Ch.211NPC and Spirit Keeper (8)

I once heard this from a fragment of the Spirit King in my mental world.

[Apparently, you heard somewhere that the Spirit Keeper revealed herself for some reason and was attacked by a demon because of it. So my main body, the Spirit King, immediately sensed something was wrong and went to the Spirit Keeper’s side in Siltra.]

“…Didn’t the elves protect her?”

[…Was it the Grand Elder who was the only one the Spirit Keeper allowed to approach? Anyway, what my main body saw before his memories were cut off was that guy briefly fighting the demon, then suddenly exchanging a few words before making a contract.]

“Shit. That bastard Ganf.”

[Hahah! Even so, the Demon of Wrath was no match for my main body at that time. After all, I am the ‘King’ standing at the pinnacle of my race.]

“Then why on earth do I need to kill you…”

[Do you know the old fairy tale?]

“…Which fairy tale are you talking about?”

[Ahem! Once upon a time, long, long ago. There was a woman. In an era when countless people suffered at the hands of demons, she rose up and wielded her sword against the demons who were the source of the seven deadly sins and their followers. That’s the story.]

“Never heard of it.”

[Hahah! Right. Anyway, the story ends with the woman successfully defeating and driving all demons from the continent, but there’s more to it.]

“…I think I’m starting to see where this is going.”

[She became known as a ‘Saint’ after defeating the demons. But perhaps she was covered in too much demon blood? The sword she wielded became stained with demon blood, glowing dark red instead of the bright light of hope, and her body, which had led everyone, also began to glow with an unwashable blood-red color.]

“And then she became like a demon herself?”

[Yes, correct. But becoming like a demon had different circumstances.]

“Huh?”

[She didn’t become like a demon because she started glowing crimson. People started treating her like a demon because she lost the color of hope and [began glowing crimson]. And eventually…]

“Ugh, fucking idiots.”

I didn’t need to hear the rest, but the conclusion of the Spirit King’s fairy tale was that the Saint began to be treated as a demon and eventually succumbed to demonic whispers, truly falling into corruption.

However, if you could call this fortunate, the demon that corrupted her was a lower-level demon, much weaker than the Seven Deadly Sins, and they were able to stop her by killing her before she became a madwoman and started killing people.

Of course, personally, I think it was unfortunate. Humans are truly idiotic creatures who fail to learn even with a 50% chance after death. If people hadn’t died, they probably wouldn’t have learned anything from that either. And the fact that the Spirit King’s fragment told me this story means…

[My main body, the Spirit King, probably got covered in too much demon blood during the battle. The last things I heard before the connection was cut were strong hatred and anger, and an almost obsessive lament about somehow ‘saving’ the Spirit Keeper.]

It was obvious that his main body had also been consumed by demon blood.

*

Having already heard that humans would mate with spirits and beasts indiscriminately, I’ve built up some tolerance. I shouldn’t be shocked or confused by something like this, given all the experience I’ve accumulated…

“But that’s impossible! Ah, I really don’t want to do this!!”

“…What on earth, what on earth is that crimson doll? Why is it doing that to the Spirit Keeper… No, could it be…”

“Hey, sis? I’ve already seen a bit, so just let me uncover my eyes. Besides, after what you said, anyway…”

“No, no! S-sex with a tree?! I-I can’t show something like this to my little sister…!!!”

This world is hell enough without demons appearing on the continent. At least by my standards, it’s making me reconsider what sins I might have committed. Right now, RIGHT NOW!! I want to escape from here and go to heaven!! Send me to Ira’s side!!!

Wanting to close my eyes unconsciously at this sight, I turn my head to look behind me, but sadly, the green space where we were has already started to disappear, and without even moving my feet, I find myself entering the green forest where the Spirit Keeper and Spirit King are. Please, stop this forced event!!

“…Ah. Shit.”

“What’s the problem exactly?”

When the huge door disappears and the space completely changes, I curse involuntarily. The limbless ghoul asks as if it genuinely doesn’t understand why we’re making such a fuss, and I just sigh.

“Imagine if you and the beastman Gaira were busy making babies, and we were watching. How would that feel?”

“…Oh. Um. I see. Sorry.”

Leaving behind the surprisingly quick-to-understand ghoul, I look forward again and see the rhythmically pounding sounds and my companions in a state of mental breakdown, panicking. Damn, at times like this…

“I guess I’ll have to punch it to make it stop.”

[Spirit King: Level 3,000 (Status Ailments: Confusion, Rage, Desperation.)]

[HP: 800,000]

Befitting the king of spirits, even without being summoned by someone, he has almost the maximum level, with a summon level of 1,000. I prepare myself as I move forward.

The Demon of Wrath, or perhaps even the Deadly Sin of Wrath—I’m about to throw the first punch at possibly the strongest being I’ve encountered in this world…

-Thud.

“Oof?”

While approaching the massive Spirit Keeper and the crimson Spirit King, I suddenly face-planted into thin air and let out a strange sound. Confused, I looked around, and my companions, who had been panicking, paused for a moment to look at me. Ah, Miho also removed her hand from Chikuyo’s eyes.

“What happened? Who just attacked Jack?”

“…I didn’t sense anything. Could there be an enemy we can’t even detect?”

“Let me say this in advance. If there is such an enemy, don’t worry about me and leave me behind. I don’t intend to be a burden to you.”

While all three of them tensed up as if they thought I had been attacked by something, I slowly reached out my hand to the space that had hit my face.

“What is this? There’s something here? …A wall?”

“Welcome. Child of humanity fallen from the cycle, and you young beastman and elf.”

“What?!”

When a voice flowed from the wall I was touching, I instinctively stepped back. Miho and Chikuyo immediately raised their sword and fists, heightening their tension, and I also prepared to rush in.

However, ignoring our actions, the space in front of us rippled, and a rectangular, glowing object appeared and began to speak.

“You have passed my trial and understood the punishment given to that sinful ghoul, child of humanity who has fallen from the cycle. It seems you have business with me and the Spirit King.”

“…Could you be the Spirit Keeper?”

-Thud!!

When I asked the rectangular glowing object that suddenly appeared, Salt Non reacted the fastest among us. Despite his bad leg, he knelt on one knee and bowed his head faster than anyone else.

However, Miho and Chikuyo remained relatively calm, standing in place and staring directly at the rectangular object.

“Yes, I am the Spirit Keeper of this Siltra Forest, and the mother of all spirits.”

“You didn’t attack Jack just now, did you?”

“…If the trial isn’t over, we’ll definitely participate too.”

Miho immediately responded to her words, followed by Chikuyo showing a combative attitude. Ahem. Somehow this is a bit embarrassing? Especially in Miho’s case—it’s hard to believe she’s the same person who caused such a fuss in front of Piyak, a top-tier spirit, putting pressure on Ira. Wow, she’s grown!!

“Do not worry. You have passed the trial. I have merely physically separated the space where my main body and the Spirit King are from here. In that process, the child fallen from the cycle merely bumped into it. If you don’t believe me, touch the back of this.”

At the Spirit Keeper’s words, Miho strode forward and reached her hand behind the glowing rectangular object, confirming that it was blocked.

Ugh, if you’re going to block it, couldn’t you also hide that unsightly scene back there?

“Now, if you are satisfied, I shall speak first, child fallen from the cycle.”

“…That ‘child fallen from the cycle’ refers to me, right?”

“You are the only human child fallen from the cycle here.”

“My name is Jack. I’m curious about what that means, but please call me Jack.”

“Very well. Human child, Jack.”

Is she going to keep calling me “human child” or “child fallen from the cycle” until the end? In the game, the Spirit Keeper wasn’t this healthy—she only had a role of dying after being healed by the protagonist’s holy power, promising to birth the next Spirit Keeper, with just a few lines of text dialogue. In reality, her speech pattern is quite elderly.

“Is it true that you killed the Deadly Sin of Wrath and the Grand Elder?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“That’s right, we’re witnesses.”

“We also saw the Grand Elder selling his body to a demon.”

The Spirit Keeper sighed at our words, accepted them with a “I see,” and after thinking for a moment, opened her mouth again.

“I thank you for killing that evil and wicked Deadly Sin, and for killing the first elf who sold his soul to a demon. Thanks to you, both the Spirit King and I could live.”

Though her speech pattern is old-fashioned, the fact that she acknowledges our contributions and expresses gratitude suggests she’s not an unreasonable being. I immediately nodded, accepting her thanks, and continued with what I wanted to say.

“The reason I came here is because the will remaining in the Spirit King’s fragment asked me to stop him. I don’t know exactly what the Spirit King is doing right now, but he wanted me to stop him from doing that act. So, would you please remove this separated space and help us bring the Spirit King back to his senses?”

Though I think I know what’s happening, I pretend not to know. After stating what we want, the Spirit Keeper remained silent for a few seconds before opening her mouth.

“First, I know that you possess a fragment of the Spirit King. However, I have no intention of stopping that act.”

“What?”

“*Gulp* N-no way.”

“…Really?”

“Forgive my disloyalty as I cover my shortened ears to avoid hearing the Spirit Keeper’s words.”

I unconsciously frowned in disbelief, while Salt Non covered his cut ears as if he didn’t want to hear what would follow. Come on, surely not…

“Right now, the Spirit King is squeezing out his remaining power to put his vital energy into me. A few days ago, I was in danger for a while after the Grand Elder, who had been infiltrated by the Demon of Wrath, drained a considerable amount of my energy. I have no intention of stopping an act that is saving my life.”

“…No, that…”

“And I am the Spirit Tree, the Spirit Keeper who oversees the birth of all spirits. This current ‘reproductive’ act is necessary for the birth of other spirits in the future.”

The glowing rectangular object turned slightly reddish after finishing those words—I hope that’s just my eyes playing tricks on me.

Though I don’t believe in any god, I found myself sincerely praying to someone.