Chapter 792: The Method of Salvation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 792: The Method of Salvation
Flames scattered across the sky like morning light refracting beneath the clouds, or the final embers of a dying sunset.
In the last moment before they flickered out—the final instant before the sword’s tip reached his vitals—the firelight illuminated Muen’s profile. There was no trace of fear, only a gaze projecting an iron-clad will.
He did not dodge, nor did he strike back. When the point of the blade was a mere centimeter from his heart, death was just as close.
Yet Muen simply watched Ariel in silence, standing as firm as a mountain peak watching over stones and dried springs at the end of the world.
Finally, with a soft clack, the "stone" cracked, and a new stream surged from the "dried spring." The Heavenly Fire Greatsword slipped from the girl’s trembling hands and clattered to the ground.
Death did not come. Instead, amidst the dawn-like glow of a new beginning, Muen pulled the girl into a tight embrace. Ignoring the fading flames around them, he whispered, "See? After all these times, you still can't bring yourself to truly cut me, can you?"
Images flashed through his mind—countless times Ariel had threatened to strike him, only to hesitate in the end.
But this time was different.
There was no denying that even a body tempered a thousand times over could not withstand the Heavenly Fire, an Ancient Artifact that even Zagu had feared.
To Muen, however, this wasn't a grand gamble; it was a foregone conclusion.
From the bottom of his heart, he trusted the girl named Ariel Bugard. He knew that even if the Love God had exploited a moment of weakness, Ariel would never completely lose herself.
Ariel, the "Soaring Phoenix" and the destined protagonist, wouldn't give up that easily.
If she were ever to kill Muen Campbell, it would be by her own will, not as a puppet controlled by something else.
"Alright, it’s over."
Muen stroked Ariel’s back as if soothing a frightened kitten.
The girl in his arms trembled slightly. Her head, filled with conflicting emotions, leaned gently against Muen’s solid chest as he held her close.
Not the fake chest of Miss Muse.
But the real, solid chest of Muen Campbell.
"...I love you... I love you... I love you... Miss Muse, I love you..."
Ariel continued to murmur, but the look of struggle on her face gradually faded under Muen’s comforting touch. Her tense body softened, seemingly suppressing the powerful, alien will within her.
Seeing the situation coming under control, Muen couldn't help but relax slightly—
"No!"
Light and shadow flickered. A misty silhouette seemed to finally break free from some invisible shackle, rising from Ariel’s body.
Peles cried out in desperation, "His target isn't you! Knock Ariel out, quickly!"
"!"
Muen’s pupils contracted. Even as his mind raced to grasp the meaning of Peles’s words, his body moved instinctively. The hand stroking Ariel’s back stiffened, fingers snapping together into a blade-hand as he swung toward her neck.
But in the end, he was one step too late.
Or rather, he was one step slower than Ariel.
In the split second before she lost consciousness, Ariel’s hand swept across Muen’s palm, snatching the storage magic ring from his finger.
Then, she gave it a light squeeze.
The spatial storage ring, engraved with multiple reinforcement and defensive spells, proved pathetic against a certain eerie, shimmering light. With a crisp crack, it shattered completely.
The contents spilled across the ground.
High-denomination banknotes, Imperial Bank black cards, unfinished food, and magic devices that were useless in this situation.
There were also Muen’s everyday clothes, the lace underwear Senior Sister Anna had left with him, and the blanket Ariel had used last time.
And, of course, the mirror he had just put inside.
The mirror looked as plain as ever; an ordinary person would find it hard to believe it was a genuine Ancient Artifact.
But now, a sinister aura began to emanate from it. Muen looked down and saw that within the mirror’s deep darkness, countless flesh tumors were writhing, eventually forming an irregular sphere.
The sphere throbbed like a heart. Then, the flesh tore open, and a massive pupil emerged, staring coldly at Muen from within the glass.
"God of... Love!"
Muen’s face darkened. He drew the Pure White Blade without hesitation. A flash of sword-light, condensed with killing intent, shattered the mirror instantly.
But now, every single shard of the mirror perfectly reflected that nauseating mass of flesh.
【Muen... Campbell...】
A cold, hollow voice echoed, carrying a power that seemed to corrode the soul. Muen’s consciousness momentarily wavered.
When he snapped out of it, he saw several tentacles woven of flesh extending from the cracks between the shards. Their target was...
The container holding the Demon God’s blood, which he had also just placed in the storage space!
"Don't you dare!"
Muen’s eyes nearly burst from their sockets. He forced his overextended spiritual power to surge once more, unleashing a wave of black flames. On the other side, a powerful soul force erupted as Peles, her figure significantly dimmed, poured out the last of her strength to sever the Love God’s tentacles.
But... the supposedly unconscious Ariel suddenly raised a hand, blocking the path of the tentacles.
Both the black flames and the massive soul force jerked back instinctively to avoid hitting her.
In that brief opening, the deformed flesh tentacles successfully snatched the container of Demon God’s blood and retreated into the mirror.
【Heh... heh...】
A bizarre laugh rang out.
It was raspy and grating, like the sound of rusted steel being twisted and thrown into a blender. It made the eardrums ache and the soul tremble.
【Muen Campbell...】
The tumorous eye stared into Muen’s. The god chuckled wickedly:
【I told you it wasn't over. And this time... I win!】
"Motherfucker!"
Incensed, Muen smashed his fist into the pile of mirror shards. "Love God! You’re a goddamn Evil God! What kind of shameless petty tricks are you playing? Come out and fight me! Face me one-on-one! Fuck you! Come out and fight!"
Unfortunately, there was no response.
Having left behind the mockery of a victor, the Love God had vanished into the shards. No matter how Muen searched, he saw only deep darkness... and his own furious reflection.
"Dammit!"
Fury surged in Muen’s chest. He had always prided himself on being an expert at "curing" the low blood pressure of Evil Gods by infuriating them, but this time, he was the one being mocked to his face.
The Demon God’s blood was gone.
And more importantly...
Muen looked at Ariel on the ground. She lay there quietly, stripped of her usual vitality and defiance, looking like a sleeping princess.
But Ariel was never a princess. She was supposed to be a Hero, someone who hacked through thorns and moved ever forward. She shouldn't be lying here, and she certainly shouldn't be a puppet for the Love God. The moment that god appeared, she should have plunged her greatsword into that disgusting tumor.
But she hadn't.
A complex mix of emotions spread through Muen’s heart. He didn't know if it was anger, self-reproach... or both.
Muen exchanged a look with the ethereal soul beside him—Ariel’s teacher, Peles. The latter looked deeply apologetic.
"I am so sorry. I failed to notice the change in Ariel’s state of mind. I never imagined that someone as strong as her would be twisted by her own love. By the time I realized... the seed had already sprouted."
"No, it’s not your fault," Muen said softly.
Although the Love God’s prestige had plummeted throughout these events, leading people to underestimate Him, it was as Teacher Mela had said: even the "disgrace of Evil Gods" was still a genuine Evil God.
The Love God’s Authority allowed His seeds to bypass a target’s strength and invade their heart once they sprouted. It had been the case with Eluka, and with the saintess from several generations ago.
The seed was so well-hidden that no one could detect it until the internal distortion erupted.
Even if that person was Ariel’s closest mentor.
No—perhaps it was because they were so close, because she understood Ariel so well, that her teacher never imagined Ariel would fall in such a way.
No one had expected it.
"......Did you two encounter the Love God before this?"
"Yes. While dealing with some succubi from the Demon Race, one of them was corrupted by the Love God. I remember He said some strange things to Ariel back then..."
The pensive Peles suddenly realized. "Those words... was that what He meant?"
"So, the Love God had His sights on Ariel from the beginning?"
Muen clenched his fists.
Knowing the Love God had planned this should have made him feel better... but it didn't.
Because he knew, deep down, that if it weren't for him... if it weren't for Miss Muse, the Love God alone could never have breached Ariel’s heart.
He was the primary cause.
"Oh my."
A breeze blew past, and the old loli’s head arrived late to the scene. With a quick glance, she grasped everything that had transpired.
"It seems I’m a step too late."
"Teacher Mela..."
Muen took a deep breath. Setting everything else aside for a moment, he lowered his head. "I’m sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" Mela asked calmly.
"I lost the Demon God’s blood."
"Oh, I see. That is indeed worth an apology. However, an apology alone won't fix the situation."
"..."
Muen bowed his head even lower. After all that hard work and surviving so many life-and-death crises, the final result had been snatched away by the Love God.
It felt like all his efforts had gone down the drain. More importantly, if the Love God got His hands on something like the Demon God’s blood, there was no telling what kind of catastrophe...
"Relax..."
Seeing through Muen’s thoughts, Mela spoke with surprising composure.
"None of what you’re worrying about will happen."
"Eh?"
"What do you mean, 'eh'? Did you forget? The Demon God’s blood you had was blood that had its vitality killed. Just like the Demon God’s limbs He stole before, these inert remains are useless to Him for the time being," Mela said flatly.
"Of course, if He had gotten His hands on blood that hadn't been neutralized, that would have been a real problem."
"You mean..." Muen’s eyes widened.
"I mean... your efforts weren't in vain." Mela looked into Muen’s eyes. "You don't need to blame yourself. Everyone makes mistakes, and this wasn't your fault."
"..."
Muen gave a weary smile, finally letting out half a breath of relief. The stifling weight in his chest dissipated slightly.
But the smile was still strained.
"Wait, what was that about stolen limbs? Was there another part of the Demon God stolen before the blood...?" Muen realized.
"Oh dear, oh dear. I’m getting old, my ears aren't what they used to be..."
Mela’s head spun in a circle in the air, dodging Muen’s questioning gaze before landing near the sleeping Ariel. Her tone turned slightly grave.
"Alright, let’s talk business. Compared to the Demon God’s blood, this side seems much more troublesome..."
If Ariel were just an ordinary junior, Mela wouldn't care this much. But knowing the girl’s true nature, she couldn't just stand by.
If the product of the world’s self-defense mechanism were taken out so easily, it would be a disaster. It might even hasten the arrival of the apocalypse.
"But it is a bit strange..."
Mela fell into thought. "Given this girl’s nature and the mental fortitude she’s developed, how did the Love God manage to invade her? Does she also harbor a twisted love? But I recall this girl likes women. Is 'yuri' starting to get twisted these days too?"
"..."
"Hmm?"
Seeing Muen fall into an awkward silence, Mela raised an eyebrow. Just then, the sleeping Ariel began to murmur again...
"Miss Muse... sniff... my Miss Muse..."
"Miss Muse?"
Mela blinked and looked at Muen. "I remember that’s..."
"Yes..." Muen gave an awkward smile. "That’s my cross-dressing persona..."
"..."
Mela froze for a moment. Then, her head suddenly flew forward and headbutted Muen’s forehead.
"You brat! It really is you! I take back what I said. If you don't fix this, I’m breaking your legs! You damn scumbag... no, you damn scumbag-ette!"
"I am so sorry!"
Muen didn't dodge. He took the hit. Forget a harmless headbutt; even if she really broke his legs right now, he wouldn't complain.
"I know it’s my fault. Please help me, Teacher. Save Ariel. I’ll do anything as long as she can be saved." Muen bowed deeply, his voice sincere.
He wanted to save Ariel, even if it meant Mela hanging his head in the Flower Sea to act as a sun lamp every day.
"Oh?"
Mela raised an eyebrow meaningfully.
It seemed the source of this twisted love wasn't entirely one-sided.
After all, while her foolish disciple had cross-dressed, this silly girl hadn't "cross-dressed" her feelings.
"Sigh... Since it’s a request from my dear disciple, how could I ignore it?"
Mela slowly floated up again. "Of course, under normal circumstances, someone completely corrupted by an Evil God is beyond saving. An Evil God is an Evil God—an existence that can corrode the world itself. Mere humans are far too fragile before such things."
"Does that mean..." Muen’s heart tightened.
"I said 'under normal circumstances.'"
Mela gave Muen a knowing look. "Fortunately, thanks to a certain someone’s help, the current situation isn't exactly 'normal' compared to most cases of Evil God corruption."
"What do you mean, Teacher Mela?"
"That soul over there."
Mela suddenly addressed the spirit. "What is your name?"
"...Peles. My name is Peles."
The ethereal soul flickered slightly. Peles seemed exhausted, barely able to maintain her form. "I am Ariel’s teacher."
"Peles? That name sounds familiar..."
Mela rubbed her chin, but quickly gave up trying to remember who Peles was. Though she had spent most of the last millennium asleep, she had met many people; she couldn't remember everyone.
"Peles, at the final moment, you used your soul power to protect this girl’s soul, didn't you?"
Mela looked at her. "That’s why you’re so drained."
"Yes."
Peles nodded. "By the time I realized the Seed of Love had sprouted, it was too late. I couldn't stop the Love God from controlling her mind, so I could only protect her soul in the shortest time possible."
"A wise choice," Mela said. "That’s why this is a special case. Normally, the primary target of Evil God corruption is the individual’s soul, and the process is incredibly fast. Once the heart’s defenses are breached, the corruption flows unimpeded. And once the soul is corrupted, forget me—even a true deity couldn't save them.
But as it happens, this little one has a good teacher who stays by her side in soul form. That’s how her soul was protected at the critical moment. The control the sprouted Seed of Love exerts over the mind can ignore one's realm, but the erosion of the soul can still be blocked by a powerful force."
"Sounds a lot more reliable than Teacher Mela," Muen muttered, rubbing his chin.
"Hmm?"
"Teacher Mela is invincible! Whether it’s her cuteness or her strength, she’s the one I admire most..."
"Alright, alright, enough with the flattery. I don't care for it."
Mela hummed happily nonetheless, then continued:
"However, that doesn't mean she’s completely safe. Because right now, her mind is the biggest problem."
"Her... mind?"
Muen remembered the sword tip that had been a centimeter from him. "Can't Ariel’s own will handle it?"
"No," Mela said decisively. "I know you think this girl has a strong will, but was the will of the Church’s previous saintesses weak? Are the lunatics who become the Love God’s believers weak-willed? A strong will can delay the corruption, but it’s not enough—especially not against the Love God. His Authority is Twisted Love; He preys on human weakness. If a will were truly flawless, He could never have entered. And once He’s in, the end is always tragic. If her mind is completely controlled, it wouldn't be far-fetched for her to eventually sacrifice her own soul to Him."
"So, what do we do?" Muen asked.
"It’s simple. Since we can't remove the Seed of Love, we have to deal with the soil it’s growing in."
"Deal with... the soil."
"In other words, make her love no longer twisted."
Mela stared at Muen meaningfully until his skin began to crawl.
"The simplest way is to make this girl’s dream come true. Let the Miss Muse she longs for truly fall into her arms."
"You mean..."
"As it happens, I know a thing or two about magic that can turn a man into a woman permanently..."
"Wait! No!"
Muen immediately covered his precious "little brother." "Not even if I die!"
"Do you think magic is unreliable? I can also perform surger—"
"That’s not the point at all!"
Muen pleaded, nearly in tears. "Isn't there any other, more normal way?"
"A normal way? Of course there is."
Mela suddenly dropped the act and became serious. "And you probably already know what to do, don't you? After all, whether the root of this girl’s distortion is truly 'Miss Muse' is still up for debate..."
"..."
Muen looked at Peles. This powerful, ancient soul had likely never felt so powerless since becoming Ariel’s teacher.
It wasn't that she was weak—anyone who could directly resist Evil God corruption could never be called weak—it was just that in this particular story of saving Ariel, she couldn't interfere.
After a moment of silence, Peles nodded to Muen.
"Ariel trusts you. So... I trust you as well."
"..."
Muen’s lips twitched. Ariel trusting him? Was this some new kind of dark joke?
Nevertheless, Muen walked over to Ariel and knelt beside her, gazing at her face.
She was as beautiful as ever, but unlike her usual self, there was a trace of fragility between her brows.
This wasn't the first time Muen had seen a fragile Ariel. In fact, during their brief yet long period of "relying on each other" underground, he had seen many different sides of her.
The brave Ariel, the soft Ariel.
The strong Ariel, the vulnerable Ariel.
The Ariel with a powerful heart, and... the Ariel who deceived herself because she was unwilling to face her own feelings.
Images flashed by, each one Ariel. In Muen’s memory, she was no longer the stereotypical "Soaring Phoenix" or the protagonist from the original book. She was a living, breathing girl with her own joys and sorrows.
Finally, the images stopped on an Ariel with her arms crossed, looking at someone with utter disdain.
"Stay away from me, you Duke’s house playboy!"
The Ariel who hated Muen Campbell the most.
Yeah, you hate me the most. So how could I...
"Muen..."
Muen’s eyes widened.
He leaned down quickly, trying to hear more, but what escaped Ariel’s lips was still the endless repetition of "Miss Muse."
An illusion?
No, it wasn't. Whether by intuition or something else, Muen was certain it wasn't an illusion.
He had heard it. He had heard Ariel call his name.
Amidst the countless "Miss Muses," there had been a single "Muen Campbell."
Just once. But that once was enough to give him courage.
"Honestly... at worst, I’ll just let you cut me a few more times," Muen whispered.
"Have you decided?" Mela asked.
"Yes. I’ve decided."
Muen stood up, his gaze never leaving the sleeping girl.
He made a solemn declaration:
"I’m going to... set her love straight."