Ch.190Last? – 3

“I’m amazed you’re still alive after what seemed like a confirmed kill. Shouldn’t you be dead by now?”

Especially after being stabbed with a holy spear. Seeing my disgusted expression, Aria shook her head.

“I didn’t survive. I died and came back to life.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“No. It’s different. Very different. You’re the one who saved me, Mira.”

“More nonsense—”

“Why do you think I appeared before you in this body?”

—CRASH!

An ice spear plunged into the ground. The surrounding area instantly froze. The cold wave spread in a shockwave pattern, creating ice formations shaped like sharp awls.

Aria calmly gazed at the spear embedded less than a hand’s width away from her, still exuding intense cold. Even as frost formed on her nun’s habit from the escaping chill.

“Choose your words carefully. Next time, I won’t miss.”

I meant it. Rather than watching someone else parade around in Latina’s form doing such things, I’d rather handle it myself. I was already prepared for that.

“Do you remember stabbing me with your holy spear when I died? At that moment, the soul residing in your spear flowed into me.”

But Aria spoke without the slightest hint of agitation.

“And it merged with my soul just as my body was about to disappear. The divine power you used didn’t attack my soul that had merged with this nun’s—it actually healed me. That’s how I was able to return like this.”

“Flowed in? A soul?”

“I can’t answer that for you. I don’t know the reason either. Still, I’m grateful to you, Mira. Honestly, I thought it was truly the end for me. If you had killed me with something other than your holy spear, or if I had been left to die with my neck and chest pierced by Leona, I wouldn’t have been able to open my eyes again. It’s all thanks to you.”

I was dumbfounded. I had used the holy spear as the most definitive way to kill her, but instead, it became the very means of Aria’s resurrection.

“Your divine power now recognizes me as this nun rather than Aria April. So when it reconstructed my body, it used the appearance of the soul residing in your spear. As you can see, the only trace of Aria left is my eyes… but I should be grateful just to be alive, shouldn’t I?”

I thought about killing her while she was running her mouth, but I hesitated for a different reason this time. The fact that my holy spear had judged her as Latina, and that their souls had actually merged.

If I could use that properly, I might be able to awaken Latina’s soul rather than Aria’s. With that thought, the strength naturally drained from my fist.

“Thanks to that, you can’t even use that spear against me anymore. One could say I’m in an even better position than before. After all, it was your holy spear that defeated me even after I stole your power.”

“Want to test that? Whether I can use it or not.”

“Of course you can. You could throw the spear at me or stab me with it. But Mira, could you really kill me with your holy spear? Do you truly believe this body could die if pierced by that spear? You just heard how my soul is constituted. What caused me to be reborn in this form.”

I know. That’s why I’m listening quietly now instead of blasting your head off first and thinking later.

“I’m asking whether that holy spear can burn this body—born from the merged souls including the nun you care so much about. Other weapons might work—bursting, cutting, or tearing this fragile body. But not that spear. Because you won’t be able to maintain your conviction against ‘me.'”

I looked down at the spear. As if confirming Aria’s words, the golden light that had shone steadily in any situation was gradually fading.

—Flicker.

Then it blinked dramatically, like a fluorescent light at the end of its lifespan. Seeing the holy spear’s light dim, Aria smiled even more brightly.

“See? It’s wavering.”

“……”

“If you had remained ignorant, it would have been fine. If you didn’t know, you would have thought I was simply imitating this nun’s appearance and attacked me with even greater fury. But now? Can you still do that?”

After staring at that bright smile, I withdrew my spear. The golden light that had illuminated the world faded. In contrast, Aria standing at its center became more prominent.

Instead, I drew my Dragon Fang Sword. The long blade made from dragon fangs flashed with blue mana. I couldn’t cut down that form with the holy spear. That wouldn’t be respectful to Latina.

“You’re right. The holy spear won’t work.”

“But other weapons will?”

“Thanks to you, I’m now certain about what I need to do. If Latina’s soul is merged with yours, that means if I can selectively remove your soul, there’s a possibility Latina could return. Am I wrong?”

“Well, I wonder about that.”

A spear made of light formed in Aria’s left hand. Seeing this, I flinched, wondering if Aria could now use the holy spear too, but fortunately, it wasn’t exactly the same power as mine.

Unlike my holy spear, which was the embodiment of faith itself, hers was merely my divine power shaped into a spear. It would have basic destructive power, but not the same potency as the holy spear.

The reason Aria could use my divine power must be because Latina’s soul was mixed with hers.

“Would you like to kill me first and then think about it?”

—RUMBLE!

I dodged the flashing spear that flew at me, and the light mass collided with something behind me. With a thunderous sound that traversed heaven and earth, the world shook. No, more precisely, the time constituting the world shook.

I turned my head as time rippled like waves before subsiding. Aria clapped her hands with exaggerated surprise.

“Oh, I forgot to mention. This world is currently supported by your divine power, right? So, the more attacks using divine power disturb the world, the more unstable the space-time will become. If the instability continues to accumulate… well, I trust you understand.”

“So, you’re saying I shouldn’t dodge?”

“Exactly. And when you counter or absorb attacks, make sure they don’t touch anything else. I’ve already died once, so I need to maximize my chances.”

“How thoughtful of you. Giving me so much to worry about.”

I sarcastically activated a spell. Iron chains emerged from thin air to bind Aria’s limbs, and a force made of mana pressed down from above. Aria fell to her knees with a thud.

A magic circle appeared beneath her feet to restrict her movement, and more chains emerged to bind not just her limbs but her entire body. Just like the goddess and demon god that Aria had bound.

Finally, to prepare for any contingency, I sealed the surrounding space with defensive magic, then approached her with my Dragon Fang Sword pointed at her.

“You said I should try removing your soul first to see if Latina returns, right? I’ll do as you suggested. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to heal you regularly.”

Even though her body was completely bound and her movements sealed by magic, Aria remained remarkably calm. She might have another trick up her sleeve.

I approached cautiously, wary of any movement from her hands, feet, or lips. I wanted to gag her too, but I couldn’t risk it. One wrong move and I might end up torturing Latina instead of Aria.

Aria remained quiet even as I approached right in front of her. After activating physical enhancement and acceleration spells, and casting defensive magic on myself, I reached for her throat.

At that moment, her eyes turned gray.

“You are…”

Simultaneously, a voice completely different from Aria’s, filled with confusion, flowed out.

“…!!!!!!”

My hand, about to stab her throat, hesitated. Instinctively, I knew this was Latina’s personality that had supposedly merged with Aria.

—SPLAT!

The moment I hesitated, those eyes turned blue again. With a horrible sound of flesh tearing, intense pain shot through my left side, and my body was sent flying.

I tumbled to the ground after flying at least ten meters. When I coughed, dark red flesh fragments sprayed out.

I checked where I’d been hit. Half of my right side had been torn away. Through the torn area, I could see the scenery behind me, with fragments of internal organs and blood continuously pouring out.

I used healing magic as I raised my head. I saw Latina’s form dissolving the binding spell with divine power and getting up. Her eyes, now blue again, curved into crescent moons.

“I was planning to burst my body with that attack, but what a waste. So, how was it after trying it yourself? Was it helpful?”

“…Yes. It was… very helpful. At least I’m convinced that I was right.”

If I could just remove Aria’s soul from there, Latina could return. That was enough. I staggered to my feet. My tattered side returned to its original form.

There was a reason I hadn’t answered her question. I was hiding it, waiting for an opportunity. Like just now. I survived only because my body reacted just in time at the last moment.

“I won’t deny it. But you know what, Mira? Can you really do it? If I sense an attack coming, I’ll hide behind the nun’s soul just like I did earlier. Then you’ll end up attacking the wrong person, won’t you? You might even accidentally kill her first.”

“It doesn’t matter. She’s not someone who would die that easily.”

She may call herself delicate and fragile, but in reality, she was a nun who worked in a dark fantasy world without dreams or hope.

The fact that she was killed by humans after falling into a trap means, conversely, that even the crazed monsters with their insane specs couldn’t catch her before she was trapped.

A soul like that wouldn’t disappear after taking a few attacks.

“Neither am I.”

Mana surged along the blade of my Dragon Fang Sword. If it looked like Latina might be seriously injured, I could stop my attack, take a hit while avoiding fatal damage, and then recover.

Just like I’d done countless times before.