Once, Ling Xiya was the Hero hailed as the hope of humanity，is the pride of the Empire, is the hero admired by countless people.
And now， she has instead transformed into the deepest nightmare of the Imperial soldiers.
Her power， is enough to easily tear through exquisite armor；her speed， makes even the swiftest scouts far behind；her skills， have been honed to perfection through countless life-and-death battles, every movement filled with a lethal beauty and efficiency.
All of this， is far beyond the limits of what these well-equipped but poorly trained ordinary Imperial soldiers can handle.
Every strike， means the end of a life.
There is no hesitation， no mercy， only cold determination and efficient slaughter.
The two specially-made black short blades in her hands have long been completely soaked in viscous blood, and the droplets of blood falling from the edges splash into small blood flowers on the ground.
Her originally pure white maid outfit is now also stained by the splatters of scarlet.
Those bloodstains， like flowers of despair suddenly blooming in pure snow, eerie and poignantly beautiful，forming a stark contrast with her expressionless, stunning face, adding a heart-palpitating, mysterious charm.
Ling Xiya’s movements are astonishingly fast， and her efficiency is terrifyingly high.
Like an untiring Grim Reaper， she shuttles quickly through the intricate streets and ruins of the Demon King’s City.
Her black silhouette sometimes stalks like a ghost and sometimes lunges like a leopard; with every flash and every swing of her blade, a fresh life is inevitably taken away.
Her existence itself， is the most cruel declaration to the invaders——this place, is their grave.
Every inch of the Demon King’s City， will become a burial ground for their corpses.
The aura of death， follows her footsteps, rapidly spreading to every corner of the city.
Her eyes remain hollow, but if someone could observe closely, perhaps they could see the fleeting pain and struggle deep within her pupils.
Every soldier she kills, the terror, resentment, or blank stares in their eyes before death, are like needles piercing her heart.
She knows these people are enemies, invaders of the Demon King’s City who want to kill her master Isayat.
Her理智 tells her she is merely executing orders, protecting her master.
But…… but！
She was once one of them！
She had also fought to protect！
The faces of these soldiers remind her of the companions she once fought alongside, and the simple, kind-hearted civilians……
“No…… don’t……”
She screams silently in her heart, her hands trembling slightly from the exertion.
The black short blade cuts through the air, taking another life.
Warm blood splashes onto her face, carrying a thick metallic scent.
“Ah——！” A young soldier, appearing to be less than twenty years old, collapses to the ground in terror, tears and snot streaming down his face.
He looks at the approaching Ling Xiya, eyes filled with fear.
“Don’t…… don’t kill me…… I don’t want to die…… I still have a wife at home…… I beg you……”
Ling Xiya’s footsteps halt.
Eve……
This word is like a key, opening her sealed memories.
She remembers her hometown, remembers the gentle Eve……
A trace of hesitation, a hint of wavering, resurfaces in her hollow eyes.
For the first time, her hand holding the short blade falters.
“Xiya……”
A cold voice rings directly in her mind, carrying a hint of displeasure，“What are you still dawdling for？ My command, you dare to disobey？”
It is Isayat！
Master is watching her！
Ling Xiya’s whole body jolts, the hesitation in her eyes instantly replaced by fear and absolute obedience.
She shuts her eyes tightly, and when she opens them again, only a deathly coldness remains.
“……I’m sorry.”
She softly breathes out the three words, her voice so low it is almost inaudible.
Then, the short blade in her hand plunges into the young soldier’s chest without hesitation.
The light in the soldier’s eyes quickly fades, finally freezing in disbelief and despair.
Ling Xiya pulls out the blade, letting the young body fall to the ground.
She doesn’t spare another look, turns around, and continues toward the next target.
Only, this time, her pace seems a bit heavier than before.
She can clearly feel that something has added a heavy burden to the depths of her soul.
That is Sin.
Killing her own kind whom she once wanted to protect with her own hands, killing those who perhaps also had dreams and loved ones……
This Sin, like a maggot on a bone, entangles her, pulling her deeper and deeper.
She knows she can never go back.
That sunny and cheerful Hero who held justice in her heart had long ago died at the hands of Isayat.
What lives now is only a maid monster who obeys the Demon King’s orders, a killing tool with hands stained with blood.
As the final scream disappears at the end of the street, the Demon King’s City returns to silence once again.
Under the moonlight, the streets are strewn with corpses, and blood flows like a river.
The once-boisterous Imperial soldiers have now become cold corpses， their greed and ambition in the end only traded for death.
Ling Xiya stands in a pool of blood, the black short blades hanging at her sides, blood dripping from the tips, blooming into eye-catching blood flowers on the ground.
She pants slightly, her long golden hair stuck to her cheeks by sweat and blood, her hollow gaze looking ahead without focus.
She completed her master’s order.
She cleared out all the “bugs”.
However, her heart feels as if it is being pressed down by an invisible giant rock, so heavy she can hardly breathe.
The continuously accumulating sense of Sin drowns her like a tide, making her feel a suffocating pain.
She slowly lifts her hand, looking at her blood-stained palms.
These hands once held the Holy Sword, slaying demons and protecting the weak.
Now, they hold the weapons of a monster, killing their own kind, stained with the blood of the innocent.
“……Sin……”
She murmurs to herself, her voice hoarse and broken, “It has…… increased again……”
***
Deep within the palace, Isayat looks with satisfaction at the water mirror showing the now-quiet streets，as well as the black-haired maid standing in the pool of blood like a lost lamb.
“Well done, Xiya.”
She chuckles lightly, her voice carrying a hint of pleasure，“Now, come back. Clean yourself up, and then come massage my shoulders. Watching such a farce today has really been a bit tiring.”
***
In the distant royal city of the Third Atlantean Empire.
Queen Vivia still stands on the balcony, tightly clutching the Deep Blue Crystal, her face overflowing with a triumphant smile.
She seems to have already seen the Empire’s flag planted atop the Demon King’s City, seeing the female Demon King locked in chains, kneeling before her.
“Soon…… very soon…… I will be able to find you…… Su”
The fanatical light in her eyes is almost tangible.
She hasn’t noticed at all that the light of the Deep Blue Crystal seems a bit dimmer than before, faintly revealing an ominous scarlet.
And the victory she looks forward to was, from the very beginning, just a meticulously woven Death Trap.
The Imperial elites she sent have already been wiped out, becoming playthings for the female Demon King Isayat’s boredom，as well as another heavy brand of Sin upon the Hero Ling Xiya.
***
The night in the Demon King’s City remains long and silent.
Only that faint smell of blood permeates the air, lingering for a long time.
Ling Xiya drags her heavy steps, walking back one step at a time toward that magnificent palace that is like a gilded cage.
Her Sin continues to accumulate, without end.