[FMMISM] Chapter 73: Play the Role of a Princess

On the same night, at the residence of the Sajyou family in Tokyo.

At this moment, the outdoor temperature had dropped below zero degrees Celsius, but the bathroom of the Sajyou family felt like spring.

Bathing in the tub, Manaka radiated a clear glow, turning the small bathroom into an isolated paradise.

In ordinary people's eyes, the pure and innocent girl was more noble and beautiful than any flower blooming in the garden.

"Hmmm~ Hmmm~ Hmm~"

Surrounded by bubbles, Manaka was in a good mood, humming a little tune.

She closed her eyes, reminiscing about past moments with her beloved child in this tiny bathtub, her pure beauty subtly tinged with light pink.

However, her alluring tone, like a siren's, abruptly stopped at a certain moment.

"So, why are you here, and not by my child's side? Did Ragna send you back?"

At some point, a bird's silhouette appeared outside the frosted glass door of the bathroom.

It made 'coo, coo, coo' sounds, flapping its wings nervously, and pacing back and forth on the ground outside the door.

It was none other than Ragna's pigeon, Yahweh.

"Do you even know what you're saying, you dead pigeon?"

Manaka raised an eyebrow, her expression displeased.

"If you keep making such boring jokes, I'll consider you a sacrificial offering for witchcraft and send you to my father's workshop."

Her cold words made the gray pigeon shiver and flap its wings frantically.

"Coo, coo, coo!"

Yahweh's frantic wing-flapping seemed to say, "I'm not joking!"

"In that case, tell me, why do you think he is in danger now?" Manaka asked with narrowed eyes.

Yahweh's words had clearly struck a nerve.

"Coo, coo, coo! Coo, coo, coo!"

Yahweh opened its small mouth and kept cooing.

"I see... so this kind of thing happened..."

Manaka submerged the lower half of her face into the tub filled with white soap bubbles.

Gurgle, gurgle.

Gurgle, gurgle.

If what Yahweh said was true, it indeed would be quite a troublesome development.

Moreover, for the current Ragna, the situation would indeed be very dangerous.

"I'm not going to Fuyuki."

After a brief moment of thought, Manaka said to the gray pigeon outside the door.

"I know that child has a strong sense of pride. He has always been very resistant to accepting his mother's protection." Manaka smiled gently. "Even now, he still thinks he's a bit stronger than his mother and takes pride in it... Fufu, isn't it cute?"

Three years ago, in the Tokyo sewers, after Manaka's body dissolved, she was resurrected by Ragna.

However, during this process, Manaka unknowingly gained the power of Beast VI.

Now, she was not merely the Root Princess connected to the Root but also held the authority of the Earth Mother Goddess, known as 'Potnia Theron: Monster Princess', as well as ancient powers such as 'Gomorrah's Blaze: Burning Holy City' and 'Sodom's Fall: Holy City's Fall', which could manifest the Ten Crowns of the Beast (Domina Coronam) in the modern era.

In light of this, Manaka's current power clearly far surpassed Ragna's.

Yet, she had not told Ragna about this fact.

She knew that he would definitely be deeply affected by this if he knew. He would be sad, not because his mother had become stronger than him, but because he could no longer be his mother's protector.

"What a gentle child... What a lovely child... Ahh~ how this child is so, so sweet..."

Manaka's cheeks were dyed a rose color deeper than peach, spreading all the way to her earlobes.

"That's why, I will play the role of a princess protected by him..."

Manaka's moist, light blue eyes flickered as she spoke softly.

Since three years ago, she had resolved to live for him and had decided to protect her beloved child's dream no matter what.

In order to fulfill his wish, the Root Princess, who had surpassed her original omnipotence and omniscience, had once again shackled herself.

It would be acceptable if she were to be killed someday because of this. Until the day her child's power surpassed hers, she would never use the power of her beloved child within her.

"But, if Ragna were to get hurt because of this, it would be all for nothing... If that happened, I would definitely regret it for the rest of my life..."

Manaka pressed her slender fingers against her moist lips, seriously troubled.

"What could someone as powerless and weak as me, a mother, possibly do for that child...?"

===

At the same time, at the Einzbern Castle.

Through the pitch-black night, Zealot dragged her legs, which felt as though they were made of lead, along the corridor of the old castle.

At first, she had the energy to run, but now she only had enough strength left to lean against the wall as she moved.

'What a disgrace...'

At this moment, Zealot's mind was filled with frustration.

Due to her own immaturity, she had received a fatal wound from an enemy attacking from behind and had only managed to escape thanks to Jack's cover.

For the past twenty-four hours, Zealot had been relentlessly criticizing herself.

She believed that the praise she received from her Master had made her complacent, and compared to the past, she had clearly made no progress.

She also realized that the important second chance at life given by her Master was coming to an end here.

It was said that many leaders of the sect had seen the founder, the original and the first 'Hassan-i-Sabbah', before their deaths. Some had been beheaded for violating the doctrine, while others had passed away peacefully under the founder's gaze.

However, Zealot knew that he was not a leader, not a Hassan.

She was just a foolish girl who had never attained the position of leader in her lifetime and could not see the founder.

In life, she had simply lived quietly and died quietly, never having the thought of seeing anyone before her death.

However, now was different.

Attacked by the enemy, with a large wound in her abdomen and her magical energy supply cut off, it was clear that Zealot should no longer be able to continue existing. Yet the reason she still clung to life was to see that person who had given her life all its meaning before she died.

Relying on this fanatical belief that empowered her personal skill, 'Zealotry', she had finally achieved a unique divine miracle (Zabaniya) that belonged solely to her, called 'Undying Belief'.

She had to convey her feelings to her Master, the only one who had ever given her gentle caresses and stern teachings.

She must tell him about the enemy hiding in the darkness.

"…Hahh, hahh… Hahh…"

After dragging her staggering steps for an unknown amount of time, Zealot finally sensed her Master's presence clearly.

'He is behind this door!'

Zealot excitedly pulled open the bedroom door.

Her vision had already deteriorated to the point of losing color a day ago, but she could still see that familiar face in the pitch-black ahead.

What she saw was her Master and two women covered by the same blanket. Her Master was embracing one of the women she did not recognize, and all three had serene, sleeping faces.

"Huff..."

Zealot let out a long sigh.

Despite her Spiritual Core being shattered beyond repair, seeing her Master's face made her heart feel like it was filled with blood again.

Seeing him before her death had fulfilled her only wish.

Now, there was only the mission left—all she needed to do was inform her Master of the enemy's identity.

Zealot approached the bedside and reached out her hand, intending to wake Ragna by touching his cheek.

Normally, initiating physical contact on her own initiative would be strictly forbidden.

However, she felt that if it were him, he would certainly forgive her transgression with a stern but understanding look.

"Master—"

Cough!

Just as her pale fingers were only a few centimeters away from Ragna's cheek, Zealot coughed up a large mouthful of blood.

A slender hand silently pierced through Zealot's chest from behind.

"He won't wake up, y'know? He's already in my grasp after all. Still, you've really caused me some trouble with your actions."

It was the same seductive voice that had sneaked attack her before.

'Ahh, no wonder she hadn't continued to chase me tonight... She must have been lying in wait here all along...'

Zealot thought with resignation.

Cough! Cough!

Zealot didn't try to fight back, and she didn't even look down at the hand that had pierced through her chest. She only slowly extended her hand forward as much as she could.

Finally, her fingertips touched Ragna's face.

"Master… please, you must… win…"

Feeling the warmth of the boy's cheek and the gentle breath against the back of her hand, Zealot gave a blissful and gentle smile.

In the next moment, she silently fell to the floor in front of the bed, her golden eyes losing their light.

"Honestly, you could have just let me kill you quietly… How should I punish a disobedient pawn like you?"

Saying this cheerfully, the figure in the room closed the door from inside.

"…Oh, by the way, I just thought of something interesting..."