Ch.299Chapter 299: Sudden Change (7)

Desire flaunted her dazzling movements, demonstrating with her entire body why she was the true master of this demon realm.

Yet Imperfectio not only evaded Desire’s attacks—which reeked of death hidden beneath their splendor—with fluid, water-like movements, but also…

WOONG-!!

The confrontation was drawing to a close as Imperfectio counterattacked, swinging the holy sword that emitted a powerful resonance.

“Huff… you’re… quite good.”

Despite maintaining her offensive without breaking a sweat, Desire couldn’t hide her increasingly ragged breathing.

“…”

The tide was turning in favor of Imperfectio, who wielded the holy sword without uttering a word.

It might sound like a terrible joke to suggest that the master of the demon realm was being overpowered by an agent created from a fragment of her own divinity.

But I assure you, what’s unfolding before us is nothing but the dry truth, untainted by my delusions or personal biases.

Well, you’ll understand everything once I explain.

As I mentioned earlier, while Desire fought with consistent quality and quantity of battle aura…

WOONG-!!

The longer the battle continued, the more concentrated Imperfectio’s golden battle aura became, resonating with a humming sound—making the outcome of this fight increasingly obvious.

Imperfectio’s swordsmanship—wielding the holy sword like a chosen warrior despite not being its true master—is so extraordinary that lengthy explanations would only diminish its true value.

CHWAK-!!

“…!!”

Desire frowned as she noticed a faint sword mark appear and disappear on her right arm, despite having dodged the moment she heard the sound.

“…Too shallow.”

Imperfectio briefly lamented that her strike, which had managed to leave a mark on the divine body of a demon god who had stepped into transcendence, was too shallow. Let me explain her terrifying swordsmanship as concisely as possible.

First, it’s sharp. Even without imbuing the golden battle aura that represents light into the holy sword.

The sword path that Imperfectio draws is sharp enough to easily inflict cuts on Desire’s body.

And it’s fast. The trajectory of the holy sword, starting from a single point and developing into complex rhythmic patterns, has become so difficult to follow precisely even with my eyes.

When they first began their confrontation, Imperfectio wasn’t overwhelmingly outmatched by Desire, though the power gap was subtly evident.

While Desire’s ability to maintain her strength without diminishing since the start of the battle was remarkable…

As the fight continued, Imperfectio’s appearance as she gathered the power dwelling within her was so extraordinary that it made even a demon god seem insignificant, far exceeding normal standards.

Yesterday, when we encountered her at the border connecting the Empire and the demon realm, I realized she had been holding back against the four of us.

But I never imagined she would be strong enough to put up such a fight against the demon god who created her as an agent.

[I told you. Her achievements are at a level that even I dare not measure.]

‘No matter how great her achievements, I never thought an ordinary human who hasn’t stepped into transcendence could perform so well against a demon god. Especially considering she’s an agent who obtained divinity from Desire.’

I countered Paphnir’s words, which seemed to have predicted Imperfectio’s performance, by pointing out factors he hadn’t considered.

[Hmm… is that really so?]

To my reasonable assessment, Paphnir—though invisible—seemed to shake his head in disagreement.

‘…What do you mean?’

I prompted him, hoping for a more detailed explanation.

[Due to the fundamental difference between what you’ve experienced and what I’ve experienced, you might not be able to properly discern…]

‘Skip the suspense and just tell me.’

[So impatient. Ahem, anyway, does it appear to you that this woman is displaying such explosive power merely with a fragment of that accursed woman’s divinity?]

‘Even so…’

[Look at that golden battle aura. Beings using corrupted divinity cannot emit battle aura of such color.]

Paphnir emphasized that her performance wasn’t strange, providing his own valid reasons.

…Now that I heard it, his point made sense.

When she first confronted me, she had only emitted crimson battle aura, no different from me when I lived as an agent trapped in Desire’s scheme before my regression. But now…

WOONG-!!

The golden battle aura rising from her now was filled only with the determination to subdue her opponent, as she freely wielded the holy sword that emitted intense resonance.

[Besides…]

‘…Besides?’

[It seems that this woman’s true ability, which she hasn’t revealed yet…]

‘True ability…?’

As I waited for Paphnir to finish his unusually drawn-out statement…

“Do you really think I’m going to lose?!”

Desire roared while healing the sword marks on her body, and…

KWANG-!!

She stepped forward with a thunderous sound, trying to close the distance for a fatal strike against Imperfectio, interrupting my conversation with Paphnir.

Well, I called it a “fatal strike,” but…

The aura emanating from Desire as she boldly stepped forward wasn’t the sticky killing intent aimed at ending Imperfectio’s life.

“Try to withstand this too!!”

Rather, it had the character of a test—seeing how far this playmate who had given her the first intense physical activity after her long slumber could go.

Despite clearly being on the defensive and suffering various wounds from Imperfectio’s holy sword.

Finding this strange, I examined Desire’s expression.

“…!”

I couldn’t help but shudder.

She was smiling broadly. So broadly that it was impossible to imagine the momentary frowns she had shown when wounds appeared on her body before quickly disappearing.

Desire’s face, moving faster than an arrow released from a bow, bore a smile that resembled a blooming flower.

If it had been a distorted smile expressing the frenzy typical of someone in a state of physical excitement, I wouldn’t have been so surprised.

But as I felt an involuntary fear at the sight of Desire’s radiant smile—as if she had been waiting for this situation—

[That accursed woman, the blood’s rushed to her head again.]

‘…If blood rushed to her head, shouldn’t she be in a berserker state trying to kill her opponent?’

[That would be the norm in ordinary cases, as you say.]

‘Are you saying Desire isn’t ordinary?’

[She’s the type who, when she finds an opponent she likes, doesn’t kill them directly but enjoys fighting until one of them is completely exhausted.]

‘…She’s crazy in a strange way.’

[Precisely, precisely.]

Thanks to Paphnir, who knew Desire’s secrets better than I did despite my experiences with her across numerous timelines, I was able to quickly understand what state the demon god was in.

Of course, understanding didn’t mean…

KWANG-!! KUNG- KUNG- KUNG-!!

I wasn’t accustomed to the sight of Desire maintaining her smile even as she stepped forward at a speed difficult to follow with the eyes, scattering Imperfectio’s vision while stomping across the obsidian floor.

No, perhaps because I understood…

THUMP-!!

As Desire’s smile deepened while approaching Imperfectio, an anxiety that she might do something absurd settled in my heart like a coiling snake.

Why? Why am I so anxious?

Is this just a vague anxiety because I’ve never observed this smile of Desire—who has entered a state of enjoying battle—in the timeline before my regression where memories remain clear?

Or…

TOKWANG-!!

A thunderous sound interrupted my attempt to define this unknown anxiety.

Instinctively turning my head toward the source of the sound…

I saw Imperfectio, who, without showing any emotional disturbance despite Desire rushing toward her…

“Hoo…”

After lightly regulating her breath just once, a golden energy that could only be described as radiant light rather than battle aura rose from her body.

As I indicated by saying it couldn’t be defined as battle aura, its nature differed from the pure fighting spirit that responds to the simple desire to subdue an opponent.

It had aspects similar to the divinity (神性) emitted from Desire’s body, mixed with her battle aura as she entered a state of enjoying the fight while not forgetting her transcendent nature…!!

“Damn it! Stop!!”

With a voice that seemed to squeeze out all my strength, I tried to stop Imperfectio from taking action as she emitted golden battle aura mixed with divinity, but…

“Too late!!”

Desire’s powerful shout, seemingly mocking my cry, echoed throughout the obsidian arena.

[What? What’s happening?]

Without time to answer Paphnir’s puzzled question…

“Tch!!”

I clicked my tongue hard and had no choice but to move my legs despite my still unrecovered strength.

My destination was in front of Imperfectio.

Because as the golden energy rising from her body grew stronger, Desire’s smile bloomed like a flower in full bloom—and Imperfectio must not be touched by Desire’s hands, which harbored dark desires.

Please… hurry!!