Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Is Alter
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"Ow ow... it hurts..."
"Want me to hit you harder?"
"Eek..."
Frelia clutched her forehead, her eyes glistening with tears.
Her forehead had turned red from the blow.
"Sniff... So, who the hell are you?"
"...Ah, that's what I want to ask too."
The atmosphere had clearly been one of scolding Frelia, but her question instantly shifted the target to Ruin.
"!! W-Well, you see...? Uh, it might be better if you didn't know—"
"You're the Hero, aren't you?"
"Wh-What?! H-How?!"
Ruin jumped in shock at Ariana's casual revelation of his identity.
And Ariana responded as if it were no big deal.
"There's no way I, a Saintess, wouldn't recognize the Hero."
"Ariana... ngh...!"
'As expected, even if she acts cold and rude on the outside, looking at me like I'm trash, deep down she—'
"What are you crying about like you did something great? It's obvious you got your ass handed to you by some Black Mage somewhere. Your speech patterns and that flippant vibe scream it, no matter how much your looks have changed."
"... "
"What?"
"...Nothing."
Ruin swallowed his frustration, thinking Of course.
Ariana opened her mouth again as she looked at him.
"Still... compared to how flippant and rough you were before, you're at least tolerable now."
"Oh?"
"And with those pretty looks, just don't harass women and go after men instead—"
"Hey!!!"
Ruin's face flushed red as he fumed.
"Whoa, now that your looks have changed, even your anger looks good on you."
"What? Y-You...!"
Ruin's entire body trembled.
Finally...
"Fine! I only came because that bastard Is kept begging me! I'm out, so you all figure it out yourselves!"
He stormed off in a huff.
"H-Hey?! W-Wait! Is called you here?! Hold on!"
"Forget it! Fuck off, all of you!"
"Oh no... Frelia! Grab him!"
"Uh, o-okay? Is that fine...?"
"Hurry!"
"O-Okay! Bind!"
-Clink!
Chains made of mana appeared in the air and wrapped around Ruin.
But...
-Slash!
"Get lost!"
"He sliced through mana chains?!"
With a single swing, Ruin severed all the chains.
He flipped them off with the middle finger over his shoulder before racing down the stairs.
"No!"
"Hey! Wait!"
Ariana grew urgent at the mention of Is calling him, while Frelia sensed that letting him go would be bad, no matter what.
The two hurriedly chased after him down the stairs.
- Trip.
"Kyaa?!"
"Eek?!"
Their legs tangled, and they tumbled down the stairs.
-Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The painful sounds made even Ruin, who had reached the bottom, turn back.
"Wh-What the hell! You two okay?!"
He approached the pair sprawled at the bottom, sweating bullets.
They lay completely still.
Ruin frantically reached out to Ariana, and at that moment, both Ariana and Frelia opened their eyes.
"Now!"
They both thrust their hands toward Ruin simultaneously.
But in the blink of an eye, Ruin yanked his hand back and retreated.
"You bitches tried to trick me? Piss off! I'm leaving!"
Feeling utterly duped, Ruin's face grew even redder.
He strode forward, flung open the magic tower door, and stepped out.
-Poke.
"Ow. What the?"
He bumped into someone at the door.
"What the fu—"
As he lifted his head, cursing as usual...
"What the fuck."
"...Is?"
There stood "Is," with near-black gray hair and red eyes.
"Why's your hair and eye color—"
"Move."
Is roughly shoved Ruin aside.
Ignoring the frozen Ruin in shock, Is walked on calmly.
"I-Is...?"
Ariana was just as flustered.
Seeing what looked just like Ruin, she rushed toward Is desperately.
Ariana pressed close to Is, her face full of worry.
"Is, are you okay? You seem... different somehow..."
She reached out to caress his cheek, and at that instant...
-Slap!
"Huh...?"
Is smacked her hand away.
"Fuck, Saintess. Even if we've gotten close, there's a line, right? Got it?"
"Uh, uh...?"
Ariana's eyes reddened in an instant.
"I-Is... told me... u, ugh...!"
As tears streamed down Ariana's face into view, Ruin sprang into action.
Ruin circled behind Is and swiftly grabbed his wrist.
"Fuck, what?"
"You bastard!"
-Smack!
Ruin slapped Is across the cheek without hesitation.
Contrary to Ruin's intent to knock him out, Is merely turned his head slightly and placed a hand on his struck cheek.
"...Pretty bold, huh?"
"You fuck! You told me not to treat Ariana like shit, and now you're doing it?!"
Ruin yelled, pointing at Ariana.
"Look at her! She's crying! You've always treated the world like shit with kindness, what the hell are you doing now?!"
He already knew Is had fallen to the same inexplicable Black Magic as him, but that only fueled Ruin's rage further.
"What if it happens to you too, fuck...! How am I supposed to deal with you acting like this after always lecturing me...!"
Ruin had been helplessly ensnared by the unknown Black Magic too, and he'd thought Is, of all people, would have a solution.
Fuming with anger and shame at how much he'd trusted Is, Ruin glared at him without stopping, his body trembling.
"...I like that."
Is licked his lips and gripped Ruin's wrist.
"Kyaa! No, fuck! What are you doing?!"
Ruin screamed in genuine panic.
Is fixed him with a greedy stare.
"Last time I saw you, you were so fucking repulsive I wanted to puke, but now... you're kinda growing on me?"
"?! You bastard, don't tell me!"
Seeing the transformed Ruin, Is had felt nauseous.
↓
↓
Seeing the transformed Ruin, Is felt drawn to him.
"Gaaah!"
Faced with this horrific truth, Ruin shrieked and yanked his wrist free.
Or tried to.
"!! Why won't it... no way?!"
Is was diligent.
↓
↓
Is was a genius.
"You fucking shit!"
In this truly dangerous situation, Ruin struggled more desperately than ever.
As a result, he couldn't break free on his own, but Is casually released his wrist.
"Eh, since you hate it so much, I'll stop here."
"Wh-What?"
"I get what I want. No matter how long it takes."
"Hiiiiek!"
Chills ran down Ruin's spine.
He bolted desperately toward Ariana.
"H-Hey! I can't deal with that guy either..."
"Is slapped me Is slapped me Is slapped me Is slapped me..."
"...Fuck! Frelia or whatever your name is! You're my only hope—"
"...What did you say?"
"Argh fuck! Why's this bitch like this?! F-Fuck this, I don't know anymore! Figure it out yourselves! Call me if it's dangerous or whatever!"
Ruin fled.
***
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Fucking adorable."
Ruin fleeing in panic looked just like a cat warily running from people.
By comparison...
"...Tch, those two have zero charm."
The Saintess muttering through tears over there and the mage girl frozen with a weird expression were worthless.
-Twitch.
"...Hm?"
For some reason, his left arm spasmed briefly, but...
"Eh, whatever."
Probably not important.
'...Feels like something's changed, but...'
If he couldn't pinpoint it, it was probably fine.
"Saintess, let's avoid looking at each other as much as possible."
He tossed a kind word her way and walked past her.
Or tried to...
"W-Wait."
"Hm?"
The Saintess grabbed his wrist.
"...Fuck, is it Grab-a-Wrist Day or something?"
"Is, y-you know you're acting... a little, no, really weird right now, right?"
"What?"
"The way you're acting now is just like the Hero. You're not the Is I know."
Tear-streaked, the Saintess looked up at him.
"I don't know what happened, but I'll fix it. You've always done the same for me."
"What the fuck are you on about."
Deciding it wasn't worth hearing more, he tried to shake her off.
Then...
"Mother."
-Flash!
"Urk!"
Dazzling light burst from the Saintess's halo.
"Mother, a faithful lamb is about to commit sin, ensnared by wicked evil."
"You crazy bitch! Stop it!"
It was supposed to be holy, but an inexplicable unease gripped him, so he desperately reached to restrain her.
At that moment, his left arm spasmed again.
"Wh-What the hell?!"
As he clutched his left arm in confusion, the Saintess smiled at him.
"Ahh, even now, the lamb strives for Mother's daughter... Please honor his faithfulness and cleanse away the traces of evil..."
Purification.
A wave of pure white light engulfed me, and I lost consciousness...
[Not yet.]
...or not.
"...Huh?"
"What, I got scared for nothing."