Chapter 274
Chapter 274
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Wish
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Being born as a fox yokai, cultivating for a thousand years, and ascending to the heavens to become a god was as instinctive as breathing itself.
It was the dream and very purpose of life for all fox spirits,
but was it really that easy for a yokai to reach those lofty skies?
Suppressing one's yokai instincts, turning away from the easy path, and enduring a millennium fueled solely by pure natural essence—that was the only way to claim the dream shared by every fox spirit.
Fail to reach it, and greedily devouring human essence would limit you to some half-baked lesser god, even if you somehow made it up there.
And so, to Yega—who was nearly ready to ascend—
"Gods are such ephemeral beings."
She wondered if the spot was even worth all that hardship.
Just a thousand years chasing the meaning of life handed down to her as a fox spirit, without a second thought.
Was the satisfaction of godhood enough to compensate for all the unfinished business left on earth?
'Even blocking those grotesque freaks ahead should be the gods' job by rights.'
Gazing up at the heavens through divination, she doubted they'd lend a hand anytime soon.
-Clank clank clank clank clank clank
Familiar white chains of light endlessly tried to coil around the heavens, only for storms and lightning to batter them back in defense. They wouldn't reach the earth until that mess was sorted.
"Hoo."
"Hey, hey. You done preparing? We held off a bit since you arrogantly claimed just two of you could stop us."
"And now one of them got dragged off by some weirdo."
"I could've handled it alone from the start."
The Sword Empress's reputation held true; she'd have been helpful,
but Mount Hua Sect techniques weren't made to fight abominations like these.
-Whoosh!
She might even have to hold back here.
"Hmm... That's no ordinary fire... Might actually hurt us a bit."
The translucent woman who'd been chattering lightly from the start.
Recalling how she'd spotted the fox ears at first glance, she must have eyes that see spirits.
She'd pierced through the transformation art to glimpse the soul.
"Whatever. She's still just a demon. Sure, fire's our weakness, but we've fought countless fire mages and spirits. Think she has some special defense against soul-burning flames?"
"Soul-burning flames, huh."
Wrong.
-KABOOM!!
"Kyaaah?!"
"What the hell, banshee! Can't you just shed your shell and let it pass through?!"
"I-it won't work! Put it out! Kyaaah!"
"What the..."
"I don't know what foes from other worlds you've faced before,"
"but you, girl! What trick did you pull?!"
"Just the basic nature of fire."
Fire's fundamental trait was burning something to gain power in return.
So she'd simply given it ample fuel.
-Fwoosh.
"Well? Can you still see the woman's ears and tail?"
"Y-youuuu!!!"
"Step aside and let my disciple pass, and I'll consider extinguishing it."
The golden flames flickering around now fed on everything of hers.
The essence piled up over a thousand years. An immense lifespan beyond counting as a yokai.
And her very identity as a yokai.
"Don't make me laugh!!! My spirit's already burning because of you... Kyaaah!!!"
"If you won't move, I'll just burn you out of the way."
Plenty more to burn, too.
Piles of corpses and ghosts stretched to the horizon—no shortage of fuel to keep the blaze roaring.
"Hup!"
-Bang!
-Fwoosh!
A corpse-stained thing lunged in the banshee's place as she writhed in agony, but it too was swiftly engulfed.
"...Demon. One question. Why fight so desperately?"
Impressive regeneration—even while burning, it tried to heal, but these flames weren't so easily stopped.
Not even a god could douse them without brute-forcing everything into raw power.
"What lies ahead that's worth torching everything you've built just to press on?"
"You're the ones blocking it, and you ask that?"
"We were just ordered to bar the path. We don't even know what she wants."
"...Her, huh."
She'd sensed something off back when their minds briefly linked.
It hid in a corner of her consciousness during the merge to avoid detection,
but the vampire's taunt unleashed a flood of emotions that shocked even Yega, who'd seen every ugly side over endless years.
Obsession with the hero they called... her disciple.
Whatever their past connection, she didn't care.
But
if that lunatic laid a finger on her disciple,
-Crunch
she'd burn every last scrap and make sure nothing survived intact.
* * *
-Clang!!
-Grind!!
"Urk!"
"Ahaha! Not looking so smug now, are we? Something bothering you?"
"You really...!"
-Krazzle!!
Blue lightning clashed and shattered against white light.
Even to me, a total novice at fighting, it looked like Erdel had the upper hand.
Ye Socheon was scrambling to block, her confident expression crumbling,
while Erdel swung her spear with a smile that never faded.
Objectively stunning, but to me now, it was pure terror.
"Why stare like that, hero? Can't wait for the eternal ages we'll spend together? Of course not. How could you not love it? I, Erdel, exist for you, hero. No way you'd dislike me."
"..."
Like or dislike? She didn't even feel human anymore—how could I judge?
"No way you'd dislike me, right? Ah, it's that master of yours, isn't it? She warped your tastes. No worries. If you want these breasts bigger or smaller, I, Erdel, can adjust them however you like."
...Did she truly believe that? Or was it mockery?
"Hngh!!"
-BOOM!!
"Ahaha! Interrupting me mid-sentence? Barbarian world must not teach manners."
"I don't wanna hear that from you!!!"
"I'm the one who should be mad, so why are you raging? Do you know how long I had to sit twiddling my thumbs, just watching over you because of you lot?"
"You'll spend your whole life like that from now on...!!!"
-Rumble!
...If Ye Socheon won this fight, would it all end?
Defeat Erdel... live happily in the martial world...
-Drip.
"...Hic."
What nonsense was I spouting? I'd just been plotting to flee to Earth.
Terrified and disillusioned with life here, only to get slapped awake.
Win or lose against Erdel, the outcome was unknown terror either way.
Even if she beat her, it'd just be status quo.
I'd screamed I hated women,
but escape was impossible no matter what.
"Why... why..."
Why was I born too weak to do anything alone?
Why only good at throwing tantrums at women and pleasing them?
A world-saving hero, yet powerless to save myself?
'Master...'
My heart in turmoil—I truly didn't know anymore.
What should I do? Did I really loathe women that much, or was it just self-brainwashing?
All I could do was silently scream her name inside.
Without it, the storm of emotions would burst my head.
As I clawed my hair in agony, my senses faded,
and thinking I'd pass out again, I surrendered to the haze,
"......"
"Wake up, you brat."
-Snap!
"Ow!"
A sharp flick to my forehead yanked my mind back to the surface.
"Ow ow ow..."
"Always such a handful. Time passes, but you never change."
"Wh-who..."
-Freeze.
When I came to, the scenery had shifted from moments ago.
Books and scrolls everywhere,
and the room's apparent owner—a woman frowning irritably down at me—looked familiar.
That voice sometimes echoed directly in my head via divination.
And she resembled Ye Socheon but far taller, like what Ye Socheon might look like fully grown...
"Hea-Heavenly Lord?"
"No honorifics?"
-Snap!
"Aghhh..."
"Singing about wanting to be alone, but leave you truly by yourself and your head fills with gloom."
"Y-you could've just told me..."
"If I'd told you and you listened, sure."
-Pinch
-Stretch
"Gaaahhh."
"Who was it begging not to go back to Earth, asking to stay here? What am I supposed to do now?"
"...Wh-what's th-that s'posed to m-mean?"
"Sigh. Showing beats explaining. Here—records from back then. Take a look."
The Heavenly Lord tossed me a shimmering mass of blue text,
"...Wha'ever th-this iiiiis"
-Smack
A kiss on my forehead, warm with affection, and consciousness slipped away once more.