EPILOGUE


    IN THE HOLY LAND


    Dang, Lace thought as he ran as fast as his legs could take him, I thought I was gonna die!


    Just as they had discussed, he had attempted to break into the holy domain once more, the moment the Walpurgis Council began. He was on his way to the cathedral inside the Holy Temple, headed for the Inner Cloister where he ran into a demon lordst timeonly to run into the worst person possible.


    She was none other than the epitome of strength and beautyHinata Sakaguchi, captain of the Chief Knights of the Holy Imperial Guard and leader of the Churchs pdin forces.


    Whoaaa! What the hell? This aint how the promise went!


    Lace cursed his absent client. The promise was that said client would lure Hinata out of there for him. He could already hear the guyughing and saying Oops! Sorry, sorry to him. The mere thought of it irritated him gravely.


    But now was no time for grousing.


    I do so detest insects like you. Burrowing into a holy ce such as this


    The sound of Hinatas cold voice made him feel like the life was ebbing out of him. Without another moments hesitation, Lace decided to runand he made it out, alive and well.


    His mission was a failure. The Inner Cloister might as well have been on another. But none of it was Laces fault.


    Whether the demon lord Valentines absent or not, if shes around, it doesnt bloody matter


    You expect me to beat that monster? he whispered to himself as he gave up the job. Still, he thought, Ive been doin nothin but runtely, huh?


    He wanted to give himself a well-deserved pat on the back for getting away from Hinata at all, but that didnt mean he liked it much. Given the terrible hand fate had been dealing himtely, it didnt seem smart to assume hed make it all the way


    Then he felt a rift appear, on the outskirts of the holy city, erupting into a massive wave of magical energy.


    Whoa For real?


    Lace could barely stand this any longer. That wasnt just a high-level magic-bornit was something even stronger than that. Plus, Lace was familiar with its magical wavelength.


    You little worm! Show yourself before me, now!!


    The voice of the demon lord Valentine thundered angrily, like a maelstrom of purging fire.


    Dammit! Now its a demon lord?!


    Lace wanted to wail out loud at thepleteness of his sheer bad luck. But now wasnt the time for that. He attempted to run off once more


    Hmph! Youre just as lowly as him, I see. Do you just enjoy inching around?


    then he stopped, sensing something in Valentines choice of words.


    What do you mean?


    Pfft! It does not involve you. Valentine scornfullyughed. But very well. Just a moment ago, the demon lord yman lost his life. That foolish, sniveling little maggot fled for his life, too, just like you, mewling pathetically the whole time.


    What?


    Ha-ha-ha! What, are you angry? What does it matter to you?


    Shut up! Are you fer real? ymans dead?


    Haaaaah-ha-ha-ha! So the maggots let the cat out of the bag, has he? I thought you two might be connected. By the will of the goddess Luminus!!


    Lace stood there, dazed, before Valentines loudughter. ymans death was too much for him to believe. Not that he couldnt believe it, he just didnt want to. To him, yman was a good friend andpanion, if restless and nervous.


    Whatre youughin about, ya pile of garbage?!


    Who do you think youre talking to, yougnnngh?!


    Dumbass! I told you not tough at my friend!


    Laces fists never stopped swinging. They were literally killer, both of them.


    Gnhh, dontdont you start on me, maggot!!


    His face reddened with anger and humiliation, Valentine red at Lace. No matter how much this insect hit him, Ultraspeed Regeneration made it all pointless. Death was the only way to give fools like these a lesson, as he thought it. He didnt even stop to wipe the blood sprayssprays that even now turned into a fine, crimson mist that descended around them both:


    Die! Bloodray!! Valentine cried.


    Amid this absolute barrier of gore, a torrent of visceral blood particles hurtled at the speed of a bullet towardnowhere.


    Uh-uh. Youre a dead man.


    Wha?! Valentine had no idea what happened. He bore overwhelming power, and this little maggot was toying with him. He had tried to kill him with his most powerful of skills, but for some reason, it never went off. Tonight was a new moon, the period when his powers were at their lowest point, but to a demon lord, the difference was trivial.


    There could be only one exnation: Lace was strong. And this turned out to be correct. In Laces hand, there was something throbbing.


    !!


    Yep. Thats yer core, there, your heart. Cant move, cant speak, am I right? Thats what I do.


    As Lace gave him the cruel news, Valentines body began to unconsciously shiver, little by little. It almost felt like


    Fear? Am I feeling fear?!


    You were juuuust a littlete on the uptake there. But you got it now, yeah? Im a strong one.


    Valentines face turned pale, wincing in desperation. He realized that Lace really did have his core in his hand. All was lost.


    The expression made Lace whoop in crazedughter as he crushed it with his fingers. The battle was decided in a single moment.


    Lace didnt stop smiling for a while after.


    Oooh, Footmans not gonna like this


    He had massacred all the guards who spotted him.


    Ooh, and Teares probably gonna cry, too


    He had attempted to flee straight out of there.


    And thats exactly why Imughing. Laughing at you, yman. For being such a perfect idiot.


    The Crazed Clown, in his estimation, had experienced exactly the death he deserved. Lace wasnt angry; he wasnt crying; he was justughing, inmemoration of a friend who would no longerugh with him.