Everyone Get Out of the Arena (7)
Basically, the Goddess's blessing is meant for fighting demons and taking down the Demon King, but depending on your achievements, you can get just about anything out of it. And for using my Goddess Points, I demanded someone's soul. One woman who would otherwise end up as a mere Tutorial NPC, forgetting all her memories if I just left.
"First up, the vampire Chekhov. I'm making Chekhov's soul my familiar."
"...Reserve hero Yoo Si-woo."
"Yeah."
"I know there's nothing I can do to change a decision you've already made. But please understand that I can't help but voice my concerns."
"I get it."
Estiel's voice was thick with worry. A simple cheat skill wouldn't throw too many variables into the mix, but claiming the soul of someone stronger than me right now as a familiar? That could be a problem in itself.
"Chekhov is a figure from the past. In that world, she's long dead. And to some of the heroes who've already passed over, she was... the administrator of a brutally difficult Tutorial stage."
"Right. They probably just saw her as an NPC."
"And you want to take in a being like that. Especially an administrator. Have you thought about what comes after?"
"Of course I have. Chekhov's the 'keystone.' If I take her out of this world... everything else tied to her will vanish."
Chekhov disappears from Chekhov's Arena? Chekhov runs the place, and the entire system runs on her blood magic. The vampire referees can keep tight control inside thanks to her, or else the inmates would revolt. They called it A-rank difficulty. Without her, it'd drop to some forgettable stage that no one pays attention to, maybe just lingering in the records.
"Or maybe a replacement Chekhov shows up. Chekhov's soul is gone, but the Tutorial overseer role gets filled."
"Precisely, an angel would take over that role. Or rather, it was the other way around—Chekhov was filling in for what an angel should have done."
"Oh? So this time around, you just watched?"
"Coincidentally, yes. If I meddled unnecessarily, it could cause issues, and above all, Chekhov had the Goddess's blessing. No reason for us to interfere."
"Makes sense. Wouldn't want to piss off Chekhov and have her withhold Goddess Points from some poor bastard who earned them."
The first clear could be excused, but Chekhov's hero qualification hadn't gone to a single soul since. Even while she managed the stage as a pseudo-angel, no one got it. You think she'd hand it over if an angel started backseat-driving like, "That's not how you run a stage"? It'd be like handing over her life, her very existence.
"If Chekhov vanishes, the souls inside don't all cease to exist, right?"
"No, they persist. But unless someone summons the stage, they'll just sit archived in the heavenly soul vault forever. Until after the Demon King dies and some moment comes to scatter them into the mortal world for reincarnation."
"And while archived, they can't do anything?"
"Think of it as dormant... like a human in a vegetative state."
"Then when a Tutorial stage starts, they wake up with their past memories and live out the world set for the Tutorial, no questions asked."
The Tutorial stage system was more profound than I'd thought.
"Doesn't matter. Whether the arena's souls rot in heaven's archives or not, I'm taking Chekhov with me."
Guilt over the moment their minds reawaken? Nah.
"Chekhov and Shemiri. Use the Goddess Points to pull their souls out separately."
Doesn't matter.
"I don't care how many souls are left behind."
Even if they end up like a half-assed game you play for five minutes and abandon, existing without ever being used in a Tutorial stage, the only ones I give a shit about in there are those two.
"...Understood. It's not finalized yet, so I'll try to persuade you otherwise."
"You just said you couldn't even convince yourself."
"Just in case there's something you're overlooking. If you're about to take some miracle drug that's 'great for your body,' but it turns out the side effect is impotence and you didn't know... I have a duty to point it out."
"......Damn, that analogy kills my counterargument. Fine. What's worrying you?"
"First off, you can only take one soul with you."
"What?"
That was unexpected.
"Goddess Points, though?"
"It's converting a soul that's already dead, bound to heaven for ages, into personal property. Not impossible, but worn down by mortal suffering and 29 rounds, the efficiency will be abysmal."
"Efficiency, huh."
"Yes. Simply put, even if you familiar both, you won't get their current power levels out of them."
...?
"Hold up. Both? You said only one."
"Ah. Well... not wrong. I was gonna surprise you, but I can't mention details right now."
"......."
Can't mention it. If she can't talk about something done via Goddess Points, it's probably related to another use of them.
Shin Yu-hee?
A hunch, but if she reached the same conclusion as me...
Did she nail it, or is she just that selfless?
Probably arrived at it through chit-chat. Estiel wouldn't have led her there. Easier to just toss a cheat perk than deal with pulling souls from Tutorial stages.
"Fine, won't pry. Can you pull Chekhov's soul? Administrator or whatever—just her one."
"The soul, yes. But her power will be faint. Even as a familiar, it'll drain your mana."
"So if my mana isn't enough, I can't summon Chekhov?"
"Exactly. At first, maybe just bat-sized. A tiny 'familiar' form. But... that's not what you want, is it?"
She made a ring with her fingers and poked it lewdly.
"You're not after Chekhov's combat skills—you want this. And that? It'll take massive mana and time."
"Hence, inefficient."
"Yes. ...There are plenty of vampires. More white-haired red-eyed female ones than you'd think, including virgins. If it's vampire sex you want, I'd suggest saving the points for them."
Sound advice. Zero flaws.
But no.
"Creating a body later for a soul like Chekhov's level, and making it move? That'd take insane mana, right?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll stockpile. Not now, but when the time comes, give Chekhov a body made just for her and fuck her."
I can't fuck the current Chekhov—but wait. This might be better.
Since I'm walking the blood magic path anyway, having the master by my side is a boon, not a curse.
"Estiel."
"Yes, speak."
"Can you summon the one who'll use the Goddess Points? Right here, right now?"
"Of course."
Estiel snapped her fingers like she'd expected it.
Shhh.
And there was Chekhov. In the frozen world, she suddenly regained color, blinking in confusion at her surroundings until she spotted Estiel.
"...So this is my end."
"What bullshit is that?"
"Huh?"
She'd been gazing wistfully at the angel, but gaped in shock when she saw me.
"You... how...?"
"I picked you. Using the Goddess's blessing to make you my familiar and take you with me."
"......What?"
"No refusals. Decision's made. You're mine now."
"W-wait. Then the arena...!"
"The souls bound to it remain."
Estiel tapped a screen floating in the air to answer.
"The arena stage will be restructured by angels who specialize in stages. You and one other soul won't be there."
"...Why?"
Chekhov turned to me.
"Why me? You could use that miracle for something way more valuable than a useless dead woman like me...!"
"I decide the value. And..."
I approached the bewildered Chekhov, lifting her chin with my hand.
"What kind of hero can't even claim one woman he wants to fuck?"