Chapter 269: Jibril’s Double Kill
With the enhanced defenses and regenerative abilities that Eriri had applied to the blond boy, Jibril no longer had to hold back her strength. Relentless, powerful attacks rained down upon the boy, one after another.
Under the aftermath of Jibril's strikes, the earth crumbled as if made of tofu, collapsing continuously into an ever-deepening pit.
Jibril gave the blond boy no respite. His body was destroyed repeatedly, only to be restored instantly. The enhancement of his pain sensitivity by dozens of times ensured that every blow plunged him into a torment so excruciating that mere death became an unattainable luxury.
Finally, after half an hour, the defensive and regenerative enhancements vanished. Without those protections, the blond boy was obliterated instantly under Jibril's overwhelming might.
The once-vast grassy plains were now reduced to nothing but a massive crater of unimaginable depth, spanning hundreds of kilometers. At its center, the sole untouched spot was the small patch of land where Eriri and her companions stood.
With the host dead, the God-Level Enhancement System that had no way of escaping Eriri's control floated aimlessly in mid-air, like a rootless weed drifting on the breeze.
Apart from Eriri, group members Arifureta, Jibril, Asuna, and Arche could faintly perceive the system's glowing core hovering in the air.
The small orb of light quivered slightly, as if contemplating something, but in the next moment, it was effortlessly captured and absorbed by Eriri.
Jibril, now floating mid-air in her diminutive form, quickly returned to Eriri's side. Hugging her master's leg tightly, she began to gleefully nuzzle against her.
"Thank you, Master!"
"As long as you're happy, it's all worth it." Eriri smiled warmly, gently patting Jibril's head. She treated her pet with a doting fondness.
With a wave of her hand, the scene shifted once more, returning everyone to the opulent royal palace hall.
The soldiers under Eri Nakamura's control, along with the unconscious figures of Kouki Amanogawa and Ryutaro Sakagami, remained sprawled across the floor where they had been before.
"You're amazing, Eriri!" Shizuku Yaegashi exclaimed, her tone filled with genuine admiration and awe.
"Yes, yes, I know. But isn't there something more pressing for you to handle right now?" Eriri lightly tapped Shizuku's head to calm her.
Reminded of the situation, Shizuku and the other students turned their attention to Eri Nakamura.
With the blond boy dealt with, the remaining enemy was now none other than Eri. The students' gazes were mixed with myriad emotions—anger, disappointment, and pain—but Princess Liliana's gaze burned with unfiltered murderous intent.
If the blond boy had been the primary cause of the kingdom's downfall, Eri Nakamura was undoubtedly the most despicable accomplice.
Since Eri had been closer to the group, she had avoided the collateral damage from Jibril's onslaught.
Defiance flashed in Eri's eyes as she bit her lip. But eventually, she bowed her head slightly and addressed Eriri.
"Eriri-sama, could I request that you refrain from intervening in matters between me and my classmates, as you did two months ago? I humbly ask for your leniency."
"Oh? Are you teaching me how to do my job now?" Eriri's voice was calm, but there was a chilling edge to her tone as she raised an eyebrow.
"I wouldn't dare. It's merely a heartfelt plea." Eri lowered her head further, trembling as she anxiously awaited Eriri's response.
At this moment, another voice chimed in. Weak but firm, it was none other than Taniguchi Suzu.
"Eriri-sama, please. I also beg of you to let us handle matters with Eri ourselves."
Even though Eri had betrayed her twice, the second time nearly costing her life, Suzu Taniguchi still clung to a faint hope that her once-dearest friend could change and find redemption.
Several other students opened their mouths, seemingly wanting to oppose Suzu's plea. But seeing the pleading expressions on her and Aiko Hatayama's faces, they swallowed their words, merely casting resentful glances at Eri.
Eriri cast an annoyed glance at Suzu, her thoughts apparent: This girl must have something wrong with her brain.
Eri had shown nothing but contempt for Suzu, going so far as to call her and the others "trash." Yet Suzu still held on to the past, refusing to let go.
Turning to Shizuku, Eriri asked, "What about you, Shizuku? Do you agree with this sentiment?"
In truth, Eri had never shown any disrespect towards Eriri. On the contrary, their past and present interactions were always marked by politeness. However, among the group of students, Eriri's concern extended only to Shizuku Yaegashi. She regarded the rest as insignificant; even if they chose to forgive Eri Nakamura, their opinions were meaningless to her. In Eriri's eyes, they were nothing more than ants, Eriri only cared about Shizuku Yaegashi.
Eri's previous threats to turn Shizuku into a puppet as a "gift" to the blond boy had already sealed her fate in Eriri's eyes.
But since the question had arisen, Eriri was willing to leave the decision in Shizuku's hands.
Perhaps to give her a push, Eriri added casually, "Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention—your two childhood friends are already dead."
"What?!"
Shizuku's face went pale at Eriri's words. The news hit her and the others like a thunderbolt.
Both Kouki Amanogawa and Ryutarou Sakagami were popular among their classmates and teachers. Their loss left a deep, hollow ache in everyone's hearts.
Shizuku immediately ran to the two boys' sides. When she reached out to touch their now cold, lifeless bodies, her heart sank, and she stood frozen in disbelief.
"No... No, that's impossible. They were just unconscious moments ago..."
Earlier, the group had checked the boys' conditions after they were defeated by the blond boy. At the time, the injuries were deemed non-lethal, and they believed the boys had simply fallen unconscious.
Now, however, it was clear they had been dead for some time.
There were only two possible culprits: either the blond boy had done something before his demise, or Eri had a hand in it.
As Shizuku emerged from her grief, her eyes instinctively turned towards Eri.
When she saw Eri's expression—calm and utterly devoid of surprise—her suspicions were confirmed.
"You're the one who killed them, aren't you?" Shizuku's voice trembled with fury.
Eri didn't deny it. Instead, a defiant smirk curled at the edges of her lips.
The tension in the room grew thick, the air heavy with anticipation of what would come next.
Eriri watched silently, her gaze fixed on Shizuku, as if waiting to see what decision her "favorite student" would make.
Gritting her teeth, Shizuku Yaegashi shouted, "Eri Nakamura!" as she drew her long sword and charged at her.
Eri, however, was not one to sit idle. She quickly summoned the puppet knights nearby to shield herself. Out of consideration for Eriri, Eri refrained from ordering the puppets to attack Shizuku, focusing solely on defense.
This sudden escalation plunged the hall into chaos. Suzu TaniguchiSuzu struggled free from the support of Aiko Hatayama and Sonobe Yuka, stumbling toward Shizuku and Eri.
"Shizuku, wait!" Taniguchi spread a barrier between the two to keep them apart and worriedly pleaded with the enraged Shizuku, "Let's talk things through. There must be some kind of misunderstanding here."
"What misunderstanding could there be? Eri was the only one who touched Kouki, and she even said she wanted to turn him into a puppet! If she's not the one who killed them, then who is?!" Shizuku's fiery gaze locked onto Eri, burning with anger that could practically incinerate her.
"Suzu, step aside. I'm going to avenge Kouki and Ryutaro."
Seeing that she could not dissuade Shizuku, Suzu turned to Eri instead.
"Eri, you didn't kill Amanogawa or Sakagami, right?"
"I didn't kill them," Eri replied in a dismissive tone from behind her shield of puppet knights. "When I touched Kouki, he was already dead. Though I can't deny it worked out perfectly for me."
Hearing this, Suzu's face lit up with relief. "Shizuku, did you hear that? Eri said she didn't do it. Can't you both stop fighting?"
"Suzu, whether or not she killed them herself doesn't matter. She's still responsible. If she hadn't turned the palace guards into puppets, none of this would've happened. Kouki and Ryutaro wouldn't have died." Shizuku gave Suzu a sharp look, her killing intent undiminished. "Suzu, give up on her. She's beyond saving, and I won't let her go today."
"Shizuku…" Suzu stood frozen, looking at her friend in dismay, unsure of what to do.
Though she knew Shizuku was right, her heart refused to let go of Eri. Even at the cost of her own life, Suzu still wanted to bring her former best friend back to the right path.
"Yaegashi, I agree with Suzu," Aiko Hatayama said as she approached, her face filled with sorrow. "While Eri has made grave mistakes, she must've been deceived by others. We can't just decide someone's life or death so casually. Six students have already died today. I don't want to lose anyone else."
In the chat group, the members, who had been watching the live broadcast, were also discussing the situation.
However, their opinions were unanimous: none of them supported Suzu or Aiko's perspective.
People like Suzu and Aiko—kind-hearted to the point of being naïve—certainly existed across the myriad worlds. But within this particular chat group, such individuals were virtually nonexistent.
Even Kanae Kocho, who initially had a saint-like heart, had undergone significant changes under Eriri's influence and that of the other group members.
In the "Multiverse Same-Sex ♀ Friendship Group," the notion of repaying evil with kindness simply didn't exist.
Finding the scene before her hard to watch, Eriri lightly patted Jibril's head and gestured subtly to her.
Understanding her master's intent, Jibril smiled and spread her small wings, taking to the air and hovering above the quarrel between Shizuku, Suzu, and Eri.
Her arrival immediately drew their attention. Everyone stopped their arguments and turned to look at her.
They all knew Jibril's close relationship with Eriri and had heard her refer to Eriri as her master. It was clear that Jibril's presence here carried Eriri's will, though they didn't know what she intended to do.
Eri looked up at Jibril warily, her hairs standing on end. Despite the cherubic smile on the petite girl's face, Eri felt an overwhelming sense of dread—a palpable threat of death.
The scenes of devastation from earlier were still fresh in her mind. Faced with this incomprehensible power, Eri felt utterly helpless.
"My lady, may I ask what brings you here?" Eri asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"Let me be clear—I hold no personal grudge against you," Jibril began, her tone calm but tinged with amusement. "This world is one of survival of the fittest. So, even if you killed all your classmates, I wouldn't care. At most, I'd disdain you for betraying your own kind."
Eri didn't show any relief at these words. Instead, her unease deepened. She knew Jibril wouldn't have come just to make such a statement—it was merely a prelude to something far more significant.
"At the same time, I firmly believe in this principle: repay enmity with vengeance and eliminate all threats in their infancy. Since it seems like you can't come to a decision here, allow me to make one for you—on behalf of my master's noble will!"
At the mention of Eriri, a fanatical reverence filled Jibril's youthful face. She then turned to Eri, her expression growing cold.
"So… weak little human, to avoid wasting my master's precious time, why don't you quietly embrace death?"
Jibril raised her right hand, summoning a pitch-black energy sphere that radiated terrifying power. Without hesitation, she hurled it at the despairing Eri.
At the same time, Jibril swiftly moved Shizuku and the others out of the energy sphere's range to prevent collateral damage.
The sphere moved with blinding speed, reaching Eri in an instant. Though her puppet knights stepped forward to intercept it, they disintegrated like paper under the explosion that followed.
Eri, standing behind them, fared no better. She vanished along with her knights, erased from existence in less than a second.
"NO!" Suzu's anguished cry echoed across the hall.
But as her voice faded, the only thing left in her view was a hollow crater. Her dearest friend's figure had been obliterated without a trace.
Suzu collapsed to the floor, her body trembling. Tears that she thought had dried up began to flow silently once more, streaming down her cheeks as she stared vacantly into the void.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven