Even a Scoundrel Gets Tired

130 – Is This Really the End?

The situation began to escalate

to an even more dramatic extreme.

Because Allen’s form was, once again, beginning to change.

Crack, pop, crack.

A sound that sent shivers down the spine.

Flesh twisting against flesh,

bones grinding and shattering against bone.

That gruesome sound

emanated from Allen’s body,

and Jennison, without hesitation,

threw the dagger he held.

Whether it was a rational decision,

or merely an act driven by instinct,

he only held one thought.

He had to stop him

no matter what.

He had to kill him now.

If he didn’t,

he feared, vaguely, that

he himself would be the one to die,

that his own survival instinct was

sounding its urgent alarm.

Without a single hesitation,

he flung the dagger from his hand.

He could no longer create more, his magic fickle and failing,

and it was, for him now,

his only weapon.

That was how desperately,

he wished, and wished again.

He wished that this dagger would, at last,

sever the lifeline of his brother, who had abandoned his humanity.

Clutching at a threadbare hope, he wished and wished again.

*Thwack*─

The violet skin, growing ever

more intense, was pierced.

By a single, chillingly honed blade.

The dagger plunged

deep into his chest.

Were he a normal man,

the blade might have caught on his ribs,

preventing a deep penetration,

but Allen’s flesh was now

in the throes of complete reconstruction.

Far from catching, the blade

slipped in with terrifying ease,

and soon, only the hilt remained

visible, the rest buried deep within him.

“Now!!”

Simultaneously,

Jennison’s signal echoed,

and as if in perfect response,

a golden

flame began to burn fiercely behind him.

“May the light of El become a burning comet,

banishing all that is wicked…”

A single spear, blazing gold as if

it contained every last iota

of the Saintess’ divine power.

On the shaft, etched in stark relief,

only a single character:

滅 (Myeol).

An intent to obliterate

every corrupt thing in this world

emanated from that one glyph.

A sacred relic bestowed upon the Order,

a high-level artifact besides.

The Holy Spear of Annihilation, Gungnir.

And it now faced a solitary fiend.

“Haa… haa…”

“Saintess, it seems your body is under immense strain…”

It was the truth.

No matter how far beyond measure

her divine power might extend,

Gungnir was, at its heart,

a sacred relic holding the very power of the gods.

Her flesh remained, in the end,

merely that of frail mortal.

She could not wield this spear without bearing a terrible burden.

A potent penalty ranging from

a faint to, at worst, death itself.

A weapon that could only be

used a single time,

that required at least a bare minimum of preparation,

that, depending on the circumstances,

could even lead to demise—

this was what she now held in her grasp.

“Ugh… haa…”

“…Saintess?”

“Don’t… don’t mind me… just… protect me…!”

The reason she carried

this spear for self-defense, regardless,

was actually exceedingly

ordinary and straightforward.

If she could only endure all its penalties,

it would unleash a power

stronger than any magic or attack.

If she poured every last drop of

divine power remaining within her body,

she could unleash an attack

akin to a 9th Circle spell, at the very least.

The power of a 9th Circle spell,

something only an extreme

minority of humanity could even use.

Here, she was about to recreate it.

“Ghrrk…Ghuaraaack!!”

“It comes…!”

But, as expected,

there was no enemy so

benevolent as to patiently wait for it,

and that applied even to

Allen…no, the fiend, preoccupied with wresting

control of the flesh.

“Kuraaack!!”

The fiend’s skin, darkening to an almost violet hue, rippled.

As if tiny alien-like

creatures were about to burst forth.

Fwoosh, fwoosh─

Heave, heave.

The purplish skin, which

had been writhing ceaselessly,

ceased its tremors for a brief moment.

“Keshaaaht!!”

“…Insane, what *is* that?!”

Instantly, holes riddled

his skin, and something began to launch itself.

Cylindrical bodies stretched and elongated, lacking eyes, nose, mouth, or even limbs.

Instead, the front

of each body was lined with

rows upon rows of jagged, spiky teeth: loathsome creatures.

Yes, if one were to

draw a comparison to its appearance,

one might even think of it as a grub,

“Keryaaack!!”

But its aggression held no resemblance.

I wager, those green, saliva-slicked fangs…

A single bite from them, and

one would undoubtedly suffer

no small amount of damage.

“Arise, Yeogwi.”

Yet, not for a moment would

she allow herself to be felled by such things,

and so, now, the girl summoned.

Those who do not, should not, exist

in this current world.

“Krrrlrrrk…?”

“Kereaaak…!”

Yeogwi.

Those who died unjustly, screaming a final breath,

leaving not even descendants,

their vengeful spirits twisted into wicked ghouls.

If the Agwi she summoned earlier

possessed the power to devour all,

these were closer to those who bestowed.

Though of course, that was in no way,

shape, or form, normal.

“Krr…? Keraaak!!”

“Kara…kyaaa…!”

Thud—

The sound of something

falling onto the dirt floor,

and with it, a single insect that,

only moments before, was flying

toward the girl, met a gruesome end.

Its entire body speckled with angry red blotches.

“Greuk…?!”

“Gryaaak!!”

Thud, thud.

Each and every one of the

caterpillars, flitting about in the air

as if it were their home, began to drop.

One with its dark, mottled

body completely hardened,

another quite literally

It died foaming at the mouth,

and a pale speck could be seen on the one flying far away.

“…”

“Why are you looking like that?”

Yeogwi’s (廬貴) ability,

it was, in essence,

to spread.

All the contagious diseases

that existed in this world.

Even humans, if infected,

would die without a whisper,

so how could these mere

larvae hope to survive such plagues?

“Kerhk… Kshaaa!”

“Ha, until when…!”

Even so, she

was given no respite.

The number of Yeogwi she could summon

was just a single one.

In contrast, the insects were still pouring from the Majin’s body.

Such overwhelming numbers and volume,

as if there were a breeding ground within him,

the insects showed no sign

of stopping,

so, little by little, she had

no choice but to be pushed back.

“Ah… really… annoying…!”

Pshooong─

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwahng──

Yet still, the situation remained in a delicate balance.

The afterimage of the black light scattering

began to spread, and

as if a fuse had been lit somewhere, a chain of explosions

began to erupt haphazardly.

“I HATE bugs!!”

“I… can do it too…!”

Whenever the hands and fingers

of the two girls with black hair moved,

black light and flames surged.

A disturbing, black flash, so potent it felt like it could melt you just by touch,

swept clean through a horde of insects,

followed immediately by a dance of beautiful, crimson flames.

*Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh—*

*KWA-AA-AA-ANG—*

Magic prowess far exceeding

what her age should allow.

Even hampered by

mana suppressors that restricted her full power,

she gave it everything she had.

“T-this time… it *will* be a help…!!”

Cold sweat streamed down,

her entire body began to weep a mournful song,

but she didn’t stop casting.

Nonstop, her fingers

flicked, moved, traced shapes in the air,

and in response, a kaleidoscope of spells burst forth from the void.

Fourth Circle spell: [Dreamfire Rain]

Fifth Circle spell: [Slender Icicles Embroidering the Sky]

Fourth Circle spell: [Thunderbolt]

There was no particularly grand reason

for any of this action.

It was simply that she

didn’t *want* to stop what she was doing.

That was all.

She didn’t want to carry the scar

of hesitation for the rest of her life.

She decided then and there

she wouldn’t hesitate any longer.

Even if it meant carving away at her own flesh, she would, absolutely.

“Kyaaak!!”

“…Krrrk!”

Perhaps her feelings had somehow

been conveyed,

because for a fleeting, minuscule moment,

the insects’ movements stilled.

*Don’t go any further, or you’ll die a pointless death.*

Even the most grotesque

of insignificant creatures,

knew when to stop.

For whatever they were, at their core, they were still creatures of flesh.

Their survival instincts

screamed a desperate warning.

As if telling them not to approach

with such carelessness.

“…Huh? They stopped moving?”

“Haa…haa…Is it…over?”

Watching the insects crumple

and fall from their individual attacks,

everyone, for the briefest moment,

caught their weary breath.

Except for one man.

“I’ll be borrowing this for a moment.”

“Uh, my dagger…?!”

It wouldn’t be strange if he were taking the lead.

Always think of what’s next.

It was one of the phrases etched into his mind.

A phrase he had heard relentlessly

and had aided him just as much.

The single thought that flashed

through his mind, constantly considering the next step.

The moment the enemy hesitates,

kill them without faltering.

“Kryaarrggt…?!”

“Kyaaaggh!!”

*Snick-snick-*

The insects began to be butchered.

All by one man who charged headlong into their swarm without hesitation.

Slicing and cutting, hacking and smashing,

severing, extracting, and crushing,

treading, stabbing, twisting, and tearing.

Not a swordplay steeped in the elegance and nobility

that other nobles were generally taught,

but a desperate thrashing,

movements akin to a struggle for life itself.

Only then, did the tide begin to turn.

“Huuuh…Kheuuh…”

“Grrrraaarr…”

Now, victory or defeat hinged on

who could be the swifter.

The Saintess’s Holy Lance was the first

Whether to hurl their spears at the Majin.

Or whether the Majin’s bodily mutation

would be completed first.

No one could rashly

predict the victory or defeat

of this fight,

and could only wait quietly.

Even for her sake, who still sweated ice.

“U-Um, how long…

How long do we have to hold out?”

“Huuu…the Saintess must find her strength…”

“Hnghh…!!”

“…Eh?”

It was then.

That a halo began to shine

behind the Saintess.

Above her head,

a stark white spear

floated, adrift.

“The light of El descends upon this land…let all that is profane be purged!!”

And with those words,

the spear soared to the heavens.

At a speed unseen.

“W-Wait, where are you going?”

“…Could it be she failed─”

“…Wow, a shooting star!!”

“Ah, I don’t think so.”

And the spear began to descend

straight down once more.

Drawing a trajectory with beautiful light.

Carrying within its blade

a sacred flame.

It began to plunge earthward.

[Ah, finally…!]

“…Maybe I feel a little bad for it?”

“Me…not particularly…”

[…?]

The Majin, having at last

completed its corporeal mutation,

slowly raised its head…

The hour was already far gone.

The spear, until a moment ago suspended

in the void, had reached

the space directly above his head.

*Fwooosh─*

*Shiaaang─*

“Gyaaak..!!”

“Kreushaaraaa..!!”

“Ugh..that feels awful!!”

With a deafening roar,

divine power was unleashed.

The quantity was utterly overwhelming,

more than enough to purify

all the insects in the vicinity.

In truth, it was nearly

a declaration of a hallowed ground.

One of the benefits

after Gungnir’s activation.

“..Did we get him?”

“….”

The dust settled, revealing

a colossal crater gouged

into the ground.

At its epicenter,

a single spear shaft stood tall.

No longer merely a demon,

but piercing through Alen’s head.

“Haaa..It’s..over.”

“Mi..Saintess? She’s fainted..!”

“Ha..haha, we somehow survived..”

“..A rather electrifying experience, to be sure.”

“There’s such a thing as too electrifying!!”

The relief of survival,

the acknowledgement that it was finally over,

began to envelop their weary bodies.

But only for a fleeting moment.

Above Gungnir, still

impaling the earth,

space itself began to warp.

“..Hey, what’s that now?”

“No..no way, he’s still alive..!”

[Nay, this one is certainly deceased, I reckon.]

“Ah, that’s fortunate then… Ugh?!”

[Tsk, tsk, to die before even achieving completeness, utterly pitiable.]

Perhaps the battle was not yet finished.