Chapter 24
Chapter 24
My flesh trembled. Under the pressure Marianne was emitting, my mouth went dry and my heart pounded wildly.
Every time I looked at her, the ‘nocturnal instinct’ within me blared like a siren.
That thing is dangerous. It’s something on a completely different level. Run, now.
“Saintess? Are you truly Saintess Marianne?”
Meanwhile, Marianne, who had instantly eliminated the remaining enemy, said nothing.
She simply stood with her back to me, gazing up at the World Tree.
It was as if she were an absolute master contemplating her own realm.
‘Am I not even in her sights?’
That thought had just crossed my mind when, before I could react, Marianne’s eyes turned toward me.
A gaze that pierced through my body, probing deep inside as if examining my very being.
It didn’t feel pleasant, as though she were measuring my strength.
“It seems you’re not the Saintess Marianne I know.”
“……”
I grabbed the hilt of Prah, which was stuck in the ground, and pulled it out.
At that, Marianne, who had only been watching, clenched her fist and took a stance.
Are two strong beings unnecessary beneath the World Tree?
“You’ve really handed me something troublesome.”
Only now did I understand what Marianne had meant at the end.
“Please take care of me” meant “stop me.”
It meant this was a power even she couldn’t control.
“…This is damn terrifying.”
Marianne’s body was still slim and beautiful.
But the tightly packed muscles visible throughout told a different story.
That was combat-compressed muscle.
If other elves were like large containers moderately filled, she was a small container filled to the point of bursting.
It was obvious which would be heavier and stronger.
[That elf girl has the Earth Mother within her.]
‘So she’s a demigod?’
[No. Judging by her inability to control it, she’s a step below that. In simple terms, a pseudo-god.]
‘That phrasing is a bit harsh.’
[Even so, do not underestimate her. She still possesses a portion of divine power—and not just any god, but the Earth Mother.]
I nodded quietly.
The Earth Mother was occasionally mentioned.
The chief deity worshipped by elves, said to have birthed the World Tree, Yggdrasil.
As her name suggested, she governed all land and embraced life like a gentle mother.
Ironically, she was also the god of fists.
Even though there was a separate god of martial arts, in terms of fists, she stood above them.
Apparently because she disciplined her husband and children with loving punches.
In any case, she was not someone to be taken lightly in combat.
[She’s coming!]
“Ugh…!”
Boom!
In a single step, Marianne closed the distance.
I raised Prah and blocked her punch.
But the force behind it was like being struck by a swinging log, sending me sliding back.
My stance broke, leaving me completely exposed.
Her next punch had to be redirected.
I wrapped her wrist with the blade and altered its trajectory.
The punch that passed over my shoulder tore through the air and shattered everything behind me.
Just imagining taking it head-on made my legs weaken.
A single punch being a one-hit kill was too much.
‘Prah, I’ll need your power. At my current level, this is impossible.’
[Finally!]
I could almost hear the cheer in my head.
Until now, I hadn’t encountered an opponent worthy of using the demonic sword.
But this was different.
Even Bern couldn’t defeat someone with divine power.
I had to close the gap with Prah’s strength.
[Contractor, what ability do you desire?]
‘I’m busy! Just calculate it yourself and tell me the cost and abilities!’
[Understood!]
Dodging, deflecting, redirecting—I used every method to deal with Marianne’s fists.
Sweat poured down my face like rain.
If I tried to think on top of this, my brain would overload.
So I left it to Prah.
[Contractor, I have devised a perfect plan!]
‘Keep it concise.’
[Heh… don’t be so shocked you fall over!]
Using ‘nocturnal instinct,’ I split my focus.
One side handled the fight, the other reviewed Prah’s plan.
It was rational. Optimal.
‘Looks good. But what’s the cost?’
[Of course there is one!]
‘Then why isn’t it written?’
[That’s a secret!]
‘Write it down!’
[No!]
At a critical moment, Prah threw a tantrum.
But due to the contract, it couldn’t exploit me unfairly.
Payment was capped at 10%.
[Wouldn’t it be better to start while you still have stamina?]
‘If you ask for something weird, I swear…!’
A punch grazed my cheek, tearing skin.
No more time to hesitate.
I accepted the plan.
[Wise choice! Now, let’s run wild!]
Runes on Prah glowed as a red aura emerged.
It flowed through my body, spreading everywhere.
It didn’t feel unpleasant.
Rather, my previously stiff body felt lighter.
[From the right!]
‘I can see it now!’
A hook shot toward me.
Before, I could barely track it.
Now, I reacted easily.
Thanks to temporary abilities: ‘nerve stimulation’ and ‘accelerated blood flow.’
Boom! Boom!
Sword and fist collided.
Now I could block her punches head-on—and even leave small wounds.
I wasn’t being pushed back.
That alone meant I had a chance.
[She’s preparing a finishing move.]
‘Annoying.’
Marianne stepped back and stomped the ground.
The floor caved in.
A devastating strike was coming.
[Let’s use ours.]
‘Yeah.’
I gripped Prah with both hands, aligning it with my body.
Unity of body and sword.
The state where I become the sword, and the sword becomes me.
The first step toward the peak of swordsmanship.
Bern had been close to this state.
Now, through my contract with Prah, I achieved it.
[This sensation… becoming one…!]
‘You’re breaking my concentration.’
[Don’t worry! We are already one!]
The red aura was absorbed back into the sword.
Then it turned black.
Sword energy—only achievable in this state—formed.
[The power comes from me, but whether to wield it is up to you.]
‘I know.’
[Then show the world your existence.]
The Earth Mother’s energy gathered as well.
A clash of powers.
Neither could retreat.
“UOOOO!!”
I thrust my sword forward.
Pouring all my strength into it.
Marianne swung her leg, tearing through the ground.
Screeeee—
The collision created unbearable noise.
White light filled my vision.
I pushed forward.
Trusting myself, Bern, and Prah.
I would not retreat.
I cut the single line before me.
[Now!]
Crack!
The result was neutralization.
But this was the key moment.
As planned, I rushed forward and thrust my hand toward Marianne’s abdomen.
“Absorption Technique…!”
I pierced her skin with energy needles.
To devour the Earth Mother’s power.
“Ugh!”
[Endure! If you withstand this, you will reach a higher realm!]
My veins bulged violently.
My body rejected the power.
Still, I forced it in, coughing blood.
If I stop, I fall into deviation.
If both paths lead to ruin, I choose forward.
[Contractor!]
“AAAAAH!”
Marianne grabbed my left arm.
Trying to twist it off.
“Grrr…!”
[Huh?!]
Crunch!
I bit down on Prah and used my other arm.
If one arm failed, I’d use the other.
[W-what are you doing?!]
‘I need you to maintain the technique!’
[Still, biting me like that…!]
‘Endure!’
The power surged in.
My heart felt like it would explode.
My muscles were tearing apart.
Still, I didn’t let go.
“Gah!”
My left arm was torn off.
Didn’t matter.
I had planned to lose it anyway.
‘Prah! Increase the output!’
[What?! That would—!]
‘Do it!’
[…Understood!]
The absorption doubled.
Pain doubled.
And…
[Ahh!]
For some reason, Prah’s reaction intensified as well.
My consciousness flickered.
‘This is the end!’
[Ugh…!]
I absorbed as much as needed and collapsed.
“Ugh…”
My entire body screamed.
But it worked.
Marianne lost consciousness, her state returning to normal.
As Prah had said, removing part of the power ended the possession.
Absorbing all of it was impossible.
Without Prah, this technique wouldn’t have worked.
I owed it everything.
Except…
[Haa… haa… amazing…]
It also left me in an indescribably strange state of mind.
While others were in a battle story…
Why did mine feel like a completely different genre?