The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix's Novels Also Desires Happiness Chapter 321: The Girl’s Resolve

“I have to hurry.”

After she made up her mind, Liya acted without another shred of hesitation.

She turned, back to the light, and ran toward the depths of the darkness.

Fear, cowardice, helplessness—none of those were things to be thinking about now.

What she had to do now was go to him with speed: fast, faster, fastest.

Every second of delay might produce the result she dreaded most.

So even though she was rushing toward a danger she had never once had the courage to face before, Liya’s pace was, astonishingly, faster than when she fled from there earlier.

...But she hadn’t managed to go very far before her steps suddenly stopped.

She looked toward the shadow cast by the giant trees; her pretty face turned deadly serious.

“...Who’s there?”

“Oh? So you noticed ?”

A wind suddenly rose through the woods.

Chilling to the bone.

And with that wind ca a voice just as chilling:

“What a pity. I was planning to give you complete despair at the very mont you thought you’d stepped out of the forest—when you thought you’d escaped with your life.

I love watching pretty girls’ faces fall from hope into utter despair; it’s always so deliciously unforgettable. But I didn’t expect you to turn your head. How foolish—just like that Muen Campbell.”

A figure drew closer, footsteps rustling leaves, like a monster whispering.

“But when I think about it carefully, isn’t this even better? The more you care about that Muen Campbell, and the more that Muen Campbell cares about you, the more it...excites .”

The silhouette finally revealed itself fully before Liya. That familiar, cold face froze Liya’s expression.

Her heart sank with a thud.

“It’s you... Barton?”

Why was he here? Shouldn’t he have been—

“Hey, hey, don’t pull that look like you don’t believe I’d show up here.”

“True, by all logic what I should be doing right now is surrounding Muen Campbell over there and personally slicing him to pieces, one knife at a ti, to vent the hatred of being toyed with earlier.

But...if I think about it, wouldn’t that lose a lot of flavor?”

Barton grinned, laughing hideously.

“I’ve been killing people using all sorts of thods and ans since long ago, and I’ve perford many experints.

I know better than anyone how to make a person die in utter despair and agony.

For example: kill the wife in front of her husband; kill the son in front of his father; in the despairing wails of a mother, throw her newborn into boiling oil.

Or—for example—after slaughtering an entire village, leave behind a pair of childhood friends who loved each other deeply, hand them a knife, and tell them: the winner lives.

Ha, hahah, watching childhood friends who were inseparable tear at each other with red eyes like beasts—that feeling is utterly addictive.

And of course, finishing the show by letting the winner stab the other and watch the other die with eyes full of regret—ah, that last look of disbelief is the perfect encore!”

“You...” Liya’s small body trembled. “Filth!”

“That’s right. I am filth. So, beautiful miss, do you understand why I’m here?”

Barton licked his lips, his beast-like gaze roaming over Liya’s perfect figure.

“In front of that Muen Campbell—who would rather sacrifice himself to save you—I’m going to, in the cruellest, most excruciating way, torture... you. Only then will that high-born duke’s son understand what despair truly is!

Ha... just thinking about his face at that mont makes so excited I can hardly control myself!”

“...You’re mistaken. You’re wrong. I and Muen... Muen are not that kind of relationship,” Liya said through clenched silver teeth.

“Heh, who can say?” Barton smiled.

“Alright, I’ve said what I wanted, beautiful miss. You may run now.”

“Run—”

“Yes! A struggling prey makes hunting fun, doesn’t it?”

Barton clapped, as if to drive the prey away. “Run! Hurry and run! The forest exit is not far behind you—head toward it, toward that light, and use every trick you have to flee!

I, Barton the Dismberer, will enjoy myself.”

The woods were icy cold.

The various strange snakes and insects scattered about seed driven off by the terrifying aura emanating from Barton; aside from one or two distant crow cries of unknown origin, there was absolute silence.

“...”

Liya stared at Barton, her jaws chattering.

Terrifying...

So terrifying.

Everything that man said was true, not {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} a word false—he had killed many people and done so in horrendously cruel ways.

The bloodlust on him was so thick it seed to seep into the air.

Run! Run, Liya!

You’re bad at fighting. You’re no match for him!

That voice rose again in Liya’s mind, tugging at her nerves, urging her to flee just as Barton said—like the coward who always hid behind Ariel, she ought to curl up and tail between her legs and run away.

That is what the cowardly girl who always stood behind Ariel should do.

But—

But.

“I... I won’t run anymore.”

At that mont, the clear words echoed through the woods, breaking the silence.

“Hm?”

Barton showed a puzzled look.

Because the girl in front of him seed—suddenly—different.

At first she had her head bowed; the aura nad fear hovered around her, her slight body trembling—anyone would think she was helpless, pitiful, utterly harmless.

But bit by bit she straightened the lowered head, bit by bit she stopped trembling.

Little by little... her hand clenched.

Tears still welled at the corners of her eyes, but they slowly gathered a light called resolve and courage.

“I will not run anymore. Even if I’m alone, even if Ariel’s no longer between and him, I will not run again.”

That’s right.

She was Liya Angel.

Liya Angel, one of the Life Church’s candidate saintesses.

The one spoken of as most fit to be a saintess.

A future saintess would not turn tail and flee in disgrace because of a piece of filth like that.

“I’m going forward.”

A chilling wind blew her hair, revealing eyes that were still gentle but would no longer be easily bent.

Liya gripped the holy light.

But this ti, the holy light was no longer warm and soft—it was like... sharpened blades!

“So... please step aside!”

...

“Interesting...”

After a short silence, Barton stared straight at Liya. His hulking body began to tremble.

But it was not trembling from fear.

It was trembling from... excitent!

Utter excitent!

“You’re interesting—so interesting!”

Barton scratched at his head; lines of blood marks appeared, making him look even more grotesque.

“I’ve never seen anyone so entertaining. What happened? In just a few minutes, what on earth happened to make you... so perfect?”

“But... doesn’t that just add more fun?”

“Co!”

Barton laughed wildly.

“Let ... utterly destroy you!!”