Ch.152152. Intrusion

“Minister, if I may speak frankly.”

Elnore, who had been listening to the entire story, opened her mouth with an emotionless voice.

Despite hearing that she had caused worldwide chaos, she showed remarkably little reaction.

“I understand your claim that such events were triggered because of me.”

“…”

The Minister’s lips twisted at the word “claim.”

Though her tone was flat, the implication was clear: “That’s just your opinion.”

As if to say that moral condemnation would have no effect on her.

Her next words followed the same logic.

“But what does that have to do with my relationship with Darwood?”

For the first time, the smile disappeared from Sullivan’s face.

“…You must understand the gravity of the situation, Lady Tristan.”

The minister continued with a hardened voice.

“Those associated with demons are enemies of the entire continent. Not just the Cultists of the Demon, but all humans involved with them as well.”

“I know that.”

Elnore said, slightly turning her head.

“So what?”

“…”

“This is not yet a settled matter for you to dictate to me. The decision belongs to Darwood and me. Not to a third party.”

She no longer even used the honorific “Your Excellency.”

Though her voice remained steady, her expression—with red light gleaming from her eyes—was even more expressionless than usual. As if deliberately suppressing something.

“…I wonder about that, Lady Tristan.”

Sullivan also spoke with a voice that had grown noticeably colder.

“I’m certain your very existence will potentially harm this man, so I don’t think I’m being unreasonable.”

“…”

“You know it too, don’t you?”

Sullivan’s golden eyes sank deeply as he spoke.

“This man might get caught up in something terrible because of you. Something very, very dangerous.”

Elnore hesitated.

Her attitude suggested she couldn’t refute this particular point.

After briefly biting her lip until it bled, she spoke again.

“…That harm would only occur if what you’re saying is true.”

“Only fools need to crash into something to determine whether it’s true or false, Lady Tristan. You’re free to think what you want. However.”

A cold sneer followed.

“It looks quite ugly.”

Elnore’s eyebrows twitched.

“Deliberately denying obvious facts. Don’t you realize how excessive your desire to monopolize this man is?”

His deeply sunken golden eyes emitted a sinister light.

“When you can’t do anything for him. After watching him sacrifice himself for you time and again, your inability to let go of your greed is utterly disgusting. Are you advertising that you grew up without love?”

A chillingly intense gaze, like coldly burning flames, fixed itself on Elnore.

“I understand. Given your environment, you probably didn’t have anyone to teach you appropriate boundaries. How pitiful.”

Even just listening made me shiver.

The coldness that the Minister was directing at Elnore contained that level of hostility.

“Still, you should know when and where to throw your tantrums, shouldn’t you? Even someone as dull-witted as yourself.”

“…”

Cold sweat ran down my body even though those words weren’t directed at me.

“…Haa.”

Meanwhile, Elnore closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

Quietly.

She remained silent without saying anything.

She appeared almost serene despite having just heard such words.

“…Well.”

Then a calm voice flowed out in response.

“One thing is clear to me, Minister.”

“What is it?”

“You must be excluded from this matter.”

As Elnore said this, a sardonic smile appeared on her face.

The moment I saw that expression—

A sensation of freezing blood crept up my entire body.

That was the expression Elnore only showed to enemies she was about to “swing her sword” at.

Then.

A “gray aura” suddenly surged from her body.

< System Message >

[Target ‘Elnore’ is enraged!]

[Target ‘Elnore’s corruption value exceeds 200%.]

This person’s calm reaction wasn’t because she wasn’t angry.

Rather, it was the calm before the storm.

Her anger had reached a critical point and was compressed within her body, about to explode!

I stood up without time to formulate a plan. I only thought about stopping this somehow.

Especially considering what happened the last time Elnore went berserk!

“…You really are vulgar.”

Following those words:

“All you know is to swing your sword when things don’t go your way, don’t you?”

< System Message >

[‘Seal of Fallen Heaven’ is responding!]

[Detecting target ‘Sullivan’ drawing power from =Removed object=!]

A “golden aura” began to emanate from Sullivan’s body as well.

‘As I thought…!’

This person is also deeply involved with demons in some way.

That’s the appearance demons show when using their “powers”!

I immediately put on the Soul Linker. Calivan’s bewildered voice came through right away.

[Huh, what? Why are you waking me up suddenly again?]

‘Shut up and give me mana. It’s urgent!’

I can’t let two demons clash in the middle of Elphante. If that happens, the entire scenario will be completely ruined!

[Wait, two demons? Can you even stop that?!]

‘I don’t know. If I can’t, we’ll die anyway!’

While answering, I check all available options.

What I can do here is…!

< System Message >

[‘Survival Assistant’ rule activates!]

[Target ‘Elia’ responds sensitively to your crisis situation.]

[Target’s abilities increase dramatically!]

[Target awakens ‘Eyes of Truth’!]

“…?”

What is this now?

While I was looking at the window that suddenly appeared before me.

“Hiya—”

From the entrance of the hall.

“I was right to barge in. What a mess?”

With those words.

A ‘flash’ flew in.

●

The growth curve that Elia Krisanax shows in the game is, frankly, a bit insane even considering he’s the protagonist.

When I first met him, I wasn’t exaggerating about him being able to destroy mountain ranges with a single blow.

But still.

This is too much.

-!

-!

In terms of sound, there couldn’t be a more anticlimactic scene. Elia just went and tapped the backs of Elnore and Sullivan’s heads with a light “konk, konk.”

“…”

And seeing that sight,

A sensation like all my body hair standing on end swept through me.

It wasn’t just the fact that he did this at a speed that neither Elnore nor Sullivan could react to, but there was something even more absurd.

“…Did he just.”

Faynol’s dumbfounded voice was heard.

He too had been trying to use his magic to prevent the two demons from clashing.

“Subdue two Demonic Vessels by ‘hitting’ them?”

“…”

Yes.

If I didn’t see wrong, what I witnessed was exactly that.

Elnore and Sullivan, who had been summoning demonic powers, simultaneously collapsed limply.

As if they lost consciousness from a single blow.

This guy just subdued those two by hitting them on the back of their heads with his bare hands.

“Teacher—!”

While I was thinking this, Elia jumped in front of me saying that.

He grabbed my hands and shook them up and down vigorously with a bright smile. He seemed overjoyed to see me.

‘…Has his personality changed?’

No, come to think of it.

This is actually how he was in the original work.

He became more gloomy and got caught up in various troubles because of me.

“Have you been well? Wow, it’s been so long!”

Looking at Elia with his dazzling smile and bewildered expression, I finally managed to ask a question.

“…How did you just do that?”

“Huh? Do what?”

“How did you… knock out both of them in one hit?”

At my words, Elia tilted his head with a puzzled expression.

“Well, that…”

Scratching his head as if unsure how to explain, he continued.

“How should I put it. If you want to hit someone without hurting them, you have to use bare hands… but subduing people that way isn’t easy, right? Especially the Lady, who doesn’t seem like she’d get a scratch.”

“…Right?”

“So I hit what’s inside. The demon fragment, or whatever it’s called?”

Though the answer came out so casually.

“…”

“…”

“…”

A heavy silence descended.

Me, Faynol, and even Calivan, who usually chatters in any situation inside the Soul Linker, all fell silent.

No.

What does that even mean?

He “hit” the demon fragment?

“…What?”

After a long silence, I finally managed to speak, but

Elia answered nonchalantly with the same bright smile.

“Well, recently I’ve been able to see all sorts of things very clearly. Including those ‘people inside people’… the demon fragments.”

Come to think of it, the system message earlier mentioned something about awakening the Eyes of Truth.

Looking more carefully now, he’s wearing something like an eye patch.

“So, I could see the person inside, and I tried hitting them?”

Elia continued with a grin.

“It worked!”

“…”

“I tried it on Riru a few times and it worked great. People with those fragments seem to feel extreme pain when hit directly there.”

“…”

Trying to move my seemingly frozen brain to piece together what he’s saying:

This guy just hit the “vessel” and directly struck the demon fragment inside.

That’s why humans who could probably withstand a direct bomb blast collapsed after getting hit once on the back of the head.

‘…How?’

I don’t understand.

While Elia is talking about it so casually.

This is a power without precedent in this entire world.

The only things that can suppress demonic power are other demons, angels who have reached the rank of Lightbearer, or warriors wielding holy swords.

That’s the rule. It’s like a set rule within the game system.

But.

What was that just now?

It’s something so absurd that in a game, you’d think it was a bug. But this is reality, where bugs can’t happen.

No, what are you?

Authority.

What kind of modifications did you make to this kid?!

“…So, what do you think?”

Elia looked at me and asked.

“It’s an ability I trained hard to develop for you, Teacher.”

“Huh?”

And the moment I met his eyes.

“…”

I unconsciously stepped back.

I don’t know why I did it, but it just felt like I should.

“…You did well. That’s truly an incredible ability.”

“Right?”

Elia said with a grin.

And then.

“From now on, I’ll protect you.”

With those words.

He firmly grasped my hand.

As if he wouldn’t let me go anywhere.

“From now on, even if these bad women try to threaten you. I’ll protect you. That’s why I trained so hard.”

“…”

“So.”

But as his face turned toward me, that demeanor vanished without a trace.

Elia smiled brightly again.

“You shouldn’t be separated from me, okay?”

“…”

“Otherwise, those violent women might do something harmful to you—”

Saying that, he lifted my hand and hooked his pinky finger with mine.

“Yes, promise. To always stay together.”

Then, he continued with a broad smile.

“So I can always protect you. Understood?”

Looking at him saying such things with almost glowing eyes.

It’s good that he wants to protect me, but.

“…”

Why do I feel a chill down my spine?

How should I put this.

[…These are signs of obsession, aren’t they?]

“…”

[Did you wake me up just to show me my little sister becoming corrupted because of you?]

“…”

No.

Don’t talk nonsense.

●