Returning from the Other Shore, Volume Five: An Enemy from the Past

"... Mother?"

She called out softly.

I was completely dumbfounded when I told you.

Her large eyes, with their long eyelashes, blinked repeatedly, filled with helplessness and unease.

Her black, pearl-like eyes darted around, then filled with tears.

"Hey, hey--"

Then she suddenly stood up, and I felt something small and soft bump against my thigh.

Hug me, rub me against you.

"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy~~~"

While rubbing against her, she kept calling "Mommy, Mommy."

"Hey, move aside..."

"Mom, give me a hug (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ~~"

She even started to act cute.

... I just feel so annoyed.

I've never had much patience for children.

If it were someone like Little Butterfly who was obedient, that would be fine, but I hate those who are stubbornly clingy the most.

Wow~ (@ο@)

So cute!

Little Butterfly looked delighted and tried to pick up Little Spider (let's call her Little Spider for now), but Little Spider just clung to my leg and wouldn't let go.

"Ee... Eeya... I want to... Mommy..."

"Don't be shy, don't be shy~ I'm your older sister, Little Butterfly ~"

Little Butterfly forcefully pulled the little spider that was stuck to my leg away, hugged it in her arms, and rubbed and nuzzled it. The smile on her face was so sweet it almost melted my heart.

The little spider, being wantonly kneaded and squeezed by Little Butterfly, looked bewildered and helpless, and could only let Little Butterfly do as she pleased. Her pale skin flushed red. She struggled to get away, but Little Butterfly's strength seemed to have increased significantly after her transformation (just kidding), and the little spider couldn't break free at all.

"Wow~~~ So cute~~ So cute! Having a little sister feels so~~ wonderful~~~"

"... younger sister?"

"That's right! From now on, you're one of my Little Butterfly! You... uh... yes, what's your name?"

"I... I'm called..."

The little spider seems to be panicking. Well, I guess I'll have to lend a hand.

"Let's call her 'Little Spider,' that'll be her name from now on," I said.

To be honest, giving a past enemy (let's call them enemies for now) a really random weird name gives me a little bit of a vengeful thrill.

"A little spider? It's a worm just like me!" Little Butterfly exclaimed happily.

"Ugh... bugs again... I can't stand you guys." Luo-chan hugged himself and shivered, looking disgusted.

I'm telling you guys... Spiders belong to the class Arachnida in the phylum Arthropoda, while other insects belong to the class Insecta in the phylum Arthropoda. They're not even in the same class; they're not even related. Spiders aren't insects.

That's not right either. Spiders are indeed not "insects," but they are...

The word "insect" can refer to organisms in a broad or narrow sense. In a narrow sense, "insect" can refer to organisms including insects and arachnids. In a broad sense, "insect" can even be limited to arthropods, such as parasites. This is Ye Jiang's popular science lecture.

"Look, little spider, that woman with the super~~~~~ beautiful pink hair and the super~~~~~ amazing figure, and smelling of blood, nectar, and milk, is our mother!"

So my body odor is a mixture of "blood, nectar, and milk"? I had no idea. What a weird smell...

"And this red-haired girl with lewd breasts, who claims to be Mom's wife, don't pay any attention to her! She's super annoying, but also very funny!"

"What did you say!? Believe me or not, I—wait, don't come any closer!"

"And then it's me! My name is Little Butterfly. Although it sounds like a random name, it must have been chosen by my mother after careful consideration!"

No, I really just picked it randomly. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.

"So welcome to our happy family~ From now on, be a good little sister and a good daughter to Mommy~ Mommy loves obedient children the most, so as long as you're a good boy/girl, Mommy will definitely love you!"

"Um... it's... Mom, Sister!"

"Waaaaah, it's so cute~~~"

Seeing that Little Butterfly was about to enter her cuddling and kissing mode again, I reluctantly took Little Spider from her.

"Okay, Little Butterfly, I understand your excitement about having a little sister, but please take it easy a bit. As for you, Little Spider... Mommy might have been a little too excited at first, but don't worry about it, and please try to get along well with me from now on!"

"Mmm, Mommy~~"

She snuggled closer to me, her small body emitting a pleasant, gardenia-like fragrance.

"Haha, good boy, you've been here long enough, it's time to go out."

I stood up, holding the little spider, and looked at the void of this Blood Prison Space. Then, a thought struck me—

With a crackling sound, a small opening appeared in the void, like a deep passage connecting to the outside world.

"Alright, we should be able to get out of here without any problems."

"Yay! Let's go! Little Butterfly, let's go!"

"I've had enough of staying here; it's time for me to go out for some fresh air."

Little Butterfly ran towards the crack like an excited elementary school student going on a spring outing. Although Luo-chan didn't follow because she couldn't stray too far from me, she also looked expectantly at the other side of the passage.

Their attention wasn't on this side.

So I reached out my hand.

A translucent blood crystal dagger appeared in my hand.

Click!

Then, he stabbed hard into the shoulder of the child in his arms.

She gasped in pain, her eyes widening instantly. I immediately grabbed her neck with my free hand to stop her from crying out.

After making sure Little Butterfly and the others weren't looking this way, I leaned close to her ear and whispered something.

"You're really good at pretending, Sick Spider..."

"..."

"You actually condescended to pretend to be a little kid and call me 'Mom.' It seems you've learned to endure humiliation."

"..."

"Failure can smooth out a person's rough edges, that's so true, isn't it, Lilia Stephenson?"

"... Gurgle!"

In that instant, her eyes changed.

Like a sharp dagger piercing the darkness.

Her eyes, filled with a chilling murderous intent, starkly contrasted with her youthful appearance.

I loosened my grip on her neck slightly so she could speak... Incidentally, the Flame Cut Bloodline extended from my fingertips, severing the silver thread she had secretly wrapped around my neck.

"When... did you find out?" she asked, her cold tone combined with her childish voice creating a chilling sense of incongruity.

"Who knows? I guess I had this feeling from the beginning. Don't forget, my intuition is usually very accurate."

"..."

"Don't expect to fool me... If I could, I really would like to kill you right now, but Little Butterfly would be heartbroken."

"A ridiculous reason."

"I'm a mother myself, so naturally I don't want my daughter to feel wronged. So let's make a deal... When we're alone, you can do whatever you want, but in front of others, please play the role of this little brat, especially when Little Butterfly is around, understand?"

"You bastard... aren't you ashamed of me as you think?"

"It's already a miracle I didn't kill you right now, or do you think you can completely kill me in my current state?"

"... Tsk!"

"Let's trust each other for now. Trust requires sincerity. 'As long as Little Butterfly is still here, I won't kill you'—that's my sincerity. So, can I see your sincerity?"

"For example?"

"For example... take off the thread you used to attach to my sweet daughter."

"..."

Her face darkened.

With a slight movement of her fingers, a faint, almost imperceptible wisp of silver light detached from Little Butterfly in the distance and returned to her hand.

"That's more like it. Just don't let me see you doing anything funny again, or else..."

Pfft!

The petite body in my arms suddenly melted.

His fair skin, tender limbs, and smooth torso had all turned to blood, leaving only a lonely head.

The blood floated under my control without dripping, yet it was still an extremely bizarre scene.

I looked at her with satisfaction, her eyes wide open, and tried to tell her in the most dangerous tone I could muster:

"Don't forget that I gave you this body. I make it do whatever I want it to do... Just like Little Butterfly said, be a good girl, or you'll know the consequences."

Finally, I said goodbye to the Blood Prison Space, and the cool air made me feel exceptionally comfortable.

But this comfort is only physiological.

In fact, my heart is in my throat right now.

I had assumed that once I got outside, Yusuo Zai Suo would be the first person to greet me. I was mentally prepared to face his perpetually calm and gloomy face.

However, that's not the case.

The pressure from the person opposite was so intense that Little Butterfly instinctively crawled behind me without me even having to say anything. The Sick Spider did the same; having been in the organization for so long, she knew all too well how terrifying the higher-ups were.

"Finally out? It's been a whole week, I've been waiting so long!"

The memories of Blood Fiend surged forth like an explosion, and even I, who had witnessed countless lives, found it somewhat unbearable.

The two men confront each other in the dimly lit hall.

Two people sit facing each other at a table laden with delicious food.

Two people gazing at each other across a star-studded night sky.

Two people facing each other on a smoke-filled battlefield.

The two exchanged sarcastic remarks on a magnificent stage.

One person has become part of the past, while the other wants to relive it.

And now, the scene of the past has finally reappeared.

My body trembled slightly, not from fear, but from a resonance deep within my soul.

"My name is Winsani Goldleyman—feel honored, not everyone deserves my full name."

She continued.

I'm familiar with that phrase.

The words she is saying to me now are the very first words she spoke to me when we first met.

The memory of that departed person surged in my mind, urging me to give the same answer she had given back then.

"Oh dear, that's an honor, but I'm not really interested in you."

Hearing my answer, her smile deepened.

"That's a real shame. For a lady, 'not interested in you' is the worst compliment she can get."

"'Whatever happens, happens. But why do you keep bothering me?'"

"In my life, this is the first time I've met someone of the same sex who is my equal in both looks and temperament... or even slightly superior to me. How could I not be interested?"

"... If it's that kind of sexual interest, I'm willing to oblige, but you're radiating hostility. Do you want to prove who's superior?"

"I didn't say that. There are three options: First, we two, both so perfect, become close friends and shine together; second, we become strangers and leave each other alone; and third—"

"No need to say anything, I choose the third one. You probably want me to choose the third one anyway, it's really boring."

"... very good."

A dangerous smile curved her lips.

"This is the challenge, Heir of Warrenstein! In half a month, atop the Cathedral of the True God, I will prepare the grandest banquet—awaiting your arrival!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the mysterious lesbian relationships of Blood Sister before her death

I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if Blood Sister had a funeral...

Former Former Former Former Heavenly Law: Ai, why did you leave me...?

The little nuns serving a certain Saintess: Lady Kasser, please don't go! sobs

Many Saintess & female Revolutionary Army cadres: You heartless man, you just slept with them and then cruelly abandoned them...

Sick Spider: You bastard, you're finally dead... Waaah... I wasn't crying...

Neumann: Waaah... Blood Sister, what am I going to do now that you're gone...?

Lady: Warrensding, you little bitch, you think you can escape me just because you're dead? I'm here to dig up your grave!

Then--

"Hmm? Who are you all?"

"I am my husband's wife!"

"Bullshit! She clearly told me she didn't have any other women!"

"You bunch of vixens!"

"She said she'd only be good to me! I believe her!"

"You guys must have seduced her, waaaaaah!!!"

"Don't give me that! She only has me!"

"^#$%^$%#^!&U$!"

The explosion was instantaneous; congratulations!