

The girls were desperate, terrified, panicked, and incredulous.

The white-clad boy lay in a pool of blood.

Only the clown burst into laughter at the scene.

"As expected, just as I predicted! The only weapon in this world capable of harming you, Bai Ge, is the dagger called [Betrayal]!"

Otto was so excited that his Soul Steel body was trembling.

"Bai Ge, this is your only and greatest weakness, and it is a weakness that you can never overcome."

"You love your companions too much to be wary of them. You will never believe that your loved ones will betray you, which means that once they gain your trust, they have the right to kill you."

"Although you may not be able to hear anymore, it would be too pitiful for Miss Rita to be regarded as a traitor. Let me still say something in her defense... She did not betray you. This is a good deed I did."

At that moment, the maid who had 'killed' her master with her own hands let out a mournful cry as if she had broken down.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh--!!!"

Rita stared at Otto Apocalypse with wide eyes.

Anger turned to despair, guilt turned to despair.

"Otto, what have you made me do?!"

She rushed towards Otto without regard for anything else, her War Scythe still stained with the boy's blood, and swung it down with all her might toward his head, as if she wanted to cut him in two.

However, as if it had been paused, the scythe stopped abruptly just centimeters from Otto's head.

Anyone who saw Rita's expression would understand that this stillness was not of her own volition.

"Hahaha~! It seems that Rita, you really have fallen for Bai Ge. I didn't expect you to make such an expression, but oh well, you're the only choice."

"Could it be that my armor...?"

"That's right! The Fourth Generation God-Slaying Armor has a backdoor program that I set up, which can ignore the wearer's will and be controlled and manipulated by me."

"You damn bastard!!"

Rita couldn't help but curse aloud, tears welling up in her eyes, which were filled with anger and grievance. How could she have done such a thing? Why did it have to be her who did it?

Bai Ge trusted herself so much.

Yet he himself committed such a betrayal.

At that moment, Rita felt as if her heart was about to burst.

"It's because you're too weak, Rita. I've installed backdoors in every Godkiller Armor, but only you can be controlled because you're the only ordinary person."

Otto spoke to Rita with a mixture of pity and sarcasm.

Currently, the wearers of the Godkiller Armor are Kiana, Durandal, Theresa, Li Sushang, Rita, and Bai Ge himself.

The three people in front, plus Bai Ge herself, all possess formidable strength even without wearing armor.

Even if Otto activates the backdoor program, their powerful bodies will not be controlled or manipulated by mere armor.

Only Rita and Li Sushang can be considered ordinary people, and the latter only met the boy today. Otto judged that she was not yet on Bai Ge's white list of people he trusted.

Therefore, only Rita can become that "dagger of betrayal," even though she did not intend to betray anyone.

"How could this happen, Otto, you bastard, give him back to me! I'm going to kill you!"

"Your usual elegance is gone, Rita. I really want to show you how interesting your expression is right now. But this time it was definitely my fault. I'll let you kill me this time."

As he spoke, Otto released control of the armor, and a second Rita's War Scythe had already torn him to pieces.

However, the next moment his Soul Steel body exploded.

Boom--!

A red mist billowed out, instantly filling the entire area. Mei, Durandal, Rita, and everyone else felt their bodies sink and their power drain away.

"[The God-Slaying Spear] can make the vital essence of living beings difficult to remove. I have adjusted it to a special version, which can produce effects with just skin contact. Even Herrscher can be greatly weakened."

Otto's voice came from the Soul Steel speaker.

"My goal has been achieved. Now K423 will undoubtedly be driven to despair and Herrscherization... Farewell, Bai Ge. Please remember that the depravity of humanity is far more terrifying than you can imagine."

The generator emitted an electric arc before exploding.

"..."

All of this happened so fast that no one had time to react.

Or rather, at the very moment it happened, the instant Rita's scythe pierced Bai Ge's heart, Otto's goal was already achieved.

Because the projection in the sky never disappeared.

They broadcast what just happened live.

The White Youth was stained with his own blood, a scene that Kiana also witnessed.

"Ahh, ooh... ahh... ah--!!"

As if she had forgotten how to speak, a muffled wail escaped Kiana's lips, and her once bright blue eyes became dull and empty.

"Bai Ge... Bai Ge..."

Kiana called out the boy's name.

She staggered forward a few steps.

Unconsciously, she reached out towards the projection in the sky, as if she wanted to help the boy lying in a pool of blood.

But as if even such an opportunity were to be erased, the projection in the sky turned off at that moment, and Bai Ge's figure completely disappeared from her sight.

"No... give it back to me, give it back to me..."

Kiana knelt helplessly on the ground, her world suddenly turning a grim gray.

He's dead, he's dead!

Bai Ge is dead!

The most important person in my life has died!

"Ahhh... Ahhh... Ahhh--!"

Kiana collapsed to the ground like a broken doll, feeling as if something in her brain had snapped off.

Just recently.

She felt it didn't matter if she wasn't the real Kiana Kaslana.

As long as Bai Ge is by my side, it doesn't matter whether I'm a android or Herrscher body, because he won't mind.

No matter what kind of monster you are.

Bai Ge will always love herself.

As long as he continues to love her, she can live without caring about anything else, and she can continue to be a carefree, silly Kiana.

But...