Chapter 239
Chapter 239
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 239
Chapter Title: Goddess Rampage -3
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"Form ranks! Don't look at her—sense her with your instincts and engage!"
"But Captain, even with our eyes closed...!"
A succubus's allure was ultimately the spread of malicious information. Just as the mad wizard had crafted pheromones tailored only for them and scattered them about, Yuri Lanster was emanating a pervasive sensuality that seeped in even with eyes shut.
"You chase pleasure and delight in place of virtue—how could you possibly turn your eyes from me?"
As if she were a proper holy knight.
It built slowly. Emotions foreign to their hearts sloshed and swelled within them.
Not comparable to the Succubus Queen's power, which had enslaved the extermination squad merely by her presence—but it was enough.
Yuri Lanster snapped her fingers.
"『Black: True Desire Incineration』."
"Kugh, graaaah?!"
"Wh-what's happening? Her divine beast ability?!"
Boom──!!
A few whose mental barriers were weak, allowing emotions to pile up swiftly, were caught in sudden explosions from within their own bodies and screamed. Black smoke billowed thickly from their noses and mouths.
Without the mad wizard's formidable mental barriers, they would burst eventually. She could annihilate the holy knights simply by standing there.
Time-bomb necklaces around their necks. Realizing this, the holy knights made their decision. They charged at Yuri Lanster to kill her.
Thirty men encircled and rushed one woman.
"If we drag this out, we'll explode. Kill her first!"
"Not a sound judgment. What Mimah feared wasn't that I'd fall to you... but that we'd let you slip away."
Hands and feet.
Refusing to use her racial powers, she opted for primal martial arts—striking foes with her limbs. Even without succubus strength, her training remained.
Swoosh, smack!
Deflecting a swinging sword with her forearm, then a punch to the jaw.
Dropping low to the ground to trip a foe with her foot, then a spinning heel kick to the head as she rose. Flipping midair to dodge a spear tip.
Clank──!
Wrapping chains around one holy knight and yanking him tight as a shield, blocking a greatsword—all in three seconds.
The holy knights hadn't scratched her, yet she'd already felled three. Yuri Lanster whispered softly.
"...As long as you focus on me, I could beat you thirty times in a row."
Boom, boooom──!!
"Guh...!"
Emotions still swelled. They burst. Victims emerged one by one among the holy knights. They had to catch that succubus and end this soon...
"Come on."
"......"
But capturing the raging wolf seemed impossible. From the battle's outset, the holy knights sensed defeat.
"...So that's the holy sword, huh?"
"Yeah, it's sparking like crazy. With holy power!"
The holy sword was deeply embedded in a rock, radiating eerie lightning around it. The surroundings were a scorched mess. The ground was blackened and charred from the fallen Divine Punishment.
The rock holding the sword unscathed suggested it functioned as part of the blade—perhaps like a storage vault.
Crackle, crack!
The holy sword seemed venomously eager, vowing to fry any who touched it in divine batter.
We had to make contact...
"Evil God-chan."
"What."
"Gonna pluck some of your scales. Make lightning rods."
"Am I a chicken...?"
Evil God-chan grumbled in disbelief but knew the stakes and dutifully provided dragon scales. I embedded the shards into the foreheads of the Red Duke's puppets.
"......"
Organic lightning rods complete. I'd sacrifice these guys to draw the goddess's aggro whenever things got dicey.
"『Three Dogs Guarding the Goddess』!"
"『......』."
Tara and Niore were ready. A golden shield bloomed like an umbrella in the air, overlaid with black mucus.
And Yuna.
"Beyond the boundary, the idea born where human dreams touch— from that infinite realm, I seek to draw forth what I desire. I inquire of the mirror's face again. Is it there? Truly, is it there?"
⟨ Fantasy Realm Sublimation ⟩
Amid the raging mana storm, she prepared an absurdly long incantation.
Verses I'd never heard. The mana flow and arrangement in her body were distinctly unusual. Some new school I didn't know?
Perhaps the lost half of the Violet Magic Tower—summoning magic.
Bennett drew Conviction and prepared.
As I approached the holy sword, I gave final instructions.
"Everyone, hold only as long as you can, then bail. Don't get stubborn and fried by holy power. Value your lives. Except Red Duke."
"...Please, wizard."
The mood too heavy? I struck a cocky pose and joked.
"Once I save the city, print huge portraits of me and hang 'em up. Treat me like a hero. Heap gold, jewels, gourmet feasts on me."
"......"
Bennett eyed me with deep pity. Better this vibe than needless drama. I took a deep breath, reached for the holy sword...
And gripped it.
────.
I snapped to.
Ever been fully anesthetized? That's exactly it. Consciousness vanished without notice. How long?
Time-check module: About one second unconscious. Emergency consciousness reboot activated; holy power infiltrating body.
Fiery stuff.
Goddess counter-hacking. Rough, crackling holy power ravaged my body, scanning. Below the neck fully breached; bundle climbing toward my head.
Those pulling the sword get body-searched like this? Explained why cardinal faction hero candidates got nicely roasted. Evil God-chan's scales would've been spotted.
Couldn't let that happen to me.
Defense to modules. Trust my mental barrier's cunning. No other options. Brute force? I'd lose.
Only path: Complete hack before she reads my whole body.
"If it is there, behold me. As I gaze upon you beyond the mirror, gaze upon me. Let our hands overlap, until we pull each other forth."
⟨ Incantation Continuation ⟩
Using the Tower Master's serene chant as white noise, I focused.
Grrrk.
Gripping the hilt so hard my skin paled. Felt the vast conduit linked to the distant sky. As predicted, holy sword was goddess terminal.
Hack it. Sharpen info and hurl.
Spacious path; slight mana puff sends it racing. Already grazed goddess's 'surface.'
Compared to reverse-tracing Divine Punishment, like back alley vs. highway.
Gnaw surface, burrow in. Spread like plant roots, finely branching. Must search wide.
Find part controlling 'admin purge protocol' in this filthy huge goddess.
Then.
Hairs stood on end; skin stung fiercely. Trumpet blared clearly from goddess's interior.
Click-click-click.
"...It's coming!"
Rooooar──!!
A waterfall of light cascaded over my head like baptism. It split left and right against Tara and Niore's umbrella. I stood inside the curtain of light.
Romantic words, but dizzying heat in that beautiful glow.
Strands of Divine Punishment diverted to Red Duke puppets, dispersing power. Good call bringing them.
Creak.
Ominous sound from overhead shield. Few seconds to shatter? No, don't panic. Trust. Believe they'll hold.
Then Tara's gritted voice from outside.
"If this is Divine Punishment... the goddess could rage this much...?"
She'd ignored her parents' deaths but loathed the goddess unleashing this now.
Beyond the light curtain, Tara's shadow flickered. Gripping what looked like a magic sword, heading here...?
Stab──!
I nearly screamed at the blade sprouting before me. Tip halted thirty centimeters from my nose.
Thorns of Uttermost Regret sprouted from the magic sword.
"If you're indifferent, be indifferent to the end──!!"
Tara began absorbing the goddess's Divine Punishment. Converting the filled holy power into holy magic, bolstering the shield.
Balance held. Still creaking chillingly, but recovery outpaced breakage.
Continue hacking...
Centuries of goddess church records? Skip. Useless.
Map data of spirit herbs and elixirs worldwide? Tempting, no resources here.
Past saintesses' body modeling data? No, stay focused. Really. Even if outfits were hot...
Creak.
Shield center dented instantly. Beam thickness same, density tripled. Blinding intensity.
Uttermost Regret's thorny vines burned away, unable to keep up.
Then Bennett stepped up.
"I wished to protect. That heart unchanged... I know what to do."
Conviction, the unbreakable sword unless heart falters, transformed.
Blade glowed softly; unbreakability spread—to shield, Tara's divine beast.
Holy shield crumpled badly but held precariously. Bennett's resolve sustained its durability.
"Even if you're a god── you won't break my heart!"
Reliable. How'd he grow so well? Proud.
Continue hacking...
Pierce goddess resistance. Bypass shields, hunt hides, relentless hunter arrows.
Crown Hall origins, imperial blood secrets. Abandon.
Active countermeasures vs. cognition-empowered beings. Regretful. Abandon.
On the unnameable foe. Damn, abandon. Later.
Finally reached goddess's Judgment Organ.
Immediate reaction.
Light beams briefly dimmed. Then.
The sun rose.
Fake day had no sun; now one appeared. About to smite with it. Almost there...
"Beyond the mirror lies a wondrous, colossal beast resembling a tortoise, guardian of the north. Come from fantasy, 『Black Tortoise』."
⟨ Summons: Black Tortoise ⟩
...Yuna's incantation complete!
Crack. Craaack.
A rift tore open; a building-sized tortoise lumbered forth. Each step shook the earth.
She could summon that?!
Yuna called it Black Tortoise, but ambiguous—eagle and hippo traits mixed in.
Like a cheeseburger made with whatever ingredients handy.
Yuna added.
"Holocaust Ascension -『Fantasy Realm: Gate Open』."
⟨ Gate of Fantasy ⟩
Craaack──!
Another stroke in the rift.
Behind the Violet Tower Master, a cross-shaped rift formed, engulfing the area, blurring fantasy and reality.
The ambiguous tortoise became a true snake-tortoise from my homeland's tales.
Sun plunged as if waiting.
Violet Tower Master vs. goddess clash—I missed it. Breached Judgment Organ just before...
My consciousness sucked into the goddess's interior.
Indescribable space. Pitch black with swaying blue lines, info fragments floating in a tank. Like universe or wardrobe interior.
Goddess's will beamed direct into my mind.
"......"
Recognized differences? Or...
No history of wrecking lives under 'that' one's sway. No priors, no punishment.
Not hostile. Good enough.
"Name?"
Dialogue works. Bit different from expected... but chance to sway goddess's mind.
Asked why wipe the city.
She explained in detail. Device to improve world; designed for 'god' updates as civilization advances.
But all three admins failing roles.
Her nemesis, greatest threat. 'That' trace detected. Feared security exploit twisting 'goddess' itself, chose erasure.
I persuaded gently.
"Too extreme? Stats wrong, weights off. Blowing one city... kills that many innocents."
"Groups without self-correction rot. But look. Reformists emerged; Bennett's hustling. Church improving. Turmoil was... labor pains."
Evil Dragon = 'that' apparently.
What'd 'that' do to warrant this paranoia? Useless in my life.
But this massive goddess had 'desire' too. Persuadable. Seemed human-serving.
"You're glitchy. Partially broken."
"Core values intact, though. You want humans advancing. And... I got data. Tales from a world without gods or magic."
[-.]
Earth's tumultuous history. No gods/magic, but fierce drive to improve world.
This'd help you nurture humans ahead, right?
Proposed deal.
"Lower punishment severity. Spare innocents; punish only guilty. Strip holy power from scum, give us time to fix church cleanly."
Programmed to serve humans mechanically; can't violate core principles. Even cardinal trash laws unchangeable.
Kick out troublemakers, wait for your 'self-correction.' Convinced, deal struck.
Clause 1 key.
Bennett, Northern Grand Duke's champion, Siselle Yurensuto—ejected randomly...
Indirect involvement included. Me, Red Duke, old cardinals too.
Non-involved, or minor enough omitted, stay. Like Yuna, Yuri.
And Reformists I freeloaded off for tournament ops.
Enemies ousted, our core remains. Seize church, claim power center swiftly.
Good. Somehow...
Random eject.
Fine. Confident surviving any backwater. Who am I? Illusion mage beating divine beasts.
Just Evil God-chan's ordeal briefly mine.
Unplanned vacation. Teleport anywhere, dash to nearest tower, text Yuna "doing fine."
Laze back to academy. By then, Reformists devour church, new saint/hero, thriving.
"...?"
Wait.
All me.
Blink.
Eyes open: Pillowed on Yuna's lap.
"...Y-you're awake."
"Emergency──!!"
"Eek...?!"
No time. Outdated AI tin-can goddess counted my aliases separately. Spine chilled, tongue dry.
Target lock...
If Compulsory Banishment tags one person multiple times.
Hope: Thirty teleports. Severe nausea, bedridden days.
Despair:
"...Hraaaaaagh!!"
"Wh-why?! S-suddenly, ugh?! Y-your body's glowing in pieces...!!"
Yeah.
Body shreds into pieces, scatters everywhere.
Admire my talent fooling even goddess, or curse her incompetence for thirty deaths...?
Why twist the knife at the end!
Quick scan: Yuna's sublimation holds. This. Can survive.
"Listen up. Tower Master—no, Yuna!"
"Y-yeah!"
"I'll split into dozens, scatter continent-wide—don't freak..."
"How not freak?!"
Yuna paled at thunderbolt news. I kneaded her cheeks soothingly, calming myself too.
"Not dying, so find me! Collect mini mad wizards, assemble! I trust you, Tower Master!"
"Wh-what happened, what're you doing?!"
"Race change!"
Yeah.
Undying even shredded: Turn body to info. Become info-lifeform like succubi, survive...
Yuna's sublimation blurs fantasy/reality. Possible. Doable. Hastily data-converted body components.
Flash, flash──!
Blinking intensified, warning Compulsory Banishment imminent. Glanced: Bennett's group panicking.
I rapid-fired.
"Hero, all banished! Cardinals too! Random continent teleport! Holy City abandoned! Reformists take it!"
"What happened...?!"
"Not really dying, don't worry—don't abandon like Evil God-chan, find me. Love you Yuna, Yuri! See ya!"
"Heek...!!"
Last sight: Yuna torn between joy and faint at death flag ambiguity.
I scattered as dozens of mini mad wizards across the continent.
What the hell happened.
Mass disappearance plus mad wizard split into dozens of lights scattering skyward. Yuna stood stunned, shocked.
Not worried he'd died. His last words too lame for deathbed. Said alive, so probably.
Guessed his plan: Saw body info-fy; collect pieces, reassemble literally.
But that wasn't the issue.
"......"
"......"
Where he vanished.
A dramatically younger boy Mimah sat—height halved, shrunken. Black hair, red eyes same.
Red eyes no longer ominous. No gloominess. Infinite serenity, mood-lifting.
Yuna asked cautiously.
"...Who are you?"
"My name is Promise. You know me, but maybe first time for you... Nice to meet. For your question, quickest intro: I'm his module. Think clone."
Boy answered calmly.
Northern regions, Julius Grand Duke mansion.
"...How'd you get in?"
"Ahaha, um... somehow. I'm Heart—need a maid?"
Mental care & counseling module. Self-styled Heart.
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Great Forest somewhere.
"Blown away by goddess? What happened, mad wizard? And what's that getup."
"Heh... Who knows. Fascinating, Bennett. Answering needs time. Hate unconfirmed guesses."
"...Three times shadier. Truly mad now?"
Suspiciousness & theatrics module.
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Imperial capital Crown Hall, famous dessert cafe.
"Am I hallucinating... Kim Ruru, you seeing th─"
"Squash it!!"
"Uh, um... H-hi Mong! Doing well?"
Security & apprehension module. Nickname: Squash.
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And, some trail.
"...Nearest magic tower?"
"Crimson Tower."
"Could I bum some stuff? I'm normally amazing wizard, but off-day—magic's fizzling..."
Main body, specs tanked from thirty-way split scattering clones continent-wide.
Crashed near Crimson Tower.