Apostle of Gentleness -6-
"...Oh."
Hiding in the tree, I observed the rapidly unfolding battle.
Watching Mihail's fight from the east.
-Huff... huff...
-You ruined everything.
-...
-That kid got hurt because of you.
Gazing at Yuria, who was fleeing desperately through the northern forest.
-Why can't you remember?
-I... I...!
-You stabbed her. With your own hands, and then you said you hated her, that you despised her!
-Shut up...!!!
-Why? It didn't hurt you, so that makes it okay?
Watching Ruin's defeat from the west.
-Useless bastard.
-Fuck youuuu!!!
-Opportunist. Hypocrite.
-I know, so stay the hell away!
-Why? You said you see into people's hearts. Maybe you should look into yours.
They were fighting quite well. The crown prince had won his battle. Mihail was struggling but holding on. Yuria was slowly gaining the upper hand. Even though this clone wasn't exactly like the one from the novel, everyone was managing—except Ruin, that is.
"Hmm..."
The problem was the center, wasn't it?
I landed lightly on the ground and nodded as I moved the unconscious student council officers to a safe spot.
"This should keep them from getting swept up and killed."
At this distance, they wouldn't get caught in the clash between Rowen and Elishea. Monster fights could create shockwaves that wrecked everything nearby.
More importantly, right now... the center.
"This is tough."
I was worried about Hanna, facing off against the apostle. She wasn't in the novel, so I couldn't predict what might happen. Part of me was excited to see how this character, revived on a whim by the possessor, would navigate it all—but another part was scared. What if she got swept up in the apostle's whims?
Still, she was doing great. In the original story, Shartia overcame her inner fears and shattered the ring's gem, but she took heavy damage in the process.
-Ah... ah... ah...
-I... I couldn't do anything...
-I'm scared... I don't want to do anything...!
I was relieved we'd avoided that tragedy.
"Good thing."
Thanks to Hanna, the episode where Shartia falls for Mihail was probably skipped too.
Ah, unnecessary worry. She's a girl.
'Fuck.'
Anyway...
-Crack!!!
-Urk...!
Hanna looked exhausted. She was putting up a good fight against the apostle, but strictly speaking, Elishea was just toying with her. A closer look showed she wasn't winning. The initial surprise attack had worked by luck, but it might have been within the apostle's expectations. Apostles were monsters, after all.
Elishea was overwhelming Hanna. She transformed nearby trees into thin needles and fired them off, softened the ground to restrict movement. She was playing with her out of curiosity—how far could this girl withstand her attacks?
-Senior...! How much longer?!
-The signal's gone out, so the knights should be here soon!
-I'm really struggling here...!
-Boom!!!
As Hanna started to falter, I began gathering mana at my fingertips. I couldn't charge in blindly. I had to time it right.
'Not yet.'
The story was progressing well enough for now. Elishea hadn't shown her true power yet, and Shartia could still join the fight. I held my breath, waiting for the moment.
If she could hold out just three minutes, the knights would arrive. As long as Hanna endured that long, it wouldn't derail the story or her growth.
Even so, red lightning crackled at my fingertips. I gathered mana, ready to unleash it if any variable arose. Growth was important, but Hanna was precious to me. I wanted to protect the people I cared about, even if it meant shouldering the burden.
"Gotta know when to stop helping out."
I couldn't aid her forever.
",,,"
But what can you do when she tugs at your heartstrings? It must be the possessor's instinct. Or maybe just a man's pride with a pretty girl right in front of him.
I grinned sheepishly and focused all my attention on Hanna.
Elishea gazed at Hanna with an amused smile.
"As expected of Histania."
"Hoo..."
"Is chosen blood different after all?"
Elishea effortlessly dodged Hanna's swift sword strike and flashed a leisurely smile. Then she began to shift the flow of the battle.
"Then I suppose I should show proper respect."
"Here it comes..."
"Respect for the empire's hero."
Elishea made no grand gestures. Just a small wave in the air, extending her reach.
-Rumble...
The heavens and earth trembled. Dark clouds formed in the sky. A massive thundercloud swirled above Hanna's head, awaiting its master's command.
"What...?"
Hanna stared up at the thundercloud with a hollow expression. She couldn't believe a person had conjured something so enormous; she let out a hollow laugh.
"Hahaha... fuck."
The thunder-laden clouds, poised to strike at any moment, poured down toward Hanna at Elishea's slight gesture.
-Krakakakaka!!!
The ground shook. Hanna, who had taken Elishea's attack head-on, grimaced and staggered, her legs unsteady. Lightning's attribute made movement impossible.
I shook out my tingling hands and smirked bitterly. I'd mitigated some of the shock with magic, but there was a limit to helping without being noticed.
"Can't let this go on."
With the situation turning ugly, I placed my hand on my sword and loosened up. I had to stop it before anyone got hurt.
I drew up my aura and targeted Elishea's neck.
...Initiating
"Huh...?"
As I gathered aura, I released the sword hilt, sensing the violent energy approaching from below the mountain. A monster was coming.
"You're here."
I'd expected them late, but they arrived sooner than thought. Luckily, I wouldn't need to step in for this episode. Sturdy reinforcements were about to arrive.
"Phew..."
Tension easing, I let out a satisfied sigh and a relieved smile. These outings were fulfilling my duties as a possessor. The end was in sight—or so I thought.
Elishea, sensing Rowen's energy, needed to retreat.
-This has been fun.
Elishea smiled at Hanna.
"Histania Hanna, saintess."
"..."
"I like you."
"Bullshit."
"I like how you've scraped by without your family's recognition."
Elishea approached Hanna with a smile in her eyes.
"Why is that? There's a strange scent about you. The thick aroma of someone who should have died."
"...What the hell are you talking about?"
"I've never died myself, but still. Why do you smell like that?"
"...You're insane?"
"Heh heh... maybe."
Elishea took another step toward Hanna and voiced her feelings.
"I see potential in you, Hanna. Serve our god, and you could grow into an apostle like me."
"Cut the crap and get lost."
"Haha... that's what makes me want you more."
Elishea smiled.
"Ever lost someone precious?"
"What?"
"Someone you'd want to revive, even if it meant dying yourself, even if the world forgot you."
"..."
"You've lost someone. Otherwise, you wouldn't reek of it. The stench of profound regret clings to you. I haven't said it, but some others carry the same scent."
"If anything, yours is stronger, not weaker."
Elishea glanced at the spot where the officers had been, sighing wistfully.
"But you seem to have the greatest talent for apostleship."
"..."
"Do you have someone precious?"
"What are you getting at?"
"If so, I'll kill them for you. Make you turn to our side."
"Shut up."
"Haha...!"
Elishea laughed like a madwoman, then abruptly stopped and glared at Hanna.
"Tell me."
"..."
"Lose your son to these people like I did. Let yourself break like me."
"Huh?"
'Oh. This is bad.'
I jolted at Elishea's words, gathering mana in my hand. The moment she lost control was when she spoke of her past—that was the sign she would unleash her full apostolic power.
"Can't let this happen."
Rowen seemed to have linked up with the others. He was blocking Elishea's attacks while rapidly approaching. But Hanna didn't have time to block Elishea's next move. The apostle's power could uproot the entire mountain.
I gritted my teeth and charged toward Hanna.
Testing the limits of Agility.
As Elishea's mana enveloped Hanna's body and her hand reached out, I shot forward like lightning.
Red lightning poured from the sky. Unblockable bolts surged at blinding speed, sealing Elishea's movements.
My figure emerged from the rising cloud of dust.
And when Elishea saw my face...
"Who are you... uh...?"
She began vomiting up her guts.
"Urghhh!!!"
Staring at me in disbelief.
"Wh-what... are you...!"
She screamed at me.
"You..."
Her terrified eyes fixed on me.
"How many times have you died...?"
To Elishea's eyes, Ricardo looked like a demon. Regret, rage, jealousy, disgust, sacrifice—all emotions tangled in black. Elishea saw people's sorrows, fragments of their lives. But Ricardo's life was a grotesque web, like someone who had died countless times.