Chapter 51: Anti-World Government Zealot (6)
That was Hoaran speaking.
And no sooner had she finished than three dolls that looked just like her flipped through the air like they'd heard some hilarious joke.
Boom boom boom...!
Amid a cloud of thick smoke, what emerged was three copies of Hoaran.
Hoaran... could make copies of herself?
No, they weren't perfect duplicates.
Unlike the real Hoaran, each of them had only a single tail.
Still, there was no denying they'd shifted from doll-like figures into ones that perfectly mimicked Hoaran—complete with just the one tail.
"Go forth."
The moment the real Hoaran issued the command, the three crouched copies kicked off the building and shot toward the white-haired woman like arrows.
Bang bang bang—!
Ripping through the air, talismans poured from the sleeves of the flying Hoarans like falling leaves.
Whoa.
It was a sight that left my jaw on the floor.
The talismans spread wide like parachutes, filling the sky.
Soon, every one of them began glowing, transforming into spells that rained down on the white-haired woman.
"Such trifles...!"
Enveloped in a bloody mist, the white-haired woman was now clad in armor-like dress, gripping a massive red spear.
She swung it with abandon—the spear larger and more ethereal than any she'd thrown before.
Screeeeech—!
The red spear screamed as bloody tentacles lashed out from it, batting away the onslaught of spells from the copied Hoarans.
But...
"Behold, this is the third principle: 'Body.'"
Her voice was gentle, like a teacher instructing a child.
One of Hoaran's clones reached out toward the white-haired woman, who was frantically swinging her spear and tentacles to deflect the spells.
Even though I'd been watching the whole time, I couldn't tell when it'd gotten there.
But what mattered was that the clone's hand had seized the spear mid-swing.
"Wha...?"
With ridiculous ease, the red spear was yanked from the white-haired woman's grasp—the same one I couldn't budge even with all my strength.
"Foul, so foul. A beast steeped in blood. Indeed, this lady has no need for such a thing."
The clone flipped the spear backward, gripping it reverse-style, just as Hoaran commanded.
"Return it to its master."
With those words, the clone thrust the spear straight through the white-haired woman's gut.
"Gahk...!"
Impaled on her own weapon, she went flying into a building.
Rumble—the structure collapsed.
Undeterred, one clone spun gracefully through the debris, grabbed the spear still lodged in her belly as she tried to rise, and smashed a fist into her again.
Kaboom!
"Pfft...!"
This time, her chest exploded from the clone's punch, and she crumpled, vomiting blood.
"The third principle, 'Body,' harmonizes and strengthens the flesh. Once mastered, it doubles your power—doubles it again in bursts. That doll was infused with the principle of 'Body' in its tail."
The real Hoaran's voice reached me, patient as ever, like she was teaching a lesson.
Ah...
So that's body enhancement?
That?
Werewolf strength couldn't even faze her—not even ripping a streetlamp from the ground and hurling it—but this clone snatched her spear and rammed it through her gut.
And that wasn't enough; even with her belly pierced, as the monster tried to stand, the clone pulverized her chest with a single punch.
Shamanism, huh.
"Next is the second principle: 'Ki.' Watch closely."
"Aaaagh—!"
With a scream, the white-haired woman was dragged forward as if pulled by an invisible hand from one of the clones.
There was nothing around her—nothing at all.
Yet she thrashed in midair, resisting some unseen force.
"To wield and manipulate ambient energy—that is the second principle, 'Ki.' Thus, even this is possible."
Crunch.
I heard bones grinding.
The clone clenched its fist like it was crushing something.
And just like that, the white-haired woman's body twisted and snapped in the clone's grip.
"Ah, ah, aaaah, aaagh...!"
Her armor, meant to protect her, shattered and tore into her flesh instead.
Even her insane regeneration was useless against the relentless pressure.
The moment it healed, it broke again—smashed, crushed, exploded.
Gush gush—blood and gore sprayed from the gaps in her mangled armor.
But Hoaran continued mercilessly, without a shred of pity.
"And now... the most fundamental: the first principle, 'Heart.'"
The last clone finally stirred, the one that had unleashed the talismans at the start. It waved a hand at the white-haired woman.
"'Heart' is the mind itself—will and karma. Hanjo, you've seen this lady use it before. Ah, but... your eyes were covered then, so you couldn't watch."
As I puzzled over her words, the clone placed its hand on the white-haired woman's head—while she was helplessly crushed alive by the other spells.
"Gaaaaaaaah—!!"
A scream beyond compare, echoing deafeningly all the way to us.
"The mind seems fixed, yet it flows and shifts. Even the virtuous can harbor evil; even villains hold good. That is 'Heart'—ever-changing, unfixed, light."
And then.
Hoaran's ears perked up.
"Yet it is also fixed. Unchanging. Heavy. Even in death... even after its owner's will fades, it lingers in the world as 'Heart'—as will."
Swoosh, swoosh.
Her tail stroked my head gently.
"Even the fallen leave their hearts behind. Be it resentment or grudge. A curse on their killer—that too remains. When such grudges cling to another... that becomes 'karma.' And that mosquito bitch... bears the karma of countless souls. An evil seed that never cleanses, no matter how much she sucks."
Hoaran stroked my head with her tail so tenderly, but I saw it.
Her eyes cracked wide as she spoke—vertical slits like a beast's, blazing cold with fury.
They flickered like flames, glowing golden.
"Her karma alone turns the stomach—vile, reeking, utterly loathsome. Devoid of even a scrap of conscience every living being should have, bereft of any good. How many have you devoured? Thousands? Tens of thousands? The grudges clinging to you are beyond counting—terrifying in number. More grotesque than this lady, born of the Nine-Tailed Fox lineage. You feel no remorse for your evils—a true monster. That's why you've piled up karma without fearing heaven. But now... your body will be crushed by that karma of grudges."
Because they all wish for it too.
Squish, squish.
In my stunned gaze, slimy masses gathered around the white-haired woman.
"Th-those things..."
"Fear not. She controlled them with her witchcraft, but at their core... they are pitiable souls. Turning her victims into puppets—defiling even their bodies like that... This..."
Hoaran ground her teeth.
"This lady has crushed her will, so now they fulfill their long-held grudges."
That was Hoaran speaking.
I saw her glaring at the white-haired woman with icy eyes.
"The devourer devoured by the devoured. Fitting justice."
Squish squish—the slime crawled over her body, seeping into every orifice.
"Urk... glrk...! Ngh...!"
Endlessly gathering, it defiled her without mercy.
Sticky, slimy.
Insatiably greedy, repaying the pain she'd inflicted.
Mouth, nose, eyes, ears, torn wounds—even lower holes. Every opening invaded, the slime engulfed her.
"Grrk...! Hng... nngh...!"
Just as it fully covered her.
A chill ran up my spine. I turned—but Hoaran moved first.
"Hmph! Finally showing yourself! This lady has waited long enough...!"
Clang!
She flicked her sleeve, batting away a sword flying at me.
The pitch-black figure—covered head to toe—pulled something from its bosom as it recoiled.
"Wait, shit?"
Before I could process why it was here, the black thing hurled a grenade our way.
A sword and a grenade? What kinda bullshit combo is that?
Witchcraft...!
"Such despicable tricks...!"
Her tails swelled, wrapping around me as the grenade exploded.
Boom—but her tails didn't budge, shielding me completely.
"Are you alright, Hanjo?"
When they unwrapped, Hoaran looked at me with worry.
"No, more than me—that thing...!"
"I know. Worry not."
I pointed at the black figure lunging for the white-haired woman, but Hoaran brushed it off casually.
It made me uneasy.
Whenever she said not to worry, shit usually went exactly as feared.
But this was that Hoaran.
The one who'd crushed the white-haired woman—who I couldn't even fight—in seconds.
Sure enough, a clone intercepted the black figure.
The 'Body' clone with its extended claws slashed out.
"......"
As it charged, the black thing pulled something else from its bosom.
No—not from its bosom.
It...
"What the hell...?"
Crack—the black figure split open, revealing a massive cannon barrel inside.
Like something from a battleship.
Bursting from its gut.
"What in the...?"
Even Hoaran hadn't seen that coming.
And then it fired.
Kaboom!
The shell slammed into the clone amid the roar.
Bang—its arm exploded off mid-swing, the doll crumpling to the ground.
I was dumbfounded by the sudden fireworks, but Hoaran snapped to faster and shouted.
"Think you can escape...?!"
The 'Ki' clone reached out.
The black figure halted abruptly before the white-haired woman.
Crunch.
Its body tore itself apart, head detaching and leaping onto her.
Self-dismembering like that? Was that even possible? I gaped as Hoaran yelled.
"...It's not alive!"
Not alive?
It moved like it was.
But I got it soon enough.
The black stuff enveloped the white-haired woman like a suit.
Crunch crunch.
Her twisted, torn body regenerated instantly under its cover.
Soon, she stood tall again—still wrapped in black.
The slime still clung, seeking vengeance, but she stomped it flat.
Squelch, squelch...
"Haaah... What a mess this is."
Her face emerged from the black suit, annoyed as she scraped off the crushed slime.
"But hey, not all bad. I learned that guy's important—not just to Lilith, but to you too, Hoaran."
The 'Ki' clone reached to bind her again.
Crack—the suit split open, revealing cannons.
One, two... three.
Old-world weapons, relics of a bygone era—but all devastating.
Where the hell did she get those?
And why did it spit them out every time it split?
The shells fired in unison, blasting the clones away.
Bang, bang!
The dolls reverted amid the smoke.
"So just you wait. You'll pay for today...! How dare you humiliate me—with these inferior scum?"
Whoosh—like mist, her body dispersed.
"You think you can flee from this lady?"
Hoaran's ears shot up, tips quivering.
I could tell.
She was pissed.
"A momentary lapse, but you thought that pathetic trick would let you escape?"
Pop.
Pop pop pop.
Dozens of dolls burst forth, flipping into Hoaran clones—some with two tails, even three.
She hadn't pulled this out against Lilith before.
Lilith hadn't gone full second-stage either—were they just messing around then?
Bickering like that?
But seeing this, I had to think so.
"Oh, scary... But can you afford it? Head-on, yeah, I'd lose even in this suit like before. But... the thing I planted in that guy? It's about time it kicks in..."
"What?"
Hoaran whipped toward me at her words.
I stared back blankly.
Planted in me?
I never...
"Ah...!"
Hoaran's eyes widened, snapping back to the woman.
The white-haired bitch smirked.
"Idiot, you fell for it? So naive."
Whoosh...
She vanished like mist.
"...She's gone."
Hoaran's ears drooped limply.
She looked utterly dejected, and guilt hit me.
She'd fallen for the bluff out of worry for me—half my fault, really.
"S-sorry. Because of me..."
"...No matter. You're safe—that's what counts."
Thump—her tail settled on my head, stroking gently.
"This lady's carelessness. How is it your fault?"
Maybe her words, or the fluffy tail, or the tension easing—my eyelids grew heavy.
Hoaran noticed.
"...You look exhausted. Rest easy—it's over. Sleep a bit."
Poke—her tail patted my eyelids.
Ah, fuck...
This feels way too good...
Like an eye massage.
Can't resist this...
"Alright, just a sec... excuse me......"
I gave in to sleep. Her voice whispered in my ear.
"Yes, sweet dreams."
It was so warm.