Chapter 133: Japan trip (9)

The Duokshini swung its fist in resistance, but it never reached me.

Its punch was short, and having already been impaled by the spear earlier, it had sustained significant damage.

It could no longer move its arms properly.

And in that moment, I…

Thwack!

“Khaaaagh!”

I split the Duokshini’s head with all my might.

As its skull shattered, a blue aura spread out from its head.

Is that the Duokshini’s power?

Upon closer inspection, it was clear this was no ordinary energy.

It must be the power of the zashiki-warashi.

The zashiki-warashi’s power is strong enough to summon this Duokshini. Perhaps in pure ability, it might even match mine?

No, this creature falls under the category of a deity.

It seems like it’s only gone this far because it’s more of a trickster god, but the Duokshini is nearing its end now.

“Oh, so it ends like this, huh? It would have been great to drain its power and then consume it along with the zashiki-warashi’s soul.”

How nice would it be to feast on it easily?

I want to eat it whole, but with this final blow, it’s finally come to a stop.

[“Aaaaaaahhh!”]

“Oh, it’s screaming now. Even though it’s not the one feeling the pain?”

It’s time to finish this.

“Now, everyone, full attack!”

We unleashed everything on the Dueokshini.

Cheonma Slash, Rocket Punch, the spear of light, and the power of the spirits all assaulted it.

The Duokshini’s body was torn apart within a few hits. But, as if it still wasn’t over, the zashiki-warashi kept reviving it.

It was like watching a zombie that wouldn’t die.

But we didn’t let up, and our onslaught continued.

Crash, crack, boom!

The Duokshini’s body was steadily losing its strength.

[“Aaaaaagh!”]

“Does it hurt? Well, what can I say? This is just the beginning.”

[“Stop it! Stop it already!”]

Boom, boom, boom!

Our relentless barrage never stopped.

My scythe, the tin can’s punches, and the spear of Battle mage and Cheonma sword all continued to torment the Duokshini.

It couldn’t resist properly even once, only taking blow after blow.

“Guuuaaagh!”

[“No, I can’t retreat here!”]

“How about stopping now?”

The difference in strength was clear.

What can that woman do in this situation?

[“What do you know!”]

“Hmm. I don’t know about your relationship with that girl, but one thing’s for sure—you don’t want her to leave this place. You don’t want her to return to her original body, do you?”

[“You lowly girl! What do you know about us!”]

Smash!

The Duokshini’s attacks became more violent, but I didn’t back down.

The fight was already won.

That much was clear from how agitated it was.

There’s no need to end it with brute force now.

“After the Great War, maybe you gained a power much greater than just being a mischievous spirit, strong enough to create such a vast space. But that girl, she must have suffered from the cataclysm with her already frail body and taken even more damage.”

[“Shut up!”]

Well, when someone tells you to shut up, doesn’t it just make you want to say more?

The Duokshini stopped attacking. It was pounding the ground, as if trying to stop me from talking, but it didn’t matter—I was in the air.

If it wanted to silence me, it should have figured out how to attack in the air.

Besides, its attacks were much weaker now.

“You’ve stayed here a long time, so what about her parents? What happened to them?”

“I don’t know, but I think they must’ve passed away.”

“I thought so. You can just tell by looking.”

It wasn’t a cheap insult—it just felt that way.

It wasn’t like the Duokshini had gone somewhere else to build a dungeon.

This area was likely both the girl’s home and the Duokshini’s residence.

But because of the Great Cataclysm, everything was destroyed, and the zashiki-warashi created this dungeon itself.

They could have moved to another place, but it stayed here for the girl.

There must be something tied to her parents as well.

[“!!”]

“Then the answer is clear. You couldn’t bear the thought of that pitiful girl living alone, so you came up with one solution.”

[“Stop talking!”]

Even if it says to stop, I can’t let go of this weakness.

This is what will defeat not only the Duokshini, but the zashiki-warashi itself.

“You decided to let her live in this space forever, in good health, showing her the kinds of monsters she liked. So, you gave her your body too.”

[“Shut up! Shut uuuuup!”]

So harsh.

The Duokshini summoned its last bit of strength to attack me, but the difference in power was already obvious, and it was too weak.

With one final strike of my scythe, the Duokshini’s skull cracked open.

Crack, snap!

Mentally, the zashiki-warashi was already unstable.

Creating such a space in the first place was far from normal.

So, I decided to deliver the finishing blow.

“Does the girl’s original body still exist?”

“What are you—”

[“That girl’s original body…”]

When asked about the girl’s body, it could not provide a proper answer.

It simply stood there, staring at me with its mangled eyes.

Alright, now it’s time to mentally break you down.

What will you do when everything you’ve worked so hard to protect crumbles?

No, the girl hasn’t even realized the truth yet. How pitiful.

“Girl, have you ever seen your original body? Since the Cataclysm, I mean.”

“No, after I collapsed during the Cataclysm, I woke up in this dungeon, and I was already in this body.”

I see.

Then the answer is clear.

Although revealing the truth will be painful, I must say it.

Only by saying this can I shatter the will of the zashiki-warashi.

“I know the answer now.”

“The answer?”

[“Stop it! Shut up! You filthy defiler who serves evil!”]

“Evil? That’s harsh. Our goddess is just a little fond of dark colors and, well, souls. Nothing more.”

Our goddess isn’t evil.

She’s simply a black-colored goddess who shifted from overseeing death to desiring it.

Not that big a difference.

[“Shut up!”]

“To put it simply, girl, you’re already dead.”

“I’m… dead?”

The girl collapsed as if the strength drained from her body.

I understand how she feels—if I were told my body was dead, I’d probably feel the same.

I gently lifted her by the shoulder.

[“No! You’re not dead! Only your body is!”]

“Most people say they’re dead when their body dies. That’s why I found your aura so unusual—because you weren’t fully human.”

“N-no way. Then why keep me trapped here all this time?”

Tears streamed down her face as she looked at the zashiki-warashi, who remained silent, watching us from somewhere.

It probably can’t bring itself to say the truth.

“It can’t say it, but it’s obvious. As I said before, it wants to protect you. Because it has memories with you.”

“That… can’t be.”

[“Enough! I didn’t do all this for some lowly human!”]

“But you did, didn’t you?”

What a tsundere attitude.

It’s obvious to everyone.

[“So what are you going to do? Take her out of here? She’ll die! If you take her out, she’ll truly die!”]

“Are you an idiot? Why do you think that?”

[“Her body is dead! To keep her soul alive in a healthy body, she must remain here!”]

Normally, yes.

If you keep her here and turn her into a zashiki-warashi, she could live forever.

But she doesn’t want that.

It would be a miserable eternity.

“This place is a narrow well, and you know it. But while you can’t do anything…”

[“Shut up. I won’t let your nonsense sway her.”]

“I can save her.”

[“What?”]

“I can save her, with a healthy body. She won’t be human anymore, but she can live outside.”

[“Lies. There’s no way that’s possible.”]

“It is, with the help of Goddess Kanora.”

Our goddess can make it possible.

Trust in her.

Of course, it would require complete loyalty to the goddess.

But all the zashiki-warashi has done so far was a stopgap measure.

I’ll do what the zashiki-warashi truly desires: ensure this girl survives.

That will also allow us to clear this dungeon.

[“But Kanora is an evil god. If she serves that goddess, this child will—”]

“Of course, her soul will belong to our goddess. But since she’ll use the body of a zashiki-warashi, she won’t be human, so she’ll be fine.”

[“Then…”]

“Yes. If the girl places her faith in the goddess and receives her power, she can live as a zashiki-warashi.”

The zashiki-warashi must be filled with many conflicting thoughts now.

By giving its entire existence to the girl, it would essentially die.

Perhaps, if it’s lucky, they could coexist in one body, sharing it like a dual personality.

“As for you, girl, you don’t really have a choice. Just trust me and follow.”

“And to you, zashiki-warashi, look around. The world is already full of non-human beings. The Returnees are such beings. Adding one more zashiki-warashi won’t make much difference.”

[“Can she really see the sky again? Can she live outside?”]

“Yes.”

At those words, the zashiki-warashi lost its strength.

And from it emerged a girl identical to the one in the kimono.

This must be the real zashiki-warashi, as they looked exactly alike.

[“Was it all just my selfishness until now?”]