Escape. (18)
[They say a Masu appeared in the village?]
[How on earth did a Masu get into this village—]
[Well, it's obvious, isn't it? It must be the work of the Majok inside.]
"...No way."
My expression hardened at the voices coming from outside the door.
A Masu appeared? Why, all of a sudden?
Thump-thump, the approaching footsteps began to threaten my heart.
"I'll hold them off here, just run away for now."
"...Hero."
I gritted my teeth, then moved my body towards the window.
Seeing that the talisman around my neck wasn't reacting, it seemed the fox beastman hadn't heard the news yet.
Or perhaps she was busy with something else.
"Don't die, no matter what."
"Okay."
After hearing her final confirmation, I quickly launched myself out.
I almost twisted my ankle when I landed on the ground after climbing over the windowsill, but I managed to stick the landing somehow.
Where, where should I go?
I was running, but the shackles around my neck made it impossible to set a direction.
Perhaps it would be best to meet that fox beastman and clear up the misunderstanding.
"Ah..."
"Kieeeeeek..."
However, I never imagined a situation like this.
Next to the fallen Bel, a Masu stood with its maw wide open.
I gritted my teeth, looking at the baby crying "ang-ang" on the ground.
She sacrificed herself to protect the baby.
My stomach churned.
"Why, why on earth..."
Why do these things only happen to me?
If it were just me, I wouldn't mind being miserable, but why my friends too...
The Masu's snout slowly approached.
If you don't run, you'll die.
It was the moment I tried to move my body at the warning that flashed in my mind.
"Kyaaaaaak?!?!!"
A massive storm tore the Masu's body to shreds.
With a short cry, the fox beastman landed next to the tattered chunk of flesh.
Seeing her eyes burning fiercely, it seemed she had a serious misunderstanding.
...I didn't do this.
I'm not controlling these guys.
If you have eyes, you can tell, right? Huh?
But despite my thoughts, the talisman wrapped around my neck was shrinking in real-time.
I couldn't breathe.
"Huk, Keuheut..."
"You harmed your own kind and then tried to secretly escape?!"
At the fox beastman's shout, the air around us changed.
Her voice, filled with rage, was like thunder, enough to instill fear in anyone who heard it.
"I, Keut... I didn't do it..."
"Don't lie. You bitch, you clearly manipulated the Masu to harm that poor child!"
I don't know how to do such a thing, I don't know!
I clawed at the ground as the talisman tightened around my neck.
Besides, why would I do such a thing with this attached to me?
Unable to breathe, my vision turned white.
'She really intends to kill me...'
It seemed revenge for harming her kin was prioritized over forcing me to give birth to babies.
But why do I have to suffer that revenge?
I'm just as sad that the child, Bel, ended up like that.
It's so painful and resentful, why me?
"I'll kill you horribly. I'll make you feel more pain than the child experienced."
"Huk, Augh..."
Divine Power flared.
The remnants of the Goddess, dormant within my body, became a sharp spear at the fox beastman's rage.
Stabbing, stabbing, the continuous piercing pain made me cough dryly.
Cough, cough, the clots of blood I spat out stained the ground.
Seeing the dark, almost black, lumps instead of red, nausea surged.
"Stop, stop..."
Please, stop now.
It hurts so much.
It hurts so much, I feel like I'm going to die.
Please.
I begged, pleaded, and implored.
But the pain didn't end.
Instead, it only grew more intense.
"Demon King-nim!!"
However, even for me, there was salvation.
Hallibel, who appeared from somewhere, swung her arm, sending the fox beastman flying far away.
"Demon King, you mean... Puh, Puhahahahaha!!!"
"..."
"Then, there's even less reason not to kill you."
"Kek..."
My neck was squeezed with a speed on a different level than before.
As death approached instantly, as if even inflicting pain was a waste, I thrashed my limbs.
No. I don't want to die. I can't die like this.
I've only just started to get better, I can't die like this—
"Paha?! Heu, Kekhek, Huk, Kek, Kek!!"
With a small tearing sound, the talisman shattered.
With the air returning, I frantically gasped for breath.
I must have looked hideous, but I had no choice if I wanted to live.
"...Ariel-ssi."
"...Elli."
As I lay trembling on the ground, a soft hand cupped my head.
Elli slowly brushed my hair back and smiled gently at me.
You can rest assured now.
I nodded blankly at her whispered words.
"...The god that fellow serves, it seems to be the Goddess."
"I know. I, of all people, can tell for sure."
The same power as the Divine Power that filled her body.
If she couldn't recognize that, she would be no different from a fool.
'But, that's a little different.'
Elli frowned at the Divine Power, which was raging as if enraged.
Having only ever used Divine Power for healing, this kind of application was new to her.
Perhaps I can do it too.
If so, she could definitely stand against her.
'However...'
If she used Divine Power, the Goddess would possess her.
That single fact held her back.
Although Hallibel was holding her ground, her body was being wounded just by being exposed to the Divine Power.
I have to do it.
It was the moment she gritted her teeth and tried to unleash Divine Power.
"...Ah."
Suddenly, one fact came to mind.
The way to stop being a Saintess is to lose one's virginity.
In other words, if you're not a virgin, you can't use Divine Power.
If so, wouldn't it be easy to subdue the opponent by breaking her virginity?
She fiddled with the dagger in her hand, then nodded.
I can do it.
Recalling her memories from when she faced the Masu, she took a step forward.
"Hallibel-ssi!"
"...Ugh, hurry up and do something about that bitch! It hurts like hell, seriously!"
As Hallibel moved aside, blood splattered down.
Elli brushed past her and extended her arm towards the opponent.
It might have been a reckless act, but if not now, there would be no other chance.
"Ha, I'll take that as a sign that you intend to die as you are!"
Divine Power coalesced, becoming a sharp blade.
Even at the clearly visible stream of violence, Elli's expression remained unchanged.
She had felt it since she first saw it, but that Divine Power didn't seem like it would harm her.
No, it didn't seem like it could affect her at all.
"...Got you."
"W-what?!"
There was quite a difference in physical abilities between humans and beastmen, but it was different now.
Elli instantly knocked Miko down and placed a blade against her neck.
Even a slight movement would cause a wound on her neck.
She smiled wryly at her opponent, who still couldn't hide her bewildered expression.
"To try and harm Ariel-ssi, you're truly too much."
"...God's power doesn't work, Keuk."
"But I will forgive you. Because you were clearly being controlled by the Goddess."
Elli's hand slowly moved downwards.
Her fingers intertwined with the smooth thigh revealed between the disheveled clothes.
"I will free you from the Goddess's shackles."
Elli smiled brightly and reached her hand towards Miko's innermost part.
As if she understood what her words meant, Miko's pure white face turned impossibly pale.
"S-stop... Stop, it..."
Please, stop...
My heart wavered for a moment at the opponent, who was shedding tears profusely as if she understood the situation.
But that was only for a moment. Elli instantly tore off the talisman attached to Miko's crotch.
The small spring, which had been hidden and protected until now, revealed itself to the world.
She gazed at the beautifully closed crevice, then slowly raised her finger.
"How far should I go?"
This was her first time doing something like this.
When she poked and pressed it, Miko desperately squirmed.
How regrettable, how regrettable.
It would be better to lose it to someone you love for the first time.
"Please..."
"I'm sorry."
She inserted her finger.
There was strong resistance as it hadn't been opened for a long time, but it couldn't stop Elli's movements.
The sticky membrane clung to her skin, feeling fresh and taut.
"Hiyak..."
The moans that burst out were cute.
If she hadn't been an enemy, they would surely have become good friends.
But now, it was irreversible.
If she used the Goddess's power, they would never be able to get close.
"Eung, is it here... Eueueung..."
"Heut, stop, Hik, stooop!!!"
She concentrated, trying to find the foreign sensation at her fingertip.
Is it here? Here? Is it here?
As she probed around, Miko squirmed as if telling her not to.
And then, for a moment.
It was around the time a thin membrane-like thing caught on her fingertip.
"Ah, no. Th-this can't be... If that's gone, everything I've built up until now will disappear..."
"It can't be helped."
With a 'tuk' sensation, something tore away.
There was no sound, but the opponent's despairing scream echoed vividly.
I'm sorry, but what else can I do?
Because you're the bad one.
You, who served the Goddess and tried to harm Ariel-ssi with her power, you're the bad one.
Please accept this punishment sweetly.
Rubbing the bloodstain on her fingertip, Elli murmured.