chapter_0193

“I definitely finished you off, but you’re still alive. That’s impressive. Don’t you think it’s time to die for real now?”

I was so disgusted that I was about to say nonsense, but Aria shook her head.

“It’s not that I didn’t die. I died and came back to life.”

“What’s the difference?”

“There is. A big difference. It’s all thanks to you, Mira.”

“Don’t spout nonsenseㅡ”

“Why do you think I appeared before you in this body?”

-Crack!

An ice spear plunged into the ground. The nearby earth froze instantly. The cold spread in a shockwave pattern, forming icicles that looked like sharp, pointed chunks of ice.

Aria casually gazed at the spear, which was stuck less than a foot away from her, as it spewed out cold air. Her nun’s habit was covered in frost, but she didn’t seem to care.

“You should choose your words carefully. Next time, I’ll really finish you.”

I was serious. If someone else had taken on Latina’s appearance and was spouting such nonsense, I would have dealt with them myself. I was already prepared for it.

“Do you remember when you stabbed me with the Holy Spear at the very end? A soul flowed into me then.”

But Aria opened her mouth without any sign of agitation.

“And just before my body died and disappeared, my soul combined with that soul. The divinity in your Holy Spear didn’t attack my soul, which was combined with this nun’s, but rather healed it. That’s how I was able to come back.”

“A soul flowing in? A soul?”

“Asking me won’t get you an answer. I don’t know why either. But I am grateful to you, Mira. To be honest, I really thought it was the end. If you had killed me with something other than the Holy Spear, or if you had left me to rot with my neck and chest pierced by Leona, I wouldn’t have been able to open my eyes again. It’s all thanks to you.”

I was speechless. I had used the most certain method to kill her, the Holy Spear, but instead, it had become the catalyst for Aria’s resurrection.

“The divinity in your Holy Lance no longer recognizes me as Aria April but as this nun. So, when my body was reconstructed, it took on the form of the soul in the spear, and only a trace of Aria’s remains, like these eyes, are left. But isn’t it a blessing to be alive?”

As she babbled on, I wondered if I should just kill her, but I hesitated for a different reason this time. The fact that the Holy Spear recognized her as Latina and that the souls had truly combined.

If I could use that to my advantage, I might be able to awaken Latina’s soul instead of Aria’s. As I thought about it, the strength left my fist.

“Thanks to you, I can’t be killed by that spear anymore. In fact, it’s even better than before. I took your power away, but I still lost to you because of that spear, didn’t I?”

“Do you want to test it? To see if I can use it or not.”

“Of course, you can throw the spear at me or stab me with it. But, Mira, can you really kill me with that spear? Do you really think this body can be killed by that spear? Didn’t you just hear it? How my soul is composed. This body was reborn because of what flowed into me.”

I know. That’s why I’m listening quietly. I should start by blowing her head off, and then think about it.

“Mira, can you really burn this body, which is a combination of the nun’s soul and mine, with that spear? Can you really do that to ‘her’?”

I looked down at the spear. As Aria spoke, the golden light that had always shone unwaveringly, even in the most dire situations, began to fade.

-Flicker.

Then, like a fluorescent light that had reached the end of its lifespan, it flickered brightly. As the light of the Holy Spear dimmed, Aria smiled even more brightly.

“Look, it’s wavering.”

“……”

“If you didn’t know, it would have been better. If you didn’t know, you would have thought I was simply imitating this nun’s appearance, and you would have been even more furious and attacked me. But now? Can you do it?”

As I gazed at that bright smile, I sheathed the spear. The golden light that had illuminated the world faded away, leaving Aria standing out even more.

Instead, I drew out the Dragon Tooth. The long blade, made of a dragon’s fang, gleamed with blue mana. I couldn’t use Eternity to cut her. That would be disrespectful to Eternity.

“You’re right. It won’t work with the Holy Spear.”

“What about other weapons?”

“Thanks to you, I’m now certain. I’ve realized what I need to do. You said that if I only remove your soul, there’s a chance Latina could come back, right? I’ll do as you say. Just remove your soul.”

“Hmm. I wonder.”

A spear made of light appeared in Aria’s left hand. I flinched, thinking she might be able to use the Holy Spear now, but fortunately, it wasn’t the same power as mine.

Unlike the Holy Spear, which was a manifestation of faith itself, this was simply my divinity shaped into a spear. While it guaranteed basic destructive power, it wouldn’t have the same might as the Holy Spear.

Aria could use my divinity because the soul within the spear was mixed with Latina’s.

“Why don’t you try killing me directly and then think about it?”

-Kururururung!

I dodged the spear that flew towards me, and the light collided with something behind me. The world shook with a deafening roar that seemed to shake the heavens and the earth.

Or, to be precise, the time that made up the world shook.

I turned my head as the time rippled like waves and then subsided. Aria clapped her hands exaggeratedly.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you. The world is now supported by your divinity, right? So, if you use divinity-based attacks, the more you hit the world, the more unstable space-time will become. If the instability continues to accumulate…… I trust you understand.”

“So, you’re telling me not to dodge?”

“Yes. While you’re at it, make sure you don’t touch anywhere else when you counterattack or absorb. I’ve already died once, so I need to maximize my chances of winning.”

“Thanks for the concern.”

I activated my magic, and chains of iron appeared out of thin air, binding Aria’s limbs. Mana-infused power pressed down on her from above, forcing her to kneel with a thud.

A magic circle was drawn under her feet, immobilizing her, and more chains appeared to bind her entire body tightly. Aria was now restrained just like the Goddess and the Demon God had been.

Finally, to prevent any unexpected situations, I sealed off the nearby space with a defensive spell and approached her with the Dragon Tooth in hand.

“You said that if I only remove your soul, there’s a chance Latina will come back. I’ll do as you say. I’ll heal you as I go, so don’t worry.”

Even with her body completely bound and her movements sealed by magic, Aria remained calm. She might have something else up her sleeve.

I cautiously approached her, being extra careful of her hands, feet, and lips. I wanted to gag her, but I couldn’t. If I made a mistake, I might end up torturing Latina instead of Aria.

As I drew closer, Aria remained quiet. I used physical enhancement and acceleration, cast a defensive spell on my body, and was about to twist her neck when her eyes turned gray.

“You are……”

At the same time, a voice, very different from Aria’s, filled with confusion, echoed.

“!!!!!!”

My hand, which had been about to stab her neck, stopped. Instinctively, I knew. This was the personality of Latina, who was mixed with Aria’s.

-Puuuuck!

As soon as I hesitated, her eyes turned blue again. My left side exploded in a gruesome sound, and I was thrown a good dozen meters away, rolling on the ground.

I coughed, and chunks of bloody flesh flew out. I checked the wound. Half of my left side had been torn off. The wound was so deep that the landscape behind it was visible, and my intestines and blood continued to spill out.

I used healing magic and looked up as I got to my feet. Latina, her eyes now blue again, was standing, and the chains that had bound her were gone. The crescent-shaped smile on her blue eyes deepened.

“It’s a shame you didn’t aim to blow up my body. So, how was it? Did it help?”

“……Yeah. It helped a lot. At least I’m now certain.”

She was right. If I only removed Aria’s soul, there was a chance Latina would come back. That was all I needed. I staggered to my feet. The tattered side of my body returned to normal.

She hadn’t answered my question because she wanted to hide it and wait for an opportunity. Just like she did a moment ago. If it hadn’t been for my body reacting first, I would have died.

“I won’t deny it. But, you know, Mira. Can you really do it? If I hide behind the nun’s soul every time I think I’m about to be attacked, you’ll end up attacking the wrong person. What if she dies first?”

“It doesn’t matter. She’s not the kind of person who would die that easily.”

She was a nun who had been active in a dark fantasy world where humans were the weakest. She was trapped and killed by other humans, which meant that the monsters in that insane world hadn’t been able to catch her until then.

The soul of such a person wouldn’t disappear from a few attacks.

“And I’m the same.”

Mana surged along the edge of the Dragon Fang. If Latina was truly in danger of being seriously injured, I could stop the attack, take a non-fatal blow, and then heal myself.

Just like I had done countless times before.