Ch.1285Peeling Back Layer After Layer, There’s Always Something More Beneath

“So, the purpose of that grand ritual was just… to fight with souls while leaving our bodies behind? How should I put it, quite underwhelming.”

Since Garmerlic was responding to conversation more readily than expected, I took the opportunity to casually probe for more important information beyond just killing time with small talk.

“Sure, my power has weakened somewhat… but my condition feels better? Didn’t you make a mistake?”

My strength had definitely diminished significantly. I’d lost my monstrous physical prowess, the power of my Karma of Murder, the blessing of the Fire God, and even my weapons.

But my physical condition was the opposite.

Unlike my mortal body that had been deteriorating, soaked in the energy of death, my current form felt light, as if freed from all the world’s shackles and constraints.

Probably because my current body wasn’t my actual physical form, but rather something like an avatar—yes, that’s it—an avatar molded from divinity using my soul as a foundation.

The energy of death had only corrupted my physical body without touching the soul within, so here, where only my soul had been dragged, my condition could remain intact.

Looking at it that way, I wasn’t severely weakened after all. My body had become healthier in proportion to my loss of power.

“Instead of this nonsense, why not just increase the number of specters? That would have been more troublesome for me.”

“Meaningless. Defeating you through attrition is impossible.”

Is that… so? I had always thought my weakness was rapid power consumption making me vulnerable in prolonged battles, but Garmerlic seemed to think differently.

Whether there was some fatal weakness I hadn’t recognized, or he was simply mistaken about something, I couldn’t tell.

“You brought me here because you couldn’t win through attrition? But you’re confident you can win in direct combat?”

“It won’t be easy. I might even lose. But that too is meaningless now.”

Garmerlic smirked and raised his head to look at the sky.

“Having separated your soul from your body and dropped it here, my objective is already as good as accomplished.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Curious? I don’t mind telling you if you wish.”

Is this bastard not planning to fight me…?

While it worked in my favor since I was trying to buy time through conversation, his excessive cooperation made me suspicious of his true intentions.

“First, let me ask you a question. What would you call a body whose soul has departed?”

“Um… a corpse?”

“Exactly! A body without a soul cannot sustain life, so what else would you call it but a corpse!”

Garmerlic laughed loudly as if unable to contain his joy. His suddenly elevated tension left me feeling bewildered.

“My body has already become a corpse…? So, are you saying it will be reanimated as an undead creature like you? Honestly, that doesn’t seem likely.”

“Correct! That’s impossible! Even if temporarily separated from its soul and in a state of suspended animation, a demigod’s body. How could it be so easily corrupted!”

“Then what is it?”

*Crack, crack.*

Hmm. The bones in my foot have almost completely healed. I thought it would take longer, but perhaps because they’re human bones rather than dragon bones, the density is lower, making regeneration faster than expected.

“Your body has lost its soul and is near death. However, it’s not completely dead yet. Then what would its survival instinct, its fundamental desire to continue living, crave?”

“…A soul?”

“Precisely! Your body is now yearning for a soul more desperately than ever before!”

Garmerlic spread his arms wide and shouted ecstatically. Like a scientist who had taught a gorilla arithmetic and was confirming the results.

Why is this guy so hyped up? As if he’s already won.

“But you are here! In the world of death, unreachable by mere instinct! Therefore, what will respond to that instinct is not you, but—”

*BOOM!*

At that moment, I pushed off the ground with my healed foot and charged, closing the distance instantly and launching my right foot toward him.

*CRACK!*

“Ugh…!”

Garmerlic reflexively extended his arm to block and was pushed back with a groan.

I definitely shattered his arm completely, but darkness immediately enveloped it and restored it to normal.

Ha, isn’t that cheating? He’s not even a werebeast.

“So, I just need to hurry up and kill you, then go back, right?”

“No! There’s no need. Your body will have found a new soul by then!”

Garmerlic shouted as he swung his new scythe to push me away.

“A new soul?”

What does he mean? Is he talking about Hersella?

No, that doesn’t seem right…

“Didn’t I tell you! Soul and divinity are two sides of the same coin! That’s why we can wield divine power here despite having fallen here as souls!”

“If that weren’t the case, you’d be dead already. Fighting bare-handed, you’d have been pulverized, but you’re pushing through with the power of death divinity, aren’t you?”

“…Then wouldn’t the reverse also be true!”

Momentarily stunned by my sharp factual attack, Garmerlic quickly regained his composure and shouted with renewed vigor.

“Since the essence of divinity is ultimately the soul of a being with divine status, divinity with direction can itself serve as a substitute for a soul!”

“No, I asked if you’re enjoying it. Why are you changing the subject? Can’t answer?”

“Ugh, grrrr…!”

Seems like I struck a nerve.

“Stop, cutting, me, off-! Do you want to hear the explanation or not?!”

Garmerlic, who had been laughing unpleasantly, finally exploded in anger, stomping the ground violently while releasing dark energy in all directions.

*BOOM!*

Everything around him crumbled in that energy. With no way to block or counter, I leaped backward to escape the range of the attack.

“Divinity can substitute for a soul! And your body already harbors divinity that isn’t yours! The death divinity that passed to you from the Empress of Blood!”

From within the surging darkness, he cried out in a voice mixed with equal parts ecstasy and rage.

“The body craves a soul, and divinity responds! In that emptied vessel, her divinity will awaken as her soul!”

The true reason he brought me here.

—-

Finally revealed—or more accurately, confessed by his own mouth—Garmerlic’s plan.

Despite being in the middle of battle and his verbose manner making the explanation somewhat disorganized, I, as an intellectual of civilized society, quickly grasped the core of his madness.

Simply put, he’s saying that the death divinity lurking in my body will seize the opportunity while I’m away and take over my body.

Even I have to admit the theory itself is quite plausible. Whether it’s actually possible, I’m not sure.

“I hate to rain on your parade when you look so happy, but things won’t go according to your delusion.”

Why?

Because my body isn’t “empty” as he thinks.

“You might not know this, but inside my body there’s another—”

“You mean the specter clinging to your body like a twin?”

Wait a minute. What did he just say…?

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Of course not. I don’t know why it dwells in that body, but I’ve known about its existence all along!”

He knew about Hersella? And still came up with this plan? That changes things…

I was truly taken aback this time.

Earlier when he mentioned the emptied body, I wasn’t concerned because I thought Hersella would be there, but now that premise itself had collapsed.

“That’s why I also guided that soul here to the netherworld, just like you!”

“…I don’t see her. Are you sure you brought her?”

“Of course! Unlike you who has awakened divine status, it merely touches that boundary, so it cannot form an avatar and must be wandering as a mere spirit!”

I see, the ghost-like woman has become an actual ghost. That’s why she hasn’t shown herself even while I’m fighting this guy to the death.

“So it’s already too late! Soon, her divinity will corrupt your body and be reborn anew within it!”

So that’s why he’s been laughing like he’s already won—because he truly believes he has.

His attitude and face were so annoying that even my rising anxiety at being tricked was overshadowed by my disgust.

“We’ll see. After all, we won’t know until I kill you, right?”

I clenched my fists tightly and lunged toward Garmerlic, who was smiling with satisfaction and triumph.

“Let’s find out. Whether I’m the one who’s too late, or that dead goddess you keep obsessing over!”

Honestly, I was quite shocked, but ultimately what I needed to do hadn’t changed.

Crush his skull as quickly as possible and return to my physical body in the mortal world.

Even with all this talk of death divinity, it’s ultimately just a parasite, so if I can return before it completely takes over my body, I should be able to suppress it with force. Probably.

======[ Naraka ]======

In one corner of the battlefield, where hundreds of thousands of specters had vanished and darkness rose like fog to cover everything…

The skeletal remains of an ancient dragon and two demigods stood silently in that darkness, staring at each other.

“……”

“……”

…Actually, “staring” might not be the right expression. Though their eyes were open, nothing would be reflected in those soulless pupils.

A blue-eyed female warrior with her head bowed, holding a sword that had lost its light, and a red-eyed woman impaled by that sword, bleeding black blood.

With their souls temporarily separated and drawn into the netherworld, the two demigods remained motionless like taxidermy specimens, defenseless in their places.

*Crack.*

Until now.

*Crack.*

And now, that moment of quiet silence came to an end.

“……”

Slowly, very slowly, the blue-eyed woman began to raise her head again.

“…Ha.”

The soul dwelling in the empty—or rather, supposedly empty—body raised the corners of its mouth slightly and let out a hollow laugh.

“How absurd. To think I would be summoned in such a manner.”

It is not Haschal’s soul.

Nor is it Hersella’s soul.

It’s not even the soul of “Death” that Garmerlic had intended.

What was forcibly drawn in and took residence in the emptied body was someone else entirely, someone Garmerlic had never anticipated.

The origin that gave birth to Haschal’s body—or rather, the vessel of the Heavenly Killing Star. The one who would devour the sky. The wolf of hatred and gluttony.

Vanirgand had awakened.

In a way that even he himself had not expected.