"How did you find your way here?" Merka stared at Beezelbub as she approached step by step, beads of sweat the size of beans seeping out of the fine pores on his forehead and neck.
Under his sleeves, Merka firmly pressed down his trembling hand. With a tense furrowed brow and squinted eyes, watching the gradually distorted magical vision before him, he finally began to understand why Beezelbub was known as the greatest angel in the world.
Its strength was unlike Oedipus, unlike Maria. Its strength was disdainful of schemes and tricks, disdained external forces, independent and singularly powerful, separate from any system or structure.
Merka had no doubt that with just a wave of her hand, the ordinary-looking woman before him could erase the city of Red Port from the map of Acadia.
"By scent... of course, mainly by intuition."
"I had a feeling you would escape to Red Port, so I came to Red Port to check it out."
"When flying over Red Port, I caught your scent and traced you by following it."
"Simple, isn't it."
Beezelbub's hands were tucked in the pockets of her black grassy looking clothes as she walked towards Merka with a casual air, as though they were not enemies but old friends.
"Lord Beezelbub... are you friend or foe after all?"
Merka's jaw trembled uncontrollably, he slightly lowered the brim of his hood, nervously asking.
"Calling me 'Lord' feels a bit formal, you can call me Foxy Aunt."
Beezelbub took another half step forward but noticed Merka becoming wary as if facing a formidable enemy.
Seeing this, Beezelbub, as if she had discovered something interesting, smiled interestingly at Merka.
"Don't be nervous... of course, I'm your friend."
"Being around Turing for so many years, I guess I'm half your guardian too."
"We've been apart for so long, I also want to talk to you about the recent changes in Turing..."
"Don't worry, unlike that Oedipus girl, I have a very good impression of you, my future son-in-law."
"However, how should I put it."
"Men who are too independent, I'm not very fond of them..."
Beezelbub took another half step forward, her pair of fluffy fox ears on her head gently swaying, a bushy orange-red tail extending from behind her, waving ostentatiously.
While Beezelbub's movements seemed relaxed, Merka was frightened.
Merka suddenly pulled out his mechanical deity from his arms, aiming it at Beezelbub.
"Don't come any closer!"
"Otherwise, don't blame me..."
Merka shouted at the top of his lungs, as if to bolster his courage.
"Don't blame me for what?"
Beezelbub noticed the mechanical deity that Merka pulled out in an instant and immediately closed her eyes to prevent the intrusion of the mechanical deity into her thoughts.
She sniffed, catching Merka's scent, and took another step forward.
"Put down your little toy."
"Do you think you can hurt me with it or something?"
"You can't touch me."
Merka stared at the looming figure of the woman before her, whose oppressive aura seemed about to solidify into a block. Her eyes widened uncontrollably, and her breath started to quicken.
With a slight pressure on the hand holding the mechanical soul-suppressing device, Merka tried to muster a hint of warmth in her smile.
"Aunt Fox... Please don't be like this."
"You just said it yourself, didn't you?"
"You think you're our guardian."
"Well, I also want to consider you as our elder."
"In that case, why not just let me go?"
Although Merka thought it was unlikely for Beezelbub, as a member of the enemy camp, to easily let her leave, she still tentatively asked.
"That's not possible, Merka."
Raising her left hand slowly towards Merka, Beezelbub slightly lifted her index finger and placed it in the crook of her thumb, snapping her fingers.
"Over twenty years ago, those people in the lab removed the feelings of sadness from me."
"I've had enough of this long, tasteless life."
"Hopefully, your death can remind me of that sad feeling."
"Then, perhaps the happy moments will become even more colorful."
