Chapter 396: Karmic Fire (Part 6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 396: Karmic Fire (Part 6)
"I feel like I said something pretty incredible back there in the heat of the moment."
The afterimage of the Love God was dead, and the flowers had withered into decay. Surveying the wreckage of his surroundings, Muen couldn't help but let out a long, miserable sigh.
"I wonder if it’s too late to go back to being a salted fish who just hangs onto the thighs of Senior Sister and Celicia."
He carefully inspected the area, making sure that both Ellag and the Love God’s projection had been thoroughly eradicated with no possibility of resurrection before finally allowing himself to relax.
However, a glance from the corner of his eye sent his heart leaping back into his throat. With a wave of his hands, Elizabeth flew back into his palm. After soothing the living spirits within the twin blades, Muen turned quickly and rushed toward...
The young girl lying helplessly on the ground.
The girl named Fei'er lay there peacefully, her small face pale and her eyelids closed as if she were in a deep, tranquil sleep. The flowers on the ground had all withered, yet the blossoms on her body remained vibrantly in bloom.
"I'm sorry," Muen whispered as he knelt beside the innocent girl. "Because of my negligence, I indirectly caused this to happen to you."
Technically, he had been under the influence of Ellag’s suggestion, so it wasn't strictly negligence, but Muen still felt a pang of guilt. After all, she had trusted him so much, and yet...
"Rest in peace. I will avenge you."
Muen reached out, intending to pluck the flowers that seemed rooted in her flesh. Burying her here might not be ideal, but at the very least, he wanted this Saintess Candidate to go with some dignity...
"Wait!"
Fei'er suddenly snapped her large, watery eyes open. "I think I can still be saved!"
"The Love God isn't dead yet?!"
Muen was shocked. He immediately gripped his pure white blade, ready to strike down the puppet of the Evil God.
The Love God was truly cunning, a rabbit with three burrows. He hadn't expected that even Fei'er would be completely turned into her... To be safe, he should probably mince her into fine paste first and then burn the remains until not even ash was left...
"No, no, no! The Love God's projection is completely dead! I'm Fei'er! I'm really Fei'er!"
Fei'er performed a sudden kip-up, scrambling to her feet and waving her hands frantically at Muen. Seeing the cold glint of the blade in his hand, she was terrified to the point of tears, nearly dropping to her knees.
"Fei'er?" Muen looked at her with suspicion. "You were corrupted by an Evil God and you're not dead?"
"The pollution didn't reach my soul, so I still had a breath left in me."
Seeing Muen lower his sword, Fei'er let out a long breath, her voice still trembling.
"I'm a Saintess Candidate raised by the Church since I was a child. Naturally, I have some resistance to this kind of thing. Even the Love God couldn't corrupt me in such a short amount of time."
"I see..." Muen nodded. "Just to be safe, can I check you over?"
"Check me? Oh, I understand, I understand."
Fei'er covered her chest with her hands, striking a bashful pose while throwing several suggestive winks at Muen.
"I didn't realize Mr. Muen was so impatient, wanting to do it in a place like this... Oh, I just noticed Mr. Muen isn't wearing any clothes. So handsome. Please remember to be gentle, it's my first time with a man..."
"..."
Alright, there was an eighty percent chance this was indeed Fei'er.
Despite that, Muen still cautiously performed an inspection. Naturally, he didn't do anything he wasn't supposed to.
After confirming that there were indeed no remnants of the Evil God's power within her, Muen asked, "What do you plan to do now?"
"I'm leaving this place immediately."
Fei'er plucked at the flowers on her body with disgust. "These damn flowers have grown into my flesh. Only the Church will have a way to treat this."
"You're giving up on the title of Saintess?"
"I'm done, I'm done. Whoever wants this shitty position can have it. I'm going back to being a 'Demon-Gen 2.' The old geezers back home spoil me rotten; there's no way they'd let me suffer like this."
"...Fair enough. You should get a deep examination once you're back. That old schemer the Love God is someone you have to guard against..."
Muen’s gaze fell back onto the flowers. "By the way, about these flowers... Hm?"
Muen was about to ask something, but he cut himself off.
He snapped his head around, looking into the distance alongside Fei'er, whose expression had also shifted.
"This is..."
Now that the mass of flowers had dissipated, Muen could finally smell the distinct, pungent stench drifting through the air.
The smell of rot.
At the edge of his vision, the Flesh Plain was being dyed pitch-black at a visible rate. The already nauseating, malformed flesh was beginning to putrefy, becoming even more revolting.
"Is this the abnormal mutation Freya mentioned? The Evil God's invasion is starting to spread?"
Muen murmured under his breath. He had suspected something when the Moon appeared, but he hadn't expected it to happen... so fast.
Was it because... the Door had opened?
"Wait, there's more!" Fei'er suddenly cried out.
On the Flesh Plain, the twisted ground began to writhe. Hideous monsters crawled out from the earth like infants emerging from a placenta, tilting their heads back to let out piercing shrieks at the Moon.
The monsters quickly split into two groups. One group lunged at the rotting flesh, beginning to gorge themselves ravenously.
The other group... began heading toward the tower.
"Those monsters... they aren't from the 'Outer God's' pollution, but from this world itself?"
Muen frowned instinctively.
The diary had clearly stated that the twisted monsters were a result of the Evil God's corruption...
"It looks like we're out of time for small talk." Fei'er turned to Muen. "I'm leaving. What about you?"
"I'm going to find Liya. She's still waiting for me."
"It looks like a lot of monsters are heading for the tower. Will you be okay?"
"It's fine. People are already on their way."
In the distance, several figures were rushing toward them. Their faces were becoming visible.
They looked anxious, but not afraid.
"Is that so?" Fei'er gazed into the distance and sighed. "It seems a lot happened while I was asleep."
"A lot indeed. For now, I can only tell you that Freya is actually a good person."
"A good person..."
Fei'er’s lips parted slightly as she stared blankly at Muen for a long moment. Once she was sure he wasn't joking, she suddenly stomped her foot in anger.
"Dammit! If she's a good person, who's going to compensate me for my losses? I've lost everything down to my underwear!"
"..."
That's what you're worried about?
"But, I suppose this was within my expectations," Fei'er said suddenly.
"Within your expectations? Why?"
"Because... she's also a Saintess Candidate. She's a disciple personally chosen by the Saintess Teacher. When you think about it, the possibility of her actually betraying us was always very small."
Her melancholy words rippled through the breeze.
Muen suddenly remembered the Saintess Candidates who had answered the summons that night.
Just as he had felt then—every single one of these people was truly formidable.
...
"Tsk, that bastard Freya."
A few minutes later, as Annie stood at the peak of the hill looking down, even she—usually so arrogant—couldn't help but look grim as she cursed.
"To make us do something like this... is she worried it's too lonely down there and wants us to join her?"
"Hush. How could the path to the Goddess's embrace ever be lonely?"
Margarita countered, though she followed it with a soft sigh. "However, this is indeed a bit much to ask of us."
At the base of the hill, a massive swarm of monsters had begun to gather, gradually climbing toward the giant tower at the summit. If not for the unique terrain—with only a single stairway leading up—the monsters would have likely swarmed them all at once and completely submerged the area.
"Still, this could be considered an opportunity."
Margarita pulled out a crystal, staring at the faint glimmers of light within.
"Since the indigenous people here have vanished, the only way for us to become the Saintess is likely by purifying the souls within these monsters."
Annie’s eyes lit up, her fighting spirit ignited.
But she quickly cleared her throat with feigned composure, crossing her arms and glancing sideways.
"Can you even handle this? You look like you'd blow away in a stiff breeze. Why don't you just surrender now?"
"Shut up, you disgraceful thing who got herself mind-controlled while being a Saintess Candidate!"
"What did you say?!"
Annie flew into a rage. "You bastard! Once I become the Saintess, the first thing I'll do is announce your bust size to the entire world!"
Margarita sneered. "Heh, likewise!"
The two glared at each other, sparks practically flying between them.
From this moment on, they were both comrades-in-arms and bitter rivals.
"Reta!"
"Paul!"
The two turned almost simultaneously, barking orders to their respective knights in unison:
"Prepare for battle!"
"Kill them all!"