Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: Who's Real? and Who's Fake?
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The method I used to pinpoint Memoria was surprisingly simple.
Given her fanatical obsession with humans, I figured she wouldn't disguise herself as a demon or monster.
Her madness was such that even her own territory, Oblivion, was filled with slimes taking human form, reaching a level of incomprehensible obsession.
"Pride and humility are separated by a hair's breadth. I thought someone like you wouldn't bother hiding your true identity and would just appear openly."
Memoria is a mage of a higher realm than I am.
Therefore, she could easily dismantle my Idea, and likely assumed my other companions wouldn't pose a threat to her life either.
However, it was precisely that arrogance that allowed me to locate her.
I had deliberately asked Taryon and Anima to enjoy their dates in places teeming with demons and monsters.
Few could track us down specifically with our Perception Hindrance Magic active.
In a place crowded with demons and monsters, a being appearing as a pure human would be exceptionally rare.
"...Of course. Where would you find a human who fears beings weaker than themselves? If anything, they'd only feel pity."
"You crazy bastard..."
Hearing the reason why Memoria, knowing she might be exposed, had so blatantly stalked us, I couldn't help but curse.
It was simply because she saw us as far beneath her, so she felt no need to be cautious.
"Hahaha...! I'm glad it felt despicable to you. Does that mean I seem a little more human now?"
This time, I used a freezing spell while maintaining direct physical contact to make it impossible to dispel, but Memoria just smiled back, completely unfazed.
It meant this wasn't her true body, but a clone.
A slime's existence doesn't end unless its core is destroyed.
"This one's a fake! Everyone, watch the ground below and the sky above!!"
I shouted to my companions around me.
Unlike in Oblivion, Memoria likely hadn't prepared any traps in advance this time.
We had deliberately fled to an area where her influence wouldn't be strong, and if she had any sense, she wouldn't have swallowed up so many monsters and demons to turn them against us.
"...You seem to know very well how a slime consumes its enemies!"
"Yes, it's standard practice to first devour the legs to prevent escape, or swallow the head to stop resistance."
"Humans are truly extraordinary. Studying and researching other creatures is a line of thought we monsters find difficult to pursue."
At that moment, I began to see men in deeply pulled hoods speaking different words in identical voices.
The Memoria before me had been frozen and shattered, yet the faces of the clones showed not a hint of pain.
p>Watching this, I realized not all the clones shared sensations.
If they did, I could have amplified the pain manifold to make her beg for death.
Even if she couldn't die unless her core was destroyed, if she could feel pain, there were ways to make her end her own life.
"However, what we are best at isn't consuming other beings. It's increasing our numbers."
"Gyaaaah...!!!"
Memoria wore a pleased smile as she grabbed a demon and stuck her finger into its ear.
The sight of its eyes rolling back in agony was utterly revolting.
She was likely directly interfering with its brain, scrambling it.
If we had been caught at the Oblivion checkpoint, we would have suffered the same fate.
"Isn't it beautiful? That with a single gesture from me, regardless of what life or time this demon has lived, it becomes a slime like us?"
"Bullshit. You're just causing this chaos because you want to become a real human yourself."
I laughed mockingly at Memoria while making contact and slamming freezing magic directly into her.
If physical strikes were ineffective against her body, freezing and shattering it was the most effective method.
"Anima, Taryon! Cover the rear!"
"Got it!"
Anima and Taryon were busy subduing the multiplying Memorias.
They were countering by firing ice arrows or using the Water Spirit King to freeze the enemies.
"How interesting. Do you truly believe ice is my weakness?"
Memoria hadn't lost her composure even while fighting us.
She showed no disturbance even as her clones turned into shards of ice.
"Ice can simply be melted by fire, can't it?"
"One of a slime's advantages is the ability to merge or combine to increase its mass."
Whoosh.
Memoria used the demon she had turned into a slime earlier to set her own body on fire.
"What do you think? This is the infamous Hellfire, an infernal flame that never goes out."
Memoria chuckled as she spoke, but the demon fused beside her was screaming, its face twisted in agony.
Like a chimera from myth, numerous demons and monsters melded together into a horrific creature.
"I've also mixed in the scales of a Basilisk, said to deflect magic, and the traits of monsters resistant to physical blows."
Memoria moved her enormous body, speaking with the many mouths attached to it.
Multiple limbs sprouted from her back, countless faces were attached, and the body burning with its own fire was no longer recognizable as human.
"It's a shame I had to abandon the human form I so adore... but you are the heroes who managed to slay two of the Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings, after all."
Memoria clicked her long, thick tongue regretfully.
Resembling a giant frog, it sent shivers down the spines of those who saw it.
"Eugh...! This thing has gotten so disgusting! I hate it, hate it, hate it...!!"
"Anima, calm down and stay composed. The enemy changed form specifically to instill fear in us."
Taryon tried to calm Anima, who was terrified and frantically issuing orders to her Spirit Kings.
The overwhelming revulsion emanating from Memoria, now grown so large we had to look up at her, was palpable.
The sight of Memoria indiscriminately devouring the surrounding lifeforms was like a scene straight from hell.
"...As expected, things are unfolding just as you predicted, Astal."
At that moment, a sword slash trailing a fiery afterimage cut through Memoria's massive arm, leaving a scorched mark on the ground.
"You're late, bastard."
I joked towards Kyle, who had delivered that slash.
I doubted Memoria was unaware of the idea to eliminate slimes using freezing magic.
Even if an ordinary person who knew little about slimes might not know, she had lived her entire life in that body; she would have to know her own weaknesses.
So, I anticipated she would counter by, at the very least, setting herself on fire or raising her body temperature.
"How interesting! So you hid the Hero Kyle away to make me let my guard down!"
"If you set your body on fire, Kyle's Holy Sword can absorb and utilize it at will."
I had simply judged that if the situation unfolded that way, we could use the Holy Sword Kyle possessed.
The Holy Sword, with its ability to create armor from flames or control them at will, was now drawing the Hellfire out from Memoria's body.
"Now's the time, press the attack!"
At Kyle's signal, Anima, Taryon, and I unleashed every freezing-type attack we had directly at Memoria.
"How foolish. What's the point of fighting so hard when you know I'm not the true body, just a clone?"
"We're a Hero's party."
"And... you stole the memories of the person most precious to me."
Despite burning myself, I maintained contact to prevent Memoria from dispelling the magic, casting spells directly onto her.
Even if that wasn't Memoria's true body, forcing her to retreat once might give us a clue to reclaiming Victoria's memories.
"Ah, if it's for such a noble reason, then I have no choice. Humans are still beyond my understanding."
Memoria smiled readily and closed her eyes.
Her true body was likely watching our battle from a safe location.
If I had the ability to create clones and couldn't die unless my core was destroyed, I'd probably choose the same method.
"Then, shall I tell you something amusing?"
"One of the Victorias around you is a fake."
"A slime who, unaware of that fact, truly believes she is Victoria Everheart. A pitiful existence."
"......"
A wave of disgust surged within me, and I tried to stop Memoria from continuing, but...
"Which one would you consider real?"
"Can a slime possessing memories be called your true lover?"
"Or is the one who can never regain her memories—"
Memoria stretched her mouth wide, finishing her sentence.
It was something I had somewhat suspected, but hearing it directly from the enemy's mouth made it feel all too real.
"...Shut up and wait with your neck washed. I'll kill you by any means necessary."
"Hahahahat...! Then I'll happily await you. Astal Kaisaros, humanity's mightiest mage."
Leaving those words for Memoria, I shattered the frozen creature with my fist.
Holding the frozen shards that were Memoria, I engraved a magic circle to begin tracking her in reverse.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Isn't it too much to tell us not to fight Memoria, suggesting one of us might be a fake?"
"......"
At that moment, the Victorias were some distance away from the site of the battle with Memoria.
Since one of them could potentially be a clone created by Memoria and could be used by her, that was the reason.
"Even if she's a fake, she still has Victoria's memories, doesn't she? Do you truly not wish to kill Memoria?"
The Victoria who had lost her memories questioned the other her, who was terrified at the possibility of being a fake.