Chapter 342: Recognized by the Evil God (2)
Chapter 342: Recognized by the Evil God (2)
[Yandel, our nemesis. And such a lewd little brat. Won't you become my Apostle?]
"What...?"
Me? So crazed with lust that even an Evil God would covet me?
This is a frame-up!
But before I could even get angry, Helena and Solari began to fly into a rage.
"That’s preposterous! Brother Yandel might be a man who only knows fighting and women, but he’s not so far gone that he’d hear such things from the likes of an Evil God!"
"You crazy bitch! Has your brain rotted away just like your putrid crotch? How dare you wag your tail at my partner!"
"...Light? She is still a god, perhaps such graphic insults are a bit much."
Helena tried to calm Solari down, looking flustered. However, she seemed to share the sentiment of being on the verge of exploding, as the light radiating from her was becoming increasingly intense.
To anyone watching, it looked like something was about to happen. Yet, Ugly Prosperity, who had taken over Mariel’s body, merely stared this way with a languid gaze.
It was as if she only had eyes for me, and had no interest in the others—not even the Righteous Light.
I lightly tapped the backs of Helena’s and Solari’s hands to calm them down, as they seemed a bit overly excited, and then sneered at Ugly Prosperity.
"You didn't seriously think I'd fall for that, did you?"
[The possibility is quite high, child. You possess a sexual desire stronger than anyone I have ever seen, and the stamina to back it up. I guarantee that even a beastkin in estrus or an elf who has just discovered sex would pale in comparison to you.]
"Bullshit..."
[Do not deny yourself. I can see it. The desire swirling within you, unreleased. Ah... what a sticky, thick desire it is...]
No, it’s just that I’ve been eating a lot of healthy food lately and I’ve been too busy preparing for battle to blow off some steam.
"Even if I concede that my libido is strong, you don't actually think I'd do the disgusting things your kin do, right? That’s just offensive."
As I spoke, I launched a preemptive Prominence Flare.
I cast it without a chant while suppressing the flow of mana, so the power was weak, but it was a perfect surprise attack.
Surely, she wouldn't still have her divine power spread out like a force field... or so I thought.
Pshhh—
The small, fast-flying sun stopped right in front of Mariel... no, Ugly Prosperity’s nose, and vanished, leaving behind only a pathetic sound and a puff of smoke.
This is ridiculous. She’s willing to waste this much power just to try and talk to me?
Even if the Evil Gods had preserved their strength unlike the Good Gods, it was certain that she was still trapped within her seal.
What on earth was she thinking, going this far...?
[Hehe. You are suspicious. But I am sincere. If I have you, I need nothing else.]
"What...?"
[Right. You need terms. Mortals were always like that. Let’s see... Yandel, child. If you wish, I shall withdraw from this world. Of course, you would have to help me when I devour other worlds, but I promise to leave this world as it is. If necessary, you may even bring along those females you cherish so much.]
"You’d come all this way just to back off? How am I supposed to believe that! Besides, once I become an Apostle, it’ll be hard to even defy you!"
[It is sad that there is no trust. Then how about this? It’s a bit of a cliché proposal, but if you take my hand, I will give you half the world. Of course, by half, I mean the females. As for the rest... please be patient. Nana and the other children need to enjoy themselves too, don't they? Well, if you satisfy me as you did that unnecessarily dazzling cat, I might reconsider.]
Ugly Prosperity giggled after saying that.
She clearly had a hideous body that was melting in real-time, yet there was a strange coquettishness to her.
Even though I had raised my mental resistance to a considerable level with all sorts of traits and equipment, the charm was enough to make my body react and cause a swell in my crotch against my will.
If I was like this, what about the others?
When I glanced back, everyone was resisting with their faces flushed, pulling up their mana and aura.
The priests, who were slightly better off, were busy casting blessings by practically pouring holy power onto their nearby comrades.
To think she could do this much without a proper descent, just by temporarily borrowing a body. But my answer remained the same.
"Fuck off!"
[Hmm? You like dicks? Of course, dicks are great, but...]
Ugly Prosperity tilted her head and reached for her waist.
At the sight of a lump of flesh sprouting out, I reflexively fired another spell.
"Explode! Crimson Explosion!"
Boom!
A massive explosion obscured my vision. This one seemed to have an effect, as the curtain of divine power wavered.
However, when the debris from the explosion settled, Ugly Prosperity was standing there with her pillar standing tall.
"That fucking bitch!"
I draw the line at futas!
Ugly Prosperity giggled and laughed as if something was hilarious.
[If you insist, then it cannot be helped. This child’s body is reaching its limit, so I shall end it here for today. Of course, I have not given up on you. ...Children? As long as you don't kill him, capture my prospective Apostle by any means necessary. Do as you wish with the rest. Ah, I’ll let the one who performs the greatest feat taste the new Apostle’s dick, so do your best, okay?]
With those words, the sticky energy vanished into thin air, just as it had arrived.
As Ugly Prosperity withdrew, Mariel’s body could no longer hold out and collapsed onto the floor.
Taking this as a signal, the forces of Ugly Prosperity, which had been stationary, began to charge all at once.
"Kihihihit!"
"Womb bags! There are so many womb bags!"
"Dicks! Give me the dicks!"
"You crazy bitch! You still have the one you cut off last time plugged in!"
"It’s fine because I’m the one who’s going to be doing the stabbing this time!"
The enemies rushed forward, engaging in a conversation so dizzying that I wondered if this was the real mental attack.
Feeling a threat separate from the threat to my life, I focused my mind.
Crack—
The sound of something breaking echoed from within. Curved horns sprouted, and hot blood flowed down my forehead. A strange sensation where my vision narrowed but my perception expanded.
As soon as I finished my Dragonification, I poured as much mana as I could into my words.
"[A thousand thunderclaps, ten thousand blooming thunders. Come, striking destruction. Thunder Storm!]"
A voice imbued with power was no different from a declaration. Even more so if it was a Spirit Language rather than a normal chant.
Crackle.
The sky suddenly darkened. A terrifying sparking sound echoed from within the dark clouds that obscured the sun.
Both the enemies who were charging with momentum and the allies who were gritting their teeth to fight back couldn't help but flinch and look up at the sky.
Thick lightning struck from the black sky.
KRA-BOOM!
And it wasn't just one; they struck simultaneously, continuously, and repeatedly without rest.
Boom! Bang! KRA-BOOM!
The world flickered in pale light. Humans, demi-humans, and monsters alike were turned into piles of charred coal in the order they had been charging, without distinction.
Thunder Storm.
It was the enhanced version of the intermediate magic, Thunder Calling. The power of each individual bolt hadn't increased, but the number and range of the magic had grown exponentially.
It’s easier to understand if you think of a single-target nuke becoming an area-of-effect spell.
"N-No matter how high-ranking a magician he is, how can he cast high magic so quickly...?"
"That form... could it be a dragon's?"
"The rumors were true."
I shouted at the few magicians who were standing there with their mouths agape.
"[Get it together! Instead of talking nonsense, chant even one more line!]"
"Hup!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Whether it was because I mixed in Spirit Language or because Intimidation was mixed in unintentionally, the magicians were startled and began to move briskly.
On the other hand, my party members, who had roughly expected this, completed their respective spells while Thunder Storm bought them time.
"Tidal Wave!"
"Sharpness Hurricane! Frozen Crystal!"
A waterfall pouring from Carla’s magic circle swept away the enemies. Thanks to that, even those who weren't hit directly were electrocuted by the lightning traveling through the water.
Taking advantage of the moment they were frozen stiff, Elisha’s spells exploded in succession.
Though weaker than Carla’s, the two spells were cast almost simultaneously.
A sharp typhoon tore through the flesh of those frozen like logs, and cold air seeped into the gaps, forming sharp crystals from the inside out.
Most of those who had been charging thoughtlessly were either killed or incapacitated by this, but some protected themselves in their own ways.
Some endured with pure physical toughness, some blocked the magic, and some momentarily charmed other monsters to use them as meat shields.
However, what awaited those individuals were the high-level spells of Iris and Iona.
"Elemental Burst!"
"Bloody Thorn Spear!"
As soon as they recovered from the disaster we had caused, a new disaster struck.
All sorts of elements created a synergistic effect, causing a massive explosion, and sharp blood-red thorns awaited those who fled the aftermath.
Their limbs were bound, and their blood was drained through the sharp thorns. Subsequently, allies who aimed for the openings after the major attacks poured in additional strikes.
Flaming sword energy pierced the hearts of the succubi along with the thorny vines, and flashy magic burned the skin of the relatively frail cultists and goblins.
The forces of Ugly Prosperity melted away in an instant. However, even though we had defeated so many of them, this had only barely held back the front line.
Even if the snow ball hadn't started rolling yet, the opponent was a prepared army of an Evil God.
There was no way those who could take on a whole nation alone would retreat after only this much damage.
Sure enough, Mariel’s body, which had barely been clinging to life, began to swell like a balloon.
"What is that now...!"
"Whatever it is, be careful! I have a bad feeling!"
The corpse swelled to the size of a small hill. At the same time the survivors of the front line quickly retreated, the divine shields of Helena and the other priests unfolded.
POW!
A deafening sound. Pieces of Mariel’s flesh and blood, which had become a biological bomb, scattered in all directions and hammered against the shields.
This explosion alone was equivalent to a high-grade spell, but it didn't end there.
To begin with, they were creatures more skilled in support than direct combat.
Something that had burst Mariel’s corpse from the inside rose high above the battlefield.
"H-How profane!"
"O World Tree... O cyclic life...!"
A mass of meat that resembled a giant tree, as if imitating the World Tree. However, the tree made of flesh pulsated as if it were alive, emitting a foul stench to its surroundings.
It was so thick it felt like a malodor, but a closer look at the Meat Tree revealed its true nature.
Countless male genitalia sprouted on its surface. The smell of chestnut blossoms from the grayish liquid they sprayed was layered over and over again.
That was the true nature of the stench currently piercing our noses.
To us, it was a disgusting monstrosity, but it didn't seem that way to them, as the followers of Ugly Prosperity shouted in excitement!
"It’s cum! The cum that Archbishop Mariel collected during her lifetime has been reborn like this through our Master’s miracle!"
"Praise her! Praise the Goddess of Prosperity, who has a thousand breasts and a thousand dicks!"
Breasts aside, how can she be a goddess if she has dicks?
Regardless of their nonsense, the effect was certainly real, as the momentum I felt became even more powerful.
Conversely, as if the previous disgust wasn't just a feeling, the strength drained from our bodies in an instant.
I, who had various resistances, was relatively fine, but the others looked as if their total power had dropped by more than thirty percent.
At the majestic sight of the Meat Tree grown from Mariel’s corpse, I couldn't help but mutter to myself.
"This is fucking ridiculous..."