32 - The Saintess Descends (5)

The soft, squishy sensation. And at the same moment, the notification I'd been waiting for rang out in my head.

Woooong— pop! At that instant, something unbelievable happened.

Chiiiiiik... The light that had been fiercely trying to heal the wound on my side vanished. The regeneration stopped.

"Th-this... this is...?"

The saintess's eyeballs convulsed wildly within her eyelids. At that moment, the overwhelming, ominous holy aura enveloping her entire body snuffed out like a candle flame—whoosh.

Like a doll whose power source had been cut off.

"Ah..."

The saintess's body tilted forward powerlessly. I caught her falling form and gently laid her on the ground.

The saintess lay there naked and defenseless. She looked no different from an ordinary girl now.

"......."

Whoosh! Piarot suddenly dashed over and stood beside me. Her eyes glared with dripping murderous intent, as if she could sink her teeth into the saintess's throat at any second.

Shring. Piarot raised her hand, sharpening her ten fingernails into points. She looked ready to rip out a heart right then and there.

I quietly raised my hand to stop her arm.

"Why...? Get your hand off!! Evan!!"

Piarot looked at me with teary eyes, as if she couldn't comprehend. She must have mountains of questions. But now wasn't the time to indulge emotions.

"Don't kill her. There's still something I need to confirm."

I gazed down at the unconscious saintess with cold eyes. Now that I'd neutralized her with Resonance, it was time to uncover her true identity.

I quietly whispered to open the status window.

Ding—. With a cheerful alert sound, a blue hologram popped up.

The second slot in the Resonance list. Sera Argent's name was now clearly engraved where it had been empty.

The gamble I'd staked to neutralize the saintess had two big parts.

First, the activation condition for the Resonance system. The conditions to trigger the Resonance skill are clear: the intersection of affinity with the target and physical contact. Confessions require 50+ affinity. Kisses need 70+.

Achieving that affinity in this insane ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠situation seemed impossible. But I'd focused on the saintess's twisted words and actions.

[To all the pitiful beings of this world with love and mercy...]

[I love everything about you.]

Even if her way of expressing it was warped, she constantly sang of love. I recalled my first Resonance with Piarot. It must have been the same back then.

The system is mechanical. This damn system doesn't distinguish the 'direction' or 'color' of love. Whether it's rational affection, mad obsession, or twisted altruism. It only measures the intensity and depth of the emotion—the absolute energy value—and converts it into an affinity number.

Affinity doesn't have to be romantic love.

I'd bet everything on that fatal blind spot in the system.

Second, the source of her infinite regeneration. She defied the laws of physics. Arms severed, throat slit—she regenerated. Her mana never ran dry despite wounds that should have killed her hundreds of times. No demon could create energy endlessly from nothing.

So there was only one answer. She was receiving energy from an external source.

Then, just sever that connection.

Resonance is a skill ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that forcibly synchronizes my soul with the target's. Like a radio that can only tune to one frequency at a time. The moment she Resonated with me by force, her existing connection had no choice but to break.

Or at least, I hoped it would.

"Ha..."

I let out a short sigh as I looked at the fallen Sera. Staring at her details tab brought up a popup.

"So that's it. A demon after all."

All the mysteries were solved. Generally, creatures exposed to demonic energy meet death. But in extremely rare cases, some overcome the lethal dose and absorb it as their own power. Like the Black Rabbit we fought earlier.

If a beast overcomes demonic energy, it evolves into a magical beast. If a human does, they are reborn as a demon.

Was she kidnapped and forcibly injected? Or did she choose corruption willingly? The truth was unknowable, but the result was clear.

She had been reborn from the saintess worshipped by all into a demon, humanity's mortal enemy.

"......"

I touched my lips thoughtfully for a moment, lost in contemplation. In RPG games, the party's flower is undoubtedly the healer. And one with near-infinite mana and absolute regeneration? Her value is incalculable.

Could I use her?

The temptation flashed through my mind briefly. But I shook my head.

Impossible. She'd already crossed the line. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Leon, Kai, Hans senior... Too much blood on her hands.

More than that, the moment her demon nature was exposed, the Holy Kingdom and Empire wouldn't let her live. Carrying a demon saintess around would be like clutching a time bomb and jumping into fire.

Have to give her up, then.

I turned my head to Piarot standing behind me. Her red eyes were trembling.

"......Evan."

She asked in a quivering voice.

"That woman... she's like me? Is that it?"

I met her eyes for a moment, then nodded heavily and carefully.

"Yeah. Unfortunately."

"No way...."

Piarot bit her lip and bowed her head.

Kkiiieek—! At that moment, the sound of a tightly drawn bowstring tore through the silence.

"I can't forgive her!!"

Lina, who had crept up, aimed her bow at the fallen Sera with tears streaming down her face. The enemy who brutally murdered Leon, Kai, and Hans senior. Her rage was justified.

But I reflexively reached out and grabbed the bow.

"Let go!! Why!!! You saw what she did!!"

Lina screamed and tried to shake off my hand.

"We have to kill her! We can't let a monster like this live!!"

"Calm down, Lina."

I restrained her in my still emotionless, cold voice.

"She's lost her power. She's no threat anymore. I guarantee it."

"What does that matter! I'm getting revenge! For my comrades..."

"There's a way to use her that's worth more than killing her."

I stared straight into Lina's eyes and presented the most rational judgment.

"Hand her over alive to the Imperial Intelligence Department. As a 'demon' specimen and a spy who crossed the gate. Alive, she'll be far more valuable to humanity ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠than a corpse."

"Ah..."

At my firm persuasion, the strength drained from Lina's hand. Logic prioritizing the greater good over vengeance. She bit her lip, then slowly lowered her bow in frustration.

"Fine... You're right, Evan."

She nodded.

.

.

.

"Kuhuuuuk!!"

The suppressed pain exploded all at once, with interest. It felt like a red-hot iron poker was being shoved into my side and twisted around—a horrific agony.

Ah...

My vision spun. Sensation left my legs. I... couldn't stay sane anymore.

"Evan!!!!"

"Evan?!!"

Piarot and Lina screamed simultaneously.

I'd timed the recovery, but before my wound fully healed, the regeneration stopped due to Resonance. Faster than I thought.

Thud.

"Evan!! Stay with me!!"

Piarot caught my collapsing body. Her tear drops fell onto my cheek.

In my fading consciousness, I mustered my last strength to clutch Piarot's hem tightly.

"Piarot... cough! S-sorry."

"Don't talk! You're bleeding!!"

"It was the only way... gack, I could think of. To save you..."

I gazed at her desperately with blurry eyes.

"Not the wind... It's real... Don't misunderstand..."

My words left Piarot's face blank for a moment, then she burst into tearful shouting.

"You idiot!! Is that what you're worried about right now?!!"

"Yeah."

"Your gut's got a hole in it!! Blood pouring out like this!! Who cares about that!!"

She buried her face in my chest and sobbed.

"Just live!! Live and make your excuses, you moron!!"

I let out a relieved chuckle and slowly closed my eyes.

"Piarot... Lina... Take care... of the rest."

Drop.

Releasing her hem, my consciousness sank into deep darkness.

**

"E... Evan!!"

Evan's limp body burned like a fireball. Blood still seeped from his side.

"......"

As Piarot floundered, Lina moved quickly. She rummaged through Evan's bag on the ground and found the first-aid kit.

Clatter, click! Hemostatic agent and bandages in Lina's hands. Her hands trembled with fear, but her movements didn't stop.

She boldly sprayed the hemostatic and wrapped a pressure bandage around Evan's wound with skilled hands. Finally, the blood from the wound slowed.

"Th-thank you..."

Piarot expressed sincere gratitude.

"No problem. Senior and Evan saved me. I should be thanking you."

Lina wiped sweat and gave a faint smile.

"No, really... thank you."

Piarot stroked Evan's face once, then slowly stood.

Her red eyes shook.

"And... sorry."

"Huh?"

Puuk—!

"Gaaack!!!!!!!!"

A black spear erupted from Piarot's shadow, piercing defenseless Lina's abdomen and bursting out her back.

Gurgle. A mouthful of blood erupted from Lina's mouth.

With unbelieving eyes, she slowly turned to look at Piarot.

"Why... why..."

"Sorry, Lina..."

A tear fell from Piarot's eye.

Slash—! With her gesture, the spear arced. Lina's body split in half and collapsed onto the cold forest floor.