Emil was confused for a moment, still trying to process how to deal with the brutal greeting “Marta” had given him, and also worried for Richter and wanting to help him. Despite knowing that he had no healing powers to help him, he felt the strong need to protect his friend. But at the same time, there was that “Marta” taking large steps up to him, her piercing, gleaming eyes focused on him with this merciless smile.
She only briefly left off him to turn her attention to Midori. She dodged his bullets with surprising ease given her attire and gave him a dismissive look.
“Tsk... Is this how you speak to the heir of the grand Sylverant Dynasty? Worthless peasant.”
“The Sylverant Dynasty...” Emil repeated the words. “I remember that. Your father said that the two of you were descendants of the royal family of the fallen Sylverant Kingdom.
“Exactly!” The Marta-lookalike said with a melodic tone in her harsh voice. “In me flows the blood of a long, lo~ng lines of beautiful, powerful queens! Isn’t that amazing? And so, Daddy wanted to take his rightful place as king, and I would have been the Princess of Sylverant!”
“But... he was wrong!!” Emil looked up. “Marta, you said it yourself, didn’t you!? Bringing back that ancient kingdom and trying to lead Sylverant as a tyrant would not be a good idea!! ...Did you forget that?”
“Oh... It’s not like I forgot, actually,” she replied. “It’s more like I was never~ serious~ to~ begin~ with~! Yep! I~ lied~”
“Y-You... lied?” Emil blinked at the girl in confusion.
“Oh, yes! I do that a lot, E~mil~!” She came close to Emil, close enough to touch him. Which she did. She led her fingers under his chin and raised it with a gentle push. “You didn’t know? Your MartMart here is a girl of many, many lies~. I just open my mouth and I lie, lie, lie, all day long! Isn’t that also amazing?”
Emil didn’t resist the Shadow’s invasion of his personal space. He stared right into her eyes, trying to make sense of what she was saying.
“...MartMart...? M-Marta, listen to yourself! You sound just like Alice!!”
“Hm? And that’s wrong?” she tilted her head a little, returning his confused look. “Why? Where’s the difference between Alice and me? Well, aside from the fact that she was a filthy, impure half-elf of course! Hah, I’m so glad I killed her~!”
Emil couldn’t believe what he was hearing... Was this really her? His Marta? None of these were things the Marta he knew would ever be saying...
She continued to stroke his chin.
“Well, of course it’s not done with just getting rid of her, right? That’s no good! No, no~! Richie here will have to be next~!”
At the sound of that sentence, Emil yelled up,
“Stop it!! Richter didn’t do anything to you!”
“Oh? What was that? Did we forget already that THIS ASSHOLE TRIED TO MURDER ME!?”
Mid-sentence, her voice had changed abruptly, from a childish, playful tone, into the shrieking and screaming of a legendary beast such a the furies or harpies. Her eyes slanted and she pushed Emil aside, throwing him to the ground once more.
That done, “Marta” focused her attention on Richter again.
“Ah, Richie... I hate that face so, so much! So handsome, so stern and unfunny, how flustered you always look at my Emil and are oh-so nice-to-him, and make him look back at you like that! Ewww, it’s so disgusting! Your face makes me so sick!” The Shadow raised her arm. Out of pure energy, a weapon that resembled Marta’s Spinner appeared on it. She smiled serenly and tilted her head. “I don’t want to see that head on these shoulders anymore~! ...Now be good and DIE!”
Like that, the Shadow dashed into Richter’s direction, ready to slice through his throat.
