As Yuki began driving Hana into a corner, her amusement only increased. With barely anyone left besides the two, and the outcome of that becoming more and more apparent, time was running out for Hana.
"Please don't make this end just yet, I'm in such a rush! Aren't you too?! I'm sure you are, after all, it's your own philosophy that excites me so much!"
"What the heck… Is wrong with you?"
Hana struggled to dodge Yuki's attacks whichbecame increasingly erratic while her bright red face was distracting and irritating as well.
"How could my philosophy possibly have been the cause of this reaction…"
"What? You don't understand? It's so simple… Because there is nothing as pure as pain, by being the one that causes the most pain, I become the purest! I'm yet unsure about how Master likes it… But if he wants a pure me, I will be so pure… Thanks to your willingness to serve as sacrifice for my demonstration… Ah, Master… Keep looking and awaiting my return… Your purest subject is on her way…"
As Hana started to get tired out from all the dodging, Yuki became scratching her every now and then with the tip of her swords. But no wounds would appear.
"You're starting to creep me out… Our angel is nothing like you… I thought you were all holy and actually pure…"
"…Oh. So your deity is an angel too? If so, I should know them… Well, I guess I will see once I crush them with your capital while I'm at it."
"Oops… I wasn't supposed to say that much. So it was all just an act… That makes more sense. I figured no one could be that—"
"Ehehe, oh, Master, look how much I've learned… I'm gathering so much information, just for you… Praise me, reward me, rob me of my desires and—"
By unexpectedly tanking a direct hit, Hana closed the distance enough to cast an explosive spell right into Yuki's stomach, sending her flying into the ground.
"—Okay, enough! How can anyone be that deranged… You got some problems, miss. I urge you to get help, really. But then again, you just declared war against us with just… This? So I guess you all are just goners... If I would have known this I would have protested more before coming here…"
Immensely repulsed by this direct hit, Yuki was about to definitely kill Hana with her next attack. But just as she was about to cast a spell, she realized she was alone. Hana had used the opportunity to flee, which felt like a loss on Yuki's part since she was the last to got hit. An irrational feeling, but a frustrating one nonetheless.
However, it was momentarily forgotten when she returned to Yamato, the reunion being just as fulfilling as her earlier fantasies.
"Master, I returned!"
"How did it go?"
"…A physical confrontation could not be avoided. But I don't think they will attack again straight away."
"I see… So did anyone get away?"
Reminded by Hana's existence, Yuki could not help but think of her task as failed. Yamato did order the death of everyone explicitly. She of course blamed Hana entirely for all her feelings.
"…Yes… But they are of no concern for us. More importantly, they spoke of being supported by an angel as well."
"That has to be a bluff… Otherwise that complicates things… Although, they remain enemies of our church. Their angel, even if real, as long as it doesn't support us is just as blasphemous as the state itself. But we should still take care of that. It hurts your image if you aren't unique anymore."
"You don't think I'm unique enough…?"
Her tone was purposefully hurt, though of course her uniqueness was never actually in question. It still forced an encouraging response out of Yamato, which was all she wanted anyway.
"You are of course the most unique person I ever met, Yuki…"
"hehe, I sure am~"
"But that aside, we are in a really bad spot here…"
"Is there anything you need me to do?"
"It's not just the Empire… There is that other thing too…"
"The other Incarnations of Sins… If they are on the continent as well, they would at least hear of this at some point… It feels like I shot a beacon into the air to tell everyone where I'm at… But then again, they would have no reason to come for me or Yuki just yet. Unless… Our image of divinity obviously doesn't go well with this whole sin concept. It is actually not too far fetched to think of our nation as divine answer to the rise of sin, given how I chose to represent myself so far… At least that's how I would look at it if I were one of the other Incarnations… But would anyone really make that connection? It's not true anyway. But they of course don't know anything about me. If only we were a little more secure… But it's also not too late to give up this town if everything goes south. Though it would put an end to my political career, and I'd have to use other people for that instead… But let's not jump to hypothetical scenarios of failure just yet. Yuki won me some time, it seems. What should I do? Kill emperor Arctinus? It certainly seems like it would help me… But Hana… If she could escape despite Yuki honestly trying to kill her… And Yuki's clothes are a litte roughed up too, so it wasn't just running either… The only safe option would therefore be Yuki, but I can't risk sending her off for that, let alone how that would make me look. No, I need win by military means. Otherwise it will be difficult to justify my rule once I take over their territory. However that might prove difficult anyway if they actually have another angel on their side… I have to convince them of my divine right after all, but that won't work without discrediting their current beliefs. In other words, their faith must be erased completely. Said faith is embodied by that angel, if it even exists, what I should assume for now. But maybe clarification on that should be my first priority…"
"Master? Did you hear me? You can me for anything!"
"Oh… Right. I'm sorry, I was lost in thought… No, I need you here for now. Lucy, you on the other hand need to find prove or lack thereof, concerning that angel they claim to have. Weather they are real or not is all I need to know. Go to the capital and find that out. They will most likely be with the emperor. Take money and whatever else you need and go as soon as possible."
"Understood, I will do my best."
As Lucy left, Yuki sat down on a couch in the corner of the room and prompted Yamato to sit down as well.
"Master, come here for a moment."
"Why…?"
"Well, to relax of course."
"I am relaxed."
"Nuh uh. You're calm. Way too much so considering our situation, however that is just one more thing I love about you. However I want you to relax and let go for a moment, in the arms of whom you love. That's me by the way~"
Though Yamato did not quite get the difference yet, as Yuki pulled him to lay on top of him, slowly combing going through his hair, a warm feeling spread through his chest. They say anything addictive will try to lure its prey in the first chance it gets, whether that be by alluring smell, amazing taste, a pleasurable feeling or compelling promises. He never used drugs of any kind, but whatever this was felt like one. Maybe, even though he worked well under stress, relaxation was needed every now and then. He was sure Yuki would not protest. Actually, he was sure she would urge him to repeat what they were doing as often as possible, because he sensed her content expression looked down at him.
Yamato grew tired as Yuki made this position feel like the most natural one, even though they never quite did it like this. Even though she only had two arms that could grab onto him, it felt as though thousands where keeping him with her. Not by holding him down, but by gently offering their hands, which he took all at once. Not long after, he fell asleep, even though he was on a streak to only get the absolute minimum of sleep since he took over.
As the steady breathing of Yamato was the only sound that filled the room, the moment could not have been better.
"Ah… This is how it ought to be… You and me, connected on so many levels… Having you against my chest, I'm sure you feel my heart racing, beating just for you… I could just die of bliss! Depend on me… Depend on me, Depend on me! I'm so inexpressibly fulfilled by this moment, by your trust… I'm so happy we came here~! But I mustn't forget about the people that cause us problems… The Sins, M, Hana, the Empire and the rest of the world… They all have to die… But I want to be of assistance to you, in your act of supremacy… My diligent Master… Just like now, I want to show you love… Show it to you by forceful means if you want me to… No matter who, no matter how, I will take care of whatever you want me to… Just ask… Ask me and only me to get rid of all your problems, so that I become the tool through which you reach perfection… And then, won't all that will remain be love? Pure… Eternal, all consuming love…"
Yuki kissed the sleeping Yamato before placing a blanket on them, so she could watch him sleep contently and without a worry to distract him from the comfort she was providing him with. Suddenly, the door opened and a man she had never seen before entered, and was followed by Petrisha trying to stop him.
"You can't just barge in here, Mistress Yuki prohibited anyone from—"
"I don't care! This is unacceptable and—"
"Shhh…"
The man was forced on the floor by a strong gravitational pull, which was so painful that Yuki was worried the man might scream and wake Yamato, who was still being held by her on the couch in the corner of the room, which both Petrisha and the man seemed to have noticed by now. So, since that man was not allowed to see her and Yamato like this anyway, he focused the magic on his neck and increased its intensity enough to crush it, killing him on the spot.
"…What did that man want, Trishy…"
"I'm so sorry, mistress Yuki… He seemed to have been someone close to the baron, and must have been overlooked by the previous termination of people working here… From what I could tell, he was upset about the war… I'm incredibly sorry, misstress Yuki… I will make sure nothing like this happens again…"
"Yeah, you do that… And get that filth of the carpet while you're at it. If I see even a trace of blood on it later, there's going to be consequences for you…"
"R-right away! You won't even have a thing to remember this person by!"
"And don't make any noise while you do that…"
"Yes, mistress…"
Petrisha began quietly dragging the body out and then cleaned the carpet as best she could. After that she assumed it was expected of her to deal with the body as well, so she just used a demon ritual to make it disappear. Meanwhile Yamato was kept blissfully unaware of the internal problems which Yuki would take care of in depth soon, since it was her duty to protect him from all preventable stress.