"You… what do you want to do? Are you going to kill me?"
Watching Natsuki Subaru approach, Meili tightly held Elsa's remaining head, her body trembling uncontrollably. Her face was ashen, her eyes filled with undisguised fear.
As a controller who relied on Magic Beasts, her own combat strength wasn't strong. Now, having lost the Magic Beast horde's protection, she was like a snail without its shell, practically harmless.
"What do you think?"
Natsuki Subaru said indifferently, then his gaze swept around. The Shadow Soldiers' crimson eyes flickered in the shadows; He didn't need to act himself; with just a thought, these loyal Shadow Soldiers would unhesitatingly tear the two before him to shreds.
"You… have no killing intent towards us?"
Elsa suddenly spoke, her remaining head slightly turning, her black eyes narrowing slightly, with a hint of inquiry and certainty, looking directly into Natsuki Subaru's eyes.
"You're right."
Natsuki Subaru slightly narrowed his eyes, weighing his options inwardly.
He hadn't not considered directly killing Elsa and the others, but he suddenly recalled another "if" world line in the original work.
Elsa had once allied with him to hunt down the Archbishops of Sloth, Lust, Greed, and Wrath.
Moreover, in that "if" line, Elsa chose to stand by him, even willing to sacrifice her life for him.
"Perhaps subjugating Elsa is more valuable than killing her…"
Natsuki Subaru repeatedly weighed this thought in his mind.
As his thoughts deepened, this idea became clearer.
He knew Elsa's background too well; this assassin served under Capella, the Archbishop of Lust.
Capella, as one of the Witch Cult's Seven Archbishops of Sin, formed this assassination organization calling itself "Mother," recruiting and training assassins worldwide.
This organization was precisely the sharp blade with which Capella, the Archbishop of Lust, executed bloody missions; its members' hands were already stained with the blood of countless innocents.
Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but recall Capella's cruel methods when disciplining Meili in the original work, transforming the girl into hundreds of frogs as punishment, which made Meili fear this "Mother" to her very core.
But Elsa was entirely different from those assassins.
From Natsuki Subaru's understanding of this woman, Elsa's loyalty to the organization was almost nonexistent.
She joined Capella not for ridiculous monetary gain, nor under coercion. It was purely because this organization could provide her with an unending supply of prey, allowing her to freely unleash her bloodthirsty desire.
For Elsa, killing itself was the ultimate goal. As for who she wielded her blade for, or why she killed, these things were utterly irrelevant.
Just like a hungry direwolf, as long as there was meat to eat, it didn't matter which hunter it temporarily followed.
Therefore, if he could bring Elsa under his command, he would not only gain a top-tier combatant but also be able to infiltrate the Witch Cult's interior, obtaining crucial information about the Archbishop of Lust.
—But the precondition was that Elsa was willing to submit to him.
But if she refused to submit… then Elsa would simply have to be completely eliminated.
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru looked at Elsa, his voice as chilling as ice:
"Submit, or you die!"
"Wh-what?! You, you want us to submit?"
Hearing this, Meili suddenly looked up like a startled animal, her voice clearly trembling, her gaze darting between Natsuki Subaru and the Magic Beast corpses strewn across the ground, clearly unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events.
However, Elsa chuckled softly:
"Hehe… we're sworn enemies, little brother~"
Despite her severe injuries, Elsa's demeanor remained composed, as if she wasn't the one at a disadvantage, but rather the other party.
"What makes you think…"
Elsa's voice suddenly dropped, her gaze still fixed on Natsuki Subaru, but a strange curve appeared at the corner of her lips, "That I would bow to someone who has repeatedly killed me? What's more…"
Saying this, Elsa's black eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a meaningful smile,
"Do you truly dare to trust us?"
"Trust?" Natsuki Subaru sneered, slowly shaking his head. "Elsa, you think too highly of yourself. I've never thought of trusting someone like you."
"I merely trust my own strength." Natsuki Subaru's voice wasn't loud, but it carried undeniable confidence, "Even if you were to transform and escape now, what then? The next time we meet, I'll make you experience death another fifteen times."
"For me, killing you is no harder than crushing two ants. You should know, I have the power to do it."
"Little brother, you're surprisingly honest." Elsa suddenly chuckled, her laughter gaining a hint of seriousness, "Since you don't trust us, yet you demand our submission, this deal doesn't sound very fair."
"Fair?" Natsuki Subaru raised an eyebrow, pointing at the Magic Beast corpses strewn across the ground. "Do you think you, in your current state, have the right to talk about fairness with me?"
"Your Magic Beasts are gone, your body is gone, and your life is in my hands."
"Either nod, or vanish. Choose one."
In truth, he was perfectly clear in his mind: subjugating Gut Hunter Elsa was definitely a sure-fire, profitable deal.
Not to mention her strength, capable of contending with Archbishops of Sin, just her knowledge of the assassination organization's inner workings alone would provide countless crucial pieces of information.
After all, eradicating the Witch Cult and the Archbishops of Sin who plagued the world was always something Natsuki Subaru had to accomplish.
"Little brother, you truly are… unexpected."
Elsa suddenly chuckled softly, her voice devoid of any forced anger or unwillingness.
After all, the submission of the weak to the strong was the most fundamental law of this continent. As an assassin, Elsa understood this principle better than anyone.
Just now, she had been killed by Natsuki Subaru a full 15 times in a row. Elsa acknowledged Natsuki Subaru's strength in her heart—so domineering, so merciless.
It's just… why, when threatened by such a man with "submit or die," did an inexplicable sense of security well up in her heart?
This feeling, both strange and eerie, made Elsa unable to resist extending her tongue to lightly lick the blood from the corner of her lips, a hint of playfulness in her eyes:
"It's my first time being in such a vulnerable position, little brother."
"So, what is your choice?"
Natsuki Subaru met Elsa's gaze, his tone still calm and unruffled.
"If it's you, little brother… of course I'm willing to submit. After all—" Elsa's voice suddenly dropped, with a morbid and fervent anticipation, "I haven't personally seen your beautiful intestines yet, little brother~ They must be… warm and delicious, far more enticing than the viscera of those mediocre individuals…"
"You truly never change."
Natsuki Subaru's mouth twitched slightly, and the veins on his forehead began to throb faintly again.
He finally understood: even if this madwoman submitted to him, her mind would still be on these bloody things.
Natsuki Subaru took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to throw Elsa's head away:
"Put away those twisted thoughts of yours. If you submit to me, you'll abide by my rules. Dare to entertain such ideas again, and I won't mind letting you experience what it means to wish for death."
"Oh? Little brother can say such harsh things?" Elsa laughed even more merrily. "Sounds… even more interesting now."
"S-since Elsa has said so, I, I'm also willing to submit!"
Seeing this, Meili on the side quickly followed suit, her voice still laced with lingering tremors.
She secretly glanced at the Shadow Soldiers still standing rigidly around them, their crimson eyes like countless needles, making her feel utterly uncomfortable.
Although she resisted the word "submit" with all her heart, Meili knew even better that saying "no" at this moment would result in her being torn into the same scraps as those Magic Beasts the next second.
Though Meili was an assassin, she valued her life greatly. There was no need to clash head-on against such an absolute disparity in power.
"Hm."
Natsuki Subaru's gaze shifted from Meili to Elsa's remaining head, and he couldn't help but recall how, during the recent fierce battle, he had exhausted all fifteen of her revival opportunities.
Clearly, those fifteen deaths had already depleted the hidden revival energy within Elsa.
As he pondered, Natsuki Subaru raised his hand and made a sweeping motion in front of him. A faint blue light screen flashed, and the Inventory interface unfurled in his mind.
Then, he took out a bottle glowing with a soft red light—a Life Potion—and tossed it to Meili:
"Give this to her."
"Th-this is…?"
Meili instinctively caught the potion bottle, her fingertips touching the cool glass, but her heart pounded.
The red liquid didn't look like poison, but who knew if it might be some more insidious curse?
After all, this person had just killed Elsa fifteen times; who could guarantee he wasn't trying to torture her in a different way?
"Don't worry, Meili." Elsa, now just a head, suddenly chuckled softly, her voice eerily coming from her severed neck, carrying a chilling pleasure, "If little brother truly wanted to kill us, he wouldn't need all this trouble~ Crushing my head directly, wouldn't that be simpler?"
"You're surprisingly clear-headed." Natsuki Subaru said, casting an unexpected glance at Elsa.
"Because I have a strange intuition about you, little brother." Elsa's voice softened slightly, the morbid excitement in her eyes fading, replaced by a hint of elusive, complex emotion. Her excitement faded, replaced by an elusive, complex emotion.
"You're not the type to toy with your prey. Either kill or let live; you're very straightforward."
"I understand."
Meili looked at Elsa's certain gaze, then at Natsuki Subaru's unruffled face, and finally gritted her teeth, carefully pulling out the potion bottle's cork.
She held up Elsa's head, brought the bottle's mouth close to her lips, and carefully poured the red liquid in little by little inside.
"Gulp…"
The moment the Life Potion entered her throat, Elsa's throat made a faint swallowing sound.
Immediately after, a dazzling green light suddenly erupted from the severed part of her neck, like a rapidly blooming emerald flower.
Below her previously empty neck, flesh began to wriggle and grow at a visible rate.
First, slender bones extended from the severed point, like sprouting branches, followed by layers of veins and muscles wrapping upward, spreading rapidly like a spiderweb.
Finally, delicate skin covered it, with every pore clearly visible.
In just a few breaths, the Life Potion's green light completely faded.
Elsa's body had reformed, perfectly intact.
Having no clothes, Elsa was currently standing naked in place.
Sunlight filtered through the courtyard's branches and leaves, sprinkling onto her, outlining smooth and ample curves. Her fair skin glowed with an almost transparent luster, every inch of her skin's texture clearly visible.
But Elsa seemed completely unconcerned. Far from displaying the typical embarrassment of a woman, she was like someone inspecting a new toy, first flexing her shoulders, then swinging her arms, and even intentionally lightly bouncing in place twice—
With her movements, the softness of her chest rose and fell like waves, making one dizzy. The astounding curvature and elasticity almost seemed to break through the confines of sight.
"So white, so big!"
Natsuki Subaru's eyelids twitched uncontrollably twice. He instinctively wanted to look away, but his gaze seemed to be drawn by a magnet, sweeping over her figure uncontrollably.
Frankly, there wasn't a single flaw to be found in Elsa's figure.
She was naturally tall, with shoulder and neck lines sharp as if carved, yet her waist was so slender it seemed it would break with a snap. Below, it was a steep upward curve, combined with long, straight legs, forming a nearly perfect S-shaped curve.
Especially the ample fullness of her chest, perfectly proportioned, merely trembling slightly even when she jumped, showing no sagging at all, exuding a healthy and powerful beauty.
"What am I rambling about…"
Natsuki Subaru shook his head, forcing himself to look away.
Although he certainly held no extraneous goodwill for this woman who had once tried to kill him, his eyes honestly told him.
This woman's figure was indeed damnably eye-catching.
At this moment, after flexing her limbs, Elsa looked down at her intact fingertips, then lightly pressed her lower abdomen, confirming that the wound pierced by the Kasaka Dagger had completely disappeared, before raising her head.
This kind of potion, capable of instantly repairing the body, was definitely no ordinary item. Just how many secrets did this little brother conceal?
She wasn't entirely without curiosity about the Life Potion's miraculous effect, but she didn't intend to ask.
For the secrets of the strong were never for the weak to comment upon.
Her gaze shifted, and Elsa happened to catch Natsuki Subaru's momentary unnaturalness as he looked away. A playful smile immediately curved upward at the corner of her lips, mischievousness practically overflowing from her eyes:
"Looks like, little Natsuki likes them big?" Saying this, Elsa intentionally puffed out her chest; even under the loose cloak, the astonishing rise and fall of her chest was still visible. "Indeed, it seems men have little resistance to such places."
"Shut up!"
Natsuki Subaru's voice suddenly turned cold, his cheeks feeling slightly warm, and he deliberately shifted his gaze.
Seeing Natsuki Subaru like this, Elsa instead chuckled softly, her laughter full of triumphant pleasure:
"What? Did I hit the mark?"
"Dare to talk nonsense again, and I'll cut your body back to its original state, leaving only your head." Natsuki Subaru said through gritted teeth, forcibly suppressing the heat in his heart. He rummaged through his Inventory, pulled out a wide black cloak, and tossed it to Elsa with an ill-tempered tone,
"Put it on!"
_____________
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