Volume 3 Chapter 53: Incidentally, Balor—who was helped—was freaked out【Assassination Organization Arc】

Inside the long skirt.

Inside, there was a hollow space filled with clean air, untainted by poison.

Artemis pulled Balor inside, protecting him from the poison.

Notably, no concern was given to appearances.

To an onlooker, Balor appeared as a complete pervert—making his own maid stick her face inside his skirt.

While he was prepared to do anything to survive, he was also disturbingly sensitive about how others viewed and judged him.

Fortunately, the only person watching was a lone underworld man, so his sanity was hanging by a thread; had any ordinary person seen this, his mental state would have suffered irreparable damage.

However, as a man, there might be those who would find this situation 【delicious】.

Artemis was remarkably attractive.

Her slightly tousled, wavy black hair and her large, twinkling golden eyes were captivating.

Her figure was slim, with flexible muscles that gave her a sleek, graceful look.

Normally, one would be able to see her long legs that were usually hidden, and looking upward would reveal a rather provocative scene—but Balor, with dead eyes, was fixated solely on the inner lining of her skirt.

For him, who had suppressed his sexual desire to nearly zero, the situation brought nothing but apathy rather than pleasure.

“Hey, my naughty master who sneaks into that skirt—are you all right, nya?”

“…Ah (You dragged me in, didn’t you!)”

Even after being rescued, that was his reaction.

It was only possible because of his shameless belief that it was natural for Artemis to rescue him.

It’s something he would never want anyone else to emulate.

“Kukukuku. Who would have thought you’d protect yourself from the poison in such a way? It was quite ridiculous, Balor.”

“(I’ll kill you)”

He could never forgive being laughed at, no matter what.

This was an enraged Balor.

Any inclination to forgive that man had completely vanished from him.

Originally, he hadn’t intended to let the matter go when he was attacked.

“You were squeezing your eyes shut like a kid—so lame, nya.”

“…Hmph! Number 2, you’ve really changed. Going out of your way to help out a burden like me—right now, I don’t find you attractive at all.”

“Then I’d invite you, nya.”

As Artemis laughed snidely, the man openly showed his displeasure.

Although he laughed at Balor being mocked, she was also rather irritated.

Then Balor stepped forward.

“To me, I don’t find you appealing at all. Artemis shines many times brighter than you do. It’s wrong for a guy like you to talk about Artemis.”

It was a case of Artemis being exalted and the man being put down.

Humans tend to compare themselves to others.

And when you’re compared and told once again that you’re inferior, it really stings.

Understanding that very human psychology, he managed to inflict precise damage on the man.

“…Hmmm, master, I don’t think it’s okay to shamelessly and boldly say something so embarrassingly cringeworthy, nya.”

Unexpectedly, Artemis took damage as well.

The words Balor hurled at the man also landed several good hits on her.

Her poker face remained unchanged, but her cat ears and tail were twitching constantly.

“Shine? Those of us who live in the shadows must never possess any shine. We quietly blend into the darkness and kill people. That is the path that Number 2 and I follow.”

“I don’t care what you did in the past. At the very least, Artemis now lives in the light and is worthy of it. You’re different. Stop holding yourself back just because you can’t step into the light.”

Taunting, taunting. While sporting a stern expression, inwardly he stuck out his tongue in a silly, mocking manner.

In any case, by putting the man down and elevating Artemis, he elicited an amusing reaction.

Perhaps the reason this man was trying to pull Artemis back was indeed that she is competent. However, more importantly, Balor analyzed that he could not stand living in the shadows while Artemis lived happily in the light.

So he exploited that and taunted relentlessly. Being called ridiculous earlier had clearly infuriated him.

He was the type of man who never forgot a slight and would always get his revenge.

“You’ve been spouting off without understanding us since earlier. The boss ordered that you be brought in alive, you know…”

And Balor’s weakness was that he only taunted without thinking of the consequences. Once a certain line was crossed, he would naturally resort to using his strength.

People from the underworld act as if they know nothing of the law, but Balor, reveling in his taunts, had completely forgotten that.

“They even said it doesn’t matter how badly injured you get!”

In a speed that was impossible to track, the man charged. In his hand, he held a small knife.

However, it was a weapon sufficient to take a life. As expected, Balor couldn’t see his movements at all…

“Whoops!”

At the same moment a high, ringing sound was heard, Balor saw Artemis’s back. It was the first time he noticed her intercept the man’s attack with a dagger.

A whip-like kick was launched at the now immobilized man. The kick, unleashed from her supple leg, had the power to take a life if it hit the right spot.

And its target was precisely the neck. Artemis was mercilessly going for the man’s life.

Naturally, the man couldn’t withstand that and quickly created distance.

“You’re pretty irritated, aren’t you? Those who live in the shadows will die quickly if they let their emotions take over.”

“Kukuku. As expected of Number 2. You can easily block an attack like this. But you, who have been soaking in lukewarm water, and I, who have been training in the shadows—it’s clear who is superior.”

The man laughed happily.

Yes.

This sharp killing intent is Number 2—exactly the type of person he desired.

“You don’t kill either. Your abilities only come alive in the underworld.”

“Hmmm… nya, something like that. You’ve been acting as if you’re always superior, but if it comes down to one-on-one, I’m super strong, nya.”

Artemis laughed merrily, and the man fully understood that.

Artemis is strong. Especially in one-on-one battles, her true worth shines.

That is why they tried to outnumber her, but the poison had nullified that advantage. However, that didn’t mean they intended to lose.

No, it was precisely because he believed he could win that the man stood before her.

“So then…”

Yes, so then…

“While you were blabbering away, it was already over.”

Artemis, who should have been standing in front of him, disappeared, and in the next moment—as the man was collapsing—he noticed a fountain of bright blood erupting from his neck.

Artemis had been behind him.

The man collapsed without even a scream. Without paying any attention to him, Artemis turned around and wore a cute smile.

“Alright, let’s go back, master.”

“(Eek…)”

Incidentally, Balor, who had been helped, was freaked out.