episode_0234

233.

‘Ugh, it’s even harder to see than before…’

He swims, diligently searching the riverbed, but the darkness obscures everything. Even though the water is calmer than when the monsters were rampaging, moving forward still requires considerable effort. It’s not that deep, but the exertion makes it feel twice as deep.

If it’s that, he thinks, approaching something closely… it’s just trash.

The cold water temperature continuously drains his strength.

‘If I spend more time, everyone will worry. I wish I could sense magic…’

Levi, unable to even take a proper breath underwater, keeps his eyes wide open, searching the bottom without a single complaint, determined to complete his mission.

‘Ah, is that it?’

Something that gleams unusually dark is buried in the mud. At first glance, it doesn’t look much different from a stone, but it feels artificially crafted. Though the mud and dust obscure the details, he instinctively knows.

Even underwater, a chill runs through him. A distinct sense of foreboding prickles at the back of his neck.

No, it’s not just his imagination. He senses malice. Levi deftly swims, slightly altering his course. Immediately, a spear-like object whizzes past where his head had been, embedding itself in the ground. But it was a magic spear without a concrete form.

He looks up, but all he sees are countless raindrops pouring down.

‘Is something out there?? Is Erina… alright? Yes, she’s Erina. …For Erina’s sake, I need to get this quickly.’

Levi pushes himself harder, splitting the water and swimming towards the bottom.

‘I’m running out of breath…’

But the mysterious attacks don’t stop. Something flies through the turbulent current. He barely manages to dodge it. His hand is almost touching the bottom, but it remains frustratingly out of reach. *Shwoosh—*. Blood slowly wells up on Levi’s cheek.

The attack narrowly misses his outstretched fingers.

*Grunt*, unable even to exhale, Levi calmly manages to snatch the shrine.

‘Hot?? No, it’s not hot, but rather… strange. Now isn’t the time for this.’

Even a moment’s lapse in concentration could mean water filling his lungs. Holding his last breath, he surfaces.

“Cough… Hack, hack…”

“Are you alright?!?”

At Erina’s worried cry, Levi waves his hand wildly. Completely naked, his chest and buttocks exposed, Levi splashes towards them.

“I, I’m fine? Oh, I need clothes?”

Before Hanna can hand him clothes, another attack flies between them.

“…!”

“An… enemy?!”

Erina’s eyes widen in surprise, then she composes herself. She doesn’t sense any magic. It’s not a monster or a demon. If it had been, she might have felt better.

“Yeah. It attacked me when I was looking for this.”

“……You found it. Let’s get out of here quickly.”

The rough stone statue in Levi’s grip radiates unease and discomfort. It’s almost identical to magic, but a certain alien quality sends shivers down his spine.

“Hey, hey. Isn’t this a bit much? This is ridiculous.”

“Orc…?”

As if a special barrier is lifted, a rather large orc appears. Though its build is that of an orc, its physique is surprisingly slim for one. It’s like a taller version of Levi.

“Were… you the one attacking?”

“Let me tell you, I didn’t remove my hiding because you’re incompetent. My duration simply ended. Don’t confuse me with those other stupid orcs.”

“……You’re different. This is the first orc I’ve met who talks so much. So, what are you?”

The orc woman lets out a low growl.

“And I’ll commend you. For making my job easier.”

“You’re quite audacious. There are three of us. Do you think you can win alone?”

Hanna wants to exclude herself from the ‘three’, but it’s not the right atmosphere. And she feels awkward striking a pose, so she fumbles, clutching the hard object in her bosom tightly.

“Three? Ha. Unbelievable.”

“What is?”

“Did I say I was attacking?”

In Erina’s mind, a solution skill begins piecing together the information.

“There… might be an intruder,” she says.

“Ah…!”

Hanna, too, lets out a short sigh of realization.

“You fools. Well, I’ll forgive your stupidity this time, so drop that and scram.”

*Swish—*. Silently, from within the rain, three figures encircle Erina and her companions. Two are the priests they previously encountered, and one is a stranger. The newcomer, a priest with short hair, dispenses with the earlier polite demeanor and unleashes a harsh tone.

“Actually, we were planning to mess with you more,”

The second priest they met speaks up, chuckling. The young woman has a severe expression.

“But you found it too easily, so it couldn’t be helped. You should be commended for your caution, but…you were too careless.”

“What’s your goal? As priests, what are you planning to do with this thing that emits magic? Who ordered you?”

“Obvious. Why ask?”

“……We absolutely cannot hand it over to you.”

Tension hangs heavy in the air.

“We can’t just leave either?”

“Come with us. I’m tired of this rain.”

“Humph. Do you think I’m a fool? Do you think I’ll just follow?”

Levi flatly refuses the orc’s offer.

“Naked, and yet…your mouth is running. And your dick is small.”

“What?? Ha, maybe it’s because your pussy is so wide?”

The insult to the futanari penis Erina specially made for Levi strikes a nerve. He felt that way himself, but the insult about his small penis ignited a deeply primal rage.

To be clear, Levi’s futanari penis wasn’t what one would describe as small.

“Levi-san, calm down.”

“But…!”

*Whoosh whoosh whoosh*. The rain pours down, threatening to pierce even the umbrella.

“It’s a fight.”

A transparent sphere of magic, normally invisible, becomes clearly visible as the raindrops refract around it. Though their face is obscured by a hood, they are alone, wearing a modified priest’s robe. The low-cut neckline reveals ample cleavage, and the short hem shows off lacy panties, making it seem like they’re only wearing a top.

“Violence? This is unbelievable. Aren’t you afraid of God?”

“Fool. If we wanted to kill you, we would have stabbed you from behind. Why would we be facing off like this?”

The short-haired priest sneers.

“I don’t understand. Really. If you haven’t completely abandoned your Goddess, how could you do something like this…”

The divine barrier is undeniably real. And they’re likely true priests of the Freed Church. Yet, their actions, following a demon, or rather a devil god, are blasphemous and incomprehensible.

‘How can they maintain faith in the Goddess and do this??’

The prerequisite for using divine power: faith in the Goddess. The skill to create the barrier doesn’t come from just a day or two of belief.

“That’s for us to say.”

“Enough. Do we need to say any more?”

Erina takes a deep breath. The rain-cooled air fills her lungs. It’s time to bestow the true teachings of the Goddess upon these foolish lambs. A lesson (education) is urgently needed.

“Okay, let’s go to a place where it isn’t raining, as you suggested. My inn room would be fine, wouldn’t it?”

The priests and the orc exchange glances and nod. The floating sphere of magic remains, still circling her. Erina quietly leads the way, carrying her burden of unease. She keeps glancing back. She can’t properly see his expression, but Levi is keeping watch. Even naked, he’s reassuring.

“Erina, a-are you alright??”

Hanna whispers.

“I have to.”

“I, I understand what you’re thinking…but it feels… ominous…”

“Hanna-san, you’ll help me, right? …♡”

Hanna’s energy levels are dangerously low. Her activity in the last two days already surpasses her average monthly activity.

“Just kidding♡ Don’t worry, Hanna-san. Don’t you trust my dick…?”

“Oh, I do. Absolutely. Yes…♡”

The lingering sensation from just a moment ago makes her pussy tingle.

“I’ll take your advice, Hanna-san. I feel a slight unease, too.”

“Y-yes!”

They attacked Levi, and yet, they’re trying to lead this into a conversation. The threat level is incredibly low, but this conversation must benefit them for it to make sense. It was too dark to see their faces well, but they somehow seemed excited, flushed. If she hadn’t completely drained them at the inn, she wouldn’t have been able to objectively assess them.

‘It’s as if they’re trying to lead me into this situation… I can’t just leave the heretics, I need to interrogate them, so it’s an unavoidable choice.’

Even as she thinks this, Erina’s dick stands rigid. She instinctively wonders how best to fuck them. Especially the priest dressed in that scandalous attire and wearing a hood. It’s not unusual for a priest to wield magic, but something feels deeply wrong.