Léon: The Cat Killer

A: The powerful, wandering Sarkaz who is Sarkaz's natural enemy—that's Miss Assassin's current persona.

WA2000's brand-new shell was covered by tattered cloth, and its cat ears were concealed by Nana's blood magic and the clash between the halo and the aura... It was in a delicate state where the aura was not revealed and the cat ears had disappeared at the same time.

As for the Sarkaz horns, it would be easier to disguise them by wearing accessories, but Nana didn't have any good materials on hand, so she couldn't disguise them.

However, if someone were to use a cat's sharp fangs to disguise themselves as a blood demon, an ordinary person with limited experience might actually fall for it.

As for the more experienced old guys... they would find that Nana really does have an inescapable blood demon scent... so Nana doesn't need to worry about anything.

So, is something still missing?

"...Um...the reason for the conflict with border personnel..."

After thinking for a long time, Nana took out the small vanity mirror that came with her cosmetics and looked at her own eyes, which originally belonged to Kate, in the mirror.

The emerald-green flames shone brightly even in the night sky; they were his savior, freeing him from Oripathy, and a vital organ that regulated the binding rate of his Originium body cells.

"Kate, could I... perhaps perform some magical manipulation on your eyes?"

Aren't you the one using it now? It's probably for creating a fake identity or something similar anyway...

Nodding, Nana gently brushed her left eye with her hand. In the dressing mirror, her beautiful emerald eyes suddenly dilated as she moved, and the distinctive emerald iris quickly disappeared under the pressure of the rapidly enlarging pupils...

The bright red of the active Originium blood quickly filled her pupils, and at the same time, stimulated by the spell, the spreading green Originium crystals gradually spread from the girl's eyebrows to her cheeks...

[…Hey, Nana, aren't you pushing yourself a little too hard? Aren't my eyes important to you? Won't they get damaged? I'm counting on you to be with Mia for the rest of my life!]

"...It's just a very ordinary blood magic spell...I activated some of the Originium components in my original organs, so I look like a lunatic driven mad by Oripathy and even daring to confront the Ursus warship head-on...Don't worry, it's just acting...And the Originium on my body and my left eye will quickly return to normal after the spell is cut off...I am a user of blood magic spells, and I should be considered a semi-expert in the transformation of flesh and blood."

As she spoke, Nana glanced at her left eye, which shone like a red lantern in the night, and at the crystals that stretched down her cheek and finally to her cheekbone, and a smile crept onto her lips…

"See, isn't it very effective now?"

[...Indeed, it caused me physical discomfort.]

Brushing off the loose items on her body, a faint red mist began to rise around Nana. Under the cover of night, 'Blood Demon Nana' made her way around and then quickly headed towards the destroyed landship, referring to the map from her spoils.

Because Kate could float and fly with the Blood Demon Cat towards their destination when Nana was tired from running, Nana only spent one day returning to the border of Kazdel.

As expected, the Ursus people hadn't arrived yet, but unexpectedly, a group of Sarkaz scavengers were currently searching through the ruins amidst the still-lingering Originium dust.

On the cold, gray tundra, the Sarkaz, mostly scantily clad but fully armed with rifles and cannons, are typical nomads... They mostly live in families or tribes, using cheap but incapable small vehicles to escape war, transmitting information and trading with each other via radio when the weather is clear... or like now, rushing into other people's traps and taking everything they can before the victims can react.

A fairly complete Originium reactor for a land-based ship is a rare and expensive item. When the cat attacked, it deliberately avoided the relevant components to prevent a large-scale leak of Originium vapor. That thing could be sold for a high price whether it was consumed inside Kazdel or taken to the countryside of Kazimierz.

But the real issue isn't how many variables these people have added to Miss Assassin's future plans...

What Nana wants to ask now is, since they arrived so quickly... could someone have witnessed the entire attack on the Ursus warships from the moment Rhodes Island began?

Actual eyewitness account...that's a pretty bad thing.

Based on this conjecture, Nana knew there was no way she could let these people leave alive... It just so happened that Ursus could arrive at any moment, so the best outcome would be for these scavengers to launch a proper attack on the regular army and then die instantly.

This confirms that the Ursus people crossed the border without permission and were then overthrown by the Kazdel refugees... Hmm... It seems quite normal for such a thing to be accomplished under the leadership of a Blood Demon.

But there's a prerequisite for doing this... that they get up and fight like proper, bloodthirsty Sarkaz when the Ursus landships arrive, instead of a bunch of rabble turning tail and running away... To accomplish this, Nana needs to first control and motivate these people.

Having made this determination, Blood Demon Cat floated arrogantly in the air and slowly descended onto the wreckage, looking down until a leader-like figure was surrounded and approached. Only then did Nana construct a transparent blood-red staircase in the air, step by step... carefully avoiding tripping over her oversized military coat, while trying to approach within speaking distance with the arrogant demeanor of Blood Demon as she remembered it.

Okay, now let Nana think about how traditional blood demons talk...

"...While I was still processing my spoils, you came and started eating my prey...Isn't that a bit too rude?"

As she spoke, Nana suddenly noticed the bloodstains in front of her... Remembering that the bloodline in the story was elegant and would never be so slovenly, the Blood Demon Cat flicked her fingers, and the moisture in the air quickly dissolved the dried bloodstains, allowing them to gradually leave her military coat.

This magical control was clearly a way of revealing their identity, and the Sarkaz people who were previously on guard immediately knelt down... It seems that the existence of the 'Blood Demon' in the Sarkaz is even more extreme than Nana imagined.

The assassin thought that once she returned to Rhodes Island, she would have to ask Warfarin and Kroos what a real Blood Demon actually was.

"...Please forgive us, Your Excellency...we were unaware that this was the royal court's prey..."

“Royal Court? Ah, it has nothing to do with those people… I was just talking about you…”

As she spoke, she toyed with the few drops of bright red blood on her fingertips. Nana, with her limited hearing, was very uncomfortable relying solely on her mental links to locate enemies. Therefore, in the eyes of these Sarkaz, this Blood Demon, whose age was unknown… perhaps a young girl just starting out, or perhaps recently injured in battle and in dire need of blood, was extremely irritable…

This made the Sarkaz, who was leading the group, kneel even more respectfully, his head almost touching the ground, so much so that he was breathless when he spoke:

"Your Excellency...we...are currently excavating your spoils...the catalogue has been completed, please review it...I was the one who gave the order to excavate, no one else knows about this, please...have mercy..."

Seeing the other party kneeling on the ground in a flurry of activity greatly shocked Nana, who was not very familiar with Sarkaz customs and folkways... And in order to conceal the fact that she was actually a fake Blood Demon, Nana could only make herself appear even more impatient:

"Alright! Stand up and stop pausing... I've only been gone for a little over a day, when did you guys get here? How many people even know where this place is?!"

"Currently... it's just our convoy... However, when we were buying fuel, we mentioned this to the mercenary groups..."

"Huh? Shouldn't this kind of thing usually only be known to our own people?"

"Because, giving out information can get you a discount on fuel..." (Qi)

The homeless man's answer caught Nana off guard, leaving her momentarily stunned. Clearly, regardless of wealth, discounts were something no one could resist.

"So, you arrived so quickly... because you were nearby when I destroyed this car?"

"No...we came here following the direction of the earthquake..."

Although she asked the question somewhat casually, Nana was very dissatisfied with the homeless man's answer... He was lying.

This made Nana stare at the other person for a long time with her now uneven eyes. Seeing that he had no intention of changing his mind, Nana relaxed and slumped in Kate's arms in mid-air, crossing her legs and interlacing her fingers into a subtle triangle.

The assassin made her decision on the fate of these people:

"Aren't you curious why I came back? I already took the main spoils..."

"..."

Naturally, she didn't dare to reply, but Nana wasn't about to hold a grudge against a bunch of dead people. Blood Demon Cat continued: V

“People of Tikkaz, your cowardice disappoints me greatly. I only need one person to destroy the landship that invaded my territory, but not one of you dares to raise your head and speak... But it doesn't matter, because Ursus will definitely not swallow this insult, and they will definitely send people to investigate again... That is my purpose.”

"The loot from one ship isn't much, and the blood isn't enough either. I need to sink several more... and I don't care whether someone is there to help me process the loot."

As the Sarkaz within the thought chain breathed a sigh of relief, Nana tapped the wreckage of the landship with the sheath of the captured Ursus command sword at just the right moment:

"But... those of you who were rude before... you'd better be of some use now."

"Otherwise, 'disappearance' might be the best outcome for you."

Having said that, seeing these guys who dared to look up at her staring at her expectantly, Nana waved her hand impatiently:

"What are you all standing there for?! Have you even forgotten the hunting instincts in your blood?! Go and gather up the junk, prepare the traps—get moving!"

PS: Waaaaa, it's still the same artist as before with Jessica... The concept is very rich, and the mechanical design is also very appealing.

4th Blood-Red Warm Winter: 086 Stimulation Therapy

Even at midday, the wind howled in Kazdel, near Ursus, and the sun's rays seemed to offer no warmth to the land. People, barely clothed, set up what they called 'traps' under the watchful eyes of bloodshot eyes.

Nana never underestimated the Sarkaz. According to the assassin, the Sarkaz people had the tough physique of the gods and the mysterious magic of the tower sorcerers... They could quickly master any modern technology they found, and even the best generals in Colombia could not claim to be able to see through the unorthodox methods of the Sarkaz mercenaries.

To describe them using rhetoric that is politically correct in the context of international relations, the Sarkaz are more resilient than insects... Even if you burn Kazdel to ashes countless times, they will still be crawling everywhere the following year, and may even spread their wings and swoop down to bite off a piece of flesh from your face.

Nana doesn't discriminate against them... Nana is just a bit wary...

The cat, disguised as a blood demon, stood warily on the highest point of the landship ruins, cautiously searching for anything that might harm her or her plans.

Mercenaries wielding weapons?

A sorcerer who relies on Oripathy to avoid the effects of Phosphorus II and IV before casting spells?

A Sarkaz conspirator whose thoughts are unknown, but whose actions could overturn this land.

The cat killer couldn't find any of these elements.

What Nana saw was an old man who was bowing and scraping to the 'Blood Demon' for fear of angering him.

What Nana saw was a group of exhausted people who were trying to cut down trees in the forest, dig holes and make 'traps', but they were so tired that they had to pant after a short while.

What Nana saw was a 'camp' made of rags and ropes, surrounding five pickup trucks and a van without doors... People covered in rags for warmth were being forced to pile up Originium fuel, possibly curtains or bed sheets, and small items they had salvaged from the wreckage of the landship on the open ground...

Nana felt like she had done something wrong.

Actually, upon closer reflection, I didn't really need to treat them so harshly. Telling them to prepare for the 'hunt' was just a formality... Nana didn't harbor any hatred towards the Sarkaz. After all, even though the Sarkaz and the Sarkaz were sworn enemies, the 'Lord' had never given any order to exterminate them... Besides, whether Nana could even be considered a Sarkaz was another matter.

Wearing a fairly warm military overcoat and feeling the cold wind brushing against her cheeks, Nana simply recalled the priest's advice to her.

Be good, for your virtues build the gates of Paradise.

So... does maintaining goodness conflict with one's mission?

Does one really have to be a heinous blood demon?

The image of Closure, who often complained but would share her cola, and Warfarin, who, despite her eccentricities, would stand on the banquet table and shout to celebrate waking up, came to mind again…

Does a blood demon necessarily bring pain and appear evil?

Not necessarily...

Hearing the rustling sounds from the distant tents, clearly indicating that someone had been hiding inside, Nana quickly updated her identity planning to version 2.0.

If possible, Nana should have made up a story similar to Warfarin's or Kroos's experiences, but unfortunately, Nana has recently been cursed by the medical department... Although she is no stranger to those two, she knows nothing about their past.

In other words, Nana may have to be prepared for the possibility that her identity will be questioned or even discovered to be completely nonsensical.

With these concerns in mind, Nana's act of getting up attracted the attention of the 'captain' of the wandering caravan... the guy who immediately prostrated himself upon discovering that Nana was the 'Blood Demon'.

"……Your Mightiness?"

"The excavation of fortifications in the forest is progressing slower than expected..."

"I...I'll go and urge them..."

“I think you might not realize what I meant by asking you to do that… Simply urging them won’t do any good. For someone who is exhausted, that speed is already considered an effort…”

"So... should they continue to maintain this?"

Looking at the old man, whose face was tired and numb, and who seemed to instinctively obey whatever Nana said, Nana glanced at the two slightly younger Sarkaz not far behind him, their hearts filled with doubt.

Nana simply raised her voice, making sure the people at the nearby forest fortifications could hear her:

"How about I let them eat first? Don't look at me like that, there's still plenty of food in that wreckage, isn't there? The children and women in the tents must have been cooped up for a long time, let them come out for some fresh air, they might not have this chance again..."

"...Your Excellency...Your Excellency!?"

"And what I'm talking about, what you haven't realized... doesn't refer to what you've been hiding from me, but rather that you haven't understood why I'm making you do this... If things continue at the current pace, when the Ursus warships attack, without any fortifications to avoid the shelling, you'll be blown to bits without achieving anything..."

“Those cars are no match for the mechanical sorcerer’s drones. As a result, your lives will not create any value. Rather than letting your blood be wasted here, I think it would be better to use it for something else.”

Upon hearing Nana's last words, the old man immediately began to wail and prostrate himself, desperately begging for mercy and forgiveness. The two young men who had been silently hiding behind Nana exchanged a horrified glance... As one of them secretly slipped away, he suddenly felt something binding his ankle... Then, a dizzying sensation ensued, and he found himself inexplicably suspended in the air.

"Where...are you planning to run off to this time?"

"Your Excellency! Your Excellency... he just... he might just be... going to inform the people in the forest..."

"Go tell them we've finally grown tired of the endless riddles and are ready to fight? Perhaps I should remind you that those swords and knives abandoned not far from the ruined deck are all inferior products, and the real Ursus military weapons are all in the armory on the second floor of the central building?"

As she spoke, Nana turned to look at the Sarkaz people who were rushing towards her, grabbing weapons they had hidden in various corners... Among them were men who had just been lounging around in the forest, and women who had been hiding in tents but were now pointing knives at her with fierce expressions...

What surprised Nana was that there were several children in the group who looked about the same age as Rosemary. They used cheap hemp rope to tie sharp fragments of Originium artifacts to the tips of wooden sticks... Their serious expressions made it seem as if they were about to stab her with that 'weapon' at any moment.

But is this useful?

Whether it's a Blood Demon or an elite operator, their encirclement and bluster only make them seem ridiculous... and pathetic.

However, it's still much better than the initial situation of outwardly complying but inwardly resisting.

If Nana initially only trapped them to ensure their deaths in the ensuing conflict, then now she genuinely intends to organize them.

"...Compared to your previous feigned obedience, your expressions are much more lively now..."

As she spoke, Nana glanced around at the group's condition, then stretched out her left hand and made a grasping motion in the air... The group of Sarkaz, who had no anti-spell equipment or preparations, immediately convulsed and collapsed.

"So weak that they can't even resist this level of magical interference? Five vehicles, more than twenty people, a quarter of whom are the elderly, weak, and children... Showing weakness when there are few able-bodied people can't be called wrong, but feigning compliance is definitely a path to death..."

At this point, Nana tilted her head, feeling that she had said something similar not long ago.

But that's not important. Nana turned to look at the man who had been observing her from behind the old man, now being held up in mid-air by Kate's ankle:

"You're the leader of this group, aren't you...? Although I don't know if you wanted them to conserve their energy in the forest, just tell me... if you continue wasting time like this, what are you going to do when the Ursus warships arrive?"

"...We...will escape separately...We...the people of the White King, will never become a weapon used by the remnants of the royal court to invade others..."

Seeing the man's face flushed red from the blood rushing to his head, Nana was completely bewildered... What White King? What Royal Court? What is this guy talking about?

"...Isn't it possible...I mean, possible...if you build your fortifications properly and then hide your vehicles properly...by the time I take down the next Ursus landship, not a single one of you will die? And you'll be attacking others? What are you thinking? Don't you think I'm the one who got attacked by Ursus?"

Seeing the man struggling and twisting his body, Nana asked her question again, still puzzled: