The Serpent Church (9)
The Serpent Church (9)
"Big Sis."
Late in the night, I called Isabella out separately. She came out hesitantly, watching my every move. Unlike her sharp appearance, her behavior was like a cat's.
"Wh-what is it..."
"Give me your hand."
"M-my hand?!"
She looked down at her own hand. Then she slyly hid it behind her back.
"No."
"Why not?"
"N-no funny business. I'll scold you."
"...? Just give it to me. It's not funny business."
"I-if that's the case..."
I snatched Isabella's hand.
"...Hah."
I thoroughly examined the hand Isabella had clapped over her own mouth. The Sacred Mark should be somewhere...
Not on her hand, then? Some other part?
"Would you mind taking off some clothes?"
"H-here...? N-no! I'll really scold you!"
"Stay still."
"N-no... ah... if you push me... I can't..."
I rolled up her sleeve. Not here either...
On her back?
"Big Sis."
"G-gently..."
"Where's your Sacred Mark?"
"...Huh?"
She glanced at me, then quietly lifted her priestly robes.
A cute belly button came into view. But there was no Sacred Mark.
"There's nothing here?"
"...Below this."
I stared below her belly button. I see. So that's how it was.
-Still a lecherous bastard, I see.
What a fucking pervert of a god.
"...It's not all the way down, right?"
"...Around my lower belly."
"Then I'll pull your clothes down for a moment."
"Wh-what..."
She acted like she was resisting, but she didn't resist. If anything, she subtly pushed her belly out for me.
"Oh God... forgive me..."
Heat mixed into her excited breathing. Just in case, I checked our surroundings.
No one's here. Mm. Good.
If the Serpent Church bastards had seen this, all hell would have broken loose.
"Let me just say up front that I have zero ulterior motives."
"...Not even a little?"
"Well, I'm only human, so maybe a little?"
"......."
Isabella averted her gaze. Then she belatedly asked.
"But why the Sacred Mark...?"
"I need to talk to your god, Big Sis."
"...?"
"You'll understand once you see."
Where shall I go to meet her?
. . .
"Big Bro."
I opened my eyes. Someone was shaking me.
Small wriggling hands. A girl who looked much younger than me.
"...Han Seo-a?"
I couldn't forget that face, so I shot upright. No doubt about it. Those chubby cheeks.
This was Han Seo-a right before she died.
"You... why... here..."
Wait.
What the hell is going on?
I frowned and ran a hand over my face. Han Seo-a was dead. She was gone from the world.
And the agreement to bring her back was...
My deal with Sun God Ra.
"Oh, for fuck's sake."
I glared at Han Seo-a.
"This isn't funny. This kind of stunt. 'Naga.'"
"Eek."
Han Seo-a stumbled backward. To be precise, the thing wearing Han Seo-a's 'shell' stumbled backward.
"S-sorry. I just wanted to see your reaction... I wondered who was buried deepest in your memories... a-and... I even added an honorific to her name..."
"Do you want to die?"
"E-eek..."
"Take that off right now. Or I really won't hold back."
"I-I'm sorry..."
Writhing, Han Seo-a began to melt away. It was a grotesque enough sight to make me frown.
A slowly growing figure. A small woman with eyes almost level with my current body walked out.
Her clothes were just sheer enough for skin to show through, and heavy dark circles hung beneath her eyes. She looked gloomy at a glance... gloomy...
What the hell? She was like a nuclear weapon for the final battle.
"D-don't look..."
She hugged her chest. Her breasts were so large that 'hugged' was literally the only way to describe it.
"Hmmmm..."
"Wh-why..."
"I think I understand why the Serpent Church puts up with that treatment while still believing in their god."
"U-uuu..."
I clapped my hands briefly to change the mood. Then I extended my hand to her.
Gently.
Affectionately.
Let’s stay in gentleman mode until I’ve milked every benefit I can out of her.
"Shall we take a short walk?"
"Ah... uu...?"
Naga looked back and forth at my hand. Then she pointed around the room.
"This is the only place I made... so we can't go for a walk..."
"Then let's at least circle the room."
"...?"
"They say light exercise helps with thinking. Here. Quickly."
"I-if that's the case..."
She took my hand. Then we began slowly circling the room.
"You're much prettier in person."
"Wh-where did you hear about me..."
"I heard from Ra. Is the white hair genetic?"
"I never had parents to begin with... I've had it since the beginning..."
"Your eyes are a pretty color. Are you from abroad?"
"I'm not even from the same world as you to begin with..."
I changed the mood with some light banter. Once I saw the tension leave her, I went straight for the point.
"Is Isabella okay?"
"Huh?"
"I was wondering if it's okay to make contact like this."
"O-of course!"
Life returned to her drooping eyes for once.
"Isabella is fine! She's a child I cherish! R-right... I called you because I wanted to thank you. Originally I was going to call you through Isabella, but... for some reason you came to me first..."
"Because I wanted to see you."
"...Eh?"
She froze.
"M-m-m-m-m-m-m-missed... me...?"
"Of course. I was curious, too."
"B-but... you’re a follower of Big Sis Ra..."
"Is that not allowed?"
"Th-that’s... I mean... laying hands on another god’s follower is... a serious crime..."
"The human heart isn't that simple."
I lightly brushed the back of her hand.
"I like you."
"H-hah..."
She flinched. She glanced at me several times. I tried not to laugh.
Easy. Too easy.
I can squeeze out a lot.
"But Naga."
"Y-yes?"
"I like you, but I don’t think I can come over to your side. Ra loves me too much..."
"I-is that so..."
She blinked as if she didn't know how to handle me. But her shoulders were subtly slumped.
I wrapped both hands firmly around hers. My eyes flashed.
"But, thinking about it differently, maybe there is a way."
"Y-yes?"
"My body belongs to Ra, but... I want to embrace Naga too."
"E-eh...?"
"Could you share a little of Naga’s grace with me?"
"...Uu...?"
Naga's eyes spun in circles.
"B-but... Big Sis Ra will definitely be angry..."
"I'll cover for you."
"Two gods leaving marks on one human body violates causality..."
"But I don’t want to let Naga go."
"Wh-why go that far..."
"Because you're the first god I've met that I like this much."
It's true.
This is the first god I’ve ever found this easy to milk for benefits.
Ra had never been easy to milk in the first place.
"I have to save this world. Naga, don’t you know that much?"
"Th-this is the first I've heard of it."
"...You can hear about it from Ra later. Anyway, you’ll do it, right?"
"S-still, this is too sudden..."
"Ah."
I quietly let go of Naga's hand.
"I see."
"...Huh?"
"No. It's nothing. Never mind."
I smiled. My eyes were smiling, but my mouth was not.
"I’m thinking about who saved Isabella’s life."
"Ah... ah...?"
"The Serpent Church believers are only alive because of me, too."
"H-hah..."
"I saved your followers’ lives, pulled them out of danger, and this so-called god still won’t give me anything?"
I looked at Naga sideways.
"I guess that's possible. Right?"
"N-no..."
"No, I was out of line. I made an unreasonable request. I almost committed a grave discourtesy. Our Naga is amazing! I! Almost made a god angry! Right?!"
"Uu... ah..."
"I made a huge mistake! A mere follower of an enemy god almost insulted a god! My fault! Completely!"
"Th-that's not it..."
"Naga."
I slowly stroked her head.
"I like you, Naga. You know that, right?"
"Y-yes..."
"So I don’t want to be separated from Naga. You understand that too, right?"
"...Yes... eh..."
"And I’m more than qualified to receive compensation. I’m the one who saved the followers Naga cherishes. Right?"
"Th-that's... right..."
"I can persuade Ra, and since I saved lives, there should be enough causality... So the only problem left is that there has never been a human body with two Sacred Marks, right?"
"R-right...?"
"Precedents are made to be broken, aren't they? If I become the first case, then maybe that too will become natural. Right?"
"I-is that so...?"
I grabbed her shoulders as she tilted her head and whispered sweetly into her ear.
"Naga."
"Y-yes...?"
"I don’t want to part from Naga."
I brushed her cheek with my finger. I lightly tugged her snake-like tongue.
"What about Naga?"
As if her resistance to men was absolute zero, her eyes were spinning round and round. Some kind of lewd scent wafted out, too.
"I... I mean... that's..."
"How about it?"
"Th-this is the first time... so... I mean..."
"I want you, Naga..."
"D-don't... whisper... like that..."
Naga flinched. With unfocused eyes, she quietly leaned into me.
"It's... warm... I also... I mean... don't particularly... want to... part... maybe..."
"Right? Then what should we do?"
"Uh... uh..."
She murmured in my arms.
"Carve... a Sacred Mark...?"
"No. That alone might not be enough justification."
"Th-then what?"
"Appoint me as an Apostle of the Serpent Church—as the person Naga favors most. How about it?"
"...Eh? B-but that's..."
"It's fine. I'm going to leave the Sun God Church someday and found a new church, so it's not a problem at all."
"Th-that's not the issue..."
"Naga."
I took hold of her chin.
"Will you stay with me?"
"Ah... ah... hah..."
She squeezed her eyes shut. Then she quietly nodded.
"Y-yes..."
[Class changes.]
[Race has changed.]
[Sacred Mark (B) -> Mixed Sacred Mark (A).]
[Divinity (B) -> Mixed Divinity (A).]
[Zahard Balton] [Level: 42]
[Race: ???] [Class: ???]
[Class Unique Skills]
-Sun God's Love: Sun-God-related skills you possess grow rapidly.
-Sun God's Grace: Your Sacred Power recovers rapidly.
-Sun God's Blessing: You can handle the Sun God's Sacred Relics without risk.
-Sun God's Prayer: You are immune to mental corruption.
[Class Unique Skills]
-Serpent God's Love: Serpent-God-related skills you possess grow rapidly.
-Serpent God's Grace: Your Sacred Power recovers rapidly.
-Serpent God's Blessing: You can handle the Serpent God's Sacred Relics without risk.
-Serpent God's Prayer: You are immune to status ailments.
[Possessed Skills]
-Mixed Sacred Mark (A): Repels all Demonic Force. Can grant Sacred Marks to others. Subordinate priests become mixed, and some body parts may twist. (5/20)
-Mixed Divinity (A): Two divinities have mixed. Usage has become more difficult, and it is not detected by ordinary Sacred Power detectors.
-Healing (B): Can perform healing and combat simultaneously. The world calls this 'Immortal's Battle.'
-Blessing (B): Status effect resistance greatly increases, and you can maintain composure except in special situations. Physical abilities greatly increase, and Sacred Power temporarily increases greatly.
-Sacred Flame (B): Produces sacred flames. Purifies evil and can burn some things that cannot be burned. The size and limits of the flame are proportional to Sacred Power.
-Prayer of Fire (C): Praying maintains body temperature for a set duration. Physical abilities improve.
-Holy Water Production (C): Infuses water with Sacred Power. Activates the body's healing power and increases resistance to Demonic Force.
-Sacred Wall (B): Can block off certain areas. Can be applied thinly over the skin and wreathed in fire. Exhibits power comparable to armor and negates impacts below a threshold.
-Whisper of Fire (B): Enhances weapon performance. Flames settle upon it, and it can be granted to others' weapons as well. Grants resistance to Demonic Force.
-Purification (C): Expels curses and purifies the corrupted.
-Sword of Judgment (B): Derived from the Sun God Church's foundational swordsmanship, 'Song of Fire.' Unnecessary elements were trimmed away, and the inquisitors' swords have long been famous for lacking mercy.
-Meat Cooking (C): Grills meat deliciously.
-Crown of Ash (EX): Offering tribute raises the grade of Sun-God-related skills.
"Eh... huh...?"
She suddenly opened her eyes. Naga trembled and muttered.
"M-my accumulated... centuries of carefully saved... causality... where did it... i-it’s all gone..."
Where do you think?
Thanks for the meal.