Ch.51One Body, Two Souls (3)

The Alraune is a monster that devours humans. It could use dark magic to increase its number of lives by taking human souls.

Currently, this Alraune had only one life left.

One wrong move and it could face eternal death.

[“Damn it.”]

However, it had no intention of fleeing. Its pride wouldn’t allow it.

Run away from creatures lower than insects?

Me, who was once an executive in the Demon King’s army?

[“That little mage brat…”]

The fox shapeshifter and the two women who appeared midway—they were all moving around that mage. If only it could subdue the mage, their formation would collapse.

Just as the Alraune was quickly thinking, the mage calmly sat cross-legged.

The mage breathed in and out steadily. With each exhale, the purity of his mana increased. Mirkil—a basic technique for obtaining normalized mana.

If the mage gathered mana, he would prepare a powerful spell.

If hit by a powerful spell, this body wouldn’t withstand it.

Fleeing was also problematic. These humans shouldn’t be given time to catch their breath. Its presence had been detected. If it let them go now, they would return better prepared next time.

Conclusion: It needed to kill them before things escalated further.

The Alraune charged.

The black-haired woman also kicked off the ground. As she thrust her spear upward, the Alraune’s teeth were blocked. It couldn’t move, as if bound.

She wasn’t simply physically strong.

She was a woman who knew how to use her strength.

The woman infused divine power into her spear tip. Following the monster’s mouth, she pushed the spear upward, then stabbed through the roof of its mouth.

[“Gaaaah!”]

The pain of breaking stems and tearing leaves. In that instant, the Alraune was certain. This human woman was battle-hardened. Her movements resembled those of the warrior who had assassinated His Majesty long ago.

“Goddess of Battle.”

The woman gripped her spear tighter.

“Grant me the strength to defeat this demon.”

The flow of Sephiron was ominous. She seemed to be preparing a powerful strike. The Alraune sensed it. If hit by that, instant death awaited.

However, the Alraune still had one card left to play.

[“Dryads!”]

The Dryads who were originally forest spirits.

Long ago, when the Alraune received this island as a fief, it attacked the Dryads who were the forest’s masters, corrupted them, and subjugated them. The Dryads tainted by demonic energy had now become part of the Demon King’s army.

[“Flowers, bloom. While I hold off this woman, kill the mage and the beast gi—huh?”]

The corners of the Alraune’s mouth dropped. Somehow, all the Dryads had collapsed.

Swoosh.

Evil energy was leaving their bodies. Divine power was replacing the magical energy that had been there.

Who could have done this? How?

Once corrupted, shouldn’t it be impossible to be saved again?

[“…No way.”]

There was one possibility.

The Sacred Law of Return.

The ultimate healing sacred art. This sacred art could grant absolution to souls corrupted by external forces. Only the Pope directly chosen by the Goddess or those of similar standing could use this technique.

“———.”

Divine Words could be heard from somewhere. Fluid began oozing from various parts of the Alraune’s stems. Monsters suffer soul damage just from hearing the Goddess’s language.

Only then did the woman in black nun’s robes become noticeable. A halo was rising above her head.

That attire, that divine power.

No doubt about it.

[“A Holy Maiden!”]

The Holy Maiden raised her hand with sharp eyes. Dazzling orbs of light rose one by one through the ground.

“The Healing Goddess Herene has decreed that the holy shall heal the demonic in this land. Now I have come as Her prophet and judge, so darkness shall become light and wine shall become water. The good shall be saved and the evil shall be punished.”

She pointed her baculus at the Alraune.

“I sentence you to death.”

Light extending from the staff pierced both the woman and the Alraune simultaneously. There was no physical force. The woman was fine. But the Alraune coughed up sticky blood.

The light circled the battlefield once. The Dryads began to rise one by one. Their bodies, once corrupted by impure mana, were purified, and goodness once again dwelled in their once-empty eyes.

“Am I… back?”

“What was I doing?”

“What’s going on here?”

The Alraune unconsciously bit its main body. It gnashed its teeth. Petals fell, and vines withered.

Dangerous.

These weren’t ordinary threats. A woman with spear skills comparable to a hero, a Holy Maiden, and a young mage just one step away from mastery.

Although the mage and the two women had been enemies, they now seemed to be cooperating. An absurdly troublesome combination. Who on earth had prompted their cooperation?

[“…”]

It was me!

“The evil being that corrupted you is right there. The Healing Goddess says that if you help us defeat that monster, your sins will be forgiven. Those who would move rocks, come with me.”

The Dryads’ eyes blazed as they understood the situation. The forest itself vibrated, creating fierce winds. The corrupted forest was regaining its vitality.

And then, the mage rose.

The mage patted the fox shapeshifter’s head as she looked up at him, then took out a magic stone. An extraordinary level of mana could be felt. Though very small in quantity, it was extremely refined.

It was a level of optimization that even He hadn’t dared to reach. Had mages’ techniques advanced over the past few centuries, or was this man exceptionally talented? The Alraune couldn’t tell. Not knowing made fear take precedence.

The mage began to move. His movements gradually accelerated. Though his movements were still trackable by eye, the Alraune instinctively hesitated. His aura was extraordinary.

[“H-how amusing. Me, afraid? Of this novice mage?”]

The Alraune’s mouth twisted grotesquely.

[“You’re walking to your death. Fine, come!”]

The Dryads charged first. The Alraune’s vines preemptively blocked them. Her eyes remained fixed on the mage.

Yes, mage. If I can just devour you, everything will end. If I take your body’s mana, I can become stronger than before.

[“Earth, shake. Split everything apart with continuous vibrations.”]

Rumble rumble.

Countless roots shot up from the ground. It was the strongest magic she could use now. Since it caused severe earthquakes that cracked the ground, even running properly would be impossible.

Or so she thought.

“Valkyrie!”

At the mage’s shout, the black-haired woman looked back. She raised her spear in the air and took position. She lowered her waist and joined her hands as if playing volleyball.

Tap!

The mage stepped on the woman’s hands and jumped. Using the reactive force, he flew higher than expected. His shadow covered the Alraune’s head.

The roots summoned by magic couldn’t reach him. All the vines were allocated to the Dryads.

[“N-no! Spare me! Please…!”]

The Alraune screamed. And then.

[“…as if I’d say that?”]

Crack.

The Alraune opened its mouth and concentrated magical power. It disrupted the mage’s mana.

It would only last for a split second. But even that momentary difference could be fatal in the current situation.

Before the mage could use magic, it would devour him. Victory would be hers. The Alraune was certain of this.

“Mage!”

The woman who had retrieved her thrown spear rushed in. Despite the unstable ground due to the earthquake, her steps were unwavering.

The woman thrust her spear.

The Alraune’s lower jaw was torn off.

It could no longer close its mouth.

And in the next moment, the mage chanted an incantation.

[“Star, crush. Burn everything to ashes with fierce karmic fire.”]

A 4th-level mana resonance body with the Fire Sea Stone aligned twice in pure sequence.

Fire Sea Stone, Merinitate.

When the mage released his hand from the slingshot, the Fire Sea Stone roared as it was thrust deep into the Alraune’s throat. There wasn’t even time to feel the heat. The shell, the fibrous interior, the monster’s organs, and even the mana all melted away.

It was like swallowing a small sun.

The Alraune fell backward without even screaming. The flames that started in its mouth spread throughout its body in an instant. It was over. Its consciousness was gradually fading.

But.

[“H-hu, foo-foolish…”]

Fools.

I may die like this, but if you think you’ll escape from here, you’re mistaken.

The Alraune closed its eyes, sneering at the mage until the very end.

***

And there was a girl who had been watching this entire battle solely as a spectator—it was Riyo.

‘What’s going on?’

It felt like floating in the air. Riyo looked down. Someone was controlling her body instead of her.

What is this? A demon?

Who’s using my body as they please?

‘Hey, get out! I’m the owner of that body!’

She tried her hardest to enter her body, but it was useless. When she tried to enter, she was just pushed back with a squish.

‘What on earth is this?’

While Riyo was confused, the soul occupying her body was nibbling on its fingernails.

“Th-that… there’s no doubt. It’s Merinitate.”

Whoosh whoosh.

Riyo’s left tail moved so violently that it raised dust.

“A magic stone that uses power from stars. I heard it’s still unstable with modern magical engineering, so no one uses it yet…”

‘What the heck, why are you muttering things I don’t know about?’

Riyo, no.

Miyo’s mouth corners lifted.

“…That’s so cool.”

***

“Ugh!”

As soon as I used the Fire Sea Stone, my mana was depleted. Even after all that optimization work, this is what happened. A metallic taste filled my throat. Every organ in my body seemed to scream.

That wasn’t the only problem.

I was falling right now.

I couldn’t move a finger. And I had flown quite high. I was falling head first. What this means is:

If no one catches me, I’m done for.

Killing a monster only to die from a fall? That would be ridiculous. If that happened, I’d win the Golian Award of the Year.

That’s what I was thinking when something soft wrapped around my body. And I landed gently. The cushioning on my face made the fall barely noticeable.

Thinking it might be Valkyrie, I looked up.

“Hello?”

It was the fox engineer. Meanwhile, Valkyrie was trembling because of the Alraune’s burning corpse. I couldn’t blame her.

Anyway, I survived, so that’s what matters.

I turned my head toward the engineer. But something about her seemed off.

“Oh my, your handsome face got scratched.”

The engineer narrowed her eyes like crescent moons and put her lips near my ear. The next moment, I was startled. She had licked my cheek with her tongue.

Clatter.

At that sound, I turned my head. Valkyrie had dropped her wooden spear. Her eyes lost focus.

“S-sir, what did you just do?”

“Oh, this?”

The engineer flicked her tongue and smiled.

“Just a little wound licking.”

Before Valkyrie could respond, the shapeshifter slipped her arm under my armpit. I had no strength left to resist. After supporting me like that, she whispered.

“Now, shall we return to our nest?”