A sudden dread swept through William’s mind as soon as Nyx finished speaking. Instinctively, he tried to pull his hand out of Nyx’s body—only to realize in despair that he couldn’t.
"Ha ha ha, that panicked look on your face doesn’t sit well with me. Not at all. If only I could frame that elegant expression from earlier—how wonderful that would be." Nyx suddenly laughed. Even while wracked with pain, she didn’t appear the least bit disheveled. Her gaze locked onto William’s, filled with a stubborn, childish obsession.
"You lunatic!" William roared, lifting his other hand toward Nyx’s head. He had endured enough of her insane, ridiculous emotions. Now that he had explosive power, he would crush this woman’s skull!
But the scene of blood and brain matter bursting out never came...
A high, thin, piercing sound rang out in the train car, making the humans and the monsters reel.
The monsters howled in agony—some collapsed, writhing on the ground. The players fared slightly better, but even their ears began to bleed.
William, being closest, took the brunt of it. His raised hand froze midair, stopped by an invisible blue-black barrier. At the same time, where his hand pierced Nyx’s abdomen, something began to change.
Nyx’s blood had seeped into his skin and was now clearly visible—its blue-black hue starkly different from his ashen flesh.
More alarming was that it was spreading—like a fungal bloom, it crept along his arm at a terrifying speed!
Simultaneously, William lost all sensation in that arm. His body was slowly pulled toward Nyx, as if drawn into a black hole.
His expression turned to horror, eyes wide with fear.
He shook his head, struggling desperately to pull his arm out. "No! No..."
At that moment, a sound rang out—not like tearing flesh, but more like a taut string breaking.
Recoiling from the shock, William stumbled backward, clutching his now-useless arm. His entire body trembled. He screamed in pain, completely losing control—saliva dripped from his mouth, mixing with the cold sweat running down his forehead.
He had managed to rip his arm out of Nyx’s abdomen—but it was now completely severed. Blood spurted and dripped onto the floor in deep crimson blotches.
Nyx landed gently on her feet on the other side, though her upper body slumped forward slightly in pain.
Her hands covered the "hole" in her stomach. From it came strange, unsettling noises—like countless things squirming, eager to break free from a cocoon.
But what spilled out from between her fingers wasn’t blood—it was blue-black flower petals, twisting and fluttering. Some drifted to the ground, while others floated away...
Suddenly, Nyx giggled. Her eyes widened, and then she jerked her head upward. Her gaze locked on William—blazing with a radiant blue mixed with black.
"Ugh, that expression is so revolting. You’re not worthy—you’re not worthy of being in our circle!"
As soon as she spoke, countless petals burst forth from the wound on her stomach, filling the air as they surged toward William.
All he could do was flail his arm, trying to dodge. But his immense strength was useless now. The moment a petal touched his body, it melted into his skin, leaving behind a blue-black birthmark.
The marks kept multiplying, spreading, growing—devouring William’s flesh until less than half of his face bore normal skin.
"My rose, it’s time for you to fall asleep."
Nyx whispered gently. Blood spilled from her mouth, yet her expression showed no pain—only a lingering sorrow as she looked at William.
William’s body trembled, his steps unsteady—it wasn’t clear if it was from pain or something else.
He could feel that the vision in one of his eyes had turned blue-black, and his body was growing stiff and disjointed. Panic seized him, and he screamed.
"No—Vice President, please! Spare me! I’ll be your dog if that’s what you want, just please let me live!"
He spoke in desperation, his face contorted with a primal desire to survive. He even dropped to his knees, crawling to Nyx’s feet.
Nyx smiled and said softly,
"I already told you—guild members must remain elegant even in death. You were one of the members I approved of, so I’ll grant you the most elegant death."
As soon as Nyx finished speaking, the blue-black hue engulfed William’s entire body. At that moment, his eyes suddenly widened—the irises vanished, leaving only the whites. His mouth dropped open—and then, countless blue-black flower petals erupted from his mouth.
His entire body blossomed into a flurry of petals in the blink of an eye. They scattered without wind, filling the train car and spreading into the other compartments.
Soon, the whole train was echoing with the furious screeches and howls of the undead. They thrashed around madly, trying to rid themselves of the invading petals. But their efforts were in vain.
Nyx’s body swayed slightly, as if she were about to collapse. She quickly used her cane for support.
Her face was pale and haggard, the hole in her abdomen still continuously dropping petals.
And yet she didn’t stop. On the contrary, she began limping forward, using her cane for balance, step by step, in the direction where Asta had gone.
[Now that is an elegant death—not even a speck of dust left, let alone a bone.]
[Every time I see Nyx , I get goosebumps. She’s an absolute monster!]
[Drake goes berserk because of his skills, and he’s just angry-crazy. Nyx? Nyx is mentally unhinged—ha ha ha.]
[I think she and Leonard would be a perfect match.]
[Leonard? Compared to Nyx? Don’t kid yourself—my wife is the best!]
[Nyx is a domme. Please punish me, queen!]
[If she tied me to a wall with a whip, I’d be into it heheheheh...]
[Look at all the delusional fanboys now—they can’t even mock the fangirls anymore.]
[Why is there always a war between fans? And why hasn’t the camera cut back to Asta yet? My beloved Aurora is missing too—this is outrageous!]
"Hey kid, where’s Aurora?"
Asta rushed into their car, only to find Lily sitting in a corner, surrounded by a faint glow like gemstones. The child in her arms was wailing uncontrollably, and Aurora was nowhere to be seen.
Lily lifted her gaze toward Asta, her eyes slightly red. Asta couldn’t bring himself to speak harshly—this was just a child, he reminded himself, and asked calmly.
Lily pressed her lips together, then quickly replied,
"Sister Aurora was taken away by the conductor. She dropped her ticket."
Asta frowned deeply, glancing between Lily and the child in her arms.
"Stay here. This barrier will protect you. Don’t wander off."
He turned to leave, but as if remembering something, he stepped back and held out a hand.
The baby was just an NPC, but it had some influence on Aurora—and not a good one. Asta intended to dispose of it before finding her.
Lily’s expression hardened, and she hugged the child tighter.
She screamed, shrinking back, her face filled with fierce resistance.
Asta said nothing more. Aurora took priority. Without hesitation, he slipped out through the window.
He had already searched the train but found no trace of the conductor or the people taken away. Climbing onto the outer shell of the train would give him a clue.
Hopefully... Asta murmured, facing the abyssal night.