Chapter 56
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 56. Temporary Alliance
Hero Leona, who had been hit by the Yeti and sent flying.
The Hero, who had been stuck in the debris of the stone pillar, raised her body making a crunching sound.
Damage that would have left an ordinary person unconscious.
No, an ordinary person would have died. There was a human-shaped crater stamped on the wall.
Wooooong-!
The white light of the Holy Sword flowed, wrapping around the Hero's body.
Based on that unreasonable resilience, the Hero stood on two feet again.
The Hero's silver hair appeared through the rising dust.
"You came! Seriously, so slow!"
Eris was glad to see the Hero.
There was a reason for being glad.
Because at this very moment, Eris-nim's precious and cute pink thorn vines were freezing over by Snow White's blue thorn vines!
"As expected, a witch."
Shing-
The Holy Sword aimed at Eris.
Sizzle-
As the radiance flowing along the blade touched Eris's pink thorn vine, the tip of the vine burned.
The gladness evaporated in an instant.
"Wait wait wait! You stupid Hero! Eris-nim is helping you right now! It’s a situation where you should kneel and thank me, not point a sword!"
"Trust a witch?"
"Don't trust! Who told you to trust!? Just use me! Because I will use you too!"
The Hero made an expression as if caught off guard slightly.
Perhaps she was tired of the excuse 'I am a good person' from countless cultists.
"……Honest, at least."
"Eris-nim is a good witch! Kind! Cute! Honest witch!"
Eris grinned.
Of course, the only truth among these is 'Cute'.
"Besides, my help is essential to catch that auntie right now? Isn't it?"
Gaze headed to Snow White in the center of the altar.
Hellscape where blue thorn vines cover all directions and Yetis growl repeating regeneration.
Undead hairy legion and the Witch of Frost coordinating everything with one finger in the center.
The Hero made a cool-headed judgment.
"Can't be helped. Temporary alliance only for this time."
The Holy Sword turned direction towards the Yetis.
Eris swallowed a sigh of relief while simultaneously admiring her super genius eloquence once again.
'As expected Eris-nim. Seducing the enemy to make an ally is a witch's basic literacy.'
Role division happened naturally.
Leona deals with the Yeti legion in the front, and Eris checks Snow White's blue thorn vines from the rear.
'Quite a decent composition?'
The job class called Hero has abnormally high agro-drawing ability.
Since she swings the twinkling Holy Sword focusing all the hairy things' gazes.
Eris-nim just needs to focus comfortably on Snow White from behind.
'As expected Eris-nim is a genius of team management. Super genius beautiful girl solving from party organization to strategy establishment in one shot! If not a witch, timber to be Adventurer Guild Master!'
……Of course, it was the situation, not Eris, that distributed the roles.
Such trivial details can be edited in the brain.
Whoosh-!
Silver trajectory crossed the main hall.
Hero's Holy Sword cut off Yeti's forearm.
Turning direction, cuts second Yeti's leg, pierces third's heart.
Concept of waste does not exist in the series of movements.
The problem is there is no actual result.
Cuts and regenerates, severs and sews, kills and revives.
At least as long as Snow White's blue thorn vines are rooted in Yetis' bodies, Hero's sword dance is labor that never ends eternally.
So Eris-nim must step forward.
Whirrr-!
Pink thorn vines stretched out splitting the floor.
Tangled, wrapped, and bit Snow White's blue vines. Pink and blue tangled bisecting the altar.
Snow White ground her teeth.
"Cheeky for a kid……!"
"Not cheeky but competent! Can't even distinguish that, seems discernment dropped because of age?"
Snow White is strong.
This altar is Snow White's domain, and as long as she sucks up and uses Abyss magic power, magic does not deplete.
But.
'Uh? That auntie, has less leeway than I thought?'
Ritual maintenance. Yeti control. Eris check.
Snow White was performing at least three tasks simultaneously right now.
Human brain is not suitable for multitasking. Witch's brain is the same.
No matter if Abyss magic power is infinite, concentration controlling that magic power is finite.
"Good. Just need to go like this! Once stuck Holy Sword in, auntie won't be able to move either!"
"Called Auntie again!!"
Then, one reinforced Yeti raised both fists over Leona's head.
Eris's hand moved reflexively.
Crunch-!
Pink thorn vine soared from floor. Slanted foothold.
Leona paused for a beat.
Gaze headed to Eris momentarily.
Nod.
Both people remember.
During the Monster Wave, the moment Eris made a foothold in the same way.
That time she erected a 15-meter pillar for the Hero who couldn't reach the sky.
That time it was 'Eri'.
Now it is 'Eris'.
Hesitation was one beat.
Paat-
Leona jumped riding the foothold.
Body rotated and Holy Sword drew an arc, Yeti's neck cut off at once.
Eris's mouth corners went up.
"Ahem. Right! Did well as Eris-nim instructed! As expected Hero is quick-witted!"
"When did you instruct."
"Just now! With vine! Truly excellent commander makes soldiers one heart even without ordering!"
After that coordination became smoother gradually.
If Eris grabs Yeti's ankle with vine, Leona finishes with Holy Sword. If Eris makes foothold on wall, Leona aims for vital point using height.
Surprisingly breathing matched perfectly.
'Just need to maintain this pace. Question of time until Snow White auntie's concentration reveals bottom, and if hit finish with Holy Sword then──'
Blueprint of victory was completed in Eris's head.
Right, just need to go like this.
Just like this.
Whoosh-!
Leona's Holy Sword cut Yeti's flank deep. Blow revealing ribs.
That Yeti staggered leaving front line to regenerate.
But.
Direction of leaving was strange.
That hairy thing turned head with flank opened by Holy Sword.
Yeti's cloudy eyeball captured Eris.
'……Huh?'
Grrrrrrr-!
The guy charged towards Eris just like that.
"Kyaaaaaaack!"
Erected thorn vine wall. Defense wall woven tightly with pink thorns.
Thump-!
Yeti's fist struck the wall.
Crash.
Defense wall shattered. Pink thorn fragments splashed everywhere.
'Call this crap a defense wall!'
Eris turned back reflexively. And ran at full power.
Destination is Leona's back.
Bang-!
Eris wrapped arms around Leona's waist tight and hung on.
Trembling shiver shiver.
"What are you doing! Get off!"
"Hate it! Here is safest!"
"Center of gravity gets disturbed!"
"That you just have to put more strength!"
"Crazy?"
"Eris-nim is not crazy! Rational! Mage is originally rear row! This is standard!"
Eris's logic was perfect.
Mage is rear row. Warrior is front row.
Rear row's proper position is right behind front row.
Therefore behind Leona's back = Tactically perfect positioning.
"Eris-nim is providing close rear support to maximize combat efficiency right now! In technical terms this is called 'Eris Support'!"
"No such term!"
Leona ground her teeth.
Eris inevitably fell off the Hero's back.
Fell off but didn't leave Leona's 1-meter radius.
If Leona moves, moved following like shadow.
If Leona goes right, to right.
If goes left, to left.
Optimized movement line survival instinct created.
'If die can't eat pudding either. Can't eat honey candy either. Still too many desserts Eris-nim hasn't eaten in this world!'
Eris always does her best to survive.
That doesn't mean Eris-nim is incompetent.
This point must be made clear.
Eris-nim is competent. Super competent.
If looking for incompetent existence, please turn gaze a bit.
'Incompetent one is Sister Lucia over there!'
Blonde Princess squatting in altar corner trembling shiver shiver as soon as released from binding.
Combat power contribution zero. Would be good if did at least moral support, but human reaction machine only able to make 'Hiek' sound.
Anyway well, Eris-nim making this fuss to protect that idiot sister is also Eris-nim but.
That is separate issue. Since emotion and evaluation must be separated.
While Leona handled Yetis, Eris focused on her battlefield.
Swaaack-!
Thorn vine initiative struggle.
Floor, pillar, ceiling.
Two colored thorn vines tangled massively regardless of place.
Pink and blue.
Territory fight of two colors. Borderline changes in real time.
Instead of sword and sword, root and root strangle each other.
Battle of witch and witch where victory and defeat are decided in place silent, cruel, and invisible.
And in this battlefield Eris was not losing.
No, honestly speaking was winning.
'Why?'
Eris herself was puzzled.
Snow White is strong. Thorn Society Rank 5. Witch of Frost. One step above Eris. This altar is Snow White's domain, and magic power doesn't deplete as long as sucking up Abyss magic power infinitely.
But Eris's pink thorn vines were distinctly different from before.
Dozens of strands. No, more than that.
Pink vines covering floor, riding walls, crawling up ceiling.
Quantity absolutely impossible for previous Eris.
Pink tsunami overwhelming quality with quantity.
That secret was in days Eris spent in North.
"Every day threatened by Black Knight building logistics warehouse, laying bridge, repairing wall……! Repeating civil engineering suffering that hardship all became blood and flesh, that is the word!"
Labor did not betray Eris.
'……Although still resent guy who made me work!'
Pink vine swallowed blue vine. Covered, wrapped, crushed.
Initiative passed to Eris.
"T, This……!"
Snow White's face distorted.
'Right. That expression, Auntie.'
Eris executed next move immediately upon seizing initiative.
Replaced blue thorn vines wrapping Yetis' bodies with pink vines.
One by one. Blue cut off and pink took place.
Effect was immediate.
Regeneration disappeared. Cut wound didn't heal. Severed arm didn't grow again.
"Now, those are just big meat lumps! Go, Hero! Show Holy Sword's power! Fight for Eris-nim!"
"Don't mention Holy Sword repeatedly since earlier! You are a witch!"
Holy Sword rushed towards Yetis who lost regenerative power.
Hairy things that stood up even after cut ten times before, now collapsed melting at once.
Whirrr-!
Simultaneously Eris projected pink thorn vines concentratedly towards altar where Snow White stood.
Snow White's defensive circle collapsed, ritual concentration broke completely.
Eris put both hands on waist.
Majestic.
"Saw? This is Thorn Witch Eris-nim's true skill! Eris-nim being Rank 6 is not because skill insufficient! Just born late! If Eris-nim was born hundred years ago Rank 1 was Eris-nim's!"
Now remaining Yeti is one.
Leona was engaging that last Yeti, and Eris was checking Snow White.
'Ended. Won! Eris-nim Great Victory!'
Snow White's state was miserable.
Thorn vine initiative loss. Yeti legion annihilation. Ritual maintenance limit.
Then, suddenly Snow White stopped struggling.
Gave up thorn vine territory fight. Cut support for last Yeti too.
Blue thorn vines stretched in all directions lost strength simultaneously and drooped.
'That woman, what trying to do?'
Instead.
Abyss magic power saved until now gathered at Snow White's fingertip.
Blue light condensed, converged, compressed into one point.
"No right to steal other people's warmth? Just spreading unhappiness?"
Snow White laughed.
"Right. I know too. That what I do is neither revenge, nor justice, just ugly struggle."
Blue light at fingertip became brighter gradually. Cold and transparent beam started taking form.
Frost Beam.
"By the way, Princess. Why are you so easy with everything?"
Snow White's voice cracked.
"People gather by your side. Hero, Witch, Warriors too. What did you do? What did you lose? Just standing there someone holds hand. Someone protects. Someone returns."
Moisture spread in blood-colored pupils.
Face unable to distinguish whether crying or laughing.
"I reached out hand first every time but no one held. I waited every time but no one returned. But you, you just……"
Snow White's hand trembled.
"Warmth comes just by staying still."
Jealousy towards warmth.
"Can't stand that the most."
Snow White's fingertip moved.
Frost Beam.
Aiming target is──
Lucia Von Astellia.
"No!"
Leona was engaging last Yeti. Tried to turn body but distance too far.
Eris's body moved.
Faster than calculation. Faster than thought.
Winning over survival instinct.
'Why?'
Every action must have reason. Action without reason is exclusive property of idiot.
'Why running, Eris?'
Before understanding herself why doing this, Eris's legs already ran towards Lucia.
'Ah, don't know!'
Lucia's green pupils were seen.
Fear-stricken face. Slender body unable to move even seeing flying blue light.
For a coward.
Idiot always standing for others for a coward.
What on earth is self jumping in to save that idiot.
Flash-!
Frost Beam pierced Eris's back.
Abyss chill started from back riding down spine, digging between ribs, grabbing heart.
Cold.
Too cold.
Eris's body pushed back.
Collapsed on floor.
Vision shook.
'Ah. This really hurts.'
"Eri……! Why, why on earth did you……!"
Not caring about chill rising from Eris's body, Lucia hugged Eris tight.
Warm. This sister is always warm so problem.
Eris is super genius witch. Throwing body for others is what stupid idiot does.
Since when became like this.
'All fault of that idiot sister.'
"Don't, misunderstand……."
Voice came out. Relief. Vocal cords not frozen yet.
"Sister is…… Eris-nim's precious sacrifice so…… without my permission…… getting scratch, can't tolerate……."
"Forget such thing!"
Drip-
Tear fell on Eris's cheek.
"Don't die, Eri. Please don't die. If return give pudding. As much as want. My share all too. Give every day. So──"
Lie if say death not scary.
Eris is coward. Coward always doing best to survive.
But strangely warmth felt inside Lucia's arms felt a little warmer than Abyss chill.
So was slightly okay.
Next time wake up.
Since Eris-nim saved, must receive ten puddings.
No, twenty.
Hit by Abyss chill so thirty would be okay.
So won't die.
Because Eris-nim still has many things left to eat.
Thud-
Like that Eris lost consciousness Eris-like.