Volume 3 - CH 29

Chapter 29 – The End of an Ambition

“Haah..haah…why, why is this happening to me!?”

Cristina ripped the needle out of her neck and threw it away, while she frantically ran around the large ship.

The terror of the cross-dressing girl pushed her to the brink of tears.

“What did I do to deserve this!? I didn’t do anything wrong!!”

Cristina continued running, dragging her heavy legs, spewing lines that would send the citizens of Brutos into a fit of rage.

Her muscular legs were gradually losing feeling; Cristina had lost too much control, however, to realize that the poisoned needle was the cause.

“Why…why…why do I have to go through this…don’t I have a right to pursue happiness too…?”

Bartolo Blutleid…Cristina knew that she was a woman at heart, as long as she could remember. During her childhood, she much preferred caring for flowers or dolls than play fighting.

There was no one around her, however, who would approve of such characteristics.

In the male-centric pirate society, the only label she could receive was that of a weakling; both her father and brothers treated her as an undesirable blister.

The only blessing she received might have been her naturally robust physique.

Cristina crushed anyone who made fun of her, taking by force anything she wanted.

Ironically like a pirate would do.

(I’ve been made fun of my whole life…I had to suffer so much! So I have the right to receive more happiness than anyone else!)

To take from others for the sake of her own happiness. 

Eventually, that had become Cristina’s one belief.

“I can’t die yet…I haven’t achieved anything yet…! I’m going to become the queen of these seas…and show up all the people that made fun of me…! Until then…I can’t…die…!!”

Dragging her limping body, Cristina climbed — or rather, crawled — up the ship’s stairs.

The door leading to the deck was before her.

The sunlight peeking through the gaps was like a sign of the bright future ahead, in Cristina’s eyes.

“I will…survive…obtain my glory…!”

Cristina leaned against the door, pushing it open.

However — 

“…oh? What, you’re still alive?”

On the deck stood a man, armed with a bloody sword.

“…ah…eh…?”

“It’s pretty rare for Sakuya to mess up. Guess she needs some punishment.”

“W-what…you! Who in the world are you!? You’re not part of my crew, are you!?”

“Seriously…? Can’t you tell just by looking?”

The man then kicked something at his feet, in Cristina’s direction.

“Waah!?”

It was a man’s severed head. A face Cristina recognized…a face that belonged to one of her subordinates.

“I’m your enemy. And a target of revenge now, I guess.”

“Aah…aaah….!!”

Cristina looked around and finally grasped the situation.

On the deck of the 100-strong large ship, only the man was still standing.

There were no survivors.

“You…you guys…!!”

Countless corpses were strewn throughout the deck, shredded by blade wounds. Cristina recognized them as her Lion King pirates’ crew members.

Splashes and sprays of vivid blood painted the deck and even the mast red.

The suffocating smell contributed to making the scene look even more hellish. The man then laughed, baring his fanged teeth.

“You’re not looking fine, there. I guess Sakuya did the bare minimum, at least.”

“Oh…ah…”

“Naturally, Lord Dyngir.”

“Eeek!!”

A chilling voice resounded from behind Cristina. She turned around and found the young girl appear out of nowhere.

“The poison acted slowly, probably because of the size of the body…but their time is limited. Soon enough, all their muscles will be paralyzed and breathing will become impossible.”

“Eh…ah…? What are you…?”

“Excellent, truly excellent. Well then, pirate captain, you have a choice. You either let the poison kill you, or I do. Which will it be?”

“If you so wish, you may die with another kind of poison too. Snake, scorpion, spider, bee, ant, fish, shellfish, mushroom, flower, potato…we have a wide range at your disposal.”

A demon in front, a venomous snake in the rear.

Stuck in between two inescapable deaths, Cristina lost all hope and fell to her knees.

“Haah…haha…hahahaha…why is this happening…?”

Cristina looked up at the sky, as a hollow laugh came out of her mouth.

There was not a cloud to be seen: the sky was a bright blue, frightfully so.