Chapter 697: The Way to Resolve Love
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 697: The Way to Resolve Love
"A slave?"
Ariel pulled the two of them back, ensuring they wouldn't be caught in the Love God’s pollution, while continuing her mental conversation with her teacher.
"That sounds... incredibly pathetic."
"But it is precisely this kind of 'humble love' that is most easily twisted by inner obsession, isn't it? It provides the perfect soil and conditions for the Love God’s seed to take root and sprout."
"I get it now."
Ariel’s cheek twitched. "So this is that 'weak sub' thing? Masochism? Some kind of Stockholm Syndrome? Dammit, if you can't get the person you love, don't come here and throw a tantrum! This isn't some midnight therapy bar!"
"Normal preferences don't count; those are just kinks. But if someone isn't naturally that way and is forced into it by a mixture of extreme love and agony, then there's a problem."
The Teacher’s tone grew increasingly solemn. "However, for a member of the Demon Race—who are cold to their very marrow—to be influenced by the Love God... is this just a vanishingly rare anomaly, or is there..."
"Some deeper secret we don't know about?" Ariel added in a low voice. "Is that Love God trying to pull something in the Abyss too?"
"Most likely... it’s possible. It seems this rescue mission will be far more complicated than we imagined. It might not just be a simple matter of—"
Mid-sentence, the Teacher’s voice suddenly spiked in volume:
"Watch out! Movement!"
Ariel’s gaze sharpened.
There was no time for further talk. She shoved Roya and Temier behind her, signaling them to retreat for the moment, while she drew the Heavenly Fire Greatsword and held it in a wary guard.
At that moment, "Bult" underwent another change.
She was still staring into the void as if the dangerous, cold Grand Duke of Bewitchment she loved was truly standing there, looking down at her like an ant. Her cheeks were flushed, and her smile grew increasingly sweet.
However.
The wounds on her body, still oozing blood, began to tear open inch by inch. The sound of flesh and meridians being pulled apart was audible and horrifying.
It was like a perfect fruit slowly peeling off its own skin.
The wounds ripped, the flesh turned inside out, and white bone became clearly visible!
Even those bones—Bult’s very limbs—began to twist unnaturally. They curved until their ends met, forming an oval shape that shuddered as it extended upward.
Skin, flesh, and bone all flipped upward, leaving only a blurred mass of exposed internal organs hanging heavily beneath.
"Dammit... what the hell is that thing?"
Even Ariel, who had wiped out an entire demon tribe and was used to bloody scenes, felt her eyes twitch.
The two behind her fared even worse. Roya covered her mouth tightly, her face pale with terror, while Temier had already turned away and begun to retch.
"As you can see..."
The Teacher sighed. "The seed has likely bloomed."
The upturned flesh and skin interlaced into blood-red petals. As they spun gracefully, they possessed a bizarre, macabre beauty.
In the center of the petals, the head that was still staring with a look of bliss suddenly began to open... no, its lips were tearing apart. From the dark depths of its throat, a soft, vein-covered tube extended outward.
"So that’s the so-called stamen?"
Ariel took a deep breath, feeling the nauseating scent of blood thick in the air. Her grip on her sword tightened.
"I have a bad feeling about this. Should I strike first?"
"Your current condition is poor. If you're going to move, you'll have to use that," the Teacher said, her voice laced with concern.
After battling a Demon General and then pummeling a succubus, even Ariel—whose physical constitution was tougher than steel plate—was nearing the edge of exhaustion.
This was why Ariel hadn't acted immediately. First, the corruption of an Evil God was irreversible; there was no way to interrupt the process. Second, in her current state, a reckless attack might leave her wide open.
"But it feels like I have to strike first now. This thing gives me a very bad vibe. It doesn't feel like a simple corrupted spawn of an Evil God!"
Ariel’s eyes flickered. Her intuition told her that whatever was in front of her was definitely bad news, and she had always trusted her gut.
"Then I will assist you."
Fortunately, she wasn't the only one who trusted her.
As the Teacher spoke, Ariel felt her body suddenly grow light.
A powerful surge of soul power poured into her, like a sweet spring refilling a body that had run dry after consecutive battles.
Ariel’s spirit rallied. Feeling the abundant power within her, she stopped hesitating. She thrust the Heavenly Fire Greatsword into the ground temporarily and raised her hand, revealing the exquisite emblem on her arm.
It was an incredibly complex pattern, traced in black and white. An ancient, profound aura radiated from the emblem; even before the power was fully released, the surrounding space began to warp slightly.
Ariel’s eyes seemed to turn black and white as well, like the two most distant poles of the world, bursting with entirely different lusters.
Diametrically opposed, terrifying forces rapidly converged in Ariel’s palm.
"Ancient Forbidden Spell: Devouring Annihilation—"
But just as this terrifying power was about to erupt.
The massive flower birthed from flesh suddenly twitched, and then... it rapidly retreated a great distance.
Its movements were so agile that it was impossible to tell it was a flesh-flower that had completely lost its human form.
The way it moved was almost as if...
It was fleeing from her attack?
"Huh?"
Ariel, who was halfway through her ultimate move and already in her pose, froze.
What was going on?
This was supposed to be a monster corrupted by an Evil God. She hadn't even launched the attack yet... and it was already chickening out?
【】
Ariel heard a strange sound.
It wasn't a syllable a human could produce; it was filled with eccentricity and madness.
The petals of the flesh-flower unfurled. The blood-colored tube Ariel had called a stamen suddenly turned, revealing... an eyeball at its tip.
It looked like a normal human eye, with the red capillaries in the sclera clearly visible. Yet, within that eye was a cold, lofty gaze that did not belong to a human—as if a being from another plane of existence was looking down at a lowly ant on the ground.
Just being watched made Ariel feel chilled to the bone. At the same time, her heart sank. That haughty gaze meant... a fragment of the Evil God’s will had personally descended!
However, that arrogance didn't last long. Ariel keenly noticed a flash of... scrutiny in the eye?
Is He... observing me?
Ariel frowned, remaining in a state of total alertness. She weighed whether to continue her attack or wait and see.
If she continued... honestly, this weird flesh-flower was retreating pretty damn fast.
【】
【】
The bizarre vocalizations continued, but gradually, Ariel found the sounds becoming familiar.
Finally, those mad and strange syllables transformed into cold, intelligible human speech.
【So...】
【I originally thought he was the one...】
【I didn't expect it to be you...】
The eye stared coldly, as if it had finally confirmed something.
【So, it is you.】
"What do you mean 'it's me'? And who is 'he'?" Ariel demanded.
【If it is you, then what... is he?】
Rarely, Ariel saw a hint of contemplation in that eye possessed by the Evil God’s will.
"What the hell is this thing talking about?"
"I'm not sure, but He seems to have seen something in you," the Teacher mused.
"Whatever. I don't care about 'you' or 'him.' If an Evil God is making trouble, I'll follow standard procedure and give Him a face full of—" Ariel raised her hands again.
【Now is not the time.】
But Ariel’s ultimate move was thwarted again.
With a twist, the flesh-flower instantly drifted dozens of meters away.
【We will meet again.】
The eye rolled, but its gaze remained fixed on Ariel.
Deep within the pupil, which shimmered with a ghostly light, was the reflection of Ariel’s flawless face.
It was as if darkness was about to swallow her whole.
【We will meet again, the world's...】
The flesh-flower snapped shut.
From within the bud composed of skin, flesh, and bone, a bone-chilling sound of chewing erupted.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Soon, the flower bloomed again.
But this time, there was nothing inside the petals.
The flesh-flower fell to the ground, stripped of its previous eerie beauty. Foul-smelling blood began to flow from the ruptured internal organs.
Now, it was just a pile of withered, rotten meat.
"He's gone?"
Ariel put away her technique, completely bewildered.
What the hell was that?
A grand Evil God pops up for a look, does absolutely nothing, kills His own vessel, and bails?
She had expected a hard-fought battle. After all, she had never seen an Evil God run away so smoothly before.
And to go through the trouble of personally descending just to consume a corrupted succubus... how was that different from someone crawling on the ground to pick up a dropped sesame seed and then sucking on it to savor the flavor?
Is that something an Evil God should be doing?
"He might have intended to do something, but after seeing you, He changed His mind," the Teacher speculated.
"Me?"
Ariel crossed her arms and tilted her head. "Is there something special about me? I haven't really dealt with this Evil God before."
"I don't know. We have too little information right now."
"...True."
Looking at the heap of flesh, Ariel sighed. "Given the situation, it seems more and more necessary for me to make this trip."
*
"Are you two okay?"
Finally, after everything had settled, Ariel had the chance to check on Roya and her "little brother," Temier.
She even had the Teacher use soul power to scan them, making sure the Love God hadn't pulled any sneaky tricks on them.
Fortunately, perhaps because He left in a hurry, the Love God hadn't let the pollution spread to them.
"We're fine. But Miss Ariel, you... are you okay?"
Roya still felt a bit nauseous. The scene just now had been so shocking she would likely have nightmares for days.
"That thing just now, was it..."
"I'm fine too."
Ariel shook her head. "Don't worry about that thing. Forget it, and go back and get some rest."
"We want to rest, but for now we should probably—"
Roya gave a bitter smile, then paused as she processed the words. "Wait, go back? Go back where...?"
"That's right. You're going back. Including you."
Ariel looked Roya in the eye. "I originally wanted you to stay and help me, but this matter is more dangerous than I imagined. I can't let a cute girl like you risk your life with me."
"But I—"
"And besides."
Ariel interrupted her. "There are too many reasons not to let you follow me, and I don't have time to explain them all. But you should know that if you come, your little brother will definitely follow. And later... I might have to face that Love God again."
"The Love God..."
Roya glanced at Temier and realized something. Her expression shifted to one of understanding.
"Do you understand now?"
Ariel lowered her voice. "For that kid, the Love God is the most dangerous Evil God. He would have absolutely no power to resist. So, take him away before his love becomes twisted."
"..."
Roya bit her lip, considering for a moment before finally making a decision. "Then... Miss Ariel, will we have a chance to meet again?"
"Of course."
Ariel brushed back her bangs, revealing the same roguish, charming smile she had when they first met. "I believe our next meeting will be in a beautiful field, where the air is fresh, the grass is green, the sky is blue... and the girl is even more radiant."
"Miss Ariel..."
Roya’s eyes reddened slightly as she took a deep breath.
Though the Hero’s smooth talk was a bit cheesy, it was enough to shake a young girl’s heart.
Fortunately...
Roya felt a secret sense of relief.
This Hero’s preferences seemed to lean this way as well.
That meant she had a chance. She was already starting to look forward to their next reunion.
"Then, Miss Ariel, please take care of yourself."
"Yeah, don't worry. When it comes to being hard to kill, I don't think anyone in this world can beat me."
Ariel waved her hand and, after a quick farewell, didn't linger.
In the end, she set out on her journey alone.
"Am I destined to be a loner?"
As Ariel walked, she couldn't help but sigh at the sky, looking out over the vast, endless sands.
No.
My fate is in my hands, not the heavens'. I will definitely find my true loves and fulfill my grand ideal of building a Crystal Palace!
Ariel clenched her fist, reaffirming her goal.
"Now, time to go save some helpless beauties."
*
Roya watched Ariel until she disappeared over the horizon. When she turned around, she found Temier watching her with a nervous expression.
"Ro... Roya, did I do something wrong again?"
"Wrong?"
Roya blinked. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"No... I know you're still mad at me, but I had to do it."
Temier suddenly gritted his teeth, his face full of earnestness. "Even if it was wrong, I couldn't let you be tricked by a stranger like that!"
"I told you, Miss Ariel isn't a stranger. She's my savior. And her leaving has nothing to do with you."
Roya habitually patted Temier on the shoulder, feeling quite helpless regarding her childhood friend's occasional stubbornness.
But suddenly, her footsteps faltered.
She remembered what Ariel had just said.
Did she not know why her childhood friend was occasionally so stubborn?
Of course she knew.
It was just that both she and Temier were deliberately avoiding it.
She did it because she didn't want their relationship as companions to change, and Temier... because he didn't have the courage.
But this turning a blind eye and this cowardice would eventually lead to a "twisting."
So...
"Temier."
Roya suddenly turned and looked him straight in the eye.
Even if his gaze was frantic and evasive, even knowing how much pain it would cause him, she still had to say those words clearly and unmistakably.
"Actually, I've always thought of you as a younger brother. So... I'm sorry. You're a good person."
The best way to resolve a twisted love.
Is to face that love head-on.