30 Chapter – 30 La Croix Sanglant

Somewhere in France

"Chief Secretary Penemue, we have been waiting for you," spoke a young man, rising from his seat to greet the enigmatic woman with striking purple hair and a very large bosom.

The woman, appearing youthful in her early twenties, dismissed the formalities with a wave of her hand, indicating that such greetings were unnecessary. She inquired about the whereabouts of the girl they had been discussing.

"She is inside, and her situation is dire," the young man replied. "Since we discovered her, we have been attempting to communicate with her, but our efforts have been in vain. At first, she was inconsolable, crying relentlessly for hours. When she finally ceased, she fell into an unsettling silence, unresponsive to any stimulus. We have exhausted numerous methods, even assigning a counselor to engage her in conversation, but all our attempts have proven futile. We are at a loss as to what to do next."

Penemue nodded in understanding. "Hmm," she mused, considering the situation. "Very well, I will see what I can do. Lead me to her."

"Yes, please follow me," the young man said, gesturing for Penemue to accompany him. He guided her through the building until they arrived at a door.

"This is the room where she is," the young man informed Penemue.

Acknowledging his words, Penemue replied, "I understand. Let us enter."

The young man knocked on the door before opening it, allowing Penemue to step inside. The room housed a young girl, likely aged fifteen or sixteen, sitting on a chair with her gaze fixated on the window. Her striking appearance showcased grayish-white hair and heterochromatic eyes, one red and the other blue. Draped in a white sleeveless dress with sporadic red accents, a casual observer might perceive the red as an intentional design. However, Penemue instantly recognized the red as blood—blood not belonging to the girl but originating from others.

As Penemue and the young man entered the room, the girl briefly glanced in their direction before redirecting her gaze toward the window once more.

Observing the girl intently, Penemue muttered to herself, "Strange, I was informed that she sustained fatal injuries when you discovered her, yet she seems unscathed. There is not even a trace of a scar."

The young man addressed Penemue's doubts, shedding light on the situation. "Her Sacred Gear seems to grant her regenerative abilities," he explained. Pausing briefly, he continued, "When we initially encountered her, we managed to subdue her after inflicting some injuries. However, her wounds rapidly healed, and she launched another attack. This time, her assaults were even more powerful, and her armor's defense had strengthened. The more we fought, the more she sustained injuries, but the strange thing was, her regenerative abilities accelerated, and as her wounds healed, her strength was amplified. Consequently, restraining her became increasingly difficult."

"It appears that both siblings have simultaneously achieved a [Balance Breaker]," mused Penemue, expressing her concern. "It is quite unsettling... For someone with that Sacred Gear to attain [Balance Breaker] at such a young age... It is unprecedented." She glanced at the girl once again before turning her attention back to the young man. Curious, she inquired, "So, how did you manage to subdue her?"

The young man clarified, "Actually, we did not subdue her. Instead, she lost consciousness, likely due to complete exhaustion of stamina and magic power. It's also possible that her brother, who was responsible for the incident, moved too far away to maintain control over her. After that, she simply ceased her actions and lost consciousness. Strangely enough, despite everything, she did not sustain a single wound—all of them regenerated."

"I see. That explains it," Penemue nodded, grasping the essence of the situation. Approaching the girl, she greeted her gently, "Good evening, girl. How about we start by introducing ourselves? My name is Penemue, and I am the Chief Secretary of an organization known as Grigori. And what about you?"

Iris, after a prolonged silence, responded softly, "Iris... Gaule."

Iris' voice held a mechanical quality, devoid of any emotion. Physically present, yet Penemue sensed that her soul seemed to have perished along with the rest of her villagers. Considering what she had endured for the past week, this reaction was natural. Almost the entire population of the small village had been confined within the village Church and mercilessly slaughtered in the most inhumane manner imaginable.

Before arriving here, Penemue had visited the specific church, where she discovered that not only Iris' parents but all the villagers had been brutally tortured and killed by the girl herself. As they pleaded for their lives, Iris became the instrument of their torment, manipulated by her younger brother Orleus Gaule and his Sacred Gear, inflicting unspeakable suffering before ending their lives in the most horrifying manner possible.

Contemplating the situation, Penemue took a deep breath, her expression turning cold as she directed her words toward Iris. "Goodness, Iris Gaule, your younger brother has committed a heinous act. Slaughtering an entire village, even if it consisted of only a hundred people, is utterly unacceptable! If this matter is not handled properly, the lives of Sacred Gear users worldwide will be at risk!"

"!!!" Iris trembled in response to Penemue's icy words, on the verge of a panic attack.

The young man, feeling compelled to intervene, attempted to stop Penemue. "Lady Penemue, please... this child... she was under her brother's control. Her brother is the primary culprit, and given what she has endured, you are being excessively harsh!"

Penemue let out a cold chuckle and retorted, "A victim? I see no victim here... Can't you see her? She spent years beside her brother, yet she failed to perceive his true nature. I find it hard to believe! She should have recognized his abnormality, but she overlooked it... And not only her but her parents as well... Their negligence led to the deaths of so many people for the pleasure of a monster... Iris Gaule, everything that occurred in that village is your fault!"

"I… didn't… I… I… Uuuhhhhh…" Sobbing, tears streamed down Iris' face as the memories of that hellish ordeal resurfaced.

The young man couldn't tolerate Penemue's harsh words toward the traumatized girl. He stepped forward, gripping Penemue's shoulder, attempting to forcefully remove the sadistic woman from the room. "Enough, Lady Penemue! She is just a child, a victim! How can you speak to her in this manner—"

His words trailed off as he noticed the genuine concern reflected in Penemue's eyes for the girl. Despite speaking cold and harsh words, Penemue seems to be worried about the girl, and this worry softened his resolve, making it difficult for him to take any further action. He reluctantly allowed Penemue to proceed with whatever she had in mind.

Penemue continued indifferently, "The moment I witnessed the scene in that church, I realized that your brother is a monstrous being hiding within human skin. Someone capable of creating such a horrifying reality can never be considered sane... Despite appearing human, he is not one... He is a demon who delights in the pain and suffering of others. For such an individual, morals, human values, and all other considerations hold no meaning."

"If he is allowed to live, he will continue to sow chaos throughout the world. Are you willing to accept that your brother will create more tragedies?" Penemue pressed her voice firm.

Iris remained silent, her mind struggling to process the meaning behind Penemue's words. She didn't know how to answer, unsure of what her responsibility truly entailed.

Penemue allowed Iris the time she needed, staring intently at the girl, giving her space to contemplate. Several minutes passed, and Iris began to envision the potential devastation her younger brother, Orleus, could cause. Shaking her head in response, "No," to Penemue's earlier question, she couldn't bear the thought of such suffering occurring again. She couldn't allow another tragedy to unfold due to her negligence.

Penemue nodded in acknowledgment. "That's right... such an incident must not be repeated. The entire village perished due to your fault and neglect, yet you survived. It is now your responsibility to seek justice for them and avenge their deaths by putting an end to your brother's life." She extended her hand towards Iris and offered, "Come with us. You possess the means to end your brother's life, and we will teach you how to harness your strength."

Iris appeared hesitant, uncertainty clouding her eyes. Sensing her hesitation, Penemue continued, "Or perhaps you wish to forget what happened to your villagers? Do you desire to relinquish your responsibility? Do you want to let go of your brother and start anew? Although it is an unforgivable suggestion, if you wish, I can make such arrangements..."

"No!" Iris swiftly responded, her voice resolute.

She had survived while her fellow villagers had perished, given a power that bestowed upon her the means to confront the monster her brother had become. She could not allow herself to forget or evade her responsibility. The weight of that duty gave her purpose and rekindled a light in her eyes that had long been extinguished.

Determined to live, even if only to bring an end to Orleus Gaule's life, Iris extended her hand and placed it in Penemue's, whispering softly, "Strength… please… give… me… Orleus… I… kill him!"

.

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Author's Note: Okay, with this the arc has finally come to an end.

For the next arc, there will be a time skip, and maybe I will also take a break for a few days since I need to plan the arc and all.

Happy reading, and see you all until the next chapter.